The Up-Side of Power Outages...

At least when the power goes out I get to see more of my neighbors. I have some great neighbors and some are really good friends. But life is busy for everyone and we don't all hang out that much.

But when the power is out in the evenings, there's nothing else to do but sit on our balconies and catch up.

World Cup: Stuff I Like

- I like that the clock doesn’t stop. No commercial breaks until halftime. I love it. Sure, they add the additional time for penalties and such at the end but it goes WAY faster than American Football where those last 20 seconds on the clock can drag out for an hour.

- Listening to the announcers try to pronounce all the names. Too funny guys. Especially when they have to go between West African and Scandinavian names in the same game. Umlauts and glottal stops- it’s tough stuff.

- The announcers’ colloquialisms “He’s got ‘is shootin’ boots on!”

- During the big games, I can tell the score by how loud (and often) all the people in my apartment building cheer or boo.

- World Cup is the top story on most international news sites.

- Even if the electricity goes out during the day (like today) , you know it will be back on by game time. Guaranteed. I don't even want to think about what would happen if the power stayed off for a big game! We can’t always be sure to get electricity back so soon.

- Vuvuzela. They are controversial. Some people love them. Most people hate them. I think they are great. Sure the incessant droning of thousands of vuvuzela can get old. But they are hilarious! I want one for Youth Group! Vuvuzela were around here even before the World Cup (people had them at football and rugby games). They are ridiculously loud and probably annoying in mass quantities but I’m in. Its Africa’s unique mark on Global Football.

So that's it so far! We'll see how the next round goes!

Papers and World Refugee Day

It’s something I take for granted pretty much every day of my life. I have a State issued Drivers License. I have a federally issued Passport. I have a county issued birth certificate. I had a school ID and a work ID. I have a Soc number, a phone number, an address. I have multiple documents that say “This is Linds. It’s her. We guarantee it. She is who she says she is.” The county, State and Federal Governments of the United States back up my claim that I am who I say I am. I have an identity.

This identity gives me access to government services. Because I can prove who I am, I can do almost anything. My passport gives me easy access to countries that other passport holders have to struggle to enter. My Soc number means I can be legally employed. My Soc number meant that I could take the ACT and SAT’s and go to college.

But what if you don’t have an identity- at least a legally documented identity? No county, State or Federal Government stands behind your claim that you are who you say you are? You can’t even prove your country of origin.

What happens when you are paper-less? When you have no identity? When no one but yourself knows that you are who you say you are. You can’t be employed. You can’t travel. A paper-less refugee can’t be resettled in a new country. You have no access to government services or aid. You can’t even take your Grade 8 exams so that you can go on to finish your education.

Identity is everything.

Without an identity, how do you change your circumstances? You can’t continue your education. You can’t be employed. You can’t leave. And you can’t stay. You are in a continual state of limbo. Even if you want to change things- you can’t. You lack the essential tools to change anything. Because you aren’t even seen as a person.

Everyone has the right to identity.

This weekend, we are celebrating World Refugee Day. UNHCR's latest stats say that 43.3 million people in the world have been forcefully displaced from their homes because of violence or persecution. 43.3 million people. That is the highest number in decades. 15.2 million are refugees (they have fled their home country for a new country). 27.1 million are Internally Displaced (they have fled their home area but have found relative safety in another area of the country). Roughly 1 million more are awaiting status verification. And these are the people who have been counted. Not all of them are paper-less (or stateless) . But many are.

Water-less No More.... I hope!!

So the water issue is fixed. Not a clue what was wrong. That's kinda the way it goes- if I'm not here to ask the repairman, we will never get an actual answer to what the problem was.

But who cares! I can get a shower! And wash the dishes! And cook something that you need to add water to (like pretty much any meal- pasta, curry, rice, you name it!)

I got home first today, saw there was water and jumped in the shower. I heard my roommate come in and I yelled that there was water- she replied "I could smell Herbal Essence- I figured it was back!"

I mean a few days without water isn't the end of the world. It feels like it could be- but its not. At least I don't have to carry all my water from a central location back to my home like many of the families I work with. Running water really is a luxury that I take for granted. And HEATED water. Wow. We are blessed!

More Water-less-ness

Yeah the water is gone again. Fun. This is day 4. I need a shower.

Hopefully the plumber can fix it today.

