amkean pronunciation

I'll talk more about the trip itself later...

It took me two days to get home from Lilongwe. Basically the entire first day was getting to my flight in Johannesburg. I really liked the Jo'burg airport, as far as airports go. It enticed me to buy a souvenir for myself, a Springboks hoodie, which I bought for all the wrong reasons, namely the color, the logo, and the flag. NOT because I like the team or rugby at all. If I ever go back to SA, I'll leave the garment at home.

Incidentally, I saw two different people wearing a Vikings Culpepper jersey while I was in Africa, one on the Victoria Falls bridge, and one in the Lusaka bus station. One of the entertaining ways to pass time while visiting Africa is to note all the apparel from American pop culture. "Why is that guy wearing a NKOTB shirt?" And as Kristy described, if you spend a Peace Corps tour amount of time there, there's a good chance you'll see a shirt from where you're from.

The second day of my journey back was the two long flights which seemed to go faster on the way back. I don't remember airport security being this way ten years ago when I last flew internationally. On my return, I had to pass through security at every airport I went through. In Lilongwe, I checked my bags and was told to go around the corner for a physical check. Huh? I went around the corner and saw the way to get back to where the ticketers were, and a door labeled "Restricted." I went back for clarification because I didn't want to be detained for entering a restricted area, and she told me to go through the door marked "Security." Which didn't exist. I asked someone at the "Restricted" door, and he waved me through to where my bags were coming on the conveyor to the x-ray machine. "Unfortunately, the machine is broken," the man told me, so he had to inspect by hand. In front of me, he went through the suitcase somewhat thoroughly, then declined to inspect inside my pack at all. I had started to open the pack first, but he wanted to see in the suitcase. Then that was it, and I went back through the restricted door. Or I tried, but this airport worker stopped me and started asking questions, then made me stand inside the door while I answered. Then he asked for some Kwacha for a drink, which I don't think counts as a bribe because I didn't need anything from him except for him not to make my life difficult, so I told him I was out of money but agreed to give him his drink "next time."

I bought Amarula at duty-free in J'burg, then Northwest security told me they'd have to "destroy" it when I was trying to board in Amsterdam. I (and everyone else) got asked a lot of questions in Amsterdam. It was way stricter than it had been the month before when I went through the other way. I didn't argue about the Amarula, just gave the guy my "Really?" face, then he was like "there might be a way...let me ask..." So I got to check my carry-on with the bottle inside. You're allowed to bring whatever you bought in the Amsterdam airport on the plane, but not stuff from other airports even if it's from the same trip. Because they only sell non-bomb-making liquors in Schipol, but they don't trust other airports to do the same. Or maybe they just want you to spend more money.

Things that have been odd in my adjustment back: I was watching a movie on the plane and wondering for a split second why they were trying to drive the car from the wrong side. Seeing people coming in Powderhorn Park and finding it noteworthy that they were white. Thinking it remarkable that kids are speaking English.

Movies watched on the plane (both directions):
Gran Torino (pretty good but not the greatest ever)
Man On Wire (infectious enthusiasm)
Marley and Me (tear jerker, obv)
Entre Les Murs (Eng: The Class) (French film that was like my school, except I didn't always buy how people were acting)
I Love You, Man (liked it, v. good for Rush fans)
Adventureland (LOLed at Bill Hader/Kristen Wiig and the baseball bat)

Movies I started but turned off
X-Men Origins (I was worried about being disappointed)
Taken (It's pretty common for the first person you meet in a foreign country to be a human trafficker)


I'm still unhappy with the customs guy but will soon be able to let it go. I went running the morning after I got back, the morning after that, then slept too late the next morning and thought I would melt, then ran 8 yesterday. I didn't run at all in Africa in case you're wondering.

CHG arranged a kind of welcome back party the night after I got back here in the newly fenced-in yard and I had a lot of fun. Everyone* was supposed to be coming and almost everyone did come. Even Grandma.

*with a few notable exceptions

Labels: africa, running