Happy belated Easter! It's been a long time since I last updated this blog, and a lot has happened! I will try my best to bring everyone up to speed.
First, at the end of March, I participated in an HIV/AIDs training held at a rather fancy hotel with delicious food in Rustenburg. You may recognize the name of the city, as it is also the name of my dog. Anyhow, the training itself was wonderful. I learned so much, and, even better, most of what I learned is actually useful! The workshop was run by two men, Neil Orr and David Patient, and I urge you to give their names a Google if you want to know:
Why everyone should eat a brazil nut a day
Why you should keep the windows open in crowded spaces (especially where I live)
Why daily shots of cayenne pepper are worth suffering through
How to cheat the South African medical system by drinking Coke
... and other useful things.
Aside from the lectures and food, the hotel (Sparkling Waters) had two pools, a playground, a trampoline and a mini-golf course of mind-boggling difficulty. I won by a very slim margin, and it was entirely chance. Anyone who's ever seen me play before know that there's no real skill involved.
After saying goodbye to Rustenburg, about 20 volunteers boarded a taxi bound for Sabie, Mpumalanga for the Longtom marathon. We arrived at the backpackers, ate some spaghetti and promptly went to bed. We were up hours before the sun to hit the course. 4 PCVs were brave enough to run the 56 kilometer ultra-marathon, the rest of us ran or walked a mere 21 kilometers. The race course was absurdly hilly, but possibly the most beautiful scenery I've ever seen. It was a good distraction from the heat/pain, as were the water points which were staffed by super-friendly people proffering potatoes, chocolate and water packaged in plastic which you were expected to rip open with your teeth... while running. I, needless to say, was not particularly skilled at this art and wound up soaking myself and my neighbors many a time.
Of course, the best part of the marathon was the money we raised. I managed to pull together $355 to benefit KLM, so many, many thanks to those who donated. It's very much appreciated. Collectively, we beat last year's fundraising total by more than $1000. Well done, well done...
I woke up the morning after the marathon more sore than I ever believed possible, but did that stop me from climbing on a taxi as part of my journey to Zambia? No, absolutely not.
Another volunteer and I flew to Livingstone, Zambia for a week to see one of the wonders of the world, Victoria Falls. It was incredible, and certainly put Niagara Falls to shame. I will post pictures on Facebook sometime in the next week or so. They're pretty self-explanatory (and my thumbs are tired), so on to my last topic.
On my first night back in town, I met with a group of students and teachers from the Frankfurt International School. I had already met with the group leader when he and others came to the region a month or so ago. Anyway, he had a few things for me and my village, most importantly, Dr Pepper! No, no, no, seeds for my school garden, though the Dr Pepper is really nice and I'm considering building a shrine for it rather than just drinking it. Thanks a million to the good people of FIS!
Thursday, April 8, 2010
Saturday, February 20, 2010
A Day in the Life... Resego Goes to Town
I have a lot of explaining to do concerning town, what it is, where it is, why I go, and how I get there.
When I refer to town, I am talking about Kuruman. In general size and appearance, it reminds me of Estherville, IA. It's got a few grocery stores, a couple decent restaurants, a smattering of guest houses, and a nice park around the Eye (the only permanent water source for miles). Most importantly, Kuruman is where the post office and my school's PO box is located, along with Rusty's veterinarian, the bank and ATM.
Kuruman is approximately 90 kilometers from Deorham. Oddly, that is the same approximate distance from my house in Pittsford to the lake house in Ovid. Anyway, it's hardly walking distance. Hence, I must provide you with a crash course in South African transport.
The most common form of transport in rural (poor, black) South Africa is by taxi. Locally known as khumbis, taxis are really minibuses. To attract a taxi, all you have to do is stand by the road and wait and wait and wait until one comes along that has space. Space does not necessarily mean a seat. I have stood, I have sat on people's laps, I have spent any uncomfortable hour or so on the floor even. It happens. Anyways, there used to be one taxi that served my village. It would pick people up at a few select spots around the village about 7 am, transport them into town and back again (this time dropping them at their door). We paid 56 rand for this service. A few weeks ago, the taxi people attempted to raise this to 70 rand. The people of Deorham responded by boycotting the taxi. The taxi responded by ceasing to come to the village.
