Friday, September 23, 2011
You Can Just Call Me...Whatever...
Baba, sisi, mama, ntombi (girl), MyZo, Zozo, Zoey, Zolekaaaa, sweatheart, girl, sweetie, lady, mam, madam, miss, lumkazi (white lady, sp?), umlungu (white person), Alana-ee, and sometimes Alana.
Those are the many names that I have gotten used to hearing. I find it funny that I get everything from baby to mama. I am getting more and more well known throughout the community. We have a lot of people here – but when I’m gone for a week like I was recently many people ask me where I have been. I am the queen of greeting – waving from very far away at anyone and everyone so as not to offend (people have asked me – why didn’t you greet me?). I get my name called from all directions (usually by kids) and they are the automatic alarm that I’m coming down the street.
They are the funniest because they each say my name about 10 times and are not satisfied with a general “Molweni!” (hello plural)…they each want individual “hi!”. Usually I do not pay attention after the first two hellos and just let them scream my name over and over as I walk by waving and smiling at them. Greeting is a VERY important custom in South Africa. If you want to be rude – jump into a conversation without saying hello and how are you? If you think about your daily interactions (in the States I mean), it is not always necessary to greet someone fully before launching into whatever story it is, or problem you have to share with them. Here – store clerk, co worker, random person on the street – you don’t say hi? You are running the risk of seriously offending them. This has been something that I’ve really enjoyed HAVING to focus on here in South Africa.
Coming from the mindset that I need to get things done, and get them done efficiently and quickly I don’t normally take the time in the States for a full greeting before launching into whatever it is I’m thinking of. I like to think that I have manners – so I think I usually begin a conversation with at least “hi” but I’m sure I’m guilty of skipping even that when for example at a store, in a rush, trying to find the aisle with the shampoo – “where can I find shampoo? K, great, thanks!”. I did that once here – walked up to the movie ticket counter at a mall only to ask about price “how much are movie tickets?” I asked. After literally shooting daggers at me with her eyes, the clerk took a long pause, and said “hello, how are you?”. I apologized, greeted her and then asked again. It was actually really embarrassing and an “ah ha” moment.
I knew that it was going to be something I was going to learn in South Africa – how to be more relationship focused and friendly – even with random strangers that I will never see again. I’ve been working really hard at taking the time to do that. I know that it’s not just an American thing, but also an individual personality thing. I tend to be a direct person so sometimes slowing down to take the time to ask how someone is can be last thing on my mind. Knowing that about myself, I hope to come back to the States with a little more patience and a little less rush.
On the work front I’m less frantically rushed to get everything done as I have been the last few weeks. I held the Strategic Planning workshop (which went SO WELL – yay!). I applied for a grant from the MTV Staying Alive Foundation which funds youth led HIV/AIDS prevention projects around the world (pray for me that I get it!). I have this really cool idea for an all youth conference on HIV/AIDS and healthy behaviors. It would be awesome. Our pilot program for HIV/AIDS education SKILLZ has started and is so much fun! The kids really seem to enjoy it (despite the ever present problem of attendance). A lot of them were able to tell us what HIV and AIDS stands for! And they are 9-13! I mean it’s a good thing but also kind of crazy to think about. They are apparently giving really great answers to all of our questions (I can’t understand anything that’s happening because it’s all held in isiXhosa). I’m kind of excited to work with older kids so I can participate and help lead some of the sessions. Right now I just am sort of there to see that everything goes according to plan. And I always facilitate this one session called Fact/Nonsense and then the coaches in teams translate for me.
This was my first week back from the Peace Corps Life Skills training in Pretoria. I brought two of my counterparts with me and it was GREAT. We all got a lot out of it, and the whole week was really productive and helpful. I was very impressed with the Peace Corps, the facilitators, the smooth logistics, and my counterparts for their excitement and willingness to learn. We also got to know each other better which was really fun. I brought an extra bathing suit for my girls clubs co-facilitator Noxolo so she could go swimming. We also worked out together once (well they worked out more but I only did once haha). We also had a chance to just sit and chat about work, the office, and all kinds of stuff. I loved it. The two counterparts I brought are really fun and we have a really playful relationship. It was a good time. On the last night I bought them each a drink at the bar. All in all – a very valuable experience. Funniest quote of the week: during a “recap” of the day before which was taking wayyyyyy too long my male counterpart Figo leans over and says “borrow me a gun”. Maybe that sounds horrible but it was hilarious. Good times in PTA…
I’m really excited to have my first visitors at site – my two PCV friends who stay in KZN (Kwa-Zulu Natal) are coming to visit! They’re just going to be at my site for one night but still – so excited! Then I’m going to go with them to spend the night in PE before they head back. One of them studied abroad here in college and she’s going back to talk to the new study abroad kids about the Peace Corps. I would have gone to that also but I have SKILLZ that week so no such luck. While they are here we’re going to prepare for the World Map Project so that we can all each do it at our sites. It should be a great time!
