Halloween and Community Updates

Today is Halloween. Halloween is not celebrated in my village. I’m sad. My friend Tom sent me a text message this morning wishing me a happy holiday. He also told me that he was dressing up as a white person for the day, he expected a lot of attention from everyone in the community (in case you don’t get the joke…he’s white). I drew a pumpkin on my calendar to celebrate. It doesn’t really compare to last year’s celebration with Celina at the bars but what can you do.

Last week I gave my first workshop on my own. The topic: Alternatives to Corporal Punishment. It went very well and my teachers were intrigued by the idea of star charts and other methods of positive reinforcement. They were even more impressed when I used positive reinforcement with them through the use of candy. They all filled out evaluations afterwards and for the most part there words were very reassuring. The best moments came the day after when: my principal had me use one of the methods to help teach a first grader about self-discipline and also when a teacher came and told me some of the methods she had tried in her class that day and how well behaved the children were. I finally feel productive and accomplished!!

I also have become very well versed in Microsoft Excel. I’ve implemented a number of spreadsheets to help my teachers with school management: one for budgets and one for examination grades.

As of now I’ve found two spaces to make a library. I will be putting a small one into my school Leakhale and after the new classrooms are built at Matshwi I will be turning one of the old blocks of classrooms into a community library. I am incredibly excited about these projects. Literature plays such a huge role in my life and to spread the joy of reading to children feels amazing. If anyone is feeling inspired a hint: contact me on doing a book drive, believe me, we need them.

Also on the topic of reading, I’ve gotten Mapula addicted. I gave her Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants to read and she was addicted. All she can talk about now is trying to find a copy of the movie to watch and where we can find the second book in the series to read. I decided she was ready to read some more quality literature (I loved sisterhood but it wasn’t Shakespeare by any means). She is now in the middle of A Tree Grows in Brooklyn. She discovered that I had finished the book in three days (it was damn good) and as a result her goal is to finish it in less. I keep trying to tell her that reading is not a competition but she’s convinced. She keeps bugging me that I need to get copies of Harry Potter. After I raved about those books she seems as focused as me to be totally in love with the series.

Life is good here. I got to see a number of the volunteers over the weekend and it definitely helped to lift spirits. In addition, I was approached by a group of high school students, about 30, to help them start and HIV/AIDS awareness project in the community. They are amazing teenagers. They continuously inspire me. I’m giving them a workshop on different HIV/AIDS workshops that they can give to other youth in the community on Wednesday. I can’t wait to see what they accomplish. I wish I knew more focused youth in America like them.

Address Update

I finally got an address. Please :) start sending me letters again:

Cait Makobo Burkholder
P.O. Box 4631
Ga-Kgapane
0838
South Africa

If you want to send packages feel free :) just please try to send them in padded envelopes instead of boxes (I get huge fees here if they come in boxes or are really heavy) and declare them as things like literature otherwise I might not be able to retrieve them. Hope all is well and things are wonderful here.

The Maria Story

My amusement never ends. I ran into Maria who is on the School Governing Board (SGB) for one of my schools and she got to looking at me. Soon she was contemplating the logistics of my nose piercing. When she realized that I did in fact have a hole through my nose she about had a heart attack. She was soon looking at all my piercings in my ears and slapping her hands back and forth at me begging me to not get anymore. When I started to turn my cartilege piercing she looked at me with the sam disdainful look that I give cow intestines and chicken feet.
I then decided to take it one step further. Soon I revealed to her my belly button piercing. That pushed her over the edge and she could not comprehend why this white person would put all these holes in her body. I could only describer her facade as incredulous disbelief. It's definitely evident the difference between the older and younger generations, traditional versus Westernizing. On on hand, there is Maria incapable of comprehending why I would do this an on the other hand is 24-year-old Sello (my host brother) trying to convince me to pierce my eyebrow also.
Growing up as I did, I can't understand Maria's shock and I enjoyed teasing her that she should get her belly button pierced too (which my host mom thinks is a hilarious idea and Maria finds ultimately disturbing). Yet, I am continuously shocked by some of the behaviors here: Shortly after Maria's outburst her friend told me that in her husband's tribe, after the woman has a baby, they make slit in her side (yes this does mean cuts through her skin) to make pockets for the baby's legs so they can be carried on the back. At hearing this it was my turn to have a "Maria reaction."

