Budding Libraries Part 3: Labels, Labels, Labels

In earlier posts (see Budding Libraries Part 1 and Part 2), Michelle and I introduced and then provided an update about the status of our school libraries. In this newest update, we’re going to highlight the work that has been done recently – labels!

There's something about organization that feels so... good!
Don't the labels look pretty!

Our schools are brimming with books that are looking forward to having a home on the shelves in our libraries. Labeling them must come first however. While this is a fairly easy task to complete, with one exception, it is quite time-consuming. Here’s a run-through of what it takes to affix a label to a book:

1. Grab a book and look at the cover, spine, and backcover to ensure the book is in intact
2. Record the author’s name
3. Make note of the language with which the book was written
4. Here comes the hard part… determine the book’s reading level (we’ll explain reading levels more later)
5. Type all of the above information into an Excel spreadsheet in shorthand to make the label
6. Print the sheets
7. Cut out the labels
8. Tape the labels onto the books using packing tape

One of Joe's Colleagues Affixing Labels to Books

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A Quick Explanation of Reading Levels

Reading should be fun yet challenging for learners. In the pursuit of an appropriate book, a learner shouldn’t only read books that are too easy because then the learner won’t grow. Conversely, if a book is too hard for the learner, s/he could become discouraged and stop reading. Reading levels help with this. Using the font size, use of pictures, and number of words, sentences, or paragraphs on a page, reading levels can be assigned to the books. For example, a book with large font, lots of pictures, and very few words would fall into the lowest level. Meanwhile, a book with small font, no pictures, and consisting of over 100 pages would fall into the highest level. With reading levels assigned to the books, they can be grouped together to make it easier for a learner to find a book that’s appropriate for her/him.

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Several Books that Have Already Been Labeled in the Library at Joe's School

It takes about one hour to label roughly 60 books, if there aren’t any interruptions (i.e. learners asking a question, assisting other teachers, electricity shuts off). Luckily, there are a number of people at school who can offer a helping hand – learners and teachers!

One of Joe's Learners Cataloguing Books

A Couple of Joe's Learners Cataloguing Books

Michelle and I have been training learners and teachers how to catalogue, level, and label books. This has helped speed up the process. This has also helped teachers to see all of the fabulous resources we have and gain an appreciation for how much work goes into setting up the library and, thus, (theoretically at least) increase the likelihood that they will use these resources and work to maintain and build appreciation for the library in the long-haul.

A Few of Joe's Colleague's Cataloguing Books

One of Joe's Colleague's Cataloguing Books

As of January 2016, approximately 500 books have been labeled at each of our schools.

Now that teachers are back in the classroom fulltime because of the start of the new school year, we don’t have as many helping hands as we did, so the labeling has slowed down. It’s a good thing we have a few more months until our time with the Peace Corps comes to an end. Only about 1800 more books to go!

The Number of Labeled Books on the Shelves is Growing!

A New School Has Begun

The new school year began last week, and, with it, some changes at school. Some of the changes relate to my direct responsibilities and others relate to observations I have made.

Firstly, how have my responsibilities changed from last school year to this school year? Last year, my main responsibility was to teach three English classes. Most of my time was occupied here. With what time I had remaining, I assisted with an assortment of assignments ranging from coaching the school’s debate team to fulfilling various requests from teachers. Basically, my focus was to teach learners English.

This school year, my focus has shifted from largely focusing on the learners to devoting more of my time to working more directly with the teachers. For example, I’m now co-teaching two English classes with two different teachers. This allows me to work with them one-on-one planning lessons, brainstorming teaching and classroom management strategies, and reflecting on how classes went. I’m also facilitating professional development workshops with the teachers. We just had one the other day about using Microsoft Excel to set up a gradebook. It was great! Aside from teaching inside and outside the classroom, I’m working on the school’s library. The library has come a long way over the last few months with the addition of several thousand books and its organization. The next steps there include training learners to be Library Helpers and utilizing the library to capitalize on school’s recent addition of a reading period to the school’s timetable*.

Since the school year has started, I have also made a few observations; some I hoped for and others I wasn’t anticipating. For example, one that I was hoping for was that the learners would be familiar to my teaching style. This translates into actively participating in class, following classroom procedures, and learners speaking at an audible volume (the learners spoke so softly when I first started in the classroom that I had a difficult time hearing them). I had heard from previous volunteers that it’s much easier teaching the second year than it is during the first. So far, this has rung true for me. Last year, it took all of Term 1 and most, if not all, of Term 2 for the learners to follow procedures. On the first day of school this year, the learners didn’t need much prodding for them to remember. After a couple of days, it was smooth sailing.

