ooooh lovely technology...

Okay so this is probably the last day I'll have internet/phone for a while. I'm just kindof overwhelmed with everything. It's hard to be out of touch but that's what I signed up for ya know. Maybe I'll be able to sneak in here on Saturdays or something. I'm in Nhlangano by the way which is a medium sized town right near the training center (aka school.) Yesterday we played with Brasil's bobhuti. Brasil, Deja and I made chocolate chip cookies last night and it was so delicious. I miss cheese. Ha. I also miss affection a lot. In Swazi culture people don't hug really, just handshake, even close people or family members. Just another thing to adjust to I guess. I love the music and dancing here though. People love to sing and dance all the time. Anyway, salani kahle! (stay well!)

hey kids,

Not long to type now. Internet cafes are expensive!! I've been visiting with a volunteer named Brasil, going around and seeing the NGO she works with, aswell as the primary and highschool she works with, and the village meeting house called the upsagande (sp?) Today there was a mens' meeting about HIV and their role in prevention. I was so happy to hear this because I was just talking with some of the other volunteers about how important it is for men to gather together and talk about HIV, since almost all of the responsibility has been put on the women. They care for the sick and the orphaned and they are the ones teaching youth and trying to spread the word about HIV. I'd love to see some of the men here get proactive, because there are a lot of good men in this country. Anyway, love you all and missin you as usual!!!
XOXO

My addy

US Peace CorpsP.O. Box 2797Mbabane, H100Swaziland, AfricaWrite AIRMAIL on letters and packages.

I'm here!!

So I’m really in Africa. The roads are red and crowded by cows and chickens and there are huge mountains everywhere. I have seen beautiful sunrises and sunsets, not to mention quails, weird bugs, geckos, and beautiful flowers. I got up at 5 am everyday, I wash my clothes by hand, I collect water, and I don’t have electricity. It’s actually fun though. My bhuti (brother) is putting electricity into my room tomorrow though. He’s my older brother and I have fondly termed him the GodBhuti. He has a wife and two little boys named Cepho (2) and Simiso (6 mos.) My homestead is huge so I have at least 15 family members. I have a Make (mom) and Babe (dad) although Babe isn’t around all the time. I have a plethora of teenage bosisi (sisters) and bobhuti (brothers) and a bunch of kids not to mentions dogs, cows, and chickens that never seem to go to sleep. One of my sisis has a one month old baby and I get to hold him all the time. I am in great health and very happy. The volunteer group I’m with is awesome. We all get along really well and make each other laugh. I spent the night with another volunteer last night and we danced for hours with all her bosisi and bobhuti to some songs I haven’t heard since middle school. Training is going well. I am busy from 8am to 5pm taking classes, including culture sessions, technical sessions, medical sessions, and of course language sessions. I’m learning so much, it’s all really intense. Swaziland is great, I’m having fun. I miss you all though so please send me letters!!!

First post, Not at Post yet

Okay so now it's time for me to bitch and complain. The night before I left for DC for my staging event I spent the entire night packing because I put it off . Thank God Annie, Amy and Christina were there to help. At the airport everybody was crying (except Annie and my Dad, they were high fiving ;) and it was a long sad goodbye. I'm gona miss Mom Dad Kev and Bets so much, and grandma and Uncle B. Sigh. So I get to my hotel at 8:00AM and they say my room won't be ready till 3PM. I was wandered around in uncomfortable heels for a while. Then my cousin Mary Elizabeth rescued me. She picked me up for a great lunch and it was wonderful to see her. We talked about Dad a lot. This is so overwhelming right now. I'm trying to make friends, and the other volunteers are very nice people but I'm so cranky and sad it's hard. Oh and by the way almost all the volunteers going to Swaziland are women. However I had a lovely dinner at a place called the Thai Tanic with nine of the Swazi girls and Christopher Jackson. I was so glad he came and I got a chance to kindof vent to him afterwards. He's doin well in his internship.
We has to do an exercise yesterday where we had to imagine whatsuccess as a volunteer will look like. I was so exhausted I just couldn't even picture it. On a positive note, I had a good night's sleep and I think I'll do much better today absorbing new information and enjoying the company of the other volunteers. Wish me luck everybody!!!

This concludes the first bitch and complain blog
Love you all! Missin you already! XOXO