wata barid bilhen

(It's sooo cold)

So, I’ve heard that home (Manitoba, Canada for my international readers) has entered the ridiculous cold season well we’re following right behind here in Chad. I sit here writing in my sweats, long sleeve shirt, and a sweater. It’s around 20 degrees now maybe a little less and we experienced a miracle in the last two days here in Chad. It rained! Like streams in the desert. We’re calling it Miracles 2008 as we’ve seen fireworks, street lights have appeared in the city for the first time, the road from here to the capital is starting to be paved, and we had rain in the dry season. Admittedly, the rain came and went within minutes but what a blessing it was. It has sort of scared the local population though and made them stay at home. People don’t have clothing to deal with cold conditions, as not cold as it is. If it was plus 35 and you never saw a cloud outside of the rainy season you might be a little concerned too. A man answered my “How are you” today by “a little” when I asked why he said it’s so cold (sounds better in French). I’m hoping for more miracles in this country this year.

The reason this blog is so late is because I was able to spend the weekend at the house of the sisters who work for the boy’s mom. I guess it was really only a little over 24 hours but it was interesting. I was pleasantly surprised that I was not mute and even had some choppy Arabic conversations. Don’t get your hopes up yet, my Arabic skills are yet to really be discovered. I did have some time to speak French as well with the ladies’ sister who is well educated. She is working on her nursing degree and it was nice to hear a woman say, “I’m going to wait and get married when I’m done my education.” In a place where women don’t often have that option it was a breath of fresh air.

I also had the chance to try my hand at pounding millet. I will leave that to these ladies though! Zanuba quickly showed me how she can pound and clap in between. I was impressed as she wanted me to be. I also had to say “adjab (amazing)” as I watched their elderly mother sort millet, wheat, and coffee to sell. I drank chai (strong, very sweet tea), coffee (ridiculously strong and sweet), and madide (hot, thick, millet milk). All of these containing strong ginger. I had recently had a pretty poor experience with madide, gagging a few times but managed to keep it down, and so you can imagine my excitement when it came my way especially when I was given seconds. Of course this is a delicacy to them and they couldn’t believe that we don’t have it or esh in Canada. I guess taste is nurture not nature! Other highlights were of course the squatty potty out in the sun and a night in a mud brick house. The door was closed on that little brick house at first and it was so hot. Luckily they too were hot and opened the air so that the wonderful sounds of the city could make their way in. This was, of course, slightly prior to Jack Frost making his appearance.

I think I sound somewhat cynical and sarcastic but it was really nice to sit and watch them. To talk with them and experience their life which as a whole is so normal. The 3 sisters reminded me of my sisters and I. They laughed at each other and told each other off when they needed :) (love you girls!). Although they don’t have as much as we do they live an ordinary life, it was a nice thing for me to see as so often our Western view of Africa is a World Vision commercial, no offense intended.

I write this to you slightly past the half way point. Is it going by quickly? No, not really but it’s not going by slow either. I guess 6 months is what it is. Hope you are all surviving the cold. Excuse my tardiness, the length of this, and my overuse of parenthesis. Looking forward to seeing you all in a few short months.

From the land of miracles,
Vanessa