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Blogs from Mbabane, Swaziland, Africa
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May 5th 2013
As an important note: At the end of July, I will be climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro in Late July in an effort to raise funds for Open Arms Home for Children. Please look at my fundraising website at: http://www.crowdrise.com/KilimanjaroSummitforOpenArms I hope to raise $1 for every foot I climb: 19,341 feet = $19,341. Please consider sponsoring a part of my climb up the mountain!! As I write this I am currently 10% of the way there! Lets get to 100% Our days at Open Arms are more filled now than ever with preparing the kids for school at 6:30am and teaching from 8:30-2 pm. In the late afternoon while there is no set schedule; there is always something else to do whether it is to pick up milk at the dairy farm, help kids with homework, paint, ... read more
Mbabane, Swaziland - Speeding in Swaziland!
Published: December 29th 2010Africa » Swaziland » Mbabane
December 20th 2010
“How are you today, sir?” asked the young Swazi policewoman who’d just pulled me over. Angela and I had driven around a bend in our hire car and the lady in question, together with a colleague (armed with a speed camera) had just flagged us down from their hiding position inside a bus stop. After telling the woman I was fine she smiled and informed me I’d been exceeding the speed limit. I turned to look at Angela who looked mildly amused but offered no sympathy and so turned back to the officer. Buggeration, I thought bitterly. Speeding in Swaziland! Mustering the most shame-faced expression I had at my disposal, I told the officer I was sorry and added that I would pay more attention to my speed from now on. She nodded but asked me ... read more
December 19th 2009
We split the day between Kruger in the morning and Swaziland in the afternoon. Myths abound regarding Swaziland, so I will place information on here that I think is the best characterization of how things are. There is just not much happening in Swaziland. It is a mountainous country, at least in the west end. The country's real claim to fame is that at LEAST 30% of the population has HIV. "At least" because that is the percentage of the sample of the million population that has been identified as such but it is likely the number is much higher. The African Experience Ah yes, people walking on the highway, people wearing random items of clothing, but nothing beats the African bureaucrat. We got our taste, without issue, at the Kingdom of Swaziland's Jeppe's Reef border ... read more
September 10th 2009
Crossing from Mozambique to Swaziland is textbook, an efficient but dull sequence of good roads, empty border checkpoints, then even better roads. Though I'm dropped at Manzini and have to take another minibus to reach Mbabane, Swaziland's capital, it's barely midday when I arrive. Mbabane is like being back in England, and I can't imagine just how it ended up being twinned with Fort Worth in Texas. It's cold, dull and misty, and there is a shop just like WH Smith's from where I purchase a copy of the Economist, and could even have had Q if I was so inclined. King Pie sells me a couple of steak and kidney pies and the sounds of English are everywhere. I'm cautious about this sudden familiarity - it feels uncomfortably as though I've gone forward in time ... read more
September 2nd 2009
Okay, so. Egypt. I am so incredibly psyched for the trip, and in the meanwhile making the best of the time I have left here. Traveling around via khombi, studying Arabic, reading my psychology books, and getting some writing done. I'm also dealing with various issues that need to be dealt with. My mind hasn't been in the right place for quite a few months. This trip was, probably to some degree, me trying to escape things. And that might be a good solution in the short term--but a year was going to be a bit excessive. But I think I am on my way to coping with things. What bugs me the most is that coping and adapting is a life-long process, not something I can sit down and have done in a few days. ... read more
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August 22nd 2009
I've had to admit the unthinkable to myself. It turns out I actually don’t like it here. I'm not sure if it is just Swaziland that I dislike, or working at the Ministry of Education. It isn’t the actual work that I dislike, I plan to continue working with Fundza even once I am no longer going into the office. I'll know whether it is culture shock if I end up working the Cabrini Mission (I won’t know until they call me back), and am still having the same adjustment problems. But it has been very difficult for me to admit that to myself. I have difficulty in believing that there is somewhere in the world that is different and unique and foreign that I wouldn't love. But as it turns out: I'm bloody miserable right ... read more
August 20th 2009
So... things. Things have been... strange. Despite how conflicted I usually seem, when there is a situation that requires me to make a choice, I usually know what I am going to do on some deeper level. I've spent the past few days thinking some pretty crazy things. Last night I was planning a route from Swaziland to Egypt (flying over Sudan, of course). I've decided since then that I might forgo that particular trip. Initially I though it would be a great way to leave the continent--I wouldn't feel like I hadn't done anything, and I'd certainly want to leave by the time I got to Egypt. But after reading the travel warnings for Mozambique, Malawi, Zambia, Tanzinia, Kenya, and Uganda, I've decided maybe not. Traveling at night in any of those places is not ... read more
I'm just going to pretend I know what you're saying.
Published: August 14th 2009Africa » Swaziland » MbabaneAugust 14th 2009
I sincerely hope that things go well today for Da'. He deserves a break after the past few years of all this shit. (I know that is not how it works, but I can hope.) It's about 15:00 here, which means it is about 9am in NY--this is one of those moments I wish I was not so far away. Or at least somewhere on the same continent. Everyone who isn't already doing this; please keep my dad in your thoughts and prayers and ritual sacrifices, etc. And here's the blog entry meant for the 13th... 8/13/09 I've had to redefine my views on boredom since coming to Swaziland. Often I would complain that there was "nothing to do," and after moping around in my boredom, go off to see a friend, or give myself an ... read more
August 12th 2009
Now in dual-post on blogger.com! Wow, okay, more excitement than strictly necessary. Fundza has become enjoyable; I wrote up a grant today, and now I need to find someone or a plural amount of someone to fund a debate competition. Friday will be devoted to getting those sent out, and starting on the next focused grant. It's the second day I've worked with them, and today's problem was: someone (not Nonkululeko) forgot to pay the phone bill, so, no phone, no internet. Internet hasn't been especially reliable at S.'s, but I honestly am not complaining about that: means I have time to do Yoga instead. The sunset is not a long, drawn out affair here. The sun takes longer in its decent behind the mountains here than it would at the equator, but instead of painting ... read more
August 10th 2009
African masks are fairly intriguing. As far as I know, they are usually for use in ritual ceremonies, and represent spirits of both humans and animals, good and evil, deities, mythological beings, etc. Many of them look amazing--except when you are alone in a house at night for long stretches of time. I am not an "afraid of the dark" sort of person. But if S.'s house didn't have such a comforting, welcoming feel to it, I would be scared out of my mind here. There are masks, statues, and paintings in the living room--which is also often the darkest room in the house. Tonight was the fourth time I've jumped out of my skin upon seeing my own reflection in one of the large windows with gauzy curtains. Let us not again go into the ... read more
