'Being' is just as important as doing.

Life at my new site was pretty hard the first couple days. Doing nothing is harder than you think. With not knowing anyone, I cant just pop by someones house and sit for a while. I am in the process now of getting out there so people know I am here and will be here for 2 years. Everyday it feels like I do nothing, but in retrospect I have walked some miles, played with the neighbor kids, hung out by the sitolo, and today even though it has rained all day I spent alot of quality time with Make and Gogo.

I never knew a place could be so quiet, except for roosters and ducks!

Lots to say, but not alot going on. Tuesday I became an official Peace Corps Volunteer! woohoo! I met the US Ambassador and the Swazi Prime Minister(he told me he has been to Syr. small world). The next day we moved to our permanent site. I am in Lubumbo, the hot region so my sweaters went from the top of my bag to the bottom. My room is only 10x20 unfurnished. I bought a bed, but the store only had doubles. It takes up alot of space but its ok cause I will be comfortable! Need to get a table and drawers

No, that wasn't a dream. Bad news.

I woke up the other night at 3a to answer my phone. My sister called to tell me that my mom had been in a car accident. Her hand was injured pretty bad, but otherwise hs doing ok given the circumstances. It was basically my worst fear for something like this to happen and I am so far away, not that I could do much there anyways. Thanks to my family for being there for her and keeping me updated and also thanks to my fellow trainees for their support.

Mefloquin Monday

August 1, 2011

One week left until I swear in as an official Volunteer!  I feel like the time has gone so fast and so slow all at the same time.  Time is funny that way.  And to be honest, my perception of time here is so askew.  I am so used to living my life based on the number on the clock and it is still how I am living, but relying so heavily on a watch doesn’t mesh so well with how people must live their lives here.  In a country like Swaziland with such limited electricity (or for those with electricity: no late night tv or 24hr news coverage.lol) the sun is the only watch that matters.  Sundown is a strict curfew here, and even if it wasn’t, there is nothing to do after dark anyways.  So my African life consists of me waking up way too early, going to sleep pathetically early, and counting how many weeks I have been here based on the number of once-a-week Mefloqin malaria pills I have swallowed.   Even though the days seem to go on forever, especially the days we have language class for 5 straight hours, I cannot believe that I took my 8^th pill yesterday.  Have I really been here for two whole months.. WOW!!

I`ll take a milk shake with that.

A special thanks to all my friends and family and to anyone else who has stumbled across my blog, esp after last week's entry. I really appreciate your love and support. It def helps to lift my spirits knowing you are out there. Thanks for emails and fbook msgs.
Yesterday I cooked some good old American food. So good. I had a hamburger and french fries. I gave myself a pat on the back because I can make some damn good fries! I would have been in heaven if I had a chocolate milk shake :-)

I`ll take a milk shake with that.

A special thanks to all my friends and family and to anyone else who has stumbled across my blog, esp after last week's entry. I really appreciate your love and support. It def helps to lift my spirits knowing you are out there. Thanks for emails and fbook msgs.
Yesterday I cooked some good old American food. So good. I had a hamburger and french fries. I gave myself a pat on the back because I can make some damn good fries! I would have been in heaven if I had a chocolate milk shake :-)

July so far... 4 posts in one

July 7, 2011

Yesterday I took a hot shower!!! So happy!  My hair feels the cleanest it’s ever felt… EVER!!!  I never realized how good Dove’s scentless body wash smells.  I got all the soap out of my hair for the first time in weeks!  It was great to stand under the water as long as I wanted, knowing that I don’t have to mop p all the water I spilled after I was down cause it just goes down the drain!  When the water was too cold, too hot, or just because they are there I could just turn the knobs.  And when I finally decided to be done instead of still being in un-insulated cement room, I turned off the water and the bathroom was full of the warm fog from my shower!  I knew coming to Africa that actual showers would be few and far between so yesterday was a very nice day!

July 12, 2011

Got my phone! It has internet!  It is ironic that I had to come to Africa to get such an upgrade!  Facebook is my cheapest way of communication or e-mail (but I don’t check that as often..Kelly.tooley@gmail.com).  The internet is great except I have had some troubles connecting to it.  The network isn’t as good here as home.  You can also text or call me.  00268-76262531. It’s too expensive for me to call home, but its free for me if you call me(but not for you).

