Learning?
So, Monday we arrived here in Lusaka. Our house has a patio, a dining room, an office, a living room, kitchen, 2 bathrooms, and four bedrooms. It's really nice, and has a massive yard. I'm still trapped by cement walls, eletric fences, razor wire, and barred windows, but at least this place is bigger and nicer. Right? Yeah. Well, I made one potential friend yesterday. She's thirteen, which I cringed at when I heard her age. Thank God though, she's incredibly mature, she even went bungee jumping last week. Which brings me tooo......
My birthday is May 16th, and since there's no point in staying here and having a party since I don't really know anybody, I think we're going to Victoria Falls. It's all these huge neat waterfalls, and is one of the 8 wonders of the world. Right here in Zambia! Woohoo! So anyway, we're going to go there. While there I plan on ringing in my 16th birthday, by bungee jumping! It's the largest commercial bridge bungee jump in the world, so heck why not. They even make a DVD of the whole thing for you. After Vic. Falls, we're going to go to South (South Africa) which basically isn't even Africa because it's nicer than North America. In Pretoria, where we'll be staying, they have the largest shopping mall in the southern hemisphere. Can we say stoked? Yeah. Crime is just really harsh in South, 1 in 2 women are raped, so I'm kinda sketched but hey hopefully it will go well.
Yesterday I visited a compound with Aunty Cheryl where "go-go"'s house had falled down. Go-go means grandma, and she's the grandma of the village. She made us maize and I talked with a couple little kids, Cristabelle and Lolo who knew some English and were from Zimbabwe. The two walls of Go-go's house had fallen apart over the night, the bricks all got wahsed out from the rain. We met a bunch of ladies from the community who all called me their daughter and cheryl their aunty, it was pretty cool.
I have to learn how to drive on the other side of the road in a little over two months! How exciting! If I can drive here, I'll be able to conquer anywhere! Bonus is, I only have an L for 3 months, then I get my real license. So when I come back to Canada I'll go for a driving test there and get my international license, I'm hoping this all works out by the time I'm 17.
I found this website the other day and I thought it was so hilarious because it was so true, you must read it...
You Know You're a Missionary Kid When... (Originally compiled and published by Andrew and Deborah Kerr)
*You can't answer the question, "Where are you from?"
You speak two languages, but can't spell in either.
You flew before you could walk.
*The U.S. is a foreign country.
*You have a passport, but no driver's license.
*You have a time zone map next to your telephone.
*You would rather eat seaweed than cafeteria food.
*Your life story uses the phrase "Then we went to..." five times.
*You watch nature documentaries, and you think about how good that would be if it were fried.
You think in grams, meters, and liters.
*You speak with authority on the quality of airline travel.
You go to the U.S., and get sick from a mosquito bite.
*You send your family peanut butter and Kool-Aid for Christmas.
*National Geographic makes you homesick.
*You have strong opinions about how to cook bugs.
*People simply don't understand.
You live at school, work in the tropics, and go home for vacation.
*You don't know where home is.
*Strangers say they can remember you when you were "this tall."
*You have friends from or in 29 different countries.
You do your devotions in another language.
*You sort your friends by continent.
You keep dreaming of a green Christmas.
*You tell people where you're from, and their eyes get big.
*"Where are you from?" has more than one reasonable answer.
****The nationals say, "Oh, I knew an American once..." and then ask if you know him or her. *You are grateful for the speed and efficiency of the U.S. Postal Service.
You realize that furlough is not a vacation.
*You've spoken in dozens of churches, but aren't a pastor.
*Furlough means that you are stuffed every night... and have to eat it all to seem polite.
You realize that in Australia, the above statement would be very rude.
Your parents decline your cousin's offer to let them use his BMW, and stuff all six of you into an old VW Beetle instead.
*You stockpile mangoes.
****You know what REAL coffee tastes like.
*The majority of your friends don't speak English as a first language.
Someone brings up the name of a team, and you get the sport wrong.
