YARNS--
Home Spun and True

By Steve Van Nattan, an expatriate Wog with a story to tell

COMPANION BLOG: EXPATRIATE WOG BLOG

 

Steve's Yarns-- All those years growing up and living in Oklahoma, California, Arizona, Texas, and Africa..... Ain't done growing up 'til I get over on the other side :-) EDITOR: Steve Van Nattan HOME PAGE INTRODUCTORY BLATHER Having passed the age of sixty, I have been told that I now have the right to indulge in reminiscence without apologizing. Thus, those of you who venture into this section of the Journal will have to tolerate my attitude if you please, and I hope that I can reward you in some small way with interesting stories of my past experiences. It sure beats having a "mid-life crisis." The baboon in the picture looks very much like the ones who stole my mangos as I was growing up.  Hopefully, I have acquired a few more civilizing traits than this fellow, but I think he is very much in context on this page. They are almost as troublesome as the IRS. Christ Jesus is due all credit for anything I may contribute to life. I shall not, however; make silly scenes of false humility. My life has been rather colorful at times, not because of my own cleverness, but because my Lord has graciously chosen for me a life trail which is rather fun to look back over. Elizabeth is my good wife, and my class mate at RVA. She is consulted on these yarns since she was with me in most of them. We now live in the Hill Country of Texas. If you cannot live in Texas, at least try to get close. Come by, and we will roast some Harrar coffee and boil the ibrik (Arab coffee pot), and we'll spin a yarn on the front porch. We have wog chai for those who appreciate it. Our tea comes from an Indian duka in Austin, Texas-- special import quality, AND a bakshish thrown in. If you need it badly, we have wimbi on hand and can make up a pot for you. And, teff for you Ethiopians-- call ahead so we can get the leet aged properly. For several years I have thought of gathering my experiences, along with those of my past friends, and writing a fiction of a missionary's kid as historical fiction. Forget it. Life is too busy to figure out the details. So, what follows is partly mine, partly yours, and partly someone else's. This is a lot easier than making it all into a historical fiction, and some of my old friends will find themselves in the stories. I shall try to avoid getting anyone in trouble by telling secrets :-) I have a link below to my Tex-Mex Yarns page. On that page you will find stories that I have heard, some of my experiences in Texas, and some propaganda on Texas. Someone once said, and it might have been me, "Don't look back when things are getting rough-- Look back when it is good now. The past will add peace to the moment at hand." FORMAT: Please be patient. I shall also fail gloriously to keep things in chronological order. What fun would that be? So, in order for you to figure out when a given yarn took place, I give you a BIO PAGE TO BROWSE Also, a more detailed BIO PAGE FOR THE JOURNAL Enjoy. PLEASE VISIT MY EXPATRIATE WOG BLOG

Someone in the hut has the short-wave radio on. Click on the door, say "Hodi,"wait to hear "karibuni," and you may enter and hear the Mwanza Town Choir singing. Enter with many Jambos and quiet kindnesses, and you will be invited to stay for chai and mandazi (fried corn fritters). Mind your manners and be a blessing in any way, and I promise you, you will be invited to stay for ugali na kuku (corn meal mush and curried chicken.) If you hear a chicken out back squawking it is too late to decline-- your supper is already being prepared :-) My Daddy recorded the Mwanza Town Choir in the 1970s. He played the bass in those days. Mwanza is a small sleepy but industrious city at the south tip of Lake Victoria in Tanzania. This man lived there, and this man still loves the music of the saints in Mwanza. If my Lord let me live out the whole of his coming Messianic Kingdom in Tanzania, I would be happy for one thousand years. Listen to the Mwanza Town Choir as you visit here. More African Music on this site Nostalgia for 1950s BBC junkies

