A $50 Lesson

I recently asked my friends' little girl what she wanted to be when she
grows up. She said she wanted to be President some day. Both of her
parents, liberal Democrats, were standing there, so I asked her, 'If you
were President what would be the first thing you would do? '
She replied, 'I'd give food and houses to all the homeless people.'
Her parents beamed with pride.
'Wow...what a worthy goal.? I told her, 'But you don't have to wait until
you're President to do that. You can come over to my house and mow the
lawn, pull weeds, and sweep my yard, and I'll pay you $50. Then I'll take
you over to the grocery store where the homeless guy hangs out, and you can
give him the $50 to use toward food and a new house.. '
She thought that over for a few seconds, then she looked me straight in
the eye and asked, ' Why doesn't the homeless guy come over and do the
work, and you can just pay him the $50? '
I said, 'Welcome to the Republican Party.'

http://www.flickr.com/photos/davidparks/

Stating the Obvious

The eye exam (or, how not to practice medicine)….

The TI compound is so large that one is required (by rental contract) to hire a full time person for grounds upkeep. Silverio, known as an honest humble person, was cutting a tree and a piece of wood flew into his eye, causing extreme pain and discomfort. I asked why he did not go to the doctor. He explained that the clinic is so full that he would sit all day and maybe never see the doctor, having to come back again until he was seen. I told him that there is an eye medication with cocaine, that will instantly relieve the pain, and can be used until the eye heals. Knowing this information was foreign to him, I gave him some Vicodin from medicine (it is legal in Kenya to provide this without a prescription-I bought Codeine over the counter for a hacking cough the week before) and set out to the pharmacy to purchase eye drops for him.

The formula was unknown to the pharmacist so I found an eye doctor in the area, spoke to the receptionist, who was sitting with her bare feet up on the chair, looking at her freshly painted toenails while talking to a friend. She said the doctor would be back in an hour and he would have the drug I was seeking. I met with Silverio and instructed him to accompany me and I would get him the medication. He got lost and arrived later, so I spoke with the doctor myself. He said he would like to look at the eye himself but as I did not know if Silverio would arrive, he handed me a used bottle of eye drops, from his desktop medicine corral and said it had the desired cocaine therein to relieve the excruciating pain. He offered it for half price, as it was used, and somewhat crusty on the top. He also sold me an antibiotic/steroid for healing.

Silverio then arrived and the doctor asked him to come in to look at his eye to insure there was no foreign substance lodged in it. Sitting the patient on the edge of a chair, he took a light and peered into the eye, instructing him to roll it around. He put some drops in and grabbed a roll of toilet paper from his desktop and swabbed the eye. As Silverio rolled his eye, the doctor thought he saw something and grabbed the plastic top off his BIC pen and was determined to scrape the substance away. He was mistaken and said “by examination of the eye, I have determined that there is nothing foreign in it”. Thankfully, that was the case and the plastic dirty probe was not needed. We were sent on our way after thanking him (for the free exam and the exorbitantly overpriced medication).

This is Africa….

Buy my daughter some sardines so she can remember you…..

A Muslim finished preaching to nine fishermen near the beach and was headed home. He stopped to introduce himself and dialoged with Scott and I about sending his nine-year old son American stamps. He asked us to follow him to his home which is a normal custom in Africa. We walked a half block and went into his small compound, which was complete with a large trash pile and miscellaneous junk. We entered his living room and he introduced us to his wife and one of his nine daughters and her baby. We excused ourselves back to the front yard as the heat and humidity, sans breeze, was smothering.

He said he had something for us (another custom) and disappeared into the home, returning with a Kikoy, a type of (skirt) wrap for men in this area. He tightly tied it into a plastic bag and handed it to me. I opened the bag and looked in. He said, “It is very old”, which translated into English meant, “It is well used and not worth me keeping”. He told me to use it as a wall hanging and added, “Please buy my daughter some sardines so she can remember you. I gave you something to remember me, now you can give her something to remember you”. I was unsure how to interpret that other than, “Hey, I have this piece of crap I dug out of the cleaning rag pile and want some sardines in exchange (about $3 worth)”, and he told me where I could buy them. I thanked him for the gesture (I think it was) and politely handed his gift back, excusing the trade with “I only had enough money for lunch (which was true). He looked at me with hope, stating, “Perhaps when you come back.” I waved goodbye and said…. "Perhaps”.

Catholic Priest Announces Reason For Homosexuality

TIA (This is Africa)

Despite all the recent studies on the cause of homosexuality, it was announced today in a Kenyan newspaper, a priests conclusion. The underlined text, according to him, notes that women are "too complicated and unattractive" causing men to "get the joy that comes from marriage from other men".... I can only assume that he is saying, men are not complicated and more attractive.

Reading further, you will note, that women in the congregation, "could not take it laying down"....

Must have been a Freudian statement.....

Don't Spit, Blow Your Nose Or Sit On The Flower Pot

TIA (This is Africa)

The news reports new laws in Nairobi and a man caught sitting on a flower pot, was SWIFTLY arrested. The long arm of the law prevails. Mind you, in front of tourists, police take illegal bribes, we saw a 3 and 4 year old, begging, on the street, after dark and pickpockets are everywhere, practicing their trade (heck, there is even a trade school in Nairobi for this "art".

But, sitters beware, sit on the flower pot, go to jail.

The gestation period for rabbits is 21 days. I know this because Derrick told me. I also know the period for cows, chicks and other animals. In Kenya, it is a necessity so you can monitor the new births and mothers.

I came here with a few tasks, one was to disciple Mark and Derrick, who were orphans in Daniel’s first project and have since grown to men.

I am trying to spend time with them without breaking into their schedule to my end.

I sat with Derrick to talk, but what was he doing today? He was watching rabbits breed. OK, this is a bit awkward. Who does that? He said that they must do it so they can know the exact date the babies are born.

I can do this…talk about life and God and growth….while watching rabbits breed. OIA