From the Words of God to Revelation

February 23, 2014

 

Alyssa Waiting for her bus in her Assigned T-shirt, also known as "Civies Day"

(non uniform days)

 

The siSwati language is starting to ring well with me.  I now know that Ph is prounced "pee" and that nc is the "click" sound.  Ezulwini rhymes with another city called Sidwashini.  I'm starting to sing like them!  Most importantly, Alyssa knows how to sing the school's anthem song in SiSwati.  Showed daddy the video and he's like, "nooo. " Don't assimilate her, he's saying.  ;))

Love, love, love the last DVD session on our weekly cell bible studies.  The preacher is John Bevere and the topic is the bait of satan.  He talked about revelation and not everyone can get it.  Though they can read the same books over and over, go to the same bible classes over and over..They just might not get it.  Then suddenly the Lord reveals (or provides) a revelation. What I liked most of what he says was that, "there are about 1,300 listeners that are getting his messages at any given time, and are interpreted in 1,300 different ways."  That couldn't be more true.  And while most times we think our message is being communicated the way we intended, it may not be.  No two persons think alike.

I remember this guy (excellent talker and seller) who said that it's crucial people attend these "sale seminars" over and over.  Because while people may be listening, they are thinking of something and go into a tangent.  Meanwhile, the sales person is *still* talking.  This is why we might not get 100% of anything or may miss something, especially when we go to a seminar, attend church or any other that requires our full attention. C'est la vie as they say or "nature of the beast."

One thing I know for sure that I will miss here in Mbabane is the .30 cents parking downstairs, $ USD 3 hems and what have you.  Clothing here is not expensive by any means and the sizes run for smaller and taller people.  A size 8 or 10 is the equivalent of Medium  whereas in the States that is a Large.  I still love shopping and always finding neat things.  I heard from a Swazi that going to the gym here means more about fashion statement than working out.  I guess that's why it's not popular like the way we have back home.

 

Not much longer until I get to assimilate back into the US culture again.  I can't wait for my crabs, Thai food and yes, meet up with my friends that I miss.  This is the dragger to FS life no one can ever in their 20-year career get used to.  

 

These last two weeks I'm getting more involved with my sports -- to the point of getting injuries.  Tennis elbow from playing tennis and now bruises from riding horse and (yes) falling off.  Rozi, the horse I rode two weeks in a row now, has decided to go on a tangent and started running (apparently cantering) before I was ready.  I got thrown off him, landed on my left side, bumped my head on the floor and got sand in my mouth.  Thankfully I'm OK but for a moment I thought I broke my hips.  I was walking OK and the doctor examined me and so no broken bones.  Whew..Dodged one.  I must carry on, as they say.  That's it for this week's adventure.  I just think my revelation is.. "You need a stronger hold on those reigns."

Weekly Thoughts

Another long weekend is upon me, and I forgot about the day off on Monday.  Darn it!  I guess that means I have a day off to do things, while Alyssa is in school!  Yay, love those break days as well when locals don' t celebrate the same US holidays. 

We have been keeping busy as usual, with our weekday and weekend routines.  Love the structure, but hate the lack of time to freely do things. The only day to take lessons is on the weekend when I am not overly tired from a 9.5 hour day.  We close at 2 PM on Fridays so that means we add 30 minutes extra to our work day Monday through Thursday.  The fact that my schedule is not set and I may work longer hours, depending on needs of the front office, makes it all that much more difficult. 

Friday went to valentine party at the consul's house.  She had a small pool but fortunately the water wasn't too cold so the kids had a bit of fun.  Some of the kids could not come because of the cold that's going around.  I can't wait to get all better as now I too, have the sore throat. 

Swimming time for kids. Paddle!

