July 18 2009 Tortola

[jfis1020]

We are going to our health club this afternoon. I'm going to go swimming with DS and try out my new Olympus water resistant camera! I need to practice with it before we go on vacation!!

I am NOT going to ask what you propose to photograph!!!
Sorry, it's my sick humor...........

 

[3princessMommy]

at the rate we are going today, there's going to be another "Pirate race"!!!

I was just saying the SAME thing!!!!!

 

[jlawall]

Is anyone on Facebook?

Yes, friend me....joann hopf lawall (but tell me your name first!)

 

[mickeymo]

So Aaron and Joanne,

We know you miss cheese and won't miss the heat, what will you miss when you leave Burkina Faso?

 

[3princessMommy]

Those pictures were amazing!!!!!!!

John - are you lurking today??? Did you see?? A MANGO TREE!!!! What would we give for one of THOSE in our backyard!!!!!!!!!! But, I wouldn't want to interfear with one of those bats hanging there!

The bats are really harmless. I don't think that they even notice when we cut the mangos down. They are really high up and we can't get that high to cut the fruit.

The geckos are great! They eat mosquitos! We like them very much!

 

[3princessMommy]

Yes, friend me....joann hopf lawall (but tell me your name first!)

I'm there too!

 

[jlawall]

We may be new to the DISboards, but the DISNEY MAGIC is very much alive!!
Besides, this will be our first cruise as CCM!!!

Congrats Lori on the CCM!

Well, I'm off...wish me luck!

Ok, help me out.....CCM?? I know the last part means....cast member.......first part celebration? castaway? cruise? Here we go again (I'll go the salon and get some blonde highlights..)

 

[jlawall]

Well, I'm off...wish me luck!

Brings back memories of when the girls were leaning to drive. Because I was so nervous they preferred DH. Also, it looked funny when I was sitting in the back like they were my driver [/QUOTE]

There's something worse than teaching your kids to drive.........BFs!! (when you don't like them, when you do, they're great!)Right now, we like them!

 

[jlawall]

Alright, you asked for it...

This is looking up into one of our mango trees.

I'll find some more later if you're interested.

OMG!!!Are you crazy???How do you do that??? I just got chills..........one of my bigger fears is BATS! You must both be amazing people!!!!BTW, thx for the pics!

 

[lwilliam]

Ok, help me out.....CCM?? I know the last part means....cast member.......first part celebration? castaway? cruise? Here we go again (I'll go the salon and get some blonde highlights..)

I think it means Castaway Cay Member???

Those pictures are awesome - thank you so much for taking the time. Those scary little critters.....I'm not coming for a visit - count me out!

 

[jlawall]

Alright, you asked for it...
This is at night in our garden.

I'll find some more later if you're interested.

I like this one!!

 

[3princessMommy]

So Aaron and Joanne,

We know you miss cheese and won't miss the heat, what will you miss when you leave Burkina Faso?

Hmmmm...

1) the people - we have made some WONDERFUL friends here. My colleagues at the Embassy, our friends from church, the girls' friends from school, our household staff. They will all be very hard to say good-bye to. Also the Burkinabè are some of the warmest people you'll find anywhere!

2) the house - Normally housing is okay - I mean the price is right, it's free - but normally it's not exactly what you'd pick out on your own. That said, I love this house. It has wonderful space for the children, a great kitchen, and ample storage. There's no guarantee that the house we'll get in Uganda will be half as nice for us.

3) the school - I'm on the board, I know all the teachers. My kids love their classes and the small, supportive environment encouraged our oldest daughter to start speaking in public. I will be forever grateful for it.

4) the commute - our house is 5 minutes from the Embassy!

5) the pool - it's nice to have when it gets really hot and DH really likes to take the girls swimming. We won't have a pool in Uganda, so I'm sure we'll miss that.

6) the American CUltural Center - New security rules have moved all cultural centers into hard-line embassies. There are certainly pros to this approach - it's much safer. But my job is to reach out to foreign publics, so not being publicly accessible makes my job MUCH harder. In Uganda, I won't have a cultural center.

I'm sure there will be other things we will miss too, but don't yet realize it. But those are the big things.

 

[jlawall]

I think it means Castaway Cay Member???

Those pictures are awesome - thank you so much for taking the time. Those scary little critters.....I'm not coming for a visit - count me out!

Ok, I feel stupid. Highlights it is!!

 

[jlawall]

<<our household staff>>

I'd like this part the best!

Seriously, you guys are so interesting.........thx for sharing all your anecdotes with us........it's fascinating!

 

[3princessMommy]

Those pictures are awesome - thank you so much for taking the time. Those scary little critters.....I'm not coming for a visit - count me out!

Okay - the pictures weren't meant to scare you off! They were supposed to make you want to visit!

They were done with a strong zoom lens. THose bats are about 40 feet up in the trees. If you don't know where to look, you really can't see them. ANd they only come out at dusk.

Sweetie - post the chicken bike photo and one of the Dogon photos...

 

[bigAWL]

I think technically CCM would be Castaway CLUB Member (Castaway Cay is the island).

 

[jlawall]

I think technically CCM would be Castaway CLUB Member (Castaway Cay is the island).

Ok, good, this makes me look better (marginally)

 

[lwilliam]

I think technically CCM would be Castaway CLUB Member (Castaway Cay is the island).

I AM blonde....I have no excuse for JoAnn #1 - she is far from blonde!

please, please, more pictures.

sorry JoAnn #2 - when you are stationed in Hawaii, I'll be there, ok?

 

[jlawall]

I AM blonde....I have no excuse for JoAnn #1 - she is far from blonde!

please, please, more pictures.

sorry JoAnn #2 - when you are stationed in Hawaii, I'll be there, ok?

Hawaii, I'm in too..........

 

[3princessMommy]

<<our household staff>>

I'd like this part the best!

Seriously, you guys are so interesting.........thx for sharing all your anecdotes with us........it's fascinating!

Yeah, I always feel goofy about that part. Growing up in Nebraska and owning a home in VA - it feels weird to think that I employ household staff.

But - there is no structured day care here. The only child care is a nanny. And ours is great! She has 5 girls of her own (youngest is 10) and she LOVES our girls. Grace runs to her every time she walks in the door.

The dust is absolutely insane! It comes in everywhere - through every crack and cranny. It's impossible to keep things clean. We are leaving all of our clothes here because anything that used to be white is now a dull orange due to the dirt. So we have someone who cleans the house and does laundry. He also cooks.

Food preparation is a nightmare! You can't just rinse stuff off - you have to soak all fruits and veggies in bleach and then soak them again twice in distilled water. You can't drink the regular water either. Bread is exhorbitantly expensive. It's cheaper for me to pay someone to cook and bake than it is to purchase rolls or bread from the bakery.

Finally, we must maintain the garden and pool at all times. I dont' know anything about banana and mango trees. Plus - it's 105 degrees! So we have a gardener.

The average Burkinabè makes less than $2 a day. Our staff earn between $140 and $200 per month. So I feel like I'm helping them and their families to earn a living wage.

But I admit that it's sounds very extravagant to say "household staff."