Hello Everyone!
Yes, I’m still here. Sorry for the lack of updates in May. With two weeks in Mozambique, a week running around trying to get library updates at the schools and garden updates at the NCP, then Bushfire and COS conference, I’ve now been home for this weekend, studying for the GRE, before I leave tomorrow for Joburg to take my test and then spend three days in town for my close of service physical. You aren’t the only ones wondering if I’m still around, my community is wondering too! Busy, busy, busy.
Anyway, I thought an update would be a perfect way to take a break from studying. Let’s see how much I can say before my guilt of avoiding studying gets the better of me.
Mozambique was wonderful as always. I’ll try to post some picturesr within the week during my medical. We traveled all the way up to Vilanculos this time, a new place for us. It was beautiful. Known for the Archipelago and as the best diving spots in the area, I didn’t get to see/do either, but I could imagine. I did make the decision to get my diving certification during our travels though. I haven’t wanted to spend 4 days of my vacation getting certified but when I have the time after COS, I figured, why not? Should be fun… right Mom? We came back from Vilanculos in a day, which was crazy. We were on public transport from 1am to 7pm, all the way from Vilanculos, Mozambique to Mankayane, Swaziland. I was impressed with myself.
I spent the next week trying to talk to all the school about library projects. The books were FINALLY filled and shipped from America so they’ll (hopefully) be here at the end of the month. We also received awesome news that our library at the Primary School was funded through the Kirby Simon Trust and the US Embassy! We hope to start building by the end of this week! (yeah right) I don’t technically have a role in this project, its between the school and the Embassy, so it shouldn’t delay me in my attempt to get out of here in the end of July, but I keep telling everyone it HAS to be done before I leave. We’ll see how far we get.
Then as soon as I got unpacked from Mozambique, it was time to head off to Bushfire/COS Conference. Bushfire is a large music/arts festival held at really the only large music venue in the country, House on Fire. There were lots of local artists, South African artists, African artists, and even a few American ones! If you’re interested in any, we thoroughly enjoyed Jeremy Loops and Mi Casa. Look ‘em up! It was nice to spend time with all the volunteers, especially since these times are numbered!!
My group then headed to our Close of Service Conference. It was an interesting day and a half. Talking about returning home, the logistics as well as the emotional side of it. You expect it to be hard and different when you come to a foreign place. “Swaziland? Yeah that’ll be weird.” But America is home and I guess we just think it’ll be like, well going home. And it’s not. In reality, home is the foreign place now. They say it can be as hard to leave the Peace Corps, as it is to be in it. And as one volunteer said, “My problem is I’m 23 years old and I’ve already had the experience of a life time.” How do you just go back to doing the same thing you did before after something like this? You can’t. Things have changed. I’ve changed.
It’s a weird concept for me to get a grasp of these days, that my Peace Corps service is over. For so long, it seemed never ending. Two years? God, that’ll take FOREVER! Well forever has come and gone and here I am with 8 weeks left. What am I supposed to do with my life now?
Travel. That’s my only answer, I guess. Delay the inevitable for a bit longer. Stay in my little bubble of a world that I’ve lived in for two years, where I can get up (or not get up) whenever I want, work (or not) whenever I want, and travel whenever I want with no real responsibilities, no real expenses. Hang onto my time in Africa for a few months longer; see as much as I can see. Victoria Falls, Lake Malawi, Mt Kilimanjaro, and Zanzibar. Delay leaving the simplicity of life here; adding to it even, by living out of a backpack for 4 months. Move on to see this “Europe” I’ve learned so much about in my 23 years.
But eventually the inevitable will come and I’ll return home. On November 19 to be exact. I am excited, I really am. I miss my mom and dad and brother and sister. And all my friends and family. I miss good pizza, good coffee, the ability to choose from 50 different boxes of cereal, the ice rink, having a car. But I am extremely hesitant to leave this lifestyle. It was all so hard to get used to: the slow walk, the “we’ll do it eventually,” the showing up to a meeting whenever you can get there, if at all, attitude. But I adjusted. To the fact that I could just say I would be gone this day and that, and that was that. No real vacation days, no one saying, “well, no actually you can’t. you have to work.” And I’ll adjust again, eventually. It’ll just take time.
