On Wednesday we were sworn in as official Peace Corps Volunteers of Lesotho! We had a big ceremony where most of us wore the traditional Moshoeshoe dressing. The ceremony last about 3 hours. We had a bunch of people from the Ministry of youth, recreation and Health, The Ambassador of the United States, our Country Director, and many more came to the ceremony. Ricki was our Sesotho speaker at the ceremony, he did a very nice job. Most of our host family came and then a bunch of the community showed up around the end when lunch was about to be served. After the ceremony we were invited to join the Ambassador and counsel men for lunch in the church. It was a good meal, served with rice, chicken, and lamb, green beans mixed with onions, carrots, and beets. Desert was a very good custard, with chocolate and strawberry sauce with a small piece of cake in the middle. After we took lots of pictures with our friends and host families. Then us newly volunteers went and had one last POW wow, before we headed home to pack and move to site the next day.
So the thing about time here, is well it doesn’t seem to matter. You can say we will arrive between 7 and 8am and show up around 930-10am. So I woke up around 7am, because Peace Corps said the cars would arrive between 7am and 8am to check off the things we had in our current household that Peace Corps had lent to our host families for us to use. They also told us to be at Hub by 8am to wait for our organizations to pick us up. On the day of moving, it is now our organizations responsibility to get us to site. So 8am rolls around and they have not shown up, so I am texting my LCF (Language teacher) and asks her if we should wait or just walk to Hub. She told us to wait until they have checked everything off and then walk to Hub. So I am waiting around. Finally around 9:15am, they show up and checked everything off. We finally start walking towards Hub and it was the saddest experience because people kept leaving. So we didn’t have time to say a real goodbye to some people. It is ok though because I will see everyone at All Volunteer Conference at the end of July.
So getting to site was an interesting experience. So we were supposed to get picked up around 10am. Once we all finally got to Hub and I was talking with Aline, who was also going to Mohales Hoek, found out that our ride had not even left yet. It’s about a 3 hour drive from Mohales Hoek to our Village in Berea. They were also only sending one car for three of us. Aline, Katie and I, which was already a concern because we have all our stuff that we have to move to our new site. We had all the stuff we brought, plus the food we had to buy in village, and then we had a shopping visit in Maseru to buy things for site that we also had to all transport. So we were hoping for a big car, all we knew was that it was a truck. Then there was all this confusion about us possibly riding with people going to mafeteng, and then we would get picked up there. At around 11am we found out that they just left and that they were coming to get us. So the three of us decided to go into town to get food, because at this rate they wouldn’t be at village till about 3pm. This was a nice break, we got fish and chips for lunch. Decided to go grocery shopping since we wouldn’t be able to stop on the way anymore. Once they got to Maseru, they texted Aline and so we started to head back to village because it’s only about a 45 min drive from Maseru. Once back at Hub we were just sitting around with the other Peace Corps staff that couldn’t leave until we did. Around 3pm, I was like ok they should be here any minute, to find out that they just left Maseru, because they stopped to get gas the government station and the line was very long. So we waited some more, read my book, and just laid out in the sun. At about 4:15 they finally come! YAY! It is a pickup truck with a covered bed, which was good, except there was a giant tire in the back that took up much needed space. We go around to everyone’s houses now to load up their luggage. We go to Aline’s place first, then Katie’s, and then mine. Which was kind of a mistake because I had the most luggage so loading me up first would have been better. But we were thinking what would be easiest to unload and Katie and I were to unload first, so it kind of made sense. Turns out that did not matter because we all ended up meeting at the Police station in town for our rides to actual site and unloading there. So we get my stuff loaded and there are still things that we cannot fit in the back, so they tell us to get in so they can load the rest on our laps. Then Aline’s supervisor tells me that they want me to stay at village