With all this rain, the mosquitoes are swarming in droves (are those the correct words to describe "a lot of mosquitoes"?). And several times this past week, I've been woken up in the middle of the night by a mosquito buzzing around my head - inside my mosquito net! Not only is this somewhat annoying, it could also be somewhat harmful to one's health - one bad mossy bite, and you could be down with malaria. When I first got back here in Jb, I started taking a look at the net that was on my bed, and it was not in good shape at all. But, they're hard to find here, and I'm going to Nairobi in a few weeks, so I've put a new net on my list of things to buy.
But these mosquitoes have been seriously attacking me at night and really disturbing me. So tonight, it finally dawned on me that I had taken a relatively new net out of it's original packaging a few weeks ago to put on the bed where my guest was sleeping. Since then, it's just been hanging on the poles, doing nothing but collecting dust. D'uh. Why didn't I just take that new-ish one a long time ago and put it up on my bed?! So finally, tonight, I'm sure I will sleep soundly, cocooned in my new-ish mosquito net!
Wednesday, June 30, 2010
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Yet Another Adventure Found Today
The other day, I posted about how even though we have more paved roads, there are still adventures to be found. Well today, the paved road CAUSED my adventure!
The road that I actually live on is still a dirt road. A much improved dirt road, but still a dirt road. But two blocks away, my dirt road intersects one of the nice new paved roads. Unfortunately, the way the dirt road and the paved road intersect isn't so pretty. So they kind road-works folks have been slowly getting around to putting in some gutters and trying to make sure the rain doesn't completely wash everything away when it meets that dirt/pavement intersection. Their solution has been to make nice concrete gutters all down the sides of the road. Sorta like this one - can you see the gutter? Now in some places, as pictured here, the gutter is a nice even incline - not too steep, but still steep and dramatic enough to channel the water. However, in some places, the gutter is, well, quite the ravine, with a very steep down and straight back up again. In fact, in a lot of places on the street, you actually see an alarming number of people actually slipping on the dirt and sand and actually falling into the gutters, because the sides are so steep. I've so far managed to avoid this problem, but I am keenly aware of how steep these gutters are in places.
Anyway, they're currently "installing" a new gutter section right in the intersection of our dirt road and the paved road... meaning I needed to find a new way out of my nieghbourhood to connect to the main road today when I went out to buy my veggies.
Apparently, I chose the wrong way out today. I took one of the small dirt tracks that also intersects with the main paved road, but I had forgotten that it was one of the tracks that ends up in one of the seriously steep gutter sections. Now, if I were alone, or even with another non-mechanically inclined person in the truck, I would have safely backed out the way I came and simply chosen another way through. I've had a lot of experience on some pretty crazy roads around here, and I'm definitely not a risk taker - I'm sure I've backed out of quite a few situations that the truck probably would have been quite able to handle.
However, I was sitting with Sean beside me in the truck, and he's pretty mechanically aware of things, and of a pretty sound mind when it comes to risk assessment and seeing the possibilities of things. So I asked him, "what do you think?" We both weighed up the options, and we both thought, sure, let's try to get through the gutter. Sean suggested going at a pretty good angle, which I concurred with. Keep in mind, I was also trying to join onto a pretty busy road, where you never quite know what's going to come zooming around the corner. And I had an audience of men who were sitting and drinking their tea right there on the corner.
Anyway, there was an opening in traffic, and I slowly inched my way off the cliff. We got one wheel up and almost over, and when the second front wheel was in the middle of the ditch... we stopped. And we weren't going any further. Sure enough - the back wheel (remember, I'm in a rear-wheel drive pick up!) was spinning loosely in the air! Ooops. I only had three wheels on the ground, and as Sean explained to me after, the one that was spinning freely in the air was the "drive wheel" (or something like that - can't remember the correct terminology for it).
No problem, though, because our truck also happens to have 4WD -wouldn't have a truck in this town without it! Of course, it's the kind of truck that you have to hop out and lock the hubs on the wheels. Thankfully, we weren't stuck in the middle of a mud pit or anything, and I had a Sean with me to jump out and lock the hubs :) One of them was a bit sticky, so we had to try to rock back and forth a bit to get it to go in, but we managed. As soon as it was in 4WD, I very easily drove right out of the gutter.
So, really, I guess it's not that exciting of an adventure! But I did learn a bit more about what the truck can (and cannot!) do. And I had a good refresher lesson on how to put the truck into 4WD and out again - always good to refresh at the beginning of every rainy season! And I proved to all those guys sitting around drinking their tea that a girl CAN get a truck out of a ditch... with a little coaching from the guy sitting next to her... who egged her on to drive into the ditch in the first place!
The road that I actually live on is still a dirt road. A much improved dirt road, but still a dirt road. But two blocks away, my dirt road intersects one of the nice new paved roads. Unfortunately, the way the dirt road and the paved road intersect isn't so pretty. So they kind road-works folks have been slowly getting around to putting in some gutters and trying to make sure the rain doesn't completely wash everything away when it meets that dirt/pavement intersection. Their solution has been to make nice concrete gutters all down the sides of the road. Sorta like this one - can you see the gutter? Now in some places, as pictured here, the gutter is a nice even incline - not too steep, but still steep and dramatic enough to channel the water. However, in some places, the gutter is, well, quite the ravine, with a very steep down and straight back up again. In fact, in a lot of places on the street, you actually see an alarming number of people actually slipping on the dirt and sand and actually falling into the gutters, because the sides are so steep. I've so far managed to avoid this problem, but I am keenly aware of how steep these gutters are in places.Anyway, they're currently "installing" a new gutter section right in the intersection of our dirt road and the paved road... meaning I needed to find a new way out of my nieghbourhood to connect to the main road today when I went out to buy my veggies.
Apparently, I chose the wrong way out today. I took one of the small dirt tracks that also intersects with the main paved road, but I had forgotten that it was one of the tracks that ends up in one of the seriously steep gutter sections. Now, if I were alone, or even with another non-mechanically inclined person in the truck, I would have safely backed out the way I came and simply chosen another way through. I've had a lot of experience on some pretty crazy roads around here, and I'm definitely not a risk taker - I'm sure I've backed out of quite a few situations that the truck probably would have been quite able to handle.
However, I was sitting with Sean beside me in the truck, and he's pretty mechanically aware of things, and of a pretty sound mind when it comes to risk assessment and seeing the possibilities of things. So I asked him, "what do you think?" We both weighed up the options, and we both thought, sure, let's try to get through the gutter. Sean suggested going at a pretty good angle, which I concurred with. Keep in mind, I was also trying to join onto a pretty busy road, where you never quite know what's going to come zooming around the corner. And I had an audience of men who were sitting and drinking their tea right there on the corner.
Anyway, there was an opening in traffic, and I slowly inched my way off the cliff. We got one wheel up and almost over, and when the second front wheel was in the middle of the ditch... we stopped. And we weren't going any further. Sure enough - the back wheel (remember, I'm in a rear-wheel drive pick up!) was spinning loosely in the air! Ooops. I only had three wheels on the ground, and as Sean explained to me after, the one that was spinning freely in the air was the "drive wheel" (or something like that - can't remember the correct terminology for it).
No problem, though, because our truck also happens to have 4WD -wouldn't have a truck in this town without it! Of course, it's the kind of truck that you have to hop out and lock the hubs on the wheels. Thankfully, we weren't stuck in the middle of a mud pit or anything, and I had a Sean with me to jump out and lock the hubs :) One of them was a bit sticky, so we had to try to rock back and forth a bit to get it to go in, but we managed. As soon as it was in 4WD, I very easily drove right out of the gutter.
So, really, I guess it's not that exciting of an adventure! But I did learn a bit more about what the truck can (and cannot!) do. And I had a good refresher lesson on how to put the truck into 4WD and out again - always good to refresh at the beginning of every rainy season! And I proved to all those guys sitting around drinking their tea that a girl CAN get a truck out of a ditch... with a little coaching from the guy sitting next to her... who egged her on to drive into the ditch in the first place!
Sunday, June 27, 2010
Still an Adventure to be Found!
