We've been without running water here for a while. We are still getting drinking water from the temple, so we can drink, just not take care of hygiene needs. They do have an outdoor spigot that they turned water on to for a while. When they did, all the young boys stripped down for their outdoor washing. It was quite a sight seeing the line of naked bottoms all sudsed up! For the older kids, they drew water in pails to carry indoors which created quite a mess! Jaclyn took a tumble down a story of the slick tile stairs. Little David thought it was hilarious and loves doing imitations of her.
Anyway, I digress. The girls bathroom was packed with girls bathing from the pails so we decided to wait until morning when the children were at breakfast to avoid them staring at us and laughing (which is a favorite past the here. Apparently they find us very entertaining. Yes, children, anytime you try to shake my arm or legs they will jiggle. Every time. Apparently though, they like to continue testing this hypothesis...) So, I wash my hair first and then I help Jaclyn by going back and forth from the dipping pail to the sink. Her hair is all sudsy and Grace walks in just in time to see me dip and start to carry to Jaclyn's hair and started yelling "no". After other girls coming in and Grace explaining to them in Chinese, and them laughing at us (see a trend?) Grace lets us know that we were using water from the pail where they had cleaned the bathrooms.
The rest of the day was spent doing daily things. Brad and Grace walked to the big store with us where we bought a crock pot and some type of meat; pork maybe? Once we get electricity back, I hope to make some food for us that I recognize. Eating is still such a challenge for me.
In the afternoon, we got out plastic lanyards to make bracelets. Note for next year: if you don't want to feel suffocated from having multiple plastic nooses around you neck, wrists, ankles and hair, leave said plastic lanyards at home! Anyway, as we were wrapping up craft time, report came of a mouse in the kitchen. Jaclyn and I went to check it out (don't ask me why we decided we were best suited for this job!). Tom, one of the children here who is 9, went with us. Tom's favorite word is OK. He literally must say it at least 200 times a day. "Suzanne, ok?" "David, ok?" From outside our door. We open it, "games, ok?". So, back to the story. Ok boy is with us and we head to the kitchen where we spot the mouse. Tom walks up to the mouse, takes his lanyard bracelet and starts putting in mouse like a necklace all while saying "ok?" NO! THIS IS NOT OK!!! This is when I start acting like a girl and squealing "NO" while running away as Tom follows us carrying the mouse by the tail!! When he gets outside, he drops it on the porch as I run as fast as I can (which for the record isn't very fast). The other boys come to see what's so exciting and pick it up. One of the adults here says something to them in Chinese. I was hoping it was "carry the mouse far away and then go wash your hands." It wasn't.
The boys head into the shed and come out with a wire cage and the mouse inside. I'm sorry, but this mouse is not a pet! The boys go to the spigot and I assume will be washing their hands. No, they bring the mouse over in the cage and start washing it! (Really in hindsight, the purpose may have been drowning.) I'm doing everything in my power to stay away and continue making bracelets. A few minutes past and I'm successfully forgetting the mouse and the boys. That is, until I start to smell smoke and look up just as they set the cage upon the fire. Yes, they were cooking the mouse! This is where I become a girl again and start yelling for David. Teacher Gong came, looked at them and then went on. I think it takes a patient man to work with this many kids! So, the mouse problem has been eliminated, my laundry I had on the line has a slight smokey mouse scent and the boys had a fun afternoon. Let's see what the next day brings!