A New Home

Thobela!!

It's been a while since I've been able to post a blog. There is an internet cafe in the closest town to me, but it is usually closed once I'm finished with class and it is a SUPER DUPER slow connection.

So yesterday we recieved out site placements, so my nervousness/excitement/anxiety is finally over.....well almost. Next week we will visit our new homes, I can't pronunciate the village and I don't have the sheet with the name on it. My shopping town Acornhoek sits right next to Kruger National Park!!! Which means I'll be in (pretty much) the most beautiful part of South Africa, next to The Cape. I'm very happy! My village is not near Acornhoek, but that is where I'll go to buy my basic necessities.

So next week will consist of me meeting my new supervisor, my new host family who is providing me with a room seperate from the main house, the village chief, the schools/teachers, and other things that need to be taken care of. I'm also excited about getting to see more of this country. My site is very far from where I've been training the past month.

The one bummer about my site location is that I'll be required to take Malaria medication because of my close-ness to Kruger National Park :(

Once we get back from out site visit, we'll have two more weeks of training which will also include my Language Test. I've really picked up on the language and I try to speak it as much as possible with my family and friends. All the pieces are starting to fall into place. It's a good feeling, let's just hope I can pass the test :)

My host family here is still AWESOME and I'm going to miss them alot. I know that I'll be able to come in visit them which is a comforting feeling. The food is still good and I'm learning how to cook some of the local cuisine like bagobe (pap), potato dishes, mashed pumpkin, and maize rice (which tastes JUST LIKE GRITS so you know I'm loving it!). I'm also getting alot better at hand washing my clothes and taking bucket baths. Hand washing clothes is a very tedious and arduous back-breaking task. My 16 year old cousin says I need to "not be so lazy" when washing them. I guess I wasn't scrubbing hard enough, but my back and hands didn't feel that way.

My internet time is running out. I hope I'll be able to get to an internet cafe some time next week so I can post some of my pictures.

I miss all of you and hope all is going well in the States. I'm staying healthy mentally and physically.

Gabotse!!!

Village Life

Thobela!

I have about 10 minutes or so to sum up all that's been going on with me the past few weeks. I live in a somewhat large village with my two host parents, Lydia and Chico who are absolutely wonderful. They own a supermarket and tavern (bar) in the village, so I consider them entrepreneurs. I am living very comfortably with my own room, and have made it my own space by putting my poster from home on the walls. Also living with us are my two bobutis (brothers), two cousins (I don't know that word yet), and my Makoko (grandma).

The food has been very very good, but different. I have adjusted well to life here in my village. Everyday I have language class (I'm learning Sepedi) and then I go to the local teaching college to attend classes that are preparing me to work in the field starting in September. I won't know where my permanent site will be or what my responsibilities will be until the end of August. I will either be a teacher trainer, work with school management, work the school governing board, and/or work with youth in schools/communities. It all depends on what is needed at my site.

I am turning into a mini superstar b/c people are surprised to see a Black woman with an English accent! While walking home, the village kids call my name everyday and shout "how are you" even though I'm no sure if they understand what they are saying. People ask me the same question all the time "how is America compared to South Africa?"

My family has named me Lerato, which means "love", so that is what the village has started calling me. All-in-all, I'm very happy to be here and I'm loving village life! Letters from home take a while (3-4 weeks) to get here, but please please please write. It's a great moral booster since I don't get a chance to call home or get to the Internet on a regular basis.

gabotse!

P.S. this country is breathtakingly BEAUTIFUL!!!