Even though we have some new paved roads and things are becoming developed so quickly here in my beloved Jb, I'm happy to report, there are still a few adventures to be found :)
This afternoon, Jackie and I went out for lunch with some friends of ours who come and go to Jb. They're a great South African couple, who we've known for a few years now, and I just really enjoy their company. They suggested a place for lunch that we've never been to before. It's a relatively new place, just opened up near the "downtown". Of course, you can go partway there on the pavement... but the last bit is still on the bumpy, potholed, mud filled track. I still marvel at some sights here - you're driving along this little dirt path, thatch and mud huts on either side of you, garbage in the streets and all sorts of broken down vehicles and other such craziness everwhere, and suddenly, you park on the side of the road, and walk through a gate... and voila, it's like you've stepped into a completely different world.
The atmosphere of this place is really quite nice - beautifully decorated, and nice finishing touches. The food did take a while to come, but when it came, it was quite good. I'd definitely go back again. It was pretty high class, but still affordable if you want a bit of a nicer meal out (and especially affordable today since our friends picked up the bill!).
On the way back, we made a stop at the "grocery store", which is really actually turning into a proper grocery store. It's still only about the size of... um, let's see, maybe something like an Eddie Bauer shop or a Blockbuster Video store, but is filled with all sorts of things - food, wine, juice, toiletries, stationary, household bits and bobs... Everything is imported from Kenya and not at all cheap. But it's really the only place in Jb still where you can buy a lot of the products there. It's one of the only shops in town where you can actually stroll up and down the aisles, looking for things to pull off the shelves yourself! Most of the shops here are really tiny, and keep everything behind the counter, so you have to ask the shopkeeper to hand it to you.
Anyway, we bought a few bits - juice and wooden matches. Then we were off for our next adventure. Bouncing down a new dirt road which runs parallel to the main road which is currently under construction, we saw amazing things that we'd never seen before! I'd been down that particular road before, but not in the last year or so. And I was absolutely amazed at some of the renovated houses and proper concrete houses that have been built. There's even an apartment building, about 4 stories or so, complete with windows and A/C and little balconies! Of course, it's all interspersed with the usual mud huts, so it's all just such an odd combination of African village and posh new city. And you bounce around on these awful dirt tracks, through the mud and little ravines in order to get to any of them!
Once we came out to the main paved road again, we had a choice to make. We were headed towards the bakery which makes the nice pastries and cakes. And from where we were, there are actually two, yes two, different paved roads which we could take to get us to our destination. I don't know that I've ever been faced with a choice like that here in Jb before. Two roads to choose from, each equally as smooth as the other! Normally, there's no choice - you just take the road that's got the least swamp or is passable on any given day.
Once we got to the end of the pavement, though, we were meant to make a left turn onto the bakery road. However, it was completely blocked off - they're actually working on that road, too! So we had no choice but to park the truck on the side of the road and walk a block and a half (well, sort of a block and a half - not really any "blocks" here, but that's about the distance) past all the mud huts and through the mud on the road itself (it had been raining earlier today!) to get to the bakery, dodging the heavy machinery that was doing something to the road and nodding an acknowledgement to the guard armed with a Kalashnokov guarding the heaving machinery.
Now the bakery was built before the road construction began. And the front steps to the bakery used to be right at the level of the road. Now, however, the front step to the bakery is about 4 feet higher than the road bed. And the sand bag that used to act as a step has been destroyed, probably by some heavy machinery! So you really have to be determined to get to this bakery, and put your mountain climbing shoes on to climb the cliff to the front door. But again, it's the only bakery in town that actually makes real cake!
Thankfully, the lovely Eritrean woman was there who always helps me. She really loves me because I can greet her in Tigrinya :) Therefor, I always get the biggest pieces of cake, and I always get 6 little buns for my 1 Pound, rather than the 5 pieces that normal people get! Knowing a few languages has it's perks - and especially knowing Tigrinya has come in handy here. I LOVE seeing the surprised look on people's faces when I greet them in their own language :)
Anyway, we made it back down the cliff, and back past the armed guard to the truck, where we carried on our merry way to home... where we happily sat down for some cake and coffee! I felt like we really deserved it after all that effort we went through to get it!
This afternoon, Jackie and I went out for lunch with some friends of ours who come and go to Jb. They're a great South African couple, who we've known for a few years now, and I just really enjoy their company. They suggested a place for lunch that we've never been to before. It's a relatively new place, just opened up near the "downtown". Of course, you can go partway there on the pavement... but the last bit is still on the bumpy, potholed, mud filled track. I still marvel at some sights here - you're driving along this little dirt path, thatch and mud huts on either side of you, garbage in the streets and all sorts of broken down vehicles and other such craziness everwhere, and suddenly, you park on the side of the road, and walk through a gate... and voila, it's like you've stepped into a completely different world.
The atmosphere of this place is really quite nice - beautifully decorated, and nice finishing touches. The food did take a while to come, but when it came, it was quite good. I'd definitely go back again. It was pretty high class, but still affordable if you want a bit of a nicer meal out (and especially affordable today since our friends picked up the bill!).
On the way back, we made a stop at the "grocery store", which is really actually turning into a proper grocery store. It's still only about the size of... um, let's see, maybe something like an Eddie Bauer shop or a Blockbuster Video store, but is filled with all sorts of things - food, wine, juice, toiletries, stationary, household bits and bobs... Everything is imported from Kenya and not at all cheap. But it's really the only place in Jb still where you can buy a lot of the products there. It's one of the only shops in town where you can actually stroll up and down the aisles, looking for things to pull off the shelves yourself! Most of the shops here are really tiny, and keep everything behind the counter, so you have to ask the shopkeeper to hand it to you.
Anyway, we bought a few bits - juice and wooden matches. Then we were off for our next adventure. Bouncing down a new dirt road which runs parallel to the main road which is currently under construction, we saw amazing things that we'd never seen before! I'd been down that particular road before, but not in the last year or so. And I was absolutely amazed at some of the renovated houses and proper concrete houses that have been built. There's even an apartment building, about 4 stories or so, complete with windows and A/C and little balconies! Of course, it's all interspersed with the usual mud huts, so it's all just such an odd combination of African village and posh new city. And you bounce around on these awful dirt tracks, through the mud and little ravines in order to get to any of them!
Once we came out to the main paved road again, we had a choice to make. We were headed towards the bakery which makes the nice pastries and cakes. And from where we were, there are actually two, yes two, different paved roads which we could take to get us to our destination. I don't know that I've ever been faced with a choice like that here in Jb before. Two roads to choose from, each equally as smooth as the other! Normally, there's no choice - you just take the road that's got the least swamp or is passable on any given day.
Once we got to the end of the pavement, though, we were meant to make a left turn onto the bakery road. However, it was completely blocked off - they're actually working on that road, too! So we had no choice but to park the truck on the side of the road and walk a block and a half (well, sort of a block and a half - not really any "blocks" here, but that's about the distance) past all the mud huts and through the mud on the road itself (it had been raining earlier today!) to get to the bakery, dodging the heavy machinery that was doing something to the road and nodding an acknowledgement to the guard armed with a Kalashnokov guarding the heaving machinery.
Now the bakery was built before the road construction began. And the front steps to the bakery used to be right at the level of the road. Now, however, the front step to the bakery is about 4 feet higher than the road bed. And the sand bag that used to act as a step has been destroyed, probably by some heavy machinery! So you really have to be determined to get to this bakery, and put your mountain climbing shoes on to climb the cliff to the front door. But again, it's the only bakery in town that actually makes real cake!
Thankfully, the lovely Eritrean woman was there who always helps me. She really loves me because I can greet her in Tigrinya :) Therefor, I always get the biggest pieces of cake, and I always get 6 little buns for my 1 Pound, rather than the 5 pieces that normal people get! Knowing a few languages has it's perks - and especially knowing Tigrinya has come in handy here. I LOVE seeing the surprised look on people's faces when I greet them in their own language :)
Anyway, we made it back down the cliff, and back past the armed guard to the truck, where we carried on our merry way to home... where we happily sat down for some cake and coffee! I felt like we really deserved it after all that effort we went through to get it!
Thursday, June 24, 2010
The Gum Boots
One of the best investments that I have recently made are my bright blue gumboots. They are the most beautiful gumboots ever. Have I mentioned them before? Perhaps I have, because I love my gumboots so much.
Almost three years ago, when I was in a town North of here, for a workshop, I saw on the feet of someone in the street the most striking bright blue gumboots. I should have gone shopping in the market there to see if I could find a pair of my very own. But I didn't. I thought for sure I would be able to find the same kind of boots back here in the city. But alas. For three years I kept my eyes open for blue gumboots.
