Another week has come and gone!
This week was great. My study of Lesotho Politics concluded on Friday with the submission of my final assignment. Mme Pascalina told me I should take some time off to finish it. I'm glad she gave me that time, as my sickness last week kept me from doing much of anything. On Wednesday I had an interview with Ntate Shale from the Development of Peace Education office and Ntate Lenka from the Transformation Resource Centre. Both are organizations that have been involved in Lesotho politics in one way or another--especially in conflict management and election training. I had a good meeting with them. It was really nice to learn about Lesotho's politics from a person rather than a book.
The most interesting thing I learned from the meeting is that there has been a new Assembly Hall (for the Parliament) constructed on a hill overlooking Maseru. Though it has been completed for a few years, the National Assembly has yet to use that hall. It was built by the Chinese in an agreement with the Lesotho government whereby they were promised some land in exchange for the building. While the Assembly Hall has been completed, the government has not honored their agreement; therefore the Chinese have not "given them the keys" to the Assembly Hall. I found that very interesting.
One fun experience I had this week was to talk with Mme and Ntate Moorosi about their experiences at the Lesotho Police Training College and compare it with my experiences at Army Basic Combat Training. It sounds like the training (and the behavior of the instructors) was almost the same! Ntate Moorosi loved the experience. He liked getting stronger and working together with the other recruits. He also thought it was so funny when their instructors would come up with new and creative punishments. Mme told a lot of funny stories. I don't think she was a good fit for the Police, or at least not the training experience.
She told us about one time when she stole some eggs from the dining facility and put them in the hood of her jacket. The cook saw her and confronted her about it and she confessed. He asked her why she took them and she said it was because they always overboiled the hard boiled eggs and so she wanted to make them herself. The cook and her commander got together and said that she should show them how to cook the eggs properly. They took a whole flat of eggs (30) and had her cook them properly. Then they told her she had to eat them all! She was crying and they were all watching her and yelling at her. She said she was only able to eat three. I can totally see my drill sergeants doing the same exact thing to a soldier at BCT.
One time another recruit fell asleep in the classroom so Mme Moorosi put a piece of paper in his mouth to be funny. He woke and slapped her. She complained to the commander, who reprimanded the recruit and told him that he needed to learn how to treat others. They gave him a large rock that they called his "baby" and told him he needed to carry it with him everywhere he went. He took it with him when they went running, brought it to town in the taxi, and slept with it at his side.
Mme was very good in the classroom but she struggled with horseback riding (a large part of the police force rides horses), shooting, and drill and ceremony (marching and facing movements). When they had to shoot M16s, she would just put the weapon on automatic, close her eyes, and hold down the trigger until all of the bullets were fired. Because she didn't enjoy doing those activities (and because of the belittling comments from her peers and instructors) she avoided attending some of those events. She would hide inside the ceiling of their barracks and no one ever found her. The instructors would send the whole training group looking for her, but she stayed hidden.
Ntate told us about his experiences doing patrols, guard duty, and getting gassed with tear gas. He had a lot of fun with his training (besides the tear gas!) and said it was so much fun. It was interesting to hear the different experiences (and level of enjoyment) between the two of them. I found it so interesting that their training was so similar to mine (in discipline and treatment).
Perhaps the most interesting story from this week was my experience at the Lesotho Border. When I lived in Lesotho in 2008-2009, I got a six month visa whenever I entered the country. When I arrived last month, I was given a 30 day stamp in my passport. I asked about it and was told that the longest they give is now 30 days. I filed away in my mind that I would need to come back in 30 days to get another stamp. Then I got really sick. When I recovered I remembered my passport. I checked the date and saw that I had missed the deadline by 3 days. Of course I still needed another stamp. I talked to Mme and Ntate Moorosi about it, and they both thought I shouldn't have any problems. All the same, Mme Moorosi accompanied me to the border post just in case.
The immigration officials sit behind a large counter at the border post. You have to talk to them through a glass window, and hand them your passport through a small opening. I was surprised when I handed the lady my passport and she gestured towards the door at the end of the counter, asking me to come around. The door was unlocked and I walked to where she was seated. She showed me my previous stamp and explained that I had overstayed. I told her that I was aware I had overstayed and was very sorry. She brushed off my apology and told me that I had violated the law and that she would have to take action against me.
Of course I was aware that I should have come in earlier to get another stamp. What I didn't know was how seriously they would take it. I wasn't too surprised that she would be upset; after all, I had clearly broken the law. At the same time there was nothing I could do to change the fact that I was late. I informed her that I had come as quickly as I could, as soon as I recovered from my sickness. I honestly think that I wouldn't have forgotten to come in if I hadn't been suffering all of last week. I had been spending every possible moment sleeping and trying to stay warm. I had no thoughts about my school or work responsibilities, let alone the need for a border stamp.
Luckily Mme saw my predicament and came through the door to my rescue. Though they spoke in Sesotho, I understood much of the conversation (it helps when you know what they are talking about). Mme explained to her that I was staying with her family and that I had been very sick. She offered to call the doctor to verify that I had been to see him. She then asked what I should do. The border official said that there was a M200 fee (~$24) for overstaying. I was surprised, as the fee is small, and she hadn't mentioned any fee to me. She had told me that she was "going to take action against me." Mme Moorosi told her that she didn't think it was fair that I should pay the fee (I think it was fair... but that is besides the point). The lady then said, "Okay, well give me M100 and we'll forget about the fee." Of course that M100 would never find its way to the cash box... Mme hesitated, and the lady said, "Come on, I scratch your back, you have to scratch mine." I am not unfamiliar with bribery, but I have never heard a direct request for it before.
Mme really impressed me with her response. She told her that before she was converted that would have been fine, but now she had converted to Christ and couldn't participate in any bribery. She said that the church wouldn't like it. The lady asked what church we went to, and she told her. A few seconds later, my passport had a new stamp and we were on our way, no fee or anything! Mme saved me from whatever "action" the lady would have taken against me. At the very least she saved me from a M200 fee.
God is good, and life is good. I had an eventful week like always! I hope you are also well and happy.
Today there is a church activity for the single adults in Maseru. I haven't been to the church in Maseru since I arrived; I attend the small branch at Masianokeng. That should be fun, though I have no idea what we will do.
One last thing--I realized that I have never included my address here. Of course you can email me to contact me, but if you'd like to write/send anything, my address is:
P.O. Box 10957
Maseru 100
Lesotho
Thanks!
Sala le Molimo
Thuso
Saturday, June 16, 2012
Monday, June 11, 2012
Sick Week
On Saturday after emailing I went to the auditorium at Central Bank to attend a dance competition that my friend Kholu Liphoto was in. Celebrating the Queen Masenate’s birthday, the dance competition brought together couples from Botswana, Swaziland, Namibia, South Africa, and Lesotho. When she invited me I thought it was some small local competition, but it is quite a large annual event. Also, Kholu won first place at the competition last year, so she was defending her title. I went with my friend Mothepu at 6, expecting to be there for an hour or two. Apparently they were far behind schedule. They were still doing the youth division.
