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.