Before I began regaling you with tales of my first day at Moshaweng, I want to take a quick moment to respond to comments. I can't figure out how to post comments in response on my Blackberry, so this will have to do.
Thanks for the moral support, Neelam! (It was definitely the glittery pencils.) I will talk to you soon, we have much to discuss.
I can't wait to see you, Mr Cooper. We can compare the horror of our living situations. I came home from school today to find a giant piece of plaster on my bed. What's worse is that because there are so many gaping holes in my walls, I'm not even sure where it came from. How far away is Ganap? 20 km? Are you near Laxey?
Other administrative issues: I know my e-mail inbox is full. I can't delete anything on my Blackberry. I will clean it out in the next week or so. Also, please be aware of the time in South Africa when you are making phone calls attempting to reach me. I am usually in bed by nine (my time) which is mid-afternoon your time. It's not that I don't want to talk to you, but I turn my phone off when I'm trying to sleep so you will not be able to reach me.
School today was, as they say in South Africa, hectic. By that, they usually mean crazy busy, and, boy, I did more today in 7 hours than in 7 months in Deorham.
During the school briefing I was introduced to all 5 of the educators not currently attending workshops in Kuruman. It was very low-key. I was then shown to my "office", a desk and chair in the computer lab. A few minutes later the learners arrived, and we all went to assembly. There were songs, prayers, announcements, the usual. I spent the rest of the day filling in for absent teachers. I taught Newton's laws in grade 10 physical science, transport in plants in grade 11 life science, compound interest in grades 10 and 11 maths, and human evolution, trigonometry, and mitosis and meiosis in grade 12 life science and maths. Phew! In between I had great conversations with learners about their role models and plans for the future, as well as checked out the fabulous computer lab where I will be teaching computer literacy. I was busy all day, but it felt great! I haven't done so much work since I left America! Also, I had no textbooks to teach from. I taught all of the above from memory! Most of it from high school as I only took one science in college (thank you, A.P. Biology). It was scary at first, but turned out to be quite fun. I especially enjoyed teaching physical science. The learners knew all the formulas, but they had never heard of Isaac Newton! I drew an apple tree with a little man underneath and proceeded to explain the whole concept of gravity. It was fun for everyone. The learners clapped when I left.
Anyway, now I'm back in my closet. Tired, but content. Tomorrow I will attempt my laundry, then pack for Pretoria. Hopefully when I finally return, the DoE will have delivered my wardrobe. Living out of a suitcase is tough in a place where everyone expects clothes to be in perfect condition at all times.
Friday, April 16, 2010
Thursday, April 15, 2010
New Site: Lopeng
I finally moved! After a harried night and morning of packing up everything I own (my goodness, how things accumulate!), my supervisor from Peace Corps arrived in the early afternoon to whisk me away to my new site.
We arrived in Lopeng far too soon. The distance between Deorham and Lopeng is less than a half hour by vehicle. Our first stop in the village was Moshaweng Secondary School, where I begin work tomorrow. I'm a little nervous. Apparently there is a staff briefing every morning before the learners arrive. What kind of school has a briefing? Tomorrow, I will find out and report back.
Our next stop was my new home. To be perfectly honest, I cried when I first saw it. Many of you would be appalled by my new living conditions. My room is the size of a closest, and the cracks in the walls look like gaping chasms. My official host mother speaks very little English and is a member of the Moshawen SGB (like the PTA, but different). On the bright side, I have two host sisters who appear to be awesome. One is still in school, at Moshaweng, and the other is just out of school and living at home while she job-hunts in Kuruman. They're great because while they are perfectly willing to help me whenever I need it, they are old enough to not be super-impressed (and hence clingy and annoying) by the white girl living in the backyard.
Lopeng itself is significantly larger than Deorham. Today I even visited a shop that sells furniture! I also really like the fact that there is tons of available transport, not only to Kuruman, but Vryburg (another "real" town in the opposite direction) and even other villages. For the first time ever, I will be able to visit another volunteer without enduring an excruciating bakkie ride to town. Other volunteers' villages are so close, in fact, that I've decided my next major investment is going to be a bike. The roads aren't great, but I'll suffer the 20 ks to Laxey or the 30-some to Battlemount.
Right now, I am feeling pretty good about this site, but tomorrow will be the real test. Will I survive a full school day?
One last thing: before I left Deorham this morning, I received a package from my sister! It was filled with all manner of cute and nifty school supplies. They will be so great for school (positive reinforcement) and, honestly, making the neighbor kids like me. The orphans living next door now all have glittery pencils. Thanks, Pam!
