Bad omens or reminders from above?

This dark cloud of bad luck has been following me around recently and I just can't seem to shake it! Yesterday, B and I went out for a bike ride. We were all pumped up, excited about discovering a new route. I was but 2 minutes out of the driveway when I found that my bike was ready to fall apart. The wheels were ready to fall off, my break pads were raw and every inch of that bicycle seemed to be rattling! So instead getting to go off on our big adventurous, new ride, we had to instead go to the bike shop at Sarit (Cycle Land), which honestly, I dislike supporting because the Indian shop owner isn't the nicest to his black Kenyan employees. But that is the only bike shop I'm familiar with so there we went. Several hours later, our bikes freshly tuned, we again try to go for our big bike ride. But what happens five minutes later? My wheel runs over something sharp (broken glass is everywhere on Kenyan roads) and my tire goes pfffffffffffffffffffffffffff!!! I was so disappointed that I literally looked up into the sky and asked out loud, "WHY? What did I do?" Soo, off we went back to the bike shop - AGAIN - to have my tire tube replaced. Thankfully, the Indian shop owner took pity on me and gave me a discounted price. 300 shillings, as opposed to 600. OK, fine maybe he's isn't as horrible of a man as I thought... Last night, I didn't sleep a wink. My allergies were at it again so I spent the entire night running back and forth to the bathroom to get more tissues for my congested nose. Poor B probably didn't get much sleep either with me sneezing every other second...Today I came home from Nakumat only to find one of our birds - little Charlie - missing. The little sweetheart is usually one of the most active of our little flock with his climbing adventures up and down here and everywhere,his attempts to step and ride on the tails of the cockatiels and his acrobatic summer flips and swings. He's a constantly HAPPY bird. Anyway, today I found him shivering at the bottom of the bird house, covered in blood. B and I have nicknamed Charlie "Houdini" because of his ever successful maneuvers to escape capture. Today though, as I reached down to pick him up, he didn't even attempt escape, but simply let out a chirpy wimper as he tried to bite down on my finger with all the strength he could muster. He was in a lot of pain - that was clear kabisa.10 minutes after nursing Charlie with birdie medicine and placing him in our "hospital cage," B runs into the house panting with a look of panic on his face. "I was almost mugged just now," he exclaimed! It was all I could to hold him in my arms, look up into the sky and shake my head, "not him too. Please God, let him be," I prayed. To get home, B has to take this unlit dirt road that connects the main highway (where the bus stop is) and our road. Commuters rarely take this road after dark, but what choice does Bryan have, other than to take an expensive cab every day? He tells me that every time he's on that path, he sends up a silent prayer for safety and unlocks the pepper spray I brought from the States. So far he has been safe. Tonight he had an all too close encounter with what could go terribly wrong. Thank God he's safe. Maybe that's it. Maybe God's trying to send me a message to remind me how quickly things can change for the worse tomorrow. so I better be damn sure to be and ACT grateful for what I have been blessed with today. 

Bolagun Market, Nigeria

Went to Bolagun Market today in downtown Lagos, Nigeria. GOOD LORD, what an experience that was! Imagine PEOPLE...EVERYWHERE! I have never seen such business, such COLOR and LIFE! The moment my friend and I stepped out of the car, we were swallowed up by it all. The three other friends who came along with us were separated from us in a split second so we made our way into the crowd towards what we knew was out there...somewhere. West African fabric. The unique colors, design and quality of the fabric are world famous. But it wasn't just fabric being sold in Bolagun, but also everything from tight fitting dresses to Korans, from live snails to pig feet, from incense to curtains. Definitely not the type of place for those prone to claustrophobia, but spectacular all the same. R and I eventually enlisted the help of boy to help us navigate the clogged streets and we quickly found ourselves surrounded by West African fabric HEAVEN. Mom requested a variety of West African material and that's just what she will get! Got a bit of everything - and what amazing colors. Can't wait to get back to Nairobi to have fitted dresses made...B will def have reason to call his girl an African queen with these fabrics.