The other day, I had a confirmation of an observation I made during the previous school year regarding attention spans. In my Grade 5 class last year, the learners could concentrate with minimal distraction for about 40 minutes. Well, the teacher who’s teaching Grade 5 English this year was going to be out for the day, so I said I could cover the class. The class was going fairly well for a while, but then a few learners started talking, a learner got out of his seat without permission, and learners started asking to use the toilet. I glanced down at my watch to make note of the time and sure enough it had been about 40 minutes since the class started.

One pleasant and unexpected observation I have made so far was the ease with which the learners have understood my accent. In my Grade 7 class, I have four new learners who transferred in from other schools. I noticed they were having a hard time understanding me, so I tried asking the learner sitting next to them for help. The learner repeated what I said and the learner who couldn’t understand then got it. This was happening again and again with the new learners. At first, I didn’t understand why this was happening because my other learners could understand me just fine. And then it hit me – my accent! These new learners weren’t used to my accent. I then remembered things I did last year like clearly and crisply pronouncing each part of words and slowing down my pace. Once I did this, the learners started having an easier time. There was a cool transformation that I hadn’t realized took place with my learners last year – their ability to understand my accent – until I was with new learners.

These are some of the observations I have made at school and it’s only been two weeks. I’m curious to see how the next few months go – both with my direct responsibilities and with observations I make with the learners. I’m keeping my fingers crossed that the majority will be positive.

Here's a fun video I took of a few learners from my school having fun "sledding" while I was walking home at the end of the day.  Ahhh, to be a kid again...

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* timetable – class schedule

Advice to Couples During PST

In South Africa, there are two waves of arrivals per year. One wave is in July, when the Education volunteers, like us, come into the country. The other time is in January, when the Health volunteers arrive.

The SA31 Health volunteers have just arrived and started their 10-week Pre-Service Training (PST). If you remember from our earlier blog posts, PST is a pretty intensive experience. Emotions are high; schedules are packed. Volunteers are tired, homesick and possibly legitimately sick from the jetlag and new diet. Anyone who has ever been in a relationship knows that these conditions create the “perfect storm” for arguments and strife.

We’d like to take a moment and send a message from the other side of PST, to give some advice, and to remind you that life will even-out soon.

Couples Survival Guide to PST

1- Sit with Other People at Meals and in Sessions.
This sounds like I am talking about a middle school cafeteria, but trust me on this one. The benefit is two-fold. One, Peace Corps and your cohort-mates might have a tendency to treat you and your partner as a single unit (one cell phone to share when other volunteers get their own, approaching one person to speak for the unit, enforcing gender roles that they do not reinforce with single volunteers). This small act of branching out serves as a reminder of your individuality. In my case, it sometimes felt like my subtle act of defiance…and it made me smile.

The second reason is more interpersonal. Other volunteers have approached each of us to show appreciation for our individual and separate efforts to get to know our colleagues. We are building our own relationships. As a result, we each have our own support network that we can tap into. It is very dangerous to have your partner be your ONLY support in-country. We don’t have to lean as much on each other all the time, which allows us the space to better take care of ourselves and each other. Just trust me, sit at separate lunch tables…

2- Find Time to Process with One Another.
Away from meals and sessions, there is plenty of time where you two can make excuses to be alone together and check in. Go to your room a little early in the evening. Go for a walk after sessions. Take tea time together (side note: I don’t know if this is just in South Africa or if it is a PC global practice, but we had an inordinate amount of “tea times” during our training... these were handy for sneaking a few minutes of alone time with each other to check in). Especially during stressful days or triggering sessions, it is important to stay tuned in to how the other is feeling.

3- Put Aside Your Pride.
There are going to be a lot of opportunities for your pride to get in your own way. Peace Corps service is ripe with moments of vulnerability: stumbling to navigate a new culture (and invariably making mistakes along the way), going to sessions with a clump of greasy hair because you are still figuring out how to bathe in a bucket, getting back test results on everything from language acquisition to skills readiness and trying desperately not to compare your scores. Vulnerability can cause us to puff up our pride and put on our protective armor as a defense mechanism. This can drive a wedge in your relationship and make being in-country incredibly difficult. There were two important reminders that helped us get through these vulnerable/proud moments.

The first is to find a way to take care of yourself when you are feeling vulnerable. This will look different for different people. When I feel vulnerable and proud, I know I need to draw, color, read or journal. During PST, I would go to my room, do one of these things, and get myself in a better place. Joe likes to run, read, or journal to process through his thoughts and feelings if talking isn’t an option. Once I was able to put aside my pride and feeling less vulnerable, I was better able to engage with Joe (and our host family).

The other, perhaps more important, reminder is that you must support each other through both the lows AND the highs. You must find your empathy to celebrate each other’s successes. Nothing can make you feel lonelier than when you have exciting news but you feel like you cannot share it with your partner. The flip side is also true… when you are riding high and the other is not, make the time to slow down, listen, and show love.

4- Have an Open and Continuous Dialogue About Gender Roles
(Of course you can’t have two student affairs professionals give advice and NOT include something about “intentional dialogue” and “social dynamics.” Tip of the hat to SHorner, who I know is lovingly mocking me at this very moment.)

