The Bug

A couple days ago, I received an email from our good friend, Dan Silverstein, whining about how he hadn’t received a blog in ages…and how he was “over me.” Right. Let’s put an end to that, shall we?

This week I bring you a double header, just to make sure you keep liking me. Just scroll down after you finish “The Bug.”

Back to the blog at hand…I caught malaria. Shrieks, horrified glances, panic etc etc etc. I’m fine.
On Monday, after finally confirming with myself that something was awry in my body (and that no, I was not pregnant), I headed to the neighborhood clinic where a Spanish doctor (taught in Cuba) headed a lovely little practice called AFRUS. Prick on finger, blood on microscope slide, and waiting room for 20 minutes. Doc confirmed, yup, you have THE BUG. Welcome to Angola. She actually said “Welcome to Angola!”

So what did this mean, 6 tablets (2 on the first day, 1 per day after that), lots of juice drinking (yum, mango) and a choice of the other rack of stuff she gave me including a tonic (for strength…made in India…rrriiight), an ear/nose liquid (also made in India, I think), and blue giant pills against “pain” (I’ll stick to Advil thank you very much).

I arrived home and was out for pretty much the rest of the week. The couch became my best friend.

No, no, no, saga not finished yet. Tuesday morning Luis wakes up with a pounding headache, and I tell him, GO GET CHECKED. He ignores my wise suggestion and goes to work. A few hours later I get a call. “Went to the clinic, was really not feeling well. I have malaria.” HA! Picture the two of us, draping the couch in our melancholy, dizzy state…for one week! …And we’re still madly in love…go figure.

To date, I have done the following to protect myself from the evil little mosquitoes:
- Demal 200
- Bug spray the moment the sun starts going down
- Mosquito nets
- Air conditioning in apartment
- Citronella candles
- Mosquito coils
I mean really. What else can I DO???? Suggestions welcome. Say NO to malaria.

Pedido. The Engagement

Once upon a time, our friend, let’s call him Antonio (…because that’s actually his name), met a lovely Angolan girl, Elizabeth. A Spaniard in Angola, Antonio had one chance to continue dating her – the “pedido” aka taking the plunge. Her parents, from a fairly conservative background, required that their daughter end her dilly dallying and get engaged. After panic, frustrations, and much much love, they finally decided to give in to her parents’ request.

And so, one fine day, Luis and I get a call to represent Antonio’s family during the pedido.

The pedido is an agreement between families that sets the stage for the rest of the marriage process. In many smaller villages (and traditionally), the pedido is actually the marriage itself, so needless to say, we were all nervous for Antonio.

This is how it goes:
1) Groom-to-be (GTB) makes request to bride-to-be’s (BTB) family
2) BTB’s family sends GTB a “carta de alambamento” which lists all the items they will need in order to accept the proposal (this list includes everything from cows to whisky bottles) AND the very important “sum of money” (supposedly “symbolic”) to include in the “envelope.” That’s right, ladies and gents, a bribe.
3) BTB’s family sets the date (Antonio really tried some hard negotiating on this point…with no success)
4) GTB and BTB select family members who will be present (Antonio’s side had a myriad of 15 foreigners from Spain, Portugal, Belgium, Italy, Brazil, and France…there were some physical similarities…really)
5) Day of (Antonio panic comes back into full force) BTB’s family awaits anxiously for GTB and family to appear at their home (“home” in this case was the complex of the Spanish Cooperation)
6) We arrive. BTB’s family on one side of the room, GTB’s family on the other side…and the bargaining begins
7) The “carta de pedido,” which includes the famous “envelope,” is presented and we each introduce ourselves…some of us blabbering in a somewhat cohesive Portuguese
8) …and finally the BTB arrives (after having to pay her “taxi”…the pedido is all about how much money the BTB’s family can suck out of the GTB’s family)
9) Bargaining in full force.
10) Families come to an agreement. Ring placed on finger. Champagne bottle opened. And DJ begins.

Tada! We had to sit through an hour of this…we were all sweating but relieved. Antonio is engaged.
Doesn’t this sound a LITTLE like Jewish engagements or is just me?