moving to a tropical island paradise

"Its record setting freezing outside. There's a foot of snow in the driveway. The wind is blowing 50mph. Not sure if the electricity is going to stay on. Man, that Amanda must have it made living on a tropical island. I wish I could move to a tropical island." Kids, moving to a tropical island ain't all its cracked up to be.

This is the one where I explain in whining detail that the grass is just as green on this side of the fence.

So the clouds came in dark and nasty. Fine, something about Christmas day marks the get nasty point of the rainy season. Only draw back- our roof started leaking Christmas Eve (happy christmas to me!). Our landlord is sending a guy around on monday. We've hooked up a tarp system to run the water to the drain and i have buckets and rags on stand by. 5p.m. Jonathan position tarp and @ yells "The water is going down on my shower." I making dinner. Jonathan finishes the tarp and goes to check @'s issue. In fact their is no pressure. I check the kitchen sink and Jonathan check the water pump. No water going to the roof- which is how we get pressure into the house. I bring in a bucket. @ dries off. Jonathan begins opening the housing for the pump. Break for dinner. Rain turns from sprinkles to crazy downpour.

Resume activity after dinner:
@ begins yelling and running- storm fever. Jonathan turns off the shut off to the toilet. I reposition rags/ buckets, sop up water from the floor then bucket wash dishes. Jonathan continues to labor on the pump- getting no where because his tools are upstairs cordoned off by tarp systems catching the bucket loads of rain coming in. While working on the pump the electricity goes out. Now we have no running water in the house, no electricity, flood water rising in the street and a leaking roof. Give up on pump. Light candles. Shut off very noisy battery back up to the computer. Reposition/ Sop up water with buckets and rags. Child is given stern warning that death awaits running, yelling children (death would probably result because of mom and dad spontaneously compusting).

Once family is settled in with the electricity off- Jonathan grading quizzes (mindless activity), @ sitting with Ipod watching old Grinch (God Bless the nice people who made the Ipod), I decide to shower- with my trusty bucket of water.

After getting out of bucket bath by candlelight, lights begin to flicker. Rain is slowing. I check the buckets and rags, wring/reposition/sop. No one moves to turn things on or off for 5 minutes after the power comes back on, don't want to jinx these things.

Good news:
-There is a man supposed to be coming tomorrow to look at the roof.
- After rain stopped, Jonathan went up for his tools. Got the rusted cap off the pump. Primed it- we'll have running water soon.
- Electricity is back on so the AC is cooling off bedrooms- Praise God for AC and beds.
- This is all fairly typical but fortunately it all happened before we went to bed, much better than when you're really at the end of the day and want the AC
- Child calmed down with the end of the rain. These claps of thunder and lightening can be so loud it gets everyone on edge- even otherwise nice children.

never good to turn up on BBC

Last week while flipping channels on a very hot afternoon we came across a program on BBC called Hot Cities. Last week's program was on Bangladesh and the rising number of climate migrants flowing into already crowded urban areas, thus decreasing the quality of life for everyone. They promoted the next week's city- our capital city. You don't want your capital city to turn up on the BBC, nothing good can come of it. Well we happened to catch a portion of it again this week. It was fun to hear the professionals being interviewed because we could understand them without the subtitles at the bottom. They were only echoing things we had been percieving in our city also. The rains maybe starting later but they are also coming at odd times throughout the year. And the tide is getting higher and things that were once percieved to be safe and high enough, aren't anymore. All of this just spells disaster on the health front. Dengue Fever (here called Blood Fever) and Malaria are occurring at times in the year that never used to be possible and at elevations that used to be safe. All very discouraging news.

Last month they started lifting another road about 6 blocks down from us. They are raising the road in front of the church we attend and the pharmacy we go to, a meter. That's 3 feet. The parking lot to our church has a 3 foot wall bordering the street. The church will be 3 feet below the road 12 feet away. I stopped in at the Pharmacy yesterday. All they can do is given a weak smile and sigh. They have no idea what they are going to do.

We've been hearing rumors since the close of last rainy season that there was a plan in the works to raise roads and install new pumps and deepen the canals. They've only really just started on some portions of the plan. We live 2 blocks from a major Artery Road that loops around the city and they've already raised that road on the other side and there looks to be a deepened canal and pump. I have no idea where the water that will be pumped will go as the neighborhoods are still lower. This week we got a for sure verification that the main street 2 blocks from us that is our connection to town, will be raised in the next month. They are planning to raise it a meter, 3 feet.