Finally, before I left Uganda to come back here in May, I saw at the Bata shop the most beautiful pair of bright blue gumboots. Unfortunately, the only pair they had were a size too big for me. The boots that actually fit me were black. Boring, plain old black. I knew that even though they actually fit me, I would never be happy with the black boots. So I went for the one size too big blue gumboots.
And they have really come in handy this week. It's been raining and raining and raining. And our compound is pretty muddy, and there are some serious rivers running through our compound - rivers which run through some garbage dumps and, um, well, peeing fields before getting to our compound. So it's not exactly the kind of lovely clean water you want to be splashing through in your bare feet!
So I just put my gumboots on and splish splash without fear through the mud :) I've been wearing them every where - even wore them out to dinner on a few occasions! I wore them out to dinner with a friend from an NGO in the town where I did my workshop a few weeks ago, and I wore them out to dinner tonight, as well. We have a new restaurant on our main road, within walking distance. Of course, it was pouring rain when we went, but armed with a big umbrella and a pair of gumboots - no problem! Our street is really becoming the "happening" place to be in Jb. After dinner (I tried something new, which I'd never heard the name of before and ended up being ground beef mixed with fried potatoes - how yummy is that?!), we splashed through the mud and the muck a block over and finished our 'night on the town' with a macciato (espresso with a bit of steamed milk) from the friendly Eritreans who run the place.
Then we marched back home by the light of our headlamps, through the mud. I came home, took off the gumboots and still had clean feet :) My gumboots, on the other hand, are going to need a serious bath!
Almost three years ago, when I was in a town North of here, for a workshop, I saw on the feet of someone in the street the most striking bright blue gumboots. I should have gone shopping in the market there to see if I could find a pair of my very own. But I didn't. I thought for sure I would be able to find the same kind of boots back here in the city. But alas. For three years I kept my eyes open for blue gumboots.
Finally, before I left Uganda to come back here in May, I saw at the Bata shop the most beautiful pair of bright blue gumboots. Unfortunately, the only pair they had were a size too big for me. The boots that actually fit me were black. Boring, plain old black. I knew that even though they actually fit me, I would never be happy with the black boots. So I went for the one size too big blue gumboots.
So I just put my gumboots on and splish splash without fear through the mud :) I've been wearing them every where - even wore them out to dinner on a few occasions! I wore them out to dinner with a friend from an NGO in the town where I did my workshop a few weeks ago, and I wore them out to dinner tonight, as well. We have a new restaurant on our main road, within walking distance. Of course, it was pouring rain when we went, but armed with a big umbrella and a pair of gumboots - no problem! Our street is really becoming the "happening" place to be in Jb. After dinner (I tried something new, which I'd never heard the name of before and ended up being ground beef mixed with fried potatoes - how yummy is that?!), we splashed through the mud and the muck a block over and finished our 'night on the town' with a macciato (espresso with a bit of steamed milk) from the friendly Eritreans who run the place.
Then we marched back home by the light of our headlamps, through the mud. I came home, took off the gumboots and still had clean feet :) My gumboots, on the other hand, are going to need a serious bath!
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
Closing and Stuff
We had such a nice closing ceremony today for the translation principles workshop that's been going on. For the past three weeks, there have been some new guys around who have been learning about translation principles, so that they can potentially join the translation teams here at the office. Closing ceremonies are big deals here. Seriously big deals. People have all this protocol that has to be observed, and they really have to do things up well.
We have a new guesthouse manager, and she did a fantastic job today! As the guesthouse manager, she is in charge of the dining room where we all meet for meals during workshops, and she's in charge of the kitchen and the cook. And she knows how to do up a fancy meal! This woman brought in her own plates and dishes so that we would have something nice to eat off of. She brought in her own flower vases so that we could have flowers (picked from around our compound) on each of the tables. She even went to the market and bought a couple of new table clothes to adorn our horribly broken down tables.
The closing ceremony, of course, was also very well done. Normally, I get bored of all the speeches. But everyone who spoke today had some good things to say. So I almost enjoyed it - something that certainly can't be said for most closing ceremonies!
The other excitement of the day was that one of our colleagues, who finished an NT translation several years ago, was appointed to be a deputy governor of one of the States in this country today! Amazing, really, that one of us has been appointed to such a high position. In general in these parts, it's the deputy anything who does all the work and really is who holds all the power. This guy who was appointed is really a good guy, and I'm sure he will do amazing things as the Deputy Governor of the State. And I just had dinner with him last week - I'm sure I won't be doing that any time soon again!
The football match has begun - I can hear the vuvuzelas buzzing in the air. Perhaps I should go check out who's winning on the TV in the guesthouse - it's all on normal "peasant vision" tv here ... or, maybe I'll just stay under my net...
We have a new guesthouse manager, and she did a fantastic job today! As the guesthouse manager, she is in charge of the dining room where we all meet for meals during workshops, and she's in charge of the kitchen and the cook. And she knows how to do up a fancy meal! This woman brought in her own plates and dishes so that we would have something nice to eat off of. She brought in her own flower vases so that we could have flowers (picked from around our compound) on each of the tables. She even went to the market and bought a couple of new table clothes to adorn our horribly broken down tables.
The closing ceremony, of course, was also very well done. Normally, I get bored of all the speeches. But everyone who spoke today had some good things to say. So I almost enjoyed it - something that certainly can't be said for most closing ceremonies!
The other excitement of the day was that one of our colleagues, who finished an NT translation several years ago, was appointed to be a deputy governor of one of the States in this country today! Amazing, really, that one of us has been appointed to such a high position. In general in these parts, it's the deputy anything who does all the work and really is who holds all the power. This guy who was appointed is really a good guy, and I'm sure he will do amazing things as the Deputy Governor of the State. And I just had dinner with him last week - I'm sure I won't be doing that any time soon again!
The football match has begun - I can hear the vuvuzelas buzzing in the air. Perhaps I should go check out who's winning on the TV in the guesthouse - it's all on normal "peasant vision" tv here ... or, maybe I'll just stay under my net...
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
So close to being clean!
All the bits and pieces aligned properly today, and lo and behold, I have clean sheets and clean pajamas at the same time. And not only that, but I opened a brand new bar of soap - this one is beautiful and orange and flavoured with passion fruit extract. So yummy
So I had my shower, scrubbed, polished, and generally basked in the cleanliness that comes from a cold shower with a new bar of soap. However, I still had something to do in another part of the compound.. So I put my relatively clean mumu on, along with my plastic shoes (high class flip-flops - can I just say that Dawgs are the most comfortable plastic shoes to ever grace my feet?!). I go off to do what I need to do, then take a little short cut back to my house.
Of course, I forgot that we've been having some trouble with the pipes going from our bathroom to the leech field. Not sure exactly what the problem is, but right next to our house, there's a really big, seriously mushy section of ground. Maybe one of the pipes has collapsed or something, and all the water is just sitting right there on the ground. Not sure. That's not my job to figure out what's wrong with it - my job is just to avoid the resultant swamp while trying to teach people how to read.
Anyway, I failed at the puddle avoidance tonight. Splashed into the swamp about up to my ankles and nearly lost a high-class flip-flop in there, too.
Good thing is, I'm pretty sure the problem is just in the pipes that come from our sink and shower, and NOT the toilet. So I'm fairly certain I wasn't splashing around in a puddle of... um... well, you know what. But it was still really, really gross. And I certainly wasn't feeling so clean anymore.
I immediately came into the house, and, using my beautiful orange passion fruit extract flavoured soap, scrubbed the bottom half of my body once again.
And now finally, I'm all tucked under my mossy net, in clean pajamas, laying on top of clean sheets (it's a bit too warm to snuggle UNDER a clean sheet!). And on that note, I'd better go to sleep. Here's hoping I stay clean until morning :)
So I had my shower, scrubbed, polished, and generally basked in the cleanliness that comes from a cold shower with a new bar of soap. However, I still had something to do in another part of the compound.. So I put my relatively clean mumu on, along with my plastic shoes (high class flip-flops - can I just say that Dawgs are the most comfortable plastic shoes to ever grace my feet?!). I go off to do what I need to do, then take a little short cut back to my house.
Of course, I forgot that we've been having some trouble with the pipes going from our bathroom to the leech field. Not sure exactly what the problem is, but right next to our house, there's a really big, seriously mushy section of ground. Maybe one of the pipes has collapsed or something, and all the water is just sitting right there on the ground. Not sure. That's not my job to figure out what's wrong with it - my job is just to avoid the resultant swamp while trying to teach people how to read.
