Praise to PC Swaziland for instituting free weekends.

For the uninitiated, free weekends are just that: one weekend a month you can take away from your site (in country) without having to take vacation days. This past weekend I went to Sonzela's backpackers, in the Mahlanya wildlife reserve, for two fellow PCVs birthdays. The place is really pretty. Electricity, hot showers and satellite television are always nice, as is the opportunity to speak English with other native-English speakers.

And we went out to a nightclub. Hee. ^_~ The Why Not disco isn't bad -- they played house music, which I really like dancing to. Got nice and toasty and danced with a couple of guys that actually turned out to be gentlemen. Wonders will never cease. :)

But the highlight of the trip was definitely the fact that we were on a wildlife reserve. We went on a long hike around the park, and saw zebra, warthogs, ostriches, hippos, a crocodile, wildebeest, and a whole slew of what we affectionately call DLCs (Deer Like Creatures - we have trouble telling all the different species apart). The animals are free to wander everywhere, so we had a family of warthogs grazing on the lawn, and saw one thirsty ostrich drinking out of the swimming pool. We named her Olivia. Good alliteration. :)

I've seen zebras! In Africa!

Things are really starting to pick up now. I'm teaching every day, and starting to plan for a big week-long day camp for the next term break. The kids at my world wise schools match have finished a coin drive for my school, and one of the faculty there wants their church to "embrace" my community, whatever that means. I'm still working on getting some people in to speak about alternative, drought-resistant crops, and that pig project that's been on my plate for, like, ever may actually get some funding soon.

Not to mention the fact that group five is arriving in two weeks time. Newbies! Whee! I'll be helping out a lot with training; so much so, in fact, that I'll barely be home for the month of July.

Which means I have to plan a trip sometime towards the end of June to South Africa to go see Pirates 3. I'm obsessed, I know.

So yeah. I'm finally out of my rut. Life is good.

... from the horror that is Swazi men.

I have just spent the past hour on a bus from Siteki to Manzini, trying to fend off Richard, the latest in a long line of seemingly otherwise sane men who seem to have fallen in love with me at first sight.

It was kind of flattering at first, having 60-year-old bomkhulu offer a couple of hundred cows for my hand in marriage. Then came the wolf whistles and the "hey, baby" catcalls from passing work trucks. After that was the babe who would always call "good morning, wife" to me when I walked past on the way to school. Then came Mcolisi, my language tutor, who declared his undying love for me the day we met. Thank god he seems to have gotten over it; I don't think I could have withstood that kicked-puppy look he got when I told him it was still too soon for me to have any sort of romantic feelings for him any longer. That was back when I was still trying to be polite.

Now, whenever I'm walking down the road, and a man says "sawubona" to me, I don't even slow down, just toss a quick "yebo" back over my shoulder. A whistle or a "hey, baby" now gets an eye roll and a sotto voce fuck you. But maybe I'm still trying to be too polite -- it's a dangerous tightrope to walk, that fine line between appearing to welcome sexual harassment and being just another rude umlungu. I don't think I've quite got my balance yet, because no matter how often I gave this Richard guy one-word answers, or a non-committal shrug, he still kept saying that he loved me, and wanted to give me a chance to think about me being a part of his family. Jesus fuckin' Christ, you've known me for all of five minutes! What is wrong with you?!? And now I've got yet another number in my phone, listed, in bold letters, DO NOT ANSWER! There's that line between being polite and rude again; refusal to give somebody your number when they know you've got a cell isn't done, and I'd give them the wrong one, but they tend to call you right away to make sure the number's correct.

I feel like this has been coming for a long time, this automatic and almost violent dislike for any Swazi with a penis. We were warned by the previous group, that this could happen, but I kind of brushed it off, thinking that no Swazi man would ever be interested in me. Boy, was I wrong. And now I feel guilty lumping all men into one group labeled Cheuvanistic Asshole, but... most of the men I run across are cheuvanistic assholes.

So now I'm worried about the repercussions of this new attitude of mine (which I'm not proud of , by the way) on my ability to do my job, and how my attitude will affect those of Group 5, who will arrive in a little under a month. But every single time I try to give a Swazi man the benefit of the doubt, the stereotype is reinforced just that much more. And some days, it's all I can do not to stop in my tracks, turn around, and either slap the fucker or give him the lecture of his life. The problem with that, of course, is that choice number one would probably put my physical safety in jeopardy, and nobody could understand me if I went with choice number two. Which, unfortunately, just leaves me ranting and raving on LJ.