The last few months as we have seen these projects begin we've had a little sense of anxiety creep into the back of our minds. Our contract on the house we are in runs through Jan 2011 and we have every intention and desire to stay in this house. We love our landlord. We have a terrific house and yard at the world's most ideal price. We have neighbors and friends. But the house in our neighborhood don't sell, they barely get renters. Everyone knows it floods but the question is how much deeper will the water be when the raise these main roads. No one believes the pump installations will help. They can pump whereever they want but it doesn't change the fact that the lowest guy will still get water when the canals they are pumping into are filled.

So we have been sighing a fair bit lately. We know there is a limit to the amount of time we will stay in this house. The demands of Jonathan's job location will inevitably pull us away. But the thought of having water come into this house that we've made into our home... its happened to our friends and watching their sorrow was impossible. Sigh... and we're powerless against it.

But we find ourselves waiting for rainy season, if only to confirm or but to rest our concerns. Either way, we'll ride it out. We're still in a good position to help and encourage our neighbors. But sitting in this crazy heat makes me wonder what's to come...

first aid

I have a basic understanding of first aid. Over the years, I've taken a few different first aid classes and probably on and off had certification through Red Cross. But growing up we learned the basics. Things like apply pressure, wash thoroughly in soapy water before putting on antiseptic, then maybe a bandage. And so when @ gets the falls and bumps of childhood we know to apply ice for the swelling, elavate to slow bleeding. And when people come to work around our house we try to be cautious of them. If we see they're hurt or have a scrape we make sure they wash it up and we check back to make sure its healing, etc.

Today we had our houseworker's husband come and dismantle the overhang in our sideyard. He's been out of work for a few months and I thought that the morning of work and the opportunity at the scrap (easily sellable for recycling) would be a day of income he might wouldn't otherwise have. So this morning he came around with his neighbor who had a bike cart to dismantle the thing. As they were working with this rusty metal and scrap wood, they both got cuts. The first was just a simple cut on the finger. But the second was a good scrape of skin from the forearm. So after a little haranging at them, I sent them to wash it up WITH SOAP. Then I made them let me wash it out again with an antiseptic wipe, put some neosporin on it and wrap it with a band-aid. The whole time I'm doing this, they are watching wide eyed. They asked if we were doctors. Uh, no. No one has ever talked to them about first aid before. So as they left, I sent them band-aids and the tube of antiseptic and instructions on how to wash it twice a day WITH SOAP, dry it, put a little antiseptic on then a band-aid. He double checked the directions.

And so today, I'm thankful for first aid. I'm not like a nurse, I'm not even the first choice in most circumstances but I maybe the best choice for first aid on my street. So now I'm off to fill the first aid kit a little more thoroughly...

We know we're annoying

but take this food box and its ok, right?"

Since we moved to this house our across the street neighbors have been in the process of remodeling. I thought it was taking a while to finish as we've been here nearly a year (Jan is 1 yr) and they are just now getting to the final finishing touches. Talked to a my neighbor Bu L. and in fact they've been remodeling and lifting the house for over 2 yrs. Judging from some of the materials in their garage they still aren't completely finished. But today finally they had their house blessing. Finally. Culturally you have everyone come over after prayers and they bless your house according to your faith. These neighbors are from a majority faith and so the girls showed up in their best head scarves and the young boys in their nice felt covered black hats and sorongs. Very nice looking. They toured the house a few minutes and then lined up outside to wash before they began the blessing. A little play at the water faucet for a few minutes and then the louder chat of call and response scripture reading began. We were worried when the 3 van loads showed up thinking this could become quite a thing but it wasn't too loud, we could still hear our sunday sermon on ipod. And the van of women and food showed up when they were into prayers about 45 minutes. We went on up the street for lunch and to buy fruit and when we came home the festivities were completed. When the neighbor saw us, he came around with food boxes and we thanked him and congratulated him on finishing. It doesn't sound like they are really done though. It'll be curious to see what tomorrow brings and if the workman return to inch along on more projects. At first I thought the workmen were annoying but they've become good "neighbors". They don't steal, aren't noisy, are respectful and courteous and have more than once helped with language confusion. We've chatted about their work and our work. Over the last few months, when I thought they HAD to be getting close, I realized I'm a little afraid of someone actually living there. I like the workmen. They know not to smoke anywhere near our house and even their noise doesn't bother me much now. But real neighbors will be there more than just 8 to 4, 6 days a week. They might want to LIVE there. Oh, the horror!