This brings me to SA transport, part two. The other form of transport most common in my area is a truck with a cover on the back and benches for people to crouch uncomfortably on. Locally known as bakkies, these vehicles are owned by a few community members. When they either need to go to town themselves, or just need some extra cash, these people will operate their vehicles as taxis. With the official Deorham taxi gone, we now have to relie on the whims of the relatively wealthy to get to town.
All of this now brings me to today. I needed to go to town for groceries. Thus, as the sun rises, I hike out to the nearest taxi pick-up point and wait. I wait for nearly any hour. A bakkie comes. I climb in (the cab). Two people squeeze in next to me. We begin the bumpy journey to town. I lose feeling in my left leg. The bakkie breaks down. People climb out, try to push it along. This strategy seems to work for about ten minutes. Then, another breakdown. The cycle repeats itself for about any hour. We head back into Deorham. I climb out of the bakkie, check to make sure all my limbs are intact and that feeling has been restored. Seeing all is well, I wait for a new bakkie. The new bakkie arrives. Everyone who couldn't get to town on the first one, climbs into this one. I counted 16 people in the back. Try to imagine that. It was crazy! We begin the journey to town, but it seems doomed. We pull over four times to "fix" whatever seems to refuse to work for more than twenty minutes at a stretch. Almost four hours after I stepped into the first bakkie, I finally arrive in town.
By this time, the post office is closed, so there's no point in trying to pick up or send my mail. Might as well have lunch!
Spur is one of my favorite South African restaurants. It styles itself as an American steakhouse and the inside is decorated as kitschy as can be. There are cheesy references to American-Indian culture everywhere! Headdresses adorn placemats and the stained glass lamps bear vaguely Western patterns. Believe it or not, the food is actually quite good and by American standards, cheap to boot. Today I had the guacamole and bacon burger. Fantastic!
Then I trudged back to the rank to try desperately to make my way back to Deorham. I made it, but, like everything else here, it took a lot longer than strictly necessary. If patience is a virue, I'm headed to sainthood.
Once again, a big thank-you to my Longtom sponsors (especially the mysterious one my mom had to tell me about, thank you!) and to everyone else, there's still time to give and I'd really appreciate it! Thanks!
Please excuse any typos. My Blackberry has gone auto-text crazy and editing is difficult. I hope to hook up my computer soon.
When I refer to town, I am talking about Kuruman. In general size and appearance, it reminds me of Estherville, IA. It's got a few grocery stores, a couple decent restaurants, a smattering of guest houses, and a nice park around the Eye (the only permanent water source for miles). Most importantly, Kuruman is where the post office and my school's PO box is located, along with Rusty's veterinarian, the bank and ATM.
Kuruman is approximately 90 kilometers from Deorham. Oddly, that is the same approximate distance from my house in Pittsford to the lake house in Ovid. Anyway, it's hardly walking distance. Hence, I must provide you with a crash course in South African transport.
The most common form of transport in rural (poor, black) South Africa is by taxi. Locally known as khumbis, taxis are really minibuses. To attract a taxi, all you have to do is stand by the road and wait and wait and wait until one comes along that has space. Space does not necessarily mean a seat. I have stood, I have sat on people's laps, I have spent any uncomfortable hour or so on the floor even. It happens. Anyways, there used to be one taxi that served my village. It would pick people up at a few select spots around the village about 7 am, transport them into town and back again (this time dropping them at their door). We paid 56 rand for this service. A few weeks ago, the taxi people attempted to raise this to 70 rand. The people of Deorham responded by boycotting the taxi. The taxi responded by ceasing to come to the village.