Ahhh… gender roles. Each relationship has its own norms for behavior, chores, and communication. In our case, our norms were influenced by our US context, our shared passion for gender equity, and our personal skills and preferences. Each couple finds a way to make it work… and then you are shipped off to another country and you need to renegotiate/renavigate new waters.

In Zulu culture, there are specific, prescribed gender roles. Women cook; men eat. Men are discouraged from showing affection towards children. Women are expected to play hard-to-get. Men are the head of the household and only do yard-related chores. Women must show reverence towards the men in the house.

If Joe and I operated our relationship in this manner, we would both be withdrawn and miserable… we could not merely assimilate and still be healthy together. At the same time, we must make some adjustments in order to remain effective/relatable/respected in this culture. The stakes and values will change based on your village context and personal needs. Having the discussion helps you to stay well, while adjusting to a new place.

My advice is to talk about it openly and often. What are your non-negotiables? What would make you uncomfortable? Where can you be flexible? How will you advocate/educate when someone confronts you about breaking gender norms? Make your own decisions about what feels right.

So, what does this look like for us? Well, Joe continues to bake (*jokes* I continue to eat ;) ). We wash clothes together, in full sight of our family. I bend at the knee ever-so-slightly when I meet a man in official settings. At functions, I wear the “makoti” pinafore and try to cut veggies without chopping off my hand (if you’ve seen the knives, you would understand). We make our decisions jointly. I make no effort to “prepare” the house for him to come home; much to the dismay/concern of my teacher-friends. Sometimes we teach our friends that there is another way of being. Sometimes we humbly take on a new role. We still find ourselves in awkward situations, but we can stay healthy if we talk through it together.

5- Remember Why You Joined the Peace Corps
This is just good advice for all volunteers. Do not lose sight of what motivated you to join the Peace Corps. What were you hoping to learn? What were you hoping to gain? You knew that this would challenge you, what made you want to join anyway? Although you are serving alongside your partner, this is still a very individual, personal journey.

6- Remember Why You Love this Person
Let’s be real. We all have bad days. We all have bad days with our partners. Things happen and we get angry. That’s just life…

Personally, I am someone who needs a lot of time to have an argument. I do not like to “talk it out” until I have calmed down and collected my thoughts. In the interim, I do my fair share of sulking in a sour mood. I cannot tell you how many times these “sour moods” have been interrupted because I look over at Joe and he is: a) talking confidently on a topic we are both passionate about, b) showing a high level of excitement—usually over something deemed rather ordinary—that can only be matched by an elated puppy, or c) being nerdy and curious.

I sigh and think, “He just gets me…” or laugh and think, “He’s so adorable!” It reminds me how blessed I am to have a partner with his unique strengths and interests and how minor our arguments usually are.

I am teaching myself to seek out these moments. To catch him being his best self, if I may.


PST is quite a beast. Just focus on getting through, taking good notes in sessions, and being kind to yourself and each other. Once you get to site, you will have more flexibility, autonomy, and couple-time.

The Casper Slide

Throwback Thursday...

***This post was originally written on 2 September 2014.  I accidentally saved it a different folder than where I keep posts, so I didn't know it was there.  Now that I've found it again, I'm uploading it to the blog.  Enjoy!***

Today was a great day at English Club. It was the last day before the club ended, so my co-instructor, Guillermo, and I taught a lesson about American culture. We decided to focus on music from around the country. We showcased Rock (go Cleveland! – Home of Rock ‘n Roll), Rap, R&B, Country, and others. We ended by having our learners listen to The Casper Slide.

If you’ve never heard it before, here’s a link to hear what we showed them:

(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cb6pJ4AEOoI)

The Casper Slide is a great song to teach learners who are learning English as their first additional language. It’s catchy and the lyrics are instructions to dance.

Guillermo and I wrote the lyrics/instructions on the chalkboard. As the song played, I pointed at the various instructions so the learners would connect the words visually and auditorily. Guillermo and I then modeled how to perform the dance moves associated with the instructions. This is where the fun part came in – we had the learners then start dancing with us! They fumbled a bit at first; like most first-timers do. However, after a few repetitions, the learners danced quite well.

One of the times they danced, I ran to the classroom next to mine to see if the instructors were okay with my learners performing for their learners. The instructors were on board, so I ran back to my classroom and told my learners what they were going to do. My learners were excited and nervous. When the music started, they started dancing, and the other class went berserk. The other learners thought it was so cool that my learners were dancing and, further, dancing for them. My learners had a blast learning the dance. As they exited the classroom at the end of the day, I could hear some of them humming the song.

A Letter from a Learner

(Please note: this post was originally written on August 29, 2014. Although it’s been a month since I originally wrote it, I thought it was still worth sharing. Enjoy!)

