Mere Meerkats!

We had heard that the meerkats were something to see, but we didn't fully appreciate that until we visited a meerkat family in the protopan of the Magadikgadi Pan, an ancient dried lake bed filling almost a 12000 square Km of central Botswana.  It is one of the largest "salt pans" in the world.  But I digress.

The meerkats were remarkably appealing to watch.  They are a close relative of the banded mongoose I wrote about several posts back.  I am unsure as to WHY they are so cute, but they are indeed.  Take a look yourself.

You know, G^d had a sense of humor.  He didn't HAVE to make mere meerkats, but He did!

Thanks be to G^d, for even the simplest things.

Guides Guiding the Guided

We have been guided more the last 6 months, than in the rest of our life put together.  We have had some great guides:

• Smarts
• Immanuel
• Chica
• Brown Sugar
• Kennedy
• Seeko

We have been uniformly impressed with their knowledge.  Most of them are excellent people-persons, with appealing personalities.

It certainly is great to have a guide.  They know the safety issues, and how to stay out of trouble. They can answer questions and identify birds, animals, trees.  I know because I have asked a LOT of questions.  I get my money's worth.

Wouldn't it be great if there were guides to steer us through life.  If these guides knew the safety issues and how to stay out of trouble.  If the guides knew the important stuff-- not the difference between a drongo and a bee eater, but the difference between good choices and bad.

Immanuel gave us a bit of the history to explain the origin of the pans.  That was useful.  A guide with a historical perspective on life would be handy too.  Yeah, a guide who could answer questions harder than identifying trees and animals; that would be handy.

Hmm, maybe such a guide to life exists... and the guide doesn't even expect a tip.  Hmmm.

Independence Day!! Part I

It ain't 4th of July, but it is Independence Day, nevertheless.  Here in Bots, 30 Sept is Independence Day, and Tues, 1 Oct is a Public Holiday as well.  Bots became Independent in 1966, according to the radio, making this the 47th anniversary.

The thought of independence has some universal appeal.  I think of us USA citizens as being independent to a fault.  We want to do as we please, when we please, how we please.  Nice self-centered thought there, isn't it?

Other cultures, in fact, most of the world's population seem to have different thoughts on this issue.  In much of the world the group is valued over the individual.  Usually the family is the key group, then the clan or tribe, but in these people they see their identity as Kalunga, or San or something other than me, I, myself, the individual.

We in the USA think our thinking is normative and ideal, but I think not.  Excess individuality has many problems of which we are unaware, because it is the only system that we know and experience.  Biblically, the Hebrews, Samaritans, and even Philistines seemed to have this group identity, which is why this comes up so often.  Getting our minds off ourselves may offer great value--- if we ever try it.

Let me know how it goes...

Another Fav, Fab Bird

In previous posts we have mentioned the Fish Eagle, Brown hooded Kingfisher, the African hoopoe, and the Lilac breasted roller. We recently found a new bird to admire.   As beautiful as the lilac breasted roller may be, the carmine is even prettier- at least to me.

The carmine bee eater must be one of the prettiest birds on earth .  Notice the tail.  There is one long feather situated in the middle of the tail. It is one of several bee eaters, they are all pretty, but the carmine is #1 in my book.

Why did G^d go to all this trouble?  How many beautiful flowers, birds, and trees do we really need.  If we had created the world, we would have stopped far short of what we have.  Which makes the important point,

"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord.

For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts."   Isa 55:8-9.

Wedding Day!

Two of our friends from our congregation here got married, more or less, yesterday.  I say "more or less" because marriages here are a bit complex.  I do NOT know all the details, as I only have about 22.5 years of education, and I think it takes a good bit more to comprehend marriage intricacies here.