One of the pleasures about living in a developing country is that things that you do can be an innovation to the community.  I have been a fan of Zumba since it became very popular in the States and it's fairly new here.  I'm starting my own group since there are not too many instructors and am now motivated to perhaps learn to be an instructor or leader.  You get to do things that aren't so "new" back home and helping out the community as well.  I got all kinds of ideas going now, such as doing a cake-ball class or even suggesting to our hair stylist that maybe she should do a class on styling hair.  A skill that the ladies can benefit from.  You can try a new business out as a pilot..maybe you can do as well back home.

Looking forward to a short work week..continuing the challenges we have met while discovering new things all the time.  Things that I never did back home, are now becoming routine.

Great ideas to packaging cake balls

Great way to give is to put them in a clear box and sell.

 



Just Another Day in Paradise

A cheese pizza really isn't a cheese pizza  

 

 Feb 9, 2014

It is hard to believe that Valentine’s day is almost here.  Where has the beginning of the year gone??  We have been keeping busy as usual..Me for example, with volunteer work, proctoring foreign service exams on a Saturday for the peace corps volunteer.  Had too much fun the other night when the systems failed and one of the gals had lost all the two hour worth of exams she did.  Oddly enough the systems was this time, not the Swazi side but back home where the web site was hosted.  Then I had to help her get home since she missed the bus.  Yes, this is what I signed up for but one of the perks is knowing that someone has benefited from your work.  And I got to know better, a young peace corps volunteer.

As I drove home today, I thought of two things about Swaziland.  One is the potholes..Man are there many..You see all these beautiful gated houses and then you see the terrible roads.  My used 1995 RAV 4 is sure taking a lickin’ but keeps on tickin’.  As I popped my Elvis CD into the car, I am enjoying the music when..BOOM!  I inadvertently drove into a pothole, which I’ve gotten good at dodging.  Funny enough the right side car stereo comes back on..I am thinking to myself, this is too funny when did I lose the sound in the first place? Probably from going into one of these darn potholes to begin with.  Just have to bang it a few times to get it back. 

I’m getting good at saying some SiSwati phrases now.  But suddenly I’m shy of using it.  It’s funny, in the beginning it was cute but now when I practice it with the local guards, they are always laughing.  Why are they always laughing? Because they think it’s too funny that I’m trying to learn their language when I don’t need to..Or are they being friendly.  This is what I want to call, “catch-22.”  You want to represent yourself well and be diplomatic with the locals but at the same time, you can’t win because they are laughing at your accent and responses to their language.  But as they say, “keep trying.”  Yes, Hello is much easier than Sawubona (which takes me more effort and breath) as well as saying niyabonga or “thank you” (two syllables long).  BTW, why is it so much longer in siSwati to say simple things.  Don’t even get me started with the clicks. 

Here is a picture of Alyssa from her first few lessons with our tennis coach.  My elbow’s been bad so me and her have been splitting the lessons.  It’s fun and I’m learning a better way of playing tennis.  Wish my high school tennis coach could learn a few things about teaching simple tennis..Make it easy, fun..THEN technique follows.  I like my new coach.  He makes sense with the tennis teaching approach because it works with me..Yes, I need to learn from the very beginning. 

I am getting into my groove now with a regular schedule each week.  Last Friday had the house full of kids for an afternoon of fun.  I entertained the kids, which I didn’t have to, then fed them spicey pizza from Debonairs.  Ahhh yeah, that’s when I found out a “cheese pizza” really isn’t a cheese pizza.  Now I remember what Audrey my fellow co-worker said, what you do in the U.S.. Do opposite here.  Which means don’t custom order your pizza and expect it to arrive like what you think it would be.  Poor kids..They did eat a few slices.  Here’s a picture of Alyssa having fun at Benji’s house.

 

 

Well that’s all I’m going to say for now.  I’ll continue my fun adventures and record the silly stuff.  Good bye or “hambagasi.”  Happy Valentine’s Day  

Here's a picture of Alyssa playing with the dogs at Nyanza farm.  She keeps asking, "Mommy I want a dog."  I tell her, not yet.  You're too young and these dogs require a lot of work.