Good Birthday, Good Weekend, Home Soon

Woo, what another last few days and WHAT A BIRTHDAY! Ha ha. Wow. I’ve experienced something extremely new. So after I wrote that last blog I basically was just hanging out reading playing minesweeper, which I’m now at 1% in my lifetime because I’ve won nine games.. So basically I need to reset my statistics so I can really track it.

The Belgians came over and sang to me and gave me a little string of letters that that says Gefeliciteerd which means Congratulations in Belgian. They made a necklace of Belgian snacks and hung it on my neck. It was quite cute. So then they had previously invited me to slaughter their chicken have dinner and go to a club with them because Valerie and Soren are also leaving this week. However, we already had the other plans. But they were about to slaughter their chicken they bought so they told me I could come over for that. So I put my pictures on my flash drive for them and went over. They hadn’t slaughtered it yet, I was hoping I’d missed the killing and was just going to see how Bie cut it into the pieces. They finally did attempt, with a VERY unsharp little knife. They should have like chopped and done it quick. But Bie was holding the body and Ariane was holding the head and the knife. Let’s just say if you want to know more of that story you can ask. It was quite sad, and disgusting. I didn’t watch most of it.

That was my new experience. Lucy, one of the nurses at the hospital came over and she wanted to save the feet and the head for her sister. :/ ew.

I came home and we all waited for Lilian, Quinta, Germar and Mac and his wife Maybell to come. I had a glass of Penasol white wine (it’s in a box and it’s liter and only cost about $1.20). Germar was the first to get here, African time at 6:30. Lilian, Quinta, Mac and Maybell arrived at about 7. Mac wanted to “quaff” which is a word he and his friends use for drinking. He had some beer, the rest had Grenadine (which is basically sparkling less syrupy grenadine from the U.S. just a type of pop here). They all sang to me. We at the spaghetti and garlic bread and then my dad brought out a chocolate cake with chocolate frosting and 2 candles. They all sang again and I blew out the candles, wishing for rain.

My favorite part about dessert (well other than the chocolate) was that Lilian, Maybell, Germar and Quinta all had big pieces and big second pieces! Mac only had one. I had like 2 and a half. But nobody asked for a small one or complained about it. They all ate a bunch and really liked the cake. In the U.S. they would have all said, “just a small piece.” Ha ha.

I have quite a few good pictures. So now I’m hoping for good internet.

Sunday morning we went to 6 am mass. I didn’t understand most of it, some of it sounded pidgin English and it was LONG. It was a little interesting with all the different styles and fabrics but that only lasted so long. The children’s mass was better because of all the kids. But the choir at this one was kind of nice too.

Then I went on rounds, but really I just went and took pictures at the hospital. I went to the little crooked legs wards and took pictures of all the kids in their casts. Oh man they are cute. The parents were a bit annoying, but I can’t really give them the pictures because I cant print them here.  I can’t imagine being a 3 year old to 8 year old and having to sit in a full legged casts for 8 weeks. Ugh.

We had pancakes for brunch and it was only 11 after all of this. So I took a nap. At 1:30 we went for a walk, passed the midway and down the hill. We went up to the Midway for one last time and had Soya from Desmond.

Played Rage, ate popcorn, had some wine. Made spaghetti again with all of the left over noodles, watched some Friends, finished my book Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close and went to bed.

Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close was kind of a weird book, but I really liked it. It would have been a better read with the actual text rather than on my kindle because of the pictures and the organization of the text and the letters in the book. Has anyone read Eating Animals or Everything Is Illuminating, by the same author? I’m debating downloading them when I get home to read.

Now it’s Monday. I entered data all morning.

This afternoon is a little going away thing with the hospital and then tonight Sister Relindus and Xaveria will come for dinner and we're off tomorrow AM back to Douala (the 8 hour drive) then our flight to Paris leaves in the evening, and then to Seattle. Back at 1 pm on Wednesday.