Err...Uhhh...2 years later!

Hello Dear Reader,

It certainly has been a long time since I last posted on this here Peace Corps blog...almost two years in fact...a whole Peace Corps service (again). While I'm no longer in Peace Corps...the dream has continued. As I mentioned in my last post, I accepted a job working in Lesotho...and guess what?! I'm still here! Another thing I mentioned...keeping up with the past two years since we last spoke in a new blog...yeah...BIG FAIL!

So, I guess you're probably wondering...why in heck are you writing on this blog...two years later? Don't you have something else to think about...like life...a new job...something? To answer your questions...yep...I've got other things to do...and my life has moved on...but in a strange twist...I'm still very much connected with Peace Corps...Lesotho!

When I first moved to Lesotho, I met and became very good friends with a group of Peace Corps Volunteers (PCV) serving in this great country. I've had the opportunity to compare and contrast my service with theirs...share in their highs and lows...truly see (with my own eyes) how Peace Corps service can vary from one person to the next/from country to country/and so on and so on. I've even had the opportunity to bring some of my PCV-Lesotho friends to Rustenburg in order to show them around; and introduce them to many of the amazing people I grew to love during my two years of service, who continue to have a strong presence in my life today. (World Cup 2010: Ghana vs. Australia; Ghana vs. USA: both in Rustenburg)!!!!

As I mentioned, two years ago, I moved to Lesotho and made many wonderful friends (many of whom are current PCVs). If you're counting the time like I am...that means that it is now time for many of my dear friends to close out their service (COS) and strike out on their own: away from the safety and security of Peace Corps, into a world full of possibilities, to use the many valuable lessons learned from their service for the next great adventure(s).

Just as I was a little over two years ago, my (soon to be "R") PCV friends are reflecting on their service and wondering what the next steps hold. Often times, I'm called to give pause and reflect on my own service. I guess this mental (and emotional) trip is the reason for this unexpected visit to "Liv(ed)ing my Peace Corps Dreams" blog. Reading through my old posts...thinking about where I was at the time...compared to where I am now...the same person...with a deeper/better understanding of how I fit into this crazy world...with a whole lot more room to grow.

This really will be my very last post...but before I exit stage left...I thought I'd leave a few tid-bits for you (PC applicant, Trainee, PCV, wanderluster extraordinaire) to nibble on:

1. No matter where you are...no matter where you go...no matter who you are...no matter who you meet...we all want to be loved/accepted/appreciated/live out our dreams (varies from one to the other).
2. Patience is not only something to strive for because we've always been told it's a "virtue". Patience is, in fact, an invaluable tool to carry and use often in life's tool box. (I'm still working on that one).
3. The lessons I learned in Peace Corps have, after two years, stayed with me and will continue to shape my experience with each step I take.
4. Be kind in all that you do (in spirit, in mind, in heart).
5. Never loose the ability to grow: stretch yourself, live outside of the box (with one foot in so you can relate to others), "don't talk about it, be about it", and stop putting off your dreams (if you can think it, you can do it and the only one stopping you is you)!

No, I'm not Buddha with those last points...just an old RPCV...reflecting on two of the best years of my life...and wishing the best to my soon-to-be RPCV friends who are about to close one exciting chapter... and are sharpening their number 2 pencils to write the next one!

Over and out...

No...really...I mean it...I'm no Micheal Jackson (R.I.P.)...but this is it (sorry for that one)!

Your friend,

Danielle, RPCV (South Africa, 2006-2008)

P.S.: Lace up your sneaks and come running with me as I pursue another dream- running a marathon! Eek! And the dream continues!

Expat Dani

Dumela (Setswana- PC South Africa) or rather Lumela (Sesotho-Expat Dani in Lesotho) Dear Reader:

As soon as I accepted my new position, which would officially make me an expat, my parents and I began our feverish quest to find out what life would look like in my soon-to-be-new-hometown of Maseru. Oh sure, I've found the basic details like population size, weather patterns, geological make up, Peace Corps Volunteer doings, etc., but information about what to do, where to go, how, why and when have escaped me. I did find this cool map of Maseru though. So since I haven't found the type and amount of detail necessary to quench my thirst (read: My parents wondering if this is Peace Corps service Part Deux and what they did to make me want to move to a place that doesn't even have a mall), I've decided to start this whole blogging thing all over again to chart my journey of discovering what it means to be an expatriate...in Lesotho.

If you want to follow along, visit my new blog Expat Dani. Now that I'm starting this new endeavour, this will serve as the official last post on Living My Peace Corps Dreams (Yes, the end of an era...a moment of silence please.........). Onward and Upward we go!

And the dream continues.

Hello Dear Reader-

It certainly has been a long time since I've posted anything...but I promise you'll understand why if you keep on reading. On July 18th, I took a United Airways flight from Jo'burg to Germany and Germany to Chicago and was met by my beaming father. I could not believe I was finally back home...on American soil...for good(?) Since being home, I've had the opportunity to travel from D.C. to New York, to Atlanta several times over, catching up with friends and family who kept me grounded and were eager to share in my two years serving in Peace Corps South Africa. I recounted stories, filled in the gaps that were evident and inevitable in this blog, and answered the daunting question: "So what next?"

So what next?