Kholu didn’t end up dancing until around 11, but we stayed since we had already paid the entry fee and we had only gone in the first place to support her. All of the couples danced in so many styles: tango, waltz, salsa, cha cha and some ones that I don’t remember. Kholu did very well, taking second place; first went to a couple from Botswana. She was very disappointed since she won last year, but I thought she did great. Since the couples danced all at the same time and each individually, they weren’t ready to give awards until 2. I ended up arriving at home after 3 am, which is late for anyone, but basically unheard of here.
Monday was a good day at work. We had a staff meeting, our last one before the trainees went for winter holiday. Since the instructors are also going home for holidays, I shared with them my plans for the next few months. They were very supportive, and promised to give me the information I needed to do that work in their absence.
On Monday night I slept terribly. I woke feeling very hot, with pain in my lungs and a horrible headache. I tried to go to work, but came home after a few hours to rest. I slept all day and then went to the doctor that evening. He said I had influenza and gave me some medication. I then slept again, sleeping a total of 24 hours out of 32 hours.
On Wednesday morning I felt a lot better. I went on a road trip to Butha-Buthe with the entire staff of Itjareng. We visited a primary school for the physically handicapped called Thuso e Tla Tsoa Kae. They call the school Thuso for short, so I joked that the place is named after me. They are funded by the American Pea e Corps and Sentebale, a foundation ran jointly between the King of Lesotho and the Crown of England. We had a meeting with the parents of many of the children at the school, explaining to them what Itjareng is and distributing application forms. Itjareng takes trainees from 18 years and older, so only a few of the students at Thuso were old enough to apply for next year, but it was still good for all of these parents to learn about the vocational training we do.
After the parents meeting they gave us a tour of the place. In the office I met a young peace corps volunteer from New York. Her name is Lisa and her Sesotho name is Nthabiseng. Surprisingly our visit marked her last day as a volunteer in Lesotho, so she it was kind of cool to meet her just before she left. They also had a volunteer from Australia. As we toured the place it was clear that they have much more funding than Itjareng. They also have a wider range of handicapped people than we do at Itjareng. To be admitted at Itjareng the trainees must pass an interview to prove that they are capable of being trained within whichever field they apply for. Those without use of either hand or those who are too severely mentally handicapped can’t attend Itjareng.
On our way home, what should have been a three hour drive took about five hours. We had to stop constantly for toilet breaks, shopping, and visiting friends. We stopped at least 10 times. Also the teachers were in somewhat of a celebratory mood since we were closing the next day for holidays. Some were drinking and we had loud music playing in the taxi. Of course everyone had to dance and sing along. Although I’d felt alright in the morning, I started feeling very sick again during that drive.
After resting for a few hours at home, we went to Maseru Sun hotel to the buffet to celebrate for Ntate Moorosi’s birthday. It was a great evening—we had a lot of fun eating, talking, and singing happy birthday. It was funny because we saw a waiter bringing a cake so we started singing happy birthday, but then the guy walked right passed us and gave the cake to another table. It was kind of embarrassing, but funny. Then another cake was brought to us just after.
On Thursday I had a really interesting day at work. I was feeling worse than I did on Wednesday, but I had already planned to teach a personal finance class to the staff. It was a really good class; I enjoyed teaching and I think the staff really appreciated my help. Some of them were very new to using a computer, but at least they have access to the computer teacher if they need help.
After lunch we had a meeting to review the employee contracts. It was difficult for many reasons—first of all, I don’t know the employment laws in Lesotho; second, I have no experience with contracts; third, there are five different versions between the different employees and two are working without any sort of contractual agreement. I am going to see what I can do to work on that situation.
Friday I was feeling even worse, almost as bad as I first had on Tuesday, so I didn’t go to work. I watched cartoons with the kids and slept. I also watched the inauguration ceremony for the new Prime Minister. This is the first peaceful change of government since Lesotho’s independence in 1966. Now today I have done nothing but send this email. At least today I am feeling a little better. Being sick changes everything; it has helped me appreciate how well I usually feel. I hope that everything will be back to normal by Monday.
Though I have been sick the whole week, it has still been eventful and fun. I am still happy. Many adventures await me next week.
Update: So I meant to post this on Saturday, and then Sunday, but on both days the power went out in the whole town. I first thought it had to do with the snow. Apparently not, as the snow was gone by Sunday. I asked Mme and Ntate about it (the power shut off three times Sunday evening) and they said it was maybe an effort by the city to limit people's power usage. It is cold so everyone is using more power than usual. Perhaps it is an effective way to send people to bed and conserve. Also I’m feeling much better today. Good news :)
And now some pictures:
Kholu and her dance partner at the competition
Me with Gayla and Katleho on Sunday
The incarnation of the Holy Ghost according to the IPHC church... I find these stickers everywhere
Katleho’s bad hair day!
Snow on Saturday. Meanwhile I hear its in the hundreds in AZ!
Sala le Molimo,
Thuso
Kholu didn’t end up dancing until around 11, but we stayed since we had already paid the entry fee and we had only gone in the first place to support her. All of the couples danced in so many styles: tango, waltz, salsa, cha cha and some ones that I don’t remember. Kholu did very well, taking second place; first went to a couple from Botswana. She was very disappointed since she won last year, but I thought she did great. Since the couples danced all at the same time and each individually, they weren’t ready to give awards until 2. I ended up arriving at home after 3 am, which is late for anyone, but basically unheard of here.
Monday was a good day at work. We had a staff meeting, our last one before the trainees went for winter holiday. Since the instructors are also going home for holidays, I shared with them my plans for the next few months. They were very supportive, and promised to give me the information I needed to do that work in their absence.
On Monday night I slept terribly. I woke feeling very hot, with pain in my lungs and a horrible headache. I tried to go to work, but came home after a few hours to rest. I slept all day and then went to the doctor that evening. He said I had influenza and gave me some medication. I then slept again, sleeping a total of 24 hours out of 32 hours.
On Wednesday morning I felt a lot better. I went on a road trip to Butha-Buthe with the entire staff of Itjareng. We visited a primary school for the physically handicapped called Thuso e Tla Tsoa Kae. They call the school Thuso for short, so I joked that the place is named after me. They are funded by the American Pea e Corps and Sentebale, a foundation ran jointly between the King of Lesotho and the Crown of England. We had a meeting with the parents of many of the children at the school, explaining to them what Itjareng is and distributing application forms. Itjareng takes trainees from 18 years and older, so only a few of the students at Thuso were old enough to apply for next year, but it was still good for all of these parents to learn about the vocational training we do.
After the parents meeting they gave us a tour of the place. In the office I met a young peace corps volunteer from New York. Her name is Lisa and her Sesotho name is Nthabiseng. Surprisingly our visit marked her last day as a volunteer in Lesotho, so she it was kind of cool to meet her just before she left. They also had a volunteer from Australia. As we toured the place it was clear that they have much more funding than Itjareng. They also have a wider range of handicapped people than we do at Itjareng. To be admitted at Itjareng the trainees must pass an interview to prove that they are capable of being trained within whichever field they apply for. Those without use of either hand or those who are too severely mentally handicapped can’t attend Itjareng.
