TOTO, THIS CAN'T BE KANSAS ANY MORE

(How many PCV blogs have started this way?)

PreService Training finds us 22 km north of Piggs Peak (check your map) in a village known as eMbosheni. Our first week was at Lutheran Farmers Training Center at nGonini and we continue to meet as a whole there. Otherwise we break into several small groups in our community for language study. We are in a valley of orange groves with beautiful views of the surrounding mountains. Our group is spread around the community in a large area, but our homestead is the nearest to the training center, about 5 km. Perhaps we were placed here because age has some privileges. Walking to class takes about 50 minutes; walking home is uphill and in the heat of the afternoon takes about 65 minutes. There is a “one stop” grocer on the way so occasionally we make the trek with grocery bags. And occasionally we will flag a khumbi for a ride (E8.00).

We celebrated the 4^th of July at the center with mid-day finger food and two large decorated cakes prefaced by an address by the U.S. Ambassador to Swaziland

After our first week at the training center, we moved to our own rondeval on our host family’s homestead. It is typical Swazi: six sided, about 20 feet across, gas burning hotplate, three windows, but no closet or anything to hang our clothes on. The latrine is about 20’ away and the jojo is about 20’. We get our water from the jojo and boil it for most purposes and filter and bleach it for drinking and food prep. It takes a lot of time and energy just managing the water. (And how many of you have done your wash by hand?) After a full day of classes we come home and need to start boiling water. We are lucky to have electricity—a few don’t. (Another advantage of our age?) We have one 75 watt bulb hanging from the center of the room and a chest refrigerator. To use my razor or charge the computer, we disconnect the refrigerator and change adapters—then try to remember to plug in the refrigerator again with its proper adapter. At times, it has been hard, but we’re learning to live with it. Our host family has been very gracious. Plentiful hot, running water to wash our hands is coveted.

One of our continuing concerns is waking up to a cold room. It is winter here and during a cold front, one morning we woke up to 43 degrees F in our room. Lesson learned: we take our bucket baths in the evening. Most days, the temperature rises into the mid 70s and the big sky is cloudless and deep blue—CAVU.

We have just finished “mid-terms” and that is a great weight off our shoulders. The language is very complex and probably the subject of a blog of its own. Learning it is difficult enough, but the presentation is as drinking from a fire hose. On meeting our host Make (maw-gay), I wanted to enquire how many children she had and used the word malini, exhibiting my best siSwati. I couldn’t understand why I got a blank stare until our LCF explained that malini is only used for money. Apparently I had asked how much her children cost. Blame it on the language, but probably not quite culturally correct either.

With “mid-terms” out of the way, we will take a quick break on Sunday when we will go to visit a game reserve (and hope to find American food and hot running water). Later in the week, we expect to learn of our permanent site placement and address, and we’ll also be getting our cell ‘phones. Once we are at permanent site, blogging will be simpler (I hope). We’ll bring you up to date at that time.