Too Much Thinking

I am at the point that I need a break from thinking.  In a new culture, I am finding that there are always hundreds of new things that need my constant brain power.  I think I also heard once that with each baby you have, a mother loses a certain number of brain cells.  Let's face it folks, after six kids, I'm already in the red!  Here are a few examples of things that suck my brain energy:

1.  Language - In French I function at a first grade level, and in Arabic only survival skills.  It takes a lot of brain power to a.) figure out which language someone is speaking to me, b.) figure out which language I am speaking, and c.) try to get my point across without offending anyone.

2.  Driving - Transportation options here are walking, driving, or taking a rickshaw (a small three wheeled moto taxi).  Because the ATM machine was down this week, we decided I would drive instead of taking a rickshaw to class in order to save the money I would normally spend on the taxi.  On my way home on Friday, I went down the narrow road that leads to our house that also happens to go by the only large market in town.  I think there were 3 traffic jams on the 1 mile stretch... one of which I caused.  Not to mention the always possible danger of killing someone, of which we almost did last Sunday when a motorcycle tried to zoom past us, but slid, causing us to slam on our breaks so our car would not roll over his head.

3. Food - With only two meat options (beef like a roast, and beef ground up) this one should be a no brainer.  But, I seem to spend endless amounts of brain power trying to figure out what we are going to eat, and how to make it with limited options/ ingredients.  Today we made ice cream however, proving that with a little time and effort, you can make quite a few things that you wouldn't usually find.

4. Kids - I am realizing that managing kids and spaces is a learned skill, and in a new place, it's like starting all over again.  Things you teach your kids, like "don't put thing in the microwave" in the U.S. are now, "don't go near the burn barrel after daddy just burned the trash."  Navigating new dangers takes a lot of my brain energy.  Today, William almost choked on something because there is no place to set him down besides the floor, where who knows what may be lurking down there.

Ok, so this is just four of the hundred things I have to think about every day.  You can imagine why at 8:00pm, my brain goes into "shut-down mode".  Thankfully we are headed to the capital soon for a short break, and to return our guests to the airport.  I found out last week that the strange name of the capitol (N'Djamena) actually means "Rest" in Arabic.  What an appropriate name for the place we will be spending a few days rest.  Maybe with some extended hours of sleep, I'll actually gain back a few of those brain cells.