So not sure if this was in the news back home...but PCSA budget was just cut! This blows and it directly effects me! I get LESS money now :( so The facebook and skype chats might come to a end here soon. We will see how this goes.
So being here is still new and different everyday. I am still in my “observation” phase. It is getting more difficult because I do not yet feel like I am doing anything but I guess thats why its a observation period! I have a lot I want to do and there are a lot of areas in which I think I can be useful! I have found a tutor in my village to help me with my language! So that is SLOWLY but surely coming along! I know I really need to develop my language to get anything done here.
So I have a lot of little stories that I thought readers might get a kick out of...They are just some of the culture differences here. So here they are. The other day I was at my org trying to teach a community mapping activity to my project manager as part of my community needs assessment. Welp she lifted up her shirt to show me here skirt wouldnt zip up because her belly is too big. She is too fat. Then she proceded to jiggle it and hold it with her hand to show me the fully effect! Then she stood up to show me a song/dance shes does that makes the belly sing...Ohhhh my! (Mind you this was one of my more producctive days). My project manager also my first day made me watch her nature pee (pee outside). And told me see no problem. (it does amaze me here women will just stop walking down the street and pee-but they stand up and dont squat down like we do back home...and they expect me to greet them still as I am walking by while they are peeing) When she made me watch her pee outside and just pulled over her underwear I couldnt help but thinking I could NEVER see my old manager Jane doing this! She would be appalled!!! The same day as the belly dancing...the ladies I work with all pulled up their skirts to show me their slips too. In the village I live in women do not show above the knee. Actually most dont show the knees either! However, breast are okay. Some women where these little wraps and boobs kinda fall out here and there. Also my host mom just had a baby! (A beautiful baby girl named Ntalo). When she came home with the baby she as topless the hole first day and she still continues sometimes to answer the door topless and walk around topless. Women just breast feed in public here. NO discretion. Also, the little kids run up to the moms and just life up their shirts to get a drink!!! And this is just normal. My host mom was topless, visitors coming in and out, her husband, me her other kids, my host dads mom.
One day I went for a run and played soccer with a little boy. The soccer ball was made out of bread bags and potato sack bags. He also did not have pants on. Just no pants. No underwear. Just playin in the street. The next day on my run he wasnt dressed from the waist up..so I figure he just rotates!
I finally got peed on by a little kid! Babies and kids do not sure diapers here. Some, very few might use diapers or cloth reusable ones but most do not. So this kid was crying and I picked him up. (he was a toddler) and then my side was wet! I see it all the time...moms with wet spots on them. I knew it was only a matter of time. But the distrubing thing is it didnt really bother me and I didnt even go change. ( I may be integrating a little too much!) Also little kids just pee and poo where they want here. There is shit in the dirt street anyways from all the cows/other animals wondering around anyway.
A old lady at my work asked me if I had my flask. I thought this was really strange and someone could tell by my face (yet sometimes I wish I had a flask on me at work...just kidding...kinda of). Apparently a flask here is what they call a metal coffee cup/mugs that keep the drinks warm! I was very confused until someone clarified. I thought the old women was just saying I was drinking booze out of my coffee cup that day. Also that day a male nurse asked to “massage” me. I said no and my supervisor about yelled NO and came and pushed him away. Hum...
I tried to stick to the diet my village eats... which is bread., butter and tea. It isnt pretty! I feel bloated, always feel hungry, have gained some weight! Yeh I stopped. I really thought PC was gonna help me to drop some weight quick...but CARBS CARBS CARBS. Ya know how little kids get that malnurished puffed out belly...well thats what u get from livng off bread!
Babies here. So my host mom just had a baby! It is sooo different here. Babies dont smell like babies in the US do. Its all the baby stuff we buy that makes them smell OHH SOO GOOD! But they do swaddle here! All the time! They keep babies very wrapped up in many many layers! (it is very hot here!) I think this is from a history of babies dying from not being able to regulated their temperatures in africa. I think just years of re-enforcing this has sunk in. I try to explain that we dont dress our babies nearly that warm, even in winter. But babies stay swaddled in 3 layers (usually fleece onsie, hat, swaddle blanket, flece blanket, and a towel-is pretty norm). Whenever I us wrap here to let her little arm and legs move around they all kinda look at me like I do not know how to take care of a baby...which is obvioulsy true bc I am 25 with no children which is VERY old here.
Hygiene. So we eat with our hands! Yet I have yet to see anyone wash their hands with soap! They bring out a little basin of water and everyone rinses their hands in it. They all think I am weird bc I carry hand sanitizer and hand soap around with me. But I wont lie I do not wash my hand nearly as much as I should be! I went from working in a hospital washing them CONSTANTLY to now barely. Also I work out of the clinic..nope. No hand washing! Once in a while I see someone use their hand sanitizer...but rarely. Also picking your nose, farting, burping in front of someone during convo totally normal and not rude at all here!
Also I know a lot of people have asked what i'd like in a care package! I will try to make a list of some good ideas and I will work on blogging about health care here and HIV/AIDS!
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