In the Kitchen!

(Pictures:- my water filter that stops me getting any nasties! The gas bottle that provides the cooker. My attempt at making home made butter !)

I have made butter! I'm pleased with it - it doesn't taste like shop bought butter. I used the cream from the milk I buy to make, and it reminds me of butter we used to eat when I was a child.

I've also started baking banana cakes - I've realised that people here don't generally have ovens so they don't bake. So I've discovered I can take a cake with me when I visit or when people visit I can give them a piece, which they enjoy.

I have been a bit reluctant in the kitchen mostly because of my encounters.... when I delve into the cupboard I often discover a few cockroaches (and I can not bring myself to kill them because of the crunch sound they make ....) Once when I had visitors, I decided to make a pot of tea. I lifted the lid off the tea pot and promptly dropped the pot - brown beasts scuttled away! Then I gained courage to continue, as I rinsed out the pot two cockroaches came swimming out of the spout.... I gave up on the tea pot and made tea in mugs instead!

We have also had a rat on 2 occasions - eventually they have both been poisoned but not before we've heard rattling in the cupboards and seen a tail disappearing over the side of the cooker. I always shut the door in a hurry and waited a few minutes before venturing into the kitchen again!

The Market

I read in the guide book that Arua boasts one of the biggest Markets in Uganda! I have to say it is size able though not as big as the Shires in Leicester!

The food market is colourful, there is much fish – as we live so close to the Nile. Unfortunately (for me) smoked/dr fish is liked, which gives a very strong taste – which I'm not keen on! But the fresh fish is good.

Beyond the food market is the second hand market which sells all clothes, shoes, bags, towels, bed sheets – basically what our charity shops would sell. It's fun to go and rummage. Things come from Europe and the States. The way people make money is by buying a bale of tops, or children's clothes, or shoes etc then they open the bale on a mat. People rummage through and buy items at a good price. Buyers then iron those items, hang them on coat hangers and sell at a higher price – and so the money goes round and many are well dressed!

Beyond the 2nd hand market is what I would call the metal work market – you can buy things like door frames, metal coat hooks, a hoe, window frames, nuts, bolts, screws.... then beyond that market section is another warren of a market which sells cheap new goods eg. clothes, shoes, crockery. At the far end are about 40 or so stalls all selling material of varying colours, patterns and makes. You can find batiks, tie dies, kangas/lesos, kitenges, waxes, and super waxes (the most expensive). These come from places like Congo, Nigeria, and Kenya. There are some Ugandan ones but the best quality ones are super waxes that come from Congo. Congo has now started producing not only African patterns but also those of a more European taste! My friend Rachel came to visit from North West Tanzania and had a great time trying to choose. The selection is overwhelming!

One puzzling thing – that we haven't been able to fully fathom yet is that most of these materials come as a length that divides into 3 pieces. When they are still all attached the shop keepers decline to sell you one piece!! But will happily sell 2 pieces!?!!? And no matter what you say they normally will not budge! Usually if you keep looking you may find the same pattern in another stall where they may have sold 2 pieces already and have 1 piece left. (one piece is enough to make a summery dress or a flowing skirt). Once you have bought the material there are plenty of willing tailors to make you what you want. I've had a nice skirt and top made so far.

(Pictures are of a tailor, one of the Material stores and some of the matereial I have bought so far)

Kuluva Hospital

(Pictures include the hospital church, the view from my house, the hospital as seen from a hill and approaching the house I live in)

Kuluva Hospital
Here at Kuluva I live on a large compound up a hill from the hospital. The compound has many trees. So it is easy to find shade from the heat that this part of the country suffers from! It is often possible to find a cooling breeze while the sun beats down merciless from 10am till gone 4pm. And the night does bring coolness, in fact we sleep with blankets! But of course it is nothing compared to the UK winter. I find the cool nights a welcome relief after the heat of the day.

So on this large compound live most of the workers of the hospital and their families, the nursing students, their tutors, then there is the Chaplin and the hospital chapel – Saint Luke's. The hospital is located on one side of the compound and contains patients and all attendants/ relatives who come to help care, cook and feed them. At the entrance to the compound are 4 or so small stalls that sell essentials like eggs, sugar, air time (credit for the phone).... The compound has many rules and regulations ( though I have not actually been told what they all are) but these include no animals and no alcohol. The animals are a saga in themselves as one can find chickens, ducks, goats and straying cows (let in to graze on the untouched grass). The animal rule is really here to improve hygiene, and reduce transmissible diseases that are all to common place here and parasites. However I have been amused to see a stray chicken wandering in and out of the wards. I was trying to work out if it needed treatment or if it was there awaiting to fulfill it's duty – becoming someone's supper! :-) The cows are the ones that are a pain - they take to nibbling any washing left hanging on the washing line! Our clothes have not met such a fate yet – our house keeper leaves them out while she's around but then brings them in before she leaves.