English club is winding to a close. There are only three days. Yesterday, my co-instructor and I received a wonderful surprise from one of our learners. One of our learners gave us a letter. :) She waited until the other learners left the classroom before she approached us. I didn’t think anything of it at first because I like to stand at the door giving our learners high-fives and telling them “I’ll see you tomorrow” as they exit. She was the last one in line. As she got up to me, she said she wanted to give us something. My curiosity piqued; I wondered what it might be. My co-instructor and I are smiled excitedly as she pulled a letter out of her pocket. She handed me the letter, gave me a high-five, and left the classroom.

My co-instructor and I were very excited to see what she wrote. The letter was inside an envelope she folded out of paper. The envelope had pictures of flowers drawn on it. The letter was very sweet. In it, the learner told us that my co-instructor and I are her favorites teachers. She said she enjoys our club very much and she thinks were so nice. Huge smiles spread across our faces as we read the letter. When we finished, we laughed heartily.

It was such a delight to receive the letter. And it couldn’t have come at a better time. I’ve been in training for eight weeks now, so I’m growing tired. I am enjoying myself, so there are no worries there. However, receiving the letter lifted my spirits. It’s nice to know that I/we are reaching at least one learner.

Swearing In

It’s official… Michelle and I are Peace Corps Volunteers! Now, some of you might be wonderful why I’m saying we’re only volunteers just now when we’ve been in South Africa since July. Let me explain.

The first 2-3 months in country volunteers spend time training during what is called “Pre-Service Training” or PST. During PST, volunteers are referred to as “Peace Corps Trainees” or PCTs. PCTs learn the local language, culture, customs, and develop skills pertaining to their project. In our case, we have been learning isiZulu because we are in the KwaZulu Natal province of South Africa where isiZulu is the dominant language. Since Michelle and I are education volunteers, we participated in workshops on topics such as literacy, language acquisition, classroom management, differentiation, and many others. Peace Corps calls these technical sessions. Satisfactory completion of the workshops, in addition to passing an oral language exam and a couple of written exams, means that PCTs qualify to become “Peace Corps Volunteers” or PCVs.

Joe & Michelle Excited to Have Taken the Peace Corps Oath

If you’re already putting two and two together, then you might have already guessed that Michelle and I fulfilled all of the required described above. We completed workshops and passed our exams, which means that we qualified to become official PCVs with the Peace Corps.

It was quite an exciting day to Swear In. It’s called Swear In because all incoming PCVs pledge to serve the U.S., South Africa, and the Peace Corps diligently during their term of service. It was really cool because we raised our right hands, took the oath, which we heard from Michelle’s dad who was in the Air Force the oath was similar to that of the military, and were recognized by the Country Director.

Incoming South Africa 30 Peace Corps Volunteers Taking the Peace Corps Oath

Swear In was a cool rite of passage because it acknowledged the work the incoming volunteers and I had done since we initially applied to join the Peace Corps, including interviews, exams, workshops, practical teaching, and other training. Since Peace Corps’ inception, over 200,000 volunteers have sworn in to serve in more than 170 countries all over the world. We are now part of a network of people, both U.S. Americans and host country nationals, who committed themselves to improving the state of the world. In South Africa, this means we will be helping with education. In the coming months, we will learn about the state of our schools, develop partnerships with fellow teachers, and prepare to go into the classroom. It is an exciting time.

Family Farewell Function

We knew the day would come when it would be time to say good-bye to our host family. They hosted Michelle and I for two months while we completed training with the Peace Corps. When we first arrived, we referred to them as our “host family”, but shortly thereafter we dropped the “host” part of it because they truly became our family. We affectionately called our host-mom “Mama” (and still do).

Joe, Mama, & Michelle

As a way of saying thank you to our family, along with all of the other families that hosted volunteers during Pre-Service Training, Peace Corps, the volunteers, and we coordinated a farewell function that consisted of traditional Zulu attire, dancing, singing, speeches, awarding of certificates, and, of course, food. The families had a wonderful time.

Several of the male volunteers and I surprised our families by wearing traditional Zulu pants to the function. One of the language instructors found a tailor who could make the pants, which was really cool. When I walked out of my bedroom on the morning of the function, Mama was giddy to see me wearing the pants. Mama surprised me in return by getting me a (faux) traditional Zulu shirt (I say faux because the real ones are made using animal skin, which apparently is very expensive). Mama also got Michelle a traditional Zulu shawl, necklace, and headband.

Joe & Michelle in Traditional Zulu Attire

Several local, youth performance groups came to the function to sing, dance, or both. The children were quite talented. Many of them performed a dance called “gida”. Historically, Zulus performed gida before they engaged in battle. It was the equivalent of “puffing up one’s chest”, which was meant to intimidate their opponent. Over time, though, gida evolved to become a dance. Now, gida is a great show of pride for the Zulu culture.