I remember when I was at school, getting confused which “home” was which: my apartment or my parents’ house? Now that confusion is a million times more. For two straight years, this community, this hut, this family: this is home. It’s where I’m known and respected. It’s where I feel safe and accepted. I have my routines and I understand theirs. Where I come to relax; where I walk in and think “Whew! I’m home!” America is where they speak my language, where we wear pants, where I was born and raised. Obviously that’s my home too. Minnetonka is where my family is, and my bed. But home, who really knows anymore?
Monday, June 4, 2012
Friday, May 18, 2012
Monday, April 23, 2012
The seedlings are growing, the seedlings are growing!!
Sunday, April 1, 2012
G10 Invitees
I didn't talk with any volunteers before I came. I didn't want to get too many expectations before I got there. But I did search blogs. People always tell Invitees, mostly on the PC Swaziland Facebook group, "let me know if you have any questions!!" We are always so happy to answer questions. The problem is, if you're like me, you don't have any questions. You don't know what to ask. So you search blogs for the answers to questions you didn't know you had yet. At least that's what I did.
With that in mind, I decided on the khumbi today to write out all the things I wish I'd known before I left. Hopefully in someone's frantic Googling, this helps. Maybe you're coming to Swaziland or maybe you're going somewhere else and randomly stumbled upon it. But here is a quickly thought up list of things I wish I'd known two years ago...
Most important things:
1. Take everything other volunteers say with a grain of salt. (even me!)
a. Everyone’s service is different. You live in different areas, different housing, different situations. No one, even in a country the size of Swaziland, has the same situation.
b. When volunteers get together, we like to vent. So you might not get an accurate description.
c. We also get really excited around other Americans and just talk all the time. Forgive us.
2. It’s important to make the effort. Wear the skirts, attempt the language, try the weird food. It goes an insanely long way. More than you can ever know.
3. This will be hard. You will be homesick, you will miss important events, you will be sad. But what got me through is to know that these days will happen. If you know they will come, you can get through them. Two years is a long time, but you will be surprised how fast it goes.
4. It gets cold in Africa in the winter (April to September). Bring layers and slippers.
5. Be prepared for the HIV and Gender Inequality.
6. Don’t ship with anything other than a USPS box. It will take 3 weeks for USPS flat rate boxes and FOREVER with other random boxes.
Not As Important but Still Good to Know:
7. Don’t judge Peace Corps by training. Whether you love it or hate it, it’s only a blip on your Peace Corps service. Give the rest a chance before you judge it.
8. Don’t be a site rat. There’s an idea that you’re not a good volunteer unless you’re miserable. Having been there a few times I can tell you, you are a horrible volunteer if you don’t want to be there. Do your community a favor, get out if you need to. Go to KFC, ride in an elevator, talk to an American, watch TV. You’ll come back to site a better volunteer. Trust me.
9. You will be asked to marry someone more times than you can count. Men and Women. Young and Old. It will get annoying, it will get frustrating. But it’s important to remember they don’t mean harm. They think it’s funny. If you take this sort of aggravation to heart and get upset, it will be a long two years…
10. Get your electronics insured. You probably won’t need it, but things get stolen and it saved many people in Group 9.
Things To And Not To Bring:
11. Bring your computer. No question.
12. A good idea is to bring an iPhone or Blackberry (or whatever else there is) and get it unlocked in America, ready to just put in a SIM card when you get here. Then buy a cheap phone here to use around your community, but your other phone can be for internet and What’s App. If you don’t have What’s App, download it. You can text America and fellow volunteers for free. Blackberry’s have to have a monthly data fee here, so I’d recommend an iPhone, which many volunteers have. If you don’t want to do that, you can get internet phones here as well which is what I did. Works fine, you’ll just be jealous.
