normal life

This have become pretty regular now, I go to the NGO in the morning do an internet, run an errand with Mirabelle (like the bank) or groceries, come to work at the office have lunch go back out do another interview and then come back to the office talk it over then head home. I’ve been at the Ngo enough as well women are starting to joke with me, one says “you were shoes that are supposed to be worn in the house!” she is referring to my flip-flops which are Tevas. Another time a woman told asked me if I actually knew how to eat a mango, as well as wondering how I stay so skinny. ARV (the drugs you take when you have HIV) are known to increase a woman’s weight, so they joke that people often think they are pregnant because of their stomachs. But it is a very good sign that they can joke with me now.

Everything is pretty calm, no issues at the moment but we take it day by day still. Yesterday was my half waypoint so I think the trip is going to go by much quicker now at least it usually does at this point. It rained for three days on an off, but now since the rain has stopped it is much hotter, so I’m hoping for more rain, which also means more mangoes!

The curfew has been push back a little bit now it is from midnight until 5 am now. I don’t think I’ve explained the curfew very well however. If you have a medical emergency during the curfew hours, you are not allowed to leave your home. Unless you want to deal with the police and you are hoping you meet up with some nice police. So women have had to give birth at home, with no doctors if they go into labor during the curfew. Also if you have a plane leaving at 5 am, you will need to be at the airport before midnight in order to be allowed to get on that flight, literally no one is outside. This has been very difficult for some people who start work at five, because they are not allowed to leave their home and if they live very far from work it is an even bigger problem.

Mirabelle’s brother joined the army for a while and then quit because he didn’t like it, but since he has a few friends in the army she is usually very well informed. She got information today that around the 15^th of May we are going to have to be a bit more careful, and start calling when we leave and arrive at places. I don’t know much more information than that but like I said day-by-day and staying safe is what we focus on.

I also keep forgetting to tell you that I haven’t slept through the night once while I’ve been here. Usually I get up four or five times; this is because during the night you get so thirsty it wakes you up. You sweat all night so after a few hours your body wants more water. I would leave a bottle by the bed but then by the time you drink it its warm, so I have to get up out of bed and go to the fridge to get some water then I take my blanket and pour water on it from the bucket and then I go back to sleep, four or five times. I can’t wait to get to Sweden and take those big long deep sleeps under a thick blanket.