The first step in the process appears to be a meeting between the families of the engaged couple.  Here the "labola" is negotiated.  The labola is the "brid-price".  Because the husband removes the wife from the opportunity to care for her parents, the parents get compensated to help them in thier old age.  Because the key medium of financial exchange here was cattle, the bride price is ususally negotiated in terms of "how many cattle" is this lady worth?  Sounds a bit crude to us doesn't it?  But it isn't crude at all, it's just normal here.

Our engaged lady is a pediatrician trained in the USA, so she commanded a fair price.  The price negotiations are done mostly be the uncles of the family, who are looking out for the interests of all parties- at least theoretically.

Once the bride price is paid, and it is more modernly done is cash vs cows, the two can go to the Magistrate and get their marriage registered, from which point they are consideredd legally married... but not so fast.

Their typically is at least TWO wedding ceremonies.  We attended the first of these ceremonies yesterday.  It was a lovely, beautiful ceremony and very Christian... and almost disappointing.  It could well have been in the USA.  It was a bit longer than in the USA and included three hymns, but we could have been in Canton, GA, except for the one instance of ululating (the neat sound the women make to express joy and excitement).

Aside from the ritual, the most important thing is the Christian symbolism that comes to mind on these occassions.  Marriage is challengeing and it involves growth.  It involves some degree of selflessness, and some sacrifice.  I think this is the principle reason that so many marriages end in divorce.

But marriage was given by G^d as a symbol of the Christ and the Church.  The Christ is that perfect example of loving sacrifice.  And marriage is one opportunity for husband and wife to practice "conforming to the image of the Christ."  "He must increase but I must decrease."

Amen.

Friday Night on Payday

Friday Night in gabs on Payday is different from any place I have ever seen.  The lines for everything involving money are loooooong.  We came back into town on a Friday evening 27 Sept- payday.  We had to fill up the rental car before returning it and waited in line for 20+ minutes.  Brenda said it reminded her of the 1970’s fuel shortages.

You can always tell its payday by the long lines at the ATMs.  FNB seems the most popular, and dozens wait patiently in line a respectful distance from the person keying in their PIN code.

I would imagine that this behavior reflects either:

1. A low-income “hand-to-mouth” economics,
2. Poor money management that puts folks in a tough situation between paydays.

Though we tend to look down on either situation, and #2 more than #1, perhaps we need to reconsider.  Scripture is clear that G^d provides for the lilies of the field and the sparrow, and He will surely look out for us.  Those living lives on the economic margins certainly get to live by faith.

I have heard a lot of people talking about "sacrificial giving", and that sounds very noble.  It seems to be another alternative is "sacrifical living", which makes giving a bit easier.

Internationalization, What's That?

When I got to UB my first place to check in was the OIEP- Office of International and Exchange Programs.  The staff there was mostly quite nice.  What I didn't realize at that time was that about 33% of the UB faculty are...internationals.  ON my own UB faculty of 15 teachers, I know of 4 Nigerians, 1 South African, and 2 natives of India.  Likely there are others who are internationals who I don't even know.

Knowing this, it struck me as a bit odd that I was invited to a "focus group" regarding "internationalization".   I wouldn't think they would want to be any MORE internationalized, considering this is the only major university in the whole country already.  But all academics seem to think this is a good idea.  We think that "strange", "new" thinking and things are so very valuable.

I am less sure than most of my colleagues.  Some "foreign" ideas are super, some are not so good.  But this is also true of domestic ideas; of all ideas really.

Scripture tells us that "There is nothing new under the sun."  (see Eccl 1:4-11)

But, you say, "Surely this is wrong.  You do research to 'create' new knowledge all the time."

Well, as a researcher there are two things wrong with that argument:
We are simply uncovering what G^d has known since before the foundation of the world.
Most research findings are really pretty trivial.

Even if I cure cancer, that is a "temporary fix".  "Cured" cancer patients still die.

"But what about 'quality of life'?" you ask.

Good point.  What is quality of life and how does one maximize it?  Think about it.

"There is nothing new under the sun."  (see Eccl 1:4-11)  Nothing worthwhile I reckon.