Well not anymore. I have lived through the first major security disturbance of my Peace Corps Lesotho tour. My thoughts on it are few, however, I am slightly intrigued about a group of Basotho organizing a coup, when organization is an often overlooked part of planning, if there is any.
So it happened on late Tuesday night, early Wednesday morning, when a group of Basotho tried to assassinate the Prime Minister. I don’t really know the details. I mean I would talk more about it but, I don’t want to put out unreliable facts and this is my blog, my fifteen minutes, while you are reading, when I can be completely self centered, and talk about myself. I’m sure you could look it up on the internet and find a ton of info, but how this incident didn’t really faze me, worries me a little. While coming to Lesotho in order to further help the people of the world and become more worldly myself, I completely overlooked an attempted assassination of the Prime Minister of Lesotho. Is it my constant exposure to critical situations that has calloused me from appropriately reacting to when something so serious happens? My guess is probably. I actually thought it was my friend pulling a prank on me (mainly because I pulled the best April Fool’s prank on him, anywho…). But it was a legit concern. I guess I am also pretty removed from the situation as well, I live in a pretty rural area, outside of Maseru, and the attempt took place at the Prime Minister’s house, which so happens to be in the only posh area in Lesotho, a place I see maybe once every 4 months. So there you have it, social disrupt in the form of an attempted, but failed, coup that lasted maybe three hours?
My bigger, and way more girly and self centered concern that day, was what was I going to wear to the Close of Service party I had to go to that night. And yes the fact that this was my main concern really disturbs me, looking back on it. But I don’t get to be girly very often and go dress nice and go to a party where there is electricity and you use actual glasses instead of tin cans to drink your drinks from. So I was pretty excited. But anyways one of the groups of Peace Corps volunteers here are done with their two years and are headed home in the next couple of months. It is weird because while I haven’t spent a ton of time with them the time I have spent was quality and I’m really going to be sad to see those guys leave. When people here leave it isn’t just your friend that is leaving it is a part of your support system. You become to rely on people here for help and camaraderie because there are so few people here who can relate to you and other PCV’s can. Since you see people so little too, the time you spend is kind of intense, so when it comes down to it, when people leave, it can be kind of sad. But on the bright side a new crew of Community Health volunteers are coming in that I get to help train, as my almost one year experience has wizened me enough to impart my help to others who will inevitably think I’m crazy with some of the stories I have.
Well you are lucky and this week I haven’t got too much to say, although I should because there was an attempted assassination, which I’m really ashamed I don’t know more about. Miss you back at home and I hope all is well. Take care and salang hantl
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