Saturday

Today is our sabbath, our day to play, contemplate and rest in Bujumbura.  We are at club du lac, a local resort perched on the edge of Lake Tanganyika.  On most Saturdays you can walk past the pools down to the sand and join a game of sand volleyball with the expats - if you are into that sort of thing.  If you know me, you know I have to be elsewhere!  So while Ron & Sarah and Grace hit the beach, I elect to be cloistered up in the lounge.  Here there is a strong breeze blowing across the open room, there is a sweeping view of the lake and waves (yes, lakes this large do have waves) and internet access!  So I come here to read and write, to think and be a bit free from domestic distractions.

Right now the kids are taking a nap at home with Nina and their Aunt Leonie present.  Joseph and Eric are keeping the home in order.  The day is quieter for most everyone.  Saturday even begins more slowly, as it is designated as a community works morning.  This means that there is to be no traffic on the roads (paved or dirt) before 11am, and people are encouraged to come out and clean the streets, repair roads damaged by heavy use or heavy rains, etc.  So there is little movement on the streets till late morning.  So Saturday begins slow, and seems to keep that relaxed pace throughout the day.  

For all the noise of Africa, there is a stillness and slowness that opens the door to contemplative pursuits.  There is time and space for reflection, for reading, for imagining new possibilities.  (If you are a writer with a book in you - this is the place to come and let it grow and burst forth!)  I have already completed 2 books and am well into my third.  So my mind is well nourished.  This might be fertile soil for introspection and the birth of new adventures.  I hope to make the most of this time, this open space for dreaming and daring to ponder new things!

So goes the Saturday Sabbath on the shore of Lake Tanganyika!