strange

Today has been full of unusual things.  Early this morning we heard an awful sound, and looked outside to see what it was. All I saw was a motorbike being driven by a guy with a girl on the back, and it seemed that she was just wailing and wailing. I didn't see any other source for the sound, and as he drove off the wailing faded.

Then I went with a friend to get a massage, but we decided on herbal scrubs instead. It was the most vigorous scrub I've ever had. I don't think the girl had ever done it before. I felt like a slab of meat being seasoned for the grill. Fortunately my friend had a better experience. As for me, all I know is my armpits are extremely exfoliated. Why??? I don't know.

Later, as I rode a motorbike taxi home I heard a ruckus and a commotion ahead of me. The car in front of us was drifting to the right to avoid oncoming traffic. (Mind you, this was all going on at about 5 mph.) Unfortunately, there was also a car parked on our side of the road, and two men standing backed up against it, trying to avoid the moving car which was inching closer and closer. As it was, one guy got brushed by the side mirror. The other guy whacked on the roof of the car hollering at him. I really don't know how they avoided getting their toes run over.

That's about all the extraordinary things I saw today. Quite enough, really.

Other than that I spent much of the morning catching up on very late e-mails, and later had a meeting, wrote a newsletter update, and watched the Amazing Race.

Also had a baffling conversation with the lady who comes to clean our house a few hours a week. She came about 3 hours late today, which wasn't a problem except that it was dark by the time she was ready to drive her motorbike home. But it was also the end of the month, which is pay day. I approached her, saying it was time to pay her, money in hand. She said something about it being a problem, and I immediately understood, since many people here are afraid of being out late, especially with anything of value. I said we could wait to pay her on Wednesday if she was afraid. No, that wasn't it, she said. So, did she want the money? No, she was afraid it was a problem. What was the problem? She thought it was a problem for us to pay her so late at night. ??? I still didn't understand, since I was standing there with the money, trying to give it to her. I said if she didn't want the money until Wednesday, we could keep it here. She said she wanted the money if it wasn't a problem. No! It ISN'T a problem. I am standing here TRYING to give it to you!! So finally she took it. I still don't quite understand what happened there.

So, that's about all for today. The cat woke me up at 4:30 this morning. Not so great. But I did get my exercising done. That's good. Week 2 of the "six days shalt thou exercise" plan has begun.