We arrived in Lopeng far too soon. The distance between Deorham and Lopeng is less than a half hour by vehicle. Our first stop in the village was Moshaweng Secondary School, where I begin work tomorrow. I'm a little nervous. Apparently there is a staff briefing every morning before the learners arrive. What kind of school has a briefing? Tomorrow, I will find out and report back.
Our next stop was my new home. To be perfectly honest, I cried when I first saw it. Many of you would be appalled by my new living conditions. My room is the size of a closest, and the cracks in the walls look like gaping chasms. My official host mother speaks very little English and is a member of the Moshawen SGB (like the PTA, but different). On the bright side, I have two host sisters who appear to be awesome. One is still in school, at Moshaweng, and the other is just out of school and living at home while she job-hunts in Kuruman. They're great because while they are perfectly willing to help me whenever I need it, they are old enough to not be super-impressed (and hence clingy and annoying) by the white girl living in the backyard.
Lopeng itself is significantly larger than Deorham. Today I even visited a shop that sells furniture! I also really like the fact that there is tons of available transport, not only to Kuruman, but Vryburg (another "real" town in the opposite direction) and even other villages. For the first time ever, I will be able to visit another volunteer without enduring an excruciating bakkie ride to town. Other volunteers' villages are so close, in fact, that I've decided my next major investment is going to be a bike. The roads aren't great, but I'll suffer the 20 ks to Laxey or the 30-some to Battlemount.
Right now, I am feeling pretty good about this site, but tomorrow will be the real test. Will I survive a full school day?
One last thing: before I left Deorham this morning, I received a package from my sister! It was filled with all manner of cute and nifty school supplies. They will be so great for school (positive reinforcement) and, honestly, making the neighbor kids like me. The orphans living next door now all have glittery pencils. Thanks, Pam!
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
The Big Move
As some of you may know, I am leaving my village, Deorham, and moving to another for the remainder of my Peace Corps service. After many weeks of waiting, the move is finally set for tomorrow. My new village is Lopeng, which is actually relatively close to my current village (only about 30 km away). I am very excited about moving on, but also a little nervous about starting over. I hope it goes well. I'm leaving tomorrow morning around 10:30, and I haven't even started packing!
Monday, April 12, 2010
Staycation
After all my adventures abroad, I was back in Kuruman with several days to spare before the start of the new school term. I couldn't bring myself to return to my village quite yet. I needed a transition period. I needed a staycation.
So I booked at room at a guesthouse popular with several other PCVs and proceeded to explore my lovely little shopping town as a tourist for the very first time.
It turned out to be surprisingly pleasant. For a town of its size (or lack thereof) there are several things to see and do that are worth seeing and doing. The most famous, perhaps, is the Eye (or Die Oog as the locals would say). I think I've mentioned it here before, so I won't go into details, but a picnic at the Eye while watching the fish swim by is an autumn afternoon well spent. The admission fee is a mere 7 rand, and a nice grocery store is just steps away.
Another Kuruman attraction is the Moffat Mission. Anyone who knows their African history will recognize the place for several things. It was here, in 1829, that the first Bible was printed in Africa (in Setswana, of course) by the English missionary Robert Moffat. It was also here that David Livingstone was nursed back to health after being mauled by a lion, and then later married his nurse (a daughter of the Moffat's). The almond tree under which he proposed is still standing (kind of). I visited the mission for the first time another volunteer, J, and her friend T, who was visiting from America. J, who happens to also have been my seatmate on the flight to SA from DC, has visited the mission several times and was an excellent tour guide. The original house and church of the Moffats are both still standing, while the original printing press (still in occasional operation) is housed in a reproduction of a schoolroom from 1905.
On our way back from the Moffat Mission, J, T and I stopped at the Barrel, a restaurant none of us had ever tried before. While our server was a bit of an oddball, the food was delicious and the setting (at a garden nursery) delightful. The way the food was presented was also impressive. I had sprigs of lavender stuck artfully into my chicken, and fresh flowers adorned everyone's desserts. We spent the better part of the afternoon eating, drinking and chatting, while Rusty devoured a lamb bone beneath the table.
For those who are less historically inclined, and more Mall of America than Moffat Mission, Kuruman has The Cave. The Cave looks like a house on the outside, but rather convincingly like a cave on the inside. It is a shop that sells gems, mostly as jewelry, but also loose. It's definitely a unique shopping experience. I "caved" and bought a piece of hematite, pardon the pun.