Starting in March, I began searching for jobs that would allow me to build on my Peace Corps experience: international public health/social equity/life abroad. In the end, I received two competing job offers. One offer was from a top medical school working in global HIV prevention programing. The position would be responsible for providing technical support to South African health care providers in the area of the prevention of mother to child transmission (PMTCT). It would require 3 to 5 trips a year to South Africa. The second offer, of which I accepted, is to serve as the Program Coordinator for a prominent US-based university that implements PMTCT programs in Lesotho. I will be coordinating program planning and implementation activities for the university in Lesotho. Yes, this means that within a month I will be relocating to Maseru, Lesotho indefinitely! You heard it right, I just left and now I'm going back, not as a volunteer but as a paid employee! I am so excited!!!! This is what I've wanted to do and now I finally get a chance to do it!

Still living out my dreams!

Leaving Site...

...was very hard to do. On Friday, July 11th, my office threw me a going away lunch to reflect on our short but full time with one another. There were plenty of laughs and a few tears fell as memories were shared, friendships were solidified, and it was understood by all that "the world is round. Just as we met at one point, we will meet again". I kept that bit of wisdom with me as I began the lengthy process of "closing my service": saying goodbye to friends (therapists, co-workers, interpreters, comedians, dance partners/teachers, tour guides, mothers, fathers, sisters, aunts, etc), writing the necessary reports for Peace Corps, closing out my FNB bank account, and completing all of the final medical check-ups (including the three take home stool samples-homework if you will). Once again, I found myself having to pack for the long trip back home. (Review post entitled: A different kind of packing list...) This time, however, my bag was a little lighter and zipping it was a cinch. The real souvenirs from my Peace Corps experience...my two years living in South Africa...are immeasurable. They won't ever go out of style like a polka dot sweater. They will never fade from my mind like the soles of those leather shoes. I will never worry about leaving them behind. My souvenirs will live eternally in my heart, continuously giving me the strength to grow and follow all of my dreams...

Then

The third grader I was...the little girl who's world instantly expanded (imagine the possibilities) after listening to two Peace Corps Volunteers talk about their two years spent in Morocco. Setting a life-long goal of joining the Peace Corps and living a life of service at home and abroad. (Did they know that in one moment they changed someone's life?)

Now

The woman I have become...lived her Peace Corps dreams.

COS Conference and Last S2S (plus more than one) Meeting

One June 22nd (Sunday), me and the rest of the S2S crew (and much more than one more) attended our last official meeting in Pretoria at a really happenin' Indian spot in Hatfield to catch up with each other, say goodbye to the first of our crew to leave (LaQuita "Mapule" Rogers), amend and second meeting minutes, eat good food, talk about our digestive systems and other bodily functions, have fun, and eat (did I mention that already?)! What a wonderful way to (start) say[ing] goodbye ("Mzanzi fo sho" style) to people who, for the past two years, became your (this is a run-on sentence like no other):

family/friend/support system/accomplices/advocates/"I need to get the hell out of site for a weekend" go-to-person/"If I get caught doing this, I'm gonna get Adsep'd (Administrative Separation-PC kicks you out)" point-person/sms (text messaging) buddy/phone when I can friend/the only person who truly cares to hear about your toilet habits over dinner/shopping buddy/travel mate/and the list goes on and on!

One (you, Dear Reader) might think that this meeting, the COS (Close of Service) Conference), and the process of saying "goodbye", would be a sad sight to see, but rather a celebration- full of laughs, jokes, funny stories, food (great food!), and "goodbyes"...for now. There were actually no good-and-proper goodbyes, because friends like these will be in your life forever...in body and/or in memories to last a lifetime.

Pictures:

1)Brad "Thabo" and Judy
2)Me and Krupa
3)Brenda, LaQuita, Liz and Me
4)Carolyn, Charlene, and Marti & Dave Fine
5)Bree, Krupa, and Brenda
6)Me and Judy (front), Brenda, LaQuita & Liz (background)
7)LaQuita, Liz and Me doing, as Liz and her family call it, "Dad eyes".

Lesotho...in a nutshell

Finally, I got to go on my long-awaited trip to Lesotho (June 13th-16th)...Well Worth The Wait!

If you review the post entitled "Winding Down, Saying Goodbye" (or something like that), I spoke about my plans for the next month or two. Everything is coming together just like I said I would...with one amendment...my last day of work will by this coming up Friday (July 11, 2008).

And the Winner is...FSP Rustenburg

FSP-Family Strengthening Programme- is a component of SOS Children's Villages that attempts to assist families taking care of orphans and/or vulnerable children with training, food parcels, referrals to social services, fuel, prepaid electricity, etc, rather than taking children out of their biological families. A couple of months ago, I was asked by the FSP team (Hophney, Mpho, and Emmanuel) to help them come up with a poster presentation of their activities. The poster would be taken to an all-FSP meeting in Pietermaritzburg and entered into a competition. Immediately, I started dreaming up what the poster would look like. I had Hophney take me around to just about every office supply store in Rustenburg looking for poster presentation board (you know the ones students use for their science fair projects...the three sided cardboard thingy?) with no avail. I guess those things haven't hit South African shores just yet. Well anyway, the team worked very hard on coming up with and arranging their ideas in just the right way...resulting in me staying at work until 7:30 pm on a Friday! I told Hophney and Emmanuel that if the prize for first place was an all-expense paid trip to Mauritius, it was mine! Hard work paid off, because I received a phone call a week later saying that it was unanimously decided that FSP-Rustenburg was by far the best poster presentation of them all...no luck on that trip to Mauritius...a box of chocolates was as good as it gets! Congratulations FSP-Rustenburg!

