Welcome Back

I returned home after 5 weeks away from site. I couldn’t believe my eyes. The rains had only just started when I left but 5 weeks with regular rain turned my sight into a jungle! The sand and dirt path to my house is now covered in grass and greenery is sprouting from all areas. Unfortunately my house was also experiencing the rain in the worst way. I left my key with a family I could trust to watch over the house and they did move some things while my host father added more thatching to the roof but without constant attention these mud houses fall to ruin extremely fast. There were lots of termite tunnels on the walls and the wooden poles in my roof are completely covered. I can hear the crackling of them eating away at the wood while I sleep. Without the presence of my kitty mice had taken over the house along with the mold. My kitchen was covered in mouse poop and there were holes in everything from a plastic floor mat to corners of books chewed away. I threw away a reed mat covered in mold and a bamboo shelf that was green, black, and white with mold. No sooner did I put them outside of my house did villagers ask if they could have them. I was hesitant given the health concern of all the mold but I guessed they would get taken in the night regardless so I made sure to explain that they needed to be thoroughly cleaned. My floors were covered in dirt and took a while to sweep and mop up the mess. Luckily Asia came home with me to spend New Year’s Eve at my site and was a huge help in neutralizing the mess. Together with a friend in the village we were all able to get things cleaned up and back to a mostly functional state. I still don’t know what to do about my roof and found that wrapping my shelves in plastic may have kept the rain off but locked the moisture in creating a perfect environment for mold. Despite still having some cleanup to do it was a warm welcome back home and I found that I did miss some of the joys of bush life; though I was simultaneously reminded of the struggles that come with simple living as well. I have one more week until school starts to get things situated and get back into the swing of things. I look forward to the school year and the beauty the rains bring even if it  means a leaky roof and waking in the night to place bowls under leaks. While it was nice to get out site for a while 5 weeks was entirely too long. It’s good to be home, even if home is a mud hut.