7/8/10
…and I’m a year older. Have I really been here five months already?
Thank you so much to each of you who sent cards and packages overseas for my birthday. I had so much fun opening all of them by candlelight on the floor of my home. When I was finished, I sat in the middle of this big pile of letters with the biggest smile on my face and a warmed heart.
It’s so cold here. I’m writing now with gloves on and layers of clothing. Soon I’ll walk over to the family’s cooking shed and we will sit by the fire together to keep warm. It’s a time of day that I look forward to – all of us huddled together laughing and talking. My Zulu is getting better.
I moved this month as well. I’ll miss my little mud hut, but I love my new place, a 150 sq. ft. structure, square, with two windows, cement walls, wood pillars, a tin roof, and an old rickety door. I’ve successfully lived almost a month without electricity or running water. It’s fun, but a lot of work. I’ve had a few bats, a scorpion visit and also some lizards. So I finally put up a mosquito net.
Best of all, I now live on top of a mountain. However, I believe the change in elevation has possibly been the cause of my right ear being completely plugged – for two weeks now. Tomorrow will be my first visit to an African doctor, as a result.
Living so close to the elements is a challenge. I fight for and am extremely grateful when having things like warmth, light, food, water, transport and now good health.
The children at the Safe Park are still playing amidst it all. I am inspired by their joy, smiles and playfulness in these conditions. Playing keeps us warm! They’ve been out of school on “winter” vacation (in July!). At school is where most children receive their only meal, so we have been cooking for them at the Park and feeding 30 to 70 children a day.
The opening day of World Cup was glorious. My friend at one of the local schools hooked up a projector to a generator and used a white sheet to make a “big screen” in one of the classrooms. He transported 20 of us to the school that evening. A UK news station was there to film this “event”, covering the opening of the World Cup in rural South Africa.
When SA scored their first goal, all of us jumped up and down screaming, yelling and some crying. It was a great moment.
My Mom’s been doing a wonderful job with photos and updates (thanks, Mom!), so I’ll try to send more photos. Now I’m not quite the spectacle in the village anymore, so taking pictures of people/children/family should be okay.
My project ideas are progressing. There is still mostly an expressed need for basics: Park repair, water, health and food. So far, we have fixed up and opened two buildings on the Park, one for cooking and the other for the kids to dance/drum/draw in when it is cold and windy outside.
Also, four cans of primary colored paint mysteriously arrived today to the park – delivered by Isibindi. I have no idea what, why or how, but maybe a mural will begin! I will officially start focusing on specific projects after attending Peace Corps IST (in service training session) in August.
Highlight of the day: walking to work with two young Zulu boys (since they are on winter break, they go early to play soccer with other boys). I was able to have a conversation in Zulu with the eldest who said he wants to design and work on cars when he grows up. Before we parted ways, he told me in perfect English, “go well”, then ran away laughing with his buddy. A formal Zulu custom is to say “Hamba Kathle” (go well) to the one going and “Sale Kathle” (stay well) to the one residing. So this young boy was identifying himself to me as a proper escort.
New addition: a solar shower! I built a solar shower in my new home with an old basketball hoop, rope & pully, metal wash basin, and shower curtains. In five months, I’ve encountered three showers. Bucket baths in the cold winter weather are not fun. So my first hot shower at home was incredible!
Go well,
Angie