Funny story: for the last two days these children have come to my house and demanded I give them biscuits (cookies). They just say it over and over. I told them I only have carrots thinking that would deter them and then they demanded carrots. I was shocked by this clever strategy of theirs so then I could only say…well if I give you my carrots what will I eat? That was about the extent of our conversation besides them demanding things from me. Like – go to church, go home (which I was), give me biscuits. “ZOLEKA! Give me biscuits!”. Please let this not be a daily thing…
“Risk more than others think is safe. Care more than others think is wise. Dream more than others think is practical. Expect more than others think is possible”.
-Cadet Maxim
ps. If you are interested in helping me out with my girls clubs just see below on how you can help us out!
Those are the many names that I have gotten used to hearing. I find it funny that I get everything from baby to mama. I am getting more and more well known throughout the community. We have a lot of people here – but when I’m gone for a week like I was recently many people ask me where I have been. I am the queen of greeting – waving from very far away at anyone and everyone so as not to offend (people have asked me – why didn’t you greet me?). I get my name called from all directions (usually by kids) and they are the automatic alarm that I’m coming down the street.
They are the funniest because they each say my name about 10 times and are not satisfied with a general “Molweni!” (hello plural)…they each want individual “hi!”. Usually I do not pay attention after the first two hellos and just let them scream my name over and over as I walk by waving and smiling at them. Greeting is a VERY important custom in South Africa. If you want to be rude – jump into a conversation without saying hello and how are you? If you think about your daily interactions (in the States I mean), it is not always necessary to greet someone fully before launching into whatever story it is, or problem you have to share with them. Here – store clerk, co worker, random person on the street – you don’t say hi? You are running the risk of seriously offending them. This has been something that I’ve really enjoyed HAVING to focus on here in South Africa.
Coming from the mindset that I need to get things done, and get them done efficiently and quickly I don’t normally take the time in the States for a full greeting before launching into whatever it is I’m thinking of. I like to think that I have manners – so I think I usually begin a conversation with at least “hi” but I’m sure I’m guilty of skipping even that when for example at a store, in a rush, trying to find the aisle with the shampoo – “where can I find shampoo? K, great, thanks!”. I did that once here – walked up to the movie ticket counter at a mall only to ask about price “how much are movie tickets?” I asked. After literally shooting daggers at me with her eyes, the clerk took a long pause, and said “hello, how are you?”. I apologized, greeted her and then asked again. It was actually really embarrassing and an “ah ha” moment.
I knew that it was going to be something I was going to learn in South Africa – how to be more relationship focused and friendly – even with random strangers that I will never see again. I’ve been working really hard at taking the time to do that. I know that it’s not just an American thing, but also an individual personality thing. I tend to be a direct person so sometimes slowing down to take the time to ask how someone is can be last thing on my mind. Knowing that about myself, I hope to come back to the States with a little more patience and a little less rush.
On the work front I’m less frantically rushed to get everything done as I have been the last few weeks. I held the Strategic Planning workshop (which went SO WELL – yay!). I applied for a grant from the MTV Staying Alive Foundation which funds youth led HIV/AIDS prevention projects around the world (pray for me that I get it!). I have this really cool idea for an all youth conference on HIV/AIDS and healthy behaviors. It would be awesome. Our pilot program for HIV/AIDS education SKILLZ has started and is so much fun! The kids really seem to enjoy it (despite the ever present problem of attendance). A lot of them were able to tell us what HIV and AIDS stands for! And they are 9-13! I mean it’s a good thing but also kind of crazy to think about. They are apparently giving really great answers to all of our questions (I can’t understand anything that’s happening because it’s all held in isiXhosa). I’m kind of excited to work with older kids so I can participate and help lead some of the sessions. Right now I just am sort of there to see that everything goes according to plan. And I always facilitate this one session called Fact/Nonsense and then the coaches in teams translate for me.
