A circumcision party and paint

You wouldn't expect those two things to go together but alas they do. My small team was sent to a local high school to do some cleaning, scraping, sanding, washing, disenfecting, priming, and eventually painting. The area of the school that we were eager to attack was a part of the school that has not been used for quite sometime, and now there was funding to make that area into a sick bed for the high school that has some students as full time residency. We arrived there ready to work and as customary we were immediately sat down to a second breakfast, there was no way around it, not that I was looking for a way around it. The breakfast included bread, jam, honey, cheese, olive oil, boiled eggs, cumin, salt and of course tea. We feasted and enjoyed the time, knowing that we had a full day ahead of us in the school. After being in the sick bed for a just a short while we realized that this job was bigger than us, we would not be able to come anywhere near finishing in the three days that we had to work. Like good workers we started in, 9 of our group plus 6 local students all sanding the walls in one chorus. It was loud, dusty, sandy and difficult to breathe, this lasted until lunchtime when we heard that the plans had changed. TIA (This is Africa) so plans constantly change, you roll with them, and learn to enjoy the change. Our group had been invited to an official party, that was all that we knew, of course we accepted the invitation. Come to find out there was a government type building that was the site of an area wide circumcision event, doctors from all around had come, people from all over the area had come with their sons. We arrived and they asked us if we wanted to go in or stay outside, thinking that meant lunch we said "sure we'll go in". This didn't mean lunch, before you knew it we were in a room with 10-15 doctors, babies screaming, mothers watching, and you know what happening. After a short visit we were ushered back out of the building to the back garden where a live band was waiting, dancers and many nicely decorated tables. Then about 15 minutes later we were escorted to the front of the building to the tent where the dignitaries were sitting, and we sat in the next tent over from them ready to eat lunch. Two chickens, a tagine with beef and prunes followed by alot of melon. We feasted yet again, not sure why were invited to join in the festivities. Then the dancing began by a local troupe, they were great drummers, along the same lines as STOMP, but not near as expensive. From that surreal happening we went back to the job site and sanded till our hands were rougher than a tree trunk. To wrap up this portion of the trip, we ended up working two more days, no more parties, did have a second breakfast and worked our tails off. By the time that we were finished with our portion we had gotten at least one coat and a bit more in every room and hallway of the sick bed area. Our group had accomplished much, and had a great time doing it as well, but ya we were ready for the next part of our adventure. later
earl