Just a little acquired wisdom from my life in Lesotho... Enjoy!
Diesel helps degrade latrines and works miracles on flies.
A dutch oven is just as good as a real one, as long as you put tuna cans in the bottom to equalize the heat.
How to wash dishes with less than 1L of water.
Hot water bottles are heaven.
Any animal will eat boiled maize meal, if it's hungry enough.
One egg a day is my minimum protein requirement to avoids aches and exhaustion.
A good, clean pee bucket is a PCV's best friend!
How to dry cow manure for fire fuel.
To avoid bloody fingers, always turn your thumbs out when hand-washing clothes.
A stern "mom face" is universal for "DON'T do that."
The key to a good, straight haircut is sharp scissors.
You can grow a vegetable garden through the entire winter, if you know what to plant when.
It's worth spending the extra money to buy better quality candles.
Uncovered water left near your house attracts witches.
Not all rat poisons are created equal.
How to properly trim a kerosene lamp wick.
Milk, plus a teaspoon of lemon juice, is a good substitute for buttermilk.
Curry powder is a great seasoning for almost anything.
Cabbage bags sewn together are perfect for keeping chickens out of a garden.
Sitting on the "stoop" or in the doorway of your house can remove the "anti-witch" charms from your house.
How to safely replace an empty propane gas canister.
It is possible to make a soup with an onion and half a carrot.
A solar panel, Blackberry phone, and a good headlamp are all the electronics I need to live happily.
Not everyone in the world can afford a pencil/pen.
It's easiest to de-feather a chicken if you blanche it in boiling water first.
Cabbage is the most versatile vegetables ever.
The proper technique for grinding dried corn into maize meal on a flat stone.
When resealing a mud-walled rondval, the secret ingredient is rehydrated cow manure.
How to bathe with less than 4L of water.
It's easiest to hitch with only two people.
Yogurt, cheese, eggs, and mayonaise don't need to be refrigerated.
If America was a food, it would be peanut butter.
Americans are stubborn- Why do we call it "soccer" when 95% of the world calls it "football?"
I'll take a thatch roof over a tin one ANY day of the week.
Popcorn can be (and often is) dinner.
The best way to discard of extra hair is to burn it... Witches steal hair to put curses on people.
Thatch spiders are proof that bigger bugs aren't always the ones you need to worry about.
Lightning is truly terrifying when you live under a flamable roof on a mountain with no trees.
The worst part of butchering a hog is the noise.
Peppermint tea fends off rats.
Scorpions look scarier than they are.
Chickens really do flap around after you cut off their heads.
A razor sharp knife is a HUGE luxury.
The most important part of your body to care for is your feet.
With Love From Lesotho... -Mary E.
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I love this list. I will probably make one for grad school, to keep things in perspective. Just to think of all the things you will be teaching your students, and children, and grandchildren one day! I think we must coordinate our future locale, Justin wants to live in a town that permits raising chickens on residential property, and I think we will be in much need of your assistance (for that amongst so many other things!)
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