Fun with friends

Well guys, I've been here about a week now, and I'm starting to get comfortable knowing where I am in the town and how to get home. The other day, I finally bought the equipment for making the local tea, and I've started doing it each morning for myself. For those of you who don't know what the local tea is, let me explain: basically, you take a shot-glass full of China Green Tea leaves and put them loose in a single-serving tea pot (big enough to hold the average glass of water), and put 3-4 shot-glasses of water on them. Then, you put the pot on hot charcoal in a braxier (bray-shier) [insert picture here] and let it heat until it has been percolating for a while. Then, you put (not enough) sugar in a cup and pour it between it and the pot (to aerate it and cool it). Once the sugar has mixed in, you serve the tea in a shot-glass (handing it to the recipient with your right hand, since in this culture, the left hand is used for "bathroom things" and it is not acceptable to touch anything socially or hand anything to anyone else with your "dirty hand"). This is done three times with the same tea leaves, and the tea gets progressively weaker and sweeter. To say the least, this tea has an INCREDIBLE amount of caffeine in it (it's an acquired taste, but most missionaries/missionary kids like it) and is bitter enough that until you're used to it, you have to fight back a grimace.

Other than that, I'm eating EVERYTHING in sight that is local, and avoiding missionary-cooked meals at all costs, because american food and american culture is not why I'm in Africa (at last count, I think we've had 2 non-local meals). I'm loving it here, the heat, the humidity, and the smells (from human and animal feces, mixed with an INCREDIBLE amount of garbage everywhere), it's interesting to look at how my attitude has changed, the bad smells bring back memories and don't seem so bad anymore since I'm home.

I'm not sure if I would rather live here or in America now. I used to be sure that I'd rather be here, but now I have close friends and loved ones in America who I would not leave. I guess in the end I'm just a TCK (third culture kid) who'll make the best of wherever he is.


Peace guys, enjoy!
Phil