Anyway, I failed at the puddle avoidance tonight. Splashed into the swamp about up to my ankles and nearly lost a high-class flip-flop in there, too.
Good thing is, I'm pretty sure the problem is just in the pipes that come from our sink and shower, and NOT the toilet. So I'm fairly certain I wasn't splashing around in a puddle of... um... well, you know what. But it was still really, really gross. And I certainly wasn't feeling so clean anymore.
I immediately came into the house, and, using my beautiful orange passion fruit extract flavoured soap, scrubbed the bottom half of my body once again.
And now finally, I'm all tucked under my mossy net, in clean pajamas, laying on top of clean sheets (it's a bit too warm to snuggle UNDER a clean sheet!). And on that note, I'd better go to sleep. Here's hoping I stay clean until morning :)
Monday, June 21, 2010
Gotta love Africa :)
It's rainy season, which means things are growing and sprouting and blossoming. Very good for the beauty of the earth, for the cooler weather and for feeding the people of this land... but not so good for my allergies. Just call me Sneezy for the next few months!
My visitor got an amazing view of the green growing things today. My friends who fly planes heard he was coming to visit, and were able to squeeze him onto one of their flights today! So he got to go in a little plane off to a little village in the middle of nowhere to pick up a bunch of Mennonites who were looking at some projects they're funding or something like that. He had a great time, and got a nice bird's eye view of at least a bit of this country. I was a bit jealous, actually - I went off to the office, and he got to go flying around the country :) But I'm so glad that it worked out for him to do something really cool while he was here.
Me, on the other hand, started the morning off with a bit of a battle with my travel mug(s). I realized why I experienced travel mug malfunction the other day. The rats have been chewing the seals. Yes, I did just say that the rats have been gnawing on my travel mugs. Good thing I'm going to Nairobi next month - I can at least replace one of the chewed mugs so I can continue to take my coffee to the office with me!
Then my visitor missed the fish head stew for lunch.
This evening we went to a lecture at the University! There's a series of free lectures this week on the history and politics of this country. Tonight there was a panel of experts (both International folks and local folks) who were talking about borders and boundaries. I thought it was really interesting, actually. However, there were some "big people" there, and even though the topic was so far out of their realm of expertise, they all had to be given a chance to speak. So the lectures themselves were only 1 hour long... but the "comments" by the big-wigs were another hour long.
The place where it was held was absolutely jam-packed. Of course, it started about 40 minutes late, but we were about 10 minutes late ourselves. We were, unfortunately, too late to get a seat. The lecture theatre where it was held was huge - I'm terrible with crowds, but it held at least 300 people in the seats - mind you, many of the seats were actually very broken, and the seats that were there, were seriously uncomfortable! Anyway, we parked ourselves down on the steps, but after some local students saw us sitting on the steps, they moved for us and gave up their seats! I really kind of hate it when people do that - but at the same time, I realize that they are respecting the visitors to their country. And, quite honestly, they were young guys, and for them to give up their seat for me was a bit chivalrous - something you don't see every day here!
Anyway, it was late in starting because the Vice President of the country was the honoured guest at the lecture! That was pretty cool. I've read books about him and heard all sorts of things about him, and tonight, I saw him in the flesh. Of course, he had to speak. But this is a topic that he knows a bit about, so I felt that he actually had a bit of a basis on which to speak :) He started out with the comment, though, "I really didn't want to say anything tonight... but since I was asked..." and proceeded to talk for the next 25 minutes or so. At least the women were busy handing out cold water bottles and a can of pop to each and every member of the audience. Just imagine how much money they spent on soda and water and how many bottles and cans were going to be dumped somewhere in the town because of tonight's lecture?!
I was quite entertained the entire time by the bats that were flying through the lecture hall. At least they were munching on the mosquitoes that were taking over the hall, as well! Thankfully, I had remembered to bring my mosquito spray, so made it out unscathed... other than the headache which has resulted from being crammed into a hot, sweaty lecture hall all evening!
My visitor got an amazing view of the green growing things today. My friends who fly planes heard he was coming to visit, and were able to squeeze him onto one of their flights today! So he got to go in a little plane off to a little village in the middle of nowhere to pick up a bunch of Mennonites who were looking at some projects they're funding or something like that. He had a great time, and got a nice bird's eye view of at least a bit of this country. I was a bit jealous, actually - I went off to the office, and he got to go flying around the country :) But I'm so glad that it worked out for him to do something really cool while he was here.
Me, on the other hand, started the morning off with a bit of a battle with my travel mug(s). I realized why I experienced travel mug malfunction the other day. The rats have been chewing the seals. Yes, I did just say that the rats have been gnawing on my travel mugs. Good thing I'm going to Nairobi next month - I can at least replace one of the chewed mugs so I can continue to take my coffee to the office with me!
Then my visitor missed the fish head stew for lunch.
This evening we went to a lecture at the University! There's a series of free lectures this week on the history and politics of this country. Tonight there was a panel of experts (both International folks and local folks) who were talking about borders and boundaries. I thought it was really interesting, actually. However, there were some "big people" there, and even though the topic was so far out of their realm of expertise, they all had to be given a chance to speak. So the lectures themselves were only 1 hour long... but the "comments" by the big-wigs were another hour long.
The place where it was held was absolutely jam-packed. Of course, it started about 40 minutes late, but we were about 10 minutes late ourselves. We were, unfortunately, too late to get a seat. The lecture theatre where it was held was huge - I'm terrible with crowds, but it held at least 300 people in the seats - mind you, many of the seats were actually very broken, and the seats that were there, were seriously uncomfortable! Anyway, we parked ourselves down on the steps, but after some local students saw us sitting on the steps, they moved for us and gave up their seats! I really kind of hate it when people do that - but at the same time, I realize that they are respecting the visitors to their country. And, quite honestly, they were young guys, and for them to give up their seat for me was a bit chivalrous - something you don't see every day here!
Anyway, it was late in starting because the Vice President of the country was the honoured guest at the lecture! That was pretty cool. I've read books about him and heard all sorts of things about him, and tonight, I saw him in the flesh. Of course, he had to speak. But this is a topic that he knows a bit about, so I felt that he actually had a bit of a basis on which to speak :) He started out with the comment, though, "I really didn't want to say anything tonight... but since I was asked..." and proceeded to talk for the next 25 minutes or so. At least the women were busy handing out cold water bottles and a can of pop to each and every member of the audience. Just imagine how much money they spent on soda and water and how many bottles and cans were going to be dumped somewhere in the town because of tonight's lecture?!
I was quite entertained the entire time by the bats that were flying through the lecture hall. At least they were munching on the mosquitoes that were taking over the hall, as well! Thankfully, I had remembered to bring my mosquito spray, so made it out unscathed... other than the headache which has resulted from being crammed into a hot, sweaty lecture hall all evening!
Saturday, June 19, 2010
World Cup
The World Cup Football games are a pretty big deal over here. When someone scores (pretty much ANYONE - doesn't seem to matter which team!), the whole city erupts in cheering, which you can hear from wherever you are. Since today was a rather rainy day (yet again - wonderful!), I thought it would be a good day to get in on the action.
This afternoon, my father-land was playing. The game between Japan and the Netherlands wasn't really all that exciting. Netherlands won, which was happy, and it was quite fun to watch all those Dutch guys running up and down the football pitch.
But tonight Cameroon was playing. I had to watch the Cameroon game, as a tribute to my friend Steve and all the Cameroonian guys I worked with on a training course in Kenya a few years back.
Here I am with the Cameroonians in their traditional garb.
And here they are in the garb they really liked to wear:
With friends like this, how could I NOT watch the Cameroon game tonight!
And it was a really good game - much more exciting than the Netherlands one this afternoon.
But, I have to admit, it made me miss Steve. Funny, that. I find myself missing that guy at the strangest moments, and still, sometimes, when certain things happen, or when I find something funny or I need some good advice about something, sometimes my first thought is to write an email to Steve about it. My sister wrote a blog post about grieving last month, as we are all still grieving the passing of our family's Baby Cora. And I'm also still grieving over Steve sometimes. It's a new thing for me. But things like watching Cameroon play football on TV while I'm sitting here in the middle of Africa makes me remember him and smile, and be thankful for the amazing Godly man that he was. I learned SO much about life, and really living and enjoying life in Africa from him. So, Steve, I was watching Cameroon for you tonight!
