As I become more and more a part of the tailor family, I'm spending more and more time out on the street with them. Their courtyard and home borders the street, but they spend almost all day beside the street, interacting with passbyers and doing their tailoring business. I have to think how isolated we have become in our culture. I'm reminded again how vocal an oral society can be. I have listened to individuals speak with great emotion for 15 minutes without hardly a break for breath. I love especially, listening to women speaking in that manner. It has to be in Kituba of course to be effective. The language just flows.
  I have on occasion brought out my family pictures. I brought along a family photo of each of our 3 children. It usually draws a crowd and usually takes an hour before everyone is satisfied that they have identified everyone and have all the grandchildren straight to where they belong. It is very important to know in what sequence each child was born. Of course, everyone comes back again and again to Shami's family photo. It is passed around with, 'yai Kashama, yandi me butaka na Congo'--- 'this is Kashama. He was born in the Congo'
  Of course, I have also demanded and seen some of their family photos as well.
  The owner of the cyber cafe is sitting right beside me on the next computer. He has music blaring and is generally singing along. A sign on the wall reads, ' Clients please be quiet'.
  Tomorrow, I'm heading 13 kms out in the country to visit Pastor Mukuma's fields. I need to remember to take water along. On several occasions I have felt dehydrated. The upside is that I no longer need to get up for the bathroom at night.