MORE DISTRCTION FOR YOU AT MY BLOGS: MEDICAL BITES BLOG EXPATRIATE BLOG BALAAM'S ASS SPEAKS BLOG STEVE'S TEX-MEX YARNS   STEVE'S YARNS FROM AFRICA AND UNTIL MOVING TO TEXAS THE NIGHT THE DONKEY CAME TO PRAY HOW TO TRAIN A PET LION IN KENYA CHARLIE HESS-- This story is finally finished. MY FAVORITE KIDS' PROGRAM ON RADIO- CIRCA 1949 BBC- A NOSTALGIC LOOK BACK IN TIME HE SHALL GIVE HIS ANGELS.... WALJI LOSES OUT TO HP PATEL WALKING MY MONKEY A MACHINE AND HALF A HOLE-- Life in Tennessee THE AFRICAN ADVANTAGE-- An African view of White Race Sophistication This article is finally complete MY KEEPERS MY DAD THE IMPROVISER THE SEVEN CYLINDER PONTIAC-- Adventures with devils AZIZ AND AKBAR-- Muslims who were not the enemy THE STORY OF MOUNT LONGONOT-- My adventure with Bob Capen BABOONS-- The Smartest Apes in the World EGGS-- Buying them and tithing them FETCHING THE MAIL--  Online browsers may load this one. MERV ROSELL and the four ships PAUL BEVERLY takes me on a bicycle ride. RVA FOOD  Strange things-- Wonderful things HAM BY MAIL  Or, The Ham that crawled in From the Cold. BULL DOG, MUD FIGHTS, Dinky toys, nyabs, and hill climbing PINCHING ANTS-- Keep moving MY MOST SPACED OUT YARN AFRICANS I HAVE KNOWN   BOOKS I HAVE READ   LINKS: Great Place to Eat Ethiopian food. Another one in Colombus, Ohio This made tears come as my mind went careening back with David's help                             STEVE'S WEIRD TALES "COMING SOON" You can see what is coming by the unfinished list below. HUNTING HIPPO SNAPPING TURTLES HOW I WAS BORN AGAIN YOU CAN FIX ANYTHING WITH BUNGIES MUD, TOPI, CHIKKA, MBUGA MAKING A SHORT WAVE RADIO FERRY BOATS-- SIMIU, RUGEZI, NYAMTAKUZA SERENGETI VACATION MZUNGU DINNER FOR THE PREFECTS THE ROBIN WENTLY AND 1954 MWANZA MAU MAU EMERGENCY IN KENYA- 1950s MY CONTRIBUTION TO THE COLD WAR AT KIJABE VENTURES TO THE HILL TOP NAHASHON AND MWANGI CHIPUKIZI LIVINGSTON HOUSE, STANLEY HOUSE SHEGE BITIRU BOREMA DANNY KEIHU DR. GOBIZI GEBRE MICHAEL MARIO AT BEKELA MOLA'S RESORT UHURU NIGHT SCHOOL IN ELDORET SAMMY KAMAU BAPTISTS IN AFRICA MWANZA MISSION HOME FISH COURSE ON THE LAKE STEAMER / BEKELA MOLA FISH AUGUSTA MANNING 1943 INDIAN COMMUNION SERVICE AT MENNONITE GATHERING MRS. MILLER DIPS SNUFF! MY CANOE MY DAY OF FAME ON ART LINKLETTER'S HOUSE PARTY MY COOKING EXPLOITS- Shark stew, fried lettuce, egg fuu yung MOTHER SYWALKA YANKEE CRICKET CROSSING A LIVE VOLCANO TEA TIME AT KIDONG DORM THE GUDGE HIKING IN THE FOREST HERB LION AND CARL ULINE PLAY A TRICK ARTY