On our way home, what should have been a three hour drive took about five hours. We had to stop constantly for toilet breaks, shopping, and visiting friends. We stopped at least 10 times. Also the teachers were in somewhat of a celebratory mood since we were closing the next day for holidays. Some were drinking and we had loud music playing in the taxi. Of course everyone had to dance and sing along. Although I’d felt alright in the morning, I started feeling very sick again during that drive.
After resting for a few hours at home, we went to Maseru Sun hotel to the buffet to celebrate for Ntate Moorosi’s birthday. It was a great evening—we had a lot of fun eating, talking, and singing happy birthday. It was funny because we saw a waiter bringing a cake so we started singing happy birthday, but then the guy walked right passed us and gave the cake to another table. It was kind of embarrassing, but funny. Then another cake was brought to us just after.
On Thursday I had a really interesting day at work. I was feeling worse than I did on Wednesday, but I had already planned to teach a personal finance class to the staff. It was a really good class; I enjoyed teaching and I think the staff really appreciated my help. Some of them were very new to using a computer, but at least they have access to the computer teacher if they need help.
After lunch we had a meeting to review the employee contracts. It was difficult for many reasons—first of all, I don’t know the employment laws in Lesotho; second, I have no experience with contracts; third, there are five different versions between the different employees and two are working without any sort of contractual agreement. I am going to see what I can do to work on that situation.
Friday I was feeling even worse, almost as bad as I first had on Tuesday, so I didn’t go to work. I watched cartoons with the kids and slept. I also watched the inauguration ceremony for the new Prime Minister. This is the first peaceful change of government since Lesotho’s independence in 1966. Now today I have done nothing but send this email. At least today I am feeling a little better. Being sick changes everything; it has helped me appreciate how well I usually feel. I hope that everything will be back to normal by Monday.
Though I have been sick the whole week, it has still been eventful and fun. I am still happy. Many adventures await me next week.
Update: So I meant to post this on Saturday, and then Sunday, but on both days the power went out in the whole town. I first thought it had to do with the snow. Apparently not, as the snow was gone by Sunday. I asked Mme and Ntate about it (the power shut off three times Sunday evening) and they said it was maybe an effort by the city to limit people's power usage. It is cold so everyone is using more power than usual. Perhaps it is an effective way to send people to bed and conserve. Also I’m feeling much better today. Good news :)
And now some pictures:
Kholu and her dance partner at the competition
Me with Gayla and Katleho on Sunday
The incarnation of the Holy Ghost according to the IPHC church... I find these stickers everywhere
Katleho’s bad hair day!
Snow on Saturday. Meanwhile I hear its in the hundreds in AZ!
Sala le Molimo,
Thuso
Saturday, June 2, 2012
Welding, Politics, and a visit to Katleho’s school
As usual, this week was very eventful and exciting. Though exciting things are usually the exception, this summer they are the norm.
On Sunday I had the opportunity to go teaching with the missionaries. After church (in which I taught Sunday School—I have either spoken or taught without warning each Sunday. At least next week I have been asked to teach again (my impromptu lesson must have been alright!)) I went teaching with the elders. Another brother also came for the afternoon, so Elder Shaw and Mothepu went with the bakkie (pickup truck) and Elder Jonga and myself went by foot. Elder Jonga wanted me to introduce him to some people I used to work with in Masianokeng. I gladly obliged, visiting some of my dear friends throughout Masianokeng and Ha Nelese. At each house we shared an inspiring message and a prayer together.
On Tuesday I worked with Mme Matebello in the metal work department. I was impressed by the many different things that the trainees learn to make—everything from dustpans to shovels, rakes, and barbeque stands. Mme then asked if I wanted to do some welding. Of course I did! I don’t know how welding usually works, but in this case we had something that looked very much like a car battery that started the welding rod. We took cables that were attached to the battery (like jumper cables) and clipped one on the metal table we were working on and the other to a welding rod. By touching the rod to the table, the circuit was completed and the electricity ignited the welding rod. I got to wear one of those cool hood-like helmets with the tinted flip-visor to tone down the brightness. I don’t think I was very good at welding, but Mme said I did just fine.
Tuesday evening was a very exciting night. Lesotho had their general elections last Saturday, May 26th. Everyone was so excited about politics leading up to the elections. In the taxi, at work, at home, at the internet shop, everyone has been talking about it. Well the election results were announced all day Sunday, all day Monday, and continued into Tuesday morning.
I may or may not have mentioned that as part of my studies here, I am doing a correspondence course studying Lesotho politics. (If politics bores you to death, you have my permission to skip this and the next paragraph. Otherwise I encourage you to keep reading :) I have been writing papers on the history of government organization and structure in Lesotho and sending the papers to my professor in Utah. It has been a lot of fun, even more so as everyone else has been talking about politics. Lesotho is a constitutional monarchy with a bicameral parliamentary legislature. The upper house is composed of the highest tribal chiefs, while the lower house is elected using a mixed-member proportional representation system. In Lesotho’s case the MMP system is a compensatory system. Basically this means that each voter selects the candidate (and party) of his/her choice within the constituency where they live. There are 80 constituencies being contested by a total of 18 political parties. The results are tabulated and the winner in each constituency is announced. After they have counted all the votes, they allocate an additional 40 seats according to the percentage of votes that each party received. If a party received 20% of the vote, then they ought to be represented at approximately 20% of the seats in the Assembly. The reasoning for this system is that it is possible for a party to receive 20% of total votes, yet not win in any constituency. These compensatory seats are the way that smaller political parties can still achieve representation within the parliament.
For some interesting history (at least I think it is interesting!), we can consider Lesotho’s 1998 and 2002 elections. In 1998, the party in power received barely 60% of the vote, but won 79 out of the 80 constituencies. At that time Lesotho did not use an MMP electoral system. Because 40% of the population was upset by the election results, there were huge riots. Much of the capitol city of Maseru was burned to the ground. A peacekeeping force was sent in from Botswana and South Africa to restore order. Under international observation, all of the political parties in Lesotho met to discuss an alternative electoral system. After over two years they agreed on their current system. It was a good thing too—in the 2002 elections, the party in power received even less of the vote, a meager 55 percent. Despite getting just over half of the vote, they again won 79 of the 80 constituencies. However, this time the opposition parties were still represented. Because the leading party already had more than its share (55% of the 120 seats) they did not receive any of the 40 compensatory seats—all of these seats were allocated to opposition parties according to the percent of votes they received.
If none of that was interesting to you that is okay. This part may be interesting. In the May 26 2012 elections, the leading party failed to get a majority of the seats of parliament (coincidentally, they received just over half (41) of the constituencies, which would have been a majority under the old FPTP electoral system). The party that received the second most number of seats agreed with the third and fourth largest parties to form a coalition. Together this coalition numbers over 61, thus allowing them to be in power in government. These three parties met together to agree on the terms of their coalition, and finished their plans late Tuesday night.
