Unalamuka?

Yesterday as I was playing cards with some of the other muzungus here (most of whom are sick), we started wondering why people say certain expressions. Like “I'm head over heels for you”. I could be wrong, but isn't your head supposed to be over your heels? If it were something special, shouldn't it be heels over head?

This morning it hit me what people say when they see you in the morning. “Unalamuka?” They say it as a question although the exact translation would be “You are awake?” Well, if you see me to ask me if I'm awake, wouldn't it be obvious that yes, nililamuka (I awoke)? The correct response is “ndio” (yes). What is so funny though is sometimes the Congolese ask it in such a way that they sound really surprised. Even if it's when you normally wake up, every day “unalamuka?” in a very surprised voice.

In a place where doing something as simple as buying simple hand tools for agriculture can take a couple days, I'm taking the progress we're making as a good sign. Today we are actually building the rabbit houses (after much talk) and last week we were in the fields. This afternoon after the sun's intensity abates, we will water the cabbages in the fields (which are finally starting to hold their own and not look dead in the afternoon when they previously wilted every day) and then we will plant carrot seeds. I brought four seed varieties from UW-Madison to plant here and workers here will fill out a small report to help the plant breeders back home (of which I will be one in September:) ). I'm planting them at the university and the house I'm staying at so I hope to get two reports, but I'm spreading the risk and at least looking for one.
Saturday should have been a work day except I went to the market with the mama of the house, and then when I got back I took another muzungu to the hospital (doctor). I was the only muzungu left (out of 6) who could drive and was not sick. Turns out, it was pretty bad and since Saturday she has stayed in her bed, only to make short forays to the bathroom and outside for a bit. Two others have malaria, and one is just recovering from Typhoid.

I leave Beni on Thursday, so the next three days will be very busy as we try to do as much as possible during the day and I work on instructions to leave here when I go, written in my best Swahili (and probably a little (or a lot) of help) for the guy who will be taking care of the fields when I leave. He is an extremely hard worker, but I want to leave some agriculture instructions. Things like crop rotations and please don't let weeds take over the fields after harvesting a crop, and cutting the weeds around the field when they are in flower so they do not go to seed. Simple things that are often overlooked here (although people do talk about them).

The warm room I'm in right now is usually quiet, and it's a good place to eat lunch (rice and beans) and write e-mails or blog posts. I usually chat with the students, but when the choir practices, it's so loud I can't hear what's being said anyway. New this year for lunch is a chest freezer where they keep and sell soda. The freezer is great because when the generator comes on in the morning, the soda is cool by lunch time. Now I'm enjoying a Mirinda. I believe it is a black currant flavor, and it is honestly my favorite soda ever. It was one of the things I was looking forward to about coming back. Not one of the main reasons for coming, but a very nice side bonus. If only I could find Mirinda in Wisconsin...