The month of November was a hectic one. Aside from the normal meet and greets from my community (and the constant reminding that I am NOT their personal fundraiser), Peace Corps Group 8, which is my group, met up for our In-Service Training (IST). The last time I saw majority of the group was at our swear in 3 months ago. But as it turns out, I'm more integrated than I thought. As fantastic as it was to see everyone, 1.5 weeks is a LONG time and I found myself daydreaming about the solitude, peace and quiet my hut provides. Our sessions during IST were very long, usually going from 8-5. While we learned about funding, grant writing, small business development and many other useful topics, we also talked heavily about DEATH, HIV/AIDS, OVC (Orphaned and Vulnerable Children), crime, theft, sexual harassment, and how to deal with the above mentioned topics. To summarize, it was NOT fun and I went away from more than one session feeling useless and on the brink of tears. As horrible as some of it was, there were some great times. We had 2 language sessions with some of our favorite teachers. I happened to be placed in the best and most interactive group (also known as the idiots who failed the language proficiency test). Best quote of the lesson, Teacher: "Is there anything you want to know?" Rob: "Yeah, how do you say it's nice today? Like the weather is not making me want to kill myself today?". *Explanation: it is summer in Swaziland now and temperatures ranging from 100-124 F is normal... You would be pleased to know that I re-tested and passed! I am now an astounding Intermediate Low. haha. We'll see just how much I'll be able to learn (and retain) in the 2 years. Other highlights of IST include talking with Laurie about the book Heaven Shop (this book is fantastic and should be a required reading for children in the U.S.), and having a 4 hour graphic presentation on male circumcision. Circumcision is the new push (and the outside world's solution to reducing HIV). Unfortunately I am beginning to realize that if change is going to happen in Swaziland, it has to be from them and pushed by them. No foreigner will be able to "solve" this crisis. From looking at other African countries who have won this war on AIDS, it started with them and their leaders. They wanted change and so they acted upon it. As we keep on saying, it's behavior change and in Swaziland behavior change means cultural change. They are going to have to change their thinking and the ways in which they behave, or as horrible as it is to say or even think about, this country is going to cease to exist. Some young girls have just accepted that contracting HIV is inevitable so why bother protecting themselves? Others want to have kids so they don't use protection because being a mother is the only way a child becomes a woman and gains respect. And then there are the women who want to use condoms but their husbands accuse them of cheating and may beat them. Thus it comes down to the people to change and confront it, and not let the rest of the world work out their problems.
At the end of IST we had ALL VOL where all current serving volunteers came in for more group sessions and finished off by celebrating Thanksgiving together. We were fortunate enough to go to the U.S. Ambassador's house and have a true American party: pool, beer, wine, 9 turkeys, 10 pies, and endless amounts of food and deserts. Since pre-made/boxed food does not exist here, EVERYTHING was made from scratch including the bread and rolls. As expected of Peace Corps Volunteers, we ate as though we had never seen food before and like it was our last meal. Yes, we are definitely AMERICAN.
Friday, December 10, 2010
Friday, November 19, 2010
Monday, November 8, 2010
Roses
"But he that dares not grasp the thorn, should never crave the rose" -Anne Bronte
This quote sums up my time here in Swaziland. It's my constant reminder that in order to see the rainbow we must be willing and able to endure the storm. As difficult as it is, here and now, I know that in the end it will all be worth it.