As soon as the announcement came over the radio, there was cheering throughout Maseru. After 15 years of rule by the old majority party, there is new leadership. The leader of the All Basotho Convention Party (ABC) had widespread support throughout the capitol, and the people were glad to hear the announcement—especially since they were discouraged when the opposition party again received the majority of the constituencies. The MMP system is pretty neat because it gives a more accurate representation of the will of the people. Though the party in power received over 50% of the constituencies, it did not receive over 50% of the vote, so the compensatory seats were allocated to the opposition parties.
It turns out the new Prime Minister, the leader of ABC, lives less than a kilometre from the house where I live. He lives in a simple cinderblock house with maybe four or five rooms. I was just getting into bed when I heard the cheering, so instead of going to bed I turned on the TV. We were all so excited to see what was going on, but the only Lesotho TV station, which is state controlled (therefore in the control of the party that just lost), had nothing to say about the elections. Instead they were showing something about sheep shearing. It was so funny to me that there could be a sheep shearing show playing while history was being made in the country. The cheering outside my house was so loud and intense. People were screaming, dogs were barking, cars were honking their horns, people were blowing whistles and vuvuzelas. It was nuts! Mme Moorosi suggested we go to Thomas Thabane’s house (the leader of ABC). Ntate didn’t want to go, so the two of us went. Somehow over 2,000 people gathered at Thabane’s house. Without any public announcement and despite the late hour, people came from all around. Most of them had to walk as the taxis were no longer running (and most people don’t have cars). It was an incredible sight. In the darkness the people were singing, dancing, and playing their vuvuzelas. I got to record some of the dancing and singing on my phone. I also saw many people I knew there. It was like everyone in the surrounding three villages had come together to be at Thabane’s place without any prior planning or announcement.
Wednesday I was back at work at Itjareng. It continues to surprise me how the school is both well off, and also so financially destitute. For example, the carpentry department, where I spent the day on Wednesday, has a brand new air compressor. After their old one broke, they got a larger one to replace it. The larger one requires a new electrical hookup, which has yet to be acquired. After more than a year of having this nice new compressor, the carpentry department has been unable to use it. It is now covered in dust and looks very old.
On Thursday I accompanied six-year-old Katleho to school. It was a very fun day. She attends the National University of Lesotho International School. The school has grades 1-12, with just one classroom for each grade. Katleho is in grade 1. I rode the bus with her to school (the craziest, most packed, loudest bus I have ever been on) and started the day in her classroom. When the bell rang we went inside, hung up our school bags, and sat on the floor and waited for the teacher. When she walked in everyone said good morning to her in unison. We proceeded to start with a song and prayer, after which the teacher had each student introduce themselves to me. (The idea of prayer in the classroom is found consistently throughout every school in Lesotho. To my knowledge it is also practiced throughout South Africa). While the children started their coursework, I helped grade some papers. Then one of the administrators came by the classroom to welcome me. You would have thought I was an important foreign dignitary by the way I was treated. I was introduced to each teacher and staff member and given a tour of each classroom. The younger students all wanted to show off their coloring and writing assignments, while others performed songs for me.
At recess I went out with the kids to play. The primary school is separated from the high school in playing area, so I played with Katleho and the other young kids. They had a swing set where a few kids were playing, and I thought I would push one of them higher than he was getting on his own. He loved it. Soon the whole playground was in line to be pushed on the swing by the white guy. I pushed each of them only three times because the line was so long. They all wanted to go very high, so I pushed as hard as I could, sending them high enough that they would have a bit of a jolt at the end of each swing. I then slowed them and held the swing while one got off and the other got on. Overall they were very orderly and well behaved. They were also very tiring. At least after pushing over 50 kids I was tired… I was sweating more than I usually do after my morning workouts!
On Friday I worked in the kitchen with Mme Thulo. I chopped potatoes and spinach and helped prepare the lunch—fish and samp. I enjoyed working with her and I even got to ring the bell for everyone to come and eat.
Around 3 o’clock my friend Jordan Roper came to visit. We served together as missionaries in Johannesburg in 2008. He has been here since April with the BYU Young Ambassadors doing a performance tour. Since he finished he has been touring Africa with one of his friends from the group. We talked for some time, and I told him all about my internship. We then shared some food together, and I ate my first PB and J sandwich since elementary school.
As they were preparing to leave, they found that the battery in the rental car was dead. Unfortunately, no one around had a car, and not surprisingly, no one had jumper cables either. Eventually the missionaries came by, but they also had no cables. Eventually we had to remove the Elders’ battery and put it in Jordan’s car to start it. It was an adventure.
This next week will be fun. I am teaching a class on personal finance to all of the staff at the school. I have prepared a sample budget on Excel. Excel is so easy to use for budgeting, but the largest difficulty will be to teach the staff to use the computers to be able to do the budgeting. Still I think that it is better than teaching them on paper. The files will stay saved on the computer and are easily adjustable for each month.
Sala le Molimo,
Thuso
On Sunday I had the opportunity to go teaching with the missionaries. After church (in which I taught Sunday School—I have either spoken or taught without warning each Sunday. At least next week I have been asked to teach again (my impromptu lesson must have been alright!)) I went teaching with the elders. Another brother also came for the afternoon, so Elder Shaw and Mothepu went with the bakkie (pickup truck) and Elder Jonga and myself went by foot. Elder Jonga wanted me to introduce him to some people I used to work with in Masianokeng. I gladly obliged, visiting some of my dear friends throughout Masianokeng and Ha Nelese. At each house we shared an inspiring message and a prayer together.
On Tuesday I worked with Mme Matebello in the metal work department. I was impressed by the many different things that the trainees learn to make—everything from dustpans to shovels, rakes, and barbeque stands. Mme then asked if I wanted to do some welding. Of course I did! I don’t know how welding usually works, but in this case we had something that looked very much like a car battery that started the welding rod. We took cables that were attached to the battery (like jumper cables) and clipped one on the metal table we were working on and the other to a welding rod. By touching the rod to the table, the circuit was completed and the electricity ignited the welding rod. I got to wear one of those cool hood-like helmets with the tinted flip-visor to tone down the brightness. I don’t think I was very good at welding, but Mme said I did just fine.
Tuesday evening was a very exciting night. Lesotho had their general elections last Saturday, May 26th. Everyone was so excited about politics leading up to the elections. In the taxi, at work, at home, at the internet shop, everyone has been talking about it. Well the election results were announced all day Sunday, all day Monday, and continued into Tuesday morning.