This was my first week back from the Peace Corps Life Skills training in Pretoria. I brought two of my counterparts with me and it was GREAT. We all got a lot out of it, and the whole week was really productive and helpful. I was very impressed with the Peace Corps, the facilitators, the smooth logistics, and my counterparts for their excitement and willingness to learn. We also got to know each other better which was really fun. I brought an extra bathing suit for my girls clubs co-facilitator Noxolo so she could go swimming. We also worked out together once (well they worked out more but I only did once haha). We also had a chance to just sit and chat about work, the office, and all kinds of stuff. I loved it. The two counterparts I brought are really fun and we have a really playful relationship. It was a good time. On the last night I bought them each a drink at the bar. All in all – a very valuable experience. Funniest quote of the week: during a “recap” of the day before which was taking wayyyyyy too long my male counterpart Figo leans over and says “borrow me a gun”. Maybe that sounds horrible but it was hilarious. Good times in PTA…
I’m really excited to have my first visitors at site – my two PCV friends who stay in KZN (Kwa-Zulu Natal) are coming to visit! They’re just going to be at my site for one night but still – so excited! Then I’m going to go with them to spend the night in PE before they head back. One of them studied abroad here in college and she’s going back to talk to the new study abroad kids about the Peace Corps. I would have gone to that also but I have SKILLZ that week so no such luck. While they are here we’re going to prepare for the World Map Project so that we can all each do it at our sites. It should be a great time!
Funny story: for the last two days these children have come to my house and demanded I give them biscuits (cookies). They just say it over and over. I told them I only have carrots thinking that would deter them and then they demanded carrots. I was shocked by this clever strategy of theirs so then I could only say…well if I give you my carrots what will I eat? That was about the extent of our conversation besides them demanding things from me. Like – go to church, go home (which I was), give me biscuits. “ZOLEKA! Give me biscuits!”. Please let this not be a daily thing…
“Risk more than others think is safe. Care more than others think is wise. Dream more than others think is practical. Expect more than others think is possible”.
-Cadet Maxim
ps. If you are interested in helping me out with my girls clubs just see below on how you can help us out!
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
Our Dream: Girls Clubs
My counterpart Noxolo and I just arrived back from a week of Peace Corps Life Skills Training in Pretoria and are more ready than ever to get started on our girls clubs! She and I have been talking about them since August and have been waiting for the end of the October school break to start our clubs at each of the local secondary schools. We are each SO EXCITED for these girls clubs! It was great getting to know Noxolo even better in Pretoria because we are actually really similar in our beliefs and values. I think we will make a great team to facilitate these girls clubs.
Our Vision is: Our vision is to see young women empowered to be confident and strong, able to make healthy life choices and ultimately become positive role models for their community.
Our Mission is: To educate, empower, and engage the young women of Alexandria to make healthy and positive life choices in all aspects of their lives.
Our Goals:
• Promote positive self image and confidence
• Teach the importance of making healthy choices
• Promote the Seven Dimensions of Wellness
• To provide important information in a creative, fun, and engaging way
• Educate about HIV/AIDS
• To encourage young women to take control of their future
• Hold a Camp GLOW with group participants.
Each club will meet every other week (one week Ukhanyo, next week Alexandria High) and will be open to girls from grades 8-11. Every other week will have an activity that corresponds with our topics on the weekends. So for example one we will be talking about the environment and the activity will be a community clean up. We already have over a years worth of topics to discuss and do activities on!
The good thing about my girls club is that most of the things require no money to do or facilitate. Some of the activities that we hope to do however do require some money or supplies. We have the basics of what we need (we can borrow from Ikhwezi), but there are still a lot of things that we would like to be able to do with the girls. We have no budget for the girls clubs (although I hope to apply for a VAST Grant for it) I’ve put together a “wish list” of some things that we would love to have in order to do some of our planned activities until we can secure some kind of funding. We also have planned activities of fundraising in our community and we want to get the community involved (hello – sustainability!) so donations will be asked for within the community as well.
If there is anything that you see on this list that you would be interested in sending to Noxolo and me for our girls clubs, please let me know via email so that I can alert others that someone is getting it – you can e-mail me at alanamcginty@gmail.com.
GIRLS CLUBS WISH LIST:
• Post Secret Book (for an activity that we are going to do about self esteem and overcoming personal challenges)
• Stationary (plain white cards)
• Any educational materials (if you know of any local non profits/government agencies that deal with health or youth if you could stop by them and pick up educational pamphlets and send them our way – any topic would be great but especially on things like sexual health, “changing bodies”, nutrition, etc!)
• Markers, crayons, sharpies, colored chalk
• Old magazines (magazines about any topic would be great – they are for our Vision Boards when we talk about our future and our goals…Oprah anyone?)