So, you might ask, what are some things that have happened the past month? I had 2 friends Early Terminate (ET) service- they went home. They left so fast there was no time for goodbyes. Although I am in the HhoHho Region, which is supposed to be in the Mid-High Veld (cooler and more rain than the rest of the country), my specific community-oddly enough- is in the lowveld (meaning very hot and little rain). Just my luck, huh? :) Most of the time I get the lovely view of lightning and thunder and rarely is it accompanied by rain. When it does rain, it conveniently happens to coincide with my swim lessons-which means no swimming and I'm stuck indoors with the kids. I am currently in a WAR with rats. In my first battle with them, I moved my entire room outside and 2 Swazi men came in with an axe chasing it around my room. It escaped out of a hole in my roof. I proceeded plugging the holes with my clothes- as I had done to the other holes. The rats continued to take out the clothing and snuggle with me in bed. I finally bought a fake cement sealer to plug the wall. Currently, I fall asleep to the sound of them eating at the cement- trying desperately to re-enter. It's a great sound. Did I also mention that the rats are the size of cats and kittens? My friend has said she had seen 2 cats chasing each other. It ended up being a cat chasing a rat. CREEPY. On a happier note, I got my furniture!!! After 2 months of cooking and eating on the floor, and sharing ALL of my belongings with my "pet" rats (including my clothing which they hid in) I finally have everything off of the floor!! Who would've thought that simple furniture would change a hut into a home? On the topic of animals, I have had a scorpion, lizards, endless amounts of spiders, and bugs I have never seen before in my hut, bats outside trying to enter, and snakes in our fields (backyard). In a windstorm, our roofs started to blow off. What's the solution? Throw more rocks on it. It's working so far :) I have also found out that my roof leaks. It's a good thing I don't get rain that often. To save water I have resorted to bathing in a river (when I visit a friend) and taking baths in the rain. It's quite fun. People look at me strange but it's worth it to be clean! I have also acknowledged the fact that I will probably be leaving Africa with schisto. If I don't get it in my 2 years, that will be shocking.
Though all of the above has SUCKED, I had a brief glimpse of that "rose" and it has restored my excitement and joy to be here. For Halloween weekend, I was supposed to go out with friends and celebrate. Due to a lack of funds largely in part to my rat fiasco, I stayed home. In doing so I was invited to attend a traditional Swazi wedding with my Make (mother). As we all know, colonization has left Africa broken. It stole all that characterized them, and left them with a westernized system that did not work with their previous way of living. Since their independence from European stakeholders, African countries have been struggling to find a compatible mixture of the Westernized traditions while still trying desperately to maintain their identity and culture of their ancestors. And so, seeing the true and authentic old cultural ways of how their ancestors used to live, is rare. I got a taste of it at this wedding. It was not a performance as they would do for a tourist. Rather, I was there as family. There were a couple hundred people in attendance and almost all were dressed in traditional Swazi wear. The wedding was entirely dancing and singing- a true celebration of marriage. At the end, and as darkness fell upon the mountains, I was invited into the private hut with the close friends and family of the bride and groom for a prayer and blessing over the couple. Throughout the prayer, they would break out in song and dance. It was touching. It was intimate and it felt as though I was outside peering in through a window, silently observing at what I though was a lost culture. I was wrong. African culture is alive! It isn't blatantly seen, but dig into the dirt a little and we might just uncover something magical. I had wanted a taste of the African culture and I got it. What a blessing!
This quote sums up my time here in Swaziland. It's my constant reminder that in order to see the rainbow we must be willing and able to endure the storm. As difficult as it is, here and now, I know that in the end it will all be worth it.
