HELLO! Things here are still amazing. I'm starting to get into some sort of routine, which is nice, but as soon as that happens we always mix it up a bit and everything changes. I don't have my thoughts well-organized, but here's a bit of an update on my life.
- Shadowing was QUITE the experience. The Group 5 girl I was shadowing had two fantastic houses, one at her site in a rural community and one at Cabrini Ministries at a place called St. Phillip's. They were doing INCREDIBLE work with OVCs (orphans and vulnerable children) and we managed to teach 100 kids how to play dodge ball. It was a good time and, best of all, I got to take a HOT SHOWER. That's about all I can ask for these days.
- My family uses newspaper as TP in the pit latine and the other day I found a sudoku in there and stole it. It has provided hours of amusement and it was even a "super hard" one so I keep doing it over and over and over. But I think my family figured it out and now they're collecting them for me. Oh, free fun. We have also been gathering around the wind-up radio (on my flashlight) every evening and listening to stories in SiSwati (it's like soap operas, but on the radio) so I think I'll buy a REAL radio while I'm in town today. And a ton of batteries since we don't have electricity.
- Yesterday we went and visited the umphakatsi, or head of the chiefdom (it's a place, not a person). It was SO COLD but we learned a lot about what our role will be in the community and what the kagogo centers do (Google it). Apparently in my community alone there are 580 OVCs, meaning that they have lost both parents (usually because of AIDS)...I think my homestead houses about 15 of them. But I really haven't figured that out yet. We also visited a neighborhood care point (NCP) where they provide meals for OVCs, but it wasn't functioning becuase it's all run by volunteer power and there was nobody willing to volunteer. That seems to be the general way of things here.
- I cooked a meal for my family last night! I made a pasta with a vat of penne, 8 tomatoes, 2 onions, 2 huge carrots, one chili pepper and lots of oregano and salt. They LOVED it. Honestly, Gogo (grandma) kept coming in for more and more and I'm not sure if she was feeding it to the goats or something but she seemed to genuinely like it. That in itself is a huge feat because I assumed they would hate it. I'm proud.
This week we are officially getting our stoves and pots and pans and stuff, so we're in town today to do grocery shopping. It's good to see people who speak English as a first language after spending my evenings translating from English to English. It's frustrating at times, but my SiSwati is getting better and Mandisa's English is improving as well so I generally enjoy my time at home. And it helps that I have Sudoku!
I don't know what else to say...we've just been mostly studying SiSwati and learning how to function in Swazi culture. This weekend we're all hopefully escaping to Nhlangano (that's where I am now...southern Swaziland...look at a map) to buy some box wine and hang out with each other outside of the structured outings of Peace Corps. It will be amazing!
Salani Kahle (Stay Well),
J
Friday, July 18, 2008
Thursday, July 10, 2008
Celine Dion, Shaving By Candlelight and Other Forms of Entertainment
Sanibonani Bonkhosi! That means "hello, everyone"...kind of. Nothing is an exact translation.
I'm currently in Manzini, which is the largest city in Swaziland with a population of about 80,000 people or something like that. We're really just passing through on our way to visit current volunteers at their sites in the rural areas. I'm staying with a volunteer from Group 5, which means that she's been here for a year, and she has ELECTRICITY! I'm SO excited I can't even describe. It's going to be like vacation.
Last Friday (4th of July!) I moved into the village of Mashekesheni (Ngihlala eMashekesheni = I stay in Mashekesheni) with the Matse family. They have dubbed me "Phindile Matse" which means "Again" or "Repeat" (they hosted a trainee last year too). The surname, Matse, means "saliva" which has something to do with some sort of king-related lore about defeating warriors with poisonous saliva. The details are lost in our English-SiSwati translation. Anyway, I'm sharing a house with bosisi wami (my sisters) and their children...I think everyone in Swaziland has a baby at the age of 16 or something because there are a million kids running around the homestead. I'm living with wife number four of five (Swazis are largely polygamous), but two and three have died so number four takes care of almost twenty kids. Babe (father) lives in Nhlangano, which is a small town about 20 minutes away, with wife number five. It's complicated, and I have yet to meet Babe, but the whole family is very nice and VERY welcoming. If they get tired of me sitting around and staring at them in confusion they sure don't show it! I have on sisi named Mandisa who is 16 (actually 10 days older than Zak) and she has been my savior through all of this. She cooks, cleans, teaches me how to fetch water (from the river), guards me when I go to the pit latrine (yes, pit latrine) at night and somehow still finds time to study. She's a GREAT student and really wants to go to University in South Africa, which her family thinks is absolutely ridiculous but I think she's got a good head on her shoulders and she can do it! She speaks near perfect English and, in addition to teaching me how to do everything like Swazis, translates for me for hours each day. She even sits down with me and helps me with my SiSwati homework. She's incredible...