July 19, 2011

Emotional.  I am not usually emotional, so this is weird and hard to handle for me.  My mood is usually so even and every day I feel my mood worsening and worsening and I don’t have enough coping strategies.  I feel so lonely.  Making friends is hard work.  I don’t feel part of the group.  I feel forgettable and replaceable, and insufficient.  I don’t feel good enough.  My self-esteem is really low.  I had a good cry last night, got it all out, literally. I didn’t know I had that much snot..eww.   My insecurity issues are even more amplified since I am sick and have my period as well.  Ugh.  I am a bit fed up with training.  I keep telling myself to just let the process run its course.  It will be over soon.  If I dwell on the negative, nothing will get better.  Since going home is not an option I would ever contemplate, I have got to accept what is, and get on with it.

July 21, 2011

So the other day was definitely a low point for me.  Coming to Africa, I knew there were going to be days like that.  Now I have acknowledged my feelings and am moving on.  Oprah’s voice in my head telling me how to live my best life..haha.  And FYI, yesterday and today were much better, so no worries. 

On with it…

I remember hearing about the “where does milk come from” campaign to educate inner city, poor kids about where their food comes from before it gets too the supermarket.  I thought it was such a stupid initiative.  Kids have to know that milk comes from cows; it’s ridiculous to think otherwise.  I want to give kids the benefit of the doubt that they know this information about milk, information that seems so obvious to me.

I only bring this up because I made applesauce today, from scratch.  And yes, I did know that applesauce is made from apples, but it never crossed my mind how it is made or whether it was difficult to make.  I mean, why would I need to, it’s pretty cheap and available at most every store.  I think I thought that since I had never seen it made (except way back, my Grandpa made it) I assumed it was hard, maybe there was too many steps, or it never turns out as good as the stuff in the Mott’s jars. 

So today I peeled a few apples, cut the seeds out, threw them in a pot with some sugar and let them boil until I could smoosh them with my spoon… vwoolaahhhh….applesauce… so surprised it’s that easy!  I am trying to figure out why it took coming to Africa to figure this recipe out.  Now I KNOW where applesauce comes from/how it’s made, and I especially have a lot more respect for that milk campaign.

July 22, 2011

Ate my applesauce for lunch today!!  So good..tasted just like Motts!

I started my knitting business this week.  Well actually, not really a business at all, I just sold my first hat.  $25US/160E.I like knitting and creating something pretty out of what was nothing in the beginning.  I knew I would have a lot of time here to get some knitting done. So far, since I have been here, I have made 2 hats: the first one I kept for myself(the only thing I have ever kept for myself) and the second one was my first sale!! Whoop whoop!!

I have run into a problem though.  I only brought 2 balls of yarn with me to Africa, both gone now.  They have yarn here, but it’s not the kind I like(it’s like the Red Heart 4-ply stuff) and each ball is tiny (less than 25g).  I haven’t been able to check out the ‘big’ cities yet to see what they have there.  So if you want to put a smile on my face and let me know that you are thinking about me, you can send me some yarn!  My favorite is from Michaels: Loops and Threads, Charisma or I also like Lion Brand, Thick and Quick.  And I like any color that you think is pretty/you would wear that color as a hat.

If you are going through the trouble of sending yarn, could you also send chewing gum (eXtra, Stride, or Five: blue flavor… I don’t like green or cinnamon).  Oh and JIF peanut butter is always a good option! J

Mailing Tip:  Use Flat Rate, priority mail box from the post office and send it airmail.

Peace Corps Swaziland

Attn:  Kelly Tooley

PO Box 2797

Mbabane, Swaziland H100

Africa

As I go to post this blog, I am reminded of my coworker from the Gap who thought Swaziland was an amusement park.  We all had a good laugh that day!  But as you can see, this month has been a bit of a roller coaster.  It is hard for me to write about the bad things, but it happened, I’m human.  I have got some great things to look forward to!  Swear-in is only 17 days away, then I move to the site I will be staying in for the rest of my 2 years here!  Excited and scared!  It’s in Lubumbo region.. the HOT part of Swaziland!