Argh.

...which would probably be why I haven't updated my LJ in, like, forever.

Seriously, nothing is going on. I spent the last two days on my homestead, reading, making little collages, and eating everything in my house that didn't require cooking. (Read: all the chocolate, chips, and tuna fish. I also ate quite a few bananas; at least I'm trying to be healthy, right? ^_~) So, naturally, today I had to go grocery shopping. And since the weather is getting colder (FINALLY!) I had to get another blanket as well. And I bought a couple of pillows, because I've been waking up with a stiff neck for a few weeks now.

Bored yet? I certainly am -- I'm about to fall asleep just rereading what I wrote.

I don't think I realized until just now how much my life revolves around the primary school, and how busy I actually am when I'm there. Now that school is out, there's the little side projects to do, but I'm now at the 'wait and see' stage in nearly all of them. Wait and see if there's any interest, wait and see if my bucopho approves of my ideas, wait and see, wait and see.... I have enjoyed these past couple of days; it is nice to laze about and do nothing all day, and not have to see or talk to anybody... but it's starting to get old, and I'm running out of things to read. Which, now more than ever, is a fate worse than death. :p

Only one more week to go until term two starts -- which is probably going to be about the time that my 'wait and see' periods are over, and I'll be running around like a headless chicken again. Why, oh why, can't anything ever happen on a convenient schedule?

...for PSN/D training.

For the unitiated, PSN/D stands for Peer Support Network/Diversity Committee, which are two separate groups within PC, run by the volunteers, to support and counsel other volunteers in the field without having to involve the office or PC Medical. Basically, just like peer counsellors in high school or college. I am actually a part of the Diversity Committee, which specializes in dealing with issues arising from being a "diverse" PCV -- race issues, sexual orientation issues, gender issues, religious issues... guess why I was elected to be a part of this particular committee. :p

Actually, PSN/D is a really good thing. It helps to be able to talk to someone who understands, as opposed to the office staff, who simply cannot "get it", no matter how hard they try. So I'm up in Mbabane for the week, getting some basic training in counselling skills... although I have to admit, the best part about the whole deal is a week away from site, with hot showers and satellite television, friends and good food. The little things in life that you miss while out at site. :)

And honestly, that's about all that's gone on since I've posted last. Been spending a lot of time at the primary school, as usual... I substituted for M. Manana, the Grade 7 teacher, again on Friday. Had a rather disasterous meeting with the heads of the local HIV support groups on Wednesday; out of the five people that were supposed to come, only two showed up, one by proxy. There were more PCVs there than Swazis. So, of course, nothing got done. Just one of the many frustrations that has to be endured as a PCV. Still, I can't help but wish the Swazis I'm working with would realize that 1) aid money doesn't grow on trees, and even the best of proposals may not get funded; 2)you do not own me, or my time -- if you can't be bothered to come to a meeting, why should I?; and 3) that I will not do all of your work for you.

Ahh, the joys of development work. As much as we talk about behavior change as a way to combat the spread of HIV, behavior change is also needed if Swazis are going to be competitive in a global economy. And change, as always, is something that takes persistance and time. More time than the two years I'll be here. Here's hoping that enough seeds get planted to see the necessary change taking place within ten years from now.

...for the evening in Mbabane.

My workshop was completed successfully, all of the necessary paperwork has been filed, and I feel as if a great weight has lifted off my chest. There were the usual hiccups, of course: we stared nearly two hours late on Saturday (Swazis simply cannot be on time. I think it's a genetic quirk) and about an hour late on Sunday; the bomake who were cooking for the group used up several things on Saturday that were supposed to be used for Sunday as well, so there were a couple emergency runs to the sitolo (thank god I had some money left!); and we wound up finishing for the day on Saturday early, too, because of a football match in the next village over. Oy. But everyone involved seemed to think it was a success -- I got several compliments about how nice the event was, and by bucopho wants to use the momentum gathered last weekend to put together a youth club for the community. I also think we encouraged a few people to get tested for HIV.

But the best thing about the whole weekend, in my opinion, was the fact that I barely had to say anything at all, besides the obligatory opening and closing remarks. Since I had so many Swazis there facilitating the event, I just gave them a basic outline of topics to cover, and they ran with it. So the workshop was conducted almost entirely in siSwati, which is really the best thing, because people understand so much more and are more willing to open up if they're speaking their own language.

