Two more photos

 More photos! Here's a photo of the bride from the wedding I went to a while back. This one is appropriate for all users; she's topless in some of the others.

I love these trees! They're all around here.

HELLO!

 Hi, team! This is so exciting! Here's a photo of me and my counterpart, Jabulile. She looks great. I look a little ragged out because it was cold and rainy this day. But now you see her. She's wonderful!

 Babe wanted me to take his photo with his cows. There are so many!

 Babe and my host bhuti (brother) have been plowing with the team of oxen and this old-school farm implement. Make follows along and plants more maize behind. This is the field behind our homestead.

Here's a photo of the mountains in the distance behind my homestead. Beautiful! The photo's not great.

I just got two packages from Meaghan (I am eating M&M's from it, which is AMAZING) and one from each of Jack's aunts. Thanks, Marcie and Leslie! You are all so wonderful!!

Here's a blog entry I wrote a while back:

September 17, 2012

Sanibonani!

I’ve now been at site almost four weeks, which is crazy. I’m trying not to think of things in terms of time — one month down, what have I accomplished? A Group 8 volunteer told me that it’s important to not think of Peace Corps in terms of two years. You really ought to take it day by day. It’s early yet, but that seems like sound advice.

PC promotes something called “intentional relationship building,” which they abbreviate to IRB (big contrast to its meaning in the public health world). The idea is that a big part of what we do is just getting to know people. The term itself sounds like a robot programming mechanism. NOW WE WILL INTENTIONALLY BUILD RELATIONSHIPS SO AS TO ENDEAR OURSELVES TO THE HUMANS. In all seriousness, it serves as a legit reminder that we’re doing things even when we’re not “doing things” in a traditional workplace sense. I suppose that’s part of what I’ve been up to.

I attended a support group on Friday, which was really nice despite some nasty cold, rainy weather. The women at the group were extremely friendly and welcoming. The children who joined later were also lovely, and there was a kind of hilarious photo shoot where one of my new friends pulled my hair over her head so she could be blond. This might be on the Facebook somewhere …

I’m still spending a couple of days a week at the clinic, and I make sure to get out of the ol’ hut every day. I don’t have a table yet; that’s the next big capital purchase. We’ll see how soon I get that done. As many of you know, I tend to procrastinate where the comforts of home are concerned. The local carpenter has a sign with a coffin on it. I haven’t yet spoken to him of my needs.

We had several consecutive days of cold, rainy weather last week. I know what you’re thinking: cold + rainy = Africa? It’s true. It happens. Today was gloriously sunny, and the mountains are starting to look green and beautiful. I’m sure in the heat of summer I’ll long for a nice cold rain.

I’ve started running by myself when my host brother’s not available. So far, everyone has left me alone. I say hello to people who walk by, and no one’s given me any trouble. I think it bodes well for the future. Also, major props (do people still say “props”?) to my parents for sending the rubber workout bands. I loooooove them.

Thanks for all the wonderful mail and packages, friends, while we’re on the subject. Jack’s mom sent this excellent mug with his and my photo on it and delightful snacks (gone within a week, I’m embarrassed to admit), along with a great NYT crossword book. Jack sent art supplies, envelopes and my favorite gum. Nice work, people. Thank you!

Xes and O’s from the SWZ.

Salani kahle!

Update!

Sanibonani, all!

I've been at my permanent site for two weeks. So far, I've spent several days at the clinic and have visited the nearby World Vision office. At the clinic, I help by weighing and registering HIV-positive patients and counting their antiretroviral pills. This is part of checking to see whether they're complying with their treatment regime. The clinic is busy, and I encounter more than 60 patients the days I'm there. It's a short walk from my house, maybe half an hour.

I bought a bed and a fridge for my hut, and that's all the furniture I have for now. My friend Walker helped me build a hanging armoire. It consists of a long stick on top to hang clothes and then five wood shelves that hang below, also for clothes. I walked an hour and a half to Walker's to make it, and it would have been a rough walk back (in the rain, no less) if I hadn't been able to grab transportation.

I'll post photos when I have wi-fi; right now I'm on a public computer in an Internet cafe.

My counterpart has been just fantastic. I love her. She has taken me to a wedding, at which I attempted to dance (hilarity ensued), and to a party. I helped cook at the party. The women arrived at 4 a.m. to start working. We got there at 7:30 or so. They cooked in iron three-legged pots over an open fire. I helped with the chicken stew and by chopping veggies. Everyone has been extremely friendly, though getting so much attention can be overwhelming. I'm sure the community will get used to me before long.

I went out with my host dad to find his cows on Saturday. He checks every day to make sure none are stolen, sick or otherwise missing. It was a bit like going out to check cows with Uncle Frank in Indiana. In this case, though, the cows are roaming around without electric fences or anything like that. Free range, man. The SWZ is all about it.

Speaking of, a goat almost walked into my hut the other day. That would have been interesting.

It's been raining for three days, which is excellent for the animals, the crops and our water tanks. There isn't even anywhere to put the water anymore; all the containers are full. This is not a bad problem to have. I have filled both my 100-liter barrels and my two 25-liter jugs. I told my family about conflict over harvesting rainwater in Colorado because someone already has laid claim to the water. They couldn't believe it.

My 17-year-old host brother has done me the courtesy of jogging with me every few days. I really, really appreciate it. I'm not sure if people would yell at me or disrupt me if he weren't there. Perhaps I'll find out the first time he can't come along. Not a lot of people go by the field where I run, so I doubt it will ever be too crazy. I'm just grateful to be able to run for now. A lot of PCVs find it uncomfortable.

I haven't found a language tutor yet, but I haven't been looking that hard. School's on break right now, and that seems like a promising place to start. I'm sure I'll get one locked down.

I have tried goat again, and I liked it much better the second time than the first. My family gave me some, and I added it to vegetable soup I'd made. Pretty tasty.

On the whole, I'm happy and things are going well. Jack plans to head this way in November, which is VERY exciting. Please tell him happy 30th on Sept. 24 and give him a hug for me if you see him (any and all of you).

Thanks for all the love. I haven't picked up mail lately, but I know I have some letters and packages waiting. Thank you! It makes things so much more awesome to get missives from home.

Salani kahle.