Phase 2 Complete

Little Successes

So, its been a while since I last posted and I would be lying if I didn’t tell you that my last few weeks have been filled with some of the biggest struggles I have ever found in my transitions throughout life.  These weeks have been full of struggles to find my place at my school, struggles of digestion, struggles of trying to find friends in the village, struggles to be myself again, and struggles to find my home in my new country.

These struggles have certainly not come because of a lack of support from my amazing family and friends back home, my school staff, my amazing host family and my amazing cohort.  But rather, these struggles are just the staples of what life has to offer sometimes.  We can’t grow and appreciate the amazing moments of our lives without also feeling the struggle.  I have appreciated the struggles that I have felt, but I also almost fully feel prepared to defeat them. 

As I closed out my tenth day of diarrhea due to a parasite in my body and chugged a bottle of powerade that smells like jalepenos (just don’t ask), my host father came to my room.  He had just accompanied me to my in service training where we had sessions on teaching practices, lesson planning, and the South African education system.  He came to my door to announce that this was the best conference he had ever been to, he wants to attend another in the future, and he cannot wait to implement new ideas in the classroom.  He further went on to say that he has phoned the principal about the library, he fears they have not taken the library serious enough as I have been working on it, and he wants me to let him know if there is anything he can do to help me in getting our library up and running. 

Anyone that has talked to me about my school in depth recently knows that one of the biggest struggles I have been having at my school has been a lack of excitement or desire from the teachers in things that I have been attempting to get done.  Therefore, this was a huge victory for me and I am excited to see the new attitudes in action in our new term, beginning in January. 

Since I have last posted, I have…

• Found a waterfall near my house to play at on days off.
• Saw a beautiful rainbow in my backyard.
• Make my best South African attempt at a thanksgiving dinner.
• Became a Tshangane woman for a day. (Note: I’m usually part of Venda culture). 
• Ventured to IST where I found another beautiful waterfall.
• Received two wonderful packages from my mama and some of my greatest friends, Ari, Val and the kids.
• Played with a bunch of African animals.

 

IST – In Service Training

IST is the point in our service in which we get back together with our cohort (the 50 lovely people I went through my original training with.) This is the first time we all come back together since moving to our sites about 2 months prior.  During this training, we receive more technical training on language, cultural norms, safety and security, and technicalities of our work.  This is also our time to share stories and bond with roughly the other 47 volunteers who are going through the same types of struggles.  However, we also had time for socializing and bonding.

Crèche graduation

On one lovely Saturday, I decided to spend the day at another volunteers site and attend their local crèche graduation.  (Note: a crèche is a preschool.)  During the duration of this 9 hour program, community members made announcements about available resources in the community, many groups performed dances, and the crèche graduates received their diplomas and their new school uniforms.  Alyssa and I were VIP attendees of the ceremony and therefore partook in many pictures with all of the graduates and even performed the tradition tshitonga dance in front of the crowd.  It was a great day full of laughs, food, and cultural exchange.

Animal Interactions

As an education volunteer in South Africa, I have about four weeks off from school in December/January for summer/holiday break.  The first week of break was full of adventure for me!  The first adventure I took part in was a trip to Letaba River Lodge where I was able to snuggle with lion cubs, get climbed on by a crazed monkey, cuddle a leopard, and hold many other animals.  Despite the scratch marks all over my arms, this day was absolutely incredible.

On a separate day, we adventured to meet Jessica…the hippo.  Jessica is a hippo that lives in the home of a man and wife who rescued her after a flood carried her away from her mother and onto their yard.  They nursed her back to health, let her wander their house, feed her daily, and let her sleep on their porch every night.  She is like a child to these people.  Every morning, they allow visitors to come feed Jessica her sweet potato snacks and her warm sweet tea.  We were lucky enough to be those visitors this past week.  While hippos are known to be the leading cause of more fatalities than any other large animal, Jessica was as friendly as can be.  There were some precautions to petting, feeding, and loving on Jessica.  Following those directions gave me a feeling of safety though. 

 

Within the next week, I will be headed to Durban for a week to lounge on the beach and see another part of South Africa.  While holiday times creep up, it definitely becomes hard to not be at home with my family and friends.  I’ll be thinking of you all though as I swim in the ocean and sleep on the beach.  : )

Merry Christmas and Happy New Years!

Shout Outs

Since being absent from America, there have been several significant events that I have missed and have failed to acknowledge in celebration properly.  Those events are as follows:

My best friend/college roommate/biggest supporter got engaged to the perfect man for her.  Rarely have I seen a couple more in sync and in love. Congrats going out to Em and Alex – love you both!