It's just kind of too bad they lost! But I know that at least one of my friends is rejoicing tonight - Lene, I'm happy for your win :)
And on that note, I should probably go out and start PLAYING some football. When I went to the corner store to buy my bread today, the man there told me I was looking fat today, too! I mean, honestly, what's happened to me today?! Was it the way I did my hair or something?! Anyway, twice in one day is a bit much, even though the Wii Fit tells me that I've lost 1 kg in the past two weeks! So what gives?
This afternoon, my father-land was playing. The game between Japan and the Netherlands wasn't really all that exciting. Netherlands won, which was happy, and it was quite fun to watch all those Dutch guys running up and down the football pitch.
But tonight Cameroon was playing. I had to watch the Cameroon game, as a tribute to my friend Steve and all the Cameroonian guys I worked with on a training course in Kenya a few years back.
And here they are in the garb they really liked to wear:
And it was a really good game - much more exciting than the Netherlands one this afternoon.
But, I have to admit, it made me miss Steve. Funny, that. I find myself missing that guy at the strangest moments, and still, sometimes, when certain things happen, or when I find something funny or I need some good advice about something, sometimes my first thought is to write an email to Steve about it. My sister wrote a blog post about grieving last month, as we are all still grieving the passing of our family's Baby Cora. And I'm also still grieving over Steve sometimes. It's a new thing for me. But things like watching Cameroon play football on TV while I'm sitting here in the middle of Africa makes me remember him and smile, and be thankful for the amazing Godly man that he was. I learned SO much about life, and really living and enjoying life in Africa from him. So, Steve, I was watching Cameroon for you tonight!
It's just kind of too bad they lost! But I know that at least one of my friends is rejoicing tonight - Lene, I'm happy for your win :)
And on that note, I should probably go out and start PLAYING some football. When I went to the corner store to buy my bread today, the man there told me I was looking fat today, too! I mean, honestly, what's happened to me today?! Was it the way I did my hair or something?! Anyway, twice in one day is a bit much, even though the Wii Fit tells me that I've lost 1 kg in the past two weeks! So what gives?
Only in Africa
So today I had to pick up Jackie and some of our colleagues from the airport. At the same time, it was a good chance to go and "register" my friend with the immigration folks who sit at the airport desk.
Amazingly enough, they actually have some electronic security equipment when you go into the airport now! I'm really impressed with how far that airport has come in the past few years. There's really a lot more "system" to it now. Really, very impressive. Though it's still a bit of a shock to people coming from outside the country :) Anyway, we got through the metal detector with no problems, and found our way to the immigration desk.
At the desk, we found my friend who is always very kind to us now that he knows we work with our Richard! He's the same one who was, um, well, shall we say, a little difficult before. But now that he knows me, he's really very pleasant. When he looked up and saw me standing at his desk, he broke out in a huge grin (and he really does have a nice smile) and said, "Oh! You've become fat!". To which I replied, with an equally huge grin on my face, "Thank you. I've been in Canada!".
Amazingly enough, they actually have some electronic security equipment when you go into the airport now! I'm really impressed with how far that airport has come in the past few years. There's really a lot more "system" to it now. Really, very impressive. Though it's still a bit of a shock to people coming from outside the country :) Anyway, we got through the metal detector with no problems, and found our way to the immigration desk.
At the desk, we found my friend who is always very kind to us now that he knows we work with our Richard! He's the same one who was, um, well, shall we say, a little difficult before. But now that he knows me, he's really very pleasant. When he looked up and saw me standing at his desk, he broke out in a huge grin (and he really does have a nice smile) and said, "Oh! You've become fat!". To which I replied, with an equally huge grin on my face, "Thank you. I've been in Canada!".
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
Just a few bits and bobs...
I wanted to blog for the past few days, but every time I sat down again, something happened. Either I, um, er, well, fell asleep, or there was no internet or someone else was online to chat with... so I didn't get around to posting. I don't have so much to say, really, though.
I had a mini-vacation on Sunday :) I went with an American friend (who works for the main church here) to the swimming pool! They used to charge $25 per day per person to use the pool. That was a bit outrageous for me to pay. So I never went - only once did I go, when they had a special promotional day for women, when it was free! But now they've dropped the price to about $8 per person per day, which is much more reasonable. So we went out in the morning and stayed as long as the weather allowed us. It was SO nice! A few of our other friends were there, so we spent lots of time just talking and swimming and drinking some Coke. It was such a nice relaxing atmosphere, and I didn't even have to drive out there - my friend picked me up in her air conditioned Prado! It was just so nice to spend some time with friends again.
This particular friend that I went out there with has been around for nearly two years, but I just started to get to know her before I left to go home for Christmas. Thankfully, she's staying on here for at least the next 9 months, so it's nice to know we still have some time to actually be friends, rather than having to say good bye to yet another friend too soon!
On the way back from the pool, we stopped at the Syrian bakery, which is owned by Syrians, but run by Eritreans. It's the only place in town where you can get proper pastries. So yummy. And it's just fun to chat with the Eritrean woman who has quite an interesting pastry-packing method - but it works!
Today, I also stopped at a different bakery to buy some bread. I took one look at the guy who was selling the bread and made a guess that he was Eritrean. So I greeted him in Tigrinya... and you should have seen the look on his face! He was completely flabbergasted that I knew his language. Of course, once I greeted him properly, he promptly started spouting off something that I have no idea what it meant. But he was so happy that I could at least greet him. It was great fun! I did get enough of what he was saying to hear something about marriage in there... so I steered clear of any misunderstanding in that whole realm!
Today I also got some things ready for someone who is coming to visit me tomorrow! Someone from my home church has been working in a neighboring country, so he decided to come up here and see what this place is like for a week. Should be fun to have a guest around - though I really have no idea what he's going to think of this place, or if he's going to be bored out of his tree or what... So I hope this visit goes alright! I've been trying to think of a few things to do to keep him busy, and I've tried to get a lot of work done in the past few days so I can take some time to go out with him, too... just not quite sure where to go out to... Anyway, hopefully in the coming days I'll have some adventures to tell you... just hoping for not TOO many adventures...
I had a mini-vacation on Sunday :) I went with an American friend (who works for the main church here) to the swimming pool! They used to charge $25 per day per person to use the pool. That was a bit outrageous for me to pay. So I never went - only once did I go, when they had a special promotional day for women, when it was free! But now they've dropped the price to about $8 per person per day, which is much more reasonable. So we went out in the morning and stayed as long as the weather allowed us. It was SO nice! A few of our other friends were there, so we spent lots of time just talking and swimming and drinking some Coke. It was such a nice relaxing atmosphere, and I didn't even have to drive out there - my friend picked me up in her air conditioned Prado! It was just so nice to spend some time with friends again.
This particular friend that I went out there with has been around for nearly two years, but I just started to get to know her before I left to go home for Christmas. Thankfully, she's staying on here for at least the next 9 months, so it's nice to know we still have some time to actually be friends, rather than having to say good bye to yet another friend too soon!
On the way back from the pool, we stopped at the Syrian bakery, which is owned by Syrians, but run by Eritreans. It's the only place in town where you can get proper pastries. So yummy. And it's just fun to chat with the Eritrean woman who has quite an interesting pastry-packing method - but it works!
Today, I also stopped at a different bakery to buy some bread. I took one look at the guy who was selling the bread and made a guess that he was Eritrean. So I greeted him in Tigrinya... and you should have seen the look on his face! He was completely flabbergasted that I knew his language. Of course, once I greeted him properly, he promptly started spouting off something that I have no idea what it meant. But he was so happy that I could at least greet him. It was great fun! I did get enough of what he was saying to hear something about marriage in there... so I steered clear of any misunderstanding in that whole realm!
Today I also got some things ready for someone who is coming to visit me tomorrow! Someone from my home church has been working in a neighboring country, so he decided to come up here and see what this place is like for a week. Should be fun to have a guest around - though I really have no idea what he's going to think of this place, or if he's going to be bored out of his tree or what... So I hope this visit goes alright! I've been trying to think of a few things to do to keep him busy, and I've tried to get a lot of work done in the past few days so I can take some time to go out with him, too... just not quite sure where to go out to... Anyway, hopefully in the coming days I'll have some adventures to tell you... just hoping for not TOO many adventures...
Saturday, June 12, 2010
Rainy Day
I wasn't sure what today would bring. A huge rainstorm first thing in the morning never bodes well for a good day. I'm becoming rather African in that I really don't like to go out in the rain. I'd much rather just snuggle under my sheet and listen to the rain on my tin roof for a few hours.