You believe vehemently that football is played with a round, spotted ball.
*You know there is no such thing as an international language.
You know the difference between patriotism and nationalism.
You tell Americans that democracy isn't the only viable form of government.
*You realize what a small world it is, after all.
You never take anything for granted.
**You know how to pack.
****All preaching sounds better under a corrugated tin roof.
You know raw fish tastes better than cooked.
When guests come to your house and bring a fish as a gift.
*Going to the post office is the highlight of your day.
When you sing songs to yourself in a language other than English.
*When you mother gets excited over finding Doritos at 7-11.
*When on deputation you have memorized Dad's messages.
When after the church service you look for a slide projector to put away.
When wearing shoes in the house sounds disgusting.
*You get excited to find cokes are on sale for only 99 cents.
You carry Bibles in two languages to church.
You watch an English language video and read the foreign language subtitles.
*When you dream in a foreign language.
On your 18th birthday you still don't have a driver's license.
You send out birthday invitations in a foreign language.
When you carry a dictionary everywhere you go.
When your five foot tall mother is taller than most of your church members.
Your Dad scolds you in a foreign language.
*When you don't know how to count American money.
*When you go on furlough your Mom buys everything in the store.
**When adults want to pay you to teach them English.
When you can't find shoes to fit your feet in any of the shoe stores.
*******When you would rather sleep on the floor than on the bed.
*******When the family gathers around the computer to check the E-mail.
*When you enjoy getting together with other MK's and talking about old news.
When all your clothes have been worn by someone else.
When at your yard sale the 80 year old man next door buys your mother's culottes.
When your friends know more English grammar than you do but can't understand English conversation.
When you find a seven year old picture of yourself on someone's refrigerator.
When you know how to send a fax using an international call back service.
When you have carried the same dollar bill in your wallet for four years.
When you write in your diary in a foreign language.
*When driving on the right side of the road gives you the willies.
When the traffic light turns from red to blue.
When eating with chop sticks seems natural.
When eating spaghetti with chop sticks is easier than using a fork and spoon.
*When you have explained the difference between "The cow is on the field" and "The cow is in the field."
*When you take a shower before taking a bath.
*When you call senior missionaries grandma and grandpa.
When the message on your answering machine is in two languages.
When you move into a new house you take a gift to all your neighbors.
When earthquakes seem normal.
*When your Mom sends you out to sweep the street in front of your house.
****When you pull into a gas stand and expect people to come running out screaming welcome!
***You consider parasites, dysentery, or tropical diseases to be appropriate dinner conversation.
*You tell people what certain gestures mean in different parts of the world.
You have stopped in the middle of an argument to find the translation of a word you just used. ***You calculate exchange rates by the price of Coke.
***You would rather have a Land Rover Defender than a Lexus.
You enjoy textual criticism of customs forms.
I think that's basically an update of life right now. I miss my brothers so much, if I had them here, I would not be having nearly as much of a problem adjusting. But I think I'm warming up a bit more to living here. It takes time, but it's cool.
My birthday is May 16th, and since there's no point in staying here and having a party since I don't really know anybody, I think we're going to Victoria Falls. It's all these huge neat waterfalls, and is one of the 8 wonders of the world. Right here in Zambia! Woohoo! So anyway, we're going to go there. While there I plan on ringing in my 16th birthday, by bungee jumping! It's the largest commercial bridge bungee jump in the world, so heck why not. They even make a DVD of the whole thing for you. After Vic. Falls, we're going to go to South (South Africa) which basically isn't even Africa because it's nicer than North America. In Pretoria, where we'll be staying, they have the largest shopping mall in the southern hemisphere. Can we say stoked? Yeah. Crime is just really harsh in South, 1 in 2 women are raped, so I'm kinda sketched but hey hopefully it will go well.