The "Gida" - A Traditional Zulu Dance

Michelle sang a rendition of Here Comes the Sun by The Beatles with a group of volunteers. It was great! Two volunteers within the group translated some of the lyrics into isiZulu so that all who listened could enjoy the song; even if only a small portion.

Rendition of Here Comes the Sun by The Beatles

I was selected by the language instructors to give the speech of appreciation to the families. I was honored to be selected, as well as nervous because the speech was entirely in isiZulu. After a couple of months studying the language, I have learned many words; however, looking at the speech, I saw that there are many more to study. I rehearsed the speech many times; sometimes alone and sometimes in front of the language instructors. The instructors were able to give me feedback, which helped immensely because I got better after each rehearsal.

Joe Giving the Speech of Appreciation in isiZulu

The speech went over very well. I heard from several families that they could understand me. Some of them even commented that they thought I had been speaking isiZulu for much longer than a couple of months (if only!).

The function ended by awarding each family a certificate. They were excited to come up to the stage to be recognized. When Michelle and I spoke with Mama after the function, Mama shared that she was initially afraid to bring strangers into her home. She went on to say, though, that she was glad she did because she loved getting to know us. She soon thought of us as her own children.

Mama, our family, Michelle, and I were sad to see the day come when we had to leave for our permanent site. Many happy memories were made with our family. Michelle and I are excited to say that we’re going to visit them over the summer holidays (Dec-Jan). We look forward to seeing them again.

Mental Health During PST (Pre-Service Training)

---Written on day 62 of PST-----

I wanted to take an opportunity to share more about my experience with mental health during Pre-Service Training (PST). I am sharing this because when I was searching for information, it was difficult to find much out there aside from the blanket Peace Corps messages about “living without the support of western-trained mental health providers.” If you are anything like me, this line tells you NOTHING useful for daily life. First things first…

“Hi, my name is Michelle and I struggle with depression.”

Good. Now that that’s out of the way, let’s talk real talk.

During the Peace Corps application process, I definitely felt that depression and mental health was fairly taboo in the Peace Corps. My reasons were as follows: (A) It was hard to find information about volunteers who have struggled with depression. (B) After disclosing that I have seen a counselor “at any point within the last three years,” I faced (what felt like) a bunch of extra hoops to jump through. Additional forms, counseling visits/evaluations, personal statements on my mental health status, triggers, coping mechanisms… ay bo! It was a process.

(I want to pause and take a deep breath with those of you who are living that frustration now. Breathe…)

Whoo! Even thinking about it now makes my blood pressure rise… BUT! I am so pleased/surprised to report that Peace Corps South Africa has many strategies for supporting volunteers in this country. Plus, they take a “we all need these things sometimes” approach to implementation. We have had sessions on resources, covered many coping strategies, discussed these personally with a member of the medical team, and will have multiple avenues of support (ranging from a peer support network to counseling visits) during a depressive period.

That said, PST definitely provides many potential “challenges” to one’s mental health. The first challenge is the schedule. Training days are very long and zap you of your energy. Your brain is tired from language and policy trainings; your emotions are wonky from safety and diversity sessions; your patience is tested each day…multiply that by 8 hours per day, 6 days per week. Aish!

It is also not surprising to find that the emotions, energy, and needs of 34 unique people are, well…different! One is up when the other is down; the same experience impacts both in different ways. This leads me to the second major challenge: coping with all of this stress when all of your PC friends are dealing with their own stuff… How do you reach out for a hand when we are all on our very own rollercoaster rides?

Add the typical culture shock, distance from loved ones, decreased control over personal schedule/use of time, and loss of some first world conveniences… It is the perfect environment to challenge one’s mental health!

So, for the benefit of other potential volunteers and for the sake of honesty, I would like to share a bit about my experience coping with depression during PST.

First, I will share a bit about my symptoms. Each person’s depression is unique. My depression comes and goes in waves. In the US, I may have anywhere from a few weeks to a year between depressive periods. My triggers are largely related to personal worth, competence, or inconveniencing/burdening others. During PST, I have experienced two minor depressive occurrences. The length of an occurrence is difficult to describe, because there are multiple stages/levels that are passed through. I will say that out of nearly 60 days, there have only been 4 that I have truly felt hindered by my symptoms.

