Happy Couple Days After All Hallow's Day?

Dara, Feyi and I carved our pumpkin on Saturday.  And we finally got to light it tonight!  Their mom liked it so much she brought out her camera and took pictures of the girls with it after they had their baths!

Dara and Feyi each drew an eye, and luckily, they both wanted the same type of mouth.  I did the nose because that part of the pumpkin was bad and had to come out.

The pumpkins here are shaped a little differently than back home, so we actually did it sideways.  That gave the pumpkin the best base to stand on its own.  It's also more of a peachy color than orange, but that doesn't surprise me.  None of the food here is the same color as at home.  Makes me wonder what we do to our fruits and veggies! 

The girls had more fun playing with the insides of the pumpkin than anything else.  But that's probably because I wouldn't let them do any of the cutting.  (And I only had a big knife, which made those circles in the eyes rather difficult.)  Dara mashed a whole bunch of pumpkin guts into a ball and was playing catch with it.  Luckily, we were carving the pumpkin outside.

So far it hasn't melted, but we're in the dry season here, so that might have something to do with it.

I Know I'm Going to Miss Her, My Sister Turned into a Tomato

Ok, so it doesn't really have the same ring to it, but that's where I'm at.  Tomato.  Bright red.

We went swimming at the Hilton yesterday.  Laid outside all afternoon in the sun.  Beautiful warm weather, nice breeze, palm trees surrounding us, sparkling blue water, waiters with funny cone-shaped hats bringing us fruity little drinks.  Oh yes, and the Indian guys nearby playing Lil Wayne songs.  Ah, paradise.  It seemed a world away from the grey office in which I spend most of my days.  (In fact, it's less than a mile away; I pass the Hilton everyday on my way to work.)   It was a very nice, relaxing Sunday afternoon.  But, as I said, I'm now a tomato's twin.

                               

The people at home were very funny.  "You've changed colors!  How?"  Auntie Stella asked.  "It go back to normal tomorrow?" says Uncle Tubsosu.  I tried convincing Feyi that Auntie Hope put me in the microwave and cooked me, but she didn't buy it, "you're too long to fit."  Dr. Y took one look at me at work and just started laughing.  Oh well, at least I won't be pasty when I get back to Nashville in January!

Some random guy in the pool tried telling me I had to take out my swimming earrings because I could get hurt.  Uh, whatever!  I am so not going to change my outfit just because I "might get hurt."  Please!  It was bad enough I had to wear my beige sandals because I didn't bring my yellow swim shoes.  (Suitcase only has so much room.)  At least I didn't have to wear flip flops, ugh!

Mosquitoes Kill, Kill Mosquitoes*

Dara and Feyi had malaria the other day.  Yep, just one day.  They were miserable, fevers, chills, throwing up and diarrhea.  The next morning, they were fine, running around and making a ruckus as usual.

Mazoka had malaria a few years ago.  I still remember getting the text message.  Barely a few months after leaving Zambia; I had just arrived home from work.  Don't think I'd even taken my work clothes off yet when Mommy came into the sewing room and found me crying.  "What's wrong?"  I couldn't even answer, I just handed her the phone to read the text message, "Mazoka died this week - malaria."

I loved Mazoka so much.  He was one of my favorites.  My little brother.  The one that I would let come play in the house when no one else was around, because he always cleaned up when he was done.  He was so cute and could always make me laugh.  And he was polite, not like Chipo.  When his little brother, Nchimunya, was born, he was so proud, and he worked really hard to be the best big brother ever.  He was only three at the time, but he would help his mom, Ba Joyce, with anything.  I would often find him out in the fields with her, picking cotton and stuffing it into his little red and blue striped sweater.  During planting season, he'd be out there with his own sickle, helping to clear the old brush.

Mazoka only had one eye, he was born that way.  In Zambia, I used to wonder how that would affect him as he grew up.  Would the girls like him?  Would it bother him?  I remember thinking when I read the text message, "well, that doesn't matter anymore."  But maybe that's why no one ever seemed worried about when he grew up.  Why worry about something you aren't even sure will happen?

When Dara and Feyi got malaria, their mom, Auntie D, gave them medicine from the cupboard.  When Mazoka got malaria, Ba Joyce took him to the local clinic in Chona (about 10km from the family compound), but the clinic was out of medicine.  Dara and Feyi knew about Mazoka, they had seen his picture in my little photo album and had asked about him.  When they found out they had malaria, they were scared and told their mom they didn't want to die.  She told them not to be silly, that malaria wasn't going to kill them.

But that's the difference, isn't it?  Auntie D and Uncle Soji only have two children, because they don't expect them to die.  Ba Lenix and his wives had well over a dozen, because they don't expect them to live.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dara and Feyi in their traditional Yoruba clothes at Nigerian Day.

 

 

 

 

Family photo, 2004.  From left to right:  (Back row) Ba Maureen (2005), Ba Eunice (2005), Ba Crispin, Ba Feya holding Nchimunya, Ba Joyce, Me, (Middle row) Jemulaye, Trust, Ba Lenix, Ngandu, (Front row) Peppino holding Chipo, Joshua, Mazoka (2006).

*"Mosquitoes Kill, Kill Mosquitoes" is the slogan of NetMark Mosquito Nets.

A Trip to Nashville

Today I walked to Nashville.  Nashville Park that is, with Stella, Dara and Feyi.  

This "park" is just two blocks from our house.  It's a corner lot on two busy streets with a few trees and, mostly, overgrown grass.  We wanted to take our pictures with the sign, but we couldn't actually go next to the sign, because there could be snakes in the tall grass.  (Or Stella says; I'm not so sure about snakes in the capital city.)

After our walk to the park, we headed to Maitama Shops so Dara and Feyi could get some sweets.  The Shop is actually in the opposite direction as the park, but those girls really wanted their sweets, so we trekked over there.  I got some more jam for my peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, so it's all good.

The girls have those rollerskate-shoes and insisted on rolling down every semi-smooth pavement section.  Luckily for Stella and me, there aren't many of those.

With our little detour, our short walk turned into an hour excursion, and we all arrived home tired and thirsty but happy.