Still have the scabs. now have the flu. its bloody cold as ball in this country. its the country with highest lowland in the world. i live in the lowlands but its like living on top of a mountain. its cold everyday. -2^degrees celcius and i have no heat or electricity. thank god mom that you bought me that expensive 2-1 coat before i left. i would not have survived.
i do not think i will have enough money to make it this quarter. i need to stop sponsering students and paying for that goddamn data time for my computer. my friend gave me a heads up that since i bought my modemn used from another pcv they could be stealing the data time off of it or i could even have a virus that is eating the data time. but it is NOT normal for 100R to only buy me 12 minutes of Airtime. hopefully the our tech guy (who is a genius and one of the nicest people i have ever met) could fix it for me.
i want to take the International GRE in october but unfortunately since ive been in Lesotho my spelling and vocabulary have suffered. So has my math ability. and i dont even remember words sometimes. jordan this is a classic case of language attrition. if you need a case study im here for you.
jody, im really proud and happy for you. i worry about you and moose and bears. but im really really proud of you and what you are doing is awesome and inspirational. if you need a forward to your tell-all book about cycling across the US im here for you.
mom COULD YOU CALL ME. 11pm my time 4pm your time this sunday the 30th of may.
Sunday, May 30, 2010
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
Hei ta da
Lately Ive been coming to terms with a lot of things. In the Peace Corps you learn to patiently live with your problems. Many things here have no visible solutions. If you are like me and you believe that yes for every problem there is a solution than you soon realize that even when there is a solution, in Africa it may take months or years for it to resolve. Months. Its taken many months.
My health has been on my mind recently. Ive had scabies all over my body for the last month and a half. If you don’t know what scabies are you should do some research. But basically they are parasites that live in your skin. In animals it’s called Mange. So ive had mange for a month and a half. I finally got medical attention for it about 2 weeks ago. Another thing you have to understand about peace corps is that the slogan “better medical care than in America” is a complete and total lie. There is no American medical care here. This is host country medical care. So a visiting nurse from Tajikistan finally took pity on me and gave me a prescription. I applied the cream twice. Once more than I should have. And got a severe allergic reaction to it. My tongue swelled up and I got a rash all over my body. So I now have two sweet looking rashes. And one is alive and I swear to god the scabies know when im talking about them… But anyways nothing happened. I now have a more severe and “chronic” form of scabies. Yesterday I saw the nurse again and she told me that if I didn’t try my hardest to rid the scabies from my body I could have them for the rest of my life. They could become chronic scabies and I could have them for the rest of my life. I could have this for the rest of my life. I could have this. For the rest of my life.
So Im dealing with that right now. Im also coming to terms with my school and the fact that some of these easy and doable solutions will never be done. Im coming to terms that my school doesn’t want me to help them get their school water. Or food for the orphans. Or more teachers. So we don’t have 120 kids per classroom. So they don’t have to climb over each other to get to their seats. So they don’t have to sit three to a tiny chair. Im coming to terms with the fact that a lot of these problems will never get solved.
Im also coming to terms that my real family. My American family will never really be there for me. I can never count on them. Ive always known this. But being on the other side of the world and seeing every other American kid here have parents who bend over backward to make sure that their pride and joy has snickers and pert plus and other tiny comforts. And then looking at my own life and seeing it once again completely devoid of parental affection. Its always been this way. My whole life. I will never get one package or even a letter from my mother while im here. I just have to come to terms with that. I will never have any love sent my way. I feel stupid whining about this when half my students don’t even have mothers. Im sorry but it does affect me.
And while im whining I also really miss my Ipod and my camera. Its really unfair WORLD that you broke both of these on the same day and now it feels like my soul is gone.
Im coming to terms with all these. Also, I really wanted to write more about political problems and corruption in Lesotho. But ive been getting hate mail. So im going to take a break. I might even make this private.
Miss you and love you all.
