We spent the last couple of days doing tasks that LissaLou (rightly!) classes as boring things! Boring, but vital nevertheless!
Rather than the NHS, here we have Sécurité Sociale. In order to get any treatment etc, you need to have a number, then you pay and you get reimbursed the appropriate amount afterwards. I still think the NHS is simpler, though Bertie was arguing it out with me on the basis of the quality offered! As you can imagine (we are in the midst of French bureaucrocy, and laid-back West Indies on top of that!), getting a number is quite a lengthy process, which my laid-back husband hasn't yet got round to doing...So it was a with great joy that he discovered a gentleman he sat chatting to most of Sunday afternoon at church turned out to work in the very section of the Sécu that we need! We have handed in our European Insurance cards (formerly known as E111) and just need to hand in bank details, then hey presto!
Re the bank, Bertie decided to open a new account at La Poste. Would you believe, he went along to do so and the lady who opens accounts is on holiday for the month of August!! I love it! In any case, he needed an attestation de résidence so he got his mum to write one out and took it to the police station where he met a former schoolfriend who did it immediately for him. It's all about who you know here...! And apparently I don't need a carte de séjour here which is good.
We are still waiting our cooker. Bertie phones every few days and they say it will be ready for collcetion in a few days and so on... Perhaps they are making it?
In the meantime we keep checking Paruvendudom which is the Loot of Guadeloupe, with extra items included. Still no car, but we saw a possible fridge which we checked out yesterday. It was clean, it worked, we paid! (The fridges we have seen previously have been pretty horrible, including at the place for troquer, where people leave items with a price to haggle and the store takes a fee too.) As a bonus, he was selling a nice kitchen cupboard too! We just need to arrange a trip with Bertie's sister's huge car to get it home, then no more traipsing up and down the stairs or having items mysteriously disappear!
Our neighbours go back to France on Sunday so I am planning how we will spread ourselves over the top floor. My own bedroom beckons! Though we will have Baby JoJo with us for the meantime. It is funny starting from almost scratch again, we have been buying tea towels, measuring jugs, chopping board etc etc.
On the job front, Bertie is applying for the position of English Assistant which is 12 hours a week. Again, a lady at the church on Sunday gave him the details of who to contact, all very helpful!
Friday, 29 August 2008
Wednesday, 27 August 2008
Our Week
Firstly, catastrophe has struck!
My camera has stopped working. Sniff. Sniff. SNIFF. I understand how you felt now Evs! Is it still under guarantee Dad? Mind you, if you passed me the receipt I have no idea where it is now!
This sad revelation occurred just before church, so it took a lot of prayer to get life back into focus again! We went to a house church run by an American couple from Texas (yay Shannon!) who have been missionaries here for years but are sadly leaving soon. We had a good time there, lots of English speakers, and the Pastor's wife lent me a trilogy by Tracie Peterson so I haven't been good company recently!
Bertie's sister lent us her car so we set off into Basse-Terre on Monday to visit Bertie's uni friend Synethia who works in Guyane. Basse-Terre is beautiful but full of mountains and so you need a lot of confidence in your car to drive there! Plus her house is at the top of a really steep drive - we stalled at the top! But made it, and enjoyed a lovely afternoon with her and her family (they send their love and look forward to seeing you mum!). The highlight was swinging gently on their hammock on the balcony overlooking the Caribbean Sea...ahh!
Yesterday we still had the car so we popped along to the beach at Ste Anne with the kids and they had a marvellous time as ever.
Today the big event was...(apart from me finishing my trilogy and finally being talkative again!)...Baby JoJo has started solids! I figured he was so late we could start before 6 months. He always looks so desperately at our food, it is very sweet! He enjoyed a teaspoon of organic baby rice (happily brought from the UK, no such thing here! In fact, very disappointingly, most baby stuff has lots of sugar) and we look forward to carrying on with it tomorrow.
BTW the yoghurt was delicious from our new yoghurtmaker - I heartily recommend it!
My camera has stopped working. Sniff. Sniff. SNIFF. I understand how you felt now Evs! Is it still under guarantee Dad? Mind you, if you passed me the receipt I have no idea where it is now!