13. Don’t bring anything white. Most especially socks.
14. Bring a sleeping bag, and a tent if you have it. You get discounted rates at the backpackers (hostels) if you camp.
15. Bring a large hard drive with recent movies and tv shows on it as well as your most favorite movies. We have lots of stuff except the new things. We will hound you for new things when you get here and you can gete other movies and tv shows from us. Media exchange is huge when volunteers get together.
16. Bring some good knives or have them sent.
17. Bring lots of hand sanitizer.
Things About Swaziland:
18. We have good grocery stores. As well as decent clothing stores, electronics stores, and coffee shops. Not many, not great, but they are here.
19. We are a small country so you can get around relatively easily. You can see your friends, see the game parks. You won’t be alone for two years. Unless you want to, but I wouldn’t recommend it.
20. We have some Chinese and American restaurants and a few Indian. If you like other types of food, eat lots of it while you still can. As well as good pizza.
21. The beer’s not great but its okay, and you have to search and pay handsomely for a cocktail. Enjoy both while you can.
22. You won’t be able to Skype much. This isn’t Europe, our Internet café’s don’t have it and the Internet has its own set of issues anyway. Just FYI.
23. I think you are lucky to be posted in Swaziland.
a. You can see your friends if you want, as opposed to other places where if you’re on opposite sides of the country you won’t see them for 6 months.
b. We have good things in the towns, but the rural areas are what you think you will get in the Peace Corps, and you can get between each relatively easily.
c. We are bordered by South Africa and Mozambique, some of the best places for vacationing in Africa: the beaches of Moz and the cities of South Africa.
24. Be prepared for an awesome good time and an amazing experience.
If this triggered anything else you want to know, shoot me a comment or find me on Facebook!
If you aren't a new volunteer, I'm sorry this post wasn't interesting to you at all. I'll post a more relevant one soon!
Megan Key
With that in mind, I decided on the khumbi today to write out all the things I wish I'd known before I left. Hopefully in someone's frantic Googling, this helps. Maybe you're coming to Swaziland or maybe you're going somewhere else and randomly stumbled upon it. But here is a quickly thought up list of things I wish I'd known two years ago...
Most important things:
1. Take everything other volunteers say with a grain of salt. (even me!)
a. Everyone’s service is different. You live in different areas, different housing, different situations. No one, even in a country the size of Swaziland, has the same situation.
b. When volunteers get together, we like to vent. So you might not get an accurate description.
c. We also get really excited around other Americans and just talk all the time. Forgive us.
2. It’s important to make the effort. Wear the skirts, attempt the language, try the weird food. It goes an insanely long way. More than you can ever know.
3. This will be hard. You will be homesick, you will miss important events, you will be sad. But what got me through is to know that these days will happen. If you know they will come, you can get through them. Two years is a long time, but you will be surprised how fast it goes.
4. It gets cold in Africa in the winter (April to September). Bring layers and slippers.
5. Be prepared for the HIV and Gender Inequality.
6. Don’t ship with anything other than a USPS box. It will take 3 weeks for USPS flat rate boxes and FOREVER with other random boxes.
Not As Important but Still Good to Know:
7. Don’t judge Peace Corps by training. Whether you love it or hate it, it’s only a blip on your Peace Corps service. Give the rest a chance before you judge it.
8. Don’t be a site rat. There’s an idea that you’re not a good volunteer unless you’re miserable. Having been there a few times I can tell you, you are a horrible volunteer if you don’t want to be there. Do your community a favor, get out if you need to. Go to KFC, ride in an elevator, talk to an American, watch TV. You’ll come back to site a better volunteer. Trust me.