My health has been on my mind recently. Ive had scabies all over my body for the last month and a half. If you don’t know what scabies are you should do some research. But basically they are parasites that live in your skin. In animals it’s called Mange. So ive had mange for a month and a half. I finally got medical attention for it about 2 weeks ago. Another thing you have to understand about peace corps is that the slogan “better medical care than in America” is a complete and total lie. There is no American medical care here. This is host country medical care. So a visiting nurse from Tajikistan finally took pity on me and gave me a prescription. I applied the cream twice. Once more than I should have. And got a severe allergic reaction to it. My tongue swelled up and I got a rash all over my body. So I now have two sweet looking rashes. And one is alive and I swear to god the scabies know when im talking about them… But anyways nothing happened. I now have a more severe and “chronic” form of scabies. Yesterday I saw the nurse again and she told me that if I didn’t try my hardest to rid the scabies from my body I could have them for the rest of my life. They could become chronic scabies and I could have them for the rest of my life. I could have this for the rest of my life. I could have this. For the rest of my life.
So Im dealing with that right now. Im also coming to terms with my school and the fact that some of these easy and doable solutions will never be done. Im coming to terms that my school doesn’t want me to help them get their school water. Or food for the orphans. Or more teachers. So we don’t have 120 kids per classroom. So they don’t have to climb over each other to get to their seats. So they don’t have to sit three to a tiny chair. Im coming to terms with the fact that a lot of these problems will never get solved.
Im also coming to terms that my real family. My American family will never really be there for me. I can never count on them. Ive always known this. But being on the other side of the world and seeing every other American kid here have parents who bend over backward to make sure that their pride and joy has snickers and pert plus and other tiny comforts. And then looking at my own life and seeing it once again completely devoid of parental affection. Its always been this way. My whole life. I will never get one package or even a letter from my mother while im here. I just have to come to terms with that. I will never have any love sent my way. I feel stupid whining about this when half my students don’t even have mothers. Im sorry but it does affect me.
And while im whining I also really miss my Ipod and my camera. Its really unfair WORLD that you broke both of these on the same day and now it feels like my soul is gone.
Im coming to terms with all these. Also, I really wanted to write more about political problems and corruption in Lesotho. But ive been getting hate mail. So im going to take a break. I might even make this private.
Miss you and love you all.
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
Khotso!
Today was one of the best days of my service. Peace Corps came to my school and sat down with my principal and my host country counterpart and talked about the issues I have been having (mainly corporal punishment and lack of support for orphans) at this school. It was great having my school meet my boss. He is basotho just like them and grew up near my counterpart. Even though I have repeatedly told my school that peace corps lesotho is run by americans and basotho I dont think they believed me. there are many obstacles one has to overcome in peace corps.
the biggest one for me is the "race issue" as I call it. as some of you might know, the history of africa is riddled with racism. i live in a country that was attacked by Boers during the Boer War. I also live in a country that is surrounded by South Africa. And the history of SOuth Africa is something everyone should know about. Nelson Mandela and the apartheid. the history of Uganda, Nigeria, Zimbabwe, Namibia, Mozambique and every country in Africa contains the horrors of what the white man did to Africa. read about it. I dont have time to go into it right now but it might give you a tiny window into what it is like to be white in Africa.
the word for white person in sesotho is Lekhooa(pronounced Li-hu-a) and I have heard this word every single day of my life in this country. people shout it at you everywhere you go. Its more like this "BUHBYE! LEKHOOA BUHBYE LEHOOA! KE KOPA CHELETE KE KOPA LIPOMPOM!". Which translates into "Hello whitey hello white person give me money give me candy!" and even though im not africanz and ive never been africanz, almost all basotho think that because i am white i must be africanz and they continue to speak to me in the little africanz they know even though i tell
them in perfect sesotho that i am not africanz i am american and sometimes i even add "i love obama!" they still think i am africanz. and ive been called a boer numerous times. and people have spit at me. people have yelled
nasty things to me. everyday i get on a taxi i am cheated out of money. everyone thinks you have so much money that they can just steal money from you and you wont notice or care. and its horrible because as a peace corps volunteer i make less than even the basotho volunteers make. i make so little. for example a teacher with my experience and degree makes about 8000R a month whereas I make only 1,500R a month. i make peanuts. and i spend my money on keyhole gardens and orphans not just myself. and its really hard.
