Before I went to the USA for my home leave I had detailed plans for items to buy in the land of (more than) plenty. I knew that shopping would be time consuming and fairly overwhelming if I didn’t have a well vetted list. I’d end up coming back with an electric toothbrush or a lava lamp or something else that has no right coming back to Congo in my suitcase.
For the most part, it went well. I had some of the standard returned expatriate paralysis standing in the middle of an acre of Target Store. I enjoyed meeting some of the kind and quirky working-poor at Wal-Mart in Lancaster, PA. (I had a hard time convincing them that I really don’t know my way around the various and sundry departments under that roof and then they gave me tours.) Mostly I wanted to invite some of those guys over and hear the stories they’d have to tell. Maybe it’s because shopping here in Kisangani is always such a small-time, small-town barter game with a joke and a smile.
Between the online shopping and the driving to the store shopping I ended up with two decks of Uno Cards. I brought both back to Congo, figuring that you can’t really ever have too much Uno. Last weekend John and Dieu came over to hang out after church and we broke out one of the decks. We had a blast playing and I saw the true silver lining to having two decks. They took one home and taught it to their friends and family.
Yesterday when I swung by their house they were all sitting out front and they jumped in the car to go play some Uno at my apartment. We played for several hours and I didn’t win a single round. I said Uno! once. In one week they’ve all become world-class Uno champs. It’s a good thing I don’t mind losing.
I miss you! Good story… about Uno! ! !!! !!!!!!!
I love your Uno story! Jon and I had the happy experience of playing Uno with Micaiah and Ezra while we were in San Diego last week. The last time we saw them, Ezra was 1. I was devastated that he wouldn’t remember me when I’d spent so much time loving on him and holding him while he slept, but it didn’t matter. Those guys warmed right back up to Jon and I, and when it was time to play Uno, the now 3-year-old Ezra climbed up into my lap and said, “I want to be on your team.” Those kids make my life happier.