During and immediately after an occurrence, I have found the following tools essential for moving forward:

• Patience with myself. I would like to say that I have handled these stressors with absolute grace…but, that would be a lie. I have been more than frustrated with other volunteers. I have been frustrated with myself. I have acted from that perspective of frustration…and I can make different choices tomorrow. At the end of the day, though, I am the only “me” I have. I am imperfect. I am emotive. And these are things that make me - “me.” I try to remember the components of the "Personal Bill of Rights" (there are several versions out there... they can be fairly cheesy, but good reminders. Google it...)
• Support from loved ones back home and fellow volunteers. I have been blessed with many beautiful relationships that uplift my spirit. The messages I have received from those back home remind me that they will be there for me, no matter where I travel. I have also found caring friendships in several other volunteers. They write me notes when I am sick, check-in when I am being quiet, and offer support in times of need. I need to remind myself to have the humility to reach out.
•  Journaling. This sounds so cliché, but it really does help to get it all out in writing. Seeing it all out on paper helps my triggers to feel more manageable, somehow. I can better identify ways to disrupt the internal dialogue that is unhealthy.
• Letting go. Ish happens. The thing about my depression is that it makes me believe in a false sense of “failure” (like “failure” as an identity). The truth is that, though I may stumble and discover imperfections, I have always overcome the obstacles of my life.  My lesson is to let go of my expectations of my life and, most importantly, of myself.  

Before joining the Peace Corps, I was definitely concerned about maintaining my mental health during service. What if my depression was triggered during service? What if I start to spiral?

For the benefit of others who share this fear, here is my message for you (and a reminder for myself):

• It is okay to struggle with issues of mental health or depression (I think that we all do-the only differences are the degree of impact and the level of honesty about it). It is okay to take the time and energy you need to get through, in whatever that looks like.
• You have already developed successful coping strategies throughout your life. These will likely be the same strategies you will use during your service.
• It helps to hone your self-awareness to identify depressive symptoms early. My strategy is to list 3 caring things (small or big) that I did for others and that were done for me each day. When I cannot think of 3 examples, then I know that my internal dialogue is getting skewed.
• Some volunteers believe that PST is the most difficult period of Peace Corps service. If you can get just through this, a significant part of the battle is over!
• If there does come a day when I truly believe that the best decision for my health would be to go back home, I know that the option is there. I will have been blessed by having lived in South Africa for a short while AND I will make the best decision for me to go home.

**Quick Note to Family and Friends: I am FINE. :-D My mental health is just as fine as it was in the States. It is common for the occurrences to become more frequent during states of great change. There is no need to worry any more than you did before.

If you would like to support me, just keep doing what you normally do. I’ve always loved that about you! Most importantly, don’t act all weird about this post in our next conversations. I do not currently feel any embarrassment about sharing these details. I hope that you don’t either.

Much love (Ngiyanithanda kakhulu),

M

English Club

This week Michelle and I started working in an after-school program called the English Club. The club is a part of our Pre-Service Training (PST). It’s designed to give the Peace Corps Trainees and us a chance to practice the skills we’ve learned in earlier sessions of PST. It has been a blast teaching the learners!

They come from a range of grades, which means they show varying levels of mastery of English. It is hard to tell how much English each learner knows however because the club is only going to last 10 days. We weren’t able to run a formative assessment to get a baseline of their ability, which is something we’d like to do with our learners when we start teaching fulltime. We have been able to get some sense of what the learners know and what they are able to do, though, by conducting small, informal assessments. We do things like warm-ups at the beginning of class to gauge their ability. This informs us how we can direct lessons.

Getting to run the English club has been a gift for many reasons. First, teaching is our primary reason to be in South Africa. Second, we get to interact and have fun with about 20 learners for 2 ½ weeks. Lastly, we get to gain a glimpse into what our classrooms might be like when we start teaching fulltime.

A special highlight for me occurred a couple of days ago when one of my learners hung around after club ended. He wanted to show my co-educator and me a picture he drew. Aside from the fact that the picture was really good, I thought it was so cool that he was willing to be vulnerable with us. I didn’t expect something like that to happen so soon. I’m glad it did and I hope we’re able to reach more learners in a similar, if not the same, way.

In addition to learning isiZulu, Michelle and I have also learned some educational terms in South African English that differ from U.S. English. Here are some fun examples…

• U.S. : South Africa
• Student : Learner
• Teacher : Educator
• Kindergarten : Grade R
• 12th Grade (Senior Year) : Matric
• Grading : Marking
• Review : Revise

Sifunda Sonke (“We are learning together”)

Joe and I have really been enjoying our language and cultural classes. Our teachers (othisha) have done a fabulous job at making the lessons both challenging and rewarding. This has been such a huge part of our lives in country that we wanted to share a bit of the language with you!

Formal Greeting

Use when: 1) greeting more than one person; 2) the relationship is more formal; or 3) commonly used to signify respect for both the person you are greeting AND their family (See post titled: Ubuntu)

A: Sanibonani  {sahn’beau-nAHnee}

B: Yebo {yEY-bo … yey rhymes hey!}

A: Ninjani? {neenjAHnee}

B: Siyaphila, nina ninjani? {seeyapEEla neena neenjAHnee}

A: Nathi siyaphila {nahtee seeyapEEla}

Informal Greeting

Use when: very close and familiar with a person

A: Sawubona. {sow-oo-bOHNa}

B: Yebo

A: Kunjani? {koonjAHnee}

B: Ngiyaphila wena unjani? {ngee-ya-pEEla wayna oonjahni …”ng” as in “ing” - “g” never makes a “j” sound in isiZulu}

A: Nami ngiyaphila. {nah-mee ngee-ya-pEEla}

Both greetings roughly translate to:

A: “I see the humanity in you. Do you see it in me?”