Next week I'll be heading out to Pretoria for the trial, attempt number two. I'm not looking forward to all the traveling, nor the trial itself, but I'm meeting a friend in the city for a few days afterwards, and I'm very excited about that.
In other news, I was inspired by the last training event I attended to begin taking a daily multivitamin. Neil and David, the presenters and authors of Choices and Positive Living, declared that Centrum 50+ is far and away the best multivitamin on the market for people of any age, so that's what I'm taking... Or at least trying to take. The pills are elephant-sized! Maybe I'll get better...
So I booked at room at a guesthouse popular with several other PCVs and proceeded to explore my lovely little shopping town as a tourist for the very first time.
It turned out to be surprisingly pleasant. For a town of its size (or lack thereof) there are several things to see and do that are worth seeing and doing. The most famous, perhaps, is the Eye (or Die Oog as the locals would say). I think I've mentioned it here before, so I won't go into details, but a picnic at the Eye while watching the fish swim by is an autumn afternoon well spent. The admission fee is a mere 7 rand, and a nice grocery store is just steps away.
Another Kuruman attraction is the Moffat Mission. Anyone who knows their African history will recognize the place for several things. It was here, in 1829, that the first Bible was printed in Africa (in Setswana, of course) by the English missionary Robert Moffat. It was also here that David Livingstone was nursed back to health after being mauled by a lion, and then later married his nurse (a daughter of the Moffat's). The almond tree under which he proposed is still standing (kind of). I visited the mission for the first time another volunteer, J, and her friend T, who was visiting from America. J, who happens to also have been my seatmate on the flight to SA from DC, has visited the mission several times and was an excellent tour guide. The original house and church of the Moffats are both still standing, while the original printing press (still in occasional operation) is housed in a reproduction of a schoolroom from 1905.
On our way back from the Moffat Mission, J, T and I stopped at the Barrel, a restaurant none of us had ever tried before. While our server was a bit of an oddball, the food was delicious and the setting (at a garden nursery) delightful. The way the food was presented was also impressive. I had sprigs of lavender stuck artfully into my chicken, and fresh flowers adorned everyone's desserts. We spent the better part of the afternoon eating, drinking and chatting, while Rusty devoured a lamb bone beneath the table.
For those who are less historically inclined, and more Mall of America than Moffat Mission, Kuruman has The Cave. The Cave looks like a house on the outside, but rather convincingly like a cave on the inside. It is a shop that sells gems, mostly as jewelry, but also loose. It's definitely a unique shopping experience. I "caved" and bought a piece of hematite, pardon the pun.
Next week I'll be heading out to Pretoria for the trial, attempt number two. I'm not looking forward to all the traveling, nor the trial itself, but I'm meeting a friend in the city for a few days afterwards, and I'm very excited about that.
In other news, I was inspired by the last training event I attended to begin taking a daily multivitamin. Neil and David, the presenters and authors of Choices and Positive Living, declared that Centrum 50+ is far and away the best multivitamin on the market for people of any age, so that's what I'm taking... Or at least trying to take. The pills are elephant-sized! Maybe I'll get better...
Thursday, April 8, 2010
Easter Break
Happy belated Easter! It's been a long time since I last updated this blog, and a lot has happened! I will try my best to bring everyone up to speed.
First, at the end of March, I participated in an HIV/AIDs training held at a rather fancy hotel with delicious food in Rustenburg. You may recognize the name of the city, as it is also the name of my dog. Anyhow, the training itself was wonderful. I learned so much, and, even better, most of what I learned is actually useful! The workshop was run by two men, Neil Orr and David Patient, and I urge you to give their names a Google if you want to know:
Why everyone should eat a brazil nut a day
Why you should keep the windows open in crowded spaces (especially where I live)
Why daily shots of cayenne pepper are worth suffering through
How to cheat the South African medical system by drinking Coke
... and other useful things.
Aside from the lectures and food, the hotel (Sparkling Waters) had two pools, a playground, a trampoline and a mini-golf course of mind-boggling difficulty. I won by a very slim margin, and it was entirely chance. Anyone who's ever seen me play before know that there's no real skill involved.
