Some Questions Answered

My mom recently asked me some questions and I thought I'd answer them for
everyone.



"What are the bathroom facilities like in your "house"?

What kinds of food can you cook for yourself on a hotplate?

Are you going to feel lonely while there?

And how is it going with the malaria pills?"



So, bathroom facilities...First of all vocab-wise, there is no "bathroom".
It's only "toilet" and "shower". It's a little San Francisco like in that
we have one room for the toilet and one for the shower. The toilet does
work (when the water is on) and also has a sink that works (when the water
is on). I use that sink to wash my dishes as the kitchen sink is a basin
resting on an old student desk that drains into a bucket. However this
evening my toilet sink got clogged and I had to dismantle it and fish out
who knows how many years of gunk. Joy. I'm lucky I'm a MacGuyver type.

The shower is in another small room. It's cold water only (and naturally
the cold water handle is the one that is missing. The hot water one is
still there, it just doesn't do anything.I may fix that this weekend too.)
The floor is rotted out. I bought a bath mat so I wouldn't slip and break
my neck like I nearly did my first weekend.

Back to the toilet.there's no toilet paper holder, and even if there was
there are so many people in and out of my house that my TP would be gone in
a heartbeat. So every time I go I cart in my government-issued role. (I'm
allocated 2 rolls a week I think?)



Food.ya, food is going to be a problem. A pair of pants that fit me when I
left is hanging off of me now. The learners noticed me pulling them up and
I said that at home my boyfriend cooks for me. So here I'm losing weight.
Of course, the other teachers think I have HIV. Because that's the only
plausible reason a person would be losing weight. But, I digress..

So far I'm making a lot of egg sandwiches and pasta for dinner (no meat
though). I add tuna to the pasta for protein. For lunch I have PB&J. They
have miscellaneous cans of vegetables and sometimes meat mixes that I heat
up. But all in all, I'm at a loss. The kitchen is pretty disgusting to
realistically use. I kinda don't know what to do. I'm losing weight and
have a sort of nagging hunger feeling all the time. Granted I'm doing a lot
of running around and I'm sure burning a ton of calories. Next time I'll
buy the full fat butter instead of light. Figure I could use the calories.
Mom is sending protein bars. I'll also happily take teriyaki beef jerky if
anyone wants to send it. Ohhh, I know what I want, TJ oriental rice cracker
snack things.those wasabi peas and the green/red/brown twisty snacks? Love
me some of those. I bet no one is even reading this far.



Am I going to feel lonely.YES! The conversations I have here are very
limited. At least in Windhoek the level of English was good enough to
actually connect with people, like with my Thimbukushu tutor Angie. But
here, it's limited. There's a lot of nodding and smiling.



I'm reading a truckload. I just started my 4th book in as many weeks. I'm
going to blow through War & Peace.I just know it.



Malaria pills are going great! I told some of you, but the meds I'm on for
malaria double as anti-acne in the states. So my face is looking marvelous!
Plus I think the climate agrees with me. I haven't noticed any side effects
either.



Awight, that's it for that post. I'm going to attempt the free internet at
3 am here, so it's off to bed I go.



Please email me. Please call me, seriously, anytime.