Living the dream

Sanibonani!

We had our first language test the other day, and I think it went OK. I’m not an expert, but I’ll probably be at the level I’m supposed to be by the time we finish pre-service training. We have to test Intermediate Low, which means essentially that we can get our point across in siSwati when dealing with a “sympathetic listener.” Here’s hoping most of my listeners are sympathetic over the next two years.

It’s been a lot warmer, and I don’t even have to wear socks at night. Pretty exciting!

Also on Sunday, some PC friends and I got together for breakfast. We (well, my friend Walker) made pancakes of flour, sorghum meal and oats. They also included cinnamon, sugar, apples and bananas. He made syrup of oil, water, brown sugar and orange zest. My standards might be lower after more than three weeks here, but the pancakes were to die for. I mean, these were extremely legit pancakes. Soooooo good. The breakfast party included my new friend Tim, who is a fellow St. Louisan. We’ve had the pleasure of talking some Missouri/StL stuff, which is definitely nice.

We learned health words the other day. HIV is ligciwane lembulalave. In siSwati, C’s are a click made by pressing the tongue against the back of the top teeth and releasing air (almost a “tsk” sound).

Ligciwane lembulalave translates to “the virus that is killing our country.”

We had a visit from staff members from three clinics in Swaziland that are operated by Baylor. We talked more about HIV and what’s driving the epidemic. The women who spoke to us said to slow the rate of new infections, men in Swaziland will have to change their attitudes. This is partly because women often don’t have the power to insist upon condom use. In Swaziland, women are more often aware of their HIV status because they are tested at prenatal clinics and are provided with treatment to avoid transmission to the baby. It’s complicated, though, because then some men believe the woman brought HIV into the relationship. Although this is sometimes the case, it can lead to negative domestic consequences. The situation is complex. I’m by no means an expert, but I look forward to learning more.

We also watched a South African movie called “Yesterday.” I highly recommend it to all of you. It’s about HIV, and the story is simple but powerful.

We’re scheduled to learn our placements on Friday. I’m excited to find out where I’m heading, though I won’t be able to give out my exact location on the blog (PC asks us not to do that). Regardless, I’ll be able to tell you the region of the country. I’ll be able to receive mail at the address I provided earlier for the duration of my service, so please send any notes that way until you hear otherwise.

I’ll also get my cell phone this week. It’s cheaper for people to call me than it is to call out, but calls to and from the U.S. are still pretty expensive. I do plan to get one with Internet capabilities, so y’all will be hearing from me more frequently (I hope).

I’m on my sixth book of service, having entered one of the classics anthologies on my Nook. I’m finally reading some E.M. Foerster. Having read some Arthur Conan Doyle and Edith Wharton, I’m starting to tire of the prim writing style. I wish I had some Hunter S. Thompson floating around, but I can’t remember if I brought any in my other bag. I also wish I had some works by African authors to nose through; I don’t think I brought any (for shame!). On the whole, though, I’m very happy with the lifestyle and all the reading I get to do. Getting up at 5 a.m. and going to bed at 8 p.m. suits me here.

Sala kahle!