Recently
(on July the 8th) I celebrated my 1 year in country, a pretty
noteworthy milestone if I do say so myself.
I, along with the other volunteers in my group, was able to celebrate
this anniversary on holiday, gallivanting around South Africa, as we just
finished our school’s winter vacation. I
had a lovely, jam-packed, fun holiday…
I
started things off on the right foot by traveling with the one and only
Nitcholas Dippner and his family. We began
our adventure by driving through Kruger National Park. We were lucky enough to spot all of the big
five (the lion, the elephant, the buffalo, the leopard, and the rhinoceros). Mr. Dippel was brave enough to teach Nick,
Evan, and myself the art of stick shift driving, which we all of course
mastered in minutes, minus the one bush that I encountered... We made friends with some lion cubs and of
course, the hard to find impala. Next we
journeyed to Hazyview/Graskop where we enjoyed the scenery of the Three
Rondavels, God’s Window, and the pot holes.
Last, but certainly not least, we found our way to Swaziland. In Swaziland we went to a beautiful
glass-blowing studio and some shops supporting local women’s crafts. We were even able to watch a traditional
Swazi dance after eating a traditional Swazi dinner. Following my trip with the Dippel family (thank
you for a magnificent time!), I headed off to another volunteer’s (Colin)
site. During my brief time at Colin’s,
we worked on a puzzle with his host sisters, which I forgot how much fun puzzles
could be; I caught up on some much needed laundry; and we watched
Generations. The vacation continued for
a few days just outside of Johannesburg with my family away from home – the
Beddy’s. I was able to use Skype and
catch up with the family, gossip with Chibby, and meet my favorite new nephew,
Benjamin. Before leaving, Sue and I
enjoyed the wonder that is Sandton City, browsing in more shops than I thought
humanly possible. Next on the list was GTOT
(yes, another Peace Corps acronym: general training for trainers). The latest Peace Corps Education Class – SA26
– arrived on the 12th (welcome to South Africa!!), and will hit the
ground running with cultural, language, and technical training. I have been selected to help with their training,
so in order to prepare, all of those helping had a mini training for 3 days
just outside of Pretoria. It was nice to
see old faces, and to catch up with volunteers who I usually don’t get the
opportunity to see. It was also nice to
meet the new LCFs (the language and cultural facilitators) and to see some of
the staff who had made my class’ training so great. After training, it was back to Pretoria for
the final stretch of vacation. During
the last week I went to Soweto with Nick and his family before they departed
for America. We went to the Hector
Pieterson Memorial Museum, which was very moving. The museum honors Hector Pieterson and
recounts the 1976 student uprising against instruction in Afrikaans, specifically
June 16, in Soweto. This museum
explained a lot of the background of the Apartheid and its relation to the
school system, something that I found very interesting as I am working in the
schools here. For the rest of the week,
and for our final days in Pretoria, much ice cream (thank goodness that Ellen
has a sweet tooth just as big as mine), pizza, and general unhealthy food was
eaten, but we did a lot of shopping, walking, and running to make up for
it. My last night in Pretoria was spent
at the delicious News Café with Kelsey and her parents. Traveling back to site was long – about 8
hours from the time the taxi pulled out of Bosman to the time I reached my ever
so dusty rondavel – but I am very happy to be back.
Vacation
was wonderful. It made me realize just
how much I am looking forward to seeing my own family in December. It made me reflect on how many lifelong
relationships I have made in my time here thus far. It also brought me back to site feeling
refreshed and reenergized, ready to work again.
It was so nice to come back to everyone in the village and of course my
loving Butch, who was very excited to see me.
Now,
onto the real purpose of this blog post…In order to commemorate my 1 year in
country, I have decided to do something very similar to an assignment I had
back in high school. One of my favorite
teachers during high school was my grade 9 social studies teacher. As he taught his unit on The First World War,
he had us write from the perspective of a soldier experiencing trench warfare,
using the five senses to fully explain what was happening. This assignment was so much fun for me (yes,
I’m a bookworm, but still); I was learning and I was able to be creative. I
even went so far as to look up British lingo to include in my paper. So, in order to celebrate my 1 year in
country, I am going to do something comparable in hopes that you, my faithful
readers, have a better understanding of life in the village and my life as a
Peace Corps Volunteer in South Africa.
Enjoy!