So, you might ask, what are some things that have happened the past month? I had 2 friends Early Terminate (ET) service- they went home. They left so fast there was no time for goodbyes. Although I am in the HhoHho Region, which is supposed to be in the Mid-High Veld (cooler and more rain than the rest of the country), my specific community-oddly enough- is in the lowveld (meaning very hot and little rain). Just my luck, huh? :) Most of the time I get the lovely view of lightning and thunder and rarely is it accompanied by rain. When it does rain, it conveniently happens to coincide with my swim lessons-which means no swimming and I'm stuck indoors with the kids. I am currently in a WAR with rats. In my first battle with them, I moved my entire room outside and 2 Swazi men came in with an axe chasing it around my room. It escaped out of a hole in my roof. I proceeded plugging the holes with my clothes- as I had done to the other holes. The rats continued to take out the clothing and snuggle with me in bed. I finally bought a fake cement sealer to plug the wall. Currently, I fall asleep to the sound of them eating at the cement- trying desperately to re-enter. It's a great sound. Did I also mention that the rats are the size of cats and kittens? My friend has said she had seen 2 cats chasing each other. It ended up being a cat chasing a rat. CREEPY. On a happier note, I got my furniture!!! After 2 months of cooking and eating on the floor, and sharing ALL of my belongings with my "pet" rats (including my clothing which they hid in) I finally have everything off of the floor!! Who would've thought that simple furniture would change a hut into a home? On the topic of animals, I have had a scorpion, lizards, endless amounts of spiders, and bugs I have never seen before in my hut, bats outside trying to enter, and snakes in our fields (backyard). In a windstorm, our roofs started to blow off. What's the solution? Throw more rocks on it. It's working so far :) I have also found out that my roof leaks. It's a good thing I don't get rain that often. To save water I have resorted to bathing in a river (when I visit a friend) and taking baths in the rain. It's quite fun. People look at me strange but it's worth it to be clean! I have also acknowledged the fact that I will probably be leaving Africa with schisto. If I don't get it in my 2 years, that will be shocking.
Though all of the above has SUCKED, I had a brief glimpse of that "rose" and it has restored my excitement and joy to be here. For Halloween weekend, I was supposed to go out with friends and celebrate. Due to a lack of funds largely in part to my rat fiasco, I stayed home. In doing so I was invited to attend a traditional Swazi wedding with my Make (mother). As we all know, colonization has left Africa broken. It stole all that characterized them, and left them with a westernized system that did not work with their previous way of living. Since their independence from European stakeholders, African countries have been struggling to find a compatible mixture of the Westernized traditions while still trying desperately to maintain their identity and culture of their ancestors. And so, seeing the true and authentic old cultural ways of how their ancestors used to live, is rare. I got a taste of it at this wedding. It was not a performance as they would do for a tourist. Rather, I was there as family. There were a couple hundred people in attendance and almost all were dressed in traditional Swazi wear. The wedding was entirely dancing and singing- a true celebration of marriage. At the end, and as darkness fell upon the mountains, I was invited into the private hut with the close friends and family of the bride and groom for a prayer and blessing over the couple. Throughout the prayer, they would break out in song and dance. It was touching. It was intimate and it felt as though I was outside peering in through a window, silently observing at what I though was a lost culture. I was wrong. African culture is alive! It isn't blatantly seen, but dig into the dirt a little and we might just uncover something magical. I had wanted a taste of the African culture and I got it. What a blessing!
Friday, October 1, 2010
Swaz in the news
Every day provides a new opportunity and challenge. I find myself constantly growing; my eyes being opened to the harsh realities of this unforgiving world. Through all of the masks and facades as well as the excitement, blindness, and pre-conceived notions that comes from being thrust into a new culture (especially in going to a continent where its history and the foundation of the current governing systems is the direct result of the greediness of mankind), I am slowly learning that life is not black and white. Here are two pieces of writing which I found very interesting and I'd like to share them.
The first is an article published in The Economist.
http://www.economist.com/node/17046710
The second is an excerpt from a fellow volunteer concerning the current problems and "solutions" about HIV in Swaziland and our work as it is related to Peace Corps Volunteers. She has spoken so thoroughly, accurately, and eloquently about it that I would never be able to convey the message as beautifully as she did.
The link: theyshouldhavesentapoet.blogspot.com. Titled: "What's the Solution?" written on September 14, 2010.
Read it, process it, and think about your life-how blessed you may or may not be. There is always room for improvement and for a healthy change. Think about what you can do to make your life/community/state/country/world a better place to live in. <3
The first is an article published in The Economist.
http://www.economist.com/node/17046710
The second is an excerpt from a fellow volunteer concerning the current problems and "solutions" about HIV in Swaziland and our work as it is related to Peace Corps Volunteers. She has spoken so thoroughly, accurately, and eloquently about it that I would never be able to convey the message as beautifully as she did.