B: “Yes”

A: “How are you?”

B: “I am alive and how are you?”

A: “I am alive as well.”

Ngiyakuthanda! {gee-ya-khoo-tAHNda} : “I love you!”

Some words to trip you up:

Ibhele : Bear {the “h” adds emphasis to the “b” sound}

Ibele : Human breast

Ngidlala :I play {the “dl” sounds like an electrical hum, similar to a breathy “z”}

Ngizala : I give birth

For the How I Met Your Mother fans in the house:

uBarney ugqoke uthayi namadada wahke unyaka wonke : “Barney wore his tie with ducks all year.”

(from: http://sites.psu.edu/schneiderrclblog/wp-content/uploads/sites/701/2012/11/ducky-tie.jpg)

And MY personal favorite:

(EDITED) Yonke ilanga, zonke isinzuku! : “All day, every day!” …it doesn’t quite roll off the tongue as easily, but it is silly and makes a great hashtag #YAZI!

;)

Apartheid

“The only difference between the United States and South Africa is that South Africa is honest about what it is.” – Miriam Makeba

Today (written 7/10/14), we went to the Apartheid Museum in Johannesburg. At this point in our journey, our hosts and teachers have talked openly about the ugliness of apartheid. I have been humbled by how freely stories have been shared with us.

Visiting the museum was an incredibly moving experience, especially since there is an entire portion of the exhibit dedicated to the life and work of Nelson Mandela. The air was thick and heavy in the exhibit. There is so much life, and hate, and death, and pain, and shame, and violence… and hope, and power represented. 

Apartheid Museum Entrance

There were many experiences and quotations that gave me pause throughout the exhibit. There are three in particular that I would like to share as I reflect. 

1. The wall of laws. There was an entire two-story wall COVERED with the laws that were passed to create and support apartheid. That means that lawmakers passed law, after law, after law, after law, to segregate, disenfranchise, rob, and oppress black Africans. Apartheid (slavery, Jim Crow, the Holocaust)… These don’t just “happen.” They are systematically built through deliberate actions, veiled as humanitarian or charitable in nature, allowed to persist into enforcement through prejudice, racism, and propaganda. 
2. The presidential justification for these laws. There was a video of the then-prime minister justifying these laws as the means to create the best South Africa for white citizens and the best outcomes for “barbaric, semi-barbaric, semi-educated, and educated black South Africans.” He was using his sense of superiority as a white person to justify oppression as “being in the best interest” of the oppressed. Close your eyes, switch the continent…This is awfully familiar…
3. The room filled with hanging nooses. I can’t type that and not get chills/shudder. Each noose represented a death sentence for opposing the apartheid regime. There are no words that would appropriately honor the sacrifice, pain, and loss… I could only sit in silence and be present.

I found myself thinking back to the Miriam Makeba quote about South Africa’s honesty about what it is. It made me reflect on the history of racism, slavery, Jim Crow, oppression within the US. Particularly, how they are (or are not) discussed, validated, and addressed. Mr. Baker has confirmed that the truth about apartheid is taught in SA schools, is told to children, and is on the forefront of the minds of their leadership. I doubt that the honesty, self-reflection, responsibility, and openness we have witnessed is universal with all South Africans (a world could never be so perfect). However, it did give me hope that one day all countries would face their ugliest of sins with as much openness and candor. The desire of a nation to talk about it, to heal, to change course, to find a new way is a difficult journey, but is something to be PROUD of!

"Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that matter." - Martin Luther King, Jr.

Day in the Life of a PCT (Peace Corps Trainee)

It’s been about a month since Michelle and I arrived in South Africa and so much has happened. The days are starting to blur together. Michelle and I thought we would attempt to give our followers a flavor of what our day is like:

• 4:00am-7:00am - The first rooster crows; followed by a goose; then other roosters
• 6:30am - Watch the sunrise
• 6:35am - Use the latrine (outhouse)
• 8:00am - Language lesson (2-4 hours daily)
• Depending on the day - Riding the komvi (taxi van)
• Depending on the day - Sessions (cultural, technical, safety & security, medical) (2-4 hours daily)
• Throughout the day - Seeing the izingane izinkomo nezimvu [translation: baby cows and sheep]
• 5:30pm - Watch the sunset
• Depending on the day - Do chores (wash dishes, hand wash clothes, sweep our room, cook)
• 5:45pm - Bucket bathing
• 6:15pm – Study isiZulu (language)
• A couple of hours everyday - Spend time with family
• 8:00pm - Watch Generations (a popular soap opera; just about everyone in our village watches it)
• Before bed - Gaze at the Milky Way (so many stars!)
• 9:30pm-10:00pm - Lala kahle [translation: goodnight]

Umndeni wethu lapha eSouth Africa [translation: Our family in South Africa]

This is a typical day. It varies depending on random events. For example, recently, our cohort learned about the Zulu king’s wedding to a Swazi princess, so we asked to attend the ceremony. According to Zulu culture, anyone can attend the king’s wedding (it’s kind of a big deal). Our Training Director, Mr. Baker, made arrangements for transportation, and, voila!, we went to the wedding. (Disclaimer: traditional Zulu weddings last for a few days, and we only saw part of one of the days).

