Wordless Wednesday

Work-Cation

So last week, I took what I am terming a 'work-cation'. It all started with the need to redo the sewer pipe system in my yard. As my colleague Daniel has said in regards to my frequent water drainage issues: ''The root of your problem . . . is roots!!"

Yes, the trees planted alongside my house search all possible water sources - and the roots of said trees grow into what I believed to be the entrance of the pipes from each collecting point (square hole) along the pipe line.

As you can see from photos below, the problem is along the whole pipe line and not just at the entry points . . .

So, as the plumber estimated it would take 3 days to replace the system with new pipes - and during said time I would be without toilets and showers - I decided to move into a guest house in town. I figured it would likely take more than the estimated time and so I booked for 3 nights at the guest house.

Thus the 'work-cation": I was still working. But the 'cation' came in that I was away from home and all the ensuing 'obligations'. (Though, I have to say, this part of my plan 'failed', for the few times I zipped in and out for clothes and money, my employees in the vicinity still managed to find me and ask me for money!)

Be that as it may, I had the feeling of being away and the joy of not having to cook for myself (beyond the reheating of pizza and cinnamon rolls purchased from the guest house freezer). It was a wonderful break.

Surprisingly, the plumber was finished in record time - and faster than he estimated! I was surprised that he finished the work in 1.5 days. However, as I was already booked at the guest house, I decided to stay and enjoy the 'cation' part of my working week!

Work in progress:

New pipe waiting to be placed in the ground:

You may ask if the plumbing issues are normal here. I cannot say for every house - though mine seems to have an inordinate amount of trees in the courtyard, and thus I think I need the plumber more often to powder burn out the tree roots - but I can say that I guess in the desert, the trees will grow roots where they must in search of the little water available:

At one point last year, the plumber came to fix a toilet. I thought he mentioned that we needed to let the 'declogging' powder sit awhile in the toilet. I misunderstood him and a few minutes later, as I sat calmly working at my desk, the plumber walked by carrying my toilet!! After some discussion and a few repeats of sentences, I learned that the tree in the courtyard next to my house was growing roots under the wall, up through the sewer pipes and into my toilet!

Wordless Wednesday

Labour Day

Such an odd title for a holiday . . . and thus an odd, but also appropriate title for my blog. It seems that I have not much to tell these days - due to my ceaseless labour in the office these last 3 weeks to help prepare the 2011 budget, finish the July and August accounting, and my evenings studying Fulfulde - I have not been out and about visiting much. Thus, a sad feeling that I do not have many stories to share. Today though, I had the 'brilliant' idea to share of a holiday day spent in Niamey.

I did take my labour day holiday - actually on the Wednesday, as the Monday I laboured on the budget. . .

However, I did a few interesting things that I have been waiting awhile to do:

After sleeping in and a nice lunch at the American Rec Centre, Rebecca and I headed to the river to take pictures.

The squash boats are in from Mali!! Once a year, these huge wooden canoe boats arrive from upriver in Mali and bring us fresh squash of every variety!! Some resemble pumpkin and some little spaghetti squash. But, I always love seeing the huge boats and eating fresh squash!

Alas, the day I went, there was only one such large boat and just the other day I saw 5-6 all lined up on the banks. I will have to try another year to get a picture of a larger group of canoes.

Another picture that I have waited a while to take is the laundry area. Yes, in this dirty river are many launderers and laundresses . . . and the clothes and rugs all dry over the bridge railing or on the sandy banks!

I always wonder how clean they actually get in all that dirty water and then dried on dirt!!

I also wanted to take pictures of the river, which is currently flooding from a dam break in Burkina Faso - on a tributary which feeds into The Niger.

When the river peaked after the dam break, the river overflowed its banks - wiping out houses, fields and gardens. It was the highest the locals have seen in over 15 years! The river has receeded some, however, the river will not reach its normal peak until December-January. The river is still higher than I have seen in the last two years and the river still awaits the rainy season drain-off from Mali. I am sure that the situation will not rectify any time soon. The SAHEL International School on the river banks - where ex-pat children attend - is shoring up their dike in an effort to help contain or avert flooding of their campus.

It is bizarre to think that in parts of this country there is famine due to lack of rain and in other parts there is flooding!

After our photo taking, Rebecca and I headed further downtown for a special treat - soft ice cream!! There is an international trades fair in town, which normally means that a vendor has brought a soft ice cream machine. Such a treat!! For a few hundred francs on a hot day we enjoyed this special cup of vanilla & strawberry swirl.

Wordless Wednesday: Locust

Wordless Wednesday: Kodieri Villagers

What Was That You Said??

Throughout August and into September, the grain aid program along with health teaching and moral teaching continues out in the village area of Kongu.

Lesson 3 in August covered home care and hospital care:

• when and how to care for those with diarrhea at home
• when it is necessary to go to the hospital

Lesson 4 in September is to wrap up the whole teaching, how to avoid having diarrhea:

• clean people

• clean homes
• clean food
• clean water

Two weeks ago, as I wrapped up lesson 4, a few new young men entered the concession and the teaching session. They sat down on the mats to join in. After I finished the story on Noah – before I could even get to the questions, which are meant to draw out the meaning of the story – one of the new guys asked about the story.

What was that You Said??

The guy sitting next to him told him again the highlights of the story and then told him the meaning of the rainbow – that it shows God’s covenant with all people to never flood the earth again.

Then they gave him the health booklet and explained to him all the teachings of the last four months – page by page, picture by picture . . . until he understood it all! They explained how our bodies leak water when we are sick. They taught him how to make the Oral Rehydration Solution with water, sugar and salt. They explained to him when to take someone sick to the hospital and how to treat them at home.

Blog Photos: Courtesy of Lisa Rohrick

Wordless Wednesday