Catchup

OK, first off, I'm going to call myself out on one thing, Ive been meaning to respond to ALL your questions and comments for two weeks, but I keep running out of time. I'll work so that by this Sunday I'll be able to answer them all.

Then, I need to clarify on the incentives. First off, Any BS posts like the ones yesterday do not count, so I cant just run up and shove a couple sentences and pass that off as a whole post. Secondly, I want to define what I mean by you get a "favor." It means that I will do you any favor in my power, (just giving crap doesn't count) provided that it is a one time thing. For example, you couldn't make me change my major over one of these favors, but you could, say, make me attend a class for a day. (Why you would want that is beyond me, but it illustrates the difference well, I think) But as long as it isn't a prolonged favor you can ask for ANYTHING. And Boo gets three favors off the bat for being the only person under forty to post frequently (and without me having to ask her to.) Sorry mom n dad, but your bonus is that this blog has kept you from lapsing into cardiac arrest.

I hope this provides some incentive for more commenting. (and more posting on my part)

So anyhow, on Wednesday, (oh so long ago) the day went pretty much as usual. Woke up at the ass-crack-of-dawn, got into the car, went to the site. Not many kids that day, and we may or may not have had to track down some defaulters. Then a long ride to the mission at Namandanje. As-per-usual. But I did something for the first time at the mission, I left my book in the room and wandered around. I eventually found Joy and Leslie, surrounded by little kids. No sooner had I approached than little kids started swarming over me. Many wanted to shake my hand, and when I saw some going for round too I started playing with it, making a game out of shaking their hand in random directions vigorously to see if they would let go. This, did not work. It excited them and everyone wanted to try. Eventually got to chasing some around who were playing tag, overal just a very funny situation. (Envision me being crawled over like the pillars were covered with goblins in the first Lord of the Rings. And if you haven't seen it, FOR SHAME!)

Food was ok, (NO SOUP!?!?!?) and everything went well. Almost overslept the next day though.

The next day I didn't actually have a job, as stool study doesn't go to Namandanje, So I helped Leslie out instead. My job was to take the crying baby's info and see if it was malnourished. If it was I wrote some info and blah blah blah. Basically I got so see first hand the screening process. And let me tell you it is depressing. I mean, OBVIOUSLY a lot of people feed their kids, and they get better, hurray. But I got to see all the bad ones up there too. Mom's where their kid is losting weight, (Chiponde WILL make them gain, if they aren't the baby is not being fed) lying to our faces about things we ask them to do. (for their health) What takes the cake though is where you tell a mom "your kid is healthy," and they grimace like, "oh, really?" I love what I'm doing, its the first worthwile thing I've ever done in my life, and I love seeing the healthy ones discharged, just seing healty babies in general, but seeing that once is enough to depress me for a good half an hour or so.

The rest of the day was uneventful.

Friday was very packed. Lots of kids. We got out in an orderly fashion though. Nothing too terrible. Cant really remember much about friday. Must not have been important eh?

Saturday. OH SATURDAY. The things you will hear. The things I will say. The heart attack dad will have. =)

Joy (male) and I went to Macky's in the morening and I entered data. And thats just about it...

KIDDING! Though we did go to Macky's.

Well there was a football game on Saturday. A big football game everyone was going to. Apparently Malawi's football hasn't been doing well recentlyand this was their first chance to make it to the African cup in a hell of a long time. (Well the world cup too, but that would've needed a 3 point lead, soo unlikely.) So our manager and her husband picked us up in a project vehicle (because it was red, and the Malawian team is the Malawi Motos, Moto being FIRE, and the theme was LET THEM SEE RED) and they drove us to the stands, with her husband screaming in a megaphone the entire time, "MALAWI MOTO, MALAWI MOTO!" Yeah, he was well on his way to being plastered, and luckily he wasn't driving. In fact, he spent most of the game getting himself more plastered, jumping down in front of the bleachers, and taking his shirt off. Yeaaaaah, he probably would be embarrased to see a video of what he looked like. So we get to the stadium an it was PACKED. I mean every seat was filled, and there was so many red shirts it was unbelievable.

