Snake protocol says that if you see a snake, you are to keep your eye on it, yell "SNAKE!", and somebody else is to come running with a stick and kill it.
So yesterday, in the middle of rainstorm, one of the missionaries had a night adder in her house (now confirmed to be the same kind of snake I saw on the June 7th post). Our houses are side by side, so I was the only one to hear her yell "SNAKE!". I ran out into the rainstorm towards the dining hall where I knew that 4 others were who I thought would be more adept at snake killing than I am.
"SNAKE!" No response. I ran closer.
"SNAKE!" Again, no response. My tone became more urgent.
"SNAKE! SNAKE! SNAKE!"
Finally they came running out of the dining hall, sticks in hand, and came into the tukl to kill the snake.
So nobody was hurt, the snake was killed, and life went back to normal.
But why the delay? One of the girls explained it to me.
"We thought you were yelling 'CAKE!'"
It's true... We do eat more cake here than we see snakes.
Wednesday 14 July 2010
Tuesday 6 July 2010
Off the beaten track
Friday came in perfect timing - right in the middle of needing an adventure. You may think that because I am living in Sudan, that everyday is an adventure. But even the most exotic sounding places in the world become normal life without a little help.
Friday was a village day. Every couple of weeks our class spends one day in the village, monitoring the growth of children under 5 and providing prenatal care. The village half of the students and I were assigned to is not too far away from here, and there is a main road that travels to it. But to my delight, the students led me to the village on trails off the beaten track. It was just what I needed.
We followed a "trail" of single track. This far into the rainy season the grass and maize on both sides of the trail were at times as high as my shoulders, and the shades of green that have come to life over the last few weeks are spectacular. The sky housed a brilliant (and hot) sun in its perfect blue as we trekked over gentle hills and though farmer's fields.
There was some debate as the course was chosen. If they had all have abandoned me I would have been lost; we had zigged and then zagged so many times. Whenever we trekked through questionable territory (like tall grass that made me think snakes would be hard to see), they put me in the middle of the pack - the safest place - and on we went. Through grass and mud and over fences and through valleys; my soul was refreshed.
At our destination we drank the delicious thick coffee with ginger that is standard fare here, and then went on to our work. For hours we listened to the heartbeats of unborn babies and measured the growth of children. Most of the results were encouraging. Then we shared the little water and food we had and made the return trek back to Doroji, with some stops along the way.
I am so glad for days like this... off the beaten track... adventure in the journey and not just in the destination. So much living to do between the cracks of the preplanned events. May each of you be finding your way off the beaten tracks today, and may it be refreshing to your souls!
Friday was a village day. Every couple of weeks our class spends one day in the village, monitoring the growth of children under 5 and providing prenatal care. The village half of the students and I were assigned to is not too far away from here, and there is a main road that travels to it. But to my delight, the students led me to the village on trails off the beaten track. It was just what I needed.
We followed a "trail" of single track. This far into the rainy season the grass and maize on both sides of the trail were at times as high as my shoulders, and the shades of green that have come to life over the last few weeks are spectacular. The sky housed a brilliant (and hot) sun in its perfect blue as we trekked over gentle hills and though farmer's fields.
There was some debate as the course was chosen. If they had all have abandoned me I would have been lost; we had zigged and then zagged so many times. Whenever we trekked through questionable territory (like tall grass that made me think snakes would be hard to see), they put me in the middle of the pack - the safest place - and on we went. Through grass and mud and over fences and through valleys; my soul was refreshed.
At our destination we drank the delicious thick coffee with ginger that is standard fare here, and then went on to our work. For hours we listened to the heartbeats of unborn babies and measured the growth of children. Most of the results were encouraging. Then we shared the little water and food we had and made the return trek back to Doroji, with some stops along the way.
I am so glad for days like this... off the beaten track... adventure in the journey and not just in the destination. So much living to do between the cracks of the preplanned events. May each of you be finding your way off the beaten tracks today, and may it be refreshing to your souls!
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