However, that was not to be, as someone had to go to the airport this morning. So off I went to the airport, in the pouring rain. It was seriously raining, and even though I really didn't have to walk much outside at all, I got completely soaked - even with my pretty pink umbrella and beautiful blue gumboot. At the airport, though, I had to get out of the truck to make sure my colleague made it into the airport alright. You never know on these rainy days - sometimes the planes don't land, which means they don't take off, either. So I went with her to make sure that the plane was actually going to go. However, I wasn't allowed inside the airport, because they have started using their fancy new electronic scanning machine. And it was pretty chaotic at the airport entrance. Wet people, wet luggage, and one single-file electronic scanner. Not a pretty sight. Anyway, I saw my colleague actually go through the doors, and she never called me back after that, so I assume she made it to her destination in one piece - or else she's sleeping in the airport, which, given the state of this airport, would not be something anyone should have the pleasure of experiencing!
I made it home safe and sound from the airport through the rain. I was wet. I was cold. I was hungry. And it was still so early on a rainy morning that no one was out or about (about 8am by the time I got back to the compound). So I made myself a very big mug of coffee, grabbed my sheet, my book and my cat and settled in on the couch for a bit of a rest. Zane stuck really close to me all day long - even started purring on occasion, because I think he appreciated the warmth from my body.
Later, after a bit of a rest, Zane decided it was time to get some work done.
By then, it was time to go up to the guesthouse to get my second cup of coffee for the day with the workshop participants (thankfully, I have nothing to do with the actual running of this workshop - I just get to enjoy the lunches and teas that are cooked for me!). While there, the women who work in the guesthouse told me that the washing machine wouldn't work. For some odd reason, the washing machine (electric, with a bunch of computer sort of controls) has been put in a corner of the verandah up in the guesthouse where the rain comes pouring in. And I do mean pouring in. So the washing machine was sitting in some serious puddles of water and was pretty well drenched. That was the last working washing machine on the compound. So here I was, rather despairing and looking ahead to months of hand-washing all my clothes again.
So then I went back to my house where Evelyn was washing up the dishes for me. She said, "Um, T, there's a problem with the sink." And sure enough, the tap where the water comes out had completely broken off the rest of the tap. I'm obviously not a plumber, but it seemed pretty clear to me that this piece of metal was not going to be going back to where it had broken off from. So I went to find a boy to help. Richard and his African Duct Tape are not in town at the moment, so I found Sean, as he's actually pretty handy. He came armed with his own roll of Canadian duct tape. But soon realized that duct tape wasn't going to do it. Needed a whole new piece. So I started having visions of having to use buckets of water from the bathroom for my dishwashing for the next few months.
But I couldn't do anything about it at the moment... so I just went back to my cat and my couch and my computer.
And by the end of the day...
A whole new piece for my kitchen tap was found! For FREE! Someone from the compound here went to one of the shops where he does a lot of his hardware shopping, and they happened to have some broken taps that had exactly the part I needed for my own tap. Because it came off of the broken taps in the store and they couldn't sell it anyway, they just gave it to us for free! Amazing. So now my sink works perfectly again!
It was also found that the problem with the washing machine wasn't a problem with the machine itself, either. But rather, there was a loose connection in the actual outlet that it was plugged into :) A replacement outlet was easily found and installed, and I got to put a load of laundry in the machine this afternoon!
Small things in the grand scheme of life, but small details that just got taken care of in amazing ways today. So I'm very thankful that there are people around to help with these little things, and that the Lord put all the bits together so it could all be fixed on the same day :) So I still got to enjoy some good rest in the cool weather!
However, that was not to be, as someone had to go to the airport this morning. So off I went to the airport, in the pouring rain. It was seriously raining, and even though I really didn't have to walk much outside at all, I got completely soaked - even with my pretty pink umbrella and beautiful blue gumboot. At the airport, though, I had to get out of the truck to make sure my colleague made it into the airport alright. You never know on these rainy days - sometimes the planes don't land, which means they don't take off, either. So I went with her to make sure that the plane was actually going to go. However, I wasn't allowed inside the airport, because they have started using their fancy new electronic scanning machine. And it was pretty chaotic at the airport entrance. Wet people, wet luggage, and one single-file electronic scanner. Not a pretty sight. Anyway, I saw my colleague actually go through the doors, and she never called me back after that, so I assume she made it to her destination in one piece - or else she's sleeping in the airport, which, given the state of this airport, would not be something anyone should have the pleasure of experiencing!
I made it home safe and sound from the airport through the rain. I was wet. I was cold. I was hungry. And it was still so early on a rainy morning that no one was out or about (about 8am by the time I got back to the compound). So I made myself a very big mug of coffee, grabbed my sheet, my book and my cat and settled in on the couch for a bit of a rest. Zane stuck really close to me all day long - even started purring on occasion, because I think he appreciated the warmth from my body.
Later, after a bit of a rest, Zane decided it was time to get some work done.
So then I went back to my house where Evelyn was washing up the dishes for me. She said, "Um, T, there's a problem with the sink." And sure enough, the tap where the water comes out had completely broken off the rest of the tap. I'm obviously not a plumber, but it seemed pretty clear to me that this piece of metal was not going to be going back to where it had broken off from. So I went to find a boy to help. Richard and his African Duct Tape are not in town at the moment, so I found Sean, as he's actually pretty handy. He came armed with his own roll of Canadian duct tape. But soon realized that duct tape wasn't going to do it. Needed a whole new piece. So I started having visions of having to use buckets of water from the bathroom for my dishwashing for the next few months.
But I couldn't do anything about it at the moment... so I just went back to my cat and my couch and my computer.
And by the end of the day...
It was also found that the problem with the washing machine wasn't a problem with the machine itself, either. But rather, there was a loose connection in the actual outlet that it was plugged into :) A replacement outlet was easily found and installed, and I got to put a load of laundry in the machine this afternoon!
Small things in the grand scheme of life, but small details that just got taken care of in amazing ways today. So I'm very thankful that there are people around to help with these little things, and that the Lord put all the bits together so it could all be fixed on the same day :) So I still got to enjoy some good rest in the cool weather!
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
So many skeeters!
I should have come to hide in my mossy net long, long ago. At least before I got the 17 bites that are now gracing my legs and ankles. Let's just pray that none of those little creatures were carrying any malaria with them!
Life continues as normal here on the compound. There is a translation workshop going on, so there's tons of people running around the compound all the time. Tea times are pretty crazy!
I've also been eating some lovely meals in the guesthouse with the workshop participants. There is a new cook who's been helping out with the lunches for this workshop. And she's great! Yesterday, I asked the guesthouse manager, Clara, what the cook was making for lunch today - the answer was okra stew and local flat bread, which I ate WAY too much of last week. However, Clara insisted that it would be better here than it was there. So I relented. And I was so pleasantly surprised! The okra was cooked in such a way that it didn't look or taste or feel like snot-in-a-bowl! It was actually really good! Not slimy at all! I have no idea how the cook did it. But I was very impressed. I've really realized how important texture is in food to me. I really don't like soggy wet things to eat. I'm more of a dry sort of girl. Give me a piece of bread and sticky dry peanut butter any day over a bowl of wet, mushy, soggy bread and soup!
Anyway, it's always nice to sit and chat with people over lunch, so it was worth trying the okra stew just for the good company.
I also had company over for dinner tonight, which was fun. I put Sean and Becka to work chopping veggies while I did the rest of the cooking. I even baked a little bit of banana cake with some of the mushy bananas that were sitting on my kitchen table. I must say, the banana cake was a definite highlight. I do think I need to bake more often!
Life continues as normal here on the compound. There is a translation workshop going on, so there's tons of people running around the compound all the time. Tea times are pretty crazy!
I've also been eating some lovely meals in the guesthouse with the workshop participants. There is a new cook who's been helping out with the lunches for this workshop. And she's great! Yesterday, I asked the guesthouse manager, Clara, what the cook was making for lunch today - the answer was okra stew and local flat bread, which I ate WAY too much of last week. However, Clara insisted that it would be better here than it was there. So I relented. And I was so pleasantly surprised! The okra was cooked in such a way that it didn't look or taste or feel like snot-in-a-bowl! It was actually really good! Not slimy at all! I have no idea how the cook did it. But I was very impressed. I've really realized how important texture is in food to me. I really don't like soggy wet things to eat. I'm more of a dry sort of girl. Give me a piece of bread and sticky dry peanut butter any day over a bowl of wet, mushy, soggy bread and soup!