DAVIS SEES A LEOPARD FIELD DAY RECIPE-  HIPPO FOOT BWIRU COFFEE CALL KIAMBOGO BUILDING A WEASEL CHASE CHIPPING ROCKS SORTING CARROT AND CELERY SEED HYENAS SOME DAMNED FOOLS I HAVE KNOWN (Damned by their own rebellion against the Gospel of Jesus Christ) AMERICAN FLAG FLIES IN TANGANYIKA KISUMU SERGEANT MAJOR IN CHARGE 200 NECK TIES WILHELM MAY KEEPS IT IN "ECONOMY GEAR" BURNING FETISHES HANS NYMAN RIDES A DONKEY SIAFU-  ANTS IN YOUR PANTS FRANK MANNING INTERNATIONAL MISSIONS CLUB-- LONDON NYC Automat TRAVELING ON THE LAKE STEAMER ENGLISH FULL COURSE DINNER AND OTHER STRANGE CUSTOMS HOW TO EAT THE FISH COURSE FIVE TIMES BARGAIN BANANAS GOD'S KITTY SAVES MY DAD FROM A COBRA BROTHER VAN GOES TO TOWN CHECKING UP ON DOMINO PLAYERS PREACHING IN THE OZARKS DEACON JONES WAKES UP KEY OPENS THE WAY HILLTOP CAFE NEWAYGO BIBLE SIGNS WAR IN THE DONUT SHOP FRED WHEAT GREYHOUND BUS STATION-- SAN FRANCISCO OLD MINE IN CALICO MOUNTAINS SPIRITUAL WARFARE IN THE HIGH DESERT AFRICAN FOOD VARIETIES MIRACLE OF THE POWERED MILK "THE HOOVER KIDS ARE NORMAL" CRAIG POSEY RINGS THE BELL DROUGHT IN AFRICA PETER DIGS A DITCH AND TOPS A TREE MARY'S FRIEND SAVES HER LIFE ARABS AND KITANI FORESTS GOD MADE--  KENYA HIGHLANDS, ARUSSI LAND, REDWOODS RESTAURANTS I HAVE ENJOYED-- OMAR KHAYAM, VILLA VERDE, ADDIS ABABA RESTAURANT, CHUNG HUA, ITALIAN IN ASMARA, DEBRE BIRHAN, NAKURU TRUCK STOP, STAGS HEAD, LUNDIANI, NORFOLK, NEW STANLEY, FAIRVIEW, LINCOLN, U.S. EMBASSY, CEDARS OF LEBANON IN DEARBORN, BLUE NILE IN DETROIT, PALM IN BARSTOW, HILLTOP IN BAILEY, LION'S HOUSE IN LONDON, YE OLDE KING'S HEAD INN- WINDSOR, INTERNATIONAL HOUSE OF PANCAKES IN LA MIRADA, HUNAN IN LOS ANGELES CHINA TOWN, MA GANSIE'S IN KENTUCKY. NO FAZER, NO MUZER, HUNGRY TODAY RIDING THE BUS TO ADDIS SHOPPING IN ETHIOPIA BEKELA MOLA'S HOTELS MR. SPEEDY'S TEA PARTIES DECAMHARE SCHOOL DAYS GOD SENDS A MAN TO PUT TRUSSES UP TRAIN TRAVEL IN KENYA ROAD BUILDING RED TAPE IN AFRICA THE KEFO BUILDING A DAM ZETEN BIR JACK JOHNSON-- Pastor from N. Ireland to missionaries ASMARA "SOLD" ITAKO AND AFRICA ISRAEL NINEVAH SIMON STANDS TALL DINI IN ELDORET KIPKAREN CHURCH KITALE CHURCH DOWNTOWN ELDORET-- BANSAL, BAHARILAL, AZIZ AND AKBAR C__________ SMITH REPENTS CHRIS LEAVES THE ROMAN WHORE NEWAYGO SIGN STORY ETHIOPIAN DOCTOR IN GRINGO LAND FIGHTING AN ADULT BOOKSTORE "AND THE LORD GOD PLANTED A GARDEN..." DEAD BODY IN THE MINE AND OTHER SPOOKY STUFF   ELIZABETH, MY WIFE, TELLS SOME OF HER OWN TALES: POWERED MILK MIRACLE    Back to Entry Page of Journal