SiSwati classes are going VERY well. In our village, there are 13 umlungu (white people) and we have class for about 6 hours each day, sometimes more. Then I go home to my homestead and light a candle and study my SiSwati homework, often with Mandisa's help. Then the other kids (there are 32 kids that belong to my Babe, but only about 20 of them are around all the time and some of them live elsewhere with their own families) come in and laugh at my attempts to speak SiSwati and try to trick me into saying inappropriate things in SiSwati. It's a good game. After I'm done studying I head to the kitchen where the wood-burning stove is and everyone gathers around to keep warm. It HONESTLY gets cold here. I thought they were lying, but cold is COLD when it's absolutely inescapable. My room is like a fridge. Lately we've been playing a game where someone will say, "Umlumgu, [insert SiSwati word here]" and then I have to guess what that word means and they either congratulate me or laugh. Apparently everything I say is funny...
We also listen to the radio at night on the "English" channel. They play mostly CDs of bad American music. The first night we listened to the same Marvin Gaye songs on repeat for hours, and on Saturday night we had a pretty satisfying Celine Dion jam session. I was rocking out to "Because you Loved Me" and "The Power of Love", and they sang along to humor me I think. I think that may be the highlight of my life so far.
Last night I embarked on the incredible challenge that is shaving in a bucket. I won't go into the details, but let's just say that bucket bathing is a humbling experience in itself and it's even more complicated when you're doing it in your bedroom and trying not to splash everywhere! It took so long that my sisi actually came and knocked on my door to see if I was okay, at which point I had to explain what shaving was. "Why would you want your legs to feel smooth?" I don't know, Mandisa. Angiva. It's even more fun when they ask me what a "sorority" is and if God thinks it is okay that American women "take" alcohol. Uh...
I think the most important lesson I have learned so far is not to look into the pit latrine with a flashlight. Trust me, you DON'T want to know what is in there. Don't do it. But yesterday my family (umdeni wami) bought some latrine deoderizer so now it smells like a fresh spring breeze!
Also, there's a dog on my homestead and we've finally made friends after about 2 days of me sneaking it food. They don't really feed their guard dogs because there is plenty of stuff for them to scavenge (like the chicks and the eggs out of the chicken coop). OH, we also have 7 geese on our homestead and they like to chase people. There's one guy who's a real jerk and he chases all the umlungu when they come over to visit. And we have about 20 cows and 5 or 6 goats and some unknown number of really really noisy chickens.
I'm sorry I'm just rambling here, but my life is kind of a jumble of interesting tidbits and it's hard to get them all in order!!
I also am REALLY really glad I brought a Frisbee. It has been quite entertaining trying to explain how to play Ultimate to a group of 10-year-old boys who speak no English. My life is one big game of charades. And to make it even better, we play in the cattle kraal (where the cows live) so we're ankle-deep in cow pies. Yum. I'm SO glad I brought hand sanitizer.
On that note, here's the list of things you should pack if you're doing Peace Corps/going to Africa ever:
Headlamp-This has saved my life.
Leathermand-SO useful...
Vegetable peeler-My family thinks it is made of magic.
Hand sanitizer-Enough said.
Leggings-It's COLD and there are no fashion police in Africa
UNO-I play Uno like it's my job.
If anyone wants to send me a care package (not that you need to), I would love a big bottle of hand sanitizer with a pump, some Crystal Light to go packs, a French Tip pen (they come in a pack made by Sally Hansen), Boggle or ANY OTHER GAME that requires minimal explanation. Good examples are Trouble, Sorry, decks of cards, harmonicas (for real)...
On that note, I don't think I have anything else to say. I am having an amazing time and if I ever had any doubts about Peace Corps or about Swaziland, they are COMPLETELY gone now. I'm loving every minute of this and my group of 36 and my host family are amazing. And having Serena here is amazing too!
I love you all and miss you and you should start planning your trips to visit now! For real, I would like some beach in my future. Maybe some Victoria Falls? Some Nairobi maybe?
Lots of Love from the Swaz!
Phindile.