Men and Marriage

I have come to the conclusion that men here like women that can put them in their place. Today I was talking to a man and teasing him that his shirt was too small (it was a woman’s shirt made to show off midriffs) and telling him that he should stop smoking because cigarettes would kill him. Apparently, he liked this because he was soon asking me to marry him. Then came his shocking proposal: he would pay my family 2 million rand for my lobola (payment man makes to future’s wife’s family in order to obtain her). Two million rand is more than 300,000 dollars (most lobolas are somewhere between 15 and 30 thousand rand). Even I wouldn’t pay that much for me (I’m a lot to put up with). In addition, he said he would stop smoking, drinking, start going to church, and cook for me (culturally South African men don’t cook, this is a huge offer). It was a very entertaining proposal considering the man doesn’t know my real name (I’m Makobo to the villagers).
I have also jumped very fast into the deep end. Within 11am on my first day at the schools I had met with a building inspector to attempt to convince him not to tear down a building that I want to fix and make into a community library and had committed to teaching a two day workshop on alternatives to corporal punishment for next week. It is now Friday and I have added teaching a second workshop to my schedule as well as created an entire yearly budget on Excel for one of my schools. Luckily, I thrive off of intense situations and stress at least for now will keep my mind off of being home sick. I’m wishing myself luck.

Family Issues

I broke out the photo album of my family last night. I’ve noticed I get the same questions over and over: Are those boys your children? Is your youngest brother Asian (I still can’t convince anyone that he’s not)? Does your sister know how to drive a car? Etc.
Last night was particularly amusing because they started renaming my pictures. Caryn became Mapula, Jake became Khutso, Sam became Oupa (as a joke since Oupa is 16), and mom became my new mom. Turns out I get my same family plus two older brothers and an overprotective father. My dad is hilarious. He’s trying to spoil me. He keeps insisting that he wants to put his small TV in my room. Plus the department of education dropped off a bed frame for me, which he refused to let me use because he said it looked like a bed in a jail (I happen to agree with him on this point). So instead I get to keep my super comfy full size. I definitely lucked out on family issues.
Once again let me stress the following: Mapula rocks! I’m lying in my room today and in Mapula came with a blindfold. She leads me to the house, sits me in a chair, and removes the blindfold. In front of me is a giant cake that says Happy Birthday (no joke, this thing was 2 feet across). Mapula explained that she was sad we didn’t get to celebrate before. She then proceeded to shove cake in my face. It made for a good photo op. and a very good day.

Peanut butter cookies and gold stars

Children are so great. They are always the first to embrace you and the most genuine. Today I brought out my gold star stickers. The kids went wild. Before I knew it I had the whole neighborhood at my house trying to please me anyway possible in order to get a sticker. I took it as a teaching opportunity . We went over all the body parts in English and after whoever could tell me where their knee was, etc. got a star. It was so cute: all these tiny children crammed together eagerly raising their hands vying for a chance to answer.
During all of this I had been making peanut butter cookies. When they were finished Mapula tolds the kids "lineup." and immediately they were in an ordered fashion hands outstretched for peanut butter dookies. Benefit of all this: all the children love me. Cost analysis: They'll never leave me along again.

Side note: I played Blue's Clues Memor with my family tonight. My youngest brother, Khutso, kicked butt. Everyone kept trying to help him but he didn't need it and beat us every time. It was great for him because I don't think he often gets the credit he deserves.

Update of frightening creature residing in my room:
I decided to suck it up and go in search or my unwelcome roommate. I did find him. Unfortunately the monkey butler theory will not be panning out. Nor will a mouse be losing its life. Turns out it was a large gecko. After the scorpion incident I couldn't really deal with gecko removal so against my better judgment I let Mapula kill it. Turns out that even when a gecko is dead, and its tail is removed from its body, that the tail will continue to twitch for a number of minutes. Go figure....

Becoming official and thoughts on driving, weight issues, and roommates

As of 2pm today I took an oath to uphold the U.S. constitution and officially swore my life away to Peace Corps. No longer am I a "trainee," I am now an official "volunteer." Currently, I am lying in my bed exhausted (it's 10pm and I got up at 3:45am). With the exception of spending a few hours in Pretoria for the ceremony, I have been in a vehicle for the entirety of that time. Nevertheless, I have already gotten my desk organized and pictures on my walls. It's been a long two months living out of a suit case. I'm ready to have a home. I'm going to have to do a lot of shopping to get everything that I need (not that I won't be enjoying doing that)

Some highlights of the day:

The drive:

I am deathly afraid of cars. I think it stems from a bad accident in my childhood that left me with 50 stitches in the side of my face and a scary plastic surgeon who wanted to "fix" my scars by doing the equivalent of "sandpapering them down." Now I have been in other accidents" Tracy rear ending a stopped vehicle on the freeway, that time I accidentally backed into the mail box (I swear it came out of nowhere). I have been in the car with scary drivers: just get in the car when my sister is driving. But never, have I ever, been as scared as I was in the car today. The man driving us home was not only driving twice the speed limit in the pitch black, he was also on his cell phone, and playing chicken with semis. Eventually, after I gently explained to him that he was scaring me to death (Ga ke rate mootledi- I don't like the driver) he said the following: "We're at heaven's window when I drive like this"
Me: No we've got one foot throught the gate
Him: If I don't drive this way I'll fall asleep.
Me: you should open the window, play music, and get a cup of coffee.
Him: Are you married?


