Everyday life

We’ve had the first days of frost in the mornings and snow on the mountain tops. I’ve purchased a woolie Basotho blankets to keep me warm at night and the thermal layers are worn more and more frequently. Not what you expect from Africa!

We had a “Quality Education For All” event in school, with all schools in town meeting up on a big field singing, dancing and showing plays, all to highlight that education is not just for pupils in school, but for everyone, young and old, rich and poor… Really not sure about the message, and I’m not sure if the children knew either, as the speeches from the chief and the principals were done with the back to the children, towards the Department of Education representatives, sitting under a big plastic tent sipping coke!

In school ST1’s English is improving well. Now they come up to me in lunchtime and chat in English instead of Sesotho. In Art Tie&Dye and making paint butterflies have been the greatest successes. Next week will be the final term tests before 6 weeks winter holidays…

We’ve squeezed in a weekend in Bloemfountein to visit Mohau, a student teacher friend from here, and to do some shopping. We even had some seafood which tasted absolutely amazing… Followed by a Cappucino! What a kick… Not daily procedure here basically!

Other things worth mentioning… I’d proudly say I’ve viewed my first chicken killing (voluntarily) and have plucked and prepared the poor little chicks after. Didn’t taste so good after. Also, we met the prime minister of Lesotho the other week. He happen to swing in to Mohales Hoek to plant some trees and do a little dance with the villagers here. Obviously he had with him his 5 follow cars, security guards with machine guns and were sitting under a fluffy plastic tent decorated with flowers, silk and satin, having a heap of soft drinks to neck down during churck service. Apparently I missed the chiefs invitation to shake his hand… not too sorry for that, as my hand would probably have wondered into his pockets to get back some of the money he steals from his people…

It’s also been 17. May. We celebrated Norway National day in an evaluation meeting with our organization and after by watching Cardiff City playing Porthsmouth(?) in the FA Cup final, ending the night with a party in our house. Good fun!