Laundry Daze

Marie doing laundry
Ugandan Style Feb 2007

Dear Friends March 14, 2007

My dear friend and lifetime mentor, Dr. Gladys McGarey , showed me how the woman in India dealt with wearing “skirts” for every activity, even washing clothes. So, I tried it and it worked! One more skill to add to my resume,
Actually this photo was taken at Diana’s residence in Nycabale, some 6 hours away from me, but I wanted to show you all that, indeed, you can teach old dogs new tricks-ha.
Now I have Grace, a lovely young woman, as my helper and that included doing my laundry, except our underwear, which is considered too personal for others to wash. And must not be hung on the line. So Diana invented a cover to put over our unmentionables and now they join the rest of the clothes on the clothesline-smile.,
Well monday morning Grace informed me she indeed had brought the chicken. I knew it was not going to look like a store bought chicken but was I ever surprised to find it was ALIVE!
I ask Grace who was to end its life as she had said she couldn’t do it and sure as “Church’s Chicken” it wouldn’t be me. Seems she got a neighbor to do,the deed while I was out and when I returned Grace was cooking it in a pot outside on a small grill.
I wish I could say it was worth taking a life but truly I need to ask the chickens forgiveness because without hormones to plump it up, it was small and tough
Even though there are slabs of beef hung up in town(this is cattle country) I’ve heard it is not too safe for us wimpy Americans, So I am not yet sure what my major source of protein will be besides the eggs which are very good with huge yolks.
Language lessons are sometimes fun, sometimes frustrating but always happen. My tutor, Everest arrives promptly at 4pm daily and never leaves before 5:30pm, no matter how much I complain-ha.
Did I tell you about him? He is an older man who is caring for the 7 grandchildren left from the deaths of his children from AIDS. He is a retired primary school teacher who now works at the Public Health Dept.(where I work) as an HIV-AIDS counsellor…
Last sat I attended “Orphans Day” at the hospital. Each sat the orphaned children of parents who have died from AIDS(some 80 children from age 5 yrs to 16 years), come for the day for food, fun and some learning. I helped feed them breakfast, a porridge of millet that you could drink. Must taste good as refills were in order.
I felt like breaking out in “It’s a hard knock life for us” from Annie, but controlled myself. Then Everest gave them a health lesson on Cholera, which apparently has found it’s way back after an absence of several years.
Then fun and games and lunch(don’t know what the fare was as I was taken on a tour of the local lake) followed by sewing lessons. I was surprised to see as many boys sewing as girls, pleasantly so..
I did not feel comfortable about taking photo’s but will at a later date. Orphan’s Day will be one of my regular days of work.
This weekend I will move into my own home, I can’t wait. The guest house is nice but too big and impersonal. Just today they were installing the hot water heater. It is embarrassing that we Americans need so much more than the Ugandian people just to survive. Sometimes I feel like the message I am sending is “OK give me a home with a flush toilet, hot water shower , a refrig and stove and I’ll show you how much I’ll help”
A bit cynical but true. Hopefully God has a plan for me that is not yet apparent , as for now I seem to be giving little and taking much.
More soon
Marie.