Water-less Weekend

The water to our apartment ran out. That actually doesn't happen much here. Other places I've lived, a lack of water was fairly common (on internship it was almost expected-everytime I'd wash my hair the water would run out as soon as I had the shampoo all lathered) It was strange though, because all the other flats in our building didn't have a problem. I figured the pump was broken (the pump that pumps the water into the holding tank on the roof) but apparently that was working fine.

A guy came by to fix it today. He was "on the way" from 9am- I think he actually arrived around 2. He's fixed the problem, which is great and water is SLOOOOWLY making its way back into the tank on the roof. We can flush the toilets now but there isn't enough pressure yet for a shower (or for water to even drip out of the shower). Hopefully by tomorrow.

I'm pretty sure I'm the only one in my building not watching the game...

I'll get the score tomorrow morning. Uppp sounds like the US just scored. I guess my neighbors want to make sure I keep up with the game anyways.

it's HERE!!!

Ok pop quiz for all you in the US- what is today??  The rest of the world stops today because the World Cup is starting!!  I know I know- World Cup really isn't our thing in the States.  We are all about the Olympics, we love the Superbowl and World Series and we are all about the NBA Finals but the World Cup just sort of alludes us.   We don't understand 1 whole month of football (this is a global event- its not soccer, its football!)  Probably because the US Team isn't so hot.  But that laissez-faire attitude won't fly in East Africa. World Cup is like the Olympics (winter AND summer), the Superbowl, March Madness, Stanley Cup Finals and the MTV Music Awards all rolled into one for us here.  The 2012 World Cup in South Africa is all we've been talking about for months.  Before that, we were talking about Africa Cup of Nations.  And before that we were talking about something regarding football- I just don't remember what. 

And it's not like any East African countries qualified for the World Cup (at least as far as I know- I am not the definitive source of World Cup info- I'm just doin' my best here).  For sure, no East African country is considered a favorite to win.  But everyone has THEIR team.  Everyone.  All the kids I work with have a team.  Everyone has a favorite. Some of the big ones are Argentina, Spain, Netherlands and England.

Personally, my team is Brazil.  Its not like I have a great reason for choosing them.  I haven't studied the players and the games and the info to make a wise choice. I pretty much only choose Brazil because they won the first World Cup I was exposed to (in college) and all my friends that year were from Brazil, had lived in Brazil or just favored Brazil to win and I jumped on the bandwagon.  So go Brazil!!  Plus they have a killer record!

So who knows- I may even watch a game or two! But only if Brazil is winning!

Rat Hunting in Heels

Just when I think there's nothing exciting to write about... I was just getting ready for bed tonight when I heard my roommate yell "Linds????" from the living room. Its about midnight so I figure it must be something important. I ran out, and she is practically running to her room. She herd "scuffling" in the cupboard in the living room. That's usually an indicator of a nocturnal visitor (ie- rat or a mouse or a something (the geckos don't make too much noise)).

So I went on a rat hunt. At midnight. In my pjs. I needed some type of foot wear because I'm not rat hunting in bare feet (learned that LAST time) and unfortunately the closest shoes I could find were my high heeled church shoes. Yup- I went rat hunting in heels. And I had to have some type of weapon (b/c I'm still not sure what to do once I FIND said rat- I know I need to look but what do I do when I find it? beat it with something?? stomp on it with my heels??) So I went armed with a broom. Not that a broom would be a great help but it was something...

I hunted all over the living room and I couldn't find the rat- but I did find droppings and fresh chew marks in the stuffing of the sofa (rats really seem to like our sofa! Good thing our land lord is taking it back soon! Good riddance! I'm all for a not so rat friendly sofa!) The trap is set. Hopefully we'll get him tonight!

Cold season is here and the rains are raining- that's when we seem get rats/mice/unwanted rodents. Must get too cold for them outside at night. Like I said last time, if this rat would cook like the rat in Rattatoui, it can stay- but it had better have some mad kitchen skills! Some how I doubt that is the case! Anyways, there is a massive rat trap slathered with peanut butter waiting for him in next to the couch. Hopefully that will take care of the problem. Regardless, I'm moving some more sensible shoes closer to the door- if I have to go rat hunting again tonight I wanna be able to do it with less "style".

Random Thought of the Day...

Why do anti-parasite meds taste like liquid Banana Laffy Taffy????