One of my best friends from high school/my part-time landlord (who accepted rent in friendship and my reese’s puffs) graduated with her masters degree, got her dream job, and moved to my favorite city, Chicago.  Even though I’ll miss having my second home in Lafayette, I’m so so so proud of you Stacy for following your dreams and I can’t wait to join you in the city to let our plans unfold in a few years!

My dearest sister and best friend since birth moved into her own apartment with her boyfriend.  I could not be happier for the two of you Becky and Scott, but remember…no babies or weddings for 2 years! I mean it!

Two of the greatest people alive finally got married! After years of being the most fun and loving couple, my platter mama and Dave tied the knot! I love you both and I can’t wait to celebrate (hella late) your marriage.

My cousin and one of my biggest supporters Matina/Matt got a big, adult job with his company where he will be doing fancy, important things that I only sort of understand.  Have a blast in San Diego and then get your butt over to South Africa! Can’t wait for our Italy trip in the future. :)

One of my favorite coworkers I have ever had/partner in crime/and a truly beautiful soul, Danielle, started her second year of teaching 5^th grade with some of my former students.  It’s so great to have an insider to see how my chitlins are doing and to see the growth you are pulling out of them. Don’t be afraid to send them out the window though. ;) You can do it brucey!

My best friend/confidant/and the only person who can always calm me down, Kendall, decided on the chance of a lifetime to go with World Race to over 10 countries.  She leave in January and I could not be more proud of her.  If only I could be there for your panic moments pre-departure like you were for mine.  Our reunion in December will be so so sweet after our adventures though! I love you k.

My hip-buddy/best friend/lover booked her flight home! Even though I won’t be there this December
to help you with all of your tasks, take you out to eat at Jimmy Johns, and eat all of your taquitos, I absolutely cannot wait to see you next December in a true celebratory fashion. This is the longest our hips have been separated, but they will be reunited in the future. :)

And last but not least…

My mini me/other half started her final full year of college and is rocking it.  Along with rocking her district board position and VP position in Circle K. Only one more year and Germany stand in the way of our beautiful reunion. Keep working your butt off, Mo. It won’t be long until we are back to our city. Love ya lady.

Its been difficult to not be there for all of these moments, but I know that it will be so much better during our reunions when you have all of these stories for me and I have all the stories for all of you.  I could never make it through my experience without all of the inspiration and encouragement from you fools. Keep it coming!

Thanks for letting me be sappy. :)

One Month

My school. :)

I’ve officially been living in Mukondeni for a month and in South Africa for over 100 days.  In three short weeks, I think that I have started to adapt well to my new life and my amazing view.  My past few weeks have been spent with my host dad – who is also my counterpart since he is a teacher at the school, my host mom, my 6 year-old host brother and my twin 8 month-old brother and sister.

I know I don’t post pictures or post on Facebook nearly enough, but I promise I’m still alive! Since I have posted last, I have finally gotten my room set-up, temperatures here are reaching the 100 degree level, I learned how to wrap a baby on my back, found my favorite spot to sit and to workout (its nice and shady), I visited one of the biggest baobob trees in the world, and said goodbye to the two 8 month olds as they moved in with their gogo (grandma). 

I found this new friend the first night at my site.
I believe he is a roach/spider/something else
hybrid.

Living in my new village on my own has given me the ability to see my service as it will truly be.  There will be a ton of time alone, there will be super frustrating moments when I struggle with tshivenda and the fact that I’m not even close to fluent in it, and there will be times in which I struggle to understand why I have to bathe in one bucket and pee in another all in my rondeval.  However, there will also be moments where my learners run to greet me and almost knock me down a hill, there will be moments when I skillfully use my tshivenda to communicate with my gogo and secretly dance around my room to Chelsea Dagger in celebration, there will be moments when I get to sit in my backyard and realize that after years of dreaming, I’m in Africa in the Peace Corps. My dreams have come true.  Life isn’t perfect and neither is my service.  There are moments that make me question everything I have ever wanted and have challenged me beyond belief, but I would be lying if I said I didn’t have those moments back in America as well.  I’m living my dream watching as my 6 year-old brother has already made progress in his English and as the teachers tell me that they want to know all about how we teach in the United States and if I will teach them.

One of the largest baobob trees in the world.

The next few weeks (5ish weeks to be exact), I will be busy starting to put together a library with some help from teachers and learners at my school, teaching English to grade 6 and 7, continuing to try to meet everyone in my village and the surrounding couple of villages, and taking lessons on tshivenda.  Everyone feels confident that I will be fluent soon, but I’m not gonna hold my breath! Ha

The books that I found at school for the library.

My learners are always ready to help or learn. The top left is a picture of learners practicing their multiples by jumping and clapping every multiple of 4.  The top right picture are the primary learners rushing the car one day at school.  The bottom picture is my primary learner helpers helping me get the library organized by carrying desks.

