Well...I started working full time some months ago and the blog just kind of stopped! A lame excuse I know. I do want to give a special shout out to Charlotte Wheeler of Henderson Mill Dental Care though. This blog has one subscriber and for that I love you Charlotte! It is good to know that someone back home in Atlanta checks in on us on a regular basis. We will see you on our visit home for Christmas and New Year! We have only been here for five months, but we are excited about the visit home.
Life has been really great here, but it does not feel like Christmas, and for those that know me, I love me some Christmas. Really. All the trees, movies and music...family, friends, bells, microbrews...um, all that stuff.
Here, well, it is kinda hot for this time of year. We are used to at least 70 degree weather in December! Lots of mosquitos and rain, then dust, and not a lot of Hallmark cheer. The town is not all decorated in red and green, and there is none of the busy bustle that we complain about, no piped in Xmas MUZAK at every turn, the sound of Salvation Army bells, Ho Ho Ho's and sticky sweet stuff bad for your teeth. Not really any of it! The Chinese store in town, T2000, does have a pipe cleaner (and I do mean pipe cleaner) fake tree for sale, but it is like two feet high and eighty bucks, and they don't even sell ornaments to put on it!
I guess what I am getting at is, when it is not around, you miss it. Even someone like me, who is kinda a sucker for it. I was really bummed to discover that I left all my Christmas music compilations that my friend Russell made back in Atlanta. I really look forward to those to get me going this time of year! Anyone that is around me around mid December knows that for sure!!!!
I do get to see this billboard every morning though, and I have to say that I don't even have to have a Coke and a smile. The smile is enough. I mean a little bit of commercialism at Christmas is not necessarily such a bad thing when it is this good is it? The kids were kinda confused the first time they saw it being so used to an apple-scrubbed cheeked man with a fat belly in a sleigh, but they quickly adjusted. It helped that Santa came to their school all decked out in his Belgian canonical robes and bishop's cap. They have gotten used to seeing him in different ways and go with it. I mean he is Santa! He can do anything! He can dress however he wants, ride on a "moto" instead of sleigh, and by golly he can be whatever race he wants! He is international and everywhere at once.
Merry Christmas! We miss you all, and cannot wait to see you!
I promise, I will get back to this thing and keep you guys more updated with stories and pictures. Until then...here is a photo of the family hiking in Nyungwe Forest. An amazing rainforest here that is full of birds, monkeys, chimps, frogs, Ewoks and trees.
