COS Conference

This past week, I attended SA 18's COS conference.  That is, my group of Peace Corps Volunteers here in South Africa met to discuss our Closing Of Service.  We met at a nice resort only to find very little time to enjoy the amenities and lots of information being thrown at us.  Peace Corps presented on how to leave South Africa.  As a group, we reflected.  We thought about the good, the bad, the new, the different, the changes we've been through.  We discussed the USA, how it's changed, how it hasn't changed.  We thought about the culture here and how to say goodbye in an appropriate way.  We thought about the questions we will be asked and how to answer these questions.  We discussed common issues volunteers have upon departure from South Africa and their lives here as well as arrival in USA.   We had presentations about many of our options for the next few months, medical issues, resume updating, and job hunting.  We were given paperwork, applications and forms for all the choices we are faced with.  As if we aren't stressed enough.

I think my head is going to explode.

A few sites in the new village

This is one of the first sights in Brooksby.  It is a windmill that pumps water into this tank.  The water is then used for animal drinking water.

Donkey carts are commonly seen around the village.  They are used for transport of people or supplies.  In this case, it was transport for my burglar bars.

Pig vs. Dog

I walked outside today to search for a strange noise I heard. I looked around and in the neighbor’s yard, I saw something that made me laugh a bit too hard for what was actually happening. There was a dog, fighting 2 pigs. The pigs won due to human intervention.

Lunch With Grade R

I walked into the Grade R (Kindergarten) classroom today to ask the teacher a question. What I saw took me by surprise. Usually, the school provides lunch for the learners. It is the sole reason why some of them come to school every day and for some of them the only meal they get. The cooks are great, women from the community who volunteer, and cook in HUGE pots over a gas stove. For some reason, the past week there has been no food. As I walked into the room, the Grade R and Grade 1 learners were sitting in their little chairs at the little tables. Each had a container in front of them. Most of them had brought their own lunches from home. Almost all of them had chicken and rice or pap. I was speechless for a moment as I looked around. I thought back to elementary school lunch time. Some kids went home, some had a lunch and bought milk, some brought their lunch and drink. The lunches were in a lunchbox or paper bag and often consisted of sandwich, fruit, chips, dessert, and juice box or carton of milk. Wow, what a difference. These kids pulled out their falling apart plastic shopping bags with makeshift container (one kid even had a floor polish lid to use as a plate) that contained cold leftovers. When they finished, there was a bucket of water that they could scoop out of to have a drink. These kids’ reality is so different than the reality I grew up in. I snapped out of it and then wondered: after living here for 2 years, why did this catch me so off guard?

A Social Life Reminder

Yesterday was fabulous. I woke up early to some kids blowing vuvuzelas while I swear circling my house, okay not the best wake up call. Then the guy came to put on my burglar bars. Again, not the greatest. But at noon, I left him working and headed out to the school. Pudulogo Primary School was having visitors for a netball and soccer tournament.

In true South African fashion, the event did not start at the scheduled 9am. Just  before 12, the first teams played. The boys C team played soccer on the field while the girls B team played netball on the netball court. When I arrived, both games were just finishing. As the teams finished, everyone met in the center of the school buildings to regroup, celebrate or reflect, and switch uniforms. Then the boys B team headed out for their soccer game and the girls A team headed over for their netball game.

I started with the netball game. The court is set up in the grass
(not always but at the school it is). It has a basketball hoop
without the backboard on each end and has circles on the court (1 in the middle for the tip off, 1 half circle under the hoop, and 2 quarter circles for each side about half way between the end and half court). The girls line up, one from each team in every circle, 7 girls on a team. Then the game begins. When the whistle blows, the girls in the quarter circles quickly move to where they can receive the ball. 1 girl in the center circle has the ball, the other team's girl is arms length away trying to block the first pass. The girls then pass the ball to each other in attempt to score. When a girl has the ball, she cannot move her feet and must pass the ball to her teammates. To score, a girl must make a basket with the ball. It seemed simple enough for me to follow. It was quick paced as the girls don't move with the ball, just pass it whenever they have possession. However, lots of things were being called, which I didn't really follow, and the game was constantly being stopped. The team's fans sit/stand on the end line under the hoop they will score on. The ball is shaped like a volleyball, with the strips of material creating that unique pattern, but is textured like a basketball having the grippy bumps and texture.

After the 20 min half, I moved over to the soccer field where the boys were playing. This game only differs from the US because the players don't wear shin guards and only a select few wore shoes. The boys played barefoot and the lines on the field were a bit sketchy but functional. I enjoyed watching them for a bit as well. Any time a team scores, in soccer or netball, their fans go wild making lots of noise and running out onto the field and back. Some even had vuvuzelas that they were blowing. This is a South African spirit noise maker. It's about a foot long, plastic horn that is used by fans to cheer for their team. It's a bit overwhelming at the
professional games.