Poor chicken!

The reality of life is that, in this vast animal kingdom of ours, there is something called a food chain. Another reality of life is that those nice cuts of chicken, beef, fish, etc. that lay and wait at the grocery store, in their pretty packaging, used to be, before all of the processing and what-nots, real animals. Now don't get me wrong, I'm a BIG meat eater. In fact, I believe that a meal is not a meal without meat, so this is not going to be a story about to eat meat or not to eat meat, but rather about dignity.

My experience serving in Peace Corps-South Africa, has brought me closer to reality, with respect to where my meat comes from than ever before. In South Africa, mala magodu (cow stomach and intestines) is served at funerals, weddings, and any other traditional function you can think of. Plus, my local grocery store always has a surplus stockpile of it, just in case you have that craving. At my local grocery store, you can also find pig feet, pig knuckles, and "Walk-y Talk-y"...can you guess what that is...packaged chicken heads and feet. Grilled chicken feet in particular are a favorite snack that can be readily found on a nice, hot braai stand (grill) at the Rustenburg taxi rank or any other street corner. On just about every other corner, you can find someone with a cage full of live chickens for sale. Personally, I don't want to know the intimate details of what I'm eating: it's mug shot, shoe size, last meal, etc., but hey, that's the reality of eating meat, right? I just prefer the packaged meat...a generic leg, thigh, breast, rump, etc...no face, no name, just...meat.

Well, today, on the way to Tapologo (a really cool and innovative hospice for terminal HIV positive individuals) to drop the SOS mothers off for their practicals, we dropped another mother off at a hatchery about 15 minutes away so that she could get some eggs. On the way back from Tapologo, we stopped to pick the mother up at the hatchery. Instead of the three passengers I was expecting to ride with, there was a surprise 4th passenger, a live chicken looking mighty resigned to the path his life was inevitably headed towards. I immediately became tense and was ready to get back to the Village so that I would not have to serve as the Grim Reaper's usher for longer than I had to! To add insult to injury, to mock the dignity of the soon-to-be dead, this poor, poor chicken, with his wings stretched back farther than I think they're supposed to go, the last thing he was ever going to listen to in his short chicken life was "This is how we do it" by Montell Jordan...Poor Chicken!

Winding down, saying goodbye!

Sorry for taking so long to post on my blog. As you could probably tell from the last post, I've been busy contemplating the next stage of my life. After much consideration, I have decided to and have received approval to end my service (COS) on July 18th. Yes, July 18th! That's next month! Oh, so you want to know why? I guess the simple answer is that I'm just ready to go home. Keep in mind, however, that there are no simple answers, or at least not this one. I've certainly had my fair share of fun in Peace Corps- from my first few months of service living in Bhoek (as it is affectionately called)with my host family and their pit latrine, working at LifeLine, trips to Sun City and else where, the Rusty Dusty, meeting people and doing things that I will never forget, experiencing many "firsts", falling down and picking myself up again, making life long friends amongst my fellow Peace Corps Volunteers and local community members, working at and loving SOS Children's Village Rustenburg, and many, many other things that I cannot possibly fit into this blog. Having said all of that, I have had a "full" experience, nothing that I could have imagined as a 3rd grader looking at Peace Corps brochures. Now that time is winding down, you may be (secretly) wondering if my experience has lived up to the title of this blog...Yes! My Peace Corps Dreams have been realized. I was able to hold on to a dream of serving as a Peace Corps Volunteer for nearly 16 years. I studied, volunteered, worked, etc. along the way, preparing myself for turning my dream into a reality. Now, I am nearly at the end of that dream, or rather, just the beginning. Peace Corps Service might be nearing the end for me, but the lessons I've learned and adventures that I've had have forever shaped my perspective on life: change is not always immediate; people (cultures, societies, outlooks on life, experiences, etc.) are different, but for as much as we are different, we are all of the same...we all want the same thing: to be accepted, to be loved and to love, and to be successful (the definition changes with the individual).

I know that my reflections seem to be incomplete, but I'll continue to work on this rough draft for your sake and mine!

So what does my schedule look like until the 18th?

Pending the travel restrictions to Lesotho are lifted, I'll head there for a couple of days- pony trekking in the cold!

The day before my Close of Service Conference, me and my fellow Setswana-2-Setswana (plus 1) members will get together for our final meeting- almost the entire crew will be ending service early.

The COS Conference- where volunteers get together to talk about...what else...ending service and tying up loose ends.

My last day at work will be the 14th of July, and I'll head to Pretoria the next day in preparation for leaving the country.

Yes, there will be plenty of "goodbye" parties in between. I'm still trying to figure out how you say goodbye to a place that has become home...to people who have become family...plus packing up 2 years worth of memories into 2 bags (weighing under 60 lbs of course). I'm working on it, but the process is challenging...

In my next post, I'll be sure to post plenty of pictures...

Working on it...

Agh! I've got so much on my mind!