The link: theyshouldhavesentapoet.blogspot.com. Titled: "What's the Solution?" written on September 14, 2010.
Read it, process it, and think about your life-how blessed you may or may not be. There is always room for improvement and for a healthy change. Think about what you can do to make your life/community/state/country/world a better place to live in. <3
Sunday, September 19, 2010
"lean a little bit closer see what roses really smell like whoowoowoo"
As I promised, here is a wonderful and humorous story about fetching water in rural Swaziland. To make things easier for myself, I've decided that I'm going to attempt at keeping the 100 L barrels full and use only the 20 L buckets. This way if I'm ever sick, need to travel, or if the water isn't available on any given day I will be fine. The first time I attempted at filling up my buckets, I borrowed my family's wheelbarrow, and over confidently, brought 3 buckets to fill. On my walk down I made sure to thank God that it was overcast. I mean, what better luck to get water for the first time and not have the scorching sun baring down on you? I thought I was blessed. As I took my place at the back of the line, I stared at the bomake (mothers) and bosisi (sisters) just sitting there chatting. The woman in charge of the pump would get up, leave for some time then return, fill up 1 bucket then leave again. I thought it was out of pure laziness and my patience was already running low. Then, I realized something. Something very important for future reference. The hidden sun (which I was SO ecstatic about) is HOW we get our water. The tap works on solar power. (A foreigner donated it to this community- and I definitely prefer the borehole which is not easier but it's definitely faster.) The sun pumps up the water from underground and when there's no sun, there's no water (or very little). I sighed at this realization 1) because it took me so long to figure it out, 2) because I was so thankful for the weather and it ended up being the worst circumstances, and 3) it would be my luck, right? haha. So, by this time most of the people left to...well do whatever they do (which I haven't been quite able to figure out) but they left their buckets there to be filled in their absence. The Make running the tap felt so bad for me, she let me skip the whole line and fill up just 1 of my buckets. It took a good 30 minutes to fill it up. On my walk back I discovered that 1 bucket in a rusted, crappy, old, broken wheelbarrow was more than enough. In total it took me around 2.5 hours to get water, and I was thankful I didn't get all 3 buckets filled. That 20 liter bucket lasted me a week. Most of it going to drinking, and a minimal amount for cooking, cleaning, and bathing. Let me just emphasize that bathing has become an art. I can now bathe with 1 L of water and I'm proud of it. I also get maybe 2 baths a week, 3 if I'm lucky. Which would also be fine if I wasn't constantly sweating and caked in sand and dirt. Good thing my skin's already brown. shoot. Anyways, the 2nd time I fetched water, it took 3 hours but I was able to fill 2 buckets. Hopefully it will last 2 weeks? It's looking like it :)
There has been 2 funerals since I wrote the last entry. One of a close neighbor, and the other a community member. How depressing. It's just another confirmation on how emotionally difficult this is going to be. In other news, I got a much needed "vacation"! During integration we are allowed 1 night away per month. I used mine to visit a good friend and see what life was like down south. It is definitely the suburbs of Swaziland down there. While I was a bit jealous of the easy access to water, beautiful and big huts, reliable transportation, proximity to town, how close other volunteers are to each other, how much cooler the weather is, that they have a KFC and a produce market in town, etc. I did walk away with an appreciation for my site. There aren't many volunteers who get to experience life in this way: homesteads spread out, untouched land, lots of walking, the rarity of electricity (at night it is beautiful with barely any house lights and with wildfires lighting up the mountains), working for water, and all the perks that come with living so removed from civilization, where our biggest shopping town isn't even on the map! haha. The next day I went to the PC office to use the internet, check