Back to Bushara

This weekend we had a fantastic time once again at Bushara Island, Lake Bunyoni, Uganda, about 4 hours (including the slow border crossing) from Kigali. This time, unfortunately, Niamh's family couldn't come, but many others did. Most of them stayed in cabins, but we were in our new lovely gigantic tent, and camping with us were Hazel's family as well as Zoe's friend Miranda and her mother Anne.

I'll post a few photos to give an idea of the time.

This is at the border, bags of "Irish" potatoes awaiting export to Rwanda, I think. Perhaps they just came from Rwanda. Hard to tell.

Counterclockwise from top left: Zoe and Miranda's flying trapeze, the Three Amigas (Hazel, Zoe, and Miranda) held hands spontaneously and frequently, I carved a pumpkin with my assistant, and we got our inflatable kayak wet again, which was a lot of fun.

Above from top left: Zoe proudly displays Kirsti's excellence in facepainting; Snow White's debut; Our tent decked out to receive trick-or-treaters (it actually rained before they arrived); and a gang of happy revelers.

More Puppy Business

Well, we met with the puppies again, and decided on the one currently called Poochie. As I've already said, this name has to go; its not terrible by any means, but it always reminds me of an odious character on an old Simpsons episode, and that's not a fair way to start life. He's brown and black and grey with white patches -sort of a beagle pattern- and has grown tremendously since we last saw him. He is slightly more docile or deferential than his brother, Doggo, who is grey all over. They both bite everything in site and are incredibly enthusiastic. They love to play fight with each other or whoever else they can engage. And they are fairly free with peeing but tend to go more outside than in the house. So we've got some major work cut out for us.

We're going to keep them at Isabel's house for two more weeks of being together and with the older "mentor" dogs, then bring them into our own chaotic home. That gives us a little time to get all the chewable things (less furniture) out of reach, and a little planning time for figuring where everything will go. It also gives me time to finish my puppy guide I'm reading, for whatever that's worth.

We had lunch there and spent a good part of the afternoon playing with Sam and the puppies (including a little kiddie pool time), and the weather really cooperated. At the end of our time there, Andrea's friend and co-worker Nicola came by and agreed to adopt Doggo, too! So they will both live in Kimihurura -our neighborhood- and have some visit time and maybe even occasional shared walks.

One of the reasons it's good they're coming in two weeks, is because we are expecting houseguests starting tomorrow evening (ash-cloud willing). Tanya and Alistair are our British friends by way of New Orleans, and their son Edwin is one of Zoe's favorite people in the whole world. They'll stay a week, including a Gorilla safari for the grownup guests and me, which I'm really looking forward to. I'm sorry I won't have our good camera to bring with me, but I'll just have to remember the experience.

Thanks to Isabel for loaning her camera.

Call For Submissions

We have decided to adopt a puppy. Our friends Isabel, with her daughter and son, have been foster-parents for some puppies she found abandoned on the side of the road about three weeks ago. She brought them home and cleaned them up before calling Jode, an American veterinarian who runs a small nongovernmental (NGO) project here, trying to empower women to raise goats for milk to produce cheese. Jode looked them over and figured they were then right around two weeks old, and with bellies full of worms, but otherwise healthy.

There were three but one was adopted in the first week, and taken to live in the new family's house immediately. After our robbery, we told Isabel we'd like to come over and meet the puppies, to start thinking more concretely about bringing a dog into our house. We found two tiny soft fuzzy creatures, full of enthusiasm and friendly as can be. Do I need to mention they were adorable? Probably not. Anyway, Isabel has two elderly but active African mutts already, and is moving back to London in a year, so has no space for any more. So these little guys are in a home with older mentor dogs and children, and we really liked them both, one grey, the other black with white spots.

It took a week or more for us to really feel like we are ready to make this leap, but we have committed. Crossing the Rubicon for us was the Amazon order of puppy supplies for a few hundred dollars for delivery in our big consumables shipment leaving the US soon. It's amazing how complex it is to set up for one of these simple tiny creatures, but then again, we're trying to buy everything at once for the first two years of life.

So the difficulty we face most immediately is a name! We have come up with several that we like, though none that feels perfect yet: Sherlock, Watson, Sven, Ole, (Andrea's not so crazy about the last two), Thor, Ponchatoula, Pontchartrain, Boudreaux, Thibodeaux, Ignatius, and Zoe's contributions, Chewbacca and Bobby. Please, let us know if you have any interesting names, or any opinions on the above names. We'd like his name to mean something or be interesting in some way, such as a figure from literature or history or a movie, or with an interesting meaning behind the word itself. We need your help! Please leave comments at the bottom of the post.