Over the past couple of weeks, my mind has been racing and it's driving me crazy! Mostly, I've been forcing myself to start thinking about what I want to do after Peace Corps. For as much as I'd like to stay focused on the here and now, which has been drilled into my brain over the past year and some change out of necessity and circumstance, I feel compelled to start thinking about what I want to see myself doing post Peace Corps service. Another impetus has been the fact that, over the next couple of months, some of my closest fellow PCVs will be COSing early...Like in the June, July time frame! Batong, gomodimo!

Through my deep interest in reproductive health, women's health, HIV/AIDS prevention and care, public health, social justice, public health program management, and improving access to care, I'm strongly considering the option of heading off to medical school (not without first attending post-bacc studies). CRAZY, I know! So lately, I've been apply for various pre-med post-bacc programs. The thought of going back to school, and particularly going to medical school, is a daunting task. A task, however, that will hopefully take me to where I want to be professionally. I'll be sure to keep you posted as this train of thought develops. If I go back to school, this means that I may have to COS (Close of Service) early in order to start in the summer/fall. Eish!

In addition to applying for post-bacc programs, I've also started a job search. Two years of volunteer work has made me appreciate the paid life. So if you're reading this blog and want to hire a soon-to-be Returned Peace Corps Volunteer...Let's talk! Eish!

Extending service into another Peace Corps-health-related program is also an option. Peace Corps just reopened the Ethiopia and Rwanda programs. I've always wanted to go to Ethiopia, plus, as a Public Healther, my CV and amount of experience would receive a big boost if I had additional work experience in a post-conflict zone. Not forgetting the fact that I would be able to provide some assistance to a project in need of a Peace Corps Volunteer. Ya-rrrrrrrr (roll the "r")

Making other, more personal life choices have been semi-freaking (ok, TOTALLY) me out. Should I, shouldn't I and the implications of both! Agh!

On a more short term basis, I'm trying to plan what may be my final chance to vacation...a trip to Lesotho to go pony trekking. Ever since I learned of such a thing, I've wanted to go! Ke itumetse thata!!!! But ke batla go plan-a pele! Eish! Eish! Eish! I have to figure out what I'm going to cook tonight...cooking is my vice and daily torment!

Usually, writing things down (not necessarily in such a public forum) helps me to relieve some anxiety, but this, unfortunately has not provided me with the comfort that I hoped...plus I'm tired, hungry (didn't bring my scaf tin to work today), and I'm cold (beginning of winter), so I guess that's not helping either. Eish! Ya-rrrrrrrr, Sis!

Ok, well on a more positive note, I recently bought two pair of jeans (not the stretch ones either), and thanks to preparing (most) my meals and living the volunteer life (walking everywhere, carrying my heavy bags of groceries from one side of town to the other, walking very fast as not to be late for work, and exercising with the kids), I can now fit into a size 4 jeans! It's the small accomplishments, isn't it! I feel better already!

Plus, last night, Saziso and I went to a braai over one of his co-worker's houses. There was so much good food, great company, music, and a cute dog named Rudy! The main purpose of the event (organized by Saziso and Clayton) was to link me and Clayton's wife up, supposedly so that Estelle and I could become friends, but really to give the two guys permission to stay out very late! Indeed, Estelle is a very lovely woman and she has a really sweet family (daughter, two nephews and a sister that I got to meet), so becoming friends with her is a no-brainer! It hasn't even been 24 hours, and we're already sending emails and sms's (text messages)to each other!

So writing things down (for me) does help after all!

Look like Mommy?

Isn't my mom beautiful? My father took this picture...I need him to start taking mine!

Running, walking, skipping, jumping jacks...

One of the first few meetings I attended at SOS was a training for the mothers. During the training, the Village Director and the social workers encouraged mothers to look after their health and weight. It seems that, in other villages, SOS mothers tend to gain weight and have deteriorating health the longer they stay. This could be a result of many factors. In the meeting, I suggested that we could start a walking club with mothers. If you really want to know, I've started this club for selfish reasons! I want to get in shape! I want to be more physically fit! What a great way to keep motivated when you have lots of kids reminding you to get up and get a move on!

Initially, it didn't seem like the walking club would get off of the ground (or out of my head), but one courageous mother, Mme Portia, approached me and expressed her interest. It just so happened that soon after we spoke, the kids went on break from school and had ample free time. Our walking club initially started out with Mme Portia (who is a super star) and about seven children. We would go walking several times a week for about 2 hours around the neighborhood. The second time we went out walking, Mme Portia surprised me by having all of the children dressed in the same shirts!

The most children we've had thus far is 14. I've had them do warm up and cool down exercises, jogging, slow walking, fast walking, and relay races. Additionally during walks, I stress the importance of drinking lots of water; a light, healthy meal before exercising; and tips like keeping stomach muscles in while walking. Everyone seems to be enjoying it, but my challenge is to increase the number of mothers participating and even some of the office staff members. I'm working on it! Now that the children are back in school, we (the mothers and myself) are trying to find our own rhythm. The next addition to my plan is to start healthy cooking/eating/snacking sessions for both the mothers and children. Additionally, I've noticed that the majority of the kids do not have proper running outfits or running shoes. If you are out there reading this blog post and can possibly help us out, I'd greatly appreciate it!

Here are some pictures for your viewing pleasure! I'll keep you posted!

