After a 15 minute walk that turns into a thirty minute one
because I am greeted by every villager that is doing something in their
yard-whether it be plowing, washing clothes, soaking papa, or just chillin- I
arrive at the bus stop. I am on my way to town to pick up some things from my
new “camp town,” Mafeteng, that my small village does not have. As we wait to
fill the bus, one of my most favorite woman in Lesotho steps up and embraces me
as we have not seen each other since our first meeting in November when I visited
Ha Khoro High School. She is the cook at our school and an ambitious women who
is full of life! We sit next to one another, latching arms and holding hands,
sweating a little bit and just catching up on everything in a mix of English
and Sesotho. Some traditional “famo” music blares on the radio and we begin to
chair dance and just wave our arms around. Famo music is played by the men here
and would be can be described as the Basotho version of folk music-always
involving the accordion (my favorite instrument to listen to). Just picture a
bunch of dusty men wrapped in traditional wool blankets, sitting on boxes in a
circle after a hard day of work out plowing the fields with their cattle
playing the accordion and singing along in crackly voices. The cook, M’e
Melemo, tells me as we are laughing, dancing to the music that Basotho ba thabile
letstatsi le leng le le leng, meaning “Basotho are happy each and every single
day.” I loved this phrase because it is so true. No matter what their day was
like, how hard the worked for little money or how empty their bellies are; they
are always smiling. That is the way of life here.
My sister with our puppies at my new home!
My back yard
I spent Christmas with my first host family where I was for
training and they were so happy to have me back for a visit. Everyone in the
village kept saying that I have so much love for my family and this brought a
huge smile on my M’es face. Although my host sister was not there because she
was tied up in South Africa, I had a fabulous time cooking, baking, eating, and
just front-porch-postin’ with my N’tate and M’e and my little abuti. We just
pulled out some chairs, sat under the shade with some drinkie and asked
everyone that passed by “U tsoa kae?” (where do you come from?). I have come to
realize that without the distraction of television, video games, electronics in
general- people are each other’s entertainment. Conversation is what fills their
day. Solitude isn’t a desirable thing here.
My host dad with his new hat momma Sal and Jim got him. He was so pumped!
Neighbor girl dressed to her best for Christmas
The last day of 2014 was epic! I spent it with three other
Peace Corps Volunteers at Lars’s home (he lives an hour and half walk from me).
The four of us cooked fried chicken and beans, conversed, and watched from
Lars’s front stoop that overlooks the sea of fields below, an amazing thunder
and lightening storm. The first presence of rain created a full double
rainbow-honestly something I thought only existed in fairytales and maybe a
Lucky Charms cereal box-it was unbelievable! As the storm intensified the
lightening came in hot, cracked down every minute and lasted hours. African
thunderstorms are unlike any others. Then January first, after making home made
pancakes, we all went into Mafeteng to watch my principal play a futbol match
at the stadium against a team of all his previous students- old guys verse
young guys or “energy verse experience” as he put it. It was so fun!
The last sunset of 2014, rainbow included!
Bus stop celebrations for 2015!
I have been keeping myself entertained quite well as I wait
for school to open on January 26th. I have been taking up any opportunity
that is offered and I am taking advantage of free-time. I have made a visit to
another volunteer’s site that lives way way way up in the mountains and it was
quite fun to see how different her site is than mine. Every district is so
diverse! Another adventurous thing (and maybe I wouldn’t do again) I have done
was go out into the field to experience the day and the life of a farmer
plowing his fields. Except these farmers were quite privileged in that they
plowed their fields with a brand new shiny red tractor. A site that is RARE
here in Lesotho. We began plowing, I sat perched up on the tractor like a
princess watching the dry earth come to life as the big rake dug into the
earth. Really cool to watch. But more significantly noted was watching the two
farmers on the opposing field plow their field with a traditional Basotho
two-ox plow. Man, to watch this while riding the tractor made me realize how
much simple technology can increase food production. What we plowed in one day
would take that ox plow probably two weeks..not kidding. Even more shocking was
that a young abuti-probably 18-asked if he could drive the tractor to plow to
fields because well, why not jump up at this opportunity to drive the thing
right?! HA! But yeah, this kid plowed the fields for six hours in the
blistering 90 plus degree sun because he wanted to. We gave him some lunch-but
that was all! So I spent an afternoon with a group of bo-ntate that were
entertaining to say the least. We sat near the truck and spoke about the heat,
being tired, and the hard work of the farmers as we watched their fields being
plowed…oh bo-ntate…
Plowing the fields with the big red tractor!
The mountains of Morakabai while visiting Cassie's site
We made LENTIL BURGERS! Always a food party when volunteers get together!