I find it helpful to leave the room

My houseworker is "helping" me at the moment and when I first saw what she was doing it was ok. Taking everything out of the cabinets, cleaning the cabinet shelves, and dusting things off. That sounds good, right? Who wouldn't want someone to do that for them? I'm a lucky girl to have someone who does that every now and again. Problem is that she started putting them back but she didn't put the back where they were. My houseworker is a good lady but she is very low on the logic scale and so when she started shoving everything to the back of the deepest cabinet I said "Oh, no, please." and she knows the word "no" in english so she gave a little chuckle and looked up. I gave her a bit of guidance but as she was pretty well finished with that cabinet I thought I'll go back and fix it later. I do have kind of a place for things so that I know what I have and what I need to buy. The second cabinet I monitored her progress a bit more and she did put things back on the same shelf- so that is a start. I think I got the biggest part of the bugs worked out and she is done with the foodstuffs. She knows where the dishes go and for the most part she gets that right everyday. But I'm pretty sure I know how I'll be spending my afternoon when she leaves.

This is why I have a houseworker-to do odd jobs that need to get done a bit more regularly because we have loads of dust and the worst ant problem in the world. This is also the reason that I have cut back hours on when I have a houseworker- I find that when she doesn't have an immediate fixed set of jobs she starts "being helpful". Idle hands are the devil's playground- the devil being rearranging my stuff!

Composting and attempts at recycling

So far as I know there is no true recycling system in the country. I think there are a few places that will take some trash, namely cans or newspaper, in the capital but as far as I can tell that hasn't gotten out here. Our trash goes to the street in plastic bags, the satpam is very particular, no bag, no pickup. He takes it to a larger dumpster which the city collects every so often (fairly regularly, I just don't know the schedule). We've long separated our "wet" trash from our "dry" trash. The wet trash goes out at the end of the day because bugs and vermin are ever present and the dry goes out as needed. When we moved here the construction wasn't entirely finished and so we had women coming by every day to see what the workers had thrown aside. They'd take pretty much anything. One day when they stopped I asked what they wanted. Newspapers, cans, plastics, old electrics whatever. She was happy to take my recycleables and I felt good about it. I suspect that there are some places that they probably sell the recycleables to but I'm guessing it takes a lot to make any real money. Although the re-sale of plastic bottles here is very big.

That took care of that but my bigger problem is goats and others going through the trash. People don't separate out recycleable generally so people will go through the trash bags to get them, normally tearing up my trash bag and leaving a pile of trash everywhere but the can. Very frustrating. Well this week after cleaning up a huge mess on the street and rebagging it I decided to limit the frustration a little more. We started the compost pile! The guy who helps with our yard and the houseworker are on board and the wet garbage can is put away. So I've been reading about composting. It seems I could go devote my life to composting or I could just let the pile be. I'm going the let it be route. Its on the far side of the yard under the banana trees and I don't mind that it probably gets picked through by the cats and rats. I'm fine with that. The cats and rats go through the trash anyway, they are everywhere. Whoever or whatever wants the scraps can have them but it'll be less to end up on the street and maybe one day I'll have some compost for the plants and bushes. Maybe too we'll get more worm activity in the ground. I've thought of buying worms but its too weird for me at the moment.

where to hide the easter eggs?

The grass in the side yard of course. Looks like this week I will be getting 6 trucks of dirt delivered to my house! Why, you ask? To lay grass in the side yard. Later this afternoon I'll post a few pictures of our side yard as it sits at the moment. We had a wall taken out of our kitchen and a window put in. All of that cement and tile rubble got laid in the side yard, to build up the surface and because no one hauls away rubble. Its a disaster area to say the least and its the only outside spot for @ to play. Who wants their kid playing on broken cement and ceramic tile and random pieces of board with random rusty nails? @ doesn't mind but I'm a little nervous about the rusty nail thing. So since we moved we've been talking about what to do with the side yard and the agreement was dirt and grass. Finally we are at that stage! And after that project gets done I think we are going to give the pocket book a rest. Our little personal wallet has been open more than closed lately and its feeling a little lightweight. Fortunately, the US Federal Government will be underwriting the yard. I know they want all of us to spend in tax money in the states but we're not there very often. We should really post a sign thanking them for their help.