Mozambique n' more

Recently,I along with a few of my fellow Peace Corps Volunteers took an action-packed trip to Mozambique for a bit of rest and relaxation. We all met up in Pretoria for a 6 hour Translux bus ride to Maputo. Everything was going great until we go to the boarder of Mozambique when I realized that, instead of bringing along my PC passport with my 36 month visa for multiple entries, I brought along my personal passport which hadn't been used to visit or leave South Africa since 2005...silly me! Well, I waited my turn to get my passport stamped in and the boarder official looked at me and said, where's your visa, when did you get here? Basically, without my PC passport, it looked like I had remained in South Africa from 2005, the last time I had used it. I got a taste of what it felt like to be ILLEGAL! She threatened me with a HUGE fine as I was sweating bullets trying to explain to her that I was a poor volunteer working with orphans and vulnerable children in Rustenburg and that, really, I did have another passport with an official visa, and really, I did actually leave the country in 2005 as indicated by the exit stamp from O.R. Tambo Airport in Joburg, while my friends were looking at me like...well this trip is over before it began. To make a long and sweat-filled story short, I got my stamp out of South Africa (not too long after requesting for a boost in my allowance from my VERY LOVING PARENTS). On the Mozambique side of the boarder, the bus opperator, who was very nice, assisted (with a bit of sketch)us in getting our visitor's visa processed...we were on our way! After what seemed like forever and two days on the road, we landed in Maputo...new language, new currency to figure out, pushy taxi drivers, the works! All 5 of us, including buldging luggage, were stuffed into a late model Toyota Corolla and driven literally around the corner to our backpackers...The Base. As we stumbled, travel worn and weary, we were greeted at the door by an over zealous front desk attendant who seemed to know exactly who we were, because, without saying hello, he proceeded to tell us that there was not room at the inn. Apparently, the reservation policy at the Base is that you must confirm your reservation 24 hours in advance, which he said that he did, but no one ever received a call. Tired and irritated, two of us broke away from the group and searched frantically for an other place to stay that wouldn't break the PC bank. Eventually, we found a really cool spot...Fatima's...Once we were settled in (read: threw our stuff on the bunk beds), we headed out for food...we landed at a hip pizza spot, although my early Alzhiemers is making me forget the name. Four of us sat on the patio, enjoying the weather, the new language (Portugese), and pleasant atmosphere. Periodically, young guys would walk around the perimeter of the restaurant selling their arts and crafts. Tip: If you look at or entertain the vendors, they won't go away. The result of the evening is that you will be harassed for the rest of the evening. Two members of our party were officially banned from looking anyone in the eye for the rest of the trip. To end the evening, we hopped back into a taxi and, upon arrival at Fatima's, we (read: I) gave the taxi driver a tip he will never forget...an extra 350 Metacal ($15) because I gave him a 500 instead of a 50...We expected the driver to be waiting at the backpackers all day and evening trying to get us to ride with him!

Next day, we got up earlier than the roosters to catch mini bus to Tofo Beach, which was supposedly an 8 hour ride away (read: 10+ hours). While waiting for the bus, however, one of us was violently ill and we watched as one of the other lodgers arranged for an early morning romp with a comercial sex worker...something that we made note of during our entire trip...older, forigen men, usually of European decent purchasing young, black women for their time and other things.

Side Note: As a PROUD, BLACK WOMAN, traveling with a group of other PROUD, BLACK WOMEN, I (we)were confronted with the unfortunate realization that as a whole, Black women are often placed in situations where we can be bought and sold to the highest bidder for a few dollars and encouraged to forget with the addition of drugs and alcohol. Our bodies are for sale to bored and desperate Western tourists or people on the other side of town who want to take advantage of women and young girls who are clearly in a desperate mental/financial/emotional state. Unfortunately, many of us who were traveling together do not have to leave our own communities to see this situation, which is repeated for hours every night on a side street, once the sun goes down. I encourage other PROUD, BLACK WOMEN to fight for yours and other's right to no longer serve as a commodity. Get involved in a young sista's life, encourage her, support her, help her to see her bright future! If you don't, consider yourself as an addition to the problem. Instead, be a solution!

Back to the story: After many hours of riding in a mini-bus that retained a strong smell of day-old fish, head-bobbing-mouth-wide-open-drooling-sleep, stopping at every major and minor town to shop outside of your bus window for bread, fruit, socks, razors, etc., we arrived in the ruggedly, beautiful Tofo Beach! First stop: Food! The amazing part of vacationing in a sea-side town is that you can literally watch as fishermen bring in their catch to local restaurants, and for you seafood lovers, I'm talking about SQUID, SHRIMP (PRAWNS), ANY FISH YOU CAN THINK OF, EEL, CRAB, LOBSTER, you name it! The first evening at our backpackers, we ate an "all you can eat" seafood buffet! I went to sleep dreaming of fish (not a pregnancy dream for all of you down south folk), fish that I would be eating for the rest of my trip.

Ok, to cut this already long story short, we had a wonderful time sitting, reading,etc. by the ocean. Oh, the last night in Maputo, four of us went down to the local fish market. In this market, fisherman (maybe their wives is more like it) sell fresh catches of the day: Any type of fish you want, prawns, crab, lobster, mussels, etc. for CHEAP prices. On the other side of the market, you take your fresh fish to any number of restaurants that cook it for you. Even though it took a long time to get the food, we were all entertained by the festive mood and live music! This, is a MUST when in Mozambique!

