Welcome Wagon = Massive Spider!!

Sat. Aug. 29^th, 2009

6:03pm

“Hey Lucy, I’m home!!” (New name of my pet spider :-P ). As my title suggests, I arrived to my new, permanent site yesterday and found a MASSIVE spider (about the size of my face – legs included) on the side of the family’s house!! This was moments after I told my APCD (Assistant Peace Corps Director), the person who chose me for my site and was helping deliver me here, how perfect this site was and how excited I was to be here. I quickly turned around and retracted ALL of those statements!!! The APCD asked my new brother if it was his pet and if he had a name for it. My brother replied, “Spider”. One of the many examples of how jokes are one of the hardest things to translate, and don’t even try sarcasm!

Other than Lucy (who luckily I have not seen recently), there were a few more surprising additions to the family when I came home. My bhuti has a new puppy and my older sisi with her two kids are here visiting for an unknown period of time! She has an eight month old boy and a six year old girl. We are a full house! It makes me feel a bit guilty having my room (~5m diameter) all to myself. Although that is not a lot of space, it seems quite cavernous with only me, a few bags, a few buckets, a million books/papers (remember I am working for the government ;-) ), and a grass mat for a bed. This will all change “fairly” soon (Swazi time), when the Martha Stuart part of me surfaces Jekyll/Hyde-style. I know, scary thought, huh? But it’s true! Tuesday, because Monday is a national holiday, many of us volunteers down here in the Shiselweni region are going into Nhlangano (possible new shopping town West of my site) to buy a bed and other “nesting” necessities with our settling-in allowance. This is where it gets scary for everyone who knows me, brace yourself --- I am also planning on buying wall paint, fabric to make curtains, wood and rope for hanging shelves, dowels to construct a make-shift closet and to hang my mosquito net, Velcro to craft removable bug screens with an old mosquito net acquired from the office, and a duvet cover! I’m turning all crafty here in Africa and actually looking forward to the transformation! My hut is going to be so frickin’ awesome!

This “settling-in bug” has overcome all of us, so in a few months we really should do a Parade of Huts. :-) As for basic furniture (i.e. cooking table), I would really like to find someone in my community with carpentry skills. I could attempt to make them myself but lack the tools, and they are usually more expensive in town with transportation costs and such. Plus, this is one way I can assist a member of the community financially. Finding said person is a goal that may take some asking around, which equals more community integration, perfect!

Speaking of integrating, I have made new friends! Granted, they are all under the age of 10 and don’t speak any English, but they LOVE the new sport of Frisbee throwing! After being somewhat productive in my hut (can’t do much ‘til I shop for supplies), I decided to play with a group of kids outside. They had never seen, held, or thrown a Frisbee in their lives, so the game quickly became toss/pick-up Frisbee within a 3m circle. My Make came out and even threw it a few times. I asked my bhuti if he would like to play, and I believe he quickly made up a chore he had to do at the river. Either playing with young kids is universally an un-cool thing for teenage boys to do, or he was embarrassed to play with the socially awkward, female, American volunteer. Oh well, next time. :-)

I know this entry won’t be in chronological order, but I should rewind and tell you all about Mbabane and the day I became an officially sworn-in Peace Corps Volunteer! Mbabane is teeny-tiny compared to my idea of American “city”, but I think it was a bit bigger than I had expected. There is a rather large bus/taxi rank in the heart of the business district surrounded by a few malls. No, these are nothing like the Mall of America ;-) No Aerie or Younkers or JC Penny, but these mostly one story shopping centers do have a KFC, some poor quality clothing and retail businesses, multiple foreign-owned electronic goods shops, and large chain grocery stores. (Shelby- you wouldn’t survive :-P) The city spreads out from there, but not much more in the way of commerce. I will get to know Mbabane better in the future because it is the location of the PC Office.

On Thursday (Aug. 27^th) I felt like a girl getting ready for a high school Homecoming Dance! There was multiple people getting ready in one bathroom, make-up, hair supplies, and no one could put on their clothes without assistance! Traditional male and female clothing are quite similar. They both consist of a long piece of fabric wrapped and tied around the bottom half and a thinner, usually more ornate (sometimes with the King’s picture, crown, shield, or other interesting designs) interestingly tied on top. I use the word “interestingly” because although it is only one knot by the left shoulder, I don’t think I could replicate it without Swazi assistance. :-) Both men and women can wear the traditional beaded necklace which consists of two rectangular beaded designs (usually the Swaziland Flag), but only the men get the privilege of wearing animal skin – a flap in front and a flap in back – as well as carrying the snake beating stick. Married women have to cover their head with a scarf and their skirt is long, black, and pleated. I can’t wait to load some pictures of us onto this blog, because the majority of us dressed up traditional for this big event!

Being higher in elevation, Mbabane was quite chilly during our outdoor, tented ceremony. There were dignitaries and tv cameras present, many group 6 volunteers, our entire training and office staff, as well as a cat that kept walking through the chairs. Our Country Director, the president of NERCHA, a representative from the royal family, a regional government leader, a rep from the Ministry of Public Health, a rep from the American Embassy, and two of our volunteers gave speeches. The Queen Mother is a HUGE supporter of Peace Corps and was supposed to be there, but with the National Reed Dance (major national holiday/event) coming up this next week she was occupied. Lunch was fantastic and many photos were taken throughout the entire day. I am no longer a trainee, but a true-blue Peace Corps Volunteer!! (Insert Cheesy Photo-Op Smile) :-) The next day places me in a loaded caravan (think Tetris on steroids with pick-up trucks that look like they are about to fall apart) to our respective sites. Which places me meeting a spider, some new family members, and then skipping ahead to tonight where I just finished some popcorn (my new family likes my popcorn too – made some last night) and am finishing up this blog while sitting on my blanket covered grass mat/temporary bed. With that thought I will call it a night and go to bed. Ngiyolala = I am going to sleep. Hugs and kisses (for those who want them) :-)!