Thursday, January 21, 2016

Guest blog...Annisms.

Today I, Anna, am writing the blog in order to avoid a more monotonous paper for school. There is not much interesting going on, it rained yesterday and today, but otherwise things remain quiet. Therefor I thought I would write about a few of the quirks that I have, a few of which came from being a missionary kid. 

When I put on tennis shoes, I push the ends down to make sure there are not any residents.  I do not do this constantly, time has dulled my caution. My family and I were staying at a guest house in Haiti. Early in the dawn we gathered our things to go.  I put my foot in my shoe and felt something. I jerked my foot out, thinking of all the stories I had heard about cockroaches in shoes, and out walked a tarantula! I have not yet found a roach in my shoe, but I figure a tarantula covers it. I have found cockroaches in my towel, and I always shake it out before taking my shower.

I know that pretty much every missionary in a developing world has at least one latrine story, and I am no exception. I am an expert at avoiding using latrines. Rule one, always use the bathroom right before leaving home. Then, practice for multiple years, until eventually, you can go all day without needing a restroom. Simply take small sips of water frequently, and hopefully you sweat it out. (My mother does NOT agree with it, it being bad for your health and all, but it works for me; I went years without having to use a latrine) I have many reasons for this. When I went to a volleyball tournament with my team, I saw one  small bathroom for everybody, with about 2 stalls (I don’t think any body used them) and no door. I decided I didn’t need it that bad. 

Surprisingly, some of my most memorable incidences occurred in nice bathrooms. (for Haiti) Twice aftershocks (small earthquakes) caught me in a bathroom. The first time it happened I was a bathroom in Petit Goave , at the field hospital. The second time was at home. (the first aftershock registered about 4.2, which feels pretty big when you are in a building with questionable durability). 

I also have lots of mini quirks, but everybody does. One of my quirks, is that I literally collect quirks and odd abilities, it annoys me when I can’t do it. Whenever a team comes and one of them can do a little trick, I always try to learn it, not matter how small. My brother could flare his nose. I learned. He could move each eyebrow separately; I practiced in a mirror until I could. I love to whistle to music, which annoys my father to no end. I also like to teach myself random abilities, from doing the splits or hand stands to lip reading. I always have an ability I am trying to learn, though I do not always succeed. 

I would love to hear from other MKs, so if you are the parent of any, I would appreciate it if  you would have them write about a few quirks and odd abilities they have. In addition to being interesting, the responses I receive might help raise my grade; so please comment. It doesn’t matter how small of a quirk it is.

5 comments:

Play Costa Rica said...

Your uncle is not a fan of whistling either! Nice post on quirks Anna.

Play Costa Rica said...

Your uncle is not a fan of whistling either! Nice post on quirks Anna.

Unknown said...

I have to agree that I have the quirk of always checking my shoes before placing them on. You never know what you'll find in them here in Haiti! Whether it's just rocks or thorns or if it's uninviting creatures like ants, cockroaches, or spiders! I also love running around in the rain and tend to do so if I am with any of my friends. You and I have had that fun experience together! :) As for abilities I have, I guess I pride myself on being able to play basically any sport. I love to learn new ones and would love to visit other countries besides Haiti and Puerto Rico to play different sports. Other than that, I don't think I can do anything cool haha! Sorry Anna. Hope this helps you out!

Chris and Kath Sloan said...

Chris and I LOVED this post!! You've become such a good writer Anna! Chris says his odd ability is blowing spit bubbles that actually float in the air. I have not been able to master this. I can spin a basketball on my finger. We aren't MKs but we do remember your quirks fondly!! Chris wants to know if you still pet your mango while eating it. (You might not remember doing that since you were only 8!)

Bruce said...

Don't start out with 'nothing interesting going on.' You are living in Haiti. To some of us, everything you do is unique and interesting. Keep writing Anna...still praying for you guys and for F...