PS We're hoping to see them this weekend, and will post photos after that visit.

Camping Again

A few weeks ago -over Easter weekend- we were able to get away with some friends for a great weekend of camping. Andrea had Good Friday off as a national holiday, so we took off in the late morning in convoy with our friends Sion, Emma, their daughter Niamh, and their lovely big black dog Griff (actually spelled differently as it's a Welsh name, but I can't for the life of me remember it, as Welsh words make less sense to me than Chinese words). We drove North to the Ugandan border, crossed over into Kabale, through it, and a few miles out of town, headed off the beaten track, and up into the high mountain passes to Lake Bunyoni.

The worst roads were tied between the single-lane dirt roads into the lake area, and the awful dirt roads in our neighborhood. The most time-consuming portion was actually crossing from Rwanda to Uganda. Sion and I handled all the paperwork, and girls and dog stayed in the SUVs. We had one predicted office for passport stamps and visas (efficient, though it ought to be for $50 US per passport). Then for the car there were FIVE offices to go to just for the Ugandan government, including one for security and one separate one for the police. While in the police office we asked the very bored female police officer whether we were required to purchase third-party insurance for their side of the border, and she had absolutely no idea. Strange, but we shrugged our shoulders and bought some (there are at least 3 insurance offices at the border), and then exchanged Rwandan Francs for Ugandan Shillings. So of all our travel from door-to-door, we were on the road about 4 1/2 hours, with a good deal of that at the border.

Then once we arrived at the lake, we dropped off all our gear (and it was a lot) in the transport company's office (a tiny wooden shack with a desk), parked the cars in a lot, then watched porters load all our stuff on a stretched-out rowboat with an outboard motor. With six or eight chickens. Because of Griff, they decided the goat could wait for the next crossing.

We jumped in as well, and were off to the middle of the lake.

Ten minutes later we were disembarking on Bushara Island and climbing through the forest to the reception area.

In the interest of not taking forever to get this out, I'll continue it in another post soon.

Zoe Fait La Betisse

"Zoe fait la betisse" is the local French term for "Zoe is being silly" or "Zoe is making silliness". She says is a lot, and usually with a great effervescent giggle, often with various other noises, and rocking the head back and forth like a broken metronome.

The first photo is her playing in my sleeping bag on a very hot afternoon; we had been airing it out after camping in Uganda.

The next is entirely her idea as well. We were airing out the borrowed tent (thanks, Sam and Lindsey!) a day or two later, and occasionally playing in it. After bath, she thought it a wonderfully witty idea to put her underpants on her head, and walk around giggling and tilting her head.

By the way, she LOVES camping. We are already working on getting a gigantic family-size tent and several other items for people who never pitch a tent more than a block away from their car. Actually, it's probably telling that I used a block for a measure of distance rather than miles or kilometers. We're talking easy camping. But if that's what it takes to get us out there, I'm for it.

The last two are a playdate with her friend -and close neighbor- Miranda. It should be noted that Miranda is one of her few American playmates. She's about 8 months younger, full of energy, not at all shy, and usually loads of fun. Despite their completely different temperaments, they get along really well.

By the way, I'm sorry it's taken so long for a post with actual photographs. I've got a little ways to go in finally fixing all the photo bugs, but it's still getting better. Hopefully another post is coming soon.

Photos at last, but don't get used to it yet.

The iPhoto software has been out of commission on our main computer, and still is, but I've borrowed Andrea's work computer to post a few of our zillions of backlogged pics. So without further ado, here you go.







The first two are while in Amboseli Game Preserve in Kenya, on a lookout point, where we were able to see a family of 5 elephants being led by the mother, several zebras, giraffes, a few warthogs, and many birds. There were some crocodiles not far away, though we didn't know it at the time.
The next one is at a rest stop while en route to our final game park, Tsavo West. We got out to look at the lava fields from the most recent eruption, hundreds of years ago, and still barren and formidable. Interestingly, the volcanic soil is sometimes credited with the reason behind the fertility of the land, and sometimes blamed for nothing growing in the desert near there. Zoe enjoyed throwing volcano rocks.
The next is Zoe proudly showing off her pigtails, and then Andrea and Zoe after finishing reading her bedtime stories.

She's been more into cuddling and has a new habit of grabbing us by the neck, and pulling us into her for hugs and kisses. I'm really into that. Unfortunately, she's simultaneously making serious strides in the art of whining. Oh well.

Zoe-isms

It's been awhile since we've published any of these, and I'm sure we've forgotten a lot of good ones, but we're back.

