We found out briefly the Internet communications policy for PC. Being critical of the people or of PC is not for Internet journals, and this policy makes sense. This is not to say I have a lot to be critical of, it's just that I'll save any judgement, positive or negative, for personal communications. But I think it's very important that this journal continue because I think people should understand what's going on here in Mozambique.
Taking a bath is quite a pleasure. I forget if I've written about this, so I'll try to detail it as best I can.
It's traditional that everyone takes two baths a day - one before breakfast and the other before dinner. First, you boil a gallon of water in a teakettle, then pour that into a 10-gallon bucket (MOM SPEAKING - JOHN DREW A PICTURE OF A LOW BUCKET WITH OUTWARD TILTING SIDES). Then, you add cold water until you have the right temperature. Usually, this is about 4-5 gallons of water.
You take your soap and a water jug that holds about 5 gallons into the "bathroom". You put your clothes on the clothesline, as well as your towel. I take a bath in flip-flops, as the ground is fairly dirty. Wafts of urine smell come by every so often, as the "drain" for the bathwater is the same as for the urinal.
You strip down to the flip-flops. I usually look at the stars and the moon at this point, because it's so beautiful. You start the bath by dumping water all over yourself. Typically, I can do this with the first jug. Then, you soap up your entire body, making extra sure to get the stinky parts (very important). If it's a shaving day, I'll wash from my neck down at this point, then shave. Regardless, you finish the bath by rinsing with the rest of your water, which feels fantastic.
It's really great on hot days, and is nice on cold nights (around 60 degrees F), but sucks on cold mornings. I usually crouch down to conserve heat and go as quickly as possible.
The most challenging aspect of the bucket bath is replacing your clothes, specifically pants. Since you don't want to get your clothes wet and dirty, you have to balance on one foot for quite a while. Taking baths after drinking is NOT recommended.
One of the trainees had her mother bathe her on her first night. It was apparently quite traumatizing, and she's since reached an agreement with her.
Another trainee took a bath WITH his father, which was also very bizarre. Less than a week later, his mother came after his father's penis with a machete. She ended up in jail and the trainee was immediately moved to another house! Zach made the joke that this trainee was almost the last person to see his father's penis. I think everyone thought it was funny...kind of :)
Peace
John
