A China Crap Tricycle

Neo just fell over on his new “crap-from-China-but-we-were-desperate” tricycle that he’s too small for. We’ve had it for about two hours and it’s already broken in two places. We got it at the one shop in town, T2000, that sells things straight off the boat from China. Even the sales staff are from China. What we paid for that tricycle is the exact amount we pay our (VERY well paid by Burundian standards) night guard, who patrols our yard at night to keep us safe. Seven nights a week. It seems wrong that he gets paid the same amount as a tricycle costs, even though we pay him much more than the going rate. Here in Burundi, labor is inexpensive but everything else seems to cost the world… even crap from China.

Neo keeps hopping on his bike but he can’t reach the pedals. Not reaching the pedals doesn’t stop him at all. He’s been getting on and off and on again for about an hour. Standing in the basket at the back meant for carrying stuff, turning the wheels by hand, tipping over on the bike and just laying happily in the dirt with it, walking it around like a pet puppy, pushing the music buttons and dancing to the terrible “crap-from-China” music selections, breaking another part off. He loves it, and he can’t even ride it.

Our kids have been without toys, living in a construction site for a house since we moved here at the end of June. We do have toys coming, in fact they are already in Bujumbura. In our air freight. Which the airport staff won’t release. “It’s too heavy” they say. “But it’s already here” we say. “It’s too heavy” they say again. “Alright then” we say. And so we wait… I guess until it becomes magically NOT too heavy.

Have they suffered? Not from lack of toys, maybe from having two parents battling to cope. Parents worn out by the heat. Frazzled by their new culture. There are moments when I wish some legos would appear out of thin air, but for the most part they have only missed things to ride on or use for a project, like crayons and tricycles.

Thobe (one of our most favourite-tist people in the world) just became our first visitor from our beloved South Africa, not counting the lovely Cooked team, who came as strangers but left as friends. She arrived with a suitcase full of parmesan cheese and crayons and ziplock bags and a big plastic pool and even an East African bird book. It was amazing watching all the things come out of that suitcase. Things we used to take for granted, but probably never ever will again.

Oh, and the music button on the tricycle? Now it won’t turn off… lucky us!

Happy weekend,

Kristy

p.s. You can see more of what the boys have been up to here.