• Colored string for friendship bracelets
• Duct tape/clear packing tape/scotch tape
• Color paper
• Spool of yarn
• ANY random arts and crafts things that you think we might be able to use/you want to get rid of (beads, string, buttons, scrapbook papers, stickers, whatever!).
How to send me a package:
Cheapest method depends on the weight of the items. At the post office the flat rate boxes are the cheapest if whatever it is will be heavy. If it’s not heavy it might be cheaper to just send it in your own box. I have not had ANY issues with receiving all of my mail. I have gotten some really big boxes of things and nothing has ever been opened or tampered with. For good measure if you want to put Bible verses on the box it can’t hurt. My address is:
Alana McGinty
PO Box 316
Alexandria 6185
South Africa
If you are interested in helping Noxolo and me with our project and want to send us some items please let me know so that I can update people so as to not get doubles of things. Please email me at alanamcginty@gmail.com if you are interested in supporting this project (financial contributions are also always welcome – please inquire via e-mail if you are interested)! : )
Thank you so much in advance for any help you can be – if you are unable to send physical things - any information if you can think of that would help us achieve our vision and mission (like an interesting article, a great website, or an organization that I could apply to for funding – PLEASE don’t hesitate to pass on the information). Your prayers and good thoughts are always appreciated as well!
"Whatever you can do, or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it" - Goethe
Our Vision is: Our vision is to see young women empowered to be confident and strong, able to make healthy life choices and ultimately become positive role models for their community.
Our Mission is: To educate, empower, and engage the young women of Alexandria to make healthy and positive life choices in all aspects of their lives.
Our Goals:
• Promote positive self image and confidence
• Teach the importance of making healthy choices
• Promote the Seven Dimensions of Wellness
• To provide important information in a creative, fun, and engaging way
• Educate about HIV/AIDS
• To encourage young women to take control of their future
• Hold a Camp GLOW with group participants.
Each club will meet every other week (one week Ukhanyo, next week Alexandria High) and will be open to girls from grades 8-11. Every other week will have an activity that corresponds with our topics on the weekends. So for example one we will be talking about the environment and the activity will be a community clean up. We already have over a years worth of topics to discuss and do activities on!
The good thing about my girls club is that most of the things require no money to do or facilitate. Some of the activities that we hope to do however do require some money or supplies. We have the basics of what we need (we can borrow from Ikhwezi), but there are still a lot of things that we would like to be able to do with the girls. We have no budget for the girls clubs (although I hope to apply for a VAST Grant for it) I’ve put together a “wish list” of some things that we would love to have in order to do some of our planned activities until we can secure some kind of funding. We also have planned activities of fundraising in our community and we want to get the community involved (hello – sustainability!) so donations will be asked for within the community as well.
If there is anything that you see on this list that you would be interested in sending to Noxolo and me for our girls clubs, please let me know via email so that I can alert others that someone is getting it – you can e-mail me at alanamcginty@gmail.com.
GIRLS CLUBS WISH LIST:
• Post Secret Book (for an activity that we are going to do about self esteem and overcoming personal challenges)
• Stationary (plain white cards)
• Any educational materials (if you know of any local non profits/government agencies that deal with health or youth if you could stop by them and pick up educational pamphlets and send them our way – any topic would be great but especially on things like sexual health, “changing bodies”, nutrition, etc!)
• Markers, crayons, sharpies, colored chalk
• Old magazines (magazines about any topic would be great – they are for our Vision Boards when we talk about our future and our goals…Oprah anyone?)
• Colored string for friendship bracelets
• Duct tape/clear packing tape/scotch tape
• Color paper
• Spool of yarn
• ANY random arts and crafts things that you think we might be able to use/you want to get rid of (beads, string, buttons, scrapbook papers, stickers, whatever!).
How to send me a package:
Cheapest method depends on the weight of the items. At the post office the flat rate boxes are the cheapest if whatever it is will be heavy. If it’s not heavy it might be cheaper to just send it in your own box. I have not had ANY issues with receiving all of my mail. I have gotten some really big boxes of things and nothing has ever been opened or tampered with. For good measure if you want to put Bible verses on the box it can’t hurt. My address is:
Alana McGinty
PO Box 316
Alexandria 6185
South Africa
If you are interested in helping Noxolo and me with our project and want to send us some items please let me know so that I can update people so as to not get doubles of things. Please email me at alanamcginty@gmail.com if you are interested in supporting this project (financial contributions are also always welcome – please inquire via e-mail if you are interested)! : )
Thank you so much in advance for any help you can be – if you are unable to send physical things - any information if you can think of that would help us achieve our vision and mission (like an interesting article, a great website, or an organization that I could apply to for funding – PLEASE don’t hesitate to pass on the information). Your prayers and good thoughts are always appreciated as well!
