Mafeesh Mushkila

It’s been a long while since I last wrote a blog entry. Perhaps I have been too busy or perhaps I have been too boring. However, now boredom has become my motivator as I am the only Rinard in Libya. As you, whoever you are, probably know, Melissa and Little Roc have gone home for a while and I am on my own. I am 48 hours in and going strong. I certainly miss them already, especially when I walk in from work, go to bed, or wake up in the morning. But each time I do one of those things I am one more walk in, lay down or wake up closer to seeing them. And knowing that Melissa will get to experience some of the Fall back home makes me happy.


Yesterday I was with Fadil, my dad’s former driver, for a couple hours as he took me to a meeting downtown. I feel very bad for him as he seems quite depressed. It seems to be a mix of things causing it; one of them is Dad leaving Libya. He loves Dad and makes a point to tell me constantly about how good of a man he is and how he misses him so much. While I feel awful for Fadil it is great to know that people think so highly of my dad.

Fadil is also very concerned about finding a wife. He says he is getting married, “maybe at Christmas time.” Which was a surprise to me because one, he doesn’t have a girl yet, and two, he was talking about Christmas. Do Muslims find any significance in Christmas? I should know this, but I don’t. Well anyway, he really wants to have a wife but he doesn’t know if he will and he doesn’t think his family is looking very hard. He is 34 years old so he has time but none the less he is not doing well. He told me “You changed my mood. I was feeling bad and you changed that.” I hope that’s true and I hope the best for him. He said I can call him to hang out and he will come pick me up and we will go downtown or somewhere. I invited him over for dinner and to hang out, so hopefully we follow through and do something.

This weekend I have been invited to something to do with a wedding at a mosque. One of the drivers is getting married and apparently the men go to the mosque and wait around, at least that’s how it sounds to me, while the father’s of the bride and groom go to another room and make a contract. I don’t know. I picture this as a negotiation involving livestock, land, money or some other possessions but that seems like something that should have been decided a long time ago, well before the wedding. SO maybe it is just signing a piece of paper. I don’t have a clue. And I can’t figure out what to wear. When I ask what to wear to the driver getting married or to Fadil they just say, “No problem, no problem.” They must assume I am saying I don’t have something to wear and want to assure me that whatever I have is fine. But really I just want to know what is normal so I can wear that. A little funny and frustrating. But no problem, no problem will have to do.

I miss my family, all of them. July seems like a long time away but that is how long I PLAN to be out of the country. I say PLAN because when do those really matter? Still no permanent contract here so anything is possible.