And then there were pigs...

OK - are you sitting down? Not eating or drinking anything you may choke on when you finish gasping or laughing?  Then you're ready.  Today we learned to castrate piglets.  Well, to be honest I can't say we really LEARNED it - that would imply that we had opportunity to practice it and that we did not do.  But we did witness the training and I will tell you that little piggy squealed all the way home.  Yes, it's a far cry from my former life...  And who knows just how all this will be put into play.  But you will be the first to know ;-) Well - maybe the second.

It was part of a visit to a very impressive permaculture farm where trainings were in progress for an international group learning new farming practices to take back to Kenya and Tanzania.    The hope is we'll learn a variety of techniques that we can take to our sites and contribute to improved farming practices and that supports just about everything from health to earning school fees to educate kids.     While I don't plan to do in piglets, the perma-culture practices I'm sure we'll put into play.

Tomorrow we'll learn to cook on a charcoal stove called a sigiri.  The plan is to order propane stoves for living at site, but we'll still probably bake using charcoal.  I brought a ton of  mexican spices (thanks to Bonnie, a returned PCV who knew what was coming !) and some will be put into good use as we cook a Mexican meal as part of a Cross Cultural exercise meant to teach us how to survive when they cut the umbilical.  Out language trainer has agreed to sacrifice the chicken.  If you want meat here, ya gotta kill it.  This is probably the last meat I will have here in a meal I cook.

On that happy note, the orphanage behind my house (home stay) is tuning up.  Every night at 8:00 they sing with clapping and drumming for about 30 minutes.  It's a wonderful sound.  This group supports itself with tours to the UK.  Sorry if I've already mentioned that, but it is a fine way to end the day.

Thanks to those of you who are reading and those who have commented.  It's a wonderful link to home.