This sad revelation occurred just before church, so it took a lot of prayer to get life back into focus again! We went to a house church run by an American couple from Texas (yay Shannon!) who have been missionaries here for years but are sadly leaving soon. We had a good time there, lots of English speakers, and the Pastor's wife lent me a trilogy by Tracie Peterson so I haven't been good company recently!
Bertie's sister lent us her car so we set off into Basse-Terre on Monday to visit Bertie's uni friend Synethia who works in Guyane. Basse-Terre is beautiful but full of mountains and so you need a lot of confidence in your car to drive there! Plus her house is at the top of a really steep drive - we stalled at the top! But made it, and enjoyed a lovely afternoon with her and her family (they send their love and look forward to seeing you mum!). The highlight was swinging gently on their hammock on the balcony overlooking the Caribbean Sea...ahh!
Yesterday we still had the car so we popped along to the beach at Ste Anne with the kids and they had a marvellous time as ever.
Today the big event was...(apart from me finishing my trilogy and finally being talkative again!)...Baby JoJo has started solids! I figured he was so late we could start before 6 months. He always looks so desperately at our food, it is very sweet! He enjoyed a teaspoon of organic baby rice (happily brought from the UK, no such thing here! In fact, very disappointingly, most baby stuff has lots of sugar) and we look forward to carrying on with it tomorrow.
BTW the yoghurt was delicious from our new yoghurtmaker - I heartily recommend it!
Friday, 22 August 2008
Getting The Troops To Work
We are surrounded by children here, and it all adds up to a lot of cooking, cleaning and washing up! After three days of my washing up twice a day for 13 people, Bertie decided to intervene and get the kids involved. No easy task! In fact, we supervised them each with a task and then gave them an hour of reading and finally made a cake and juice, and it was so exhausting it required a two hour siesta to recover! I certainly didn't have any time for photos! But they enjoyed it mostly and Papy was very pleased to come back to a tidy home. We then hosted our own party in the evening followed by...at least an hour of washing up for me!!
Wednesday, 20 August 2008
Random Things
It is pouring with rain today. Very noisy.
LissaLou has just had her hair redone. The excitement is wearing off and her patience is wearing thin for the length of time it takes to do and undo!
We went shopping on Monday and ordered a cooker - very exciting! We just need a fridge now. I am looking forward to taking control of my own cooking. Less salt, less meat, more veg are on the menu! We also bought local bananas for 29cents a kilo, yummy! And just as exciting, we got a yoghurt maker. Mango yoghurt coming up!
I have started a list of price comparison and who sells what to help me in my efforts to shop frugrally and healthily. Leader Price is also a good shop with a great variety of pastas (all the other shops just sell macaroni!) and organic flour! Did I mention that I saw flour for making bread here? It cost €6, or £4! I shall stick to buying bread - especially now I have found that our local baker sells baguette complet (wholemeal).
Bread is sold from a van here, which drives around giving a cute tootle. I shall see if he can deliver my complet when he is back from his holidays.
In view of our forthcoming cooker, Bertie worked hard to clear out the kitchen space yesteday and it looks much improved. We don't have any cupboards though, just a sink.
I saw a tiny lizard and a huge cockroach in my room and am living in fear now...! Of the latter mainly. I have decided lizards are ok as they eat mosquitoes and flies.
The girls are getting much less bitten now which is an answer to prayer (we had it as part of our bedtime prayer for several nights with them!) but they still have lots of scabs and scars.
Today's myth - tickling babies makes them stammer later in life!
Someone in the family died so Bertie's parents went to the wake last night. First time I have ever seen his dad in trousers and shoes! Only the second time he has left the house except to go to Pika.
There was a family meeting two nights ago, discussing issues like land and...their aunty's presence, which has unsurprisingly turned from a few days to over two weeks! We await the next turn of events...
You anti-Olympics folk, how could you fail to marvel at Michael Phelps achievement, especially in the butterfly race where he came from behind and got it by a hundredth! Team GBR have stormed ahead, tee hee to France! I couldn't believe they have BMX racing though!
Enough randomness from me, I am off to make yoghurt!
LissaLou has just had her hair redone. The excitement is wearing off and her patience is wearing thin for the length of time it takes to do and undo!