any snail mail that may have come in, and pick up books to read. Definitely got lost and spent 1.5 hrs aimlessly walking around, hoping I'd stumble upon it. A local got me in the general direction of it and boy, was I far off. I should have paid more attention when they showed us around after swear in! Although I do have a legitimate excuse for that. I had some sort of weird allergic reaction to something, my body welted and swelled up and I was on heavy amounts of medication. I'm still not sure what the reaction was to, but a friend from Kenya joked, "It's Africa. You become allergic to everything here!" haha. In any case I found the office, spent 3 hours uploading 3 pictures, picked up 8 books to read which will hopefully last me through the month, got a letter from my mother and Kashie Kash!, ate a chicken sandwich and ice cream both for the first time (from KFC), got sick from the ice cream and chicken sandwich because it was so rich (not used to having flavor), and lastly, ATE A BURGER! Successful trip? I'd say so. :) But to make a long story short, I almost didn't make it back to my homestead. I gave myself 3 hours to get back, which should've been more than enough. Sadly, it took 4.5. The truck I caught back kept on breaking down and the driver had to work on it multiple times in the darkness- as I had mentioned earlier, very few lights in my community. There was one point where the truck almost stalled as we were heading for a bridge (with no barriers on the sides of the bridge). It was a great feeling. But, I'm alive and well, and that's all that matters!
There has been 2 funerals since I wrote the last entry. One of a close neighbor, and the other a community member. How depressing. It's just another confirmation on how emotionally difficult this is going to be. In other news, I got a much needed "vacation"! During integration we are allowed 1 night away per month. I used mine to visit a good friend and see what life was like down south. It is definitely the suburbs of Swaziland down there. While I was a bit jealous of the easy access to water, beautiful and big huts, reliable transportation, proximity to town, how close other volunteers are to each other, how much cooler the weather is, that they have a KFC and a produce market in town, etc. I did walk away with an appreciation for my site. There aren't many volunteers who get to experience life in this way: homesteads spread out, untouched land, lots of walking, the rarity of electricity (at night it is beautiful with barely any house lights and with wildfires lighting up the mountains), working for water, and all the perks that come with living so removed from civilization, where our biggest shopping town isn't even on the map! haha. The next day I went to the PC office to use the internet, check any snail mail that may have come in, and pick up books to read. Definitely got lost and spent 1.5 hrs aimlessly walking around, hoping I'd stumble upon it. A local got me in the general direction of it and boy, was I far off. I should have paid more attention when they showed us around after swear in! Although I do have a legitimate excuse for that. I had some sort of weird allergic reaction to something, my body welted and swelled up and I was on heavy amounts of medication. I'm still not sure what the reaction was to, but a friend from Kenya joked, "It's Africa. You become allergic to everything here!" haha. In any case I found the office, spent 3 hours uploading 3 pictures, picked up 8 books to read which will hopefully last me through the month, got a letter from my mother and Kashie Kash!, ate a chicken sandwich and ice cream both for the first time (from KFC), got sick from the ice cream and chicken sandwich because it was so rich (not used to having flavor), and lastly, ATE A BURGER! Successful trip? I'd say so. :) But to make a long story short, I almost didn't make it back to my homestead. I gave myself 3 hours to get back, which should've been more than enough. Sadly, it took 4.5. The truck I caught back kept on breaking down and the driver had to work on it multiple times in the darkness- as I had mentioned earlier, very few lights in my community. There was one point where the truck almost stalled as we were heading for a bridge (with no barriers on the sides of the bridge). It was a great feeling. But, I'm alive and well, and that's all that matters!