And the headmistress of my primary school deserves a great big THANK YOU -- honestly, I could kiss her. She gave me full run of the entire school: the Hall, the kitchen, her office for crying out loud, the firewood, the water, and even the school's computer. The weekend would definitely not have been the success it was without her generosity. I am so lucky to have the people I do in my community. My bucopho, the headmistress, all the teachers at the primary school, the head of the HIV support group I'm helping to put together -- it seems like every time I turn around, there's another person there willing to help me with the latest project or event. I have no doubt that if I didn't have so many amazing, motivated people in my community helping me out, I'd still be wandering around going huh? half the time. Which is why I try to repay them in what ways that I can, beyond helping the community with the projects its' members want to start. For example, the head of the Health Club at the primary school was gone to a Life Skills workshop most of this week, so I played substitute teacher for her, covering the math and English classes for grades 6 & 7. And not only was I helping out the teachers, I had fun, too. Especially when I was marking English classwork, surrounded by a dozen sixth grade girls who were playing with my hair. :)

Although I feel a lot more a part of my community, especially after the workshop last weekend, there's still nothing else like being an American around other Americans. Or really, being a Westerner among other Westerners. No matter how anybody out in my community tries (and they do try, especially my siSwati tutor) they simply cannot understand some of my reactions and quite a few of the things I say. And it can be really exhausting, constantly watching what you say and do all the time, in a vain attempt not to insult or offend anybody. When I first arrived in the Swaz, I thought that PC policy of giving us one 'free' weekend a month, where we can be away from our sites without taking vacation days, was a nice perk. Now I understand that's not just a perk. It's necessary. And it's always nice to be looking forward to a well-deserved vacation from site, where you can have access to flushing toilets and hot showers.

...or, at least it seems that way.

Currently, my life revolves around my primary school. More specifically, grade 7. I've been helping to teach English and math, and will probably be called upon to teach more than one grade about the wonders of the United States of America when their social studies curriculum swings around to that topic. I've also become involved with the anti-AIDS club at the school. It's really quite active: they do little skits and have debates, and they form an absolutely amazing choir. Whenever I get my camera working again, I will definitely be recording them singing. Our next event will be Friday. WorldVision (our local NGO) is sponsoring a debate about abuse and how it leads to the spread of HIV. Both Rhodha (she's the club's leader, and teaches grade 7 as well, so I spend a lot of time with her) and I think the topic is great, but the kids don't seem all that excited about it, so we'll see what happens when Friday rolls around. Of course, since WV is sponsoring, there will be free food involved; I'm sure the kids will perk up then.

Next weekend is actually going to be crazy insane -- the HIV workshop I've been yammering about for a month will be held Saturday and Sunday. Everything seems to be falling into place... which is exactly why I'm starting to freak out. :) I'm sure everything will be okay, but it's my first big event and the my first opportunity to show my community that I actually know what I'm doing, so I want everything to go well. What I'd really like is the full day on Friday to prepare, iron out all the kinks. So, naturally, the WV debate is Friday morning, and the director of Peace Corps (the director of the worldwide program, not my country director) is visiting Friday afternoon. Nothing like a visiting dignitary to turn everyone's plans onto their collective ears.

My language tutor is still in love with me. Or so he says. I told him last week, in what I hoped was a blunt-American-bordering-on-rude sort of way, that I don't believe him when he tells me repeatedly that he loves me, because he doesn't know me. Which is true. We've only been doing the tutoring thing for about three weeks now. He can't know me. But even if what he says is true, that he does love me, I don't know him, and I sure as fuck don't love him. So there.

Which really makes me sound like a petulant child, but honestly. He asked me a few days ago what was going to happen when my two years in Swaziland is up, and I laid out my five-year plan, complete with Crisis Corps service and grad school, and no mention of significant others, Swazi or otherwise. He kind of looked like a kicked puppy afterwards. Which made me feel bad. For about five minutes. Welcome to American-style romance, buddy. :)

In other news, I have been sleeping like absolute crap recently. Tossing, turning, waking up with a jerk at three a.m. and finally falling back to sleep at four. I find myself yawning as early as nine or ten in the morning. Which is really not good. And I have no idea why -- I was thinking I might be anemic or something, but the only way to check that is a blood test (isn't it?), and I freely admit I'm nervous about rocking the boat when it comes to me and PC Medical. Gives you the warm fuzzies, don't it?

But seriously, I'm not that worried about it. I think I'll start sleeping better when the weather cools off... or after I've had a vacation, whichever comes first. Forty-four days until Capetown! I can't wait!

