
Saturday, December 27, 2008
Three Wells



(Trust me, there have been many days I would have done this if I had a place to!)



brush teeth and make their own fun streetside.
Normal with a Twist



Stray dogs (and dogs who HAVE owners but roam the streets anyway) are very common. Yeah, I didn't think there would be too many pets because they are eaten
(NOT a rumor! The restaurants on one street in town specialize in both dog and cat!)
This pup was a bit unique in that A) He was cute and B)He followed Emmy for blocks.
She really wanted to find out who owned him and buy him! We would love to get our girls a dog - for protection, play, and just the sheer affection - but they are VERY expensive!
Two more things that are very common - clothes and meat hung out to sun.

(Another use for the sidewalks!!)
However, it struck me to see them hanging together. It's not that it's necessarily uncommon, but it made me laugh to see the little baby split pants hanging with the sausage and the duck carcass.
The Random "Normal"
(really everyday clothing) about town!
Sidewalks are not so much for walking as for driving, putting cars on blocks, maintaining personal hygiene (or lack thereof), cooking, building things and expanding your workspace!
I actually took this one for my Daddy, though.
Oh, and I forgot -- outside every restaurant is a dishwashing station!
People generally hang out in front of their shops or those of their friends. Sidewalks also doubles as playground, ballfield, and study hall.

I actually took this one for my Daddy, though.


This pic is a little ABnormal because this Momma has a stroller. But the Coke Machine you may have noticed in the background is pretty standard. They're not actually refrigerated because they wouldn't waste the money on electricity and, besides, it gets cold enough at night that even on the warmest afternoons things stay lukewarm.
Saturday, December 6, 2008



More of Emma making tortillas in our wok. It has also been used to make pancakes, spaghetti sauce, pizza, and an imitation fettucini alfredo :)

This guy is on my way to the market. He makes rice noodles and the guy next to him boils them. All morning long... It's pretty neat, and their place is always packed. People eat the noodles covered in MSG and red pepper.

This is an interesting oven method at a local hotel restaurant, and we've seen it in several homes as well. There is a cinder box that she pulls out, stocks with sticks, and lights. Then she shoves it back in (feeding in more kindling as needed) to heat the tile oven inside. Because the ovens in the private homes are smaller, the cinder box is actually inside. There is a tiled platform in the middle of the kitchen, and on top is the oven with the cinder box at the bottom.
The Slimey Mystery Veggie and the Pilgrim Chefs



The Joy of Cooking...


Mmmmm.... snackies. Fried tofu, imitation (????) hot dogs, fried potatoes, and mystery meat on a stick. You see these vendors all over -- they come out in droves at night. They serve up all flavors of pretty molded tofu and several varieties of hot dog, reusing the oil indefinitely. We haven't ventrued to try any more since Matt gave them to the girls and Emma got really sick.

Here and There Shopping




Sunday, November 30, 2008
Just Another Day...
Today is just one example of the crazy days that keep on comin'! I cooked dinner for ten, spent the afternoon out practicing language and (bonus!) tracking down things like red paper I can use to wrap Christmas presents (and even BOWS!), made some new friends (one girl gave me her phone number... while I could only understand half of what she said to me, I was very excited!), got accousted by beggars, sent my husband off on a three-day trek, and took my three year old to the hospital for a broken arm. THAT was exciting.
At the hospital you pretty much have to do everything yourself, and if you don't ask, they don't tell you anything about the whole process. I was SO blessed that, while my husband was gone, I had an ex-paramedic, a nurse, and a grandma to help... all friends I've met here. The grandma stayed with the big girls (they were happy!) and the other two went with me. I took Laney (in her newspaper and duct tape splint) to the squatty in the dark (not the first time, but definitely more difficult with the arm to consider). She pottied on her jeans, which was extra gross considering I was carrying her like a baby... but that was nothing compared to lots of the things we saw. Families were wheeling their loved ones in and between buildings, smoking and holding the IV's up simultaneously. The hospital doesn't feed patients or many other things we would consider essential, but this was a nicer hospital -- it had sheets. One poor lady came hobbling out from a back X-ray to attempt to get on a gurney with no brakes (luckily my friends jumped up to steady her AND the cart...). Laney's "cast" is pretty flimsy, but I am thankful that at least the meds made her stop sobbing. The kid has a pretty high pain tolerance. I thought of my Aunt Laurie as Laney sang "Little Bunny Foo-Foo" at the top of her lungs while being casted. She was quite the attraction, in her "I Love NY" t-shirt, and I think every mobile patient and family member in the building was gathered in the hall watching.
Matt is in a hotel room on the mountain tonight with no electricity. He had a run-in with a rat in the bathroom, and I can't wait to hear the stories from his bus trip.
Yesterday we went searching for a Christmas tree all through town (no success - although we did find A tree, a Charlie Brown special for about $110). We met a guy on the bus with his hunting falcon. He was Mr. Tuff Guy and didn't seem very intersted in chatting at first, but we ended up cracking his shell and learning all about his bird and the process. Turns out the bird was the same age as Laney! (She thought that was pretty special and we had to take their picture together.) Matt got a little hurt pride when he said he'd like to go hunting sometime and the guy said he wouldn't be able to keep up with the bird ;)
We now have hot water! (Except when the electricity's out.) We are taking regular showers!
Thanks for holding us up another day!
At the hospital you pretty much have to do everything yourself, and if you don't ask, they don't tell you anything about the whole process. I was SO blessed that, while my husband was gone, I had an ex-paramedic, a nurse, and a grandma to help... all friends I've met here. The grandma stayed with the big girls (they were happy!) and the other two went with me. I took Laney (in her newspaper and duct tape splint) to the squatty in the dark (not the first time, but definitely more difficult with the arm to consider). She pottied on her jeans, which was extra gross considering I was carrying her like a baby... but that was nothing compared to lots of the things we saw. Families were wheeling their loved ones in and between buildings, smoking and holding the IV's up simultaneously. The hospital doesn't feed patients or many other things we would consider essential, but this was a nicer hospital -- it had sheets. One poor lady came hobbling out from a back X-ray to attempt to get on a gurney with no brakes (luckily my friends jumped up to steady her AND the cart...). Laney's "cast" is pretty flimsy, but I am thankful that at least the meds made her stop sobbing. The kid has a pretty high pain tolerance. I thought of my Aunt Laurie as Laney sang "Little Bunny Foo-Foo" at the top of her lungs while being casted. She was quite the attraction, in her "I Love NY" t-shirt, and I think every mobile patient and family member in the building was gathered in the hall watching.
Matt is in a hotel room on the mountain tonight with no electricity. He had a run-in with a rat in the bathroom, and I can't wait to hear the stories from his bus trip.
Yesterday we went searching for a Christmas tree all through town (no success - although we did find A tree, a Charlie Brown special for about $110). We met a guy on the bus with his hunting falcon. He was Mr. Tuff Guy and didn't seem very intersted in chatting at first, but we ended up cracking his shell and learning all about his bird and the process. Turns out the bird was the same age as Laney! (She thought that was pretty special and we had to take their picture together.) Matt got a little hurt pride when he said he'd like to go hunting sometime and the guy said he wouldn't be able to keep up with the bird ;)
We now have hot water! (Except when the electricity's out.) We are taking regular showers!
Thanks for holding us up another day!
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
Happy Thanksgiving!

Since it is 2am here, I've got to sign off for now -- check back for captions, stories, and LOTS more pictures! Since everyone is interested in the food, I've given you a taste of the local flavor! (And yes, we are all relatively healthy and well -- don't worry about Matt and the van that hit him!)
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