Weeks of " Little Golden Book" Momments Ahead

Well, here we go!

This is the week that starts 6 weeks of when I will need to have a truck load of Patient Panties, the Patience of Job, a Cardiac Arrest Surgeon on Stand-by, hope no one else has or gets Malaria or any other tropical disease, nothing breaks, they get a leak fixed in the men's dorm bath area, there are enough sheets and towels for everyone (no Hoarding!), guests don't take huge helpings, supplies last as they should, no more folks just walk up and ask in French- or any other language-  for a room for five days starting tonight, I don't have a chocolate attack(I have one package of Peanut M&M's from our flight over and only allow myself 1-2 during a major chocolate attack! I have Ken dole them out to me 2 per attack! I've had 4 so far since June 3rd!  Pretty good, eh?  ;)  ), flights leave as scheduled because no one can return to their rooms because folks are coming in with reservations for that room, and nothing I haven't imagined happens. ("Oh Dear, What can the Matter Be?" keeps going through my mind!)



"I Think I Can, I Think I Can!" AKA- "I Hope I Can, I Hope I Can!"

So I am depending on two Little Golden Books from my youth to get me through until late August. When I taught school in Lubbock I had a little wooden sign - "I Think I Can, I Think I Can!"-  hanging in my classroom.(Should have brought the sign with me!) Hopefully by August 25th when we go back to "comfortably full" here at MPH, I can say:" I Think I Did, I Think I Did!" 







"Who's Been Sleeping in MY Bed!!"

We have twenty rooms that are used by guests here at MPH. Except for a suite that sleeps a couple and a single, all rooms are for two folks. We do have two rooms with a Queen bed but unless it is a couple we don't put two in them. Folks out here freak with two of the same sex in one bed. So we don't even think of doing that- with Americans either.Very taboo. So now you can see my excitement with 45 staying here starting this week for two weeks.

I taught History and Government and have always found Math to be an "abomination" - as my Grandmother said. Figuring out rooms and tents and towels and shits- oops, I mean sheets- (Yes, and I have to do bills and budget here!) EVERY day I take my hat off to Cindy and Clay- the regular managers- who are on vacation in the states. Hope we don't have to put folks on our couches here in the apartment. ;(((

So we are bringing in mattresses to put in the rooms for the Group from France-called "Joie and Vie"(Joy and Life---Humm....I'll let that go with no comment other than-Whose "Joie and  Vie" are we talking about!!?? ;) ) They begged to stay here for two weeks- knowing it would be mattresses for week two- since the second week was taken already. They are to then be in tents and will either camp out in the second floor dorm hallways or out on the soccer field. At least they are supposed to be young- at least younger than I!! Very Interesting!! For two weeks for sure we will have a minimum of 45 folks here- for meals too! I have not looked too far ahead because as the saying goes..."I can't handle the truth!"

Friday night we went with the Expats to an Indian Restaurant. I never know what to order at these restaurants! Ken and I shared very good chicken Samosas and I had a chicken Biryani deal and it was just OK. Ken ordered Chinese Chicken Fried Rice and it was great. The bread thingy was good too- sort of a pizza/tortillas deal. I stick with my bottled water and Ken with his Soda water(not Tonic).  Others had mutton in a brownish gravy (I did Not try it! I can't eat Lambchops after watching him/her on TV with Sherry!!). Some green sauce with cheese squares floating in it- was OK.  Yogurt stuff was OK too.The driver of our group is going state side for a month for her summer vacation. So we'll see if we still go out or are marooned for a month- or call a Taxi or hire the MPH Chauffeur. Antonio Martinez- MPH guest on way up country to work as an architect- went with us and was floored at the prices. It is a very nice restaurant. Guess he thought we were going to a Fast Food Street restaurant. Nope, Nancy told him- about $20-$30 per person without alcohol is the usual. So Ken and I covered him until we got home. With two beers it set him back $40! ( "But I get beers for $2.00 near MPH." he told us.) Youth!

Saturday night Larry made Pizzas and they were GREAT!  Then the Sthreshley kids asked if we could do S'mores! So we lit up the little fire bucket and made S'mores! I had been wanting to do it!! So Inge had some Cote d'Or chocolates. I had searched 7 grocery stores and found some pink and white normal sized marshmallows (At the "Snooty Patooty" South African Grocery store.- Most  groceries don't carry them because "they have to be flown in because they melt all together on the cargo ships!") No Graham Crackers to be found. So used Petit Beurres- a European butter cookie. Michael got and made us bamboo skewers to toast with and we had a great time- well, at least I did! ;)

Some guys just came back through from taking trucks, bicycles and a gazillion deals of gas up country. They will be working building roads in various places. 500 Kilometers at a stretch. They shared pictures with us at breakfast of their trip. I could just as easily pulled out the ones my parents took over 60 years ago. The jungle has reclaimed almost all of it. His folk's home from the 1960's was stripped except for the walls and roof. Has a gorgeous view of the river from the covered porch. Just walls and what the termites have not eaten and a roof.  No water, no fixtures, and no electricity. And he wants to take his wife up there while he is building the roads! I have met her and gotten to know her. She is in Savannah right now but due back in a month. The only thing I can't see her doing without (and they were missionaries here and in multiple other African countries) is contact with the outside world-AKA-grandchildren!! ;) Log bridges - sort of-and mud and a barely there road/path. With the wealth of this country it is so sad to see it so far behind.

Just got back from the Congo River. We went out to Tin Tin's-a restaurant named after the Comic book Character I told you about last post- I think! Great road and then NOT!! Was like one of those car races over all the bumps. Then hit some mud and then were there. The food was very good. Had baked chicken and fries covered with mayonnaise and pelepele. There were clown entertainers. Congolese men with white face paint. There was also a young contortionist who stacked up various sized cans on top of each other from a regular sized paint can as the largest to a can a little larger then a Campbell's soup can -on the wall by the river-. He  then got on top of the stack of cans and then put his legs behind his head while balanced on his tush on top of a soup can. Was not able to sneak a picture of this though I did get the clowns.
The Congo River is a huge and powerful river and the rapids go form here to Matadi on the coast of the Atlantic to the west. ( feels weird to say "Atlantic on the west")
All  of us but Ken and Inga went down to the water. The sand along the river is called "Sand that barks." As you walk on it,it makes a sound like a small dog barking! Weird. It's an unbelievable powerful river! ( Makes the Royal Gorge etc. in Colorado -that we rafted down- look like a tub!)  Second longest river in the world. If they put a hydro plant on this river it could generate enough power to light ALL of Africa!! Huge canoes are used on this river and I don't see how they do it. LONG canoes!! Since it is dry season the river is "down and slower." Well, I don't want to see it fast!! As evening approached the chickens running around the place started to crow and hunker down.Then the bats came out and began to swoop after the bugs flying around our tables.   Exciting!!



 Well, it is the end of a long day with Church this morning. Love the choir and the drums! 

Hope all of you are doing well. Take care! Love, ya! ME