ps

i have posted some pics on flickr now. u should check them out

2 1/2 months in site

hello usa! i'm am completely stoked to be back in front of a computer for the first time in what seems like forever! i've had a pretty great last couple of months. i can't write everything that's been going on - that would be a really long blog. i'm hoping to find a flash drive so i can write weekly updates on a computer in mohale's hoek and then be able to post them all when i next find a computer with internet. i'm teaching, mostly english, and some science, to primary and secondary school kids. my main focus is the older primary kids and the secondary kids. i'll be teaching biology to form b (2nd year of secondary school) kids next year, as well as english to form a's. the school year is winding down now. it ends nov. 30th, and i'll have a 2 month break until it starts again. i'm enjoying my village where i live as well. everyone is really friendly, and i'm trying to learn more sesotho so i can say more than "hello" and "goodbye." i want to start some projects in my village such as an exercise group and monthly nutrition seminars, and i'm trying to work more with the support group in my village. in my school, i'm trying to get funding for a piggery and chicken coop. the ground at my school is so arid that agricultural projects are really difficult. i also would like to start a youth group. i want to do fund-raising activities with my secondary school kids because some of them have had to drop out of school because they can't afford to pay school fees. i want to do something about that. i also want to start a girl's soccer team, and a girl's athletics (track) team next year. so i've got a few things going on. for the most part i like my school. i'm getting less and less "lehua, lehua's (white person, white person)" from people, as they are getting to know me. i'm also not getting mistaken for the former pcv, brandy, as much any more. i have gotten a couple "ma-china's" as well. i never in my life thought i'd be mistaken for a chinese person, but there you go. prince harry came to a soccer tournament in mohale's hoek on friday, so i got to see him. he basically just watched a game for a little while and left. apparently he's pretty active in lesotho. they tournament was for high schools/secondary schools, and it was funded by different organizations to promote hiv/aids awareness so there were a bunch of games related to hiv, and the kids had the opportunity to test. it was a pretty nice day, long though. eleven hours. i'm pretty tan now. i chopped most of my hair off yesterday. worst part of lesotho thus far: bucket bathing. long hair makes it even more difficult, so something had to be done. a couple other girls and i got together and one of them cut my hair, and the other girl's. i was able to come to maseru today because i have a meeting tomorrow with some peace corps personnel about my site and my plans in my site. i had absolutely no objections to heading back into electricity, internet, and running water for a day. i can take a shower tonight!!!!!! hooray! and maybe i'll even get motivated and shave! oh my goodness i'll feel so girly. it's been a while. in other news, i'm planning a trip to swaziland dec 15-22 with three other friends. we're trying to find one more person so we can fill up a rented car. kyla, one of my friends, and i have decided we are on a mission to find hippos. and i want to see a warthog. i think that's the general gist of my life thus far. it's pretty quiet. i'm in bed many nights by 7, and asleep sometimes by 8, as there's nothing else to do when the sun goes down. in my defense i get up pretty early, too. hope all is well back in the states. hopefully i'll be back near the interwebbies soon.
ann