Friday, September 17, 2010
Worth it? nope... :)
I've been trying to upload photos for a month now. 150 Emalangeni and countless hours later I finally have 3 photos up! haha. Enjoy :)
Sunday, September 5, 2010
Discomfort courtesy of US Peace Corps
Update:
We swore in as Peace Corps Volunteers on August 23rd. On the 24th we went to Mbabane and spent 2 days shopping, relaxing, and seeing the capital. (Do not be fooled by the word capital. Swaziland's capital is roughly the size of Westwood by UCLA minus the pretty buildings, nice stores, and restaurants. Let it also be known that movie theaters do not exist here and that KFC is the most posh restaurant I've seen!) Being that it was the first time I've been outside a hut after sunset, it was also the first time I went to a bar in Swaziland. Not surprisingly, the only females in there were PCVs (as drinking is highly frowned upon and females aren't supposed to drink in public). It is rumored that PC Swaziland has the highest number of volunteers converting to alcoholism as a result from what I'm assuming is the strict cultural barriers of this country. In comparing African PC posts to other posts worldwide, someone once joked, welcome to oppressive corps! On August 26th we moved to our permanent sites. I was incredibly blessed by the PC office to assist me in filling up my two 100 L water tanks and two 25 L buckets with water. I cannot thank them enough for that as water is and will be a challenge for me. Oddly enough with a truck, 4 Swazis, my 2 fellow volunteers, and myself, it took around 2 hours to fill up and transport the water back to my homestead. It should be incredibly interesting when I have to get my own water by means of a wheel barrel. Stories are sure to come. That being said, I have never been so stingy with water. I have also never found so many ways to recycle water. As disgusting as it may be- it works and it's saving me unnecessary trips to the borehole. That's all that matters. I can honestly say that I will never be the same. I'll never take water for granted, and I'll be careful as to not waste it. I can't help but feel ashamed on how I, and we- as Americans and as a Western Civilization- use and abuse water privileges. Because here, water is a blessing. It is never taken for granted.
I spent my first week at site decorating and organizing my little hut. I bought an amazing bed (which is a story in and of itself: I got completely lost on the drive back -all dirt roads look the same and street names/addresses do not exist, directions are given based on scenery and any possible landmark- so I ended up by another volunteer and had to tip the driver extra because of our multiple detours haha), I made screens out of mosquito nets, I made my own "closet", and created a small bathroom outfitted with a solar shower and a toilet (A.K.A. a pee bucket) because being outside at night is not safe. In any case I also have electricity!! God is good. There had to be one positive. The irony of it all is that I never cared about electricity. I would trade anything and everything for easy access to water. But I've always been a strong believer in the idea that everything happens for a reason. Even if it is only to teach me a lesson or make me grow stronger. So, though I have to work for the "necessities" in life, I will be stronger for it. This past weekend was one of the most rewarding and rejuvenating yet! I've been so bored at site that the nearest volunteer graciously agreed to meet up. Due to the friendly and talkative nature of Swazi people, I missed the one kumbi departing in her direction. It was a 2.5 hour power walk to her place, but it was also exactly what I needed. Fresh air, beautiful scenery, and simply time to get lost in my thoughts. Once I arrived there, we went on a 2 hour hike in the bush. It was truly Africa. No roads, homes, or people. Just dirt, sand, bushes, thorns, cows and warthogs! We found a dam, a river, and a dead cow. We also may have stumbled into South Africa. It's a possibility as there are no defined borderlines. I love it! To top the weekend off, the HhoHho warriors (or outcasts) Eric, Rob and I met up to celebrate Labor Day Weekend and Swaziland's Independence Day. This of course was just another excuse to hang out, since the cluster of people down south seem to have weekly reunions. It was also a chance to eat some meat. Plain, boiled chicken never tasted so delicious!! I've never appreciated meat more than I do now.