I'm currently in Manzini, which is the largest city in Swaziland with a population of about 80,000 people or something like that. We're really just passing through on our way to visit current volunteers at their sites in the rural areas. I'm staying with a volunteer from Group 5, which means that she's been here for a year, and she has ELECTRICITY! I'm SO excited I can't even describe. It's going to be like vacation.
Last Friday (4th of July!) I moved into the village of Mashekesheni (Ngihlala eMashekesheni = I stay in Mashekesheni) with the Matse family. They have dubbed me "Phindile Matse" which means "Again" or "Repeat" (they hosted a trainee last year too). The surname, Matse, means "saliva" which has something to do with some sort of king-related lore about defeating warriors with poisonous saliva. The details are lost in our English-SiSwati translation. Anyway, I'm sharing a house with bosisi wami (my sisters) and their children...I think everyone in Swaziland has a baby at the age of 16 or something because there are a million kids running around the homestead. I'm living with wife number four of five (Swazis are largely polygamous), but two and three have died so number four takes care of almost twenty kids. Babe (father) lives in Nhlangano, which is a small town about 20 minutes away, with wife number five. It's complicated, and I have yet to meet Babe, but the whole family is very nice and VERY welcoming. If they get tired of me sitting around and staring at them in confusion they sure don't show it! I have on sisi named Mandisa who is 16 (actually 10 days older than Zak) and she has been my savior through all of this. She cooks, cleans, teaches me how to fetch water (from the river), guards me when I go to the pit latrine (yes, pit latrine) at night and somehow still finds time to study. She's a GREAT student and really wants to go to University in South Africa, which her family thinks is absolutely ridiculous but I think she's got a good head on her shoulders and she can do it! She speaks near perfect English and, in addition to teaching me how to do everything like Swazis, translates for me for hours each day. She even sits down with me and helps me with my SiSwati homework. She's incredible...
SiSwati classes are going VERY well. In our village, there are 13 umlungu (white people) and we have class for about 6 hours each day, sometimes more. Then I go home to my homestead and light a candle and study my SiSwati homework, often with Mandisa's help. Then the other kids (there are 32 kids that belong to my Babe, but only about 20 of them are around all the time and some of them live elsewhere with their own families) come in and laugh at my attempts to speak SiSwati and try to trick me into saying inappropriate things in SiSwati. It's a good game. After I'm done studying I head to the kitchen where the wood-burning stove is and everyone gathers around to keep warm. It HONESTLY gets cold here. I thought they were lying, but cold is COLD when it's absolutely inescapable. My room is like a fridge. Lately we've been playing a game where someone will say, "Umlumgu, [insert SiSwati word here]" and then I have to guess what that word means and they either congratulate me or laugh. Apparently everything I say is funny...
We also listen to the radio at night on the "English" channel. They play mostly CDs of bad American music. The first night we listened to the same Marvin Gaye songs on repeat for hours, and on Saturday night we had a pretty satisfying Celine Dion jam session. I was rocking out to "Because you Loved Me" and "The Power of Love", and they sang along to humor me I think. I think that may be the highlight of my life so far.
Last night I embarked on the incredible challenge that is shaving in a bucket. I won't go into the details, but let's just say that bucket bathing is a humbling experience in itself and it's even more complicated when you're doing it in your bedroom and trying not to splash everywhere! It took so long that my sisi actually came and knocked on my door to see if I was okay, at which point I had to explain what shaving was. "Why would you want your legs to feel smooth?" I don't know, Mandisa. Angiva. It's even more fun when they ask me what a "sorority" is and if God thinks it is okay that American women "take" alcohol. Uh...
I think the most important lesson I have learned so far is not to look into the pit latrine with a flashlight. Trust me, you DON'T want to know what is in there. Don't do it. But yesterday my family (umdeni wami) bought some latrine deoderizer so now it smells like a fresh spring breeze!
Also, there's a dog on my homestead and we've finally made friends after about 2 days of me sneaking it food. They don't really feed their guard dogs because there is plenty of stuff for them to scavenge (like the chicks and the eggs out of the chicken coop). OH, we also have 7 geese on our homestead and they like to chase people. There's one guy who's a real jerk and he chases all the umlungu when they come over to visit. And we have about 20 cows and 5 or 6 goats and some unknown number of really really noisy chickens.
I'm sorry I'm just rambling here, but my life is kind of a jumble of interesting tidbits and it's hard to get them all in order!!
I also am REALLY really glad I brought a Frisbee. It has been quite entertaining trying to explain how to play Ultimate to a group of 10-year-old boys who speak no English. My life is one big game of charades. And to make it even better, we play in the cattle kraal (where the cows live) so we're ankle-deep in cow pies. Yum. I'm SO glad I brought hand sanitizer.
