So after the week I had of trying to accomplish things and getting no where and after deleting our blogs off the webiste (at least, so I thought), I decided that there was no point in trying to rush the processes of Africa.  I've learned this in the past, but was reminded of it this week.  What do I mean by that?  Well, Africa has a way of doing things that is backwards, inefficient, doesn't make sense and takes a long time.  BUT, the system does somehow work and eventually things will happen and get done in their own time.  There is no point of rushing the process because if you do, you'll only get frustrated.  So I resigned to give up my "American-ness", the part of me that tries to accomplish things efficiently, timely and properly, and decided just to be Zimbabwean and wait! 
    Well, today was such a surprising day filled with accomplishments!  We've ha ... Read More »

    So, Mat and I have "hired" a friend to help keep up the website.  But due to just the complications of logistics (she has slow/unreliable dial up; we have broadband, but she doesn't have a car to come over to our house to use it during the day; I was picking her up at her house to conduct interviews with students at the college and taking her back home; she has a slow and ancient computer to work with, etc) it has been challenging for her to keep up with the website.  Her and her husband came over Wednesday night for her to try to do some updates on the website, but our broadband was deadly slow.  She ended up not being able to accomplish anything!
   So Thursday morning, I attempted to quickly type up a blog and post it.  However, when I first went to post the blog, I lost the entire blog as the website had timed out.  Ahh!  45 minutes wasted.  Then I quickly tried t ... Read More »

I am constantly amazed at just how long it takes to live life here--just the basics of one's daily life take so long here.

Let's talk about electricity, shall we?  Saturday night, there was a dip in our power and the lights began to flicker.  Due to that split second of a flicker, one of the electrical phases on the house went out, meaning that all the electrical plugs on the first floor don't work.  Fortunately, the outlets to the refridgerator, deep freezer, washer and dryer to work, but the electric oven is not working.  What does this mean for us practically?  No vacumming the floors, no charging computers, phones downstairs, no lamps working downstairs.  Gotta move all of our small electrical appliances into the laundry room so we can make toast, coffee, microwave food and print documents.  I have been wanting to make rusks (South African version of biscottis) for a long time and have finally gathered all t ... Read More »