I've also been bored out of my mind- so after doing everything I could possibly think of, and sadly even after attempting to get water (only to find that the tap was not working that day), I finally opened up my PC books and handouts to read. While other PC posts have detailed job descriptions on exactly what they will be doing, with whom and where they will be working, PC Swazi is unique. Our job description is simply to work on "HIV prevention and impact mitigation". This is incredibly broad, allowing us the flexibility and freedom to choose what we want to do. But this is also nerve racking in the sense that the impact we will have on these people depend ENTIRELY upon our motivation, creativity, determination, will, and resources. As one of our handouts says, "it can pose a challenge to volunteers overwhelmed by the enormity of the problems they face." This leaves me here. I'm in the integration period, beginning to get to know my community in order to understand their needs and what ways I can best facilitate learning to them. It is said that roughly only 1/3 of volunteers make it through the entire 2 years here in Swaziland. If this statistic is true, it's probably due to the nature of the work we've entered into. Emotionally and mentally draining and in truth-it's daunting to even think about it. We've been warned multiple times that we will be affected by this disease. 1 in 4 people are infected with HIV- we are bound to feel the effects. Anyone, including our family, friends, co-workers, and acquaintances might pass and that takes a toll on the spirit. I'm nervous but determined! I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. Thank God- He's provided me with such a strong support system- both here and in the States.
To end on a humorous side:
"Are you thinking of raping a child today? Think twice of the consequences" - A billboard in the city. (Good message, bad that it needs to be advertised)
"Discomfort courtesy of US Peace Corps" -Brian
"Is it Rum? Whiskey? Water? No, it's ORS." -In a bar in Swazi
-AND most unfortunately: I am becoming a vegetarian: Neither by will nor by choice. Sadly, I also wish I was eating vegetables (in being a VEGEtarian). I haven't found anyone yet who grows them in my community and the heat kills any fresh produce I bring from the rare trips to town. Bread, corn and porridge (the staple foods) are not just bland, but it's the ONLY thing I eat. I'm looking forward to the day I can have meat: chicken, beef, goat, pig...anything. I'm getting so desperate. maybe one day I'll be blessed with a burger? Or pizza? Or to dream: seafood and sushi? Christmas can't come soon enough! "Discomfort courtesy of US Peace Corps" - I joined this willingly. haha.
We swore in as Peace Corps Volunteers on August 23rd. On the 24th we went to Mbabane and spent 2 days shopping, relaxing, and seeing the capital. (Do not be fooled by the word capital. Swaziland's capital is roughly the size of Westwood by UCLA minus the pretty buildings, nice stores, and restaurants. Let it also be known that movie theaters do not exist here and that KFC is the most posh restaurant I've seen!) Being that it was the first time I've been outside a hut after sunset, it was also the first time I went to a bar in Swaziland. Not surprisingly, the only females in there were PCVs (as drinking is highly frowned upon and females aren't supposed to drink in public). It is rumored that PC Swaziland has the highest number of volunteers converting to alcoholism as a result from what I'm assuming is the strict cultural barriers of this country. In comparing African PC posts to other posts worldwide, someone once joked, welcome to oppressive corps! On August 26th we moved to our permanent sites. I was incredibly blessed by the PC office to assist me in filling up my two 100 L water tanks and two 25 L buckets with water. I cannot thank them enough for that as water is and will be a challenge for me. Oddly enough with a truck, 4 Swazis, my 2 fellow volunteers, and myself, it took around 2 hours to fill up and transport the water back to my homestead. It should be incredibly interesting when I have to get my own water by means of a wheel barrel. Stories are sure to come. That being said, I have never been so stingy with water. I have also never found so many ways to recycle water. As disgusting as it may be- it works and it's saving me unnecessary trips to the borehole. That's all that matters. I can honestly say that I will never be the same. I'll never take water for granted, and I'll be careful as to not waste it. I can't help but feel ashamed on how I, and we- as Americans and as a Western Civilization- use and abuse water privileges. Because here, water is a blessing. It is never taken for granted.