Yesterday I visited a compound with Aunty Cheryl where "go-go"'s house had falled down. Go-go means grandma, and she's the grandma of the village. She made us maize and I talked with a couple little kids, Cristabelle and Lolo who knew some English and were from Zimbabwe. The two walls of Go-go's house had fallen apart over the night, the bricks all got wahsed out from the rain. We met a bunch of ladies from the community who all called me their daughter and cheryl their aunty, it was pretty cool.
I have to learn how to drive on the other side of the road in a little over two months! How exciting! If I can drive here, I'll be able to conquer anywhere! Bonus is, I only have an L for 3 months, then I get my real license. So when I come back to Canada I'll go for a driving test there and get my international license, I'm hoping this all works out by the time I'm 17.
I found this website the other day and I thought it was so hilarious because it was so true, you must read it...
You Know You're a Missionary Kid When... (Originally compiled and published by Andrew and Deborah Kerr)
*You can't answer the question, "Where are you from?"
You speak two languages, but can't spell in either.
You flew before you could walk.
*The U.S. is a foreign country.
*You have a passport, but no driver's license.
*You have a time zone map next to your telephone.
*You would rather eat seaweed than cafeteria food.
*Your life story uses the phrase "Then we went to..." five times.
*You watch nature documentaries, and you think about how good that would be if it were fried.
You think in grams, meters, and liters.
*You speak with authority on the quality of airline travel.
You go to the U.S., and get sick from a mosquito bite.
*You send your family peanut butter and Kool-Aid for Christmas.
*National Geographic makes you homesick.
*You have strong opinions about how to cook bugs.
*People simply don't understand.
You live at school, work in the tropics, and go home for vacation.
*You don't know where home is.
*Strangers say they can remember you when you were "this tall."
*You have friends from or in 29 different countries.
You do your devotions in another language.
*You sort your friends by continent.
You keep dreaming of a green Christmas.
*You tell people where you're from, and their eyes get big.
*"Where are you from?" has more than one reasonable answer.
****The nationals say, "Oh, I knew an American once..." and then ask if you know him or her. *You are grateful for the speed and efficiency of the U.S. Postal Service.
You realize that furlough is not a vacation.
*You've spoken in dozens of churches, but aren't a pastor.
*Furlough means that you are stuffed every night... and have to eat it all to seem polite.
You realize that in Australia, the above statement would be very rude.
Your parents decline your cousin's offer to let them use his BMW, and stuff all six of you into an old VW Beetle instead.
*You stockpile mangoes.
****You know what REAL coffee tastes like.
*The majority of your friends don't speak English as a first language.
Someone brings up the name of a team, and you get the sport wrong.
You believe vehemently that football is played with a round, spotted ball.
*You know there is no such thing as an international language.
You know the difference between patriotism and nationalism.
You tell Americans that democracy isn't the only viable form of government.
*You realize what a small world it is, after all.
You never take anything for granted.
**You know how to pack.
****All preaching sounds better under a corrugated tin roof.
You know raw fish tastes better than cooked.
When guests come to your house and bring a fish as a gift.
*Going to the post office is the highlight of your day.
When you sing songs to yourself in a language other than English.
*When you mother gets excited over finding Doritos at 7-11.
*When on deputation you have memorized Dad's messages.
When after the church service you look for a slide projector to put away.
When wearing shoes in the house sounds disgusting.
*You get excited to find cokes are on sale for only 99 cents.
You carry Bibles in two languages to church.
You watch an English language video and read the foreign language subtitles.
*When you dream in a foreign language.
On your 18th birthday you still don't have a driver's license.
You send out birthday invitations in a foreign language.
When you carry a dictionary everywhere you go.
When your five foot tall mother is taller than most of your church members.
Your Dad scolds you in a foreign language.
*When you don't know how to count American money.
*When you go on furlough your Mom buys everything in the store.
**When adults want to pay you to teach them English.
When you can't find shoes to fit your feet in any of the shoe stores.
*******When you would rather sleep on the floor than on the bed.
*******When the family gathers around the computer to check the E-mail.
*When you enjoy getting together with other MK's and talking about old news.
When all your clothes have been worn by someone else.
