November

I can't believe today is the 1st of November already. Really, where has the time gone?
Last weekend I hosted several friends for my second annual Halloween weekend... it was considerably smaller than last year, but at this point in my service, I think it was the perfect size. We had mexican food - tons of beans, piles of rice, a loaf of cheese, veggies and guacamole. I'm pretty pleased with my ability to make a solid mexican meal... all from scratch. It'll be so much easier in the States where beans come in cans, tortillas come in packages... and the cheese comes pre-shredded!

My birthday was also last week. While celebrating almost any holiday in Africa is slightly strange (seasonal differences and lack of friends/family), it was a pretty good birthday. I taught my two classes (Wednesdays are nice, light days), went on a run, did my laundry, read some book and watched a movie. Nothing too extravagant but definitely enjoyable. A couple of my close Basotho friends at school sang me "Happy Birthday" (they know the song here, too!) and told me they'd have my present the next day. I assured them I didn't need anything but they insisted. On Monday morning (aka Thursday, in African time), they came to my house to present me with a ceramic plate, painted with a Mosotho woman carrying her baby toward their home, and the word Lesotho. It is absolutely beautiful and will come home with me for sure. (It even came with a stand to hold it up so I can proudly display it in America!)
Not too much else new has been going on. The weather is beautiful - sun almost every day except for the occasional windy and gray day. We haven't seen any real rain yet, which is going to be a HUGE problem for farmers and everyone else here. Usually by this time, we're well into the rainy season with a couple rainy days each week, but the weather has only been teasing us. It'll be really cloudy with wind, sometimes it even smells like rain, but then it may sprinkle, or it may just move on. The upside of that is that the mosquitoes haven't really come out yet, but there are enough flies to make up for it. The lack of rain is still very disappointing; I'm hoping for at least one good scary thunderstorm before I leave.
I'm still teaching, my students (I hope) are still learning... I'm definitely still missing home. In fact, it almost seems worse now that I only have just over 5 weeks left... It feels like the last stretch of a marathon, where you can see the finish and you know how far you've come, but you're just not there yet. I can envision myself landing in the Twin Cities (projected date: December 19th, possibly earlier) and coming down the escalator to see my family waiting for me... but that won't happen for a month and a half, and I have SO much to do in the meantime.
I've been selling some clothing items and some kitchen items but still have a long way to go before my belongings will all fit into two suitcases and a carry-on. A friend is coming this weekend to run and help me (hopefully finish) the paintings that were started 3-4 years ago by the first volunteer here... It shouldn't be too challenging since we'll just be redoing what she did, but for some reason it has taken me a long time to get the motivation to just go out there and do it. I've managed a couple coats of white, but there's still plenty to paint. I'm hoping to involve some students who did the project with her initially (that'd be a nice touch, don't you think?)
Today's lunch was samp, which I just can't stomach anymore. Most of the other teachers here are also tired of it, so I told them we'd have American lunch today: peanut butter and jelly sandwiches! I let them make their own (since everyone likes different pb:j ratios) and even though they totally skimped on the peanut butter, everyone thought they were a treat. Success!
Time now to go get ready for my afternoon class and reclaim whatever is left of the PB and J. Hope all is well at home (or wherever else you may be)... I'll be home for Christmas!!!
Love from Lesotho,
-Katie