I spent my first week at site decorating and organizing my little hut. I bought an amazing bed (which is a story in and of itself: I got completely lost on the drive back -all dirt roads look the same and street names/addresses do not exist, directions are given based on scenery and any possible landmark- so I ended up by another volunteer and had to tip the driver extra because of our multiple detours haha), I made screens out of mosquito nets, I made my own "closet", and created a small bathroom outfitted with a solar shower and a toilet (A.K.A. a pee bucket) because being outside at night is not safe. In any case I also have electricity!! God is good. There had to be one positive. The irony of it all is that I never cared about electricity. I would trade anything and everything for easy access to water. But I've always been a strong believer in the idea that everything happens for a reason. Even if it is only to teach me a lesson or make me grow stronger. So, though I have to work for the "necessities" in life, I will be stronger for it. This past weekend was one of the most rewarding and rejuvenating yet! I've been so bored at site that the nearest volunteer graciously agreed to meet up. Due to the friendly and talkative nature of Swazi people, I missed the one kumbi departing in her direction. It was a 2.5 hour power walk to her place, but it was also exactly what I needed. Fresh air, beautiful scenery, and simply time to get lost in my thoughts. Once I arrived there, we went on a 2 hour hike in the bush. It was truly Africa. No roads, homes, or people. Just dirt, sand, bushes, thorns, cows and warthogs! We found a dam, a river, and a dead cow. We also may have stumbled into South Africa. It's a possibility as there are no defined borderlines. I love it! To top the weekend off, the HhoHho warriors (or outcasts) Eric, Rob and I met up to celebrate Labor Day Weekend and Swaziland's Independence Day. This of course was just another excuse to hang out, since the cluster of people down south seem to have weekly reunions. It was also a chance to eat some meat. Plain, boiled chicken never tasted so delicious!! I've never appreciated meat more than I do now.
I've also been bored out of my mind- so after doing everything I could possibly think of, and sadly even after attempting to get water (only to find that the tap was not working that day), I finally opened up my PC books and handouts to read. While other PC posts have detailed job descriptions on exactly what they will be doing, with whom and where they will be working, PC Swazi is unique. Our job description is simply to work on "HIV prevention and impact mitigation". This is incredibly broad, allowing us the flexibility and freedom to choose what we want to do. But this is also nerve racking in the sense that the impact we will have on these people depend ENTIRELY upon our motivation, creativity, determination, will, and resources. As one of our handouts says, "it can pose a challenge to volunteers overwhelmed by the enormity of the problems they face." This leaves me here. I'm in the integration period, beginning to get to know my community in order to understand their needs and what ways I can best facilitate learning to them. It is said that roughly only 1/3 of volunteers make it through the entire 2 years here in Swaziland. If this statistic is true, it's probably due to the nature of the work we've entered into. Emotionally and mentally draining and in truth-it's daunting to even think about it. We've been warned multiple times that we will be affected by this disease. 1 in 4 people are infected with HIV- we are bound to feel the effects. Anyone, including our family, friends, co-workers, and acquaintances might pass and that takes a toll on the spirit. I'm nervous but determined! I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. Thank God- He's provided me with such a strong support system- both here and in the States.
To end on a humorous side:
"Are you thinking of raping a child today? Think twice of the consequences" - A billboard in the city. (Good message, bad that it needs to be advertised)
"Discomfort courtesy of US Peace Corps" -Brian
"Is it Rum? Whiskey? Water? No, it's ORS." -In a bar in Swazi
-AND most unfortunately: I am becoming a vegetarian: Neither by will nor by choice. Sadly, I also wish I was eating vegetables (in being a VEGEtarian). I haven't found anyone yet who grows them in my community and the heat kills any fresh produce I bring from the rare trips to town. Bread, corn and porridge (the staple foods) are not just bland, but it's the ONLY thing I eat. I'm looking forward to the day I can have meat: chicken, beef, goat, pig...anything. I'm getting so desperate. maybe one day I'll be blessed with a burger? Or pizza? Or to dream: seafood and sushi? Christmas can't come soon enough! "Discomfort courtesy of US Peace Corps" - I joined this willingly. haha.
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