My Principal: Setting: I haven't seen this woman in a month. She comes to me and gives me a big hug and says the following:
Hello Makobo you've gained weight
(Now I realize that this is a compliment in her culture and the other volunteers were saying that she was only saying it to be nice- regardless it's time to become a fasting marathon runner)

That's Life...


Later that night: The story "Where the Wild Things Are" definitely has relevance to my life. There is something alive living in my room. I think I knew this when I did my original site visit. I was aware of the bags rustling as a result of some critter though I believe I dismissed this knowledge as a figment of my imagination allowing my mind to believe that what was happening was a vivid dream brought upon by the anti-malaria medication I'm consuming. Last night confirmed otherwise. Denial must be over ridden by the knowledge that I will have to deal with my unwelcome roommate.
Hypotheticals:
1. There is a mouse that will soon be losing its life.
2. There is a monkey that I will not only learn to coexist with but in fact train to be my butler.
3. It's the ghost of the cockroach that at one time resided in my hair.
4. It's my former computer printer (I assume someone will get that reference)

The Next Morning: Mapula Rocks!!!! She made me breakfast in bed.

Later the next morning: Apparently all small creatures have a vindetta against me. Either that or someone really never wants me to bathe again. I haven't decided what's worse: cockroach in the hair or scorpion in the wash cloth. I don't think I've ever jumped on a bug (is a scorpion a bug?) as many times or with as much force as I took that scorpion out with.

Moving on...

Before I start this a few quick notes:

*I have incredible and amazing friends. Lisa, Becca, Court, Stephanie, and Baker sent me the best package ever. I shut myself in my room the other day and did yoga and ate cheese crackers and read a lot of hilarious letters. I want to thank them so much especially for celebrating my birthday by going out for Mexican food (Mexican food how I miss thee)

*No I have not cut off all my hair yet. As close as I get to doing it the George Washington era of my hair keeps coming into my head. I am thinking about going for braids. I'll keep you updated.

So yesterday I went to Pretoria for the first time. Pretoria in October is amazing. It's covered with Jackarand trees so the entire city is purple. You can't go anywhere without seeing purple, purple, purple.
Tomorrow I swear in (this is a big accomplishment as I initially failed my language test because they tested me in the wrong language by accident) and will be an official Peace Corp Volunteer. For you all this means that I'll still be in South Africa. For me this means I will be leaving all the other Americans and for the next three months I will be on travel restriction at my site. That means I can't go anywhere: not for Halloween, not for Thanksgiving, not for Christmas, not for New Year's, not even for summer break which is in a few weeks. This is the time that I'm going to need the most support. Send me anything to make me laugh, any news, anything to do in general (books, crossword puzzles, anything and everything). I will be changing addresses this weekend so be aware of that and wait to send anything until I post my new one otherwise I may have to wait months to get anything. I realize that I'm continuously asking for more stuff but as a disclaimer I'm just trying to keep my spirits high and stay apart of all your lives because I miss everyone so much.
It's kind of nerve wracking to be making this step. I feel a bit overwhelmed about what to do with myself as I'm kind of making up my job as I go. I'm really hoping to start a running camp this summer (initially I was going to do soccer but until I can get donations I have to postpone), painting South African flags and World Maps in schools, and maybe doing a theatre program. I want to have something to do, to stay busy and to not get to lonely.
I have to pack up everything now and get ready for tomorrow's ceremony. I have to be ready to go at 5:30 in the morning. It's going to be a big day: trip to Pretoria, fancy ceremony, saying goodbye to my Moletsi family, and moving in with my new family (I can't wait to see Mapula again). Two years left as of tomorrow :) !!

The Sheep that almost got away

I grew up in suburban California. This means that the closest I've gotten to the animal equals mean equation is chicken breasts in the grocery store asisle. Apparently that's not the way it goes down in Africa. It's not a particularly good idea to get too attached to any of the "cute" animals wandering the village as it's quite posssible that you will be eating that animal's foot for dinner.
Yesterday we had our Moletsi farewell banquet (that included amazing tribal dancing that I have amazing pictures of that I will eventually find some way to get on a computer). "Luckily" for us the chief decided to donate two sheep. So Saturday morning in rolls the Peace Corp van with two unsuspecting sheep residing in the back. Soon a dull knefe had been fourn and our infamous language trainer, Papi, was ready to take on the manly role of "hunter." The van was open and one of the sheep flew from the vehicle with as much speed as it could muster and headed towards the gate to make its escape. Chaos broke loose: we were presented with quite the conundrum. Part of the volunteers chased after the animal while the other half chanted "Free the Sheep." Unluckily or luckily, depending on your opinion, Jesse caught the sheep. I have quite the before and after pictures of the event. Before: Jesse carrying hte sheep to its doom. After: Peace Corp volunteers skinning the animal.