Anyway, it's always nice to sit and chat with people over lunch, so it was worth trying the okra stew just for the good company.
I also had company over for dinner tonight, which was fun. I put Sean and Becka to work chopping veggies while I did the rest of the cooking. I even baked a little bit of banana cake with some of the mushy bananas that were sitting on my kitchen table. I must say, the banana cake was a definite highlight. I do think I need to bake more often!
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
Unavailable?
So I had all this energy and creative juice last night and was going to compose and post the most fantastic and entertaining blog last night... but then Blogger was "unavailable". Don't know what that meant, but unfortunately for you, dear reader, it means my stupendous and insightful thoughts have been lost. They got blown away with the wind that picked up last night at about 1:30am. There was a serious storm last night - not too much rain, but what was coming in was coming in horizontally, right into my bedroom. Keep in mind, I live in a brick tent, no windows here. So I felt a bit cool and misty as the rain blew in. This morning, some of my colleagues said they were afraid their roofs (or is that rooves?)were going to blow right off their houses - and I wouldn't be surprised if some actually did around the town last night. But it really cooled things off, which was nice, since the electricity has been pretty grim lately!
It's still a bit humid, though, resulting in a rather wet and drippy game of badminton this afternoon. How fun is it that the one and only sport I played as an extra-curricular activity in all my years of school is the one and only sport that we can play here? It's quite nice to actually be able to enjoy playing badminton and not really sucking that badly at it. Athletic, I am not. But I sure do enjoy hitting that little birdie around in the evening! And I'm rather thankful my friends on the compound here don't seem to care how sweaty I get - we all just sweat together.
On the work front, I had a very successful meeting with the team that I was facilitating last weeks' workshop with. I think it was good for us to be away together - it really was nice to have some time to just sit with them and chat and talk and get to know each other a bit. That's something that we don't really get to do much of when we're all in our offices working away! Of course, we all have tea together everyday, but it's not really that much time, and there's always a ton of people around, so it's hard to really have a very long conversation with just one or two people! So I think it was good for us to get to know each other better! Today they told me they were very proud of me for being able to use the same toilets and bathing places that they were! I think they were a little afraid that I would request/demand something a bit nicer than what they all were using, but they all were quite impressed that I just joined in the same facilities as the rest of them had during the workshop!
Anyway, I don't think any of this is very entertaining tonight, and I think I'm just rambling a bit. So I'd better just go put the kitty cat outside ("Zebra" as our new house-helper calls him) and call it a day! Maybe overnight, while I sleep, my stupendously creative post will come back to me :)
It's still a bit humid, though, resulting in a rather wet and drippy game of badminton this afternoon. How fun is it that the one and only sport I played as an extra-curricular activity in all my years of school is the one and only sport that we can play here? It's quite nice to actually be able to enjoy playing badminton and not really sucking that badly at it. Athletic, I am not. But I sure do enjoy hitting that little birdie around in the evening! And I'm rather thankful my friends on the compound here don't seem to care how sweaty I get - we all just sweat together.
On the work front, I had a very successful meeting with the team that I was facilitating last weeks' workshop with. I think it was good for us to be away together - it really was nice to have some time to just sit with them and chat and talk and get to know each other a bit. That's something that we don't really get to do much of when we're all in our offices working away! Of course, we all have tea together everyday, but it's not really that much time, and there's always a ton of people around, so it's hard to really have a very long conversation with just one or two people! So I think it was good for us to get to know each other better! Today they told me they were very proud of me for being able to use the same toilets and bathing places that they were! I think they were a little afraid that I would request/demand something a bit nicer than what they all were using, but they all were quite impressed that I just joined in the same facilities as the rest of them had during the workshop!
Anyway, I don't think any of this is very entertaining tonight, and I think I'm just rambling a bit. So I'd better just go put the kitty cat outside ("Zebra" as our new house-helper calls him) and call it a day! Maybe overnight, while I sleep, my stupendously creative post will come back to me :)
Sunday, June 6, 2010
So good to be home!
So I did eventually end up making it home! Yahoo!
We closed the workshop on Friday afternoon. I do think the workshop itself was quite successful. Of course, there are always a few "duds" in the group, who, at the end of the workshop, you just know they didn't get anything out of it. There were two of them were just completely and utterly clueless still by the end of the workshop. I discussed it with the team that I worked with, and they comforted me by saying that there really wasn't anything I could have done to get through to these two. One of them was completely arrogant and thought he knew absolutely everything there is to know already. I also got the vibe from him that he wasn't going to learn anything from a woman! The other, I think he somehow had other problems - either his English was just really bad, or he had some sort of disability. I know that he wasn't able to see very well. Things like that make me sad, because I know how awful it is to have bad eyes... and out in places like that, there's really nothing that can be done, unless he has the means to travel either to this big city (where prescription glasses are still very hard to come by and expensive) or to the neighboring countries.
Anyway, it was a good closing. I was a bit disappointed at the end, because one of our main contacts within the system up there, came asking us for some "appreciation" for the work that he did to organize the workshop in the town. It was a really difficult and awkward situation, and really very disappointing because we really thought that this guy would appreciate us for coming and doing part of HIS job for him, instead of expecting to be paid by us for doing his job on top of his salary which is by the government.
I will write more, but we're running on the generator now - power is bad here in the city again - so I only have 30 minutes to get the kitchen rat-proofed for the night, have my shower and tumble into bed before I'm plunged into darkness for the night.
It is SO good to be home, though. I went to the market yesterday afternoon with Sean and I was experiencing a bit of culture shock to see so many mounds of fresh fruits and vegetables! I'm going to have to do a bit of cooking this week, I think, to get through all that I bought. I just couldn't help myself, since I was so starved for fresh things. I got avocado, eggplant, tomatoes, bananas, pineapple, green pepper and carrots. Last night I made some guacamole with one of the avocados and it was the most deliciously creamy avocado... mmmmm... positively melted in my mouth.
Right, on that note, time to go and make sure all those delicious veggies are put away, out of reach of any creatures who come out to play tonight...
We closed the workshop on Friday afternoon. I do think the workshop itself was quite successful. Of course, there are always a few "duds" in the group, who, at the end of the workshop, you just know they didn't get anything out of it. There were two of them were just completely and utterly clueless still by the end of the workshop. I discussed it with the team that I worked with, and they comforted me by saying that there really wasn't anything I could have done to get through to these two. One of them was completely arrogant and thought he knew absolutely everything there is to know already. I also got the vibe from him that he wasn't going to learn anything from a woman! The other, I think he somehow had other problems - either his English was just really bad, or he had some sort of disability. I know that he wasn't able to see very well. Things like that make me sad, because I know how awful it is to have bad eyes... and out in places like that, there's really nothing that can be done, unless he has the means to travel either to this big city (where prescription glasses are still very hard to come by and expensive) or to the neighboring countries.
Anyway, it was a good closing. I was a bit disappointed at the end, because one of our main contacts within the system up there, came asking us for some "appreciation" for the work that he did to organize the workshop in the town. It was a really difficult and awkward situation, and really very disappointing because we really thought that this guy would appreciate us for coming and doing part of HIS job for him, instead of expecting to be paid by us for doing his job on top of his salary which is by the government.
I will write more, but we're running on the generator now - power is bad here in the city again - so I only have 30 minutes to get the kitchen rat-proofed for the night, have my shower and tumble into bed before I'm plunged into darkness for the night.
It is SO good to be home, though. I went to the market yesterday afternoon with Sean and I was experiencing a bit of culture shock to see so many mounds of fresh fruits and vegetables! I'm going to have to do a bit of cooking this week, I think, to get through all that I bought. I just couldn't help myself, since I was so starved for fresh things. I got avocado, eggplant, tomatoes, bananas, pineapple, green pepper and carrots. Last night I made some guacamole with one of the avocados and it was the most deliciously creamy avocado... mmmmm... positively melted in my mouth.
Right, on that note, time to go and make sure all those delicious veggies are put away, out of reach of any creatures who come out to play tonight...
A little behind...
I wrote this post on Wednesday night... but haven't had a chance to post it until now!
Is it really Wednesday night already? That means we leave in 2 days! 3 more sleeps in this place, and then it’s back home. Crazy. When I first got here (which actually seems like a really long time ago now), I thought these two weeks would never come to an end. But it’s coming. The end is coming.