I may or may not have mentioned that as part of my studies here, I am doing a correspondence course studying Lesotho politics. (If politics bores you to death, you have my permission to skip this and the next paragraph. Otherwise I encourage you to keep reading :) I have been writing papers on the history of government organization and structure in Lesotho and sending the papers to my professor in Utah. It has been a lot of fun, even more so as everyone else has been talking about politics. Lesotho is a constitutional monarchy with a bicameral parliamentary legislature. The upper house is composed of the highest tribal chiefs, while the lower house is elected using a mixed-member proportional representation system. In Lesotho’s case the MMP system is a compensatory system. Basically this means that each voter selects the candidate (and party) of his/her choice within the constituency where they live. There are 80 constituencies being contested by a total of 18 political parties. The results are tabulated and the winner in each constituency is announced. After they have counted all the votes, they allocate an additional 40 seats according to the percentage of votes that each party received. If a party received 20% of the vote, then they ought to be represented at approximately 20% of the seats in the Assembly. The reasoning for this system is that it is possible for a party to receive 20% of total votes, yet not win in any constituency. These compensatory seats are the way that smaller political parties can still achieve representation within the parliament.
For some interesting history (at least I think it is interesting!), we can consider Lesotho’s 1998 and 2002 elections. In 1998, the party in power received barely 60% of the vote, but won 79 out of the 80 constituencies. At that time Lesotho did not use an MMP electoral system. Because 40% of the population was upset by the election results, there were huge riots. Much of the capitol city of Maseru was burned to the ground. A peacekeeping force was sent in from Botswana and South Africa to restore order. Under international observation, all of the political parties in Lesotho met to discuss an alternative electoral system. After over two years they agreed on their current system. It was a good thing too—in the 2002 elections, the party in power received even less of the vote, a meager 55 percent. Despite getting just over half of the vote, they again won 79 of the 80 constituencies. However, this time the opposition parties were still represented. Because the leading party already had more than its share (55% of the 120 seats) they did not receive any of the 40 compensatory seats—all of these seats were allocated to opposition parties according to the percent of votes they received.
If none of that was interesting to you that is okay. This part may be interesting. In the May 26 2012 elections, the leading party failed to get a majority of the seats of parliament (coincidentally, they received just over half (41) of the constituencies, which would have been a majority under the old FPTP electoral system). The party that received the second most number of seats agreed with the third and fourth largest parties to form a coalition. Together this coalition numbers over 61, thus allowing them to be in power in government. These three parties met together to agree on the terms of their coalition, and finished their plans late Tuesday night.
As soon as the announcement came over the radio, there was cheering throughout Maseru. After 15 years of rule by the old majority party, there is new leadership. The leader of the All Basotho Convention Party (ABC) had widespread support throughout the capitol, and the people were glad to hear the announcement—especially since they were discouraged when the opposition party again received the majority of the constituencies. The MMP system is pretty neat because it gives a more accurate representation of the will of the people. Though the party in power received over 50% of the constituencies, it did not receive over 50% of the vote, so the compensatory seats were allocated to the opposition parties.
It turns out the new Prime Minister, the leader of ABC, lives less than a kilometre from the house where I live. He lives in a simple cinderblock house with maybe four or five rooms. I was just getting into bed when I heard the cheering, so instead of going to bed I turned on the TV. We were all so excited to see what was going on, but the only Lesotho TV station, which is state controlled (therefore in the control of the party that just lost), had nothing to say about the elections. Instead they were showing something about sheep shearing. It was so funny to me that there could be a sheep shearing show playing while history was being made in the country. The cheering outside my house was so loud and intense. People were screaming, dogs were barking, cars were honking their horns, people were blowing whistles and vuvuzelas. It was nuts! Mme Moorosi suggested we go to Thomas Thabane’s house (the leader of ABC). Ntate didn’t want to go, so the two of us went. Somehow over 2,000 people gathered at Thabane’s house. Without any public announcement and despite the late hour, people came from all around. Most of them had to walk as the taxis were no longer running (and most people don’t have cars). It was an incredible sight. In the darkness the people were singing, dancing, and playing their vuvuzelas. I got to record some of the dancing and singing on my phone. I also saw many people I knew there. It was like everyone in the surrounding three villages had come together to be at Thabane’s place without any prior planning or announcement.
Wednesday I was back at work at Itjareng. It continues to surprise me how the school is both well off, and also so financially destitute. For example, the carpentry department, where I spent the day on Wednesday, has a brand new air compressor. After their old one broke, they got a larger one to replace it. The larger one requires a new electrical hookup, which has yet to be acquired. After more than a year of having this nice new compressor, the carpentry department has been unable to use it. It is now covered in dust and looks very old.
On Thursday I accompanied six-year-old Katleho to school. It was a very fun day. She attends the National University of Lesotho International School. The school has grades 1-12, with just one classroom for each grade. Katleho is in grade 1. I rode the bus with her to school (the craziest, most packed, loudest bus I have ever been on) and started the day in her classroom. When the bell rang we went inside, hung up our school bags, and sat on the floor and waited for the teacher. When she walked in everyone said good morning to her in unison. We proceeded to start with a song and prayer, after which the teacher had each student introduce themselves to me. (The idea of prayer in the classroom is found consistently throughout every school in Lesotho. To my knowledge it is also practiced throughout South Africa). While the children started their coursework, I helped grade some papers. Then one of the administrators came by the classroom to welcome me. You would have thought I was an important foreign dignitary by the way I was treated. I was introduced to each teacher and staff member and given a tour of each classroom. The younger students all wanted to show off their coloring and writing assignments, while others performed songs for me.
At recess I went out with the kids to play. The primary school is separated from the high school in playing area, so I played with Katleho and the other young kids. They had a swing set where a few kids were playing, and I thought I would push one of them higher than he was getting on his own. He loved it. Soon the whole playground was in line to be pushed on the swing by the white guy. I pushed each of them only three times because the line was so long. They all wanted to go very high, so I pushed as hard as I could, sending them high enough that they would have a bit of a jolt at the end of each swing. I then slowed them and held the swing while one got off and the other got on. Overall they were very orderly and well behaved. They were also very tiring. At least after pushing over 50 kids I was tired… I was sweating more than I usually do after my morning workouts!
On Friday I worked in the kitchen with Mme Thulo. I chopped potatoes and spinach and helped prepare the lunch—fish and samp. I enjoyed working with her and I even got to ring the bell for everyone to come and eat.
Around 3 o’clock my friend Jordan Roper came to visit. We served together as missionaries in Johannesburg in 2008. He has been here since April with the BYU Young Ambassadors doing a performance tour. Since he finished he has been touring Africa with one of his friends from the group. We talked for some time, and I told him all about my internship. We then shared some food together, and I ate my first PB and J sandwich since elementary school.
As they were preparing to leave, they found that the battery in the rental car was dead. Unfortunately, no one around had a car, and not surprisingly, no one had jumper cables either. Eventually the missionaries came by, but they also had no cables. Eventually we had to remove the Elders’ battery and put it in Jordan’s car to start it. It was an adventure.
This next week will be fun. I am teaching a class on personal finance to all of the staff at the school. I have prepared a sample budget on Excel. Excel is so easy to use for budgeting, but the largest difficulty will be to teach the staff to use the computers to be able to do the budgeting. Still I think that it is better than teaching them on paper. The files will stay saved on the computer and are easily adjustable for each month.
