Rats and Thugs!

This week, a few of us girls went in town to get pedicures.  Now, I know this kind of seems awful, but our feet were all cracked and black.  It is really dry here, and dusty, so we have been scrubbing our feet so much every day.  Yet, despite it all, our feet just looked gross.

Well, while were were on the way back, we stopped and bought some “Malawi Junk Food,” aka RAT ON A STICK!!  We were laughing in the car so hard for the mile or so while we drove back.  Yet, as we approached the gate to drive onto our campus, we saw a big commotion.  At the gate, the guards were trying fighting with some men and trying to push them out of the gate.  There was punching and screaming. 

My first reaction was to try to back up and go to a different gate . . . but I couldn’t.  The cars are backwards here and are driven on the other sides of the road, thus the gear shifts are backwards to.  In a moment of panic, I couldn’t find the gear shift.

The men had just been pushed out of the gate and had to pass by our car.  As they approached we rolled up the windows and locked the car doors.  They hit the car with their hands, but then were chased off by the guards.

We were scared for a minute, and then drove up to the gate and asked what in the world had happened.  Apparently, the two young “Thugs” had been chasing a 40 year old man and trying to rob him.  The guards let the older man into the gate in order to protect him.

Can you imagine?  I know it is not safe walking on the streets at night, but this was in broad daylight!  I am just glad that the man was able to escape onto our campus.  He later left out a different gate, to ensure that he wasn’t followed.

Well, after our fun and scare going to town, we finally arrived home to take pictures with the rats on the stick.  We were laughing so hard, that Mercy the Maid came out to see us.  She said that she really liked rat, so she took a bite for one of the pictures.

After a bit of fun, she asked me if she could take the rats home for dinner with her family!  My bit of fun, turned into a dinner!  This surprised me a bit, but I was grateful that I could provide for her.

The next morning when her husband saw me her ran up to me.  He said that he just wanted to thank me for the delicious dinner that I was able to provide for him family, and that they really enjoyed it.

All I can say is Heartbreaking . . . I knew they ate it, but to be so grateful for something that we would never even want to eat; my heart was broken.  At that moment the reality of life in Africa set in once again.  These people truly have nothing. 

So, the next day, I decided that I would start sending Mercy home with some real food. She left my house with a Papaya and two sweet potatoes . . . I just hope I can help more in the future, but I don’t think I will be buying any more rats!

No Shirt, No Shoes, No Playground?

Well, today while I was on playground duty, I noticed one of the little Pre-K students running barefoot towards the playground.  For me, this is a total “no, no.”  So, I proceeded to take this little boy back to his classroom to get his shoes.

This little boy is the cutest little blond thing that you have ever seen.  And, he has the cutest smile.  I had noticed him the past couple of days, because he had lined up in my line to go inside.  I tried talking to him and telling him to go to his class line.  He just got this huge smile on his face.  He didn’t understand me at all!!  This boy is from South Africa, and only speaks Africana.

When I saw him without his shoes, I knew that he had just probably taken them off to go play.  Thus, I picked him up and we went back to class.  In his class, the teacher assistant informed me that he had NO SHOES!  He told his parents that he didn’t want to wear shoes, or didn’t have any shoes, and thus proceeded to school with no shoes or socks!

I immediately took him to the office.  In my thinking, there is no way that this little boy can play outside on the playground barefoot.  Our playground is covered with sticks and rocks.  Of course he would get hurt!

Well, on the way to the office we passed one of the South African teachers.  She spoke to him in Africana and just laughed saying of course he can play on the playground!  He is an African!  No shoes, no problem.  None of the South Africans wear them!

Well, while I listened to her, I was still not detoured.  I proceeded to the office, where the office manager is another South African.  She said it was fine as well, but that she would call his parents.  At the same time some other American teachers walked in and immediately noticed the shoeless boy.  They exclaimed that “Of course, he can’t play on the playground!”

So, there we were . . .  cultural differences had emerged!  I just never expected it to be in such an unusual way!

So, here is a picture of the little cutie (who I let go and play on the playground!)  You know, what can a little bit of rocks and sticks do if the parents let him come to school like that ?!

Well, if you hate wearing shoes, than I invite you to Africa . . . where here the rule is: “No shirt, No shoes, NO PROBLEM!”