Home Sweet Hut!

Sunday, August 16, 2009 8:14pm

New Mailing Address:

Darryn Crocker,PCV
United States Peace Corps
PO Box 351
Matata, L312
Swaziland, AFRICA

Everything that was previously sent to the Mbabane address will still get to me, no worries. This is a new PO Box address that is in Matata, which is closer to my new community. Thus, I will probably be shopping and visiting there more often than Mbabane. From now on, unless you decide to use the Fed Ex/DHL route, mail packages and letters to this address! Thanks! (Parents – if my cell phone e-mail did not go through, I got your packages!!!! Thanks ten million tons! It felt like my birthday/Christmas/Groundhog’s Day all rolled into one and celebrated on my hut’s cement floor!)
I know everyone is really eager to hear about my new digs, because I was certainly ravenous to find out any scrap of info possible. Well, I am now back from my 5day visit to my new community, so I am full of stories, info, and excitement! Let me share!
eKuphumleni is located in the south-eastern corner of the country. It is remarkable how different it is than the northern part of the country I presently inhabit. Down there I am in AFRICA AFRICA… like… cactus, rock formations, dry, hot, mostly flat with some rolling hills, only dirt roads/paths, dried up river beds, more stick and mud structures or thatch roofing… Let’s just say, I kept expecting to see Pride Rock with Simba and friends singing “Akhunamatata”! I love it!
My new family, The Dlaminis, are wonderful! My Babe works in the mines in South Africa, so he is only home maybe one weekend a month. It just so happened that he was home the weekend I arrived, so I was able to meet him. We did not get much time to really bond (especially since he does not speak English), but he always seemed amused by my attempts at siSwati. My make is a happy, food-pushing (like all Swazi women I have met), homemaker. I like her very very much, and can’t wait to learn more siSwati so I can communicate more with her. I have a couple older siblings who do not live at home, one 23 year old sisi who is expecting a baby in Oct, a 15 year old bhuti, and a 7 year old niece. My pregnant sisi is very quickly becoming a close Swazi friend. Her name is Thobile (“Toh-bee-leh”) and we shared a bonding moment one morning as I walked in on her belting a Backstreet Boys song that was on the radio. I jumped in singing with her and we both laughed hysterically. The 7 year old, Neliswa, was very shy at first, but after I taught her how to “Thumb Wrestle” we quickly became buds. The fam also includes multiple goats, cows, chickens, roosters, a new litter of pigs, and one friendly dog!
My new living structure is a cylindrical structure with a thatched pointed roof. It is painted sea foam green on the inside and tan/brown on the outside. I have two windows and a broken door (just the latching mechanism and it will be fixed by the time I move in). Plus, for safety, PC installs burglar doors, window bars, and a lightening rod to every volunteer’s house. The main house has electricity and my room is wired for it, but they are not connected at the present moment. The entire homestead is off the “main” dirt road, which places me directly behind my bus stop named “Stilo” (Steel-oh: the name of the dried up river just south of my house). I will probably be pumping and wheel-barrowing my water from the bore hole located ~75-100 yards from my home. My family kept mentioning that the water was “salty” so I may be making other arrangements.
Wednesday August 19, 2009 2:22pm
My last entry was interrupted by my computer running out of battery. I am now hanging out in Kate’s indlu (house) while my computer charges and I finish this blog. We should be studying for our siSwati test, which is tomorrow… we will get on that soon. ;-)
So back to my new site. I enjoyed my visit the past week. I met a BUNCH of important people! About a 20-30 minute walk from my house there is a primary school, a clinic (probably the reason they put me here), a traditional healer, NCP (Neighborhood Care Point: place to care for orphans and vulnerable children “OVCs”), the umpakatsi and kaGogo Center (chiefdom meeting place), a market, a few small sitolo (Little House on the Prairie style store), and a hair place. Within an hour walk are multiple churches (sometimes at houses) and another primary school. I take a 15 minute bus ride north along my “main” dirt road to get to the Inkhundla (governmental regional building and meeting place) and police post. Other than the churches, I visited all of these places with either my kaGogo Center counterpart, Vusi, or my sisi, Thobile. I met our area’s Member of Parliament and other government representatives as well as school principals, the chief of police, traditional healer, teachers, shot keepers, and many more community members/new neighbors. It was a very productive few days.
I spent one night at the end of that trip with a Group 6 couple, the Jacksons. They took me to their homestead, answered any and all of my questions, cooked great food, and welcomed me to the region. They were wonderful, and I am very excited to spend more time with them in the future. I also believe there is a G7 couple (Laura & Brandon) within a bike ride south from me… we will soon find out!! I am very excited to get a bike. Although I am in a hotter part of the country, my ability to get and be safe riding a bike is a major plus! Yay! “I want to ride my bicycle. I want to ride my bike. I want to ride my bicycle. I want to ride it where I like….” (Queen song reference :-P)
I know there are probably a million more things you want to know about my new place so please ask. I will be finding even more out once I move there on the 28th! I move out of my current host family’s place this coming Monday. We have a few days in the capital city, Mbabane, and then the Swear-In ceremony on Thurs. Aug. 27th where I officially become a Peace Corps Volunteer! I bought a traditional Swazi outfit for this event and may even bust out some make-up... crazy huh!?! :-P On the 28th they drop me off with my bags and I start the 3month integration project (aka. go out, meet local people, learn more siSwati, write a report).
Another part of the Peace Corps experience I decided to take on while here is to correspond with a high school classroom back in the US. Just yesterday I received the e-mail (on my cell phone screen!!!) that I was paired with Pinon High School in Arizona. At least once a month I will be sending a letter to this classroom and sharing my newly acquired cultural knowledge with them. In turn, they will send me letters with questions, concerns, and thoughts which will fulfill one of the goals of the Peace Corps! I am very excited for this exchange.
Ok, I should get studying… I hope to be in Piggs Peak tomorrow or Friday to send this off. On Sat. our host families are invited to an Appreciation Day. We are cooking for them, teaching them an easy Sqaure Dance, singing a siSwati song called “Sho Sho Lodza” (which I was somehow volunteered to lead/solo), and present a picture slideshow when appreciation certificates are handed out. It should be a lot of fun, and my host family is excited about it. I love you all tons, and am so enjoying the overwhelmingly generous support from everyone. I am creating a crafty letter box to keep all of your letters in, because they most certainly are my most precious items here!
Sala Kahle (Stay Well),
Zodwa