9. You will be asked to marry someone more times than you can count. Men and Women. Young and Old. It will get annoying, it will get frustrating. But it’s important to remember they don’t mean harm. They think it’s funny. If you take this sort of aggravation to heart and get upset, it will be a long two years…
10. Get your electronics insured. You probably won’t need it, but things get stolen and it saved many people in Group 9.
Things To And Not To Bring:
11. Bring your computer. No question.
12. A good idea is to bring an iPhone or Blackberry (or whatever else there is) and get it unlocked in America, ready to just put in a SIM card when you get here. Then buy a cheap phone here to use around your community, but your other phone can be for internet and What’s App. If you don’t have What’s App, download it. You can text America and fellow volunteers for free. Blackberry’s have to have a monthly data fee here, so I’d recommend an iPhone, which many volunteers have. If you don’t want to do that, you can get internet phones here as well which is what I did. Works fine, you’ll just be jealous.
13. Don’t bring anything white. Most especially socks.
14. Bring a sleeping bag, and a tent if you have it. You get discounted rates at the backpackers (hostels) if you camp.
15. Bring a large hard drive with recent movies and tv shows on it as well as your most favorite movies. We have lots of stuff except the new things. We will hound you for new things when you get here and you can gete other movies and tv shows from us. Media exchange is huge when volunteers get together.
16. Bring some good knives or have them sent.
17. Bring lots of hand sanitizer.
Things About Swaziland:
18. We have good grocery stores. As well as decent clothing stores, electronics stores, and coffee shops. Not many, not great, but they are here.
19. We are a small country so you can get around relatively easily. You can see your friends, see the game parks. You won’t be alone for two years. Unless you want to, but I wouldn’t recommend it.
20. We have some Chinese and American restaurants and a few Indian. If you like other types of food, eat lots of it while you still can. As well as good pizza.
21. The beer’s not great but its okay, and you have to search and pay handsomely for a cocktail. Enjoy both while you can.
22. You won’t be able to Skype much. This isn’t Europe, our Internet café’s don’t have it and the Internet has its own set of issues anyway. Just FYI.
23. I think you are lucky to be posted in Swaziland.
a. You can see your friends if you want, as opposed to other places where if you’re on opposite sides of the country you won’t see them for 6 months.
b. We have good things in the towns, but the rural areas are what you think you will get in the Peace Corps, and you can get between each relatively easily.
c. We are bordered by South Africa and Mozambique, some of the best places for vacationing in Africa: the beaches of Moz and the cities of South Africa.
24. Be prepared for an awesome good time and an amazing experience.
If this triggered anything else you want to know, shoot me a comment or find me on Facebook!
If you aren't a new volunteer, I'm sorry this post wasn't interesting to you at all. I'll post a more relevant one soon!
Megan Key
Wednesday, March 28, 2012
Tuesday, March 20, 2012
Wednesday, March 14, 2012
Another Type of Countdown
Hello Hello!
Happy Pi Day everyone, and Happy early St Patty’s Day! We’re headed into town for a party on Saturday. Not sure what a St. Patrick’s Day party in Swaziland looks like, but I’m sure there are enough Irish expats and enough of us who just like to have a good time to make it a fun day! Ha.
Before I get any further, I want to give a special shout out to all the G10 invitees out there. It seems like just yesterday I was saying this about the G9 group coming, and about two days ago when I got my invitation! Now, I am leaving. My how time flies! And it really does, G10ers. It really does. Two years is daunting on paper but I guarantee you’ll be looking back soon wondering where your 25 months went. But before all that, before you leave, make sure to eat lots of food that’s not rice, beans, chicken, maize meal, cole slaw and beet roots. We’ve got loads of that here. Hug your friends and family lots and get ready to come have a great time in the Swaz! Your G9 friends are a blast and you’ll have fun with them as well as your fellow G10ers. And us old G8ers will be leaving the reins to you guys… but not before we have a good party for the 4th of July…
That being said… I PICKED MY DAY I’M LEAVING SWAZILAND!! Can you believe it?! I can’t. Absolutely cannot. It’s not 100% official, not until May 29 at COS Conference, but on August 1, 2012, I will be an RPCV (Returned Peace Corps Volunteer) and will be leaving Swaziland. In.Sane. That means July 30 will be my last day at my site, my last day with my host family, my last day in my wonderful community! Then it’s a few days in town of closing bank accounts, checking one last time for parasites, my ring out and, of course, one last blow out party at Bombaso’s. But its hard to be too sad when exciting travels and HOME await me after. We’re starting to make more travel plans… actually, not really. Let’s just say we have less crazy ideas but are no more closer to any sort of plan at all. Well, I guess we still have 4 months… eek!
