Quilting

This is something I don't think I've ever imagined myself wanting to do.  A sure sign that pregnancy does weird things to women.

I'm making a baby quilt.  I spent probably two hours at JoAnn's a few days ago selecting the perfect material (in brown and orange and green and blue, in order of prominence) and listening to the employees discuss their dinner plans.  Said material has been washed and ironed and is now waiting to make the journey to see my mom this weekend.  It's going to be a party.

Monster Project Update 1

So my life is all about African literature this semester.  Most of things I've read are pretty depressing and culturally startling, but good for me to read, I think.  Definitely an area I'd recommend delving into.

What I've read:

The Joys of Motherhood - Buchi Emecheta 
Houseboy - Ferdinand Oyono
The Dark Child - Cameron Laye
The Abandoned Boabab - Ken Bugul
Nervous Conditions - Tsitsi Dangarembga
Things Fall Apart - Chinua Achebe


Plus maybe something else that I can't remember.

Anyway, so I'm doing a giant research paper for one of my classes, and I'm writing about Nervous Conditions.  Here's an abstract that I wrote today (kind of needlessly - long story).  So if you want to know what it might possibly be about when I actually write it, read it!  And give me feedback!  Encourage me!  Offer me rewards for working on it!


Here it is:

Intercultural interactions are notoriously sensitive and have been problematic throughout history.  In a world that is becoming increasingly aware of the potential disasters involved in cross-cultural relationships and increasingly bent on preventing them, it is difficult yet constructive to process past events that are poor examples of successful intercultural relationships.  A prominent event on this list of failures is colonization of the Americas, Africa, and Asia by Western powers.   

In this spirit of retrospection, Tsitsi Dangarmbga’s novel Nervous Conditions tackles the enormous problems inherent in colonial societies as they occur in Southern Rhodesia (later Zimbabwe) in the 1960s.  Her narrator and main character Tambu shows readers her black and white world through the eyes of a Shona schoolgirl.  Tambu’s colonial experience doesn’t involve governmental authorities, regulations, and injustice, but missional authorities and regulations.  Through her we see the good and the bad of life on the mission and the enormous complications it presents for those who try to partake of both missional and Shona society.

Dangarembga’s idea that juggling two standards of behavior causes strain in colonized communities, families, and individuals and her connection of these double standards with missional institutions need exploration that examines concrete historical examples of mission organizations acting as colonial forces as well as the missionaries’ points of view. Using my research I hope to create a historical background to interpret the novel and also use the novel to bring light to historical accounts of missionaries and their activities.  How can natives’ negative experiences be reconciled with the good intentions that many missionaries and their supports had?  What cultural and political miscommunications added to already touchy situations?

Intimidating School Things

So today, my delightful Rwandan French professor informed me that after spring break, I will give her a 20-minute presentation in français impeccable about all of the books I've read this semester and the impressions they've given me about African society.

My response to this was:  "Oh, dear."

Her response to this was to laugh real hard and say, "Yes, dear."



Also, she says she's going to find out about the local church services for African refugees for me.  And introduce me to a TA she know who's from Guinea.  Did I say that she's delightful?

A boast

We would like everyone to know that we made the most fabulous pizza today.  It was a copy of something we had at Shakespeare's once, but was great nonetheless. 

Crust:

whole wheat, lacto-fermented

Toppings:

chicken
onion
green pepper
artichoke heart

The only thing that could have made it better was tomato slices.

Midwife 2/15

We had an appointment with our midwife this morning.  She says the baby must have read the book.  I got blood drawn last week and everything is looking perfectly normal!

I also turned in the food journal that I did a couple of weeks ago.  Who knew that oatmeal cookies could cause so much trouble?  She says that I should try to limit myself to one treat a day and eat it with a meal or something with protein to avoid crazy spikes in my blood sugar.  This comes with a promise of no headaches and a healthier baby. *sigh*

Also, apparently everything that Zephan likes is fabulous.  I've been told to eat like he does. I don't want to. 

Our birthing classes start tomorrow night.  The topic this time is nutrition and exercise.  Maybe I'll be inspired.

The highlight of midwife days is that afterward we always go to Clover's and we always get some healthy snack that's on sale for Katie.  Previously, this has been Kombucha and Spritzers.  Today: flavored peanut butter packets and potatoes (not for snacking).