Felt Like Home

(During the conference in Africa a few weeks ago)

I got tired of chasing Lil’ A around towards the end of the meeting and so I snatched her up and we walked out of the building heading for the canteen to get some Nescafe. We walked down the dusty road dodging all the debris on the ground from the construction that was happening overhead. We passed several doors that smelled of sewage to get to the corner entry door of the small store.

I stepped in and immediately starting swatting flies.

At the counter I asked for what I wanted, using Arabic. I happily waited for him to grab a couple packets of instant coffee for me. Except then he handed me a cup of steaming Nescafe already prepared. Oops! That’s not what I wanted. Miscommunication. Ack! We worked it out and I paid.

Before I turned around to exit he help up his phone and say “I want to take a picture wiz you.”

Um, no thanks.

We exited the canteen back to the street and I nearly stepped on a dead rat outside the door.

Then I proceeded to chuckle to myself until I could find someone to tell the chain of events that had just happened.

Dusty road, construction debris, stinky sewage smelling streets, flies everywhere, Arabic miscommunication, having someone ask to take my picture, aaaaaaand a dead rat almost under my foot.

Felt just like home.