as i walked through town this morning, most of the people i passed were dressed in long skirts and suits and shoes with modest heels in disrepair. Bibles of all shapes and sizes were tucked under many arms or swung loosely in a hand at their sides. there were a lot of men still lounging on every corner and in front of every store, but you could tell most people were going to (or coming from) church.

passing people on the street here is not like back home. in Vancouver, most people are absorbed in their own thoughts/selves and don’t even make eye contact. here, nearly everyone stares blankly at you as you pass by. their lack of expression could be interpreted as mistrust or shy curiosity or even malice. but if you make eye contact and smile or say “hello”, their faces instantly light up. the blank eyes give way to generosity and openness. the people here are extremely friendly and kind.

of course i’m generalizing. there are many men and women that don’t make eye contact at all. and lots of men follow your steps with “my sistah! my sistah!” or “cynthia! cynthia, have you been looking for me?”

i am surprised at how many cell phones there are! nearly everyone on every corner is typing a text message or talking to someone over the din of trucks and buses. sometimes three or four people will be crowded around one phone. earphones connected to hidden mp3 players are more rare, but still present.

tonight i went out with the girls to a restaurant called The Waterfront. indeed it was on the waterfront and we had a lovely pink post-sunset (it sets so early and so fast!) sky to enjoy. a boat cruise was just pulling in as we sat down.

a few minutes ago we roared back to the house, 7 of us piled in the back of the truck, with the wind whipping our hair out of our hoodies and freezing fingers holding on for dear life. it was so nice to be away from the house in the evening. stars and a light orange moon just above the horizon were out. the night sounded like crickets and smelled green.

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