BBQ on the McAlisters!

I am truly amazed and inspired by Zimbabweans - women especially. No matter what the circumstance, they make a way. Last night I was talking with a neighbour as she was cooking over her firewood in the backyard. She had a pot in front of her with the lid overturned and a bunch of hot coals in it. I asked her what she was doing, and she explained that she was baking bread. She had created a little oven, with coals underneath the pot, and then coals on top of it. I was so impressed! Our power's been off since Tuesday. Last night we had to clear out our fridge and freezer. We were giving out chicken and beef and bread and cheese to our neighbours, so that they could cook it over their firewood before it went bad. John was calculating the thousands of dollars we lost, but hey - there was a massive BBQ on the McAlisters! Inflation causes prices to go up every week, so when we get paid, we try to buy in bulk and then freeze things. This is a clever strategy, except when there is no power for your freezer. I'm gaining a much better appreciation of why there isn't a strong "plan ahead" mentality here. It's difficult to plan ahead when the future is uncertain! I did, however, see some other people planning ahead this morning. The gas station near our house miraculously has gas (or at least is rumoured to have it), so there is a long line of cars who have been stationed up the street all night hoping to fill up. It's a whole new world!