When the games were finished, the boys A team played their soccer match. When that final game was finished, the teachers gathered in one of the classrooms for a feast. The teachers at my school, since they were hosting, put together a traditional South African braai and spent all day preparing food. They cooked beef, chicken, and boerwors (traditional sausage) on a grill. They made the hugest pot of pap I have ever seen (traditional boiled cornmeal). They cooked traditional gravy (kind of like salsa that they eat with the pap).  They also made several salads; carrot and green bean, tomato and pepper, lettuce and onion, and pepper and baked bean based. This meal is served on a plate and eaten with fingers only. To finish the meal, a glass of juice is provided. It was so much fun. Before the visitors left, we gathered to say goodbye. All the teachers gathered in the room where they ate and there was music (Culture Spears, a very popular music group from Botswana), dancing, hugs all around, and then the visiting teachers left for their buses. All of the students left and the teachers and I began to clean up. Washing dishes took the most time and effort. I never want to work in food business without an awesome dishwasher like the one I've used in the kitchen at Onaway. Talk about a lot of work!

Finally the day ended around 6pm as the sun had gone down and the teachers who were left walked home. One by one they dropped off and I finished my journey alone. All in all, it was a great day. It reminded me how important friends and social get togethers are. I really miss having a normal social life.

1 Up On The Morning Doves

last night at dusk, the birds returned to my roof for the night. i was
not happy and was not going to make it easy for them. i threw my shoe
at the roof making lots of noise, but the birds didnt move. i threw
gravel on my roof, but the birds didn't move. then i lost an orange on
my roof trying to get the birds off. no luck. i guess these birds
aren't afraid of loud noise, rocks, or oranges. i was beat again
before morning even came. right after i got into bed, the birds
started making noise, that darn pecking again. they cannot stay there!
one last idea popped into my head. i must throw something over the
ledge directly at where they are sleeping. something i can get back
and repeat, especially if i miss. what can i tie to a string that wont
come off in flight or on impact? what can i throw that wont break or
injure me upon return? finally, i had the answer. i took a ball of
yarn, stuck it into a tupperware container, held the end, and flung it
onto the roof in several places. the birds went flying. thankfully
they found a new spot and did not return in the dark. they did not
wake me up this morning. success! however, the neighbors rooster
thought he would visit and take a turn as alarm clock today. maybe
next time...

Shhhhhh I'm Sleeping

i hate birds. i really do. i have for a long time, as long as i can
remember. not for any other reason than they wake me up in the
mornings and when they chirp nonstop at anytime of day i get a
headache. this is not the song birds in a far away tree that chirp for
a fleeting moment and then are gone, although those tend to annoy me
as well. it is the ones who chirp the same note over and over and over
and don't care to move away from where i can hear them.

so when i awoke this morning to a morning dove on my tin roof,
directly over the head of my bed, i wanted to get out a gun and shoot
it. it started with a gentle coo. that coo got louder and louder and
then the bird eventually started to peck on the roof. what on earth is
it doing? you can imagine how loud it is for any hard object to be
hitting the large, thin, corrugated sheet of metal. the sound
resonated inside my tiny room. i finally got out a broom and hit the
ceiling. this only made the bird louder and another joined in. i guess
i woke it up from its happy dreaming state.

then a loud thud and a scurrying bird from the opposite wall to right
over my head. another bird has joined in after it crash landed to a
running stop on my roof.

next the birds started a fun run...on my roof. they chased each other
around, nails scratching and clawing at the metal making it impossible
to fall back asleep. first they went that way, then this. back and
forth, around and around. Do they really need exercise at 6am?

finally, i went outside to chase them away. gosh darn birds. however,
the way my roof is set up, i cannot see the metal part and therefore,
the birds could not see my massive grumpy self scowling in their
direction. eventually one came to the edge in the back of my room
where it was able to see me. it saw me all right and fled faster than
i thought possible. the other 2 eventually came to the edge as well.
im not sure what to do because i do not want a nest of morning doves
waking me before dawn every morning. i cannot handle this for another
2.5 months. i will go insane!

My New House

My house front and back.

 Here's the yard.  My house is the one on the left. The garage and kitchen are in the middle.  My host families house is on the right.

Our water pump.  Many people come and use our pump since they aren't in every yard.

My kitchen and door.  Behind the door is my work area/desk.

Again, my desk and the head of my bed.

My "closet" consists of rope hung from the rafters in the corner next to the foot of my bed.

