A little nugget just wandered into my house eating a big hunk of styrofoam. I quickly told her to stop eating it or she would be sick. Even though it looks like a chunk of papa, that's not food.
Yesterday one of my form Cs came over to my house just to visit, and we were talking for a long time when I realized that she was in this village instead of in her home village. This was strange, being a Sunday, and I know that she rents a house near school and lives with a family during the week, then walks the 3+ hours to her own village on weekends. She said that the Form Cs had been called to the church here that morning, along with the Grade 7s, so that during the church service, they could be prayed for to pass their exit exams in the coming weeks.
My dog, in my failed attempt to teach it to play fetch: "Stop trying to make fetch happen. It's not going to happen."
Taco trucks for prez 2016!
I think I've been in cars so infrequently lately, my body forgot how to compose itself adequately and I'm getting nauseated. It's like when the little kids who've never been in a taxi are throwing up because they're not used to it.
I just gave my host family an enormous box of clothes that I'm not taking back with me. My ausis are in present heaven!
I met a nice guy in the post office who offered to drive me with his daughter to Mohale's Hoek. He's belting out the bass part to blaring Sesotho gospel music. I'm not even mad because he is so happy just singing his heart out while his daughter sits there giggling.
Overheard outside the bank:
"Lumela 'me. U phela joang?" Hello ma'am. How are you?
"Lumela Ntate. Ke phela hantle. U phela joang?" Hello sir. I'm fine. How are you?
"Kea phela. Kea leboha." I'm fine. Thanks.
Brief pause, then another man (supposedly unknown by the first man) sitting next to the woman happily blurts out, "Le 'na kea phela!" I'm fine too!
Ah, the importance of greeting everyone and needing to be greeted by everyone.
In the US, I rarely wonder if whatever mass societal service I'm about to use will actually function correctly: the bank, the post office, public transportation. But in Lesotho, trying to use any of these things often causes lots of stress. Is the power and/or cell network out?Are any ATMs in town actually functioning? Does the post office's scale work and is their one worker who handles packages working today? Is the taxi going to troll around town for an hour before it actually leaves? It's things like this that make me appreciate the American concepts of customer service and actually making sure that things are going to run correctly so that people can get stuff done and move on with their lives.
"English is like a crazy person: you don't know what's going on inside; you just see the end result."
Hillary, regarding her war on ants in her house: "I'm sick of fighting with the ants trying to get rid of them. There are ants in my sugar. I just eat them now. There are ants in my water filter. I just drink them now."
In the lowlands, it's hot and dry. Up at the highest part of Lesotho, Sani Pass, it's snowing.
I just climbed to to the highest point in Lesotho and Southern Africa, Thabana Ntlenyana. Ironically for its height, it means "beautiful little mountain."
Happy 2 years in Lesotho!
A heartfelt message from a fellow PCV:
This morning my principal came up to be and said, "Are you not afraid of how your students will perform today?"
That got me thinking, damn... I guess I kinda am afraid. Math teaching is our main objective here and I've been teaching these students for almost 2 years now. For the extended students, I have been their main math influence for the entirety of their high school career. This is quite possibly one of the most important days of my service, and yet I sit here in my staff room playing tetris on my ti-89 not recognizing the culmination of efforts that have been put into place during my time here in Lesotho.
These students made it worth it to be a volunteer. Any chance that I had to cram math down their throats excited them, despite all (but one) failing the JC. When a teacher didn't show up to school, I would take their lesson period to do more math. Study sessions on Saturdays were more time for them to learn and engage. The most dedicated students would even take the long journey to my house on weekends and breaks for extra help without knowing if I'd be there or not.
These students are incredible and are some of my best friends in this country. I just hope they can do well on this day that otherwise seemed very inconsequential until my principal asked me if I was nervous.
If anyone else in this group has a similar situation going on right now with their students, I wish you the best of luck and hope that this time can be used as a reflection of your many efforts during your stint in the Peace Corps.
Overheard in a 4+1 taxi:
"U tsohile joang, Ntate?" How did you wake, sir?
"Sharp, ho joang?" Cool, sup?
"Ahh, Seaotho se thata hoseng." Ahh, Sesotho is hard in the morning.
Overheard on Whatsapp:
I recently saw a sprinter called "I'm sorry" parked on the side of the highway with the hood popped and Bo-ntate looking at the engine. 😂
Welp, I just got my last papa and braai lunch in Lesotho and it was awesome. Peace out! See you again some day.
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