TIA

TIA = This Is Africa. A phrase uttered in response to the inefficiency
and things-not-going-as-planned that sometimes occurs during life on
this continent. (Although, as one friend told me last night, you say
“TIA” for about the first week, and then you just accept that this is
how life is here… no need even to comment on it.)

Case in point: our first few days in the capital. Originally, the plan
was that I would arrive late Tuesday night, we would do tourist-y
things in the city, and then we would all fly together to DD, the city
where Heidi & Damon live.
First of all, both girls were sick… I will spare you the details but
let’s just say it was an explosive situation. Obviously our travels
were somewhat limited. In fact we spent all of Wednesday morning at
the doctor, only to be told that the tests must have gotten mixed up,
and needed to repeated (wait some more? Yeah, right).
Then, because of President’s Day closing the US embassy on Monday,
Heidi & Damon had to complete all the bureaucratic rigmarole to get
their local driver’s licenses on Wednesday instead (because of course,
the specific employee necessary at the embassy only works Mondays and
Wednesdays… for a 2 hour block of time). So Wednesday afternoon, Heidi
and I spent about 5 hours at the embassy, which involves an hour’s
wait outside, and multiple visits to 3 different windows inside, plus
the “Document Authentication Office” on the other side of town; again,
involving 3 different windows. Of course we were treated to a
pre-rainy season downpour in between. Thankfully, the night ended with
a very nice dinner at their team leader’s house.
The next day saw me babysitting while Heidi & Damon completed the last
step in the driver’s license process, the local DMV office… or should
I say offices, since they actually had to go to two totally separate
offices—because Damon was renewing and Heidi was getting a brand new
license. They returned home just in time to pack everything up from
the guesthouse where we were staying, and for Heidi to slice her
finger wide open on an empty can. Should we go for stitches, or skip
them in order to catch our flight? She decided on the latter, since
she had Dermabond at home. So we
jumped in a taxi to the airport for the afternoon flight… only for
Damon to get a call to his cell phone, from the airline, that our
flight was cancelled. (At least they have nice service here… personal
phone calls.) Could they get us on the flight the next morning? They
had no idea. So much for the Dermabond.
But no fear—team leader saved the day with super glue. Yes, as in
Krazy Glue. Works in a pinch apparently. We were able to borrow a car
again, and so we ate a nice dinner out with some friends.
We learned early Friday morning that we would indeed be put on that
afternoon’s flight out to DD. Dasia was utterly thrilled that we were
going to spend lunchtime at “Chuck E. Cheese” which is really called
Bob and Bongo’s. Not-so-good pizza, but fun games and play areas for
the kids. It is in a mall with the city’s only movie theater—for all 7
million inhabitants!! We had some fun and made it to the airport
without incident (minus another explosion that came just after a
comment about the seeming end of such explosions).

Moral of the story, we did eventually make it here, greeted by a guard
and his AK-47 and a troupe of jumping monkeys. We headed right away to
a downright feast hosted by 2 American boys who work for another NGO
in town. Their house worker cooked for about 50 people, so it
definitely spoiled me a bit for my first night in town. We then
indulged in the team’s favorite luxury, watching American Idol via
satellite Arabic TV—we’re only 2 days behind the US schedule. Can’t
say I’m a huge fan of the show but it was fun to see everyone else’s
excitement at staying in touch with American pop culture.