Life is the Foreign Service is difficult, at times! In each place I live I am learning to embrace and enjoy certain things. Here in Bamako there are several things I really am thrilled with. First, I broke my sunglasses the other day and when I got in the car to drive to the store I had none with me. I have to wear sunglasses, even on overcast days. I do not like to squint! It took me exactly two minutes to get a new pair. That is record time even per American standards! There are many of these roadside sunglasses vendors along several routes near my home. We stopped, I picked out a pair, I asked how much and paid the whopping price of 4 US dollars in minutes. Do all things in Mali happen this fast and conveniently, in a word NO! That is why a victory like this is so sweet :)
Secondly, is that showers here are right in the middle of the bathroom, not enclosed at all. First, I thought this would be a problem with kids, but now I see the blessing it is! Everything in Mali is covered with red dirt. The kids remain clean only after showering if they go immediately to bed afterwards. Life is dirty, and African life is rarely clean. I can have all five kids shower in our bathroom shower while rotating in one or two and rotating out they others when they are complete.
We have tried to bathe them, but we NEVER have more than enough warm water to fill up the bathtub more than once. Add to that the water in the tub after the first child bathes is disgusting, that means by the time the fifth enters, either the water is clean and cold or warmer and filthy.
The shower removes all the dirt individually and effectively most days. I also like that after years of bending over MANY bathtubs, I can stand up and assist as they shower.
Lastly, I love my consumables shipment! Without this special shipment and our DPO (diplomatic post office) my life would be much more difficult. We just received a large consumable shipment that I purchased back in December in Michigan. Yahoo!!!! All the goodness of the U.S. :)