and then they will pick me up tomorrow because the ride in town has to leave since it is now 5pm. I call Peace Corps and am like what am I supposed to do. They go ok you can just stay at Aline’s for tonight and they will pick you up there. Which wouldn’t have been bad, except I knew Aline and I were both ready for some alone time and an actual bed with sheets and blankets. Of course I am in middle seat, we have stuffed packed in our laps and at our feet, and we start driving. Since It is so late we go through Thaba Bosiu, which isn’t bad except that the road is not paved most of the way there, so not only are we all cramped in the back seat, we now have a bumpy dirt road also. It gets dark and we are still driving to our site, we finally reach Mafeteng around 7:30pm and we stop and get food. We again had Fish and Chips, since that was really the only thing open. Which made for an even funnier site, because we all get back in the truck with all the stuff cramped on our lamps, with then these containers with fish and chips just on top of all the stuff in a row. We of course were all starving and so we scarfed it down. Finally at 8pm we arrive in Mohales Hoek, where my supervisor is waiting for me. Earlier in the evening he had called me to let me know his son has a car and so he would be taking us to site. Which I was very happy about because I also felt bad that Peace Corps had just assumed I could stay with someone else and not ask them. So we load up the truck and I go to get in and what do you know it’s only a two seat truck, we have three people. I have to sit straddling the shift stick and half sitting on the center console slash, having the center console up against my back and the seat next to me where my supervisor is sitting. Oh and did I mention it is about an hour from town to site and it is a curved dirt road going through the mountains to get to where I live. Needless to say my ride to town was better even though we were cramped and my foot was asleep half the time. FINALLY! At 9:15pm we arrive at my house and unload all my things. I was going to unpack a bit, but I was wiped out. So I made my bed and I put on the Lego Movie so I could just relax and then go to bed. With all the weird angles I had to site and ride in my body was just hurting and tired. I spent the good part of yesterday unpacking and organizing my things. My house looks very homey now!
Today I headed into town to join other PCVS for a 4th of July Braii party. It should be a nice welcoming and good to just relax after training before we get started on working. The Khombi ride though took me two hours from site to get to town. It showed up around 8:35am and we went into Mpharane town where we just sat there for another 20-30 minutes waiting for the khombi to fill up. We finally leave there around 9:45am. Then we start driving again and I noticed that every time we hit a bump, my seat would squeak and get lower to the ground. I am like my seat is totally broken and about to just fall to the floor, and what do you know the next bump it squeaks and completely falls to the floor. The Khombi pulls over and they do something to fix it sort of, at that point it is just not an angle anymore but it is definitely not fixed. It made me laugh, only in Lesotho. I got to town around 10:20am. I was planning to eat breakfast at the hotel since I knew we were going to eat later with all the others, but by the time I got here breakfast was over, so I ordered a pizza, I figured it would make for a good late night snack as well. Totally worth it! I hope everyone in the states has a safe and fun 4th of July!
So the thing about time here, is well it doesn’t seem to matter. You can say we will arrive between 7 and 8am and show up around 930-10am. So I woke up around 7am, because Peace Corps said the cars would arrive between 7am and 8am to check off the things we had in our current household that Peace Corps had lent to our host families for us to use. They also told us to be at Hub by 8am to wait for our organizations to pick us up. On the day of moving, it is now our organizations responsibility to get us to site. So 8am rolls around and they have not shown up, so I am texting my LCF (Language teacher) and asks her if we should wait or just walk to Hub. She told us to wait until they have checked everything off and then walk to Hub. So I am waiting around. Finally around 9:15am, they show up and checked everything off. We finally start walking towards Hub and it was the saddest experience because people kept leaving. So we didn’t have time to say a real goodbye to some people. It is ok though because I will see everyone at All Volunteer Conference at the end of July.
