Hello Ladies and Men! I am alive and well in Lesotho. I've spent almost the entire time so far at the Peace Corps Training Facility in Maseru. The group of trainees is great, and it has so far been a fantastic (though at times overwhelming) experience. We attend class each day from 8am-5pm, on average – topics range from safety, to culture, to how to teach, to how to speak Sesotho. Learning Sesotho is a lot of fun, but it's pretty tough. I am getting a little better at clicking.
Tomorrow morning I'll be moving to the Berea district for 3 weeks of Community Based Training (CBT). There I'll be living in my own small house, under the supervision of a host family. I'll spend the marjority of the time there practice teaching, continuing to attend classes, and getting to know my family and my village. I am told I will attract huge amounts of attention, particularly from local children.
I don't have much time now to recount many stories of my first 2.5 weeks of PC service, but I can say that I ate slow roasted zebra tenderloin last night at a thanksgiving feast/party. It was delicious. In other news, this country is beautiful, the Basotho people are exceedingly jolly, and they sing to us on a daily basis. Nothing makes a Mosotho happier than when you speak to them (usually poorly) in Sesotho. The HIV/AIDS problems in Lesotho are staggering – the 24% statistic you will read is a major understatement. The cultural views on AIDS are at times disorienting – I've heard that it is sometimes regarded as a conspiracy, and called "American Idea Discouraging Sex." I've also heard that one of the medications given to infected people has become very popular for recreational use. It is so popular that uninfected people borrow infected people's blood samples to fake having HIV, just to get the drugs. Or, even worse – they just infect themselves on purpose.
Sorry for that downer, I am really enjoying this country, and I can't wait till the training wheels start to come off. I gotta run, lots to do tonight getting ready for CBT and all. Hope to write again soon, and one day get to sit down and read my emails. Not sure when that will be… Hope y'all are doing well back home.
Also, if Dustin's mother is reading this, you've raised a very nice young boy, and he sends you his love.
Tomorrow morning I'll be moving to the Berea district for 3 weeks of Community Based Training (CBT). There I'll be living in my own small house, under the supervision of a host family. I'll spend the marjority of the time there practice teaching, continuing to attend classes, and getting to know my family and my village. I am told I will attract huge amounts of attention, particularly from local children.
I don't have much time now to recount many stories of my first 2.5 weeks of PC service, but I can say that I ate slow roasted zebra tenderloin last night at a thanksgiving feast/party. It was delicious. In other news, this country is beautiful, the Basotho people are exceedingly jolly, and they sing to us on a daily basis. Nothing makes a Mosotho happier than when you speak to them (usually poorly) in Sesotho. The HIV/AIDS problems in Lesotho are staggering – the 24% statistic you will read is a major understatement. The cultural views on AIDS are at times disorienting – I've heard that it is sometimes regarded as a conspiracy, and called "American Idea Discouraging Sex." I've also heard that one of the medications given to infected people has become very popular for recreational use. It is so popular that uninfected people borrow infected people's blood samples to fake having HIV, just to get the drugs. Or, even worse – they just infect themselves on purpose.
Sorry for that downer, I am really enjoying this country, and I can't wait till the training wheels start to come off. I gotta run, lots to do tonight getting ready for CBT and all. Hope to write again soon, and one day get to sit down and read my emails. Not sure when that will be… Hope y'all are doing well back home.
Also, if Dustin's mother is reading this, you've raised a very nice young boy, and he sends you his love.
Salang hantle (Be well)!
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