"Whatever you can do, or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it" - Goethe
Sunday, August 28, 2011
Oh.my.goodness
Ohmygoodness I have so much work to do! August, September, and October seem to be THE months that the action is happening – for both my org and myself! I myself have four major projects that I am focusing on, all which require a LOT of prep work and planning. The first one is now over (yay!). It was a Strategic Planning Workshop that I planned and then facilitated. It went REALLY well, and I’m so proud of the staff for all their hard work and enthusiasm! It was inspiring to me to see them so excited for everything. I would say it was a major success (not without minor hiccups daily of course but that is what I’ve grown to expect!). No matter how prepared I am nothing ever seems to go the way I planned. That is a challenge that I personally struggle with. I always used to say that “being flexible” was one of my strengths. Well – yes in the United States I would say I am flexible. But the level of flexibility required here is a whole different level. It’s like I was minor league flexible in the states and here – you have to be the VIP of the major league in your flexibility. At least by the end of two years I will be able to say that I really AM flexible…aka – nothing could go the way I planned or thought and hey – just gotta go with it. Oh, Africa!
Despite that, things have been going great at work and with my projects. We have had nothing but excitement and welcome from the community for the projects we want to do. In September we will be launching our two support groups, and starting our Skillz pilot program. We have already created our first “team” of learners – 20 of the kids from our after care program. They range in age from 10-13 (with one nine year old). This last week my counterpart and I were giving them the pre quizzes of the program to gauge what their knowledge and feelings are about HIV and related issues before they do the program. The same quiz is given after the full 11 “practices” to see how far they’ve come. We didn’t call them quizzes of course and just said we had some questions to ask since we verbally ask them the questions and record their answers. The only thing that really shocked me was the amount of children that said they agree with the statement “At times, it is okay for a man to hit his girlfriend”. It was definitely majority opinion that it was okay. Eish. Let’s just hope by the end the majority say DISAGREE – that is NOT okay! That’s one of my goals!
In October our two girls groups will be begin – and I am SO SO SO excited for that! I’m also super excited about Skillz but this one I really cannot wait to begin! More updates on that to come. I can’t wait to have some cool stories to share from both of those projects. Speaking of cool stories, I helped two boys from the secondary school apply to University of South Africa a couple weeks ago! I had offered to help one of them with it when he said he was going to apply and then he brought a friend along. I was so happy to help them with that and I really hope that they get the opportunity to attend.
In two weeks two of my counterparts and myself (one is doing the girls group with me and the other is assisting with Skillz and our OVCs) are going to a “Life Skills Training” for a week in Pretoria through the Peace Corps. I can’t wait for that because it the timing and topic is extremely relevant for us – especially for the girls clubs. Yesssss. Then, the first week in October two of my fellow PCVs are coming for a quick visit and do work on a project with me. We hope to do the World Map project done by PCVs all over the world where you paint a map of the world and then the host country on a visible wall somewhere. Not sure if it will happen due to me having zero time to plan it – but I’m hoping we can at least do prep work.
Last update, today I went to my first Xhosa funeral. For those of you that remember, I had one sad post a while ago about HIV/AIDS. I mentioned two stories that had really touched me. Well, the young girl (my age) that I mentioned in that story passed away on the 17th of this month and her funeral was today. Such a sad thing, but I am happy that she is no longer suffering like she had been for such a long time. The funeral began at 8:00am at the family’s home. Neither of her parents are living so it was at the house of my Granny. From 8:00am until 10:00am we were at the house and people were praying and singing and preparing for the part that comes after the church.
Then there was a church service and program from 10:00am until 1:00pm. This is not a joke. It was a full mass first (it’s a Catholic church) and then was a program where various people got up to speak. And there was a lot of singing. In between basically every speaker or prayer there is a song, it’s actually really beautiful. I do have to be honest and say that I was struggling through this since it was three hours of not a word I understood. After the church we went straight back to the house, but most people went the cemetery as is customary to bury the body. Afterwards everyone comes from the cemetery to the house and is given a meal. After the meal most people leave except for immediate family and good family friends or neighbors. I left after a lot of people had left because I stayed back to help clean up and since it was my Granny I got to stay and sit with the family for a while. It makes me sad that such a young life was lost due to HIV/AIDS. She was such a sweet girl, and I hope she has found peace.