This brings me to SA transport, part two. The other form of transport most common in my area is a truck with a cover on the back and benches for people to crouch uncomfortably on. Locally known as bakkies, these vehicles are owned by a few community members. When they either need to go to town themselves, or just need some extra cash, these people will operate their vehicles as taxis. With the official Deorham taxi gone, we now have to relie on the whims of the relatively wealthy to get to town.
All of this now brings me to today. I needed to go to town for groceries. Thus, as the sun rises, I hike out to the nearest taxi pick-up point and wait. I wait for nearly any hour. A bakkie comes. I climb in (the cab). Two people squeeze in next to me. We begin the bumpy journey to town. I lose feeling in my left leg. The bakkie breaks down. People climb out, try to push it along. This strategy seems to work for about ten minutes. Then, another breakdown. The cycle repeats itself for about any hour. We head back into Deorham. I climb out of the bakkie, check to make sure all my limbs are intact and that feeling has been restored. Seeing all is well, I wait for a new bakkie. The new bakkie arrives. Everyone who couldn't get to town on the first one, climbs into this one. I counted 16 people in the back. Try to imagine that. It was crazy! We begin the journey to town, but it seems doomed. We pull over four times to "fix" whatever seems to refuse to work for more than twenty minutes at a stretch. Almost four hours after I stepped into the first bakkie, I finally arrive in town.
By this time, the post office is closed, so there's no point in trying to pick up or send my mail. Might as well have lunch!
Spur is one of my favorite South African restaurants. It styles itself as an American steakhouse and the inside is decorated as kitschy as can be. There are cheesy references to American-Indian culture everywhere! Headdresses adorn placemats and the stained glass lamps bear vaguely Western patterns. Believe it or not, the food is actually quite good and by American standards, cheap to boot. Today I had the guacamole and bacon burger. Fantastic!
Then I trudged back to the rank to try desperately to make my way back to Deorham. I made it, but, like everything else here, it took a lot longer than strictly necessary. If patience is a virue, I'm headed to sainthood.
Once again, a big thank-you to my Longtom sponsors (especially the mysterious one my mom had to tell me about, thank you!) and to everyone else, there's still time to give and I'd really appreciate it! Thanks!
Please excuse any typos. My Blackberry has gone auto-text crazy and editing is difficult. I hope to hook up my computer soon.
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Compost and Canned Goods
Something I learned in Peace Corps: food that comes in cans is a really wonderful concept. It doesn't need to be refrigerated, keeps forever, and when you do finally get around to opening it, it (usually) tastes delicious! It's also usually quite cheap. So here's to tuna fish, jam and beans... all in cans!
Today was a reasonably exciting day at school. We built a compost pile! The educators are interested in permaculture, but the soil here is terrible. It's really just sand and little else. Thus, before we can begin growing anything, we had to build a compost heap. It's pretty spectacular, as far as compost heaps go. I followed the directions in How to Grow More Vegetables by John Jeavons. The book promotes "biointensive" gardens. I'm not totally sure what that means and if it's really better than normal gardening, but the book has detailed instructions, so what could go wrong? I have one question already: if I use cardboard egg cartons to grow my seedlings, can they be transplanted directly without removing them from the cardboard? I can't seem to find a definitive answer anywhere. Also, if anyone knows what kind of fruits and vegetable grow well in semi-desert conditions, I would appreciate the info.
Finally, I really need your support for the Longtom Marathon to benefit KLM. Read the post below. Many thanks to those who have already given!
Today was a reasonably exciting day at school. We built a compost pile! The educators are interested in permaculture, but the soil here is terrible. It's really just sand and little else. Thus, before we can begin growing anything, we had to build a compost heap. It's pretty spectacular, as far as compost heaps go. I followed the directions in How to Grow More Vegetables by John Jeavons. The book promotes "biointensive" gardens. I'm not totally sure what that means and if it's really better than normal gardening, but the book has detailed instructions, so what could go wrong? I have one question already: if I use cardboard egg cartons to grow my seedlings, can they be transplanted directly without removing them from the cardboard? I can't seem to find a definitive answer anywhere. Also, if anyone knows what kind of fruits and vegetable grow well in semi-desert conditions, I would appreciate the info.
