Bicycle ate my skirt

As hard as I try to be culturally appropriate—sometimes I feel that it is just not worth the effort. Today was one of those days.

My day began with my computer failing to start, it would not even power on. I was getting a bit frazzled when a new friend invited me to go to the market with her. I figured I may as well go or else I would just get more frustrated. I wanted to get some fabric anyway so that I could get a long shirt made so that I could wear it with trousers when I rode a bicycle. In Mozambique I often wore trousers under my skirts when I riding a bike but here it is just too hot and humid.

After returning from the market, I was riding my bicycle to my lunch appointment when the bicycle decided it was hungrier than I was and instantly devoured my skirt. Luckily I had a slip on as the entire back half of my skirt disappeared into the wheel.

A kind old man came to my rescue as I was on the side of the road fighting to regain possession of my skirt from its two wheeled attacker. I the midst of embarrassment I hurried and tied up the skirt and tucked it into several spots so that I could quickly ride the remaining two blocks to my destination.

I hobbled into the home to have lunch where the kind lady that was hosting me loaned me a skirt to go home in.

I realized on my way home that this scene had occurred across the street from a mosque where Friday prayers were in session.

Upon arriving home the neighbor ladies thought it was an absolutely hilarious story as they inspected my tattered skirt and reenacted the scene. The lady in the blue is holding what is left of the waistband.

The tailor is my friend here in Africa. Luckily it is very inexpensive to get things made and repaired. The skirt I was wearing had already had a couple of tiers removed after a run-in with a door (repair only cost about 25 cents). Africa is really hard on clothes, I have destroyed many of the ones that I brought with me. I am not sure it is worth trying to repair this time; but I might be interesting to see what I get back.

I think it would have been better to wear trousers….but then again you would not have been able to read this amusing story (since I arrived home my computer has at least temporarily decided to start). Always an interesting day in Africa.