So, basically, I've been sitting around doing quite a lot of nothing since New Years. You know all those projects I got myself involved in? Yeah, not much happening anymore. Seems like everything came to a screeching halt after the holidays -- I've only seen the bucopho once since I left for Christmas in Nhlangano, and he didn't even wave at me. I'm hoping that it is just because of the holidays that everything lost momentum, that once school starts everything will pick up where it left off, and I'll be a busy bee once again. At the moment, though, I feel like I'm trying to start that old British lawnmower Eddie Izzard talks about in Glorious... you know, the one that goes "whuh nuh nuh nuh... no. Whuh nuh nuh... not on your life." I don't think I've ever looked forward to school starting so much. Next week! Can't hardly wait! :p

I've been doing a lot of reading to fill the time (me? read? surely you jest! ^_~)... so much so, in fact, that I made a trip into the office a couple of days ago on the pretense of turning in paperwork, when what I really wanted to do was raid the library in the Volunteer Lounge. There were several volunteers in Mbabane that day; it was so nice to just hang around and gab. And apparently, most volunteers are doing a whole lot of nothing right now. That made me feel a lot better.

I think that's the big worry on every PCVs mind: am I being a good Peace Corps Volunteer? Funny how you can be out at your site and think you're sucking majorly, but then you visit Mbabane and chat with everyone at the office, or go out to lunch with a couple of people... and you discover that you're really not doing that bad, after all. One of the things I think I definitely lucked out on, coming to Swaziland, is the size of the country; I can get from border to border in about three hours, and the vast majority of Swazi PCVs faster than that. I know part of the reason we live how we do is so we learn to rely on our host families and friends in our community, but honestly, some days, proximity to other Americans is the only thing that keeps me from going stark, raving mad.

Like when someone shouts across the road at me, asking for my bride-price. Or when the sixteen-year old boy up the road wants to go on a 'date' with me. Or when a 60 year old mkhulu (grandfather) declares his love for me in front of the entire community at a soccer match.

One thing's for sure: despite all the downtime, Swaziland is never dull.

Honestly, where did 2006 go? This year (with the exception of those months I was waiting for PC medical clearance, sitting on my ass and doing nothing) has just shot by. And I'm not entirely certain if it's a good thing. It seems the faster I feel the years go by, the less I feel I enjoyed them.

Christmas was great -- I spent three days lying on a beach drinking rum... I wish. ^_~ No, seriously, I spent a wonderful three days with good friends, a zillion DVDs, food, and embroidery floss. I made two friendship bracelets, and spent too much time staring at Captain Jack Sparrow. (Hanna recently got a copy of Dead Man's Chest and we watched it three times. I am now totally psyched for Pirates 3. Anyone know when it comes out in South Africa?) And New Year's was amazing, too. A small group of us went to a backpackers near Manzini for three days, and whooped it up New Year's Eve at House on Fire, which is one of the few clubs in Swaziland. There were two dance floors and the DJs were great... we partied until nearly 5 a.m. It's been a long time since I've been up that late. This was one of the best holiday seasons I've had in a long time. Probably since I got actual time off. Working Christmas and New Years is never fun. :p

But now the holidays are over, and Swazis are getting back to work, which means I have to get back to work, too. What with the Hlanyelo fund agriculture projects, the separate youth chicken project, the bomake doll project (they want sewing machines now, too!) and the HIV/AIDS workshop, I've got plenty to keep me busy... but I still haven't got a clue what I'm doing. I imagine I'll muddle through somehow, but in the meantime, I kind of feel like I'm cheating my community. Even though I've been out at site for a month, I barely know anybody, and I'm still feeling out how things go together, yet I've been attending so many meetings and gotten involved in so many things, I think people are expecting a lot more from me than I can give them at the moment. Which is not fair to them... but it's also not fair to me.

