Lesotho

Lumelang,



Well, it has been a while, but I am in Maseru for training so I can finally use the internet again. Things have been a little crazy since I last wrote, but it has mostly been a good crazy. My site is in a small village called Bethel. The nearest "large town" is called Mount Moorosi-not named for the big mountain that it sits at the foot of...but for the small mountain/mesa ~10 kilometers away. I don't know.



Bethel is beautiful. It is located in a valley, surrounded by mountains that reminds me a lot of the grand canyon. A river runs close by and during the rainy seasons (my summer, your winter) the best way to get there is with a boat. ( It was cheaper than building a bridge.) My counterpart has horses and he will let my ride one when I want. The first time I tried was a little rough. I pull on the left...the damn thing goes to the right. My second attempt went much better. I rode with a volunteer who lived in a nearby village called Katani. These horses were trained in the western style(as opposed to english) and much easier to handle. I got up to a gallop my first try with no problem. I have to say, though, it's a lot more painful than it looks. All that bouncing up and down...Still a lot of fun though.



School has its up and downs. In Kenya my first attempts to teach were very positive. The students were good. Also, I didn't have to worry too much about homework and grades or discipline. More importantly, though, when I started my biggest fear was being able to confidently stand in front of the students and deliver some semblance of a lecture. Now, I'm less concerned with that, but I realized how important the "behind the scene" work is. Discipline, grading homework, checking students progress, tests, lesson planning...it's tough. And sometimes I just don't teach things the right way. These students do not know engish well and have poor background in science and math. Sometimes the things they do not know are surprising. There are good times though. It just takes one student to stop by my house and ask for help and suddenly the day gets a lot better.



Speaking of good times. Getting off mefloquine (malarial meds) might have been the best thing to happen to me here in Lesotho. I hate those pills. Imagine coming to a new country...a new, exciting, place, and your soul is just weighed down...sloshing around in the gutter. Ugh. Reminds me too much of college.



Alas, winter is coming. I've been mud sliding on dongas, sliding on natural water rock slides.Hopefully, we'll get snow and I'll do some skiiing :-) Okay, I hope this was not too boring. I'll be here in Maseru for 10 days, and I'd love to hear from you. -Jeremy