but at the end of the day i can only blame my country and myself. you see lesotho receives over half the income of the entire country from America's PEPFAR Grant. it also receives support from Britian and South Africa. Every Basotho since birth has seen lekhooa pour into their country. theyve seen them with their expensive clothing and expensive cars. they are the doctors at their hospitals and the business men who pay their salaries. even though my country means well and so does the other countries that are trying to help lesotho out and help find a cure for HIV, the message that these weathly white people are unconsciously sending is extremely hurtful to this country. basotho can only sit back and watch as white people buy up all the expensive homes and hire basotho as their maids. they sit and watch as crazy drunk lekhooa party at their 3 nightclubs in this country wearing their expensive
clothes and then the basotho see them get in their private vehicles and drive away. ive seen white people talk down to basotho like they were stupid. ive heard the things my own expatriate friends say some very racist comments about basotho. and on top of that they are subjected to western music and television. so if a mosotho is lucky enough to watch television or listen to the radio all they hear and see is "look at me im white and i have so much money!". can you imagine a child who has never had shoes and eats corn meal for every meal, who has never had electricity or running water watching "super sweet 16" on MTV? or this child watching a music video by any hiphop or rap star whose lyrics are basically "look at my money look at my money, i have so much money, just look at my money". so its totally the lekhooa's fault that lesotho is like this right now. and i know why basotho hate white people and why they dont want their help. part of me wants to leave just because i feel offensive just being here! i know! haha.
that is why peace corps is such a good organization. i takes americans and makes them live like the majority of basotho. i dont have a mansion. i have a one room traditional basotho house. i dont have an expensive car, i take public like everyone else. i dont have electricity. i dont have running water. i use a latrine. i teach my students and i live like my students. and thats why i love peace corps. it is the best decision i ever made in my life.
so sorry i havent responded to emails or written on this blog. right after i wrote that last blog on how awesome my internet was, it crashed and i found out that 100R only buys you about 10 minutes of internet. so its a little too expensive for me to use.
Here is an unfinished list of African novels that i am hoping each of you will buy one and send to my school
The Silver Sword - Ian Sherrailler
To Sir With Love
The Concubine - Elechi Amadi
Death is a Woman
The Narrow Path - Francis Seromermey
Love on the Rocks - Andrew Sesinyi
Rassie - Andrew Sesinyi
Sunset in Biafra - Elechi Amadi
The Great Ponds - Elechi Amadi
The Red Pony - John Steinbeck
The Pearl - John Steinbeck
Have Mercy-
Thorns of Life - David Mall
Beyond the Horizon
A Grain of Wheat - Ngugi wa Thiongo
The River Between - Ngugi wa Thiongo
Anthills of the Savanna- Chinua Achebe
Things Fall Apart - Chinua Achebe
Without a Silver Spoon
Oliver Twist
Rebel
Shaka
Cry the Beloved Country
There are no book stores in lesotho. basotho rarely read. however every test my students take, including the JC and COSC which come from Cambridge University in England, are in English. if my students read books in English they will learn how this language works and they will improve significantly. if they can read english, then they can pass the exams, pass high school, go to the National Lesotho University, and make a life for themselves. by sending a book to my school you will be saving countless lives for generations to come. and im keeping it mostly african books because these kids should be proud of their country and their continent. so please send a book. it cant cost you more than $40. dont you think a african child's life is worth it?
Natalie Nichols/PCV
Mahloenyeng High School
P.O. Box 32 Matsieng 192
Lesotho
the biggest one for me is the "race issue" as I call it. as some of you might know, the history of africa is riddled with racism. i live in a country that was attacked by Boers during the Boer War. I also live in a country that is surrounded by South Africa. And the history of SOuth Africa is something everyone should know about. Nelson Mandela and the apartheid. the history of Uganda, Nigeria, Zimbabwe, Namibia, Mozambique and every country in Africa contains the horrors of what the white man did to Africa. read about it. I dont have time to go into it right now but it might give you a tiny window into what it is like to be white in Africa.