Sala le Molimo,
Thuso
Saturday, May 26, 2012
A Sad Taxi Ride and a Mystical Mountain
Another eventful week has come and gone. I am now feeling accustomed to living in Africa. I am becoming settled into my schedule and work here. There are a lot of similarities to the last time I was here, yet there are also many differences. Let me highlight a few of these:
Similarities:
I am living in a village outside of town.
I am speaking (mostly attempting to speak) Sesotho.
I am going to church with the same people I know and love.
I work all day, so I am only home for a short time each morning and night.
Differences:
I don’t live with any Americans.
I don’t have running water in the house.
I have to brave the cold anytime I want to use the outdoor toilet.
I get to bathe in a basin (at least the water is warm—we boil it on the stove and then mix with cold water).
I have no car. The Moorosi’s help me with rides sometimes, but I also take public transportation (something the missionaries were forbidden to do).
This week was full of activity. I’ll start with a sad experience on Saturday. First of all, let me start with some background. Lesotho has the highest average elevation of any country in the world. It is also pretty far from the equator. It is also in the southern hemisphere. So while most of my friends and family are enjoying summer in North America, we are experiencing winter. It does get pretty cold. The hardest thing about it is that there aren’t any central heating systems in any of the houses or buildings. The other difficulty is that there is no insulation. Everything is built with brick or cinderblocks. The result is that people literally huddle around electric and gas heaters to stay warm. When I packed for my trip, I didn’t really come prepared. For one thing, I was in a rush. Also, I had limited space in my suitcase for big coats. Luckily coats are cheaper here than they tend to be in America.
On Saturday I went to the ATM and then started walking down the street in town looking for somewhere to buy a coat. One man had a unique way of displaying his wares—he used his car as a coat display rack. All of the doors and the trunk were open and there were coats hanging and laying everywhere. I liked two of them so I was trying to decide between them. One was grey and one was black, and they were the same price. Because they weren’t so expensive for how nice they were, and because I know how to haggle, I was able to get both for M500 (a bit under $75). I then bought a beanie for M10 (not even $1.50) and put them all in the same bag. After emailing and finishing my schoolwork, I got a taxi towards the village.
The taxi was pretty empty when I got in, but started to fill as we went. These taxis (the same as I took to and from Swaziland and to Lesotho) are like mini-buses. They usually fit 20 people. As we got close to my home, I informed the conductor that I was getting off soon. He asked where. I told him Ha Matala, the name of the village. As we neared the spot, I said, “you can drop me right here.” He asked, “where?” Again I said “here,” and I gestured towards the side of the road. He was really confused. Again he said, “where?” and I just said “here!” Meanwhile we continued to pass different areas where the taxis usually pull off. As we passed I would say, “Or here, or here, or here! Anywhere really…” At this point I was aware I would need to walk a little way back to the house, but it was no big deal. Finally the taxi stopped. I was really embarrassed because I don’t like being frustrated in front of people, and it seemed so simple when I said “you can stop here” and he just kept going. Anyways, I thanked him and climbed over a few people to get out of the taxi (I have since learned that there is a name for most of the common taxi stops. Now I just tell the conductor that I am getting off at Sekoting).
When I got home I found Ntate Moorosi outside talking with the men working on the house expansion. I stayed outside and chatted with them for about an hour. As I told Ntate about my day, I was like, “Hey, I should show you the coats I bought.” And I turned to show them to him. Only then did I realize that I left the bag in the taxi. After wearing one of the coats all morning, I had been warm in the internet shop and I took it off and put it in the bag. So I lost both coats and the beanie all at once, on the same day I bought them. Sadness. For the last two days I have worn a blanket to work to help battle the cold. Wearing blankets is a very traditional way for the Basotho to dress. People love it when they see me wearing a blanket. I will likely buy another coat at some point. I need one.
I guess I didn't mention this previously, so I will backtrack. The Moorosi's are expanding their house to add a garage and another room. The house currently has a kitchen, living room, and bedroom (as I previously stated, the bathroom is a pit toilet about 10m from the house). So far I have been sleeping in the bed with Ntate Moorosi while Mme Moorosi, the kids, and Selingi (their helper) are all sleeping on the floor in the living room. I tried to argue that I could sleep on the floor, but they wouldn't have it. They are very good to me. Without even telling me, they started this project before I arrived. The idea was that it would be finished before I came, but the workers have been moving slowly. I am going to stay in the new room when it is complete. I was worried that they built it just for me, but they informed me that they have been planning an expansion for a long time--my arrival was a good excuse to speed up that process. I could tell that Mme was pleased with the expansion. Normally (like before I arrived) the kids sleep together in a crib in the same room with their parents, while the helper sleeps on the floor in the living room. Because the kids are noisy (and because mom is now in the living room) all of the girls are staying there while I am in the bedroom. Now the kids are 3 and 6, old enough that they will need their own space soon. After I leave in August, the kids will take the new bedroom.
On Sunday I went with Mme Moorosi to the Leribe branch of the church. There are now three branches in Lesotho. When I first arrived in 2008, there was only the Maseru branch in the capital city, and then a small congregation meeting in Masianokeng (not officially organized as a branch). In November 2008 the Masianokeng branch was officially organized, and then in early 2010 (just after I went home) they opened the Leribe branch. Mme Moorosi was on an assignment to visit and talk with the branch president about Mormon Helping Hands. In Africa every branch on the continent does a service project on the same day. This year it is August 18th.
After about a two hour drive we arrived, barely before the meeting started. I was worried, because our coming doubled the size of the meeting. We numbered five—myself, Mme Moorosi, Mme Hlalele, and each of their daughters, Katleho and Kamohelo. The chapel was nearly empty. It was just the missionaries, the Branch President and his wife, and Sister Kato (who I bumped into at the Las Vegas temple last year September). Eventually the room filled, and by the end of the meeting they had 20-25, the same size that Masianokeng used to be when I came to Lesotho in 2008. It was kind of nostalgic even though it was my first time to be there. It is great to be a part of a small congregation. Everyone knows everyone else—their names, occupations, birthdays, where they live, etc. It really had a family feel to it. The meeting was very powerful. Again, without any warning beforehand I was invited to speak. I encouraged the members to be strong and to be good missionaries. It is sometimes hard for members to see the big picture when they are from a place where the church is so small. I encouraged them to help the church grow and to look to the future. The time will come when the church is in every major village in Lesotho. The members also have the opportunity to go to the Johannesburg temple, which is fairly close (four hours travel).
This week at work I learned that the school closes for winter holidays starting June 7th. This doesn’t affect my ability to work, as Mme Pascalina and I will continue to work in the office; however, this means that the trainees and the regular functions of the school will cease until August. So from Monday of this week until June 7th I am visiting each of the departments to get a better understanding of what the teachers and trainees do. I worked in the Computers & Literacy department on Monday and Tuesday. Along with running disk cleanup and defragmenting each of the computer’s hard drives, I also found a free software program online that has lessons to learn typing. I downloaded and installed the program on each of the computers. Now the trainees will be able to have a structured way to learn to type. Apparently in the past they have merely been encouraged to type with their fingers on “home row.” I don’t know about years past, but currently there is not a single trainee that types properly (they are a year and a half into their two-year program). I hope that the typing program will change this situation for these trainees and those for years to come.
