I left NY in the summer and arrived in Africa the next day and it was winter L. I mean, it’s nothing like an upstate NY winter, but Afirca is supposed to be hot! But don’t worry about me, Ihave enough clothes and blankets to keep me warm. Also, because its winter, it gets dark here so early, around 5pm, which isn’t too bad since I am exhausted by 6pm and then force myself to stay up until 8p.
I have been living at my first host-family’s homestead for a little bit less than a week now. I have been given a Swazi name by my family. I am called Ficiwe “fee-see-way”(one they have been waiting for) Nhlabatsi ”en-schla-bot-see”. Since, I have been here I have started to create a daily routine:
5:30a Wake up, heat up water, make my bed, bathe, dress, sweep room.
6:00a Go to Make’s kitchen for breakfast of cornflakes with mil made from powder (the first days the milk was hot since my water needs to be boiled before I drink it.. gross, hot milk… I bring my own milk now)… then I finish my siSwati homework since I went to bed at 8:00p the night before and couldn’t finish
7:00a Head to khumbi station if classes are back at the college otherwise class is held in the next homestead starting at 8:00a
Khumbi- Swazi’s main form of transportation when they can’t afford a car, which is almost everyone. It is a 16 passenger van full to the max +1 or 2 extras. Very tight fit.
Station- where two dirt roads diverge… not really even roads, just two parallel dirt lines where the tires roll on the ground
8:00am-10:30a Training
Tea break!
11:00a-12:30 More boring training!
Lunch- left overs from last night or homemade french fries!
More Training
3:30p Back to homestead
Play soccer with little cousins on homestead, 4 and 5 years old
4:30p Start making dinner with Make
5:00p It’s Dark!! Glad we have electricity!
6:00p Eat dinner.. Bony meat boiled in water with some spices over rice or corn flour porridge (lipashli), and spinach.. then wash and dry dishes
8:00p Excuse myself, take another bath (2 baths a day is a must in this culture), and try to study or do homework, pass out instead.
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