A Cavalcade of Abbreviated Accounts

Talk to your children about Titular Alliteration. It's an addictive habit.

Parents- The Anti-Bad-Literary-Habit.


This is a bunch of stories that don't really fit anywhere, and don't really have any point. Just kinda interesting stuff.

Someone died in their hospital room. The way the Gabonese show grief around here is by screaming and whipping their body about spasmodically. If that wasn't enough, a small crowd gathered around the room's door, everyone trying to get a peek at the drama. I remember feeling a mixture of contempt and shame at what seems to me to be a pretty classless move- like this person's death is some sort of show. I have yet to feel resolution for that.

The way I met the little dude from my profile picture- I was lending the camera to my friend, and just sitting in a desk while he took pictures. All the kids were stealing glances at me. This particularly bold kid looked at me, looked down shyly, and then mumbled the quietest "Goo-moornen" he possibly could. It was about 5pm- that's probably the only english he knows. I said Good morning, and then did the high five trick. (Ask for a high five, pretend that it hurt a lot for comedic purposes) He seemed genuinely concerned that he had hurt me. Also I think he was scared to touch me, until the camera showed up, at which point he whipped his hand over my shoulder.

A bunch of little kids playing along the road "shot" me with bamboo machine guns. I pretended to die, much to their delight. The Gabonese guy I was walking with, who is also my pastor, seemed embarrassed. It was pretty racist I guess, but maybe he was embarrassed by me goofing off. I haven't the foggiest idea.

There are two little girls around the hospital who I recognize and who recognize me. We wave at each other. Sometimes they smile. I always smile. Gabonese people are kinda shy I think as a general rule. Also very stoic in expression. Not that they're afraid to laugh, but standard facial expression is not happiness.

The weather is somewhat dichotomous. Or perhaps trichotomous, assuming that's a word. It's either sunny, and brutally hot, but there are no bugs, cloudy, and pretty temperate, but bugs swarm you constantly, or raining with intent to kill. It's always humid, like 85-90% (not kidding) and it's a rare day when my shirt is not a bit soggy by the end of it. Not from the rain. Yes I drink a lot of water.

The most impressive thing about this place for me personally is the size of the leaves. They. Are. Enormous. I could literally lay down flat on a banana leaf, and my body would not touch the ground. I've been meaning to take a picture of that. They also have a thing called "elephant's ear" which is an elephant ear sized leaf growing on a tall stalk. I'll snag a picture of one of those too.

Dinner at a restaurant is pretty cool. My favorite restaurant that I've been to here is conveniently the one right by the hospital. They have a sort of mix-and-match menu. You can get fish, chicken, or beef (assuming they have any of those three) on your choice of rice, spaghetti, or manioc. No matter what you order, it comes with a big glob of mayonaise, and as much hot sauce as you wish to endure. Mayonaise on spaghetti is actually fantastically delicious.

I have some weird mark on my hand that's a funny color. I had a doctor check it out, it's probably nothing serious, but it is sticking around. It's the guys' theory that I'm turning black. Please pray that we figure out what it is.