IWD#1-babas

Tomorrow is International Women's Day.  I have to admit I didn't know that until I got here.  So in celebration of the women in our lives this will be a 2-part (unless I get carried away which can happen) blog.  Today will be about the mothers and grandmothers here and my impressions.  For starters, BABA'S (grandma's) RULE!!!  From May 14th we were taught that if you need anything all we have to do is look for a baba.  If we're getting unwanted attention; approach a baba and they will chase whoever away.  If we have to travel by ourselves by bus/train it's a lot safer if we find a baba to sit beside.  So the volunteer's first order of business when they got to site was to seek out the babas!  I was in line to pay my water bill and everyone was crowding around and lining up one month.  Yes I had been waiting and was the first one there but wasn't going to make that much of my place.  I saw this man come to pay and he started to walk right in.  He stopped abruptly when he saw a baba at the front of the line.   She's a friend of mine and I have her granddaughter in one of my classes at the Kindergarten.  When the guy who collects the money arrived she pulled me to the front of the line and said "you were first."   I was standing in the 3rd place and figured no big deal and was actually going to let her go in front of me.  That wasn't her plan and I paid and was on my way!  In addition to ruling around here they work very hard, extremely.  I've been to collegue's houses before and when I ask where their mom is they tell me she's out preparing the meal.   Another story to illustrate this point.  When I first arrived here l went gosti around my building.  No one was home except the baba upstairs from me.  Turns out they wanted to take me on a walk which turned into a car ride to their vegetable garden.  Little did I know at the time some of those vegetables would be for me.  Anyway we trapsed through a field until we came to their garden an they started picking.  Her daughter, I'm going to say mid-late  40s, was with us.  So here we are, a baba who is smaller than me and I'm going to say in her 70s, her daughter, and myself.  I of course stood and tried to help but not really sure what to do.  We brought this huge burlap bag with us and were putting the veggies in there.  Peppers, small watermelons, and I think some tomatoes on top.  When it came time to stop and get everything to the car I reached for the heavy sack.  I figured I was the youngest so I should carry it.  Her daughter had her hands full and I had a tomato and watermelon the size of a big softball.  When I reached for the bag the baba just kinda shrugged at me and heaved the full and heavy bag over her shoulder like it happens everyday.  So there I was, raised to respect my elders and all and the youngest in the group, yet I had the lightest load.    Baba's spend most of their time cooking meals for the family from what I've observed so far.  THey do the housework.  The reason I think that babas rule is because they have the hardest job!  Now of course this isn't to say the rest of the family doesn't work but from the houses I've been to and the observations I have made, generally speaking I think that's pretty much it!  I consider myself lucky to have been taken in by several babas!  Love and hugs!