Africa

I've currently got non-crappy internet service, so I figured I would update everybody on my African adventures. I can't think of anything in particular to say, so here is a Jackson Pollack-like blog on Africa.

Except for my doxy, I'm doing fine. I say except for my doxy because the anti-malarial has the quirky side-effect of giving you strange dreams. I have no idea why this happens, but it does.

The food is very "blah", but you get used to it. Every Tuesday is "Taco Tuesday", and it is the highlight of my week.

I've lost about 20 pounds, in part because I have to walk everywhere, but also because we have a nice gym on a base with nothing to do. If you have never heard of "cross-fit", I recommend you do so.

If you want to give anything to a group of people, give it to the oldest person. He holds respect, and the goods will be evenly and fairly given out. We were giving out candy to kids in a village once, and they were going total ape shit, mobbing us trying to get some. We were just trying to give it out evenly, so we stopped trying after a minute and gave it to the village chief. Suddenly every child got into line, and there was no more screaming. It was a very valuable lesson.

If you want to replicate the feel of Africa, shine a very brite like in your eyes and walk aroung with a hair dryer blowing in your face. You don't get accustomed to it.

In Djibouti City, there are no designated directions for the traffic lanes. So driving is very fluid, one minute a lane is used to go in a direction, a minute later people are going the opposite way. It makes driving very interesting and fun. Speaking of driving, I have learned to drive stick. All our vehicles are stick shift, and you have to learn very quickly. I've only made a handful of trips in the driver's seat, but because of the distances I am now a pro at not killing the engine driving up a hill behind a slow vehicle, and at not accidentally downshifting into 2nd gear when I really wanted to go into 4th.

Trash is EVERYWHERE. And the number one type of trash you will see is a blue or red bag very much like the kind you put produce into at the grocery market. This is the bag that Khat comes in. Do not expect to get anything productive done with a Djiboutian after 1300 because they will be high on Khat. Perhaps that is a root cause of the trash problem, you got high so you don't care where you trash goes.

Don't breath until you are a fair distance outside the city. Trash is burned, so there is a constant and powerful smell that is constantly in the air. It chokes you. Sometimes the smoke is so thick it hovers into our area like an evil black smog. The AC units in our living areas do little to filter it, so for the first month I was here if something was burned at night it would wake you up. Your body would want to get away to someplace less toxic, but there is no escape.

That's all I can think of at the moment, but stay tuned because if got more to say while I have the ability to put it out there.