Yes, 4 months. That’s it. And there’s a lot to do!
My project to put a garden at our Neighborhood Care Point for orphans was funded (yay!) so tomorrow we begin building the base to hold the tank to collect water. Two days ago I FINALLY got someone to commit to a gardening workshop after more than a few months of trying, so that’s a big relief. Now we just wait for the rain to come so we can plow the garden and put up the fence. Which is a little bit more than an issue because, well, its not rainy season anymore. I keep telling people we can’t wait until the rains come because I’m leaving in 4 months… here’s hoping it rains tomorrow.
Other than that, I’m working with the schools to get libraries up and running. Up at the Primary School and running at the High School. All with your help thank you! ; ) We are working with two US Embassy Grant Projects to get a library built at the Primary School, so thank you to all of you who pay taxes! And we are waiting for the books to come from America through our Books for Africa project that you all helped donate to! So Thank You America!
Today, we handed in our second proposal for the library at the Primary School at the US Embassy in Mbabane. It was the first time I had ever been to the Embassy, or an Embassy at all. We went through two metal detectors, had my bag searched twice, had to leave my phone and flash drive (?) at the front desk and had to take a sip of my water to show them it wasn’t, I don’t know, bomb fluid of some so? I also took the Head Teacher on her first elevator ride and made her push all the buttons – sustainability right? I didn’t get to go in the second coded entrance inside the office building (yeesh people you’re not THAT important!) but I we had our meeting and handed in our proposal. So think good thoughts! I also over heard one man discussing his visa with the visa officer. He was going to Iowa to help the Bishop of Iowa care for his parishes that needed the most help. There was a lot to think was weird about that conversation, like why he was going to Iowa, and why a man from Swaziland was going to Iowa to help their poor, but I kept my mouth shut. I should have warned him though that there is no lipalishi in Iowa and if you’re going until December, you better have a good coat. Hopefully the nice man behind the desk will tell him. They seemed to be having a good chat about hyphenating last names in this modern age. What brought that on is beyond me, but I guess the visa man behind the glass was lonely and looking for someone to talk to. I was also reminded about 50 times to register to vote in November. Considering there were only Swazis there, I thought those posters and the “CATCHING A TERRORIST IS DANGEROUS BUT IT HAS IT’S REWARDS” posters probably weren’t doing as much good as they would have, say in America, but at least I learned some things today.
Anyway, tomorrow is a full day at the school. The secretary is out for a month while she is getting an HIV/AIDS Counseling Certificate, so I told them I would step in for her every now and again. (As long as it doesn’t interfere with my St. Patty’s Day plans ; ) ) We are supposed to be getting some fruit trees from a local orphanage that has an orchard tomorrow. They will bring and plant them at the school. I hope to convince them to give us a few for our Care Point project so the children can have bananas and oranges… eventually.
Well that’s all I’ve got for now. Hope everyone is doing well and I’ll see you all in just 8 months! : )
Lots of love, Meg
Happy Pi Day everyone, and Happy early St Patty’s Day! We’re headed into town for a party on Saturday. Not sure what a St. Patrick’s Day party in Swaziland looks like, but I’m sure there are enough Irish expats and enough of us who just like to have a good time to make it a fun day! Ha.
