Village Trip

Yesterday, I got to go out to the village with a new friend.  As I've written before, I don't get to go out very often because of my teaching responsibilities and language classes.  So on Saturday morning about 10, I was still loafing around my apt in my p.j.s (and yes I know I'm too old to be sleeping that late and should have been dressed by then).  It was my Saturday and I just hadn't gotten around to cleaning up.  About 10:15 my friend called and asked if I still wanted to go to the village and visit her parents with her.  I was excited about the opportunity and told her sure and asked where she was at and when she was leaving?  In broken English and bits of her language, she communicated she was at the bus station so hurry on over.  Needless to say I didn't get a shower that morning.  Totally a cultural thing...to call at the last minute. 

I love going to the villages...it is a fresh reminder of why I am here and it helps me keep my focus.  My friend, Gracie is a sister and has come to be one of my closest national friends. I love the village too because of the fresh air, even though it was hotter than the blue blazes yesterday.  The mountains have a clear view from out there and they remind me of home.  You also can get dirty, there's no email to check or taxi's to take.  It was liking being on papaw's farm way back in the day where everything smells of dirt, tobacco, and well frankly manure.

So we cooked lunch together and then she insisted I take a nap.  Why do they always do this?  I'm 28 years old, I do not need a nap!  But in this culture, between 12-2 it's too hot to work so you take a nap or if it's too cold or maybe it's beautiful weather, still 

you take a nap.  So she pulls out the best mattress on the floor , gets the best sheets and comforters out and insists that I sleep here and she'll sleep in the other room on the couch....l

ol.  And lets not even get me started on thinking about how many bugs where possibly going to crawl on me.  So eventually I dosed off for a good 30 minutes or so and awoke with the need to go to the outhouse.  It was good timing too because for some reason the typical walls to the squatty had been taken down since building the new pigpen.  No walls around an outhouse makes for an even more awkward moment.  I noticed my friend, out cold on the couch, as well as her mom on the other couch.  Didi, or little brother, was outside asleep under the shade, even the dogs were asleep.  Everything, everything takes a nap...they weren't kidding. 

 

After everybody else woke up from their naps and laughed at the American for being up, we finished up the day by cooking supper and eating again with the family.  We said goodbye and headed up the road.  My friend asked me what time it was and I said 7:23, to which her response was to gasp and say the last bus runs at 7:00.  Even though it was in her language, I completely understood this and was thinking, well nothing like your first night in a village.  She didn't look at me and I didn't look at her.  She was probably thinking, what the crap am I gonna do with this whitey if we have to stay here.  But as we were walking to the top of the hill, along came a bus.  The last one of the day.  The bus driver even said, hurry up and get on, I'm late.  Had he not been late, I would have spent the night in the village....lol.

So needless to say it was a fun and eventful day as always.  Below are a few pictures.  Gracie's parents are a minority group and don't see things the same way Gracie and I do.  They worship the water buffalo.  Why not?  In a world where you are told there is no god, but you still have this void in your life, the water buffalo seems like a good solution.  It helps you plow the fields, tend to the crops, brings in money, and is the source for a lot of help in your life.  Gracie's parents recently built a new home in their village and as you'll see the tops of the roof are little horns, in honor of the water buffalo.  The other object on the roof is a dragon symbol as dragons play a huge role in this culture.  Kings are often thought of as descendants of dragons, dragons are believed to have control over the rain fall.  For a farmer rainfall is pretty important.  Remember them and the corn we planted out there.  It hasn't rained in a while and our crop, is looking pretty bleak.  

p.s.  Out here the Veggie Tales song is true, Everyone does have a water buffalo.  

Beautiful Feet