- Hearing:
·
I
often hear “Naledi!” or “Meghan!” yelled at the top of the children’s lungs in
my village. Whether I am running by or
simply walking to the tuck shop, the kids yell my name. After a year I have not become boring to
these kids, and their enthusiasm at seeing me has certainly not become
old. It continuously warms my heart, as
well as my ears.
·
In
my village I hear a lot of music, all of the time. On the typical day, it is traditional music,
such as Xitsonga music. My host brothers
enjoy house music, which they like blaring as they do their household
chores. On Friday nights and Saturday
nights the shabeens play house music until midnight or so, lulling me to sleep.
·
I
hear all sorts of animals. Goats that I
often cannot differentiate from crying children. Roosters crowing at 4:30 in the morning,
ready to start the day whether you like it or not. Dogs barking and howling, fighting over
leftover pap and meat.
·
Despite
having been here for a considerable amount of time, I still hear entire
Xitsonga and/or Sesotho conversations which I cannot decipher. Sometimes the women speak so quickly, I feel
like my head is spinning.
·
I
hear taxis (khombis) honking their horns, calling out to the people in their
homes in order to pick up more passengers.
These drivers like their khombis full, and I mean full. It’s like we are
sardines in those things.
·
In
town, or in places where people don’t know me, I hear “mulungu” or “legkoa,”
meaning “white person.” While it may not
seem bothersome or offensive the first five times, it gets a bit tiring after a
year.
·
I
hear marriage proposals, and get this, sometimes baby proposals. Men ask how much lobola they need to pay for
me in order for me to accept their offers.
When I tell them that Americans don’t have lobola, they apologize
profusely for me, saying “shame.”
·
Many
people in my village tell me that I can never return to America, that I must
remain in Lekgwareng forever.
- Sight:
·
I
have two favorite sights in my village, which is one of the things I will miss
most about Africa – the sunrise and the sunset.
There is nothing quite like running into the sunrise or into the
sunset. Both are breathtakingly
beautiful.
·
Another
sight I wake up to and go to sleep to is that of hardworking women. I usually wake up to my host mother sweeping
our compound or making a fire or cooking that day’s pap. I usually head off to bed with my host mother
helping my host brothers with school work.
Women around here run the show.
·
I
see my students crammed three to a desk, ready and eager to learn.
·
I
see bugs of all shapes and sizes, often trying to share my rondavel with me. No thanks. This town aint big enough for the
two of us.
·
I
see beautiful traditional dress – women and men dressed head to toe in their
unique cultural wear.
·
Along
with the traditional dress, I see colorful beading made by Xitsonga and Sesotho
women, some of which I have bought for myself.
·
I
see women carrying massive amounts of items on their heads each day – bundles
of wood, buckets full of water, laundry, pots, and the list continues. They never cease to amaze me, never faltering
or dropping what is on top of their head.
One time my host mother carried my suitcase, bursting at the brim, on
her head to the bus stop. I have tried,
unsuccessfully, carrying many a item on top of my head.
·
Before
bed each night, and as a general bonding time with my host family, I watch
“Generations,” South Africa’s greatest soapie.
Things are heating up as Noluntu carries Senzo’s baby, and Khetiwe brews
with jealousy over MaRuby and Xolani.
- Touch:
·
As
I work with my Grade R learners on SOUNS, the literacy program, I feel them
grabbing at my feet or touching my arm.
Despite being here for so long, the kids are still convinced that I
somehow feel different.
·
Along
with people trying to feel my skin, people are often touching my hair. They cannot believe that I do not get my hair
relaxed.
·
I
constantly feel dusty. Dust is
everywhere, and it is just a part of life here in South Africa. When I do my washing, the water is usually
brown once I am finished.
·
One
of my favorite things since arriving to the village is walking around barefoot. I like feeling the sand underneath my feet,
and on summer days I like the warmth of the pavement just outside of my house.
·
My
favorite feel in the summer is the refreshing cold water of my bucket bath. In the winter, the bucket bath doesn’t feel
quite as nice, usually requiring 2 kettles of hot water to make it
bearable.
·
I
love the hugs I get when I get back from a vacation. My host mother and host brothers are always
so happy to see me, as I am them, when I return home.
- Smell:
·
In
the morning and at night I smell fires burning.
In one area of my village, there is no electricity, so fires are
required for cooking food, providing heat, and warming up bath water. Luckily for me, electricity is available in
my household. Still, my host mother
makes a fire each day for cooking pap and preparing bath water.