After saying goodbye to Rustenburg, about 20 volunteers boarded a taxi bound for Sabie, Mpumalanga for the Longtom marathon. We arrived at the backpackers, ate some spaghetti and promptly went to bed. We were up hours before the sun to hit the course. 4 PCVs were brave enough to run the 56 kilometer ultra-marathon, the rest of us ran or walked a mere 21 kilometers. The race course was absurdly hilly, but possibly the most beautiful scenery I've ever seen. It was a good distraction from the heat/pain, as were the water points which were staffed by super-friendly people proffering potatoes, chocolate and water packaged in plastic which you were expected to rip open with your teeth... while running. I, needless to say, was not particularly skilled at this art and wound up soaking myself and my neighbors many a time.
Of course, the best part of the marathon was the money we raised. I managed to pull together $355 to benefit KLM, so many, many thanks to those who donated. It's very much appreciated. Collectively, we beat last year's fundraising total by more than $1000. Well done, well done...
I woke up the morning after the marathon more sore than I ever believed possible, but did that stop me from climbing on a taxi as part of my journey to Zambia? No, absolutely not.
Another volunteer and I flew to Livingstone, Zambia for a week to see one of the wonders of the world, Victoria Falls. It was incredible, and certainly put Niagara Falls to shame. I will post pictures on Facebook sometime in the next week or so. They're pretty self-explanatory (and my thumbs are tired), so on to my last topic.
On my first night back in town, I met with a group of students and teachers from the Frankfurt International School. I had already met with the group leader when he and others came to the region a month or so ago. Anyway, he had a few things for me and my village, most importantly, Dr Pepper! No, no, no, seeds for my school garden, though the Dr Pepper is really nice and I'm considering building a shrine for it rather than just drinking it. Thanks a million to the good people of FIS!
First, at the end of March, I participated in an HIV/AIDs training held at a rather fancy hotel with delicious food in Rustenburg. You may recognize the name of the city, as it is also the name of my dog. Anyhow, the training itself was wonderful. I learned so much, and, even better, most of what I learned is actually useful! The workshop was run by two men, Neil Orr and David Patient, and I urge you to give their names a Google if you want to know:
Why everyone should eat a brazil nut a day
Why you should keep the windows open in crowded spaces (especially where I live)
Why daily shots of cayenne pepper are worth suffering through
How to cheat the South African medical system by drinking Coke
... and other useful things.
Aside from the lectures and food, the hotel (Sparkling Waters) had two pools, a playground, a trampoline and a mini-golf course of mind-boggling difficulty. I won by a very slim margin, and it was entirely chance. Anyone who's ever seen me play before know that there's no real skill involved.
After saying goodbye to Rustenburg, about 20 volunteers boarded a taxi bound for Sabie, Mpumalanga for the Longtom marathon. We arrived at the backpackers, ate some spaghetti and promptly went to bed. We were up hours before the sun to hit the course. 4 PCVs were brave enough to run the 56 kilometer ultra-marathon, the rest of us ran or walked a mere 21 kilometers. The race course was absurdly hilly, but possibly the most beautiful scenery I've ever seen. It was a good distraction from the heat/pain, as were the water points which were staffed by super-friendly people proffering potatoes, chocolate and water packaged in plastic which you were expected to rip open with your teeth... while running. I, needless to say, was not particularly skilled at this art and wound up soaking myself and my neighbors many a time.
Of course, the best part of the marathon was the money we raised. I managed to pull together $355 to benefit KLM, so many, many thanks to those who donated. It's very much appreciated. Collectively, we beat last year's fundraising total by more than $1000. Well done, well done...
I woke up the morning after the marathon more sore than I ever believed possible, but did that stop me from climbing on a taxi as part of my journey to Zambia? No, absolutely not.
Another volunteer and I flew to Livingstone, Zambia for a week to see one of the wonders of the world, Victoria Falls. It was incredible, and certainly put Niagara Falls to shame. I will post pictures on Facebook sometime in the next week or so. They're pretty self-explanatory (and my thumbs are tired), so on to my last topic.
On my first night back in town, I met with a group of students and teachers from the Frankfurt International School. I had already met with the group leader when he and others came to the region a month or so ago. Anyway, he had a few things for me and my village, most importantly, Dr Pepper! No, no, no, seeds for my school garden, though the Dr Pepper is really nice and I'm considering building a shrine for it rather than just drinking it. Thanks a million to the good people of FIS!
Saturday, February 20, 2010
A Day in the Life... Resego Goes to Town
I have a lot of explaining to do concerning town, what it is, where it is, why I go, and how I get there.
When I refer to town, I am talking about Kuruman. In general size and appearance, it reminds me of Estherville, IA. It's got a few grocery stores, a couple decent restaurants, a smattering of guest houses, and a nice park around the Eye (the only permanent water source for miles). Most importantly, Kuruman is where the post office and my school's PO box is located, along with Rusty's veterinarian, the bank and ATM.
