5/01/10 - 5/05/10

May 1, 2010: Day 84: Lizard Breath

We took a walk in the afternoon toward another teacher's house 30 minutes away.  On the way we saw two students walking out from the busy, each with a slingshot, and the younger carrying a lizard by the tail.  The boys were walking in front of us and I took a better look. This little 6 year-old is carrying an 18" lizard by the tail, dangling at his side, the tongue hanging out almost to, and at times touching, the ground.  Yes, they were going to eat the lizard.

The walk was amazing.  Our village is beautiful and from the top of the hill this teacher lives on we could see down into the valleys all around us.  Amazing.

May 3, 2010: Day 86: Youth Group

We had our first youth group meeting today.  The group doesn't meet very often, so we talked about getting it started regulary and meeting on Saturdays in the afternoon after families have returned from their farms.  There's a lot of room to grow.  We discussed life skills, cooking, sewing, wood working, public speaking, hikes, drama, sports,
games, and camping.  Paul and I also thought about doing some education on basic first aid, alcohol abuse, and environmental issues.  We shall see.  The kids are great, there's just a lack of leadership, and we're hoping to build some up.

May 4, 2010: Day 87: Stars

It is night and the full moon has passed.  It comes and then it is gone, each night taking another hour to come out and shine.  We're asleep long before it does, and though the absence of the moon leaves it incredibly dark, you can see every star in the sky.  You can see them twinkle, and they are bright enough that you can still make out the edge of the mountains on the horizon.  We're going to print out some constellations when we are in Georgetown because this is probably one of the best times we'll ever be able to see some of them.

May 5, 2010:Day 88: Beauty and the Beast

Today is Arrival Day which is a national holiday so there is no school.  Our neighbor and her three kids offered to take us up one of the mountains so we went.  We hiked for about three hours through some of the most beautiful scenery I do believe exists.  Endless trees covering mountain after mountain.  Brightly colored wildflowers grew
in abundance, and the kids picked so many that my hands were full with a bouquet by the time we got home.  Vibrant green parrots flew about, singing along with the other birds.  The day was just overcast enough for clouds to cover the top of the tallest mountains.  We walked over small streams and around cacti.  we went higher and higher, never
going back the same way we came, allowing us to see more and more. Our neighbor showed us different plants and the medicinal purposes for each.  Some helped stomach pains, kidney problems, and diarrhea.  She knew many of the plants and their names.

They could all name different trees, even from far away when mixed among other trees.  Often one would say, "See that mango tree over there?" or, "See those banana trees?" and all I saw were hundreds of trees.  Finally I asked, "Which one?  All I see are trees."  I'll learn them eventually, I hope.

From halfway up we could see a few farms nestled at the botom of the mountain.  Usually we saw a small house serving as the camp, surrounded by cleared land.  Most fruit trees grow better in the bush, but it's more dangerous to live there.  That's why many build their homes in the savannah and keep farms in the bush.

When we got home the kids helped us plant some things collected from the trip, and then they brought things from their own yard: pumpkin, watermelon, 3 baby pineapple plants, a mango tree, four cashew trees, two soursop, some variation of bamboo, lots of wildflowers, seeds, and vines.  They're amazing.

That was the beauty.  Now here's the beast.

Later in the afternoon, our neighbor sent her three year-old granddaughter over with some more watermelon for us.  She's practically bouncing off the ground because tomorrow is her 4th birthday.  Knowing she's probably driving her family crazy, we let her stay for a bit.  She played with our rocks, clothespins and pens.  She found a small piece of chalk while I was bathing, and Paul had her drawing on the table and the door.  She drew a jumbee.  He told me
later that he just can't do that age level for very long.

Suddenly, she ran out of the house saying she had to urine.  We expected her to go a little way from the house if not to the latrine. Nope.  She dropped her pants a foot from our doorstep.  She squatted right there and for so long.  Then she inched forward a bit.  I asked if she was done.  That's when she said to me, with her sweet little face looking up at mine, "No. Sh*%."  I lost it.  She had to poop, and was ready to let it go right there by our front door.  I had to walk to the back of the house I was laughing so hard.  Thankfully so was Paul.

She came back inside, apparently having changed her mind, as there was nothing but the puddle outside our front door.  Less than a minute later she jumped up, grabbed a stick from the ground and ran down the latrine path.  I have no idea whether or not she was in fact headed for the latrine, but halfway there she dropped her pants and crapped
right in the middle of our path.  I couldn't believe it.  Paul and I were almost in tears from laughing when she began to break the stick into pieces. She took a piece, wiped herself with it, examined the stick, then threw it.  She repeated this one more time, and satisfied, put herself together and came back to the house.  It was then that I decided to give her a mini-lesson on handwashing.  I gave her a bucket of water, a bowl, and a bar of soap.  Figuring that soap and water play could only be beneficial, I let her keep playing until her grandma came to collect her.