Hari ini laporan: Report of today

gambling on the graves

Just a little bit but had to capture this before it is out of memory and thought you readers might enjoy. I have been needing to go and register with our neighbourhood "head man" so he knows who is living in his area of responsibility.

One goes to him if there are ever neighbourhood issues to be sorted and if there is an emergency, then he knows who should be accounted for - a good way of mini census.


I asked one of the young moms who live next to me to take me to introduce me to him as having someone introduce a person to another is more polite here than me just arriving to introduce myself. When I went to find my neighbour Yenti she was outside with her women friends as all the young ones were having afternoon naps. It is customary here to bury your loved ones in the yard if you have the money and because the ground is so hard and rocky, they are above the ground tombs. SO, the women of the neighbourhood, about 6 of them, were sitting on one of the tombs as is common (you keep your relatives company and it is a nice flat surface to sit on too) and they were in the middle of a game, with a mitt full of money - yes they were gambling!  What a sight! Reallly caught me by surprise. I went today to see if I can watch and join them just to learn what they are doing but not to play! Would probably lose my VSO allowance in a minute of play. And get the pic if the let me. (turns out it's illegal so they hid the money for the photo op.)A
Then this evening walking back from dropping off my garbage a girls choir was practising on the steps of the school and I stopped to listen. Their voices were so sweet and clear and their choir director was sure putting them through their paces. She saw me listening from the street and after their piece, she turned and I clapped and all the girls clapped too!!!

A lovely exchange and hardly a word said. Put a lift in my step the rest of the way home. Again, wish I had my camera with me. Will start carring it everywhere again but these are just daily activites I'm doing when I come across these little snippets, so not prepared as a tourist!