Saturday, April 27, 2013

Neem trees and good news


This has been a busy week for fixing and making things as husband has a two week break from University.

The first thing to do was to mount the marmolite washing sink which is a standard in many Dominican homes.  It is to go in the utility room, and I thought somehow it would be mounted on concrete pillars. It was not. Instead an interesting frame was put together using bits of wood and trees. I was amazed to see the appearance of a spirit level and a tape measure, neither of which have ever been used before. I have a strange feeling they were just there for appearance as the stand seems pretty rickety to me but I am assured it will be fine.


 At the moment, although finished, the sink is waiting outside until the necessary plumbing is done inside.


I also wanted a garden bench. Hector began by cutting down a small tree, using the biggest axe I have ever seen.


I asked him what sort of tree it was – there was a long line of the same type, and he said it was a neem tree. I had no idea that all the trees on one side of the house were neem trees. They are pretty amazing as in India they are known as “the village pharmacy” because of their healing versatility, and the neem tree has been used in Ayurvedic medicine for more than 4,000 years due to its medicinal properties.


The seeds, bark and leaves contain compounds with proven antiseptic, antiviral, antipyretic, anti-inflammatory, anti-ulcer and antifungal uses. The oil extracted from the seeds  is used in pest control , cosmetics and medicines, and the leaves  are used to treat chickenpox and warts.


You can also make a tea from the leaves which is used traditionally to reduce the fever caused by malaria. The bark and the roots are used to control fleas and ticks on animals. Neem extracts also are used in treatments of several diseases including diabetes, AIDS, cancer, heart disease among others.
And one of the great advantages is that just having the tree in your garden will help cut down on mosquitoes – I have not seen one mosquito since I moved here.


The finished item is…interesting but definitely rustic.


Now they are working on a balcony. Watch this space.

But saving the best till last, this week saw the miraculous return of Cojo, the three pawed cat who had been missing, left at our old house, for two months. I had given up hope as I offered a reward of 1000 pesos which is about 25 dollars for him but still no joy. Then at last, on Tuesday, I had the call I had prayed for. He had been found and my stepson had him in a cat carrier. He brought him here the next day. Cojo was delighted to be here. He is very thin and a little beaten up, but has made himself at home straight away.


Lesson to be learnt is never ever give up hope.

13 comments:

  1. I loved your book Lindsay and love reading your blog... keep up the good writing...I look forward to escaping to the Dominican while sitting at work :) Glad to see Hector is back on his feet :D

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    1. Thanks Skinny and thanks for reading the book. Yes Hector is fit and well and working hard making things!

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  2. I am so happy you found your lost cat. I lost a cat many years ago and found him five miles away living in a junk yard. We were riding horses on the road and a really dark grey cat ran out - turns out it was grease and dirt and my yellow kitty had recognized the horses! We packed him home on the back of the horse and he never ran off again.

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    1. So glad you found him. It really is a great feeling to have him back.

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  3. Shame about the destruction of the neem tree! We have one growing in our yard - and also several moringa trees, whose little leaves we chop up and add to food of all kinds. It's reputed to be a cure-all, much like the neem tree. My wife uses the leaves of both to help her skin allergies. I'm hoping the moringa will cure my sciatica; I'll let you know if it works...

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    1. Yes moringa is big here too. It is a shame about cutting it down. We have hundreds of trees and the Dominicans dont seem to have the same scruples about cutting them down. You need fuel for cooking - cut down a tree, to build something, cut down a tree.

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  4. I'll have to see if I can find some Neem oil to help Caiti with her mossie problem in Bordeaux.

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    1. I had no idea there were mozzies in France. Horrid things and serve no purpose at all - apart from food for lizards maybe.

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  5. How wonderful that Cojo is back.
    I had never heard of the Neem tree and checked the web to see if these could be found in Australia. Apparently they were planted here many years ago and are now considered a pest as they take over the native trees and the birds keep on seeding it all over...
    they are also a fire hazard and they burn quickly.
    Oh well, too bad as they seem to have great qualities.

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    1. Shame about being a pest. I haven't tried the tea yet but I will. It really is amazing that there is not one mosquito here at all. In all my time in the DR I have never known anywhere with no mozzies! And thanks re Cojo - he is one happy pussy cat.

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  6. Leí todo su blog completo y a la única conclusión a la que llegué fue: que suerte que yo no vivo en la misma República Dominicana que usted señora.

    Es como dice mi abuelo: "el tercermundismo es un estado mental".


    Un saludo

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    1. Thanks Maximo and to those who do not speak Spanish, Maximo says he has read the entire blog (a feat in itself) and he feels lucky that he does not live in the same Dominican Republic as me. His grandfather says "third worldism is a state of mind."

      Wise grandfather and I agree. But I do not associate where I live with being third world. I assume you neither live in a barrio nor the campo, which is where I was and I am living whilst writing the blog. Had I written it while living in a tourist resort it would have been very different.

      Thanks again for reading it all, I hope you enjoyed it.

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  7. Have just encountered your page and I guess you should be complimented for this piece. More power to you!

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