Spontaneous Blogging

So, usually I have a general idea of what to write about and I have my journal next to me for notes but today I am just sitting here, uploading photos onto Picasa, and decided that I should do something slightly productive. March was an UBER tough month... as follows...

As of being an Agriculture-focused volunteer... that is no longer applicable. Working on the farm at school has lost all potential of being productive so I have started to apply myself at school in a much more rewarding way. I am now the proud Life-Skills teacher of B3 and B4 as well as the teacher of the teachers to teach life skills. I have written them a manual, and giving workshops to all the teachers, and answering questions as needed in addition to my four hours a week spent in the classroom. I'm super stoked for our ALP books to come because that will give me a lot of work to do... though, again, getting to principal to do things in a semi-reasonable time frame is next to impossible. The farm hand also broke my poor calf Daisy's leg and Marco says its fine but they took the cast off too soon because they put it on wrong and now her leg wobbles like its made of Jello.

Family life has been strange after Ntate Khoanyane's death. The funeral was intense and interesting and also a very personal experience. The week after the funeral was awful, in a word. Cross-Cultural exchange was more like yelling at Katleho (me) for participating in cultural activities/rituals that some (95% of people polled were alright with it and only 5% objected) because they didn't understand why anyone in another culture would participate in someone else's culture. The family were the ones who wanted and understood me participating the most, they were the ones who invited me to participate, but a couple teachers decided to attack me verbally and made me cry Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. I would like to put in that I am not a cry baby but a great deal of stress and people who were supposed to be my friends yelling at me is a good reason to break down. After that week the problem was resolved in typical fashion here... we pretended nothing happened. Marosa, my bo-Ausi, and 'Me have all been getting better every day but life at home just feels different.

Finally got up to BB to finish the map with Jen. Super fun but again very hot and bright. There were a couple couch surfers from Belgium who were fun, even though one decided to change her pants in the middle of the school grounds. It was nice to finally finish the project and it turned out amazing.

I had to go into Maseru last Tuesday because I have been sick since the first of the month. I haven't been sleeping at night because I have been coughing up giant balls of green goo and everyone was worried. Went in and got the typical Peace Corps verdict from J-man... "It's a virus, not bacteria; nothing we can give ya." In the future now due to personal experience and that of others I'm just going to assume everything is viral. I have been taking Benadryll at nights just to dry up the sinuses and its great because I was told it would make me drowsy but it actually makes me unconscious so I have gotten more sleep the last week/two weeks than I have in... I dunno... a long time.

Last week Friday was "Funny Day" at school which made all the crazy-drama-home-sick-sicky month worth while. All of us teachers borrowed uniforms from kids (including the Grasshoppers which the kids had to polish for us) and wore them while the kids got to wear whatever they wanted. It totally reminded me of home-coming week at home, same type of fun and the kids all wore similar things to what we did at home for our funny-days. Going into town in the outfit was a whole nother adventure. The other teachers just looked like students but not me... nooooo... i was the crazy lekhooa again! All in all it was fun tho.

Day before yesterday rocked my socks. I got a package from home, not unusually, but inside was an awesome bag/purse and it smelled like home. Unfortunately the box also contained a pack of taco seasoning which had decided to explode, not only flavoring my peeps like a burrito bat also coating the bag in an invisible layer of spicy crap. So, upon smelling my bag that smelled of home I also inhaled a great deal of seasoning mix and thus started to cry from the burning. I ate the peeps, maybe I should write and suggest them to add taco seasoning to their recipe.

Which brings me to today, sitting in a very quiet office. Most everyone else has gone into SA, only a few of us remain to have our Easter break closer and cheaper. I'm going to do food here in Maseru with Ann, Nichole, Maya, and Merrill, maybe Barb and stick around till all the worldly travelers return on Tuesday to get stories and just talk to those I haven't seen forever. I'm really excited about Wednesday when me and Rachel will be heading to Mokhotlong for a Diversity Camp. I have been dying to see Mokhotlong and also to actually feel like I'm working so this is going to be great. Then its back to school and back to routine.

On a fun note- My best-friend (Jo) and a good friend from the sorority (Erica) are coming to see me in AUGUST and they might bring my sister (Nikki)!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!