-While riding in the car, coming home from school:

Zoe: "I'm holding my baby [stuffed octopus] like a mommy."

Daddy: "You're doing things just like a big girl!"

Zoe: "[sigh]Yeah, I growing up."

-again in the car, discussing her next birthday party,

Daddy: "What kind of cake do you want?"

Zoe: (long pause), "I am putting my finger on my mouth and saying, 'hmmm'." (another long pause), "hmmmmmm.", "I don't know yet."

-Zoe: "Daddy, will you carry my baby?"

Daddy: "I thought you were going to?"

Z: "I'm not a mommy now; I'm a baby."

D: "You can still carry her, can't you?"

Z: (chuckling) "Babies don't carry babies, Daddy!"

Three Little Friends

Zoe has been lucky enough to find two new close friends since we've been here. I guess it's just the right time in her development to have a playmate, and she's taking to it quite well. Until I get their parents' permission to put their names in the blog, I will use their first initials. Hopefully I'll be able to get some photos up as well.

Within a week of our arrival, we met H and her parents at a playgroup we were invited to from Andrea's co-worker. H is about 2 months younger than Zoe but about the same size, and extremely physical. She's into climbing and jumping, and is very outgoing. Last week when she was at our house for a playdate, H was holding a maraca in her hand, watching herself jumping in a mirror, and talking incessantly -for more than an hour straight. She thinks Zoe is wonderful, and the feeling is mutual. Last Saturday when we went out to dinner with them, H became very covetous of Zoe's things (again, the feeling is mutual)and she said several times, "This is mine," which really got Zoe angry. The next day Zoe and I were playing, and out of nowhere, she told me "This mine. That what H says!" And she had a great laugh about it. We have a tradition of meeting H's family every Saturday morning at the Novotel swimming pool for the girls to swim and eat the wonderful croissants.

I think it was a little less than a month ago that Niamh (pronounced "Neeve," it,s Gaelic) and her family moved to Kigali. We were asked by H's mom if they could come by during a daytime playdate a few days after they arrived, and they all hit it off immediately. Niamh is even more outgoing and physical than H, and so we were worried that the dynamic would produce a lopsided triangle with shy introspective Zoe sitting in the corner reading to herself while the other girls were practicing Tae Kwon Do or jumping from balconies or something. But so far it has not turned out to be difficult. Zoe does often need to withdraw a little, but it seems to solve itself until she feels like engaging again. We know that she looks forward to time with them. Last Friday Zoe and I were waiting for Andrea to come home from work when Zoe had the idea that we walk up to H's house to see her (they live less than a half-mile away). Once the idea was fixed, she suddenly missed H so much that she got a sad face and started crying that she missed her and wanted to see her right now -the next morning wouldn't do. We ended up walking there and eating pizza with them, then saw them at the pool, then went to Ethiopian food with them the next night.

The next day we took a road trip in the country to Lake Muhazi with Niamh's family for a picnic, which was a blast. It's really beautiful out there, very mountainous. Zoe and Niamh played like maniacs for hours until they were just spent, then back in the car for an auto nap on the way home.

We have developed a routine for the summer of morning playdates: Monday -our house, Tuesday -H's, Wednesday -Niamh's, Thursday -H's, Friday off, then any and all meet for swimming on Saturday. It's seriously a lot of time together and they don't seem to get enough. Zoe and Niamh will start the same morning daycare/school in September. H's parents are hoping to get her in too. And a new expat family has just moved in with a daughter E who is 2 months older than Zoe and very shy and introspective, so it could be getting even more interesting! I really think we're going to have to put a little playground in our yard. By the way, H's father and both of Niamh's parents are British, and so we're wondering if Zoe will develop an English accent in any new words. Oh, and both of these girls speak French very well, so hopefully this will be a positive influence on Zoe's as well.

NOTE: Things on the house are still going. The driveway is getting close to finished. Supposedly the kitchen gets finished tomorrow. It's actually starting to come together. I don't know if it will truly be ready this weekend or not. But it will be very very close. Now the biggest question will be the arrival of our household goods (esp. furniture).

The Next Week in Our Story (Part 2 of 2)

So I guess I have been procrastinating the second half of this post. I was pretty pleased with the first one, and have been telling myself that the second should be better, and it has been a little daunting. Nonetheless, if I don’t get something on this subject out soon, it will likely not happen at all, so here goes.