·
Something
that has not changed from America is one of my favorite smells – fresh laundry. The smell is especially sweet here without
the luxury of a washing machine. On
average, my laundry takes anywhere from 3-4 hours, something the people in my
village find quite amusing. They can
wash quickly, and effectively, usually in half the time that it takes me.
·
When
the floors are redone, there is the distinct smell of cow dung for a few
days. While the smell isn’t exactly
enjoyable, the patterns the women make are quite beautiful.
·
During
the summer months especially, the pit latrine can develop quite the pungent
smell. I think when I’m back in the
states I’ll be able to swim many lengths at a time without coming up for breath
thanks to the pit latrine.
- Taste:
·
Pap. Bagobe.
Vuswa. Pap is the staple food
here. Sometimes pap is eaten 3 times a
day – soft porridge for breakfast, pap and beans for lunch, and pap and chicken
for dinner. When I first arrived, I
mistook pap for mashed potatoes, and requested a heaping full. Needless to say I soon realized my mistake;
these were some strange mashed potatoes.
I enjoy pap occasionally, maybe once or twice a week at the
schools. Pap goes well with gravy, and
is rather filling.
·
Magwinya
is my favorite discovery in South Africa so far. Magwinya, also known as vetkoek or “fat
cakes,” have absolutely no nutritional value, but are quite delicious. Comprised of flour, a bit of sugar, a bit of
salt, and yeast, fat cakes are deep fried in oil and served. I limit myself to 2 a week for obvious
reasons as the name implies, but oh do I savor those 2…
·
Limpopo
is known as the Eden of South Africa. I
feel very fortunate to have been placed in Limpopo as a volunteer (sorry to my
friends in the Northern Cape and Northwest).
My backyard has a guava and a pawpaw tree. Other fruits I enjoy on a daily basis include
bananas, avocados, grapefruits the size of your head, and oranges. I have never tasted fruit so fresh at such a
cheap price (I can get 7 bananas for about R10 or $1.25).
·
During
the summer time, cold drink (aka soda) saves me. Water is consumed, obviously, but nothing is
quite as refreshing as cold drink during 112 degree weather.
·
Whenever
I go to town and meet up with other Peace Corps Volunteers our usual hangout is
Wimpy’s. Wimpy’s is a fast food
restaurant/chain all over South Africa.
I would compare Wimpy’s to the McDonalds or the Wendy’s of America. My favorites at Wimpy’s are their milkshakes
and coffee. We have since moved on to
bigger and better things, but Wimpy’s will always have a special place in my
heart. We also like going there since
all of the wait staff knows us by name.
·
This
section would be wanting if I did not touch on the traditional beer that is
served at weddings and funerals (really at any type of large get together) in
South Africa. I am not a fan of the
traditional beer as it almost tastes like, for a lack of a better description,
bad bread yeast. The people here go gaga
over it for some reason or another, and it’s something you have to try if you
visit.
·
Since
coming to South Africa, I have been forced to learn how to cook and bake (I
didn’t think I could survive off of peanut butter sandwiches for 2 years). Most of what I eat I cook, and I have
improved tremendously from my microwave dinners in college (shame for no
microwave…). My specialties include
Mexican omelets, pasta with homemade pasta sauce, homemade pizza, chicken, and
chips. I have also gotten really good at
making banana bread, a favorite of my host family.
- Ubuntu:
·
I
had to include a “sixth sense” in this blog.
Aside from it providing the title for this post, I really couldn’t fit
this in any of the other senses. It
needs its own category. Ubuntu, as I
have written about before, is the idea that I exist because you exist; I am you
because you are you. Since I have arrived
in South Africa and at my site, I have felt welcomed by mostly everyone I have
met. Whether I am in town, at site, or
traveling, I feel ubuntu in the air. This
sense of belonging and being welcomed makes my time here so special. I will be forever grateful for ubuntu.
This
last year has been a great one. It
certainly has not been without its challenges, but then again what is? I feel that I have grown tremendously and have
done some real good thus far. Peace
Corps Volunteers always say that “the days are long, but the months are
quick.” I definitely agree with this
statement. Sometimes days feel like they
are endless, but months go by in the blink of an eye. I hope that this next year+ is equally, if
not more successful, and that I can continue to strengthen the relationships I
have made and meet more wonderful people.
I hope that as I continue in my Peace Corps service, you continue to
follow my journey through my blog!
Le Rata,
Meg :)
No comments:
Post a Comment