This week has been much improved from last week, actually. The participants are generally participating. There are a few of them who still refuse to do what is asked of them. It’s very strange actually. I’ve never really encountered participants like that before. Perhaps it’s because they are government paid teachers and were basically assigned by the officials in their area to come to this workshop. It wasn’t something that they volunteered to do. So maybe they just really and truly arent’ interested, and therefore there’s nothing that I can do to interest them!
But others are doing great! They’re interested, they’re keen, and they’re learning and taking on new ideas and sharing their own ideas. So I just keep concentrating on them, and am trying to ignore the two who keep sleeping through the sessions!
It’s been interesting being here, though, and getting to know a bit more about this culture. There have been a few pretty crazy things going on… except that I can’t think of any examples of them right now…
I’ve actually found that the participants in our workshop are quite gentlemanly. None of them have made any inappropriate comments, and I only had the one comment, on the first day, that he loved me. Other than that, they’ve all been really kind and completely professional about everything. I’ve been so impressed. I normally have a pretty good “radar” for the creepy ones, and I don’t get any bad vibes from any of them. Except for the one young man who told me that he loved me.
Actually, I had a bit of a run-in with him today. He’s one of the ones who’s been sleeping through the sessions. And yet he thinks he knows everything and has nothing to learn. But then when it comes to the actual assignments, he doesn’t get it. He just literally doesn’t get it. And he won’t listen to me when I try to explain it. Then today, as I was explaining something to the group that he was working with, he completely interrupted me and started talking to one of the other members in his group. Completely oblivious to what I was standing right next to him saying to him and his group members.
I put on my “authoritative” voice and told him that he interrupted me and that it was very rude. In fact, I ended up scolding him like a child! Completely not what you do in an “adult education” sort of situation, but honestly, if someone is going to act like a child and disrespect me, then he has to be told off! For the past week and a half, he’s been ignoring what I have to say, and in his case, I think it’s because I’m a woman! He’s probably only in his early 20s, so he’s quite young, too, so I didn’t feel too badly about sharing with him how rude he was being! But it felt so unlike something I would normally do!
Anyway, apart from him, the rest of the guys are real gentlemen. At tea time and lunch time, they always make me go first in line. If we’re all waiting outside the shower stalls for a shower, they’ll let me go to the front of the line so I don’t have to wait. And they’ve even been kind in making sure I have a chair to sit in, or carrying around my boxes of books etc. None of them have been going out and drinking in the evenings, but they all just sit around under the trees, laughing and making jokes and chatting with each other. Really, just nice guys. Most of them, I’d say, are in their 30s, with a couple of older guys, and a couple of younger guys.
I haven’t been out much in the past couple of days, beyond the hotel next door to get my email! The weather’s been a bit unsettled in the afternoons, so I haven’t wanted to get stuck in the rain somewhere. Plus, by the time I finish my organizing for the following day and getting everything sorted from the day, it’s getting a bit late. I suppose I could go for a wander around the neighborhood, but I have to admit, I’ve found myself sitting in a plastic chair under a tree, staring off into space or chatting with someone!
I’ve also started to chew with my mouth open and spit out the little pieces of bone that I find in my stew on the ground. I wander around in the morning with my towel wrapped around my shoulders (don’t worry, I’m also wearing my mumu!) and chewing on my toothbrush. I drink hot milk instead of coffee at tea break. And I slurp it. I shake hands with anyone and everyone who wanders past. I’ve also just dropped my empty water and soda bottles on the ground in the compound, expecting someone to pick them up (which, amazingly enough, they do!).
But I do think I’d better get back to my home in the city before I get myself some cows and get too settled here!
Is it really Wednesday night already? That means we leave in 2 days! 3 more sleeps in this place, and then it’s back home. Crazy. When I first got here (which actually seems like a really long time ago now), I thought these two weeks would never come to an end. But it’s coming. The end is coming.
This week has been much improved from last week, actually. The participants are generally participating. There are a few of them who still refuse to do what is asked of them. It’s very strange actually. I’ve never really encountered participants like that before. Perhaps it’s because they are government paid teachers and were basically assigned by the officials in their area to come to this workshop. It wasn’t something that they volunteered to do. So maybe they just really and truly arent’ interested, and therefore there’s nothing that I can do to interest them!
But others are doing great! They’re interested, they’re keen, and they’re learning and taking on new ideas and sharing their own ideas. So I just keep concentrating on them, and am trying to ignore the two who keep sleeping through the sessions!
It’s been interesting being here, though, and getting to know a bit more about this culture. There have been a few pretty crazy things going on… except that I can’t think of any examples of them right now…
I’ve actually found that the participants in our workshop are quite gentlemanly. None of them have made any inappropriate comments, and I only had the one comment, on the first day, that he loved me. Other than that, they’ve all been really kind and completely professional about everything. I’ve been so impressed. I normally have a pretty good “radar” for the creepy ones, and I don’t get any bad vibes from any of them. Except for the one young man who told me that he loved me.
Actually, I had a bit of a run-in with him today. He’s one of the ones who’s been sleeping through the sessions. And yet he thinks he knows everything and has nothing to learn. But then when it comes to the actual assignments, he doesn’t get it. He just literally doesn’t get it. And he won’t listen to me when I try to explain it. Then today, as I was explaining something to the group that he was working with, he completely interrupted me and started talking to one of the other members in his group. Completely oblivious to what I was standing right next to him saying to him and his group members.
I put on my “authoritative” voice and told him that he interrupted me and that it was very rude. In fact, I ended up scolding him like a child! Completely not what you do in an “adult education” sort of situation, but honestly, if someone is going to act like a child and disrespect me, then he has to be told off! For the past week and a half, he’s been ignoring what I have to say, and in his case, I think it’s because I’m a woman! He’s probably only in his early 20s, so he’s quite young, too, so I didn’t feel too badly about sharing with him how rude he was being! But it felt so unlike something I would normally do!
Anyway, apart from him, the rest of the guys are real gentlemen. At tea time and lunch time, they always make me go first in line. If we’re all waiting outside the shower stalls for a shower, they’ll let me go to the front of the line so I don’t have to wait. And they’ve even been kind in making sure I have a chair to sit in, or carrying around my boxes of books etc. None of them have been going out and drinking in the evenings, but they all just sit around under the trees, laughing and making jokes and chatting with each other. Really, just nice guys. Most of them, I’d say, are in their 30s, with a couple of older guys, and a couple of younger guys.
I haven’t been out much in the past couple of days, beyond the hotel next door to get my email! The weather’s been a bit unsettled in the afternoons, so I haven’t wanted to get stuck in the rain somewhere. Plus, by the time I finish my organizing for the following day and getting everything sorted from the day, it’s getting a bit late. I suppose I could go for a wander around the neighborhood, but I have to admit, I’ve found myself sitting in a plastic chair under a tree, staring off into space or chatting with someone!
I’ve also started to chew with my mouth open and spit out the little pieces of bone that I find in my stew on the ground. I wander around in the morning with my towel wrapped around my shoulders (don’t worry, I’m also wearing my mumu!) and chewing on my toothbrush. I drink hot milk instead of coffee at tea break. And I slurp it. I shake hands with anyone and everyone who wanders past. I’ve also just dropped my empty water and soda bottles on the ground in the compound, expecting someone to pick them up (which, amazingly enough, they do!).
But I do think I’d better get back to my home in the city before I get myself some cows and get too settled here!
Wednesday, June 2, 2010
Feeling a bit rushed
So I'm feeling a bit rushed today - didn't pre-prepare anything to post. But I'm waiting for 8mb of email to download into my inbox... so best just post something quick to let you all know I'm still alive. I'm a little late coming to the cafe today because I was chatting with an American Anthropologist :) It was quite nice to sit and chat with an American again. Nice guy. Funny thing was, almost all the folks who came by asked him, in the local language which he speaks fluently, if he was going to take me for his wife. I guess they figured, he's a white guy, I'm a white girl... makes sense in their minds.
Anyway, he told them that his wife in America wouldn't like it so much (I don't think he actually has a wife in America, but has concocted one so he doesn't get married off himself here!). Much like I have, on occasion, concocted a husband and children in Canada, lest I get married off here!
On that note, better rush home before the guy who runs the internet cafe thinks I'm here for yet another one of his sodas...
Anyway, he told them that his wife in America wouldn't like it so much (I don't think he actually has a wife in America, but has concocted one so he doesn't get married off himself here!). Much like I have, on occasion, concocted a husband and children in Canada, lest I get married off here!
On that note, better rush home before the guy who runs the internet cafe thinks I'm here for yet another one of his sodas...
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