Thanks for being patient with my updates!

P.s. The picture above is all of the books that I have for my learners and their library.  I'm in the process of requesting books from organizations, but even one or two sent my way could add up and help the learners at my school become stronger readers! My new address is listed below if you want to send books for our library or if you want to send me goodies from America. I'm really struggling with my access to new music, the lack of access to reese's, reese's puffs and cheetos. In case you were wondering. I also appreciate snail mail with dirty jokes, quotes and updates on the lives of people I love (that's you!). 

Address to send your love to: 

(Note: while appreciated, it is normally frowned upon to mail yourself to me, but visitors via plane are encouraged!)

Jessie Robinson

Luheni Primary School

PO Box 337

Dzimauli 0975

South Africa

Freedom

Freedom and independence…something we hope and strive for all of our childhood…sometimes well into our teenage years and adult life.  We dream of what it will be like to be able to make our own rules for life and do what we want, when we want.  When we finally get there, it is usually just as we had hoped for.  Some people come to wish for those blissful days of no responsibility again, but nonetheless, we get used to this responsibility and freedom.  It grows to be part of our personalities and our beings. 

Moving to a new culture that I haven’t even begun to fully understand is like starting this process all over again.  “You can’t go out after dark,” “why don’t you take someone with you,” or “have you bathed yet” are frequently spoken phrases in my new life.  Unlike childhood, however, you must answer politely as if you haven’t been keeping track of your own bathing schedule for the past 14 years.  Saturday nights of having several sets of plans to choose from and being able to hop in my car and drive 40 minutes to see my best friends are replaced by binge watching television shows and coloring in an adult coloring book in my room, because my host family goes to sleep by 9 every night. 

The struggles are real in village life, but they are not without reward.  As we adapt to these new challenges that are now our lives, we choose to not let our struggles define us.  Each step of the way helps us grow into the more patient, easy going and strong individuals we are meant to be. 

Since moving to my permanent site, I have finally been able to face the new challenges of pee buckets, pit latrines and bucket baths after living the posh corps experience in Moteti with running water and flushing toilets. I finally have my rondeval set up and it is feeling like home.  However with these new struggles have come living on the top of a most gorgeous mountain and sharing life with my new family who have taken me in as if I have always been a family member.  I have already met numerous inspiring people in my village and have been welcomed in tshivenda and in English. 

I know that as I continue through my next two years, I will grow into the person I hope to become.  As much as everyone stresses that the Peace Corps service is such a selfless journey, it would be silly to not realize how much we, as volunteers, are gaining.  This is a cultural exchange, not a donation. 

Note: this is my backyard.

That’s all folks. Peace.

Ndi masiari

This is my first official post as a Peace Corps volunteer.  As of yesterday, we completed our Pre-Service Training and took our oath to start our lives for the next two years.  Excitement and an itching to get started was within all of us, but of course we had some tears about leaving each other for the next 3 months until in service training (IST).

Doing the Cupid Shuffle one last time

Doing the weasel in Groblersdahl (its sweeping the world)

Alyssa and I at the homestay event

Ashley and I at the homestay event

Doing our Venda dance

He already had this hat before I got here.

My last month in Moteti was very memorable as I finished up my teaching for part of training.  Although there were some challenges and a lot of time to wing-it, I can truly say that it helped to prepare me for my next 2 years of teaching English in a South African school.  We celebrated our last day together by doing the Cupid Shuffle and the weasel one last time and by taking a selfie of course.

I'm officially a PCV not a PCT.

We found a shopping town only R30 away from us by khombi, and made sure that we were able to go twice before we moved.  Our first adventure to Groblersdahl included giant cupcakes, tons of food, shopping and even more food.

We had our homestay event to celebrate the families who took us in and made us part of their families.  There was a plethora of traditional outfits and traditional dances.  Our tshivenda group performed three songs.

Also within the last few weeks, my family threw a farewell braai for me at our house.  My whole family was there along with 5 other volunteers.  We had so much fun dancing and singing.  We took it upon ourselves to teach all of the children and my siblings the wobble and the weasel.  We also made sure to have a "Just a Friend, "Bohemian Rhapsody," and South African National Anthem sing-a-long.  We got to finish off my last Moteti weekend with a bang, and what a bang it was.

Moteti has served as my home for the past 2 months, and the bonds that I created with my family are those that excite me for my next home family.  I can't even imagine how hard it will be to leave my permanent site host family after knowing how difficult it was to say goodbye to my Moteti family.  I can feel us all becoming a little more South African everyday and I cannot wait to see how much we grow as individuals as our journey continues.

Tomorrow I will be off to greet my new family and move into my new home for the next two years.  The excitement that I feel for being able to unpack and not have to move for 2 years is unreal. Here goes nothing. :)