My daily life in Africa

Bathing options during summer - we consider ourselves lucky to have a cold shower outside, but sometimes I like to relax in a cold bucket bath on a hot summer day.

Bathing in the winter - after much experimentation and contemplation, I have devised a way to keep warm while bathing in the winter. Materials needed: a 10 gallon boiler which work has borrowed us (SA talk), a spare room that can be closed off, and a nice big bucket. First, boil your bath water with the lid off in the spare room with the door closed. While the water is boiling, the room will fill with steam and cozy warmth. Place your bathing bucket right next to the boiler, fill the bucket with the boiling water, add a little cold water and enjoy. If the water cools off, just add more boiling water.

Making drinking water - Fetch water from outside, boil it, then let it cool for about 4-6 hours, finally put it in the fridge or freezer until chilled.

Washing clothes - fetch water in big bucket, add detergent and clothes, rub stains and arm pits vigorously (my fancy wash board now makes this process easier), let soak longer if needed, transfer clean clothes into smaller bucket to rinse, rinse thoroughly, wring out, hang to dry, pray for no rain and lots of wind, iron everything (especially undies) during mango season (pesky flies like wet clothes to lay eggs in).

Kombies (Taxi) - a mini bus that holds 15 people plus a driver, 4 in the back row, 3 rows of 3 (if you're lucky), then 2 more in the front.  Somehow I always end up in the back row.  Must be those pushy gogos (grandmas).  They sure do have hard elbows.

Grocery shopping - walk to taxi rank, pay R7 to get to Tzaneen, walk about 1,5k to mall, get groceries, walk back to taxi rank with bags, cram into taxi with bags, pay R7 more to get back home, then walk home with bags.  Stores charge 30 - 50 cents for plastic bags, so buying a Green Bag is an investment. 

Fruit and Veggie stands - we pass about 10 in Nkowankowa on the way to our taxi rank, then over a dozen more at the taxi rank itself, when we arrive in Tzaneen, we are greeted by even more.  They sell mangos, lichi, bananas, avocados, tomatoes, cabbage, bell peppers, onions, carrots, and leaves used to make Miroho (greens).

Reality of work - get to work at 8, 8:30, 10 it doesn't really matter because we are on "African time", sit around until our supervisor gets there, have morning song and prayer, then listen to everyone tell their latest news in Sotho (which we don't understand), have tea and buttered bread or atcha (if we're lucky), maybe do some typing or just play on the internet or read books, have lunch (pap and chicken, again), sit around for a few more hours and pray that Margaret doesn't decide at 3 o'clock that we have to type up a proposal that is due now now, hopefully go home at 4. 

Things we don't throw away - water bottles, tin foil, ziplock bags, jars, rubber bands, cardboard boxes, bags, plastic containers.

Being resourceful - chairs are used as a computer desk and night stand, while boxes become drawers for clothes, DVD holders, and file organizers. Beer bottles make great book ends, and tupperware makes a nice a spice rack. Jars are used to store dry goods and the big yogurt containers can be used as bowls or storage containers for left-overs.

Things we have that most volunteers don't have - cold shower, 11 flush toilets outside, a 4 room house all to ourself, a stove and a fridge in our kitchen (which is a room to itself), and a spare room with a spare bed for company.

Things we don't have that every house in America has - running water, garbage can, TV (Godfrey took his back), couch and/or recliner, bathroom, closets, AC and heater, kitchen counter. But we do have a computer with internet.

Things we have that most houses in America don't have - chamber pot, asbestos ceiling, concrete walls and floors.

Things you see walking down the street - Women sweeping their yards, breast-feeding, razor wire everywhere, men peeing, women carrying anything and everything on their heads and babies on their backs, boys playing in the street with deflated balls, and the most beautiful landscapes in every direction.