The rest of the daily ritual

After Zoe’s (and sometimes my) long nap, the next step usually involved finding something to eat. Years ago, when Andrea and I visited Bangkok, we found street food incredibly good, safe (at least we were never ill), fresh, and cheaper than anything in a vending machine in the US. However, we were on the (rather large) compound of a 5-star resort. That’s not a complaint, but an observation that everything around us was pretty expensive, other than breakfast, which was included. So Zoe ate a lot of banana milkshakes (more like smoothies, no ice cream), and I ate appetizers and salads to keep the prices down. We went to the library a few times, which I will describe later. We went to the front desk to look through the bootleg DVD catalog. We watched a couple movies over the week.

This was the beginning of the low season, and so the place was relatively empty. So everywhere we went, the young Thai men and women adored Zoe and wanted so much to cuddle her or hug her or pinch her cheeks or to get her to say “Sawatdee Kha” back to them. It was a bit reminiscent of Eloise: Zoe and I were like beloved orphans living at the Plaza. By this time in the day, of course, we were rejoined by Andrea, and we were even happier. It was so fun for us to reunite that it intimidated Zoe a few times, and she would just stay silent and shy for awhile. This daily schedule was broken a few times (to my relief) of note.


Then one day Zoe and I were generously invited to participate in the team-building activity of the retreat: a half-day's Thai cooking class at a school nearby. We rode there in the back of a pickup truck with a canvas cover and benches, which Zoe found very adventurous. Then we had a little instruction before diving in with making 5 dishes: Tom Yam (a delicious, chicken soup with really bright fresh flavors and ingredients), glass noodle salad, Pad Thai (the national noodle dish), chicken with cashews, and Penang beef curry. Zoe helped us with prep work (she was in charge of tearing herbs), and took turns cooking. It was really hot, and the ice-cold beer and water flowed like wine. Surprisingly to us, we were on the last trip back to the resort. Every time another bus or pickup was going back, we asked Zoe if she'd rather go back or stay and cook more. She chose well, in my opinion, because we ate very well indeed, and will likely be able to reproduce some of these another time. We also left with a souvenir of a very cheap and very sharp Thai knife. I have accidentally bent the blade several times, but it goes right back and is still really sharp somehow.


The other "excursion" for us was actually within the resort. Zoe and I were again invited to have lunch with the retreat in order to see where they spent their days and to see Andrea some more. We took a shuttle up to the top of the hill where Pimalai's premier restaurants -and views- are. It was good to see some of Andrea's cohorts. It was good to have lunch with Andrea. It was good to eat some incredible food. And it was great to enjoy the views. Then we went back, napped, etc.


The Big Breakthrough

Somehow while we were there we discovered that Zoe is a really confident swimmer. For those of you who have seen her in the water, it is not astonishing news. But during this trip, she went from being pretty good at following drills in swimming lessons to really putting it all together in practice. And she deserves all the credit. I suppose it helps that we swam at least once every day we were there.

One of the last afternoons, Zoe and I were splashing around on some of the steps leading into the pool when she had the idea to jump from the steps, pushing off, and to swim underwater to me. The first time she did this I was about 4 feet away, and astonished. I lifted her up and told her how great that was. She responded by jumping out of my arms and pushing back to the step. She immediately turned around and did it again. I think we could have continued in this manner for a few days without eating or sleeping if it had been up to her. I gradually stepped back a little further from the steps to about 6 feet away. And I gradually started more practice with kicking and moving her hands, but she just likes to be underwater and moving. When Andrea met us and got in the water, we kept going, but also swimming underwater from Mommy to Daddy. It was really a rush for all 3 of us.


All in all, a great week. To learn how the trip back to Kigali went, read the first few paragraphs of the first Thailand post in reverse order. One notable difference was that we had several hours in the Addis Ababa airport, and actually had fun. We went for breakfast then did a lot of duty-free shopping (a lot of looking, a little buying). The Ethiopian duty-free ladies love Zoe and gave her a stuffed animal/backpack that she loves. Then we came home, and now we are all back to the present!

Zoe-isms

With my apologies to our friend Jane on my plagiarizing the title of this post, I hope to make a recurrent feature of things Zoe says that I find interesting. Today's issue will be simply pronunciation in Zoese:

• "Bottom" = "Bobbin"
• "Doing" = "Doodin"
• "Stuff" = "Tuff"
• "I" or "Me" or "Mine" = Zoe. Example: "Zoe not get Zoe's balloon. Zoe get Zoe's flag."

Also, she has given us code names: "Not Zoe. Little Cat. Dat not Daddy. Dat Goat. Dat not Mommy. Dat Big Cat."

And, lastly, she was pointing out something in the kitchen, and announced that it was not there. Then she quickly added, "Zoe just makin' joke."