We went shopping on Monday and ordered a cooker - very exciting! We just need a fridge now. I am looking forward to taking control of my own cooking. Less salt, less meat, more veg are on the menu! We also bought local bananas for 29cents a kilo, yummy! And just as exciting, we got a yoghurt maker. Mango yoghurt coming up!
I have started a list of price comparison and who sells what to help me in my efforts to shop frugrally and healthily. Leader Price is also a good shop with a great variety of pastas (all the other shops just sell macaroni!) and organic flour! Did I mention that I saw flour for making bread here? It cost €6, or £4! I shall stick to buying bread - especially now I have found that our local baker sells baguette complet (wholemeal).
Bread is sold from a van here, which drives around giving a cute tootle. I shall see if he can deliver my complet when he is back from his holidays.
In view of our forthcoming cooker, Bertie worked hard to clear out the kitchen space yesteday and it looks much improved. We don't have any cupboards though, just a sink.
I saw a tiny lizard and a huge cockroach in my room and am living in fear now...! Of the latter mainly. I have decided lizards are ok as they eat mosquitoes and flies.
The girls are getting much less bitten now which is an answer to prayer (we had it as part of our bedtime prayer for several nights with them!) but they still have lots of scabs and scars.
Today's myth - tickling babies makes them stammer later in life!
Someone in the family died so Bertie's parents went to the wake last night. First time I have ever seen his dad in trousers and shoes! Only the second time he has left the house except to go to Pika.
There was a family meeting two nights ago, discussing issues like land and...their aunty's presence, which has unsurprisingly turned from a few days to over two weeks! We await the next turn of events...
You anti-Olympics folk, how could you fail to marvel at Michael Phelps achievement, especially in the butterfly race where he came from behind and got it by a hundredth! Team GBR have stormed ahead, tee hee to France! I couldn't believe they have BMX racing though!
Enough randomness from me, I am off to make yoghurt!
Another Family Meal
The following day, Bertie told me we were going for lunch at his brother's. I foolishly expected another small family gathering. However, not only were most of his family there, but also many of his partner's family and friends. There were 18 cars there by the time the food was served!
Here is the family, well, some of them anyway!
Their house is a lovely one in quite a remote area. I have to admit to being rather jealous of the nursery...a lovely cot, mosquito net and AIR CON!!!
The girls chilled on the terrace whilst waiting for food. They were very patient as it didn't arrive till after 3pm and we had been there a few hours!
As you can see, Baby JoJo loved sleeping in the hi-tech nursery with his cousin.
It was funny to see everyone in Sunday best after the pig-killing BBQ clothes of the previous day!
What a cutie! He is so interested in our food now, I am looking forward to weaning him soon.
Here is Bertie's eldest sister who was also celebrating her birthday that day. She is the one whose computer I use - many thanks for this lifeline to the world!
A Quiet Family Gathering?
No such thing in this family!
Saturday saw us at Pika with
- 2 grandparents
- 1 great aunt
- 2 brothers
- 3 sisters
- 2 daughters in law
- 2 sons in law
- 13 grandchildren
- a family friend and son
Bertie's dad looked around in satisfaction and told me, "tu vois ca? c'est meme pas toute ma famille!" Then later went and took refuge in a quieter place!
The following pictures are not for those of a sensitive disposition!
Our aim was to kill one of Papy's pigs. This was done by Bertie, his BIL and the latter's cousin. Our neighbour helped and then butchered it for us.
I didn't see the actual slaughter but they were taking off the hair when I arrived. Normally they use a razor (Gilette perhaps?) but this time the Haitian BIL used his method of putting in the fire then taking off the rest with a knife. The sausagy intestines are used to make boudin - I don't feel any more inclined to eat it! We have been eating pork ever since!
Tee hee, guess who is horsing...er I mean piggying around! 
The girls love sucking, chewing and spitting out sugar cane and here they are begging Papy for some.
It takes a pro to cut it up with the machete and still have the fingers intact!
Here is Bertie's aunt
and his dad...see the family resemblance?!
A fine spread had been prepared
This is the nearest I have found to recycling here so far - old fridges are used to store the drinks in, filled with lots of ice!