Kuruman is approximately 90 kilometers from Deorham. Oddly, that is the same approximate distance from my house in Pittsford to the lake house in Ovid. Anyway, it's hardly walking distance. Hence, I must provide you with a crash course in South African transport.
The most common form of transport in rural (poor, black) South Africa is by taxi. Locally known as khumbis, taxis are really minibuses. To attract a taxi, all you have to do is stand by the road and wait and wait and wait until one comes along that has space. Space does not necessarily mean a seat. I have stood, I have sat on people's laps, I have spent any uncomfortable hour or so on the floor even. It happens. Anyways, there used to be one taxi that served my village. It would pick people up at a few select spots around the village about 7 am, transport them into town and back again (this time dropping them at their door). We paid 56 rand for this service. A few weeks ago, the taxi people attempted to raise this to 70 rand. The people of Deorham responded by boycotting the taxi. The taxi responded by ceasing to come to the village.
This brings me to SA transport, part two. The other form of transport most common in my area is a truck with a cover on the back and benches for people to crouch uncomfortably on. Locally known as bakkies, these vehicles are owned by a few community members. When they either need to go to town themselves, or just need some extra cash, these people will operate their vehicles as taxis. With the official Deorham taxi gone, we now have to relie on the whims of the relatively wealthy to get to town.
All of this now brings me to today. I needed to go to town for groceries. Thus, as the sun rises, I hike out to the nearest taxi pick-up point and wait. I wait for nearly any hour. A bakkie comes. I climb in (the cab). Two people squeeze in next to me. We begin the bumpy journey to town. I lose feeling in my left leg. The bakkie breaks down. People climb out, try to push it along. This strategy seems to work for about ten minutes. Then, another breakdown. The cycle repeats itself for about any hour. We head back into Deorham. I climb out of the bakkie, check to make sure all my limbs are intact and that feeling has been restored. Seeing all is well, I wait for a new bakkie. The new bakkie arrives. Everyone who couldn't get to town on the first one, climbs into this one. I counted 16 people in the back. Try to imagine that. It was crazy! We begin the journey to town, but it seems doomed. We pull over four times to "fix" whatever seems to refuse to work for more than twenty minutes at a stretch. Almost four hours after I stepped into the first bakkie, I finally arrive in town.
By this time, the post office is closed, so there's no point in trying to pick up or send my mail. Might as well have lunch!
Spur is one of my favorite South African restaurants. It styles itself as an American steakhouse and the inside is decorated as kitschy as can be. There are cheesy references to American-Indian culture everywhere! Headdresses adorn placemats and the stained glass lamps bear vaguely Western patterns. Believe it or not, the food is actually quite good and by American standards, cheap to boot. Today I had the guacamole and bacon burger. Fantastic!
Then I trudged back to the rank to try desperately to make my way back to Deorham. I made it, but, like everything else here, it took a lot longer than strictly necessary. If patience is a virue, I'm headed to sainthood.
Once again, a big thank-you to my Longtom sponsors (especially the mysterious one my mom had to tell me about, thank you!) and to everyone else, there's still time to give and I'd really appreciate it! Thanks!
Please excuse any typos. My Blackberry has gone auto-text crazy and editing is difficult. I hope to hook up my computer soon.
When I refer to town, I am talking about Kuruman. In general size and appearance, it reminds me of Estherville, IA. It's got a few grocery stores, a couple decent restaurants, a smattering of guest houses, and a nice park around the Eye (the only permanent water source for miles). Most importantly, Kuruman is where the post office and my school's PO box is located, along with Rusty's veterinarian, the bank and ATM.
Kuruman is approximately 90 kilometers from Deorham. Oddly, that is the same approximate distance from my house in Pittsford to the lake house in Ovid. Anyway, it's hardly walking distance. Hence, I must provide you with a crash course in South African transport.
The most common form of transport in rural (poor, black) South Africa is by taxi. Locally known as khumbis, taxis are really minibuses. To attract a taxi, all you have to do is stand by the road and wait and wait and wait until one comes along that has space. Space does not necessarily mean a seat. I have stood, I have sat on people's laps, I have spent any uncomfortable hour or so on the floor even. It happens. Anyways, there used to be one taxi that served my village. It would pick people up at a few select spots around the village about 7 am, transport them into town and back again (this time dropping them at their door). We paid 56 rand for this service. A few weeks ago, the taxi people attempted to raise this to 70 rand. The people of Deorham responded by boycotting the taxi. The taxi responded by ceasing to come to the village.