Finally, I really need your support for the Longtom Marathon to benefit KLM. Read the post below. Many thanks to those who have already given!
Monday, February 15, 2010
Law and Order: South Africa-style
Just a few weeks ago, all the PCVs in SA20 gathered at teacher training college outside Pretoria for a couple days of in-service training (IST). First of all, we had a blast. Every night had a different theme, and everyone got into the activities. We had a talent show during which my puppy conducted Beethoven's 9th with a little help from J and C, T demonstrated a series of unmarketable skills (he is actually quite marketable himself with a PhD in physics), K put coins up his nose (weirdly fascinating) and our overall winner hosted a PCV singalong to the tune of "I'm Evil". The other acts were excellent as well, but too numerous to name. On PCV prom night, people dressed up in everything from curtains to garbage bags and danced the night away in a room decorated beautifully with toilet paper. We even had a costume party where people came dressed as anything that started with a P, C or V. I was a pirate, but there were also preppies and velociraptors. Unofficial PCV activities included riding a mattress on top of a skateboard down a hallway. Overall, the technical sessions may have been a bit of a bore, but we managed to have a lot of fun anyway.
When IST was over, most people returned to their sites immediately. I didn't. Remember the robbery from PST? Well, the local police finally decided to go to trial about a week after the end of IST, so I holed up in Pretoria until the court date when I was needed to testify.
At first, it was great. I saw movies, went shopping, hung out with people I rarely get to see and ate the most wonderful food (McDonald's, Chinese). Then I got food poisoning. From what, I don't know, but I was sick as a dog. It was awful, and I barely had time to recover before the "cultural experience" of the South African criminal justice system.
The safety and security officer for Peace Corps accompanied me to the court and walked me through everything that was supposed to happen. The key word in that sentence is supposed. First, court was being held at the local tribal office. Second, the prosecutor was hours late. Third, the defendant failed to show up! Now they're going to reschedule, and I have to trudge all the way back out there. I am not at all excited. Court isn't held frequently in the village, but there's a lot of crime, so it was really crowded and, of course, I was the only white person there. Awkward. Maybe next time I'll be more prepared. I will let you know how it goes!
Back in the village, I started teaching grade 5 maths and grade 10 English, but tomorrow the grade 10s will begin being transported to a secondary school in the next village. I'm thrilled for them, but I will miss teaching them. The grade 5s are any unruly bunch, but I'm working on it.
Anyways, I hope everyone has sent all their spare change to KLM. If not, there's still time!
When IST was over, most people returned to their sites immediately. I didn't. Remember the robbery from PST? Well, the local police finally decided to go to trial about a week after the end of IST, so I holed up in Pretoria until the court date when I was needed to testify.
At first, it was great. I saw movies, went shopping, hung out with people I rarely get to see and ate the most wonderful food (McDonald's, Chinese). Then I got food poisoning. From what, I don't know, but I was sick as a dog. It was awful, and I barely had time to recover before the "cultural experience" of the South African criminal justice system.
The safety and security officer for Peace Corps accompanied me to the court and walked me through everything that was supposed to happen. The key word in that sentence is supposed. First, court was being held at the local tribal office. Second, the prosecutor was hours late. Third, the defendant failed to show up! Now they're going to reschedule, and I have to trudge all the way back out there. I am not at all excited. Court isn't held frequently in the village, but there's a lot of crime, so it was really crowded and, of course, I was the only white person there. Awkward. Maybe next time I'll be more prepared. I will let you know how it goes!
Back in the village, I started teaching grade 5 maths and grade 10 English, but tomorrow the grade 10s will begin being transported to a secondary school in the next village. I'm thrilled for them, but I will miss teaching them. The grade 5s are any unruly bunch, but I'm working on it.
Anyways, I hope everyone has sent all their spare change to KLM. If not, there's still time!