I do feel, though, that everything will work out. So much that has happened since I've been back in Swaziland has just fallen into my lap. Here's hoping solutions to the problems I'm having now drop out of the sky, too. :)

...although Christmas does seem kind of weird without snow. Or at least cold weather. :)

I'm in transit at the moment; I'm heading to Nhlangano (the town near where my training center was) for the holidays. I'm helping a friend of a friend "house-sit", which basically means we're treating the house like a free hotel. :) I admit, I've been looking forward to these couple of days a little too much. Especially after I returned to my house Tuesday morning after fetching water to find a large bag of candy I'd bought for the children stolen. I think the little boy did it; looked like he reached right through the window. I was only gone for twenty minutes! Oy. Just the kind of thing to get you in the Christmas spirit, huh? And, of course, all the relatives have been arriving, so the homestead is about four times as loud and noisy as it normally is. And I'm no good at making pleasant conversation with people I don't know, especially during the holidays, when it's family time, and especially when I don't know the language. I'm really looking forward to a nice, relaxing Christmas with a couple of close friends and a DVD player. ^_~

So, anyway, that's about it. Nothing new has happened with the projects I've been involved in; the country pretty much shuts down for the couple of weeks surrounding the holidays. I'm not going to have much to do until after the New Year. Which, really, is working out just fine with me. :)

Happy Holidays, all!

...many more to go. :)

I have nearly completed two weeks at site -- that happy anniversary occurs next Tuesday. :) Other than that, there's not much news to report.

I have yet to be bored (knocks frantically on the nearest wooden surface) -- I've had something scheduled nearly every day, and have twice had to rearrange existing plans to accommodate something new. Of course, with the Christmas holidays coming up, and the schools being out 'till the end of January, I may be singing a completely different tune next week.

So far, I have attended three World AIDS Day events -- one at the primary school last Friday, then a soccer tournament put on by Chris & Polly (a married PCV couple) in Matata, and a multi-school gathering in Siteki on Tuesday. I'm continually struck by how artistic Swazi kids are. They seem to harmonize effortlessly when they sing, and the skits they put on always have everyone in stitches (I'm sure they're hysterial -- I just have no idea what they're saying ^_~). I've also spent quite a bit of time hanging out with the teachers, and I've had a couple of meetings with the village so far. I've already been asked to help write proposals to get funding for some chicken & pig projects -- two things I know absolutely nothing about. And my formal introduction to the community is next Saturday, which has me (figuratively, for now) biting my nails.

I'm starting to learn my way around, and I'm meeting lots of people -- of course, I can't remember anybody's name! My siSwati is also getting better, although at times I feel like I'm getting such a flood of information that I only remember one or two of the new words I'm told every day. Nothing much has changed in my house as of yet; I'm still working on getting quotes for furnishings and paint, so while I have most of the little stuff already, I'm still cooking on the floor, and my back is beginning to get quite upset with me. (First major purchase: BED. ^_~)

But really, I'm doing fine. I'm quite happy and healthy, although I am a bit bewildered sometimes, and continue to be in a perpetual state of confusion... which is a common state for a PCV to be in, or so I'm told.

You know, it seems like all I've been doing for the past six years of my life is moving. Moving to college, moving from college, bouncing from dorm to apartment to Kansas and back again. And now, I've gone and moved halfway around the world... and I'm still not done moving.

I arrived in Swaziland nearly three weeks ago with a rolling suitcase, a hiking backpack, and my laptop case. I have since aquired a twenty pound M-bag full of books (thank you for that, by the way, Marnie ^_~) and a bomake bag that weighs about three times that and is, quite literally, filled with everything including the basins I will be using as my kitchen sink. (For the unititated, a bomake bag is a cheap woven nylon bag about the size of the biggest rolling suitcase you can buy. We call them bomake because the local women -- bomake -- tend to walk around with them balanced on their heads.) Honestly, the rate at which we amass things is frightening. And really, none of these things are useless. I have been hauling around two hundred pounds of stuff that I'll more than likely wear out during my two years here. Yet, everything I own has degenerated in my mind from stuff to junk to either crap or shit depending on how sick I am of hauling it all around.

I could probably be accused of having itchy feet. And I would definitely agree. As much as I bitch about moving, there's something refreshing about placing yourself in a new environment -- even if it is just a new apartment a few blocks up the street from the old one. It always feels like a fresh start to me... a way to reinvent myself. Now, though, I find myself making much more permanant plans for my new place than I ever have with my previous residences. I've been telling people that I feel like "nesting" -- if having an overwhelming desire to paint the interior walls of my house blue could be defined as nesting. Anyway, maybe it means that my itchy feet are finally ready to stop moving for a while. I think that could be a good thing.

Because I really am sick of moving.

Well, ladies and gentlemen, I am officially a Peace Corps Volunteer. Three months after I was orignially supposed to be sworn in, but hey, who's counting? :)

Everybody has been so happy to see me -- all of the PC staff (who even arranged a special swearing-in ceremony for me. There was cake!) and current volunteers, of course, but my group especially. We got so close during training, and we were such a small group to start with, it really hurts when someone winds up going home. For any reason.

