Reversible Aprons

I bought local pattern fabric and made aprons. These are reversible! I can find very interesting fabric at market. 2 m = 400 Kwacha ($2.8) I am thinking to make more!

A Frog

I found this guy at our balcony.   

Tomo  : "Hey, how did you get here?   You look so white, actually yellow!"

Frog    : "You, too!"

Hamburger or Hamburger Steak?

I have been sick for a month.   I got this sore throat since the end of April.   I went to a clinic 2 times but  anti-biotic medication did not work for my throat.   Desperate Tomo........

My house keeper was drafted by my husband for his work.   I totally agree to his idea because she is very smart!    She is deserved to have a promotion.   Congratulations!

Now, I can see the pile of laundry.   I had tried a couple of times but I got a strained back (gikkuri goshi in Japanese) and made my cough worse.   Because we don't have a washing machine!   We don't have a bathtub either.   We have to do it in the shower room with 2 plastic  washtubs.   This activity makes my body cold and drenched.   I miss American washing machines and dryers.   

My husband took good care of me.  I was too sick to prepare meals sometimes.  

He cooked for me.   Here are the weekend lunch and dinner he made for us.

 "A hamburger for dinner?"  I don't blame you for being surprised if you are a Japanese.  

I thought exactly same feeling when I got married.   I mean 8 years ago.   Japanese people eat hamburger steak (hamburg!)  with steam rice for dinner.  They like to eat  hamburgers (with bun) for lunch, not dinner.   NEVER!  

There is really not much difference between hamburger steak and hamburger.  Only one thing I found that Japanese hamburgers contain onion but American hamburgers are 100% beef almost always!

Me?   I cook hamburger steak for dinner (with steam rice) and I enjoy Jim's burger for lunch or dinner!   "Give me another one, darling!"   Feel like that.

Even I had a bad sore throat, I did not lose my appetite at all.     

I enjoyed Jim's burger and thinking about this topic on the bed.

 I think I am getting better!

The day I lost my voice

I had been struggling to make 6 tapestries for Jim’s new office.  When I finished 4 of them, I got sick. I completely lost my voice.  It was the worst sore throat ever.   I had to stop my project because of fever.
I drove our Land Rover by myself to see a doctor.    It was a first experience to go to a clinic in this country.    Dr. John Jones, I was referred to see him by one of our American friends.

What puzzled me most was that I did not have voice at all.  I barely communicated with the receptionist.  She understood that I wanted to see Dr. Jones.

I was told to wait in the waiting room near the reception.  I was a good patient! Sitting QUIETLY there for a long time. Patients were c

alled one by one in order and disappeared to the next room.

Something wrong? I waited for 90 minutes then the person who came after me called.  ???????? 

Was I skipped?

Ended up I went to the reception but I had no voice.  How could I explain my frustration.I just used my body language and desperately complained that persons after me were called but me, I was waiting too long!  I realized that my intention was so clear to me but people listening to me could hear just air sound from my mouth.

Crazy asian women was complaining badly (m

e!).  She frowned at me but she started checking something.

She found my file!  It was sent t

o the next room without me.  She said that I should have waited in the second waiting room.  Thank you!  My desperate action made little progress.

Finally a doctor called me!  She was obviously not Dr. John Jones but I did not mind.  She looked very nice and understood that I did not have voice and that was why I was there.
She looked at my file and immediately said, “ Hmmm, you have high blood pressure!”    “????????”    I lost my voice.   NO! I had already lost my voice.  HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE?

I looked into my file on her desk. It was my name on it and .......I found that 88KG wight and 180/120 blood pressure on my file.  ????????????
I was upset but I could not explain.   I tried to tell her 

that this was not my records and nobody checked my wight and blood pressure that day.  She double checked with me that it was my file but not my data.

She checked my wight and blood pressure by herself.  Well, my wight was ??Kg and 100/70 blood pressure. Now I got happy face! ; >

But she was wondering who was the 180 high blood pressure woman?  The doctor called all her assistants who were checking pe

rsonal data but nobody knew who was treated under Tomo Campbell’s name.

Well, it was frustrating experience and I learned how hard to communicate without my voice.  I don’t understand my husband English time to time but at least I can say something.

I was quiet for a while. Now I need to catch up.
Are you ready to hear my complaining again, darling? ( just joking. I am always quiet! )  Actually I miss what was my sexy voice though.

Here are the last 2 tapestries I've just finished. 

Feed the Children Inc. Opening Ceremony!

We had a "Feed the Children Inc." official office opening ceremony on May 11.

It took us 4.5 months to start a new NGO from scratch.

 The Feed the Children Vice President for International Program joined us from Oklahoma.   

This office locates 10 minutes from our home and in a 3 stories building containing other NGO offices.   Jim bought a lots of second hand desks and tables for this office and fixed them.   The room looks little dark and depressing.    Jim asked me to make 6 tapestries and curtains which were enough to make me keep busy last 2 weeks.     

More than 10 guests joined us.   They work for ministry or other NGOs.  They are very nice people and we will work together.    

Jim and his boss cut the ribbon.   One of my friends KAORU san, she is a nutritionist and helping Jim's project as a volunteiar  and her busband who works for JAICA joined us, too.  

The beautiful bouquet they brought for us added an extra touch to the ceremony !   

 Jim starts working in this office officially as a country director.  Several people have already stopped by for applying positions.   

Now he needs good staff to work with and make a good team.  

I pray that  "Team Campbell" is getting off the ground and expand in this country!

Me?   I just devote myself as Jim's Cheer Leader and a graphic designer!