Papalaas

WARNING:There are some pictures that are pretty... something.. in this post... I'm not trying to gross anyone out.. it is what it is... and it's part of the culture here.

Papalaas. When you say this word around here, people know what you're talking about. It means to feel hung over... or to have a Blue Monday... or to just feel out of sorts and blah.
I got maybe two hours of sleep last night. When I turned off my light, the night was still and hot, I couldn't get cool, and it felt like the temperature kept rising. I had a hard time drifting off. When I finally did get to sleep I was awakened by a HUGE thunderstorm that lasted from 1am until, at the very least, 3. The rain was so loud on my roof that I could only sleep for little spurts before my eyes were forced open by loud rolls of thunder. It was welcomed though. When the wind started to blow and the storm rolled in it felt like a fever had been broken, all the sweat I was sleeping in was cooled. I finally forced myself out of bed at 7:45. No electricity. No electricity means no tea. No oatmeal. I skipped the caffeine and had cold cereal instead. The yard sounded like it was full of people. I opened my door and was immediately thrown into what was to become a very surreal day.'
When I glanced to my left I saw two big tubs of water that had been filled by all the rain (ISN'T THAT INSANE? THAT'S A LOT OF WATER!)

and then when I glanced to my right, right next to a man I didn't know who was smoking a cigarette and trying to greet me and introduce himself, I saw this:

and this:

One of MmaDiapo's calves broke its leg yesterday and it had to be put down... she was very upset by the whole thing and ended up selling off the meat.
Synett mentioned feeling tired and bored this morning when I walked into the office. It was 8:30am. At 10, for tea time, we had bananas and, yes, Fanta grape, I didn't get my normal sugar rush. I was sent on a mission to visit a creche and decided to walk part of the way there so I could check my mail. Victor at the post office wasn't feeling well and said he just wanted to go back to bed. When I finally made it down to the creche, on the opposite end of the village from my office, Mma Modiba said she had woken up feeling uninterested and tired. And when I walked back through the parking lot of Taposa Bakery to get to my office, I saw this:

Two cows, in the middle of a parking lot surrounded by a restaurant, a bakery, a physiotherapist, a saloon (aka salon), and a petrol station, had found themselves a mudhole to cool off in. Papalaas.