I am in Mbabane right now, staying at the Emafini Christan Center for in-service training,which is a continuation of our pre-service training -- technical sessions and language sessions and cultural sessions and practical advice on problem solving and dealing with drunken Swazis. It has been a bit odd for me in that quite a few of the sessions are designed for people who have actually been at their sites for three months. They've been incredibly informative, nonetheless; especially the three days we had with the doctors that are here with the Baylor Pediatric AIDS Initiative. They've given us all the information that they give to the medical professionals here in country; I actually feel like I know what I'm talking about now. And, of course, it doesn't hurt that most of them are cute. There's an ultimate frisbee tournamet -- PC vs. Baylor -- this afternoon. I will be going to cheer on my fellow PCVs... and to drool. ^_~

You know, it's strange. In some ways, I felt like I never left, only to be rather rudely reminded when people are planning trips out of the country I won't be able to take, or they laugh about something that happened two months ago that I completely missed. Not to mention the fact that my siSwati sucks incredibly. But I am so glad that I suck it out, that I made it back, because now, more than ever, I really feel like this is exactly where I'm supposed to be.

Hear ye, hear ye, everybody that cares...

I have just gotten word that I will finally be heading back to Swaziland. Probably next Monday.

Whee!!!

Honestly, I don't know what it is with the federal government -- okay, maybe I do. I suppose I should have known better, having been through this before, but honestly, people, it should not take a month and a half after my eye doctor said I was good to go before Washington gives the okay.

Or maybe this was a much needed lesson on the Virtue of Patience. In which case -- thank you, Guys, I now have it in spades. *g*

I am finally going back to Africa. What a wonderful present for Samhain. ^_~

... check this one out! Can't say as I'm all that surprised. :)

You scored as XIII: Death. Death is probably the most well known Tarot card - and also the most misunderstood. Most Tarot novices would consider Death to be a bad card, especially given its connection with the number thirteen. In fact this card rarely indicates literal death.Without "death" there can be no change, only eventual stagnation. The "death" of the child allows for the "birth" of the adult. This change is not always easy. The appearance of Death in a Tarot reading can indicate pain and short term loss, however it also represents hope for a new future.

XIII: Death75%XI: Justice69%III - The Empress69%II - The High Priestess63%XVI: The Tower63%I - Magician63%XIX: The Sun56%0 - The Fool50%IV - The Emperor44%XV: The Devil44%X - Wheel of Fortune44%VIII - Strength44%VI: The Lovers31%</td>

Which Major Arcana Tarot Card Are You?

created with QuizFarm.com

So, my life sucks. :) Because I'm back home. For at least a month.

That's the short version. This is the long version: about three weeks ago, during my site visit, the vision in my left eye went cloudy, with a liberal sprinkling of flashy, sparkly, floaty things. I told this to the Peace Corps Medical Officer, who made me an appointment to see an optometrist in Mbabane. He told me that the asigmatism in my left eye had doubled, which I knew wasn't right, so I asked for a second opinion. They found me an opthalmologist in Manzini, who also didn't have a clue what was going on. He wanted to refer me to a retinal specialist in Johannesburg, which was when Big Brother in Washington decided to send me home. Less than twenty-four hours before I was to offically become a Peace Corps Volunteer. (This all happened about twenty minutes after my last post.)

So, after crying all over the PCMO and the Country Director, flying 10,000 miles and loosing one of my bags (the one with all of my clothes in it, of course), I saw a retinal specialist in Wichita yesterday. And he doesn't know anything, either. So I have to "wait and see" for an entire freaking month -- after which time, if he still can't figure out what's wrong, he'll have no objections to sending me back.

So, basically, the Peace Corps spent two thousand dollars to fly me home to see the supposed "specialists" in the US, who said exactly the same thing that everyone in Swaziland was saying. Oy.

Of course, there are some bright spots -- if I can get a "good to go" in 45 days, I can go back to Swaziland. (So cross your fingers and toes, y'all -- I need as much help on this one as I can. I need to go back.) And, of course, I can see Pirates 2. Which is kind of a small consolation prize, but one takes what one can get.

...free at last, thank god almighty, I'm free at last!

Well, in two and a half more weeks, anyway.