the word for white person in sesotho is Lekhooa(pronounced Li-hu-a) and I have heard this word every single day of my life in this country. people shout it at you everywhere you go. Its more like this "BUHBYE! LEKHOOA BUHBYE LEHOOA! KE KOPA CHELETE KE KOPA LIPOMPOM!". Which translates into "Hello whitey hello white person give me money give me candy!" and even though im not africanz and ive never been africanz, almost all basotho think that because i am white i must be africanz and they continue to speak to me in the little africanz they know even though i tell
them in perfect sesotho that i am not africanz i am american and sometimes i even add "i love obama!" they still think i am africanz. and ive been called a boer numerous times. and people have spit at me. people have yelled
nasty things to me. everyday i get on a taxi i am cheated out of money. everyone thinks you have so much money that they can just steal money from you and you wont notice or care. and its horrible because as a peace corps volunteer i make less than even the basotho volunteers make. i make so little. for example a teacher with my experience and degree makes about 8000R a month whereas I make only 1,500R a month. i make peanuts. and i spend my money on keyhole gardens and orphans not just myself. and its really hard.
but at the end of the day i can only blame my country and myself. you see lesotho receives over half the income of the entire country from America's PEPFAR Grant. it also receives support from Britian and South Africa. Every Basotho since birth has seen lekhooa pour into their country. theyve seen them with their expensive clothing and expensive cars. they are the doctors at their hospitals and the business men who pay their salaries. even though my country means well and so does the other countries that are trying to help lesotho out and help find a cure for HIV, the message that these weathly white people are unconsciously sending is extremely hurtful to this country. basotho can only sit back and watch as white people buy up all the expensive homes and hire basotho as their maids. they sit and watch as crazy drunk lekhooa party at their 3 nightclubs in this country wearing their expensive
clothes and then the basotho see them get in their private vehicles and drive away. ive seen white people talk down to basotho like they were stupid. ive heard the things my own expatriate friends say some very racist comments about basotho. and on top of that they are subjected to western music and television. so if a mosotho is lucky enough to watch television or listen to the radio all they hear and see is "look at me im white and i have so much money!". can you imagine a child who has never had shoes and eats corn meal for every meal, who has never had electricity or running water watching "super sweet 16" on MTV? or this child watching a music video by any hiphop or rap star whose lyrics are basically "look at my money look at my money, i have so much money, just look at my money". so its totally the lekhooa's fault that lesotho is like this right now. and i know why basotho hate white people and why they dont want their help. part of me wants to leave just because i feel offensive just being here! i know! haha.
that is why peace corps is such a good organization. i takes americans and makes them live like the majority of basotho. i dont have a mansion. i have a one room traditional basotho house. i dont have an expensive car, i take public like everyone else. i dont have electricity. i dont have running water. i use a latrine. i teach my students and i live like my students. and thats why i love peace corps. it is the best decision i ever made in my life.
so sorry i havent responded to emails or written on this blog. right after i wrote that last blog on how awesome my internet was, it crashed and i found out that 100R only buys you about 10 minutes of internet. so its a little too expensive for me to use.
Here is an unfinished list of African novels that i am hoping each of you will buy one and send to my school
The Silver Sword - Ian Sherrailler
To Sir With Love
The Concubine - Elechi Amadi
Death is a Woman
The Narrow Path - Francis Seromermey
Love on the Rocks - Andrew Sesinyi
Rassie - Andrew Sesinyi
Sunset in Biafra - Elechi Amadi
The Great Ponds - Elechi Amadi
The Red Pony - John Steinbeck
The Pearl - John Steinbeck
Have Mercy-
Thorns of Life - David Mall
Beyond the Horizon
A Grain of Wheat - Ngugi wa Thiongo
The River Between - Ngugi wa Thiongo
Anthills of the Savanna- Chinua Achebe
Things Fall Apart - Chinua Achebe
Without a Silver Spoon
Oliver Twist
Rebel
Shaka
Cry the Beloved Country
There are no book stores in lesotho. basotho rarely read. however every test my students take, including the JC and COSC which come from Cambridge University in England, are in English. if my students read books in English they will learn how this language works and they will improve significantly. if they can read english, then they can pass the exams, pass high school, go to the National Lesotho University, and make a life for themselves. by sending a book to my school you will be saving countless lives for generations to come. and im keeping it mostly african books because these kids should be proud of their country and their continent. so please send a book. it cant cost you more than $40. dont you think a african child's life is worth it?
Natalie Nichols/PCV
Mahloenyeng High School
P.O. Box 32 Matsieng 192
Lesotho
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