Sunday, June 27, 2010
Wednesday, June 9, 2010
Miss Moneybags
Never before have I ridden my bike so much, nor spent so much money in such a short span of time as in these past few weeks. Since the money came in for the two projects, there hasn't been a 3-day period when I didn't go to Kolda, to meet up with Tumani to buy materials, or to buy things for our community garden, get receipts, etc. It was pretty fun, and very exhausting. But worth it, because now our village has an enviable garden, and Tumani's project is well off the ground and back in Shames' hands (as of today - he just got back to Senegal a few days ago).
I also finally held the belated permagarden training in our newly fenced garden, so it was probably a good thing I didn't try to do it somewhere else earlier. It was very chaotic, because we had around 40 villagers come, but now my plot in the garden is made into a pretty little permagarden. I also paid for lunch for essentially the entire village, and they were ecstatic. They can't stop thanking me, for lunch and for the garden fence. (They seem to tie for importance in their minds.)
The 15th, I think it was, was Ellie's birthday, so I threw her a birthday party of sorts in the village. She invited her friends, and I bought lunch and candy and soda. (They don't normally celebrate birthdays here, or even know when they are.)
I'm in Kolda for a few days now, trying to do my grant follow-up report and get some other things done. I've been a little sick the past few days, but feeling fine now.
Oh! How could I forget to mention - it has now rained twice in Sare Fode. Both times were quite stormy, with fast winds, thunder and lightning. My Nene is pretty scared of the wind, and also covers everything metal in the rooms with cloth, to keep away the lightning. She made me turn off my cell phone, and wouldn't let us turn on flashlights for very long either. My backyard fence fell down both times it stormed, and my bed got a little wet the first time, and then absolutely soaked the second time. I need to buy a new tarp to hang above my bed.
I also finally held the belated permagarden training in our newly fenced garden, so it was probably a good thing I didn't try to do it somewhere else earlier. It was very chaotic, because we had around 40 villagers come, but now my plot in the garden is made into a pretty little permagarden. I also paid for lunch for essentially the entire village, and they were ecstatic. They can't stop thanking me, for lunch and for the garden fence. (They seem to tie for importance in their minds.)
The 15th, I think it was, was Ellie's birthday, so I threw her a birthday party of sorts in the village. She invited her friends, and I bought lunch and candy and soda. (They don't normally celebrate birthdays here, or even know when they are.)
I'm in Kolda for a few days now, trying to do my grant follow-up report and get some other things done. I've been a little sick the past few days, but feeling fine now.
Oh! How could I forget to mention - it has now rained twice in Sare Fode. Both times were quite stormy, with fast winds, thunder and lightning. My Nene is pretty scared of the wind, and also covers everything metal in the rooms with cloth, to keep away the lightning. She made me turn off my cell phone, and wouldn't let us turn on flashlights for very long either. My backyard fence fell down both times it stormed, and my bed got a little wet the first time, and then absolutely soaked the second time. I need to buy a new tarp to hang above my bed.
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