My First Trip to Town

This village is so rural, there are no taxis.  There are 2 buses that go to the 2 towns that we are closest to.  Each is 2 hours away.  Saturday, only 1 bus comes. Sunday, none.  I got on the bus today.  I was a little unsure about where and when it picks up people, but I made it on the bus at 8:00 a block from my house.  It took 2 hours to get to town and dropped me off.  When I got off, I made sure to ask the driver how I would be able to get back to Brooksby.  The same bus was going back, so I just had to return and find that bus.  Thank goodness it had a number in the window for there were lots of buses. I found my way into the main part of town and got a few groceries.  There was some type of competition in the park, but I needed to explore so I didn't get to stay and watch.  I think it was a school choir competition.  I found the 2 familiar grocery stores and the main stores that I will need.  I bought a new bucket since mine lost it's handle in the move to Brooksby and some school supplies for making my computer classes a success.  I was a tad nervous I'd miss the bus, so I spent 2 hours looking around and shopping, then I grabbed some KFC and headed back to the bus.  I found it no problem (a rarety for me to not get lost in a new place) and was way too early.  The bus left around 1:30 and took 2 hours to return me to a block from my house.  All in all, a good day.  I think I may be able to survive here after all.

Funeral, Funeral, Funeral, Funeral

This week, there have been 4 deaths in Brooksby.  That means on Saturday, there will be 4 funerals.  I am not a big social butterfly, especially when I stick out like a sore thumb so I've been trying to stay away.  Today, however, all the teachers were going to one of the funeral preparations to pay their condolences.  I accompanied them and figured it would be okay as I was in a group.  It was very interesting and I had not been to one of these events before.  I have gone to a funeral, but not the preparations.  In the yard, a huge tent was being set up for the funeral meal.  All the women must wear skirts and everyone covers their head with a scarf or hat.    When we arrived, we filed into a small sitting room and sat down.  There was singing.  There was prayer.  There was more singing.  There were a few words by several of the teachers.  Then they fed us biscuits and coke.  The principal presented a card to the family with money in it from the teachers.  After about 1.5 hours, we got up to leave.  A few of the teachers stayed and asked me to stay too.  We went into a woman's bedroom to just visit.  This was one of the family members of the deceased.  They chatted for a bit and I sat listening politely not understanding any of their SeTswana.  Then we got up to go.  It was an interesting experience.  Tomorrow, my host sister said she will take me to one of the other funeral preparations to help with the food (peeling and chopping vegetables).  Funerals here take so much preparation.  We'll see how that goes. 

New Plan

Well, since I needed to figure out a new plan, I was going a tad crazy.  I decided to give the teachers some lessons on the computer just to see where they are at.  Well...they don't remember ANYTHING so I guess my original plan of using the curriculum I have will work after all.  I am also going to use all the lessons I created in Mare to teach the learners some computer basics too.  This is going to be okay after all.  Now for making some visuals for the walls, some handouts for the classes, and a schedule for classes.  And the only things left are to figure out a way to make the computers sustainable and to figure out how to get the community in for lessons, which is what the previous volunteer did but I'm not sure how to do that in such a short time.  We will see.

First Impressions

* This village has many more animals roaming around.  In addition to cows, goats, dogs, and chickens that I'm used to, this place has pigs, sheep, donkeys, and horses.
 
*My host family currently does not have a functional pit toilet.  I must go down the street to the kindergarten teacher's house if I want to use a toilet.  So not happy about that.  I told my supervisor who is attempting to move me to a different house if a pit toilet is not created by Monday.

*Principal and teachers are WAY more open to ideas, suggestions, and easy to work with.  The computer lab is AWESOME, but the last volunteer that was here did way more work than I was informed about.  I'm not really sure where to start since he did all of the things I was planning to do in my 3 months.

*The village took me about 1 hour to walk around the outside as I was looking around and finding my way.  A bit small, but ok.  The roads are very squared though which is strange.  They are flat and currently covered in mud puddles from all the out-of-season rain.  If I power walk from my corner to the school in the opposite corner, I can get there in 12 minutes.

*There are sunflower fields and corn fields in every direction out and for as far as I can see.

*LOVE LOVE LOVE the electricity.

*The house where I'm living has it's own water pump.  Very good since I will have access to water wheneiver I want it and it will never run out.

*My bed is tiny and really uncomfortable.  I miss my bed in Limpopo.

*I love that my door does not have a skeleton key.

*I'm glad my house does not have burglar bars yet becasue none of the houses here do and I'd feel like I stood out.

*My house has a tin roof.  Not sure I'll like that in the rain and in the cold weather, but it's been okay so far.

*I have not heard any roosters waking me up yet.  I think they don't live close to me.  YIPPEE!!!

*Everyone in the village is very friendly and I have not gotten many people staring at me.  I love that.  I'm not sure if it's the people or if it's because there was another volunteer here for 2 years who left 9 about months ago.  Anyway, I like it.

*People's English is AMAZING!  I haven't met anyone yet that I can't talk with.

*Glad I bought a new pillow.