VIP Passes to a Zulu Royal Wedding

Royalty Performing a Traditional Wedding Dance

Michelle and I are enjoying ourselves. Our fellow PCTs are a great support. The Peace Corps staff is very knowledgeable and work diligently to make sure we can be successful. We have a wonderful host family.

At the same time, we’ve been experiencing the up’s and down’s of the U-W curve of living in a new culture (push up your nerd glasses). For example, we’ve had moments when we’ve really missed family, friends, the convenience of a flush toilet, or ice cream. There’s ice cream in South Africa, but not in our village. In the same day that we might be missing someone or something, we might also experience a break through in learning the language (for example, understanding how noun classes work) or see the wedding photos of our host mama (which was so cool!)

Overall, our decision to join the Peace Corps is affirmed regularly because of the connections we’re making with the people.

Ubuntu

Joe and I are over the moon to be here! The travel was a bit tiring (that is, perhaps, an understatement… or just feeling so punch-drunk over being here that anything seems like a beautiful challenge). We are excited to meet so many interesting people from diverse backgrounds, who share similar passions for education, travel, and cultural understanding.

One of the cultural values that we have really connected with is “Ubuntu.”

Ubuntu is the idea that we are all interconnected. My happiness and success is dependent upon your happiness and success. I cannot be well unless you are also well. I am because you are.

This cultural nuance warmed my heart. What a beautiful perspective on family and community… What is equally as beautiful is how “Ubuntu” is manifested within the culture.

For example, “sawubona” is the word used to greet a singular person in isiZulu. “Sanibonani” is the correct way to greet a group of people.   However, it is common in everyday speech to use “sanibonani” when speaking only to one person. When asked why that is, the response was this:

“We commonly use ‘sanibonani’ when speaking to an individual, because we are a culture that values not only who you are, but where you come from. Therefore when I am greeting you, I am not only greeting you but also the people in your family and those who went before you.”

Joe and I shared this sentiment later and drew our own lines between this practice/phrase and the cultural significance of ancestors and collectivist values. I am curious whether a person from South Africa would draw those same lines. I am also curious about other examples of how cultural philosophy might impact other day-to-day practices and language.

One Week Anniversary

Michelle and I have been in South Africa for about a week (technically tomorrow, but we’ve been in Peace Corps’ hands since July 1st). There are so many things to talk about, so it’s hard to know where to start. Also, having limited access to the Internet presents its own challenge. For example, I wrote this post in Word in preparation to upload it when I could get online. 

Peace Corps Staff Waiting for Us at the Airport in Johannesburg

Truthfully, though, I’m enjoying being disconnected from the Internet. My pants pockets have been the lightest they’ve been since before I started carrying a wallet. This is a small way to illustrate that I no longer have a cell phone that can connect to the Internet, send/receive texts, or make phone calls. It’s liberating! I may feel differently in a month, but right now I’m enjoying not having the distraction of a phone because it’s enabling me to really connect with the other Peace Corps Trainees (PCTs) instead of feeling the need to check my email.

Fellow PCTs Socializing

Michelle and I are working on other posts that we’ll upload when we have another opportunity. We’re excited to share the language we’re learning – isiZulu, talk about Ubuntu and its influence on just about everything, gender dynamics, and more. For now, I’ll just say that we’re doing well and we’re quite busy. We’re in training sessions from 8:00am-5:00pm. The Peace Corps staff is presenting a lot of information, from language and culture to medical preparedness and development work. When we go to bed, we’re pretty exhausted.

One quick language lesson before I go. I’ve learned some slang in isiZulu. The first is “sharp, sharp” (pronounced “shop, shop”; like a store). People say it while holding a thumbs up. It means “great” or “cool”. Another word that’s commonly used to say cool is “sure”.

We hope everyone is going well back home!

***SPECIAL SHOUT OUT TO NICOLE & EDDIE!!!!!! HAPPY WEDDING DAY!!! We are sad to not be there in person, but you are definitely on our hearts!! (Our homework practice sentences are becoming different versions of “Nicole and Eddie will get married” and “I visited America because Nicole married Eddie.”) xoxo!

Salani kahle (stay well all)!