So, now you know a little about what life is like during CBT. But I have not discussed at all how super awesome it is living here. Maqhaka is a pretty spread out village. I live about 2/3 of the way up a mountain. Other trainees living here are about a 30-35 minute walk away, down the mountain, through the village center, past the chief's house, and then down another hill. I've seen where everyone else lives, and I honestly think I have the best housing situation of the bunch.
My family's property is pretty large (maybe ½ an acre?). On the property you will find donkeys, cows, pigs, dogs, cats, chickens (+ baby chicks), and ducks. The larger animals are penned in irregular brick rectangles, which somehow make it all feel classy. The birds/dogs/cats just wander around. The property is on a slope, and as you look down the angle of the mountain, the view of the valley below, and the chain of mountains beyond, is stunning (see picture below, taken from the side of my house).
My house, which I love, is detached from my host family's. It's surprisingly spacious, and it has a cone-shaped, thatched roof. The thatched roof is pretty highly sought after, both for its aesthetics and for the way it keeps the house cooler in the summer (tin roof = oven). I have a queen sized bed. Another trainees said his host parents literally gave him their bed, and are sleeping on the floor where their bed had been previously. I have not checked whether my host parents still have a bed, but it wouldn't surprise me… they treat me very well.
So, that's all well and good, but really the best part about living here is the Basotho kids. The stoop outside my door is one of the main hangouts for the little kids around the area. I have a few "brothers and sisters" of my own (somewhere between 3-7, not sure which ones actually live here, and which are just neighbors… it's hard to tell, just trust me). They are all completely in awe of me, they love to just stand and stare (see below). When I come home from the school or Sesotho class with my friend Adam (another trainee who lives next door), the kids flock to us, with huge grins on their faces. Some of the older ones like to try to speak to us in English, but it's very limited. We speak very basic Sesotho, roughly equivalent to that of the 5 year olds we meet. We try to find ways to play with them, by tossing a ball, or drawing pictures of common things and them teaching us the Sesotho words. Oh, and these kids LOVE my camera. They flip out every time I take their pictures. Man… the kids are so damn cute (see below – their names are Lerato, Refiloe, and Batiung). I'll definitely miss them when CBT ends.
Where are the pictures?
ReplyDelete