The pre game show was in many ways more interesting than the game itself. For starters, the warm ups. The Congo team, (Forgot to mention, DRC vs Malawi) and the Malawian team were supposed to warm up on seperate sides of the field. But they didn't. First one Malawian player ran over the middle, got pushed back, and then the ENTIRE TEAM ran over in formation through their side. I was laughing so hard when I saw that. I think two or three fights broke out before the game even started, which was strange, because in the game, no matter how hard somebody got knocked down noone ever fought about it.

Anyway, the funny part comes next, the DRC team brough a JUJU DOCTOR on the fireld. He performed his juju rites all over one of the goalposts. It was causing quite a stir among the Malawians, many who were actually concerned a bout the juju, not just the idea that they were trying to tamper with the game. Eventually a consencus was reached and a few Malawians scattered water to nullify their juju, and then added juju of their own. At this point I was almost dying of laughter. It followed, after warmups were over and I had regained my breath, the first juju guy runs back up and adds MORE juju! He got hisself chased off the field, and then another Malawian ran up to nullify it. They were both escorted away by an army member.

Did I meantion that this game was really important? Like bringing Malawi together, providing lots of excitement? So important the Army was present? So important the Army was equipped with automatic rifles and Uzis? I didn't? Well it was.

So then we have the game. It went off to a very bad start, with DRC scoring early. Apparently (Joy used to play football so he filled me in as to what was going on) the Malawian team sucked it up big time the first half. They had 4 golden opportunities by his reckoning, and wasted them all. The second half was much more fun though. The Motos scored about ten minutes into the half, and let me tell you, those stands ERUPTED. EVERYONE had to hug EVERYONE! They were doing things you'd never see in the states, like an entire bleacher dancing left and right ALL TOGETHER for FIVE MINUTES. They could have scored a goal and it probably would have gone unnoticed in the celebration of the first one.

Suffice it to say though, that the team was sufficiently empowered by this outcry, and doubled their focus and just about tripled their energy. The adrenaline wore off a little when two players were injured really quickly after the first goal, but I guess it still held a little, becuase they eventually scored again. And thats how the game ended. 2-1, Malawi wins.

At this the crowed started rioting. Cryes of "KILL THE AZUNGU" could be heard, and we...we lost Joy...he was carried off by the mob and we havent seen him since...BAHAHAHAHA kidding! But seriously they were rioting! There was a mass move to try to get on the field and grab the players or what not, and they all got chased back off. (Remember the goblin refrence from earlier? Well imagine people acting like that going back over a fence fleeing from the police =P) There was at least one streaker, though there might have been more. A large rioting crowd left the stadium, and another one stayed in. The one that stayed in amused itself by rattling the metal doors partitioning the nice expencive section we were in, screaming, and climbing up the fences. Did I mention the screaming? If I ever get Alima's camera I will try to get some pics of them online. Oh, and the rioting lasted an hour. At least. Is the import of this game to these people coming across just a little?

And then, the rest of the day just isnt important. Ate at Ali Baba's? Nothing compares to rioting.

And to sum up sunday cuz I am hella tired. I put data in. I was gonna cook my tongue melting chicken brocolli but the chicken wasn't thawed, and the brocolli was gross. We did go to our manager's house though to watch Vantage point. (Can't remember what I named her) I liked the movie, Leslie didn't. Car chase scene was way too long. (On a funny note, I cracked the DVD open early before I gave it to her and tried to watch it. And because of that, I missed out on the first 50 minutes. Which ironically meant that I understood the whole movie, but missed lots of little pieces. Go look it up if you want to understand what I mean, and start from the presidents' point of view.)

Today. Normal work day. Really cute babies though. Got many pics and vids of them. Was gonna cook today, but didn't because we didn't get the veggies. I think (maybe, as I dont have a good track record so far) I'll cook it tomorrow.

So BLEH ITS DOME! IM CAUGFHT UP{!!! IM NOPT TIERD! NOIT SAT LALL!!!!!

Haha, I may end up delelting that last line later, xP.

TTYL

---He who hopes this catchup game doesnt end up being a habit.