I'm in Manzini at the moment, using the fastest internet I've seen since I've been in the Swaz, on my way back from a visit to my permanant site. It will be in Kandzangu, in the lowveld (meaning snakes and hotness) -- however; my house is huge and it has a porch, and some very interesting (cough cough) tribal artwork, courtesy of the PCV I'm replacing. My family is quite nice, and seem content to leave me alone, which will be a nice change after so much micromanagement, both from Peace Corps and Make Nkonyane (my current host mother). There seems to be a lot to do there, even though so much has been done -- I can work in the local primary school, and at the Neighborhood Care Points (where they feed the local orphans a couple of meals a day), and at the clinic, and community garden, and there are a few projects the previous PCV wants me to continue... so I'll be as busy as I want to be. :)

And the thunderstorms will be *fantastic* -- I already got a light show last night. Be still my meteorologist's heart.

Oh, and a new mailing address:

PO Box 1074

Siteki

Swaziland, Africa.

One of my friends (Niki) mentioned a wish list, so here goes:

hand sanitizer

reading materials (PUH-LEEZE)

batteries (AA & D)

newspaper crosswords and sudokus

photos (download speeds are *atrocious* here)

...and anything else you think will entertain me. I'm not really that picky. :) Honestly, just send a letter, and I'll be happy as a clam. And I *will* write back. That's a promise.

I love you all!

(That means hello in siSwati.)

I've been here all of two weeks, but it feels like so much longer than that.

Training has been really intense -- we've been having classes every day from 8am until 4 or 5. Language, of course, and we've been having visits from the NGOs in the area, and all sorts of fun classes on parasitic infection, malaria, food poisoning... even a two hour long lecture on diarrhea!

I'm having a great time, so far -- our group is small and eclectic, but we all get along really well.

The *real* experience has been the host family -- I barely know enough siSwati to get by, and I feel like I've been dancing on eggshells trying to figure out how to function in their household. I've also been feeling a bit chafed by the restrictions they've put on us during training -- we aren't even allowed to go to town without a member of our family -- but it's only six weeks more. I can't *wait* for swearing-in.

I miss you all; I'll write more when I have more time.

Sala gahle (go well)!

This one will have to be quick -- I just wanted to let y'all LJ people know that I made it to Johannesburg, South Africa. Whee! I'm finally in Africa!

We're all a bit tired, but we're all here and in one piece. :)

I'm leaving for Swaziland in a couple of hours, but I don't know when my next update will be -- so I'll just say that I love you all, and I'll update you on the ongoing adventure when time allows. ^_~

V for Vendetta: Who are you? - updated

You are V. Your vision is virtuous and vivid. Enough with the alliteration though. You are the main character. You're the lead, but you're also everyone in the world personified. Your dream is for true freedom, to allow the world to express themselves without harm, domination or tyranny. Well done! You have big dreams, big desires, big hopes and even bigger actions.

Take this quiz!

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"People should not be afraid of their governments. Governments should be afraid of their people."

I have officially been blown away.

Everybody -- go see this movie. Now.

I just got my invitation! I'm going to Swaziland! With the HIV/AIDS project! In June! *bounces*

I finally got ahold of my placement officer today, and told him that after a lot of thinking and discussion with others, I decided to go with the Public Health program after all.

So, people, it's unofficially official -- I'll be leaving for Africa on the sixth of June!

Yippee!! *bounces*

Oh, and just for shits and giggles...

1. What time did you get up this morning? ... 9 a.m.

2. Diamonds or pearls?... pearls.

3. What was the last film you saw at the cinema?... The New World.

4. What is your favorite TV show? ... Numb3rs. Not that I'm ever home on Friday nights to watch it, of course. :)

5. What did you have for breakfast?... honey nut Total.

6. What is your middle name? ... Jane.

7. What is your favorite cuisine?.... a nice, medium rare steak.

8. What food do you dislike?...peas!

9. Your favorite Potato chip?... not potato. Pita. :)

10. What is your favorite CD at the moment?... iPod!

11. What kind of car do you drive?... none.

12. Favorite sandwich?... chicken salad.

13. What characteristics do you despise?... hypocrisy.

14. Favorite item of clothing?... flowy skirts.

15. If you could go anywhere in the world on vacation, where would you go?... Greece. Or Rome. Or maybe Egypt. I don't have to decide now, do I?