In my opinion, however, the trip was much too short considering how long it takes to get there! A great trip none-the-less and much needed at that! I was getting very restless in Rustenburg and everyone, except those at my job, were getting on my nerves and I was amazed at how that short break refreshed me and helped me to see that I can stick it out for a few more months until my service is up! And just in case you're wondering, I made it back into South Africa with no problems, only thing is that I have to leave in the next 3 months (the length of time Americans can enter South Africa without a visa)to get stamped back out! But just in case I happen to go back to Mozambique, I made a few friends at the border who might be able to help me out if I ever run into any problems!



My self portrait













Man & Meat


















That little brown dot is me!























Just a small sampling of the seafood that we got for cheap!

Maybe it's just me....

but I really enjoy waking up in the mornings to go to work! I wake up at 6:00 am to walk a few miles in the rain, heat, and snow (I wish), in rush hour traffic to get to work every morning and sometimes on Saturdays because I love what I'm doing and I really enjoy the people with whom I work. I know, I know, I've only been working/volunteering with SOS Children's Village for a short time, but just being here makes me feel fulfilled...like I'm actually contributing to something...like I am a part of something big and worthwhile. I'm even planning to start waking up even earlier (5:30am) on Saturdays to start a walking club with the village mothers.

One of the best parts of my day is talking with my coworkers about things that are going on in the village, and in their lives. In such a short period of time, I have developed a really nice relationship with everyone in my office and look forward to seeing them first thing in the morning. The highlight of my day, however, takes place soon after the children arrive home from school, like just now when some of the kids (I call them my "regulars") stop into my office to check up on me. I get to probe them about homework and their social lives, and best of all, get to see their smiling faces.

I know, I know (again), you might be thinking that I'm making this all up, but I'm really not. It has taken me over a year of my Peace Corps service to reach a point where I am so happy with the things I'm doing (in my work life). The Peace Corps always says that this is the "toughest job you'll ever love", and I finally agree. I had to go through the "tough" part to finally find the part that I love.

Can you hear the bells?!

Ba alright?!

Wow, it certainly has been a verrrrrrrry long time since I've been able to update my blog. You remember, about two posts ago, I told you that I was changing organizations? In changing organizations, I also lost a reliable connection to the net. Additionally, it took me a while to find and get settled into a/my new organization (I'll tell you about that later)! So now I'm working with SOS Children's Village in Rustenburg. At my org, there are two programs that are up and running. The first (of which I've yet to become familiar) is the Family Strengthening Project (FSP). Outreach workers and social workers identify families, either child headed households or families where there are orphans and vulnerable children, to provide assistance to: food parcels, skills-based training, clothing, etc. I hope that, as time goes on, I'll be able to learn more about it. The second component of the program is the actual orphanage, although being here has reshaped my idea of what an orphanage is/looks like. When I think of an orphanage, I think of: old, rundown buildings, nuns, old women, corporal punishment, a hall full of bunk beds, a dining room with long tables, ashy children wearing potato sack dresses, little girls with bobbed cuts. So right now you're probably thinking that I have more issues that you initially thought, or my perceptions are somewhat in line with yours. SOS Children's Village in Rustenburg makes me think of a family or rather families. The main office, which is located in a house deep in the heart of a recently developed neighborhood is a place that kids come and hang out. Where work stops because a child wants to say hello. The organization actually has ten houses that are integrated into the same community. Women from the community were hired on to take care of children, acting as surrogate mothers. The children, up to ten per household, are encouraged to call each other brother and sister. Children are taken on outings, nurtured spiritually, emotionally and physically. When you walk into a house, there is laughter and smiling faces, where as in their biological homes, these characteristics were virtually non-existent.

So, I guess you're asking yourself, "Well what does she do at this SOS Village-something or other?" Thus far, I'm helping to set up a monitoring and evaluation system for children who have been recently placed with the organization, to evaluate if they are adjusting to their "new" life. I've been helping with budgets (household and organizational), developing a life skills course for both the mothers and children, and I'm in the process of developing a mentorship program for the children. The mentor program is going to be a combination of Big Brothers/Big Sisters, professional/personal grooming, and "Take your daughter to work day." I hope to build up the children's life skills, etc. in such a way that they will be able to be healthy, happy individuals who follow their passions and realize that their past doesn't always have to predict their future in a negative way. I'll keep you updated. I have a lot of work to do between now and when my Peace Corps Service is up! But with all of that said, I feel fulfilled and in a place that provides a great learning opportunity and fosters out of the box thinking.

Yep, I said it, Peace Corps service is almost up! Can you believe that I technically have six more months to go? It has been a long journey, but one that I don't regret and will keep learning from for years to come. Since it's not over just yet in combination with having so much work to do until then, I'll leave those thoughts for later.

Well, since I'll be able to update you more often, I'll resist the urge to tell you my whole life story (between Oct and March)in one post! Thanks for hangin' in there with me guys through that pregnant pause! I'll chat with you soon!

Salang Sentle!

Joy comes in the morning...

