Thursday 12 November 2009

You want photos? You got em!

** Please click on a photo to view it Full Size and appreciate all the detail. If you are viewing this through the actual Blog & not via an email update, the photo will open in a separate window. If this is an email update, you might have to follow the actual link to my Blog first in order to see the pics [the link is at the END of the email, mommy]. Sorry guys, but I have to do it this way in order to save time at my end & try to beat the power cuts! Thanks to Lu for the top tip! **

Bah! I have been working my way backwards so that you get the newest pics last and now I have run out of time! More to follow soon .......


Below: This was the boy I was telling you about last week - the one who was carrying so much animal feed that he crashed right into our tree before galloping across our compound in embarassment LOL So funny!!


Inside our mud hut kitchen - Florence does all the cooking in a few pots and always using locally collected firewood. This has run out and there is none dry because of the rain, so yesterday she had to break up one of the wooden ladders and use that to cook the dinner. It's all about survival here.


Me cooking posho in the kitchen with Florence


Danny looking at his reflection in a broken bike bell (not staged)


Danny modeling his newly donated My Dad Is Mr Strong t-shirt - he wears it practically every day, definitely his favourite!


Possibly my favourite photo so far. Little Danny at breakfast time holding a jar of coffee made here in Uganda which delivers a strong message ..... a message which is becoming more clear to me every hour. And yes, I totally staged this photo but it was worth it for the shot!


Some of the children waiting in line for their porridge at lunchtime. They are waving their porridge cups at me :-)


Some P6 girls playing "jump" at breaktime. They play with long bits of bicycle elastic tied together to form a large circle which they loop around the waist of a girl at either end. The girl in the middle then does all sorts of different types of jumps, hooking the elastic with her feet until it forms different shapes. Like Cats Cradle, but with your feet!!


Mr Johnson teaching Social Studies to Class P6. The children are always sooo eager to get their books marked that they all hound you, waving their books under your nose - this photo was not staged, it's completely natural. I just love their enthusiasm!


Me with Princess Winnie


Dirty feet after walking home from the school after a rainfall. If we have to come all the way from the main road after a major storm, we can no longer see our feet ... it's just thick mud up to our ankles.


Jitka and I in our traditional African dresses and eating with our head torches on (which we do every night as there is no power in the house, obviously). It's quite cozy actually! Miss you Jitka!!


An African "restaurant" in Bujagali after church. Jitka and I took John, Winnie and Dayyn and we had a chapati and soda each. Somehow, before we stepped in through the corrogated iron "door", we guessed this was definitely a 'no frills' kind of restaurant ... lol


Jitka left us some plasticine so I made an elephant and stuck him on the wall. The kids loved him (he is now 'dead', having been poked so much by the kids). Here are Charlie and David admiring my fresh handiwork :-)


Danny modeling Jitka's baseball cap. Seriously tho, he probably could go to Harvard ... and he's only 4! Ridiculously smart & cute kid (don't worry Mike, I'm not bringing him home as your new brother ...). Aaaghhh, I just want to eat him up! Adorable!


A lot of kids walk around like this here. It's so cute.


A chapati man who trades near the Soft Power clinic. Yummy!!! You can have a chapati on its own for 200 UGS, filled with banana & honey for 600 UGS or order a 'Rolex' which is filled with veggies and/or meat from 1,000 UGS.


These types of signs are everywhere in this part of Uganda. Bizarre. They are all about sex and are all quite random ...


Below is me at Bujagali. I know, I talk about it so often you'd think there was more to it, huh? So behind me is the gated entrance to the Falls. You are meant to pay 3,000 UGS at this point and you can then go to In DeNile cafe also, but I don't have to pay because "I'm with Moses". To the left is the entrance to the campsite where we take advantage of their facilities (hehehe), and to the right (and left also) are a few shops and ready-to-pounce boda men who may or may not rip you off, depending on their mood.


Sneaking into the campsite .... shhhh


Beauty spot inside the campsite, looking out over the River Nile - the perfect spot to 'clear your mind'


Eye candy for me and Jess at The Black Lantern


Dancing at the party with no make-up and my wellies just out of sight under the table. Thanks for the free party, Soft Power *hic*


Doing laundry using just two bowls and a canister of rainwater - a Sunday ritual which leaves you with blisters and, in my case, septic knuckles *groan*


Super cute Danny sporting Jess's new hairband - what a little dude, eh?


At 'In DeNile Cafe' in Bujagali with the Owino kids (L to R: Lydia, Issac, Winnie, John, Danny) drinking mango/banana smoothies and playing dominoes while the sun set


At the barber shop with Issac (seated in barber chair), Winnie and Danny


Carrying a heavy and very muddy bundle of beans helped by Charlie (left) and our new family member, Uboo (right)


The beautiful 'swirly' pink and red beans


Looking for wet bean pods (L to R): A relative, Florence, Lydia, me. This was about 1/4 of the area we were searching ...


My pretty 'Owino Beans' necklace :-) ... I never knew I was so talented, ha!


Local kids playing in coffee beans drying in the sun


Gotta run!!! Next time, I promise to post pics of the bugs that I ate (and of me eating them!), and of the shoes and clothes being handed out at the school and to the local babies. I forgot that they were on a totally different SD card but I will bring that with me next time. Hope these are enough to be going on with, and I hope you all like them! :-) x

4 comments:

  1. I love the photo update-the children are so beautiful. As are you, inside and out! You are doing great babe xx

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  2. Brilliant! It's great to see you having so much fun and you are certainly rekindling my memories of this intriguing country.
    Keep up the good work.

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  3. Fab Fab Fab!

    I love the pictures! Please bring Danny home! Gorgeous!

    Such fab fab memories really brilliant!

    Keep it up - You CAN do this x

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  4. Lovely pictures, Steph! Lu xx

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