B-a-n-a-n-a-s

Since the rainy season it starting up, it was a blessedly cool week, but unfortunately clouds also mean no sun for solar power. It just means a little power rationing. I just wanted to let y’all in on a little bit of African life, topic being sound. So everyone morning at around 3:00 the roosters start crowing. I don’t think they have a concept of morning since they crow and random intervals throughout the day. Around 3:30 or 4:00, the church across the street rings the bell (a rigged up tire rim) a couple times to signify a wake-up call and that church is open for prayer. If there is a holiday around, there is also singing going on, but the best is when they use the microphone to “sing” with. The regular singing is actually beautiful, but it’s when they get a microphone in their hands that they start to scream instead of sing. Fabulous. I kind of thought it would be quite around here except for the occasional car passing by (there are probably only about 15 cars in the town and three belong to the mission). Not so, there is a constant chatter of birds, crickets, bleating of goats, and at night the high pitch call of the bat. The first time I heard the bats, it freaked me out, and I had to put my Ipod on to drown out the noise and couldn’t sleep. They fly around above the ceiling, under the roof, but now know they are there and eating all the bugs, I have accepted their nocturnal charades. Since I’m almost to my third week, I have actually become accustomed to these noises and hardly notice them anymore. They are now just part of nature’s music.

As for the bananas, they need some explanation time since the past week has practically been a festival of bananas at our house. There are apparently over 20 kinds of bananas here, but I think have only seen five and eaten four types. They bananas I would recognize are sweeter than in the states, but still good. Then there are these short fat bananas that are referred to as ‘strawberry bananas.’ They are deliciously sweet with feathery soft peel, and it only takes about three bites to eat one. When they are ready they plump up and break through the peel and you know it’s time to eat them. We have had banana muffins, plantain chips, banana bread, and bananas on peanut butter sandwiches. My favorite this week was the banana crisp! It pretty much just caramelized bananas with an oat/sugar toping. D-lish!

And as a little add on, I personally contributed to a patient's care when I got the hospital for my evening shift on Friday...A baby with malaria had a hematocrit of like five, and they didn't have any blood and couldn't find a donor, so since I had some to spare I donated my blood. Don't worry, it was all legit materials and the lab tech is all about protecting the missionaries, so I knew that they really needed it when he came and asked me. Prayers for that baby would be appreciated. As for weekend plans: possibly a fishing trip and eating at Bibi Star (an Impfondo restuarant) which will be an experience I'm sure.

I also have a shout out for Amber (soon to be Salmon) Fessler! You are getting married in a week! ILU!