home again, home again

I find it difficult to describe things.  I take words for granted.  To me they may make perfect sense, but I’m not sure they convey the correct meaning.  There is also the issue that the majority of my descriptive English vocabulary has left my head over the past few years.  I speak simple speak most of the time.

If I say the word “compound” does it bring to mind the Branch Dividiands or a military complex?  All I mean is a simple plot a land surrounded by some sort of fencing with maybe one or two entry points.

I am making this more complicated than it actually should be.

Last night I was sitting in the compound of my Mother-in-law visiting with her and a few other relatives.  They gave me food.   We tried to talk, but as bad as my english has become, it is no where near the butchery that I do when I attempt to speak the local version of Arabic used here.  I do believe we communciated something, exactly what I don’t know.

I felt embarrassed when my brother in asked me in Arabic if I was speaking Arabic or still didn’t know it.  I responded that my car was in Nairobi.  So I think I answered his question.  In my defense the words for Arabic and Vehicle sound, at least to me, very similar.

Soon after that I returned to my “house” and started playing with a Rubix cube that my mother bought my children.  I stole it from them right before leaving for this place.  It is driving me nuts.  I get so close to solving it and then two moves and I have completely ruined it again.  It gave me a crazy dream as well.  I was somewhere in a big city trying to find my way back to the place I was staying, but every time I turned around things changed and looked different and no matter what I did I couldn’t get back on the right path.

Sometimes feels like my life.

Am hoping this one helps keep me on track.  Cute isn’t he?  He has a shirt that says “If you think I’m cute you should see my Dad.”