Toddler Years?

Well, I figured I've waited long enough, but it seems hard to write.  There is so much I could write about, many experiences, many thoughts, many changes in perspective, many sights/sounds/smells, but where do I start and what would be meaningful or relatable? 

I guess I'll just start and see what happens...

Moving here for me has a bit been like reverting to being a toddler, so much to learn!  Things that I used to be good at or could do without thinking are difficult or impossible.  There is a huge learning curve.  Of course Mark is in his element and soaking it all in, for which I am definitely thankful.  But let me give an example: driving.  I can certainly handle driving straight on the left-hand side of the road, but throw in a round-a-bout and it requires extreme concentration.  Passing here is quite different.  Even if there is a double line, if a car is going slow in front of you, it will move over to the shoulder so you can pass - even if there is a car coming toward you.  Really?  So you pass, put on your hazard lights to say thanks and they flash their lights to say your welcome.  Then there is electricity.  I had a power outage last week for 2 hours, just thought we had no power.  Come to find out, our electricity is "pay-as-you-go" (we have a meter in our dining room), and we have to purchase the electricity in town 30 minutes away, then punch in a code on the receipt into that cute little box.  Let me just say the process was not as easy as all that sounded!  It's not as easy as picking up the phone or going onto a website.  And, I'm still learning how to dial phone numbers here.   (Let me input here how thankful I am that I have electricity and use of a car and a phone.  Those are luxuries here and I don't mean to sound trite about it.  Just trying to give perspective.)

Then of course another example is cultural differences.  This is a "biggie" and I am finding it hard to put into words.  Unless you walk the streets and see these things for yourselves you cannot fully appreciate the differences.  So, I'm hoping to give you a little flavor of it from a fellow blogger, serving here in Swaziland also.  Though I've never met him (he has no affiiliation with Heart for Africa) he has been serving here and is due to return to the States in the next month or so.  This was taken from his blog....

"One of the newspapers here conducts online polls. To be clear, only about 200-1000 people answer these polls, and the sample is definitely skewed, so please don't take this to be authoritative. But I do think that the polls provide an interesting insight into how people think here. So I'll post some of the results that I think you will find most interesting. One of the most difficult things to do when reading these is to refrain from answering them ourselves. I'm not putting this up as a referendum on Swazi culture or the beliefs of people here, just an insight."

Swaziland's army is about 3,000 strong and is mainly used to quell protests.

A few years ago, there was a serious controversy because the kombi drivers raped a woman who was wearing a miniskirt and significant portions of the population didn't think it was wrong.

These kinds of stories are often in the news.

This probably explains why there is no real sex education going on in Swazi schools.

Enough for now....Cameron, Bailey and I pulled an all-nighter last night at the Baby Home.  We were filling in for the night shift 7p-7a shift.  Now I know how "Octomom" feels!  We were up feeding, changing, consoling, patting, and replacing paci's several times every hour.  When you have 8 in one room, you don't want them to cry, so you are listening for any noise that might wake the other 7.  Two of the babies are HIV+, and their medicine tends to make them have more intestinal issues.  So, of course they were up needing major diaper changes!  Of course, that only woke them up completely!  The youngest baby, only 4 weeks old is colicky, and 3 of them have colds with a cough and congestion etc...  of course, formula and laying in a crib, doesn't help matters.  Nonetheless, got home at 7:30am, got up at 12:30pm and I feel like I've been run-over by a Mac truck.  I don't know how the normal caregivers do it!  I really don't.   I couldn't have done it without Bailey and Cam - and there is just typically one caregiver vs 3 of us!  But regardless,  I'm heading to the couch!