In the computer class I also had the opportunity to “teach” a class of deaf students for about two hours. Their assignment was to do a crossword puzzle and then recreate the puzzle on the computer program Paint. It was humbling and enjoyable to work with these students. They were so friendly and patient with me. I have been learning Lesotho sign language (which is mostly similar to ASL) since I arrived. Of course my vocabulary is extremely limited. I mostly showed them how to do things on their computer screens and then encouraged them to do it. It was a lot of fun, and it made me feel so appreciative for the gift of hearing. Also, it was fun to see how excited the trainees were to learn shortcuts like copy, paste, and undo.
Wednesday and Thursday I was in the Leatherwork Department. I worked on making a leather hat for most of the morning. I also observed the trainees as they repaired shoes, made bags, or made little knick-knacks. It was interesting to see how much electrical equipment they have that is broken and how low they are on supplies. They were using the paper from a large old desk calendar for tracing because they have no tracing paper. Also, the Computer and Literacy department has five computers, but only four keyboards and four mouses. (Mice? What is the plural for an electronic mouse?)
Because I had no skill or experience in leather working, I did not feel like I contributed much like I did in computers, but now I have an idea of what they are doing and what they are lacking. Itjareng could benefit much from some regular donors, even if donation sizes were small. I have yet to have access to the school’s financial records, but after I finish visiting the departments I will be taking a look at their sources of income and budgeting. Hopefully there will be some ways they can save money and/or earn more. The work they do with the handicapped is really incredible.
Friday was a holiday so I didn’t go to work. Instead I went to Thaba Bosiu with Ntate Moorosi. I needed to come as part of my studies on Lesotho Politics (Thaba Bosiu was the mountain fortress of King Moshoeshoe I, the first King of the Basotho nation). I mentioned to Ntate that I needed to go there, and he said he would accompany me. Apparently that is his home, so I also got to meet his family. At Thaba Bosiu Information Centre I got to talk to a gentleman who gave me some stories and history about the mountain, its early inhabitants and the story of how it was occupied by Moshoeshoe and how it helped him to build political prestige and gain followers. It is an interesting place. The mountain (it is actually a plateau) is named "Mountain of the Night" or Thaba Bosiu, because the traditional doctors of Moshoeshoe extended a rope around the entire base of the mountain. They then put a mixture of herbs and spices on the whole length of the rope and did some traditional prayers and dances, to ensure the tribe protection from their enemies. Tradition is that their enemies were unable to cross that point and ascend the mountain after nightfall. If they did cross that point, they would have to rest every two steps, thus never obtaining the summit before morning. Other traditions state that the mountain actually increases in size at night, protecting those at the top. Thaba Bosiu has very few points at which you can access the top--the rest of the mountain is ringed with flat, smooth cliffs. Two of the paths to the top are incredibly narrow. The only one that is wide enough to provide access to many people at the same time (for example an approaching army) is also very steep and provides excellent cover for those on the top. From this point they could throw rocks that would tumble down the mountain at increasing speeds. The top of the mountain is flat and grassy, perfect for keeping cattle and sheep, thus allowing the Basotho to wait out their enemies whenever they were placed under siege. King Moshoeshoe is buried atop the mountain. We visited his grave, and also the remnants of the royal village. We also drank from the Queen's well--a well fed by a natural spring atop the mountain. It was a neat experience to see how they lived and hear more of the history of Moshoeshoe, first King of the Basotho nation.
Elections are today. There are many political parties here, and it is not clear who will win. Whoever gets most seats in the parliament will then be able to work to elect a prime minister from their party. It is cool to be here at this time. I think that Africans are more appreciative of democracy and take elections more seriously than we do in America. I felt that way during the Presidential elections in South Africa in 2009, and that is again my impression in Lesotho.
A few amusing anecdotes for your enjoyment (as If I am not long-winded enough!):
1) In Lesotho, as in South Africa, people build up businesses of every kind in every location imaginable. There are shacks and cinderblock buildings selling everything from tomatoes, to cell phones, to car repair. This week I saw one that made me smile and cringe at the same time. The Beatitudes Surgery. I suppose you can go there for all of your surgery needs, but you'll definitely need the Bible to comfort you. This dilapidated cinderblock building, complete with curling paint and dirty exterior is certain to cut you up in a very skilled and sterilized manner. I certainly hope they have some kind of training...
2) On our way to Leribe I passed a large truck with words painted on the side:
Transportation Company
The Pink House
Ha Tsosane
First, I was impressed with the ingenious name of the company. Next, I couldn't help but smile at the address. Clearly the owner lives in a pink house in the village of Ha Tsosane. That is the best you can do in a country with no street names or house addresses! (I wonder if they chose their house color just so that they would be distinguishable from the rest of the village?)
I hope you are well and happy. I am, of course. Now enjoy some photos!
Mme Pascalina (the one I am working with at Itjareng) and Mme Maboitumelo in the background. Both of them have bad legs that cause them to limp horribly. They have metal contraptions to help them walk.
A political rally for the party called DC (they are currently in power in the Parliament)
The Moorosi family as we hiked Thaba Bosiu. The young one is Gayla (named for my mother). The six year old Katleho was off with her grandmother.
Me with some crazy big spiky plants. They look similar to ones we have in AZ, but they were much taller than me. This was on the top of Thaba Bosiu. Basotho plant these in a box shape to create a natural fence to corral their livestock--keeping them in, and predators out.
Me at work, wearing my Lesotho blanket.
Until next week...
Sala Le Molimo,
Thuso
Similarities:
I am living in a village outside of town.
I am speaking (mostly attempting to speak) Sesotho.
I am going to church with the same people I know and love.
I work all day, so I am only home for a short time each morning and night.
Differences:
I don’t live with any Americans.
I don’t have running water in the house.
I have to brave the cold anytime I want to use the outdoor toilet.
I get to bathe in a basin (at least the water is warm—we boil it on the stove and then mix with cold water).
I have no car. The Moorosi’s help me with rides sometimes, but I also take public transportation (something the missionaries were forbidden to do).
This week was full of activity. I’ll start with a sad experience on Saturday. First of all, let me start with some background. Lesotho has the highest average elevation of any country in the world. It is also pretty far from the equator. It is also in the southern hemisphere. So while most of my friends and family are enjoying summer in North America, we are experiencing winter. It does get pretty cold. The hardest thing about it is that there aren’t any central heating systems in any of the houses or buildings. The other difficulty is that there is no insulation. Everything is built with brick or cinderblocks. The result is that people literally huddle around electric and gas heaters to stay warm. When I packed for my trip, I didn’t really come prepared. For one thing, I was in a rush. Also, I had limited space in my suitcase for big coats. Luckily coats are cheaper here than they tend to be in America.