no more requests

So when we first moved in I kind of began thinking that we needed a little electric water heater. They have these small shoebox size water heaters that kind of heat as you need it instead of heating a big tank of water like the one's in the states. People don't really have water heaters here on account of it being expensive, a huge energy suck and if you have running water in your house well maybe you don't have a shower. I didn't care about havin one in the kitchen, I just heat a pot for a sink of dishes. But for the shower, well the water collection tank is in the ground and it gets a little cold before its piped into the house for the morning and evening shower. Its ok at high noon because the sun warms the pipes but I wasn't making time for showering at noon and the days were unusually cool (read 85 is the high). This last week the rains have let up the sun is hot and baking by 7:00 so the water pipes are getting really toasty meaning I have not cold water (its just at the point where you could call room temp). But along with the toasty pipes, I'm pretty toasty too. Last night when I showered at 9p.m. it was still 87 inside our house. that's 3 1/2 hours after sunset! Yuck! I've completely changed how I shower also. I'm much more of a rain forest shower fan that lets the water fall over your head and face. Before I never really liked getting my face wet. Now I'm standing under the cool as long as I can justify just trying to strip off the heat radiating off me.

Today its raining again. Good for the heat. Not so good for Jonathan getting home. Sounds like he's stuck at work but needs to leave soon or else he'll be flooded into the office. Of course if he doesn't leave soon our street could be too flooded for him to get home until the tide goes down. This is the problem with living at sea level.

Whatever happened to Sputnik?

This is what came out of breakfast table conversation this morning. @ asked for a story about a spaceship and Jonathan gave him something about JFK's space program. That brought us around to the space race, and my question, "Whatever happened to Sputnik?" I'm thinking of 2 people I suspect have the answer but I take an answer from anyone. I suspect Josh Henry, who knows any number of abstract facts, many of the dealing with Russian History, or my sister Janet, who puts kids in space 5 days a week, should have an answer for me.

Yesterday evening we spent sometime with a friend and she helped us finish desinging the new counters for the kitchen. Let me tell you that sounds like lots of fun but if you have trouble deciding where to go for Sunday Lunch, you should really skip the cabinet design thing and go for what's available. Unless there isn't anything available because people really don't have kitchen cabinets in the country you live in. Then grit your teeth and get ready to make a ton of decisions.

So its March

I remember thinking back in January how excited I was for March to come because by that point we'd be in some fashion "settled". And I was so right! So its March today and we really are settled . We've been accomplishing our task lists. The huge wall moving, stair renovation work is finished (and looks GREAT). @'s room can now be cleaned up by himself. When I sweep, there isn't cement dust or sawdust. This week I went into town and bought and AC unit for @'s bedroom and arranged the installation and service of our current AC units all by myself. That would be a huge language task that I did on my own. Feeling cool about that. Jonathan installed a new door on our service bathroom, still needs a handle but it shuts, which is a significant improvement. He installed a new light for us in the project room. I went out today and bought new lights for the bathroom. Jonathan cleaned the trap on the bathroom sink which actually turned into replumbing the sink. I bought a few rugs for our bedrooms. Yeah, we're in a good spot.

Last week I was able to finally buy a table to use as a desk and I unpacked the scrapbook supplies and my offfice supplies. I was able to catch up on some bookkeeping (YES)! Yeah, I have an office now and can find stuff.

Next week, hoping to get the bathroom lights installed and the door knob on the bathroom door. Hoping to have counter made for the kitchen this week. Meal prep off a bookshelf is just about to make me crazy. The ledge is just wide enought for things to fall off. I've explored around town some and now have fabric for sheets (we had to buy beds and the sheets we had don't actually fit the beds we bought) and need to find someone to hem them up.

Still on the prowl for somethings but for the most part we are past the necessity stage. Getting the kitchen sink installed helped and stairs instead of a glorified ladder.

That is where I have been

Wild Kingdom

mmmSo the last week around here has seen us kill 500 ants and termites. No Joke, No exaggeration. I mean, we didn't count them all each time we made a kill that really would have been absurd but each time we swept the floor we couldn't see the white cement tiles anymore. I sat on the corner of the bed, tuesday evening (birthday/ anniversary), and saw the bugs moving around inside the skelton key lock of the door. Jonathan went and got the spray and over the next hour ants and termites dripped out of the door lock as they seized to their death. Bizarre! It really was one of those National Geographic's that you kind of can't take your eyes off of. So we swept all night. Our bedroom door was covered with them at various points.