On that note, here's the list of things you should pack if you're doing Peace Corps/going to Africa ever:
Headlamp-This has saved my life.
Leathermand-SO useful...
Vegetable peeler-My family thinks it is made of magic.
Hand sanitizer-Enough said.
Leggings-It's COLD and there are no fashion police in Africa
UNO-I play Uno like it's my job.
If anyone wants to send me a care package (not that you need to), I would love a big bottle of hand sanitizer with a pump, some Crystal Light to go packs, a French Tip pen (they come in a pack made by Sally Hansen), Boggle or ANY OTHER GAME that requires minimal explanation. Good examples are Trouble, Sorry, decks of cards, harmonicas (for real)...
On that note, I don't think I have anything else to say. I am having an amazing time and if I ever had any doubts about Peace Corps or about Swaziland, they are COMPLETELY gone now. I'm loving every minute of this and my group of 36 and my host family are amazing. And having Serena here is amazing too!
I love you all and miss you and you should start planning your trips to visit now! For real, I would like some beach in my future. Maybe some Victoria Falls? Some Nairobi maybe?
Lots of Love from the Swaz!
Phindile.
Thursday, June 26, 2008
I'm in AFRICA!
Sanibona! I just wanted to let you know that I landed safely in South Africa after a grueling 19 hour flight and a battle v. mosquitos on the runway in Senegal. Luckily, mosquitos don't bite me and I've made friends with another volunteer who seems to be pretty good mosquito bait. It was quite the bonding experience.
We're staying in a pretty nice hotel here in Johannesburg for the evening before heading off to Swaziland early in the am by bus, where we'll be greeted by some of the current volunteers and a large quantity of Peace Corps staff. Tonight we met the country director, Chad, and he seems pretty cool. We also met our traning director, Musa, who seems like a cool guy as well.
I can't believe that I'm back on the continent already! I don't have a cell phone number yet becuase the hotel is all sold out of minutes for MTN cell service (and even if they weren't I couldn't buy them with US dollars and their bank is all out of Rand!), but as soon as I have a number I'll text my mother who will post it on here. Not that you need to call, but if you want...
That's all for now. Much love and salani kahle!
J
We're staying in a pretty nice hotel here in Johannesburg for the evening before heading off to Swaziland early in the am by bus, where we'll be greeted by some of the current volunteers and a large quantity of Peace Corps staff. Tonight we met the country director, Chad, and he seems pretty cool. We also met our traning director, Musa, who seems like a cool guy as well.
I can't believe that I'm back on the continent already! I don't have a cell phone number yet becuase the hotel is all sold out of minutes for MTN cell service (and even if they weren't I couldn't buy them with US dollars and their bank is all out of Rand!), but as soon as I have a number I'll text my mother who will post it on here. Not that you need to call, but if you want...
That's all for now. Much love and salani kahle!
J
Wednesday, June 25, 2008
Staging - Philly 6/23-6/25
So I'm currently in Philadelphia, where I've been since Monday afternoon. First things first, my bags weighed in at 4 pounds UNDER the limit--a huge accomplishment for me and I think a first in my saga of international travel.
But more importantly, our staging was fantastic! We had sessions Monday afternoon/evening, and then all day today (Tuesday) where we got to know one another in the Swaziland training class, learned about the policies of Peace Corps and ate cookies and made fun of each other. The group consists of 36 people of which 12 are guys and 8 are married (so 4 couples). Everyone seems to have bonded pretty quickly, united by the fact that we're all going through the same weird life transition that nobody else in our lives has really been able to understand fully. We bonded over such activities as "change 5 things" and trying to lower a tent pole to the ground with only one finger each...don't ask.
This evening, fifteen of us went out to Thai food for our last meal (scary!!) and I had some delicious green curry shrimp that had about 20 jumbo shrimp in it. A GREAT last meal. I've also packed and re-packed about a million times and I'm fully prepared for at least one of my perfectly packed bags to get stolen/lost/picked over in the Jo'burg airport...last year, 20 people out of the 25 in the training class had AT LEAST one bag "delayed." The joke is that they're delayed by a few days so that the security people in Jo'burg have time to x-ray them and pick out all the valuables. We'll see...I'm prepared to live out of my carry-on for at least 5 days. (Tip: If you're going on a long trip like this, the backpack I got for a carry-on is perfect! It's a North Face Backtrack 50 and it's amazing in every way).
