African skies
I mentioned the sunsets recently, here is one for you to enjoy. It looked even better in real life.
Last night I went to visit the college secretary who gave birth to a beautiful new daughter on Tuesday. I held baby Eukeria (named after Sr. Eukeria, her sister is called Euphemia) for over an hour and she slept peacefully. Some ladies came to visit; friends of the secretary. One had had her home broken into on Tuesday. I found out only after they left, as the conversation had been in Kikamba, that the thieves had used large bolt-croppers to cut through the bars that all homes here have in their windows, and entered their home. As the story was related to me, when the family discovered the intruders they opened the door and told the thieves to take what they wanted r\in return for their own security. This is, clearly, the approved course of action; I’m not sure I would be calm enough to act so sensibly.
The new baby’s father walked me back to my home with his torch as there was a power-cut at the time. The moon was over half full (!) but hiding behind clouds that made it slightly harder to see where the path enede and the water-filled quarry pits begin and there is danger of ending up in the drink (drinking not advised). On the way he told me that a common reason for power-outages in Kenya is because someone has stolen the overhead electrical transmission wires. Telephone lines, he said, were often taken to use as washing lines.
At the college compound we had to wait for my friend Simon, the night watch-man, to come and unlock the gate. I felt very grateful to him for being there, with his bow and arrows and ex-military grate-coat.
I re-heated lentil and cabbage stew on the gas-stove wearing my Petzl. The great thing about my head-lamp is that it shiines where I’m looking. The bad thing about it is that the sole source of light, to which all the moths and mosquitos are attracted, is just above my face!
Raj Says:
Yes there is a similar roblem with fire-optic cables - people dig them up to make lampshades and souveniers for the tourists - this is why a lot of telecoms networks in africa/asia use microwave relays - more expensive to buy, but immune to people digging up the infrastructure (sorry I’ll take my telecoms hat off now).
I’d like to know what a bold cropper is though, is it some sort of tablet washing powder, or something used by people who don’t have hair ?
I love the sunset picture though, reminds me of our honeymoon - we got up extra early one morning to watch the sunrise over Ngoro-Ngoro in Tanzania !
April 30th, 2004 at 12:43 pmFede Says:
Wow..
thats’ gorgeous…I wish you could see what im looking at now, london, the river, you’d be laughing so disgustingly wintery it is…
Enjoy!
April 30th, 2004 at 7:58 pmxxxx :confused:
Jan Says:
:O Hi I am a sucker for sunsets and yes that one was good and her do you still want computors for the cafe ?/ as there are some at the practice and we can get them to you if you give us deatils of what you need ?? love sis !xx
May 3rd, 2004 at 1:07 pm