now make a wish

Yesterday was my mom's birthday. And, as Ezra got a job at the local market (he carries boxes around, opens them, etc.), we were able to obtain a few items of food to help make her day a little more special.

Zoe and I cooked a beef (thanks to Ezra) and rice dinner. By itself it would have been quite bland, but it's really amazing what a few spices can do. We also made some fresh bread, which turned out quite well. Uncle Zack and Azalea came over and they brought some juice for the dinner.

While we sat and ate, we each said read outloud what our birthday cards would have written in them had we actually had material ones. We then gave mom our gifts. Zoe and I bought a nice selection of yarn and two pairs of knitting needles. I remember that while my mom was pregnant with Zeke, she would knit, so I thought that since she'll be at home a lot now, she could use some entertainment. My dad bought her a nice comfy pair of slippers to wear around the house, as we don't have carpeting and her feet are always cold.

After dinner finished, we cleaned up and then relaxed. I'm glad that the evening went well, as I'm starting to worry about my mom. While we lived in Zahrville, we stayed with her brother and his family. Their son/my cousin Lorenzo ran off to join the ZPF, which was a big shock to the entire family. When we decided to leave Zaharia, we invited them to come with us, but instead they stayed, hoping that at anyday now, Lorenzo will return home. My mom has a sister, but she married a Concordian and took the opportunity to escape move to Port Royal. I never got to meet her, but since she upset the family by leaving Zaharia, I don't think she'll be coming back anytime soon. So, back to the main point here, my mom has no family here, whereas my dad has his brother Zack, and I think it's been really depressing for her. I hope that the knitting will be a good distraction for her for a while.

I made a graphic of my family tree. Click here to view it.

Betcha it's not even his real name!

I found two pictures on the internet that show what Camp 5 looks like...



So this image shows the tents that the newer arrivals have set up. And in a tent of that size, you have entire families trying to conduct their lives.



And here we have the older structures that the UNHCR constructed. They give better protection from the weather, but aside from this fact, living conditions are pretty much equal for those in the shelters versus those in the tents.

Just viewing these photos reminds me of how fortunate I am to live in a home outside of the camp.

Oh, speaking of home, things are okay. My dad and brother Ezra are looking for jobs so they can help support the family. After leaving the camp a few days ago, Zoe and Zeke rejected my mom's idea of the two of them attending the school inside. I don't blame them; I wouldn't want to be inside there any more than I have to be. So, we're still trying to plan an educational arrangement for them.

As for me, I began to make friends with the owner of this internet cafe, Mr. Fitzgerald. Turns out that he used to own a shipping company in Duchovnyville many years ago, which he abandoned after receiving threats on his life by his company's business rival (which was not Zaharian owned!). Instead of settling in Zahrville, he decided to leave Zaharia altogether and settle in this area of Ruritania. I can't understand why he'd leave the entire country, so I think there's more to his story that he's not willing to share (like some sort of scandal). Hopefully I'll get the truth out of him one day.