TIA: This is
Africa…
Africa…
If you are a
missionary or have traveled to Africa, you probably have heard the phrase, TIA:
This is Africa. If you haven’t, let me fill you in. There are some things that
are amazing about being here and some things that are just funny and/or
different. These are the unique things we love that make us say, TIA: this is
Africa, and we all nod in understanding. It’s just a different way of life
here, and it’s a beautiful thing!
missionary or have traveled to Africa, you probably have heard the phrase, TIA:
This is Africa. If you haven’t, let me fill you in. There are some things that
are amazing about being here and some things that are just funny and/or
different. These are the unique things we love that make us say, TIA: this is
Africa, and we all nod in understanding. It’s just a different way of life
here, and it’s a beautiful thing!
Here’s a little
insight into our daily lives here…
insight into our daily lives here…
After we have
already eaten and are really too full to eat any more, the mommas here insist
on feeding us. TIA….
Matt orders
takeout from a restaurant, and it comes all lumped together in a plastic bag…
TIA
We pay 80 or 90
shillings for a whole meal (less than $1) and compare the price of everything
we buy to a meal at this restaurant, Mama Chikus… TIA
After driving
around the crazy parts of Nairobi at night and have thought you clearly expressed
yourself to the driver on where to take you, 45 minutes later you can still not
be at your desired location because he has decided to take you somewhere else..
TIA
around the crazy parts of Nairobi at night and have thought you clearly expressed
yourself to the driver on where to take you, 45 minutes later you can still not
be at your desired location because he has decided to take you somewhere else..
TIA
Oh,
communication here… TIA
communication here… TIA
Apparently
monkeys attack girls, and it is not uncommon to see big ones at schools… TIA
monkeys attack girls, and it is not uncommon to see big ones at schools… TIA
Most days, we
are walking along the road or sitting in our room and we can hear an African
choir singing–They sound like angels… TIA
are walking along the road or sitting in our room and we can hear an African
choir singing–They sound like angels… TIA
People
unapologetically just stare/glare at us, even after we glance at them a few
different times… TIA
unapologetically just stare/glare at us, even after we glance at them a few
different times… TIA
We know people
are talking about us when we hear the word, mazungu… TIA
are talking about us when we hear the word, mazungu… TIA
And we can’t do
anything about it because we don’t understand what they are saying–yet…TIA
anything about it because we don’t understand what they are saying–yet…TIA
Avocados cost 5
shillings, which is less than 10 cents… TIA
shillings, which is less than 10 cents… TIA
Five year-olds
walk to school by themselves… TIA
walk to school by themselves… TIA
And it is
perfectly acceptable for us to walk hand in hand with school kids we just met
along the road… TIA
perfectly acceptable for us to walk hand in hand with school kids we just met
along the road… TIA
People freak
out when you walk a dog here, apparently… TIA
out when you walk a dog here, apparently… TIA
Greeting
everyone you see on the road with, Jambo!, is more the norm than the
exception.. TIA
everyone you see on the road with, Jambo!, is more the norm than the
exception.. TIA
It is not
uncommon to have random people at your house all the time, and/or sleeping at
your house or on your lawn (the guys can testify to this one!)… TIA
Yup, this is
just part of our daily life here… 🙂