Bertie made a lovely BBQ (chicken...and pig of course)
The bread fruit was boiled on the hob
And we all sat down and enjoyed it
Here are a few of the shots from the day. The adults chatted, the kids played with an old trolley and on the hammock, which was the subject of much dispute.
Here are the cousins enjoying it
And proof that sucking the thumb is genetic...and not from my side of the family! There are at least two other cousins who do, plus Bertie's thirty year old sister!
Having a nice rest
Having a nice swing!
Saturday saw us at Pika with
- 2 grandparents
- 1 great aunt
- 2 brothers
- 3 sisters
- 2 daughters in law
- 2 sons in law
- 13 grandchildren
- a family friend and son
Bertie's dad looked around in satisfaction and told me, "tu vois ca? c'est meme pas toute ma famille!" Then later went and took refuge in a quieter place!
The following pictures are not for those of a sensitive disposition!
Our aim was to kill one of Papy's pigs. This was done by Bertie, his BIL and the latter's cousin. Our neighbour helped and then butchered it for us.
I didn't see the actual slaughter but they were taking off the hair when I arrived. Normally they use a razor (Gilette perhaps?) but this time the Haitian BIL used his method of putting in the fire then taking off the rest with a knife. The sausagy intestines are used to make boudin - I don't feel any more inclined to eat it! We have been eating pork ever since!Tee hee, guess who is horsing...er I mean piggying around! The girls love sucking, chewing and spitting out sugar cane and here they are begging Papy for some.
It takes a pro to cut it up with the machete and still have the fingers intact!
Here is Bertie's auntand his dad...see the family resemblance?!A fine spread had been preparedThis is the nearest I have found to recycling here so far - old fridges are used to store the drinks in, filled with lots of ice!Bertie made a lovely BBQ (chicken...and pig of course)The bread fruit was boiled on the hob
And we all sat down and enjoyed it
Here are a few of the shots from the day. The adults chatted, the kids played with an old trolley and on the hammock, which was the subject of much dispute.
Here are the cousins enjoying it
And proof that sucking the thumb is genetic...and not from my side of the family! There are at least two other cousins who do, plus Bertie's thirty year old sister!
Having a nice rest
Having a nice swing!We cleared up and returned home as night fell, with three very tired children. And one tired mummy!
Saturday, 16 August 2008
5 Months!
Our little boy has reached 5 months already! And a delightful child he continues to be! Here he is with an increasingly dirty baby Luke (wearing one of his nappies!) fast asleep, ahh!
He is increasingly rolling around, especially on his bed, and often gets on to his side or tummy to sleep. Unfortunately he can't always get back so he generally wakes me up between 5.30 and 6.30am cos he is stuck on his tummy!
His sleeping and eating is not as routined as it was in the UK - I do tend to feed him more due to the heat and it is quite noisy around here with all the people. I may work on that in September. At the moment I often feed him to sleep or he goes to sleep on someone. But once he goes down at about 9pm he stays asleep all night, hurray!
Breastfeeding in this heat is actually quite hard, as it gets both of us so hot! I see the sweat pouring off his head, poor boy! In the same way, he sweats away in his car seat.
We don't have the luxuries of home like the playmat and bouncy chair, so he spends his time in his Bumbo (Bertie's dad laughs at him waving around like a swimmer in it!) or on our bed/in his cot. We put the animal mobile that Julie gave us for CassCass above his bed right next to the open window and he loves watching it swirl around in the wind. It can be hazardous putting him on the floor as it is so quickly dirty and children tend to come and squash/walk on him!
He loves all the company here and coos and beams at the faces that appear before him.
We are still resisting feeding him despite comments from all around, but I did let him suck on some water melon which he loved!
Healthwise he is fine - he gets the occasional bite but doesn't seem too bothered by it. His BCG exploded and seems to be healing up now. We are going to see the Nurse for a routine check up in a couple weeks. I hope she weighs him...I hope I understand what she says! Bertie saw her yesterday and apparently she started work in 1974, the year he was born! I said he may even have weed on her as baby!!
He loves grasping things and putting them in his mouth so don't leave anything of vaue in his reach! (which is longer than you think!) He likes just chilling out and watching the world around, I often think he must just be soaking in all this newness.
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