Usually when I dream, I go to a far off place. Because of the way I tend to jump in my sleep, my South African friends tell me that at that very moment (the jumping moment), I'm making that big leap across the Atlantic Ocean to an exotic location such as Atlanta or Chicago (hmm). Well, on the morning of December 19th at around 1:15 am, I'd long since crossed the pond when I was stirred from my sleep by a yelp (or was it a scream?!) in the next room. I asked, "Thuli, are you ok?" In a frantic and unexpected voice, Joyce (instead of Thuli) told me to come over in a double. As I opened the door to Thuli's room, I was met by Joyce kneeling on the floor clasping Thuli's hand as she was experiencing early labor pains. Because I haven't written in a while, and because pregnancy is not necessarily note worthy, I did not tell you that Saziso's Brother's girlfriend, Thuli is 7 months pregnant. FYI, Thuli is the mother of Tshepang (the cute little girl who is pinching Twobob's bum in the previous blog post). Joyce asked me to take over dula duty (i.e. comforting Thuli)while she and Saziso's mom where trying to arrange transport to take her to the clinic. Since I'm an expert on child labor, due to my over indulgence of TLC's The Baby Story and Bringing Home Baby and Big Mama's House, I knew that I was supposed to rub her back, hold her hand, and have plenty of towels. Tshepo (the father and Saziso's older brother) walked into the room and assumed his position of providing comfort as well. Not more than 15 minutes after I came in the room to help, Thuli started screaming in Setswana, a lanugage I'm not fluent in, however, knowing that labor transends language, knew that she was in serious pain. The pains seemed to be getting worse and all of a sudden her water broke... she needed to get somewhere medical soon! Water breaking, screaming, sqeezing hands, pulling down of pants, screaming, fluids spilling, out comes a baby boy, OH MY GOD! Yes, you read right, I was witness to the premature home birth of baby boy Kototsi! SHOCK! The three of us could not believe that this tiny little boy was just born on the floor at 1: thiry something in the morning! Saziso's mom rushed in the room to tell us that the transport had come, just to find that they baby had been delivered. Thuli and the baby (who was still attached) were transported in a neighbor's car to the clinic and then to the hospital. You might be wondering why we just didn't call the ambulance. Well, in Rustenburg and maybe the whole of South Africa, most times it's quicker to find your own transport. Back to the story, Thuli and baby (who is still not officially named, but Saziso and I can't decide to call him Speedy (Saziso) or "Comes early in the morning" (Me)) are doing well. The baby weighs in at 1.5kg. He'll have to stay until he reaches 1.6kg. I've gone to visit both mother and child twice.

Since I've been in Peace Corps, people keep asking me if there is anything "memorable" about my experience that particularly sticks out. I always say no...well, you've guessed it, I will remember this moment for the rest of my life! What a reason to write a blog post!

Patience, Flexibility, Creativity...

It sure has been a while (or it seems like it at least) since I've made a post. Even though I've received no complaints from my mother's friend Michelle, I'd just like to go ahead and apologize to her. I'm sure she's thinking that she can no longer stand looking at pictures of rocks and waterfalls!

My relative silence has been due to being busy at site, Mid-Service Training (MST), and "changes" all around. So let's start by talking about MST. Mid-Service Training (MST)is an event that all Peace Corps Volunteers (PCVs) go through once they've hit the year mark of service. The purpose of training is to get any updated information about service, talk with fellow volunteers (in a formalized forum instead of sending text messages back and forth) about successes and challenges experienced at site, and in my case, receive updated information about all things related to HIV. In reality, it's a great time to meet up with friends that you may not get a chance to see very often, plan vacations, and again, in my case, include my fellow PCV's in my new secondary project: an extended game of Monopoly (South African version).

When we first arrived, many of us started to talk about the challenges at site: idelness, projects not going well, supervisor woes, mid-year slump, etc. Once we had a chance to do that, our perceptive-thinking Country Director helped us, through a technique called "appreciative enquiry", to realize that the positive experiences during service and personal growth often far outweigh the day-to-day challenges of "development work". Once that exercise was complete, the overall tone of the conference seemed to change for the better. This is not to say that our challenges are not real and very frustrating at times, but we collectively came to the conclusion that the only thing we can change is our attitudes and the way we approach each situation. This type of understanding, in my opinion, is a major factor in Volunteers' decision to stay on the job past a year and continue to slowly and painstakingly push the boulder of change. [Insert the Peace Corps slogan: "The toughest job you'll ever love."]

To change the mood a little, I think the best part of MST was where Peace Corps chose to host us: The Honeymoon Lodge which is located in a township outside of Polokwane. Ah, the Honeymoon Lodge!

After returning from a week of romance (read: none at all) at the Honeymoon Lodge, where there were power outages the entire week and after sunset, we did everything by candle light, I went back into Pretoria for my Mid-Service medical appointment. It turns out that I've lost a couple of pounds (but I figured as much since many of the clothes I brought here don't fit as well) and I'm relatively normal in every other respect (I put the emphasis on "relatively"). My favorite part about medical was that I got my eyes checked. If you know me at all, and many of you don't, you'd know that I love changing my glasses. At home, I have glasses of all shapes, sizes, and colors, some of which boarder the very strange. The new ones are my attempt at being more subtle, yet maintaining the chic!

