I have to post some really terrible news right now. I had the following blog typed before I knew what I'm about to type, but I still wanted to post it anyway.

On Friday night a Peace Corps Volunteer in Lesotho was shot and killed in Maseru. It occurred after a celebration for some volunteers who are leaving the country soon. The PCV who was shot was a new volunteer in the lastest Education group. His family has been informed and Peace Corps is trying to help us deal with it the best way possible. Many of us are at our training center just spending time with each other. I haven't seen some of these people in a really long time and it's been nice being around them.

All of us are safe now and are just trying to wrap our minds around this completely senseless act of violence. We only came here to help. It doesn't seem fair or right that we have to endure something like this.



September 2, 2010

Turn on Me

There is so much to report and unfortunately not all of it is positive. I have had a fairly difficult couple of weeks at sites. On the bright side I have been able to leave my site most weekends to see other volunteers while on business in Maseru. So while life at site has been challenging, I have been able to get away to recharge frequently.

To start I’ll talk about something happy. I had a wonderful weekend in Bloemfontein early last month. I was able to get my hair cut and go shopping! We were celebrating the close of service for a 3rd year volunteer. It was awesome getting to send her off properly with a couple nights out on the town. I can’t believe I’ve been out to a club/bar only 3 times the entire time I’ve been here. Sometimes I would be out with friends 3 times a week in the US!

Teaching hasn’t been fun lately. I’m finally teaching the kids the hard stuff and I have not received the support I need from the teachers. In fact one day I was told that I couldn’t teach class 4 girls about periods and had to go home. I didn’t get to teach at all that day because my teacher said it was a culturally sensitive subject. I have 14 year old girls in that class that need to know about their bodies!! A week later the same teacher said I could teach sexual and reproductive anatomy since that was in the official (national) life skills syllabus. When I showed her the diagrams I was going to use she said I could teach anatomy without pictures!!!!!! This same teacher told me before I started teaching the children about puberty that she did not know what was happening to her when she got her period. She was scared because no one had told her about it before she got it and she still wouldn’t let me teach her students about the subject. To this day I do not understand why not.

Not being able to teach these kids what they need to know has been a complete disappointment. Another teacher got angry with me for teaching kids about sexual abuse and what to do if they are abused because that was inappropriate. Actually he said it was wrong to teach it. Even after a speech from me about safety and how we (in the US) teach kids about this when they are in class 1 he still didn’t want me to teach it to his class 5 students.

Besides not being allowed to teach what I think the kids need to know I have been frustrated with my primary school for other reasons. I was in class waiting for a teacher to finish her lesson before I started mine when a kid started acting up. She smacked him in the face. Corporal punishment occurs at most school around the country, but I was told that it didn’t happen at my school. I guess that wasn’t true.

I had a yard sale recently to get rid of some of the crap I have accumulated over this past year. It’s amazing how much stuff I have received from volunteers in groups before me who have already left Lesotho. I'm selling everything for pennies. It's nice to know that this stuff with finally be used now. My host aunt who is mentally ill started fighting with a woman at the sale and when my host mom intervened my host aunt started wailing on her. The woman who was attacked first took refuge in my house and my host aunt tried to get in which almost caused me to get attacked as well. It was the first time I was really worried about my immediate safety. Thankfully she’s living with other family members for the time being. She was in the hospital for a month before this happened and I’m not sure if she’ll have to be admitted again or not.

Besides that I’ve just been generally annoyed with living here. I’m sick of feeling like a freak and being disrespected. I really don’t like the culture here. The food sucks and so does the music. One volunteer here has said that she’s never been to another country where she didn’t like at least one food item until now. Sometimes I feel like it’s just me, but volunteers are constantly complaining about being harassed and about cultural differences. It’s so sad writing this down! Can this place really be this terrible?

I know it’s not true, but because I’m from a different culture it seems like all the people here are extremely rude. There are no words in Sesotho for please or you’re welcome. I hate sounding so racist and mean, but it feels wonderful to finally put on this blog what I feel most of the time. I try to keep everything on the bright side, but today I’m venting full force. Don’t be surprised if I don’t finish my full term here in Lesotho. I’m learning that being miserable is not worth the feeling of accomplishment from finishing a full 2-year service period.

In more happy news again I am in Maseru for Reconnect with my group. It’s so nice to catch up with everyone and to see what everyone has been up to. I haven’t seen some of these volunteers in 8 months! One girl just got back from a visit to America which should be exciting to hear about. I am sure there is a lot we have missed. A sobering moment occurred when I was listening to the radio and the DJ said, “And here’s a song from Pink that was popular a year ago,” and I didn’t know what the song was. A year ago! Pink!! She’s popular! It’s not terrible being out of the loop with popular culture. I’m glad that most of us get on the internet regularly enough to read the big news updates though. One volunteer I know didn’t hear about Obama receiving the Nobel Peace Prize until recently. That’s not good, but I don’t think that happens often. I hope!

In even more happy news I get to see my parents very soon and my boyfriend even sooner! At first I wasn’t very excited, but I think it’s because it didn’t seem real yet. Now there are only a couple weeks until my vacation and it’s coming together. I’m halfway packed and I’m definitely ready to go mentally. I don’t even care what we do; I just want to be with people I love and who love me!

I’ve been sleeping too much recently. I think it’s just because I’m bored. I guess I’m in a bit of a funk, but I know that I’ll be out of it very soon. :)

The seasons have changed for us already and it is hot. I don’t think Spring or Autumn really exist here. It’s winter to summer straight. I was just sleeping with 3 blankets and now I’m only using a sheet and my sleeping bag. I swear no place like this exists anywhere else on this earth.

Take care!!

Emily