So getting to site was an interesting experience. So we were supposed to get picked up around 10am. Once we all finally got to Hub and I was talking with Aline, who was also going to Mohales Hoek, found out that our ride had not even left yet. It’s about a 3 hour drive from Mohales Hoek to our Village in Berea. They were also only sending one car for three of us. Aline, Katie and I, which was already a concern because we have all our stuff that we have to move to our new site. We had all the stuff we brought, plus the food we had to buy in village, and then we had a shopping visit in Maseru to buy things for site that we also had to all transport. So we were hoping for a big car, all we knew was that it was a truck. Then there was all this confusion about us possibly riding with people going to mafeteng, and then we would get picked up there. At around 11am we found out that they just left and that they were coming to get us. So the three of us decided to go into town to get food, because at this rate they wouldn’t be at village till about 3pm. This was a nice break, we got fish and chips for lunch. Decided to go grocery shopping since we wouldn’t be able to stop on the way anymore. Once they got to Maseru, they texted Aline and so we started to head back to village because it’s only about a 45 min drive from Maseru. Once back at Hub we were just sitting around with the other Peace Corps staff that couldn’t leave until we did. Around 3pm, I was like ok they should be here any minute, to find out that they just left Maseru, because they stopped to get gas the government station and the line was very long. So we waited some more, read my book, and just laid out in the sun. At about 4:15 they finally come! YAY! It is a pickup truck with a covered bed, which was good, except there was a giant tire in the back that took up much needed space. We go around to everyone’s houses now to load up their luggage. We go to Aline’s place first, then Katie’s, and then mine. Which was kind of a mistake because I had the most luggage so loading me up first would have been better. But we were thinking what would be easiest to unload and Katie and I were to unload first, so it kind of made sense. Turns out that did not matter because we all ended up meeting at the Police station in town for our rides to actual site and unloading there. So we get my stuff loaded and there are still things that we cannot fit in the back, so they tell us to get in so they can load the rest on our laps. Then Aline’s supervisor tells me that they want me to stay at village and then they will pick me up tomorrow because the ride in town has to leave since it is now 5pm. I call Peace Corps and am like what am I supposed to do. They go ok you can just stay at Aline’s for tonight and they will pick you up there. Which wouldn’t have been bad, except I knew Aline and I were both ready for some alone time and an actual bed with sheets and blankets. Of course I am in middle seat, we have stuffed packed in our laps and at our feet, and we start driving. Since It is so late we go through Thaba Bosiu, which isn’t bad except that the road is not paved most of the way there, so not only are we all cramped in the back seat, we now have a bumpy dirt road also. It gets dark and we are still driving to our site, we finally reach Mafeteng around 7:30pm and we stop and get food. We again had Fish and Chips, since that was really the only thing open. Which made for an even funnier site, because we all get back in the truck with all the stuff cramped on our lamps, with then these containers with fish and chips just on top of all the stuff in a row. We of course were all starving and so we scarfed it down. Finally at 8pm we arrive in Mohales Hoek, where my supervisor is waiting for me. Earlier in the evening he had called me to let me know his son has a car and so he would be taking us to site. Which I was very happy about because I also felt bad that Peace Corps had just assumed I could stay with someone else and not ask them. So we load up the truck and I go to get in and what do you know it’s only a two seat truck, we have three people. I have to sit straddling the shift stick and half sitting on the center console slash, having the center console up against my back and the seat next to me where my supervisor is sitting. Oh and did I mention it is about an hour from town to site and it is a curved dirt road going through the mountains to get to where I live. Needless to say my ride to town was better even though we were cramped and my foot was asleep half the time. FINALLY! At 9:15pm we arrive at my house and unload all my things. I was going to unpack a bit, but I was wiped out. So I made my bed and I put on the Lego Movie so I could just relax and then go to bed. With all the weird angles I had to site and ride in my body was just hurting and tired. I spent the good part of yesterday unpacking and organizing my things. My house looks very homey now!
Today I headed into town to join other PCVS for a 4th of July Braii party. It should be a nice welcoming and good to just relax after training before we get started on working. The Khombi ride though took me two hours from site to get to town. It showed up around 8:35am and we went into Mpharane town where we just sat there for another 20-30 minutes waiting for the khombi to fill up. We finally leave there around 9:45am. Then we start driving again and I noticed that every time we hit a bump, my seat would squeak and get lower to the ground. I am like my seat is totally broken and about to just fall to the floor, and what do you know the next bump it squeaks and completely falls to the floor. The Khombi pulls over and they do something to fix it sort of, at that point it is just not an angle anymore but it is definitely not fixed. It made me laugh, only in Lesotho. I got to town around 10:20am. I was planning to eat breakfast at the hotel since I knew we were going to eat later with all the others, but by the time I got here breakfast was over, so I ordered a pizza, I figured it would make for a good late night snack as well. Totally worth it! I hope everyone in the states has a safe and fun 4th of July!