The only last thing I have to add is I had an amazing surprise and got a phone call from one of my best friends last night (who also happens to be a fellow PCV serving in Ecuador)! It was SO UNBELIEVABLY GOOD to actually hear the voice of one of my friends. Not to sound too much like a desperate girl after a first date, but can you please call me?! That’s all! : )
“Walk with the dreamers, the believers, the courageous, the cheerful, the planners, the doers, the successful people with their heads in the clouds and their feet on the ground. Let their spirit light a fire within you to leave this world better than when you found it...”
- Wilfred Peterson
Despite that, things have been going great at work and with my projects. We have had nothing but excitement and welcome from the community for the projects we want to do. In September we will be launching our two support groups, and starting our Skillz pilot program. We have already created our first “team” of learners – 20 of the kids from our after care program. They range in age from 10-13 (with one nine year old). This last week my counterpart and I were giving them the pre quizzes of the program to gauge what their knowledge and feelings are about HIV and related issues before they do the program. The same quiz is given after the full 11 “practices” to see how far they’ve come. We didn’t call them quizzes of course and just said we had some questions to ask since we verbally ask them the questions and record their answers. The only thing that really shocked me was the amount of children that said they agree with the statement “At times, it is okay for a man to hit his girlfriend”. It was definitely majority opinion that it was okay. Eish. Let’s just hope by the end the majority say DISAGREE – that is NOT okay! That’s one of my goals!
In October our two girls groups will be begin – and I am SO SO SO excited for that! I’m also super excited about Skillz but this one I really cannot wait to begin! More updates on that to come. I can’t wait to have some cool stories to share from both of those projects. Speaking of cool stories, I helped two boys from the secondary school apply to University of South Africa a couple weeks ago! I had offered to help one of them with it when he said he was going to apply and then he brought a friend along. I was so happy to help them with that and I really hope that they get the opportunity to attend.
In two weeks two of my counterparts and myself (one is doing the girls group with me and the other is assisting with Skillz and our OVCs) are going to a “Life Skills Training” for a week in Pretoria through the Peace Corps. I can’t wait for that because it the timing and topic is extremely relevant for us – especially for the girls clubs. Yesssss. Then, the first week in October two of my fellow PCVs are coming for a quick visit and do work on a project with me. We hope to do the World Map project done by PCVs all over the world where you paint a map of the world and then the host country on a visible wall somewhere. Not sure if it will happen due to me having zero time to plan it – but I’m hoping we can at least do prep work.
Last update, today I went to my first Xhosa funeral. For those of you that remember, I had one sad post a while ago about HIV/AIDS. I mentioned two stories that had really touched me. Well, the young girl (my age) that I mentioned in that story passed away on the 17th of this month and her funeral was today. Such a sad thing, but I am happy that she is no longer suffering like she had been for such a long time. The funeral began at 8:00am at the family’s home. Neither of her parents are living so it was at the house of my Granny. From 8:00am until 10:00am we were at the house and people were praying and singing and preparing for the part that comes after the church.
Then there was a church service and program from 10:00am until 1:00pm. This is not a joke. It was a full mass first (it’s a Catholic church) and then was a program where various people got up to speak. And there was a lot of singing. In between basically every speaker or prayer there is a song, it’s actually really beautiful. I do have to be honest and say that I was struggling through this since it was three hours of not a word I understood. After the church we went straight back to the house, but most people went the cemetery as is customary to bury the body. Afterwards everyone comes from the cemetery to the house and is given a meal. After the meal most people leave except for immediate family and good family friends or neighbors. I left after a lot of people had left because I stayed back to help clean up and since it was my Granny I got to stay and sit with the family for a while. It makes me sad that such a young life was lost due to HIV/AIDS. She was such a sweet girl, and I hope she has found peace.
The only last thing I have to add is I had an amazing surprise and got a phone call from one of my best friends last night (who also happens to be a fellow PCV serving in Ecuador)! It was SO UNBELIEVABLY GOOD to actually hear the voice of one of my friends. Not to sound too much like a desperate girl after a first date, but can you please call me?! That’s all! : )
“Walk with the dreamers, the believers, the courageous, the cheerful, the planners, the doers, the successful people with their heads in the clouds and their feet on the ground. Let their spirit light a fire within you to leave this world better than when you found it...”
- Wilfred Peterson
Friday, August 26, 2011
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)