Friday, February 5, 2010
Longtom Marathon
First off, I'd like to apologise for my long absence from this blog. All I can say in my defense is that time and money, before my Blackberry, were tight and I often had to choose between lunch with friends and time alone in front of a desktop. As you can guess, I usually opted for lunch. Anyway, now that, courtesy of my parents' annual masquerade as Santa, I now have a Blackberry which affords me inexpensive internet access from just about anywhere. It's very exciting, as you may have guessed from my recent activity on Facebook and even Twitter (kelseypcv).
I have loads to catch everyone up on, but for now I want to focus on an upcoming event that I would really appreciate your help with: the Longtom marathon.
This marathon takes place during the last week of March near Sabie in Mpumalanga, South Africa. The route is 56 kilometers total, while the "half" marathon is *only* 21. I will be making an effort at this scramble through the mountains in support of the KLM foundation. This charity was started by former Peace Corps Volunteers in South Africa. Its mission is to provide deserving students from impoverished areas a quality education that would otherwise be unavailable to them by providing scholarships to Uplands College. The organization relies heavily on funds raised at the annual Longtom marathon, so if the thought of me panting away on the side of a cliff near God's Window brings a smile to your face, please consider a donation. A few dollars can go a long ways here, so whatever you can afford is much appreciated. There are two ways to give:
Method 1: Online
* Go to the KLM foundation website http://www.klm-foundation.org
* Click on the Donate photo in the upper left corner.
* This opens up a secure https connection for you to donate
* Please put my name in the Longtom marathon field (so organizers know who you're sponsoring)
Method 2: Check
* Make out a check to: Kgwale Le Mollo (US)
* Add a post it declaring that Kelsey Soeth is the PCV you're sponsoring
* Mail it to:
KLM Foundation (US)
c/o Bowen Hsu
461 So. Bonita Avenue
Pasadena, CA 91107
My fundraising minimum goal is $100, so please dig deep everyone. Thanks! I solemnly swear that I will not another 4 months before I update this blog again.
I have loads to catch everyone up on, but for now I want to focus on an upcoming event that I would really appreciate your help with: the Longtom marathon.
This marathon takes place during the last week of March near Sabie in Mpumalanga, South Africa. The route is 56 kilometers total, while the "half" marathon is *only* 21. I will be making an effort at this scramble through the mountains in support of the KLM foundation. This charity was started by former Peace Corps Volunteers in South Africa. Its mission is to provide deserving students from impoverished areas a quality education that would otherwise be unavailable to them by providing scholarships to Uplands College. The organization relies heavily on funds raised at the annual Longtom marathon, so if the thought of me panting away on the side of a cliff near God's Window brings a smile to your face, please consider a donation. A few dollars can go a long ways here, so whatever you can afford is much appreciated. There are two ways to give:
Method 1: Online
* Go to the KLM foundation website http://www.klm-foundation.org
* Click on the Donate photo in the upper left corner.
* This opens up a secure https connection for you to donate
* Please put my name in the Longtom marathon field (so organizers know who you're sponsoring)
Method 2: Check
* Make out a check to: Kgwale Le Mollo (US)
* Add a post it declaring that Kelsey Soeth is the PCV you're sponsoring
* Mail it to:
KLM Foundation (US)
c/o Bowen Hsu
461 So. Bonita Avenue
Pasadena, CA 91107
My fundraising minimum goal is $100, so please dig deep everyone. Thanks! I solemnly swear that I will not another 4 months before I update this blog again.
Friday, October 16, 2009
Snakes in the Schoolyard
Everyone told me that there were no snakes in the village. All the dangerous animals stayed out in the fields. I would never see them. Everyone was wrong. I was walking across the schoolyard one day last week, on my way back to the staff room after a geography class, when I saw some creature all coiled up in a patch of sunlight. I crept closer. It was a snake! Thankfully it was dead. Some learners had killed it earlier. After my careful inspection, the snake was removed from the schoolyard by a group of boys. Hopefully, this is the last post in my "Snakes" series!