This brings me to SA transport, part two. The other form of transport most common in my area is a truck with a cover on the back and benches for people to crouch uncomfortably on. Locally known as bakkies, these vehicles are owned by a few community members. When they either need to go to town themselves, or just need some extra cash, these people will operate their vehicles as taxis. With the official Deorham taxi gone, we now have to relie on the whims of the relatively wealthy to get to town.
All of this now brings me to today. I needed to go to town for groceries. Thus, as the sun rises, I hike out to the nearest taxi pick-up point and wait. I wait for nearly any hour. A bakkie comes. I climb in (the cab). Two people squeeze in next to me. We begin the bumpy journey to town. I lose feeling in my left leg. The bakkie breaks down. People climb out, try to push it along. This strategy seems to work for about ten minutes. Then, another breakdown. The cycle repeats itself for about any hour. We head back into Deorham. I climb out of the bakkie, check to make sure all my limbs are intact and that feeling has been restored. Seeing all is well, I wait for a new bakkie. The new bakkie arrives. Everyone who couldn't get to town on the first one, climbs into this one. I counted 16 people in the back. Try to imagine that. It was crazy! We begin the journey to town, but it seems doomed. We pull over four times to "fix" whatever seems to refuse to work for more than twenty minutes at a stretch. Almost four hours after I stepped into the first bakkie, I finally arrive in town.
By this time, the post office is closed, so there's no point in trying to pick up or send my mail. Might as well have lunch!
Spur is one of my favorite South African restaurants. It styles itself as an American steakhouse and the inside is decorated as kitschy as can be. There are cheesy references to American-Indian culture everywhere! Headdresses adorn placemats and the stained glass lamps bear vaguely Western patterns. Believe it or not, the food is actually quite good and by American standards, cheap to boot. Today I had the guacamole and bacon burger. Fantastic!
Then I trudged back to the rank to try desperately to make my way back to Deorham. I made it, but, like everything else here, it took a lot longer than strictly necessary. If patience is a virue, I'm headed to sainthood.
Once again, a big thank-you to my Longtom sponsors (especially the mysterious one my mom had to tell me about, thank you!) and to everyone else, there's still time to give and I'd really appreciate it! Thanks!
Please excuse any typos. My Blackberry has gone auto-text crazy and editing is difficult. I hope to hook up my computer soon.
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Compost and Canned Goods
Something I learned in Peace Corps: food that comes in cans is a really wonderful concept. It doesn't need to be refrigerated, keeps forever, and when you do finally get around to opening it, it (usually) tastes delicious! It's also usually quite cheap. So here's to tuna fish, jam and beans... all in cans!
Today was a reasonably exciting day at school. We built a compost pile! The educators are interested in permaculture, but the soil here is terrible. It's really just sand and little else. Thus, before we can begin growing anything, we had to build a compost heap. It's pretty spectacular, as far as compost heaps go. I followed the directions in How to Grow More Vegetables by John Jeavons. The book promotes "biointensive" gardens. I'm not totally sure what that means and if it's really better than normal gardening, but the book has detailed instructions, so what could go wrong? I have one question already: if I use cardboard egg cartons to grow my seedlings, can they be transplanted directly without removing them from the cardboard? I can't seem to find a definitive answer anywhere. Also, if anyone knows what kind of fruits and vegetable grow well in semi-desert conditions, I would appreciate the info.
Finally, I really need your support for the Longtom Marathon to benefit KLM. Read the post below. Many thanks to those who have already given!
Today was a reasonably exciting day at school. We built a compost pile! The educators are interested in permaculture, but the soil here is terrible. It's really just sand and little else. Thus, before we can begin growing anything, we had to build a compost heap. It's pretty spectacular, as far as compost heaps go. I followed the directions in How to Grow More Vegetables by John Jeavons. The book promotes "biointensive" gardens. I'm not totally sure what that means and if it's really better than normal gardening, but the book has detailed instructions, so what could go wrong? I have one question already: if I use cardboard egg cartons to grow my seedlings, can they be transplanted directly without removing them from the cardboard? I can't seem to find a definitive answer anywhere. Also, if anyone knows what kind of fruits and vegetable grow well in semi-desert conditions, I would appreciate the info.
Finally, I really need your support for the Longtom Marathon to benefit KLM. Read the post below. Many thanks to those who have already given!
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