Sightings

As I've been hanging in this hemisphere for almost 2 years now occasionally I notice my desensitization - many things that would have, at one time, seemed jarring, out of place, bizarre, go by all but unnoticed. These accounts managed to make it through.

You know those inspirational posters that have a rock climber dangling off the side of a cliff with “success” or something written below – well I would name this picture “in spite of” or “never gonna die”. Alas… camera battery was dead. But please, close your eyes and picture one of those flat front semi trucks, pulling a flat bed. Now picture the cab of this semi after its been crushed, possibly from an unfortunate turn around a mountain corner with an embankment that it ended up sliding down, leaving the cab more of a diamond shape as the side windows are crushed, doors blown out. Roof, obviously, dented in. A bit rusted with the exposed metal in this humid environment. Naked because normal metal hood, doors no longer fits to new shaped cab. Then imagine three Ivorian guys, driver leaning out the ‘doorway’ to see, since visibility is near impossible through the shattered windshield, driving down the freeway. Impressive.

So second in the poster collection would be – last Saturday a friend and I head across the bridge to meet up with some friends, it’s about 2200. So, it’s dark, occasional though somewhat rare, orange street lamps shed some light. (the country is still existing with major power outages as there are still significant power shortages.) I’m driving, and on the frontage road I just happen to glance over to see a guy with in-line skates on (I haven’t seen a single person with skates, in-line skates, a skateboard since I’ve been here. Poverty, pot holes and/or a lack of supply – likely all three.) So he’s set up coke bottles (yes in the developing world you get your soda in refillable bottles) that he’s using as cones to practice weaving in and out. I believe this one would be called “Dream” or maybe “Dedication”.