I’m never going to complain about having to do laundry again! I did my laundry for the first time today with the help of some Ugandan women in my hall. What a chore! We have to wash all our clothes by hand. It’s such a bummer because our clothes get about 10x’s more dirty here because of all the dirt and such… but then they also get about 10x’s LESS clean because of hand washing. According to the Ugandans, we are awful at washing our clothes. They let the clothes soak over night, then scrub each article on their knuckles, then wash it again, then rinse it about 3 times all with different buckets full of water. We do it outside in buckets because letting water run is wasteful. So after washing and rinsing thousands of times, we ring everything out and hang in on the line.
But it doesn’t end there. Beside the fact that our clothes are perpetually stretched out and very crispy from drying on the line, we also need to iron all our clothes. This is partially to look clean and nice, but it also to kill bugs. Yes bugs. There’s this silly fly called the Mango fly that can lay its eggs in your clothes. So to kill the larva and prevent them from crawling into your skin as you wear your clothes, we must also iron.
So since I have about zero mom skills and suck at being a girl, this is proving to be slightly challenging. I guess when I come home though, I will have a much greater appreciation for the appliances of the U.S!
12 comments:
OMG thats crazy!!! Have fun ironing...what do you even use to iron with??? A stick?? A humogous cricket maybe??? Whatever you use iron good with it... you don't want bugs in your clothes. Yuck!
I <33 You!!
Luv lots,
BeccaaaaBeck
Oh Kathryn, you are too funny. Reading your blog is the highlight of my day(I know, I know, I live a boring life, but I get to live adventures through you!) You are the female version of Garrison Kiellor(not sure if that is how you spell his name but he is a phenomanal story teller, again I digress, sorry) I thank God everyday for computers so we can keep in touch with you. Even though most days it is a love/hate relationship with my computer. Love you, Aunt Doreen
I would iron my underwear twice...
I think Uncle Jim said all that is important here.
Being a woman in America is certainly much easier than being a woman in the rest of the world. In my younger days I would go to the Lord belly-aching about things that I felt were unfair. Today, having some age and maturity (although limited) behind me I do not engage in such behavior. To be born a woman in America is nothing short of a blessing. And I try to thank God every day for that blessing.
Olya says the irons in Russia are much heavier than the irons in America. Are you finding that true in Uganda as well. Of course, you could only comment on that if you actually ironed in America.
Hey Kate, I don't think you suck as a girl. You had the girl thing down pat when I called you aunt Snot Face on the beach that day and I did detect a tear or two when we watched Titanic together. Are the irons at least electric or are they those heavy cast iron things that you have to leave in the fire to get hot like they do on Little House on the Prairie?
I had to wash my clothes by hand my first few trips to Russia too. Never had to worry about killing bugs with an iron though.
Little House on the Prairie is what are country used to be like. No phones, no electricity, no TV's and heavy irons that you had to stick in the fire.
Kiss for you, Becky
You know, speaking of Little House on the prairie, and the old fashion things like bath tubs...Oh yeah, that is the Waltons...that's right. I have the wrong show.
Anyway...on the subject of old bath tubs...a subject I brought up that had absolutely nothing to do with anything here...I found a picture of an old fashion tub in the Rag Shop. I had it in my hand to buy for my bathroom so that I could get the lecture every time Ben visited. You know, I put the darn thing down. Surprisingly it wasn't because I dreaded the lecture but rather because I am cheap. When I arrived at the register I found that it was $20.00. Boy...the price actually was more of a deterent than the thought of the lecture...go figure.
All I could think is how Katie could buy about 160 cokes in Uganda for that price. And here in America I would only be buying a picture that would bring me hours of regrettable lecturing by my favorite brother...(Of course Ben wouldn't regret lecturing...I would only regret having to hear it. So maybe I phrased that wrong.)
Oh, sorry Jim. I didn't mean to hurt your feelings that way. After all, you are my favorite youngest brother...
Hope you don't find any West Nile mosquitos in your cloths. They're worst then hornets.
DAn your cousin
At least you don't have to worry about that arctic weather.
"No phone, no lights, no motorcar, not a single luxury/ Like Robinson Crusoe, it's primitive as can be...."
Is the toilet paper (assuming you have any) like the Russian tp my dad used right after the Soviet Union collapsed? It was like the coarse brown paper towels you find in gas station bathrooms.
Post a Comment