16. What color is your bathroom?... forest green, burgundy, and blue.

17. Favorite brand of clothing?... Old Navy.

18. Where would you want to retire to?... New Zealand.

19. Favorite time of day? ... whenever I'm not at the GC.

20. Where were you born?... McPherson, Kansas.

21. What is your favorite sport to watch?... sailing.

22. Who do you least expect to send this back?... yeah, definetly John. You still out there, sweetie?

23. Person you expect to send it back first?... um, Michael, I guess. And by the way, Katie, I hate being so predictable! :p

24. What laundry detergent do you use?... gain, at the moment.

25. Coke or Pepsi?... huh. Right now, I'm not drinking much of either. Although Coke Zero is pretty good. And I always love a Mountain Dew.

26. Are you a morning person or night owl?... depends on how much sleep I've gotten the night before.

27. What size shoe do you wear?... eight.

28. Do you have pets? ... Becky.

29. Any exciting news to share with everyone?... i *finally* got accepted to Peace Corps! I'm leaving June 6th! I'm so excited! *bounces*

30. What did you want to be when you were little?... a meteorologist or an oceanographer. (Please keep in mind that I was saying this when I was nine or ten. Classic overachiever, that's me.)

31. Favorite Candy Bar?... snickers.

32. What is your best childhood memory?... playing on the rocks at Lake Wilson.

33. What are the different jobs you have had in your life?... server. since I was sixteen.

34. What color underwear are you wearing?... dark purple.

35. Nicknames:... sam, sammy, samtrin-d, sabia (please don't ask).

36. Piercing?... one in each earlobe, and three in my left ear.

37. Eye color?... hazel

38. Ever been to Africa?... not yet. But I'm going! On June sixth! squee!!

39. Ever been toilet papering?... no.

40. Love someone so much it made you cry?... no.

41. Been in a car accident?... no.

42. Croutons or bacon bits?... depends on the salad. Croutons on a caesar, bacon bits on a garden.

43. Favorite day of the week... Sunday.

44. Favorite restaurant?... Kool Beanz.

45. Favorite flower?..... orchids.

46. Favorite ice cream?... god, do I have to pick just one?

47. Disney or Warner Brothers?.... Disney.

48. Favorite fast food restaurant?... um, yuck.

49. What color is your bedroom carpet?... beige tile.

50. How many times did you fail your driver's test?... i didn't.

51. Before this one, from whom did you get your last email?... katie.

52. Which store would you choose to max out your credit card?... barnes & noble.

53. What do you do most often when you are bored?..... read.

54. Bedtime?... somewhere between one and two hours after I get off work at night.

55. Who are you most curious about their responses to this questionnaire?... John. (Now you have to reply, ha ha!)

56. Last person you went to dinner with?... lauren.

57. What are you listening to right now?... blissful silence.

58. What is your favorite color?... purple.

59. Lake, Ocean or river?... ocean.

60. How many tattoos do you have?... none.

61. Which came first, the chicken or the egg?... the egg.

62. How many people are you sending this to?... six.

63. Who sent this to you and what is something you didn't know about them? ... Katie. I had no idea you wanted to be a bus driver as a child!

64. Time you finished this email?... 10:40 p.m.

Well, I got a phone call from the Peace Corps yesterday.

The good news is that they're finally returning my phone calls. :)

The bad news?

They're considering me for a public health program leaving for Africa in June.

That's not all bad, mind you, but still... I was supposed to be teaching, you know? And I know next to nothing about health, and I really don't feel like spending two years handing out condoms and telling people that they really need to stop screwing if they don't want to get AIDS. Nothing like constantly stating the obvious to endear yourself to the locals, right?

When I called my placement officer back today, I asked him about the possibility of me being assigned to a teaching program, and he said that I'd need to get some math and/or science teaching experience in to be really seriously considered. Well golly gee, couldn't you have told me that a few months ago?

Huh. Deja vu. Methinks I've ranted about this before. *g*

But seriously, it is a little frustrating. And I really don't know what to do about the whole situation -- the public health nomination seems fairly certain, with a concrete departure date. If I hold out for education, I'd have to do the extra volunteer work (not that that's necessarily bad), and it sounded a lot less certain that I'd get into the program in the first place, and the time frame was a lot more open, too. But on the other hand, I don't want to take the public health thing just to take it, and then early terminate because I'm miserable.

I looked online, and there's a couple of volunteer tutoring things open around town. So I guess I'll call around on Monday, and then talk to the boss-man to see if I can get one evening a week off, and then call Mr. Placement Officer back on Tuesday and see if I can get a straight answer out of the guy.

Ahh, bureaucracy.

... I mean, sultry French beauty? Come on.

You're Brigitte Bardot!

What Classic Pin-Up Are You?

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