And All the Little (?) Ants Go Marching...Plus Soccer!

So, bizarre thing just happened. Went out to my latrine for one last stop before bed and heard a weird buzzing sound. Then noticed a huge black line of insects streaming into my latrine, which Yogi also noticed and started sniffing. They looked like really big, black ants.

A line of them was streaming in one side of the latrine and exiting the other. I think they were biting ants because Yogi started doing a jig of sorts after sticking his nose in the line. At first I was apprehensive because I thought I wasn’t going to be able to go to the bathroom but after a minute or so the end of the line appeared and they all disappeared out the other side of the latrine.

Weird.

In other news, today I finally went to my first soccer game. It was my village vs. a neighboring village and lots of people turned out. In fact, they had walled up the whole field with sticks and palm fronds and were charging an entrance fee at one of the two tiny entranceways (the other was closed and only opened to let the opposing team onto the field). Of course, they waved me through without having to pay (it’s funny, the people who might actually be able to AFFORD the entrance fee don’t have to pay it, like me and the Sous Prefet). They were trying to make my friend Ousmane pay and he didn’t want to so I told them I wasn’t going to go if Ousmane wasn’t coming with me and they let him in for free, too.

It was HOT and they made room on the one bench for me to sit and in a matter of five minutes I went from sweltering to freezing as the skies opened up and poured and people scattered looking for shelter. I didn’t move from my seat, despite everyone else running for the mango trees and telling me to come with them. I was like it’s just a little water! And at the time I was really hot so it was welcome. Then I was wet with cold rain and the breeze started up and I was “bien glace”. Almost too cold. Almost. Then the rain stopped and it was just comfortable. Of course, the players kept playing this whole time. Rain ain’t going to stop them.

I noticed that the teams lacked (especially my team) some of the simple rules of team sports. Like, when you pass the ball, make sure there is someone to pass it to. Also they had clearly not done enough footwork drills as I can count the times I saw a player keep the ball from another player by kicking it around them on one hand. Also, every other contact was with heads. They were using entirely too much head. And my team seemed to always be playing defense, as it seemed the objective of every player was just to get the ball out of our side of the field, regardless of where it went or if it just ended up right back in the other team’s possession. I wonder if they have a coach?

Anyway at halftime three guys put on a breakdancing show and one of them was really good. The other two need to practice more and put even the best guy on the streets in the States and a ten-year-old would be wiping the sidewalk with him but it was fun to watch anyway.

I left before the end of the game because there was a big pagaille going on about some disagreement about the last goal and it was about to start raining again so Ousmane said, “Allons.” At any rate, I think the score was 3-0, other team at the time and I am pretty sure my village lost, as we were well into the second half by this time.

Walking to and from the field and sitting to watch the game, I was once again struck by how absolutely beautiful this place is in which I live. The mountains with the sheer cliff faces, the palm trees and mango trees, dirt roads, dark grey clouds rolling in, a pack of white birds soaring toward the mountains underneath them…just gorgeous.

I am so lucky.