Woke up the next morning to a cockroach dead at our bedroom door. Larger than normal spider tracking across the floor. And more dead ants and termites to sweep up. And it has been raining buckets every afternoon which means we are guaranteed more of the same. As long as the water stays outside, something we aren't feeling confident about, we should be ok.

By the by, these are carpenter ants. Pretty much our bedroom door is hollow, its only paint at this point.

what I've finished

Instead of staying home for the two days we had off school we left town and went to a nearby city for some restocking, rest, swimming and free internet. Pretty good time except for the part where @ started throwing up. That part wasn't so good. 24 hour bug that was past by time we got back home.

What I've gotten done this week:
- Christmas shopped online and at the batik market. Nieces and Nephew gifts are done (for some reason I always think this is a big accomplishmet but its the shopping I like doing the most).

- I've made about 40 christmas cards and have about 10 ready to go to the mail tomorrow. By the end of the day I should have the neice/nephew presents ready to go to the post tomorrow also.

- Painted the bottom half of @'s room as well as several walls in the living room.

- Made 2 dishes for Thanksgiving dinner yesterday. Truly a great thanksgiving with another family.

- Washed laundry

- Listened to a few local language programs and understood some of it.

- prepped for language class tomorrow

- Printing off photos for christmas cards.

Doesn't sound like as much as I thought when I was thinking it up. Sigh.

Defender of the peace

My husband has something like the patience of Job. He nearly never gets angry and yells. I like this about him because I'm not so pleasant.

Yesterday afternoon the school that is being built across the street got their delivery of 5 cement trucks right around 4:30 in the afternoon. We could tell this wasn't the plan because the guys are like clockwork, start working at 7a.m. and end promptly 5 p.m. So we knew that 5 cement trucks and 4:30 was not part of the plan for these guys. But when the cement is mixed something has to be done with it. So they continued working on laying the cement up into the roof of the new building (I'll get pics up in the next day or so). So we knew it was going to be a long night. At 7:30 they were still going strong but it was time for @'s bed. Thinking the noise would stay consistent if not also loud we didn't worry too much. Actually we were more concerned for their safety because they were working by like 2 flashlights on the roof of a building. But at 9:30 these guys backed out the high cement hose and started cleaning it out on the side of our road, literally 10 ft from our front door. The pitch and timbre kept going up and finally Jonathan went out and fussed at them. Immediately they stopped and drove off. Silence prevailed in the neighborhood. That's my husband the all powerful over neighborhood noise.

That and he killed a huge roach for me last night too. Tell me if he's not bringing the sexy back.

the list of what i want to get done

So we're approaching another break between units of language class. Normally during a unit I start thinking of things I would like to do. Actually its really things I would rather be doing than reading a 2 page story on the market economy or cow races on some far out island.

- paint the living room and touch up some walls in the other rooms
- hang a bamboo screen outside of @'s bedroom window (this is a Jonathan job but I'll supervise)
- Stain bamboo screen
- Put up new plastic to the front fence
- financial statements
- scrapbook
- read a fun book
- visit friends in smg
- grocery shopping in smg
- visit market on the outside of town (they are supposed to have whole bean coffee there)
- print photos for @'s bedroom and take them to the frame shop
- hang new curtains in @'s room
- hang train blanket in @'s room
- begin a book review for my completion paper, begin writing interview questions

The painting thing is the biggest part of the deal. I really want to get that done but I need to price paint etc. Our contract hints at us needing to paint the house before returning it to the landlord but frankly it wasn't in such great shape before hand. I'm not sure where our responsibility lies. Truly it wouldn't need painting if they hadn't done such a bad job to begin with. So trying to decide how good of a guy I am on that.

We're doing a lot to @'s room to try to sound proof it a bit. The poor kid's room in right on the street (have I growled about that before). So at 5a.m. when the street vendor is dragging his cart down the middle of the street, @ can't help but wake up. Thus the bamboo screen (for light), the curtains (for sound), the blanket (for more sound absorption). We thought about switching his room with ours, except the guard shack likes to play music and leave the lights on. Then a little old woman normally walks her grandchild past our window at 5a.m. She likes to "coo" or something like that to the child. There is no safe place from noise in our house.

on the trials of grocery shopping

I had a good blog pretty well written in my head and then I got the new Harry Potter book unexpectedly early so that messed things up a little. But I want to carry on with my first thought, I'll get to my version of a spoiler later.

