We left Arkansas one month ago. And what a month it has been! I think we have accomplished much in the past month and we are finally feeling settled.
Over the past month, we had a pretty bad car accident and were hospitalized, we spent Christmas with the Hudsons, we celebrated the New Year in our house, we visited two game reserves, moved into the house and have pretty much everything we need to be comfortable (beds, living room suite, washing machine, dishes, pots/pans, curtains, etc.) and unpacked everything. I installed my satellite equipment and an internet ASDL router. I have a bank account, a telephone at the house, lights/water in my name, bought a lawnmower, have a gardner, have learned to drive on the opposite side of the road, had a flat tire and am learning the roads here. Oh yeah and ousted an unwelcomed tarantula who had settled by my bed. Whew....and during all of that, I worked a full time job at the office and took care of the girls.
The month has passed by pretty fast but given how busy I have been, no wonder.
Last night, I took the girls to KFC (their new favorite place to eat). There were some little boys there in rags and no shoes. One had managed to get an ice cream cone (they cost about 40 cents at KFC). the other little boy sat and sadly watched his friend. So, I told the cashier to fix the other one an ice cream cone and I would pay for it. The boys came over and were so happy thanking me. I told them it was from Sienna and Sofia. It made the girls so happy to think they had given the poor little boy an ice cream cone. As we were leaving the boys were standing by the corner, holding up their cones and waving/smiling so big. Something so little can make someone so happy. And on the way home, the girls talked and talked about the boys. They asked why they were poor and why they were probably living without lights and water. And where were their parents. They kept saying they wanted to bring the boys to our house and let them stay with us. And I would have 4 little kids. They were so sweet and so concerned about them.
Work is going well. This week I have been working with our fundraising team on some funding proposals to raise money. And making contacts with the government. Lots to do.
It is so sad about Haiti. When I see these types of disasters, it makes me want to be there on the ground helping the people. Over 80% of the people in Haiti live below the poverty line. It is one of the world’s poorest countries. And now for this to happen. It shouldn’t take an earthquake or natural disaster to bring attention to a country and help. Governments and NGOs should have been there helping even before the earthquake.
The weekend is almost here. I will probably take the girls to the beach on Saturday- a place called Umhlanga Rocks- http://www.umhlanga-rocks.com/. It’s supposed to be very nice. It’s about 35 minutes away.
Thursday, January 14, 2010
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Don't like to drive here!
I haven’t written in several days. I am very tired at the end of the day once I get the girls in bed. All I want to do is get in bed myself.
All is well here. I am steadily getting everything in order at the house. Today, I spent half of the day setting up accounts. I got a bank account set up. It is nice to have a bank account. I was missing having one. Now, I don’t have to carry so much cash around and risk being robbed. It should be a couple of weeks before I get my debit card. I had to go by the phone utility office to pick up my DSL router. I installed that tonight at the house and I know have DSL in the house (wireless internet). I am very happy. The little datacard I was using was not very good. I just have to figure out how to hide all the wires now in the entrance where the router and phone jack are. It looks like spaghetti in there right now.
Then I had to go to Westville (a nearby suburb) to sign up for satellite t.v. I wasn’t even getting the local channels very well. I had gone to the office nearby yesterday but they couldn’t open my account so they sent me to Westville. I don’t like Westville. The streets are so confusing. Even the locals get confused in Westville. Sure enough, I got lost- the lday told me the wrong exit and I ended up at a mall. I finally managed to make my way back to where I needed to be and got the satellite all worked out. We now have CNN so I can keep up with the news.
After all that driving in horrible traffic and sitting in offices, I was very glad to get home. Traffic has gotten worse lately. The new school year started today so traffic has increased. The girls won’t start until next Wednesday because they are in a private school.
I already don’t like to drive. And I sure don’t like driving when I don’t know the roads. AND I definitely don’t like driving when I don’t know the roads and I am driving on the opposite side of the road (with a stick shift). Not fun. And the worse part of it is that there are these little minivans here (they call them taxis but they are like little buses) and they drive like maniacs. They were stopping on the interstate and loading up people. Then they will just pull right out in front of you. One pulled out in front of me making me go into the other lane and almost into another car. He honked at me and I honked at the minivan.
