So, i woke up way too early today to attend a luncheon organised and sponsore by LINKS. An women's only organisation. Imagine AKA meets church group. I mean white tights and ankle length skirts, huge corsages and a choice of either coiffed or wind blown hair.

As I was saying...because myself and the two girls representing the international student body at the university did not have cars we had to hitch a ride with one of then organisation's members who had to be there about two hours before the event itself had to begin.

We arrive and the three of us are nearly paralysed to realise that the average age in the room is between 55 and 60. And also, they had not yet set up so we found ourselves having to help out. Hoisting foldable chairs in four inch hills is not an experience I want to repeat.
Plus we stood out something bad...the three of us: One trinidadian in a halter dress and fuck-me pumps, the other in a i-go-to-church-but-only-to-see-if-I-can-jump-the-pastor's-bones kinda dress and finally moi in a green and black ensemble complete with gele reminiscent of a candidate for Ovation's middle pages.

then the maintenance guys were trying to hit on all three of us at the same time; like I am just hot to jump in bed with someone whose stomach puts an eight month pregancy to shame. YummieAnyways, two hours and fifty times introducing myself (talking slowly and saying my name, school, major and country) later the event starts.

Students from two other colleges in the district have arrived and so we have brought down the age average to about 45. Was no mean fit too. If we had been short even as little as two people, we would not have made it.

The highlight of the event was not the ear drum splitting Nigerian opera singer in her mismatched blue lace (with silver detail) and bright orange Aso Oke...No, it was the talk given by the guest speaker, Faida Mitifu; Ambassador The Democratic Republic of Congo.

She spoke so eloquently on her country, its past and what it aspired for the future. What it had gone through under a 20 year long dictatorship and the ensuing wars it had to suffer to free itself; what it meant that 86% of eligible voters participated in the past election to intstall the current president after factions had been torn apart.

I was even more shamed when she talked about what women in the Congo had endured as victims of the war: suffering physical and horrendous sexual abuse at the hands of various militia and I had only been minutes before thinking about where I was going to get the money to get another pair of shoes. Anyways, the event was quite nice and enlightening.

Trust Americans and their fear of fire, salt and pepper. the meat had pink in it. I looked at it and gasped out loud. The chef pleased at my "obvious" delight at his masterpiece smiles and tells me "It is medium rare lamb chops.

I smiled and slowly moved forward towards the sweet rolls. If man was supposed to eat raw animals, we would still be living next door to brother lion and sister leopard and fire would be an aspiration.