In the store on Saturday doing our large shopping for the month. My houseworker Ibu does some shopping every week for the lunches she makes for us monday -friday. So I do shopping for cleaning products, breakfasts and dinners, its a little wierd. I really don't like our kitchen situation much but Ibu helps out a lot by making a large lunch. Then I trot off to school and am home in time to try to decide, do I make my family a nice dinner or do my mountain of homework. Normally to some extent the homework wins because I've yet to have time to conquer the market like I had in Africa. That and I don't know where the meat market is. That sounds really pathetic but meat isn't sold in the groceries up here, and there aren't butchers everywhere. Frankly, I've yet to figure it all out. It would be a great language experience but without transport I don't know how to get there. Anyway that is our grocery situation and I can't wait till it changes.

So my large shopping trip was saturday in which I buy a months supply of big and heavy things. Rice (5kg bag), bunches of cereal, oil, milk (really uht), canned goods (not many but some), cleaning supplies etc. and I have the checker boys box it up and I take a horse cart home. An experience that always leaves me feeling bad for the horse. But on these shopping trips I'm still reading the labels and looking at all of the options for the product I want to buy. I buy air fresheners for our bathrooms, they have an open pipe for drains and so we get a little smell in the mornings when they get dry. Anyway, loads of air freshener to choose from. I have no idea which one is best but because I know Glade from the US that is what I buy. Oil (which is another story) is available in liter and 2 liter containers and then 4 liter jugs, then you can buy refill bags of it to refill your containers. For some reason I buy Sania, its the brand I bought the first time and for some reason I won't buy another brand. Rice is tough, there is a brand people say is best but there are different types from that same brand. The bags all look the same, so I've asked Ibu to write down the kind I'm supposed to buy. Then the milk I've decided randomly by the look on the box which is better. Cleaning products and health/ beauty are the same. Pepsodent is what I buy for toothpaste because I remember it. SOS I've decided must be the best floor cleaner because I know it from the states.

I was thinking about how curious it is how I've decided to buy things and where I buy them at. I don't know if they are the best options, probably everybody else who can read everything on the label chooses something else. One of our first weeks here, Ibu ran out of bathroom cleaner. I went to the store and try to find what she showed me. I didn't know many stores at the time and so I went to the one that wasn't so good for grocery shopping. Anyway I couldn't find what she showed me and so I bought several other options, all of them I think could be used for bathrooms but were really floor cleaners. She just know finished all of the those off.

catching up

Some other idle thoughts that have been drifiting through my head.

- We have a fair sized house but the problem comes when you have to pull everything out from the wall at least 2 inches so that air can circulate behind it. Otherwise you get mold on your walls. The pull out method isn't sure fire, you may still get mold but it will probably take a little longer.

- I really like white boards. I think they are essential for a house.

- windows live messenger is brilliant! skype is too, I just haven't used it as much. But for real, this whole webcam live chat is where it is at. Free or cheap and you get to see the person. All of this is true if you have a good internet connection, which sometimes I don't.

- We have a really nice looking spider outside our living room window. jonathan believes she could be poisonous, but I know that no one named charlotte is poisonous. She's a good sized spider and I like to watch her work sometimes. The tree next to her also houses a lizard who has a yellow pop out neck when he breathes. That's what drew my attention the first time. The yellow looks like a leaf on a green stem.

- We have a family of geckos in our house. maybe their skinks. They eat our mosquitoes. I'm not bothered by them. The threat of mice and rats bothers me a lot but I have no reason to believe they are here.

-. I rode the bus with a bunch of girl scouts the other day. Fridays are uniform days for school kids here. So if they have a club or organization they wear that uniform. These particular girls all had brown uniforms and red hankerchiefs. Girls are giggly by nature when put together and its a little fun to watch them.

- Now about women: the women I have meant here so far are very reserved. Even when in small groups together still reserved. While we were in Africa I learned something about women. They would sit back and let the men kind of boss about but the real stuff was hashed out by the women. When they would come together in small groups they would go like you wouldn't believe. Loud, lots of laughing and exclaiming. That is when to communicate with them. Here, I don't know. I don't know if women ever let loose a little and laugh. I don't know that I've seen a woman laugh at anything other than a child. Maybe its a language thing. j

Being called to play trains with @. He's working on getting the bridge to stay up and he doesn't quite have the fine motor.