Elephants and Tamarinds

Today's African proverb is from Senegal:

An elephant can do nothing to a tamarind tree except shake it.

I don't know about you, but I am not a fan of tamarinds.  I was once visiting a Sudanese friend and she gave me a big glass, filled to the brim, of tamarind juice.  To me, it tastes very bitter.

Woman selling tamarinds in Thailand

Elephants, however, love tamarinds!  I saw an amazing picture (You can see it too! http://blog.africageographic.com/safari-blog/bush/the-tree-climbing-elephant/ ) of an elephant climbing a tree for a tamarind!  Also, I just learned that tamarinds are a good source of calcium, which is very unusual for a fruit.  

I've been talking about fruit and teaching names of various fruits in my ESL class.  I think I need to take a picture of a tamarind in to show my students!  All but one of my students are from areas where tamarinds are common.  

Zim Wisdom

My roommate has a daily calendar called African Wisdom for Life.  The word of wisdom for May 28 is a Zimbabwean Proverb.

The one who paddles two canoes, sinks.

Does each job count as a canoe, I wonder?  I think I have a new favorite proverb, and a wonderful reminder in this busy season of my life.  

Ten insights from the last few weeks.

1. Family is priceless.
2. Pennsylvania sunrises may not be as dramatic as Zimbabwean ones, but they are still pretty.
3. Crossword puzzles are way more fun when there are two people working on it together.
4. It's a lot easier to spend $50 than it is to earn $50. :)
5. Two year olds have endless energy.
6. Ninety nine people out of one hundred will smile back if you smile at them!
7. Never underestimate how nice it is to have someone to talk to when you come home.
8. Friends can be found almost anywhere.
9. There is something satisfying about seeing baby carrots and baby spring onions sprouting.
10. A hectic week makes a peaceful Sunday that much more soothing.

Green

Baby Carrots

Aloe

Bliss!

This morning is one of those perfect spring mornings.  I woke up to light streaming through my kapalana curtain (this material makes for a beautiful curtain but doesn't block the light very well).  I love mornings when I can immediately open my windows.  This morning was just such a morning.

I've been fighting a headache for the past five days now.  I was hopeful that I would wake up without it today, but that was not the case.  Once I was awake, I figured I might as well be productive!  Today's schedule is a little less frantic.  I'm not teaching this morning, so I have a few hours at home before I watch a friend's kids for an hour or so.  Then, I'm off to the fitness club for a meeting.  After that, I have a few hours off again before heading back to the club for the closing shift.

In a fit of inspiration (and hunger), I got up and started making my Momma's banana bran muffins.  And of course, coffee!

Now it is time to enjoy them both on the veranda before I head off to mind children!

My devotional this morning started off with the sentence, "As you sit quietly in my Presence, remember that I am a God of Abundance."  I have been reminded of that so much lately.  Through the last year, and every past year of my life, I have not been in need.  God has always provided for me.  I am so thankful.  

A Hope Moment

I think my schedule might be getting to me!

I taught ESL this morning.  Classes are going well.  I'm averaging six students a class and I think I have  incredible students.  They are so eager to learn.  This afternoon I worked at the fitness club until closing, which is at 9 p.m.  I then drove home, with a headache but with an excitement for the fact that I'm getting into a groove at that job as well now.

After arriving home, I started chatting with Martha as I got myself a late dinner (mint chocolate chip ice cream...I don't do this often!) and started to get my coffeepot ready for tomorrow morning.  I put in a filter, filled it with water, and put coffee into the filter.  I kept chatting with Martha as I got out the ice cream and dipped two bowls for us.  All of a sudden Martha asked, "Are you making coffee now?"

Completely on autopilot, I had also turned on the coffee pot and I hadn't even noticed that it was percolating while I was dipping the ice cream!

Bird Nerd!

I think it's official.  I have become a bird nerd!

Job, Homework, Job, Lesson Plan, Eat, Sleep, Repeat

Today is my day to breathe.  I have a lot of homework to do and a meeting for my teaching job, but other than that, it's a slow day!

Teaching last week was amazing.  I love my students.  I had seven students for the week.  It was so exciting to see them start to understand what I was teaching!  The job at the fitness center is also going well.  I had an intense 5 days/30 hours of training and Tuesday night will be my first night working solo.  I think it will be ok.

I have to do one project for Linguistics, and one more week of class, and then I will be my second class!  I can't believe how quickly this is going!

In a fun twist of events, I met a South African girl at the fitness center.  We started talking and now we are meeting for coffee on Wednesday because she has been thinking about doing a Masters in Education!  Life is fun.

A Little Lion

Last night, Anna found my lion slippers. 

She decided to wear them on her hands and proceeded to run around my apartment, going up to each person and saying "ROAR!  I got you!  I scare you!"  

She is a sharp little girl.  In the picture below, she is showing me that she got "chockit" (chocolate) on her sweatpants!  "It chockit, Tia!"  

Too Cute For Words!