In other news, I survived another week at site. I'm starting to fall into a routine. I get up early, drink tea, go to school, take notes, make suggestions, drink tea, marvel at some of the bizarre things that happen, walk home, chat with some learners, tutor others, drink tea, haul water, kill flies, sweep up, watch extraordinarily bad South Africa soap operas, drink more tea and finally, collapse. Then I do it all over again.
My life in South Africa isn't all that fun or exciting, so why am I still here? Well, there are occasional Peace Corps moments that make everything worthwhile. For instance, a neighbor came over to my house a few days ago for help with a 10th grade chemistry assignment. She brought her 2-year-old daughter. We chatted for a bit, and she said she wanted to be just like me and finish school. I really hope she is able to. That's what I'm here for!
In other news, I survived another week at site. I'm starting to fall into a routine. I get up early, drink tea, go to school, take notes, make suggestions, drink tea, marvel at some of the bizarre things that happen, walk home, chat with some learners, tutor others, drink tea, haul water, kill flies, sweep up, watch extraordinarily bad South Africa soap operas, drink more tea and finally, collapse. Then I do it all over again.
My life in South Africa isn't all that fun or exciting, so why am I still here? Well, there are occasional Peace Corps moments that make everything worthwhile. For instance, a neighbor came over to my house a few days ago for help with a 10th grade chemistry assignment. She brought her 2-year-old daughter. We chatted for a bit, and she said she wanted to be just like me and finish school. I really hope she is able to. That's what I'm here for!
Saturday, October 10, 2009
Snakes on a Khumbi
The title of this blog post comes from a small incident that occurred on the dirt road between my village and the next village over a few days ago. My host mom and I were just driving along when we came to what we thought was a stick. We drove over it. Then the stick moved. It was a snake! We turned the car around and headed back to look at it as it slithered away. My host mom refused to get too close, because she was afraid that the snake might jump in the car. Apparently, snakes can do that here.
Anyways, I have officially spent a full week at work in Deorham and have sort of settled into a routine. Monday and Tuesday I go to Mosinki Middle School, Wednesday and Thursday I spend at Gamochwaedi Primary School, and then on Fridays I work with home-based care in my village. I don't have a lot of free time, and I'm usually exhausted by the time I have to walk home in the blistering heat of a Kalahari spring. Even after the sun goes down, it's still burning hot, and it's not even summer yet!
I realize that it's only October, but since packages take such a long time reach me I thought I would post my Christmas list now.
Dear Santa,
There's no room in my suitcase to bring anything more home than I brought to South Africa, so I would like soccer balls and frisbees, etc. for the local children. Every night at six o'clock, the young people of my village meet at a big field to play games. There are only two soccer balls, and they are pretty ratty. So, if you have anything in reasonably good condition or are willing to part with a few dollars to buy new, send it to South Africa! Kites would be awesome too. The Kalahari can be very windy. Thanks!
Sincerely,
Kelsey
Anyways, I have officially spent a full week at work in Deorham and have sort of settled into a routine. Monday and Tuesday I go to Mosinki Middle School, Wednesday and Thursday I spend at Gamochwaedi Primary School, and then on Fridays I work with home-based care in my village. I don't have a lot of free time, and I'm usually exhausted by the time I have to walk home in the blistering heat of a Kalahari spring. Even after the sun goes down, it's still burning hot, and it's not even summer yet!
I realize that it's only October, but since packages take such a long time reach me I thought I would post my Christmas list now.
Dear Santa,
There's no room in my suitcase to bring anything more home than I brought to South Africa, so I would like soccer balls and frisbees, etc. for the local children. Every night at six o'clock, the young people of my village meet at a big field to play games. There are only two soccer balls, and they are pretty ratty. So, if you have anything in reasonably good condition or are willing to part with a few dollars to buy new, send it to South Africa! Kites would be awesome too. The Kalahari can be very windy. Thanks!
Sincerely,
Kelsey
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