A Typical Sunday with a little Adventure

This Sunday the Catholic church was extra packed with people filling all of the pews and chairs, the balcony, and still more standing where they could. Janet had debated whether to come with me or enjoy sleeping in on our only day of the week without early morning classes. About three hours into the ceremony, Janet was regretting her decision. Today was a special day, with baptisms and confirmations, and despite the priest´s efforts to perform confirmations the close to 50 rites in an efficient streamlined fashion it still ended up as a marathon service. Janet had hoped to get online to communicate with the outside world, but by the time we got to the cybercafe there was already a group of our colleagues waiting to use the one machine with an internet connection - maybe we´ll have better luck next time. Now it´s time for a delicious lunch: soup, fried chicken, rice, green beans, tomato and onion salad and papaya for dessert. After a short nap (a weekend luxury) we sit on our cool porch to plan our 45 minute model lessons as an afternoon thunder storm rolls over - the dark tropical clouds punctuated by brilliant lightening. With our work done and the sky appearing to clear up, we decide on an afternoon hike to explore some of our town´s outer neighborhoods. Everything changes as you walk away from the center of town. Brick and cement homes become mud and stone dwellings, roads become broken footpaths, and white people (mulungus) become an uncommon site worthy of celebration. By the time we reach the river we find ourselves in the fields and small garden plots (mashambas). We only have a brief chance to appreciate the scenery and take a few pictures before the wind picks up and begins to blow some menacing clouds in our direction, sending us racing back home in a mad dash to beat the rain. Just as the sprinkles begin, we see a baptism celebration, an entire extended family crowded under a small porch roof hiding from the moisture while eating cake, drinking, dancing and showering the recently bapitzed with gifts also amongst this chaos, we see one of our friends, who invites us to squeeze in and take shelter from the rain- how fun! We eat and celebrate with them, and when a break in the storm comes, we dash home, just beating the real downpour. What an exciting afternoon! We drink tea, relax, eat dinner an discuss the days events with our host family as the power fades in and out due to the storm. By 9pm we´re ready for bed and use our last energies to try to finish the Sunday crossword puzzle in our NY times book, but fall asleep before we can complete the task. Every day is full of life here in Africa!