Also, I volunteered to be a Group Leader (GL) for the trip which essentially means I'm in charge of everyone's passports, plane tickets and general well-being for the duration of travel tomorrow/Thursday. We're leaving tomorrow early in the morning and heading by bus to JFK to fly to Johannsburg via Dakar, Senegal. Woo! It's a 19-hour flight with some re-fueling time and HOPEFULLY no complications.
I'm feeling really good about my decision to join Peace Corps thus far. I know there will be ups and downs ahead of me and I'm prepared for that, but I really think I'm in good company as far as the training class is concerned. I'm optimistic about my language abilities (which is kind of cheating since I'm really just relying on what I remember from Zulu class) and I have a much better idea of what to expect culturally, physically and emotionally than most of the other people in my training class. But mostly I just realize that I'm to the point that I'm getting on the plane in the morning and I have no an ounce of nervousness or second thoughts or ANYTHING but excitement. I'm beginning to believe in fate...I'm not exactly sure how I ended up headed for Swaziland, but exactly where I'm supposed to be.
I'm not sure when I'll be able to update again, but definitely check back periodically! I've also taught my mother how to update so if there's anything REALLY important going on I'll have her update it if I don't have internet access (I SHOULD have a cell phone...we'll see if I'm allowed to use it). In the meantime, I'll try to send some letters (but I don't know how practical that is) but you can send me letters too! It's only 94 cents...I'm worth that, right?
Love to you all and I'll be thinking of you!
Sala kahle,
Justine.
PS Happy 16th birthday Zak and Happy 5 1/2 birthday Damian!
But more importantly, our staging was fantastic! We had sessions Monday afternoon/evening, and then all day today (Tuesday) where we got to know one another in the Swaziland training class, learned about the policies of Peace Corps and ate cookies and made fun of each other. The group consists of 36 people of which 12 are guys and 8 are married (so 4 couples). Everyone seems to have bonded pretty quickly, united by the fact that we're all going through the same weird life transition that nobody else in our lives has really been able to understand fully. We bonded over such activities as "change 5 things" and trying to lower a tent pole to the ground with only one finger each...don't ask.
This evening, fifteen of us went out to Thai food for our last meal (scary!!) and I had some delicious green curry shrimp that had about 20 jumbo shrimp in it. A GREAT last meal. I've also packed and re-packed about a million times and I'm fully prepared for at least one of my perfectly packed bags to get stolen/lost/picked over in the Jo'burg airport...last year, 20 people out of the 25 in the training class had AT LEAST one bag "delayed." The joke is that they're delayed by a few days so that the security people in Jo'burg have time to x-ray them and pick out all the valuables. We'll see...I'm prepared to live out of my carry-on for at least 5 days. (Tip: If you're going on a long trip like this, the backpack I got for a carry-on is perfect! It's a North Face Backtrack 50 and it's amazing in every way).
Also, I volunteered to be a Group Leader (GL) for the trip which essentially means I'm in charge of everyone's passports, plane tickets and general well-being for the duration of travel tomorrow/Thursday. We're leaving tomorrow early in the morning and heading by bus to JFK to fly to Johannsburg via Dakar, Senegal. Woo! It's a 19-hour flight with some re-fueling time and HOPEFULLY no complications.
I'm feeling really good about my decision to join Peace Corps thus far. I know there will be ups and downs ahead of me and I'm prepared for that, but I really think I'm in good company as far as the training class is concerned. I'm optimistic about my language abilities (which is kind of cheating since I'm really just relying on what I remember from Zulu class) and I have a much better idea of what to expect culturally, physically and emotionally than most of the other people in my training class. But mostly I just realize that I'm to the point that I'm getting on the plane in the morning and I have no an ounce of nervousness or second thoughts or ANYTHING but excitement. I'm beginning to believe in fate...I'm not exactly sure how I ended up headed for Swaziland, but exactly where I'm supposed to be.
I'm not sure when I'll be able to update again, but definitely check back periodically! I've also taught my mother how to update so if there's anything REALLY important going on I'll have her update it if I don't have internet access (I SHOULD have a cell phone...we'll see if I'm allowed to use it). In the meantime, I'll try to send some letters (but I don't know how practical that is) but you can send me letters too! It's only 94 cents...I'm worth that, right?
Love to you all and I'll be thinking of you!
Sala kahle,
Justine.
PS Happy 16th birthday Zak and Happy 5 1/2 birthday Damian!