The girls are good. They went today to a little animal petting farm nearby with Tammy. They had fun.
Emmanuel, the gardener, came for the first time yesterday. He has been working here at the house for 15-18 years. He can’t remember exactly how long. You will find that often in Africa. Many locals in the village don’t know their birthdate. Dates are not important when you are living in poverty. The next meal is important.
Emmanuel is nice. He is a tall skinny Zulu. He is very soft spoken and humble. He gets $12 a day for about 8 hours of labor. I have to make sure he has tea at 10 am (with milk and 2 ½ teaspoons of sugar) and lunch- leftovers or paloney (bologna). That is the norm with all domestic help- you make sure they eat while they are with you.
I bought a small pushmower yesterday. Emmanuel will mow the yard on Saturdays. The pushmower was used and it cost an arm and a leg! Here they use these pushmowers that are electric. They use a long extension cord- really strange. I’m not sure why. Anyway, I wanted a petrol (gas) mower because our yard is big. It cost about $350 dollars used. It doesn’t even have a very big cutting deck. I’m afraid to find out what a riding mower would cost!
All is well here. I am steadily getting everything in order at the house. Today, I spent half of the day setting up accounts. I got a bank account set up. It is nice to have a bank account. I was missing having one. Now, I don’t have to carry so much cash around and risk being robbed. It should be a couple of weeks before I get my debit card. I had to go by the phone utility office to pick up my DSL router. I installed that tonight at the house and I know have DSL in the house (wireless internet). I am very happy. The little datacard I was using was not very good. I just have to figure out how to hide all the wires now in the entrance where the router and phone jack are. It looks like spaghetti in there right now.
Then I had to go to Westville (a nearby suburb) to sign up for satellite t.v. I wasn’t even getting the local channels very well. I had gone to the office nearby yesterday but they couldn’t open my account so they sent me to Westville. I don’t like Westville. The streets are so confusing. Even the locals get confused in Westville. Sure enough, I got lost- the lday told me the wrong exit and I ended up at a mall. I finally managed to make my way back to where I needed to be and got the satellite all worked out. We now have CNN so I can keep up with the news.
After all that driving in horrible traffic and sitting in offices, I was very glad to get home. Traffic has gotten worse lately. The new school year started today so traffic has increased. The girls won’t start until next Wednesday because they are in a private school.
I already don’t like to drive. And I sure don’t like driving when I don’t know the roads. AND I definitely don’t like driving when I don’t know the roads and I am driving on the opposite side of the road (with a stick shift). Not fun. And the worse part of it is that there are these little minivans here (they call them taxis but they are like little buses) and they drive like maniacs. They were stopping on the interstate and loading up people. Then they will just pull right out in front of you. One pulled out in front of me making me go into the other lane and almost into another car. He honked at me and I honked at the minivan.
The girls are good. They went today to a little animal petting farm nearby with Tammy. They had fun.
Emmanuel, the gardener, came for the first time yesterday. He has been working here at the house for 15-18 years. He can’t remember exactly how long. You will find that often in Africa. Many locals in the village don’t know their birthdate. Dates are not important when you are living in poverty. The next meal is important.
Emmanuel is nice. He is a tall skinny Zulu. He is very soft spoken and humble. He gets $12 a day for about 8 hours of labor. I have to make sure he has tea at 10 am (with milk and 2 ½ teaspoons of sugar) and lunch- leftovers or paloney (bologna). That is the norm with all domestic help- you make sure they eat while they are with you.
I bought a small pushmower yesterday. Emmanuel will mow the yard on Saturdays. The pushmower was used and it cost an arm and a leg! Here they use these pushmowers that are electric. They use a long extension cord- really strange. I’m not sure why. Anyway, I wanted a petrol (gas) mower because our yard is big. It cost about $350 dollars used. It doesn’t even have a very big cutting deck. I’m afraid to find out what a riding mower would cost!
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