When at your yard sale the 80 year old man next door buys your mother's culottes.
When your friends know more English grammar than you do but can't understand English conversation.
When you find a seven year old picture of yourself on someone's refrigerator.
When you know how to send a fax using an international call back service.
When you have carried the same dollar bill in your wallet for four years.
When you write in your diary in a foreign language.
*When driving on the right side of the road gives you the willies.
When the traffic light turns from red to blue.
When eating with chop sticks seems natural.
When eating spaghetti with chop sticks is easier than using a fork and spoon.
*When you have explained the difference between "The cow is on the field" and "The cow is in the field."
*When you take a shower before taking a bath.
*When you call senior missionaries grandma and grandpa.
When the message on your answering machine is in two languages.
When you move into a new house you take a gift to all your neighbors.
When earthquakes seem normal.
*When your Mom sends you out to sweep the street in front of your house.
****When you pull into a gas stand and expect people to come running out screaming welcome!
***You consider parasites, dysentery, or tropical diseases to be appropriate dinner conversation.
*You tell people what certain gestures mean in different parts of the world.
You have stopped in the middle of an argument to find the translation of a word you just used. ***You calculate exchange rates by the price of Coke.
***You would rather have a Land Rover Defender than a Lexus.
You enjoy textual criticism of customs forms.
I think that's basically an update of life right now. I miss my brothers so much, if I had them here, I would not be having nearly as much of a problem adjusting. But I think I'm warming up a bit more to living here. It takes time, but it's cool.
posted by Lauren at 11:44 PM
6 Comments:
Bah! Lauren, don't do the red text on black background. Do you hate us? hehe
Give yourself time - now that you are moved into your new home, you can start to settle and really adjust. Up until now you have been in an uncomfortable transition where you couldn't really attach yourself to anything because you would be leaving. Now you have the opportunity to make Africa home to you.
I'm sorry you are missing your brothers so much. I'm sure they are missing you too. ((hugs)) to my girl. You are doing great.
All very interesting Lauren, but I want to know about the M&M's!!!
I am sure I don't have to tell you but be sure to get some pictures to post on here of the 8th Wonder!
I won't send you the "bungee jump" link until after you have done it. I don't want to scare you! Curious?
It will keep! LOL :)
Hey Lauren, I enjoyed reading all those things. They are so real yet so funny eh? Can you make little stick men named after your brothers. That way not only can you take them with you whereever you need them, but you can also beat them up and win. haha. Just kidding. Well, only kidding if they read this. I agree with Dawn, now that you've actually gotten a place to settle down in and not living out of a suitcase I'm sure things will start to feel more like home. I'm praying for you!
Hey Lauren....not sure if you remember me from my visits to your church. Dawn led me to your site...I am HUGELY impressed with the way that you express yourself and your adventures in Africa. I am totally confident that you will be ok and that in time you will settle in and blossom there. Your life will never be the same, but that's a good thing! I was raised in a cross cultural environment and now have lived in Romania for almost 6 years, so I identify so much with a lot of what you are writing. You go girl! Sending you a hug from Romania.
Lauren,
You are so awesome. I'm so excited about how you're going to grow while you're there. You write very well and I really fell like I know how you're doing when I read your posts.
Would love to hang out over some sausage, cheese and bread with really sweet tea and play Dutch Blitz some time!!!!
Heeey LAUREN!! soo i;'m in the DR doing lots of good stuff.. haha you can read in teh update.. loved the list of LIFE OF A MISSIONARY kid.. its totally true. i just wanted to let you know i'm continuosly praying and yadda ydda... i know you know.. but its always nice to hear extra somtimes.. well righ tnow we're only 6 hours apart.. not ten.. lol soo maybe we will catch eachother sometime on this crazy internet busines?! glad your in your new house.. keep living through God. and stay positive.. SOO jelous about the whole bungee jumping thing.. thats totally rad.. xxo bye hun.. the minutes are ticking so i gotta go xoxo
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