When I first arrived in Lesotho it was cooler, dry, arid and kind of ugly to tell you the truth. Since the rain has arrived, whole new story. I will have quite the green Christmas. Everything is blooming full force and there are finally peaches and apricots, and plums and a variety of other delicious fruit that wasn’t previously available. On top of this all the mountains and valleys and canyons and etc. has turned green literally overnight and it is just wonderful. And it rains like every night. To those of you who don’t like rain this might not be appealing but for those of us that love the rain, it is like heaven minus the poverty and HIV oh and lack of Target. I can’t really describe the scenery that well but will be posting pictures and this time pretty soon too. And that is random musing number one.
On to two. So I’ve been trying to relate to you over the past entries what it is like being a single white female in the village in relation to the men here, while I was walking today I came up with the perfect description. Bo-Ntate (Basotho men) all basically think they are God’s gift to earth, and subsequently every woman here, and quite frankly are astonished when I don’t immediately want to strip down and hop into bed. It is cruel but the truth. Lately they have taken to asking how much my “la bola” (bride price) is. I reply, true to my nature, a Mercedes, and they they ask, “how many cows is that worth?” Anywho, that sums up number two.
Three. The Basotho, and I think this applies to other African people, but to them, or this is what they generally think, and that is they think Americans all have high pitched nasally voices about on par as Fran Drescher on “The Nanny.” So you always know when they are talking to you because they say “hello” in an over exaggerated high pitched nasally voice. This gets really annoying because of course we don’t speak like this, so I have begun to reply “lumela” (hello in Sesotho) in a really high, over exaggerated voice. Backfire. I was walking again today and came across a girl and she did the whole “hello ausi” in the typical high pitched voice, I replied lumela in my normal voice, only to realize that it isn’t that different from my attempt at a high pitched nasally voice. So maybe they really aren’t making fun of us too much. Woops, it is still annoying though.
Last one. So I got back from my training in Maseru this past week and one of the housekeepers did not know that had returned so when I went to the kitchen to greet her I sneaked up on her and scared her. The girl lost it. She screamed so hard, she lost her balance and fell to the ground in tears. This was obviously not the reaction I anticipated. I felt so bad and then realized she was laughing really hard and then I didn’t feel so bad. So lesson learned, never sneak up on M’e Mpho. So sorry.
Well that basically concludes the musings for this week. It is December and absolutely nothing goes on during December so I have just been chilling out and drinking coffee. So have a wonderful week, I hope the season is going well and that no one is too stressed out!! Christmas e Monate le Salang Hantle!!! (Merry Christmas and Stay Well!)
2 comments:
they just talked about female condoms on SNL. gross. somehow this made me think of you. i hope that doesn't weird you out. i got your email and went whoo! and then wrote you back.
some how kate i'm not offended. i think i've been in country too long...
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