Since returning to Rustenburg, I've been thinking about all of the things (successes, challenges, etc.) we discussed at MST, and how the only thing I can do is change myself. I've been asking myself, "how can I improve my experience and attitude for the last nine to ten months of service?". Without going into many details, I, along with my APCD (Peace Corps supervisor) came up with a plan so that I can get more work and satisfaction out of my Peace Corps experience. Officially, I will no longer work full time at my organization. Ever since my site mate and I arrived, we were told that we were going to be very busy with a PEPFAR grant that would be coming in any day now and were cautioned not to get too caught up in secondary projects. Let's now fast forward to over a year later and the grant has still not come through. The new plan is that I work with several organizations to begin life skills/peer education groups for students and orphans and vulnerable children (OVCs). I plan on spending some time with my friend and fellow PCV, Charlene, who lives a couple of hours away from me, in an attempt to examine the life skills course that she's been running for a while. Additionally, by facilitating HIV courses through my organization, I've had several requests to prepare courses for outside agencies. I do not plan on totally leaving my current organization, however, I will make myself available when there is work to do. I will also remain in Rustenburg, where I've made friends and have adapted to the ins and outs. I believe that this new arrangement can potentially be the best of both worlds. I hope that it works out like I'm planning. Now that I'm leaving, you may be wondering if I'm also leaving my site mate along with my organization. In fact, she will be leaving as well (because of the same to similar issues I've had) and will be going to another organization in another province. I wish her well in all of her new endeavors.

So, now you can see that a lot has been going on! Although I've experienced many challenges at site, I have come out a much stronger person and have learned a great deal about myself. I also know that, when met by these challenges, it is important to have patience, be flexible, and creativity is key!

And in a completely unrelated story:

Saziso's niece pinching Twobob's bottom!

The Escarpment Trail- Sabie, Mpumalanga

The Escarpment Trail is part of a larger group of natural sites called the Panoramic View. These pictures are in no particular order so you won't be able to follow them if you just looked at the link. Here are just some of the pictures from the misguided misadventures of three card carrying members of Setswana 2 Setswana...North West Province Power!

Pinnacle Rock


The sun setting over Sabie


One forth of an nice Indian family that we stalked starting at Mac Mac Falls


The Top of Berlin Falls


The Middle


The Bottom


Mac Mac Falls


Mac Mac Pools


Me catching water from a waterfall at The Potholes


Another view of The Potholes


The Three Rondevals and then some


Colorful Lizards we saw mating at the top of the view at the Three Rondevals

Congrats to SA-16 on their recent Swearing-In

Last Thursday, Peace Corps South Africa celebrated it's 10th year in South Africa. Prior to the event, rumors were flying around about the big name guests that were supposed to attend...Nelson Mandela was one of them. Big dissapointment! He was a no show! At the actual event, however, there were a bunch of supervisors who came to pick up their new volunteers, visitors, the Ambassador to South Africa and the Regional Director for Peace Corps South Africa. One of the things I spoke about with the Regional Director was my plan for post Peace Corps. Among many ideas, I'm considering extending service for a year...to cool places like Ethiopia or Ghana! I'll keep you posted on what I really do.

I'd say that one of the highlights of the event was the gift from SA-16's training village to the new volunteers, a traditional dance from a group of the village's young girls. I tried to upload the video, but the file is too big, so here's the no-so-good picture instead:




Other highlights include seeing friends,




pigging out at the buffet line (I perhaps had the best, most tender steak ever), and meeting up with my friend Rich who was a PCV in SA-8. During the summer between my freshman and sophmore year of college, I went to Tanzania for a couple of months with Operation Crossroads Africa (wonderful program by the way...I put the link up for it in the last post). While participating in the program (during orientation I met my soon to be best friend/soul mate Jeb), I made friends with Rich who went to Howard University. Rich joined Peace Corps as a member of SA-8 and still lives and works in South Africa. It's a shame that it's taken us a year (since I've been in country) to meet up, particularly since we live an hour away from each other. It was fun none the less!



After Swearing In, new volunteers were shuttled off to their sites, and the rest of us lived it up in Pretoria, etc. for the rest of the long weekend. I'll make another post to explain what I did.

Once again, congrats to SA-16, you've now joined the ranks!

My People, My People

Over the past couple of months, I've received several hits on my blog from African Americans currently serving or interested in joining the Peace Corps. It has been rather insightful to hear about their experiences all throughout the world. It's interesting to see that, although we're spread out around the world, we share a common experience back home and abroad.

In some way, we are positioned within a unique opportunity to expose people in our respective Peace Corps sites to African Americans in addition to demonstrating that we're dynamic people and not just limited to what they might have seen on t.v., heard about through the grape vine, or listened to in rap songs. Within our American communities, we are exposing people (whether we're trying to or not) to African Americans who are doing positive things on a global scale, and potentially serving as an example to someone so that one day they could say..."Hey if he/she can do it, so can I!" I say the later with emphasis, particularly because, unfortunately and for many confounding reasons, many Americans don't have the opportunity to travel abroad or are not exposed to the joys of doing so. This is particularly the case as it relates to African Americans. We continue to be an under-represented bunch in the realm of international travel or just travel in general. I know people who haven't been out of their own town. Now I'm not saying this in judgment, but as a reality.

I hope that, through my experience, I can encourage other African Americans to explore their/our world. One doesn't just have to join the Peace Corps to do so. There are many domestic programs like City Year, AmeriCorps and Teach for America. Study abroad programs are also an option with Operations Crossroads Africa and Bardoli Global. I hope to serve as a resource to people of color who are interested in joining the Peace Corps and traveling abroad. In addition, I look forward to meeting and networking with other African Americans who are or were in the Peace Corps so that we can learn from each other's experiences.