Lumela! (Du-may-lah; Hello)
After two years of anticipation, I have finally landed in Lesotho (Leh-soo-two). And as I'm writing this, it is my first night with my host family, who I will be living with for the duration of my Pre Service Training (PST); From now until early December I will be doing PST alongside 17 other trainees in my cohort.
PST consists of learning language fluency, cultural understanding, and job-related training (in my case, health/HIV education). It is truly baptism by fire, as my first day with my host family has demonstrated.
I am now living with 'Maretsepile (ma-rate-see-pee-lay), her three children, and her husband Ntate Keketso. My host family speaks very little English, with the majority coming from Ntate (father). The awkwardness is palpable, but manageable, and only going to decrease with my language skills is rapidly flowing in.
When you fully immerse yourself in another culture, it's like your brain unconsciously restarts the gears that developed English in me as a child. Must be a survival instinct, because you just want to learn with the depth and speed of a curious kid. In addition to speaking with the local Basotho, I'm hitting the flashcards hard, with a digital deck that already contains 300+ words.
The one thing I cannot express enough is the gratitude and overwhelming welcoming-ness of the Basotho people. When we landed in King Moshoeshoe (Mo-schway-schway) Airport, my cohort was welcomed with a singing/dancing/drumming/accordian-playing group that made me feel beyond happy. When we arrived in our training village, we were also greeted with song, dance, and festivities. At one point during the celebration, I volunteered to take part in a skit performed by the local Basotho, in which they spoke only Sesotho. I had no idea what was going on or being said, but at one point I was asked to take a sip of a drink similar to chocolate milk. After my sip, I replied "E monate" (ay mo-nah-tee), which means "It is tasty", and the whole place erupted in cheers. I suspect the much of the celebrations were recorded and put on the Peace Corps Lesotho Facebook and other social media pages; So you can go see the spirit of the Basotho people for yourself!
My host family's home is unbelievably scenic, backing up to a cliff edge/ravine feature, with rolling, treeless hills beyond. Lesotho truly lives up to its nickname: The Mountain Kingdom. I have also received a gift from my host family, a blue/black Basotho blanket, which is beautiful and wonderfully warm (look up a picture!).
The PC Lesotho staff are unbelievably accommodating, grateful, and skilled at their job. Without them, I wouldn't know how to top up my mobile data, speak Sesotho, or bathe in a basin (to name only a few).
Also, my training cohort is filled with nothing but the kindest and most interesting people I've ever met. Some tidbits from the pre-PC lives stand out: a bilingual guy who was a Brazilian national team swimmer, a girl who spent three months in the Alaskan Bush, a girl who biked from Texas to Alaska to raise money for charity, and a guy who will approach any local and ask for help with learning Sesotho. I couldn't ask for a better group of trainees and friends.
And when its dark here, it is DARK. And QUIET. The nights are pure peace, and there is nothing like seeing the Milky Way weaved through the starry skies, while sitting outside your candle-lit abode.
I wish you well, and until next time.
Tsamaea hantle!
("Go well" directly translated, or equivalent to "goodbye" in English. Pronounced: Sah-mai-yah han-klay; the "kl" is a clicking sound)