Before I get any further, I want to give a special shout out to all the G10 invitees out there. It seems like just yesterday I was saying this about the G9 group coming, and about two days ago when I got my invitation! Now, I am leaving. My how time flies! And it really does, G10ers. It really does. Two years is daunting on paper but I guarantee you’ll be looking back soon wondering where your 25 months went. But before all that, before you leave, make sure to eat lots of food that’s not rice, beans, chicken, maize meal, cole slaw and beet roots. We’ve got loads of that here. Hug your friends and family lots and get ready to come have a great time in the Swaz! Your G9 friends are a blast and you’ll have fun with them as well as your fellow G10ers. And us old G8ers will be leaving the reins to you guys… but not before we have a good party for the 4th of July…
That being said… I PICKED MY DAY I’M LEAVING SWAZILAND!! Can you believe it?! I can’t. Absolutely cannot. It’s not 100% official, not until May 29 at COS Conference, but on August 1, 2012, I will be an RPCV (Returned Peace Corps Volunteer) and will be leaving Swaziland. In.Sane. That means July 30 will be my last day at my site, my last day with my host family, my last day in my wonderful community! Then it’s a few days in town of closing bank accounts, checking one last time for parasites, my ring out and, of course, one last blow out party at Bombaso’s. But its hard to be too sad when exciting travels and HOME await me after. We’re starting to make more travel plans… actually, not really. Let’s just say we have less crazy ideas but are no more closer to any sort of plan at all. Well, I guess we still have 4 months… eek!
Yes, 4 months. That’s it. And there’s a lot to do!
My project to put a garden at our Neighborhood Care Point for orphans was funded (yay!) so tomorrow we begin building the base to hold the tank to collect water. Two days ago I FINALLY got someone to commit to a gardening workshop after more than a few months of trying, so that’s a big relief. Now we just wait for the rain to come so we can plow the garden and put up the fence. Which is a little bit more than an issue because, well, its not rainy season anymore. I keep telling people we can’t wait until the rains come because I’m leaving in 4 months… here’s hoping it rains tomorrow.
Other than that, I’m working with the schools to get libraries up and running. Up at the Primary School and running at the High School. All with your help thank you! ; ) We are working with two US Embassy Grant Projects to get a library built at the Primary School, so thank you to all of you who pay taxes! And we are waiting for the books to come from America through our Books for Africa project that you all helped donate to! So Thank You America!
Today, we handed in our second proposal for the library at the Primary School at the US Embassy in Mbabane. It was the first time I had ever been to the Embassy, or an Embassy at all. We went through two metal detectors, had my bag searched twice, had to leave my phone and flash drive (?) at the front desk and had to take a sip of my water to show them it wasn’t, I don’t know, bomb fluid of some so? I also took the Head Teacher on her first elevator ride and made her push all the buttons – sustainability right? I didn’t get to go in the second coded entrance inside the office building (yeesh people you’re not THAT important!) but I we had our meeting and handed in our proposal. So think good thoughts! I also over heard one man discussing his visa with the visa officer. He was going to Iowa to help the Bishop of Iowa care for his parishes that needed the most help. There was a lot to think was weird about that conversation, like why he was going to Iowa, and why a man from Swaziland was going to Iowa to help their poor, but I kept my mouth shut. I should have warned him though that there is no lipalishi in Iowa and if you’re going until December, you better have a good coat. Hopefully the nice man behind the desk will tell him. They seemed to be having a good chat about hyphenating last names in this modern age. What brought that on is beyond me, but I guess the visa man behind the glass was lonely and looking for someone to talk to. I was also reminded about 50 times to register to vote in November. Considering there were only Swazis there, I thought those posters and the “CATCHING A TERRORIST IS DANGEROUS BUT IT HAS IT’S REWARDS” posters probably weren’t doing as much good as they would have, say in America, but at least I learned some things today.
Anyway, tomorrow is a full day at the school. The secretary is out for a month while she is getting an HIV/AIDS Counseling Certificate, so I told them I would step in for her every now and again. (As long as it doesn’t interfere with my St. Patty’s Day plans ; ) ) We are supposed to be getting some fruit trees from a local orphanage that has an orchard tomorrow. They will bring and plant them at the school. I hope to convince them to give us a few for our Care Point project so the children can have bananas and oranges… eventually.
Well that’s all I’ve got for now. Hope everyone is doing well and I’ll see you all in just 8 months! : )
Lots of love, Meg
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