Sunday, June 15, 2008
The Countdown
Sanibona! (That means "hello everyone" in siSwati)
Just in case you don't know (by some miracle--it's all I talk about these days), I'm leaving June 23 for Swaziland where I will work as a community health HIV/AIDS educator for the Peace Corps. I have training from June-August 2008, then I'll HOPEFULLY (if I'm deemed competent) be sworn in on August 28 as a Peace Corps Volunteer (PCV)! But for now, I'm studying and shopping and generally freaking out about the fact that I'm moving to Africa for the next 27 months.
So, now I'm frantically making last-minute preparations like packing and studying siSwati (that's what they speak in Swaziland) before my departure for Swaziland. Next Monday, June 23, I'll be leaving for Philly for my "staging" where I will learn all about safety and what to expect and meet everyone else in my group (there are 35 of us), then we will all board a bus to JFK where we'll fly to Dakar, Senegal, and Johannesburg, South Africa. After a brief rest, we'll be taking yet another bus to Swaziland where we'll begin our Pre-Service Training (PST). And hopefully all my packing will not be in vain...but the Jo'burg airport is notorious for luggage thieving!
I can hardly contain my excitement! I've been communicating with a few other people in my training group on Facebook (lame, I know), but I'm excited to ACTUALLY meet everyone in Philly. ALSO, in some random twist of fate I happen to know one of the other girls in my training class--Serena and I are both AEPhi alum from AU. It's an incredible coincidence...
Anyway, I'm moving to Africa. Again. If you would like to send me a letter or something (not that you have to, I'm just posting this in case!), here's my address:
Justine Amos, PCV
US Peace Corps
P.O. Box 2797
Mbabane H100, Swaziland
AFRICA
You can also send stuff DHL if you want:
Justine Amos, PCV
c/o US Peace Corps
Farm 188
Gate 256 Muzi Road,
Dalriach West, Mbabane
Swaziland
Phone #: 268-422-0411
So, that's all for now. I'll probably be able to write once or twice between now and August, but maybe not at all--it really depends on the frequency of internet access. BUT, I should have a cell phone within a few days in Swaziland (all I have to do is buy a sim card since I kept my phone from South Africa) and I'll post my number whenever I get a chance.
Also, when I have them I'll post some photos on this blog (if I can figure out how to do that...) for your viewing pleasure!
Hamba kahle,
Justine.
Just in case you don't know (by some miracle--it's all I talk about these days), I'm leaving June 23 for Swaziland where I will work as a community health HIV/AIDS educator for the Peace Corps. I have training from June-August 2008, then I'll HOPEFULLY (if I'm deemed competent) be sworn in on August 28 as a Peace Corps Volunteer (PCV)! But for now, I'm studying and shopping and generally freaking out about the fact that I'm moving to Africa for the next 27 months.
So, now I'm frantically making last-minute preparations like packing and studying siSwati (that's what they speak in Swaziland) before my departure for Swaziland. Next Monday, June 23, I'll be leaving for Philly for my "staging" where I will learn all about safety and what to expect and meet everyone else in my group (there are 35 of us), then we will all board a bus to JFK where we'll fly to Dakar, Senegal, and Johannesburg, South Africa. After a brief rest, we'll be taking yet another bus to Swaziland where we'll begin our Pre-Service Training (PST). And hopefully all my packing will not be in vain...but the Jo'burg airport is notorious for luggage thieving!
I can hardly contain my excitement! I've been communicating with a few other people in my training group on Facebook (lame, I know), but I'm excited to ACTUALLY meet everyone in Philly. ALSO, in some random twist of fate I happen to know one of the other girls in my training class--Serena and I are both AEPhi alum from AU. It's an incredible coincidence...
Anyway, I'm moving to Africa. Again. If you would like to send me a letter or something (not that you have to, I'm just posting this in case!), here's my address:
Justine Amos, PCV
US Peace Corps
P.O. Box 2797
Mbabane H100, Swaziland
AFRICA
You can also send stuff DHL if you want:
Justine Amos, PCV
c/o US Peace Corps
Farm 188
Gate 256 Muzi Road,
Dalriach West, Mbabane
Swaziland
Phone #: 268-422-0411
So, that's all for now. I'll probably be able to write once or twice between now and August, but maybe not at all--it really depends on the frequency of internet access. BUT, I should have a cell phone within a few days in Swaziland (all I have to do is buy a sim card since I kept my phone from South Africa) and I'll post my number whenever I get a chance.
Also, when I have them I'll post some photos on this blog (if I can figure out how to do that...) for your viewing pleasure!
Hamba kahle,
Justine.
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