Today on our day off, I found myself up earlier than normal (at least on our days off!) around 8:30. I actually got eight hours of sleep for the past two nights, so maybe that means my body is adjusting! I found that I was having a bad reaction to the malaria medication I am on, so I am trying to skip this week of meds to see if it helps. So far I have been able to sleep a bit better, been less anxious, among other things, so I'm hoping a switch in meds will help me feel better.
This morning I had my first experience washing laundry by hand. Every day it seems Lesley and I have moments where we realized just how SPOILED we are as Canadians! Who knew laundry could actually be so much work? Belinda assisted .... or rather tried to teach me in between her laughing ... how to wash everything by hand. She filled three big basins of water, the first was for the first wash, the second bowl for the second wash, and the third for rinsing. According to her I couldn't get the technique right and she quickly took over (although I kept trying). To me I suppose it doesn't matter how much it's scrubbed, as long as it gets some soap in it, but not according to her! I think my clothes will be quite worn out by the time I return, since putting each piece of laundry in each bowl meant that there was a lot of soap residue. It's so interesting, that this to them is completely normal and they know no different. But here I am, sitting by a big basin in the backyard, thinking about how much washing machines save time. Can you imagine our grandparents and great-grandparents and the amount of time they must have spent washing a family's worth of laundry? I can't even imagine!
Anyways, after my catastrophe of doing laundry, this afternoon Lesley and I made our way down to the market for the first time by ourselves. On the walk there I was able to talk to Shelby for a few quick minutes - it was too quick though, and made me miss home quite desperately! But I try to think how blessed I am to even just have a phone to communicate home with, even if it doesn't seem like enough or as long as I'd like to chat. We stopped at the bank quickly, then wandered into a few shops for some odds and ends we were searching for. I think it was nice for both of us to go out on our own, without Belinda or Mary, because it made me feel a bit more confident being in a new place on my own. But as we walked along the streets, with shouts of "obruni!" following us, I had to wonder if I'd ever get used to the attention we receive simply for being white and foreign. It doesn't seem fair to me that their kindness extends to me just because I am different; and it makes me think about the way I treat others moving to my country. It also makes me think with sadness the way our ancestors treated those moving to a new country; it's hard enough being unable to speak the language and communicate, knowing how to interact or understanding the cultural customs, but to be ignored or rejected must have been incredibly hard. It's hard enough being in a new place and being welcomed; I can't imagine the difficulty of being in a new country and being treated as if you are unwanted.
We are busy ironing out weekend plans as the new interns, Lauren and Kylie, move in to Asamankese tomorrow night. It's one of our last chances for a four day weekend before we start full five-day school weeks. We'll see how that goes!
Lots of love,
Angie
No comments:
Post a Comment