On Saturday I went to the ATM and then started walking down the street in town looking for somewhere to buy a coat. One man had a unique way of displaying his wares—he used his car as a coat display rack. All of the doors and the trunk were open and there were coats hanging and laying everywhere. I liked two of them so I was trying to decide between them. One was grey and one was black, and they were the same price. Because they weren’t so expensive for how nice they were, and because I know how to haggle, I was able to get both for M500 (a bit under $75). I then bought a beanie for M10 (not even $1.50) and put them all in the same bag. After emailing and finishing my schoolwork, I got a taxi towards the village.
The taxi was pretty empty when I got in, but started to fill as we went. These taxis (the same as I took to and from Swaziland and to Lesotho) are like mini-buses. They usually fit 20 people. As we got close to my home, I informed the conductor that I was getting off soon. He asked where. I told him Ha Matala, the name of the village. As we neared the spot, I said, “you can drop me right here.” He asked, “where?” Again I said “here,” and I gestured towards the side of the road. He was really confused. Again he said, “where?” and I just said “here!” Meanwhile we continued to pass different areas where the taxis usually pull off. As we passed I would say, “Or here, or here, or here! Anywhere really…” At this point I was aware I would need to walk a little way back to the house, but it was no big deal. Finally the taxi stopped. I was really embarrassed because I don’t like being frustrated in front of people, and it seemed so simple when I said “you can stop here” and he just kept going. Anyways, I thanked him and climbed over a few people to get out of the taxi (I have since learned that there is a name for most of the common taxi stops. Now I just tell the conductor that I am getting off at Sekoting).
When I got home I found Ntate Moorosi outside talking with the men working on the house expansion. I stayed outside and chatted with them for about an hour. As I told Ntate about my day, I was like, “Hey, I should show you the coats I bought.” And I turned to show them to him. Only then did I realize that I left the bag in the taxi. After wearing one of the coats all morning, I had been warm in the internet shop and I took it off and put it in the bag. So I lost both coats and the beanie all at once, on the same day I bought them. Sadness. For the last two days I have worn a blanket to work to help battle the cold. Wearing blankets is a very traditional way for the Basotho to dress. People love it when they see me wearing a blanket. I will likely buy another coat at some point. I need one.
I guess I didn't mention this previously, so I will backtrack. The Moorosi's are expanding their house to add a garage and another room. The house currently has a kitchen, living room, and bedroom (as I previously stated, the bathroom is a pit toilet about 10m from the house). So far I have been sleeping in the bed with Ntate Moorosi while Mme Moorosi, the kids, and Selingi (their helper) are all sleeping on the floor in the living room. I tried to argue that I could sleep on the floor, but they wouldn't have it. They are very good to me. Without even telling me, they started this project before I arrived. The idea was that it would be finished before I came, but the workers have been moving slowly. I am going to stay in the new room when it is complete. I was worried that they built it just for me, but they informed me that they have been planning an expansion for a long time--my arrival was a good excuse to speed up that process. I could tell that Mme was pleased with the expansion. Normally (like before I arrived) the kids sleep together in a crib in the same room with their parents, while the helper sleeps on the floor in the living room. Because the kids are noisy (and because mom is now in the living room) all of the girls are staying there while I am in the bedroom. Now the kids are 3 and 6, old enough that they will need their own space soon. After I leave in August, the kids will take the new bedroom.
On Sunday I went with Mme Moorosi to the Leribe branch of the church. There are now three branches in Lesotho. When I first arrived in 2008, there was only the Maseru branch in the capital city, and then a small congregation meeting in Masianokeng (not officially organized as a branch). In November 2008 the Masianokeng branch was officially organized, and then in early 2010 (just after I went home) they opened the Leribe branch. Mme Moorosi was on an assignment to visit and talk with the branch president about Mormon Helping Hands. In Africa every branch on the continent does a service project on the same day. This year it is August 18th.
After about a two hour drive we arrived, barely before the meeting started. I was worried, because our coming doubled the size of the meeting. We numbered five—myself, Mme Moorosi, Mme Hlalele, and each of their daughters, Katleho and Kamohelo. The chapel was nearly empty. It was just the missionaries, the Branch President and his wife, and Sister Kato (who I bumped into at the Las Vegas temple last year September). Eventually the room filled, and by the end of the meeting they had 20-25, the same size that Masianokeng used to be when I came to Lesotho in 2008. It was kind of nostalgic even though it was my first time to be there. It is great to be a part of a small congregation. Everyone knows everyone else—their names, occupations, birthdays, where they live, etc. It really had a family feel to it. The meeting was very powerful. Again, without any warning beforehand I was invited to speak. I encouraged the members to be strong and to be good missionaries. It is sometimes hard for members to see the big picture when they are from a place where the church is so small. I encouraged them to help the church grow and to look to the future. The time will come when the church is in every major village in Lesotho. The members also have the opportunity to go to the Johannesburg temple, which is fairly close (four hours travel).
This week at work I learned that the school closes for winter holidays starting June 7th. This doesn’t affect my ability to work, as Mme Pascalina and I will continue to work in the office; however, this means that the trainees and the regular functions of the school will cease until August. So from Monday of this week until June 7th I am visiting each of the departments to get a better understanding of what the teachers and trainees do. I worked in the Computers & Literacy department on Monday and Tuesday. Along with running disk cleanup and defragmenting each of the computer’s hard drives, I also found a free software program online that has lessons to learn typing. I downloaded and installed the program on each of the computers. Now the trainees will be able to have a structured way to learn to type. Apparently in the past they have merely been encouraged to type with their fingers on “home row.” I don’t know about years past, but currently there is not a single trainee that types properly (they are a year and a half into their two-year program). I hope that the typing program will change this situation for these trainees and those for years to come.
In the computer class I also had the opportunity to “teach” a class of deaf students for about two hours. Their assignment was to do a crossword puzzle and then recreate the puzzle on the computer program Paint. It was humbling and enjoyable to work with these students. They were so friendly and patient with me. I have been learning Lesotho sign language (which is mostly similar to ASL) since I arrived. Of course my vocabulary is extremely limited. I mostly showed them how to do things on their computer screens and then encouraged them to do it. It was a lot of fun, and it made me feel so appreciative for the gift of hearing. Also, it was fun to see how excited the trainees were to learn shortcuts like copy, paste, and undo.
Wednesday and Thursday I was in the Leatherwork Department. I worked on making a leather hat for most of the morning. I also observed the trainees as they repaired shoes, made bags, or made little knick-knacks. It was interesting to see how much electrical equipment they have that is broken and how low they are on supplies. They were using the paper from a large old desk calendar for tracing because they have no tracing paper. Also, the Computer and Literacy department has five computers, but only four keyboards and four mouses. (Mice? What is the plural for an electronic mouse?)
Because I had no skill or experience in leather working, I did not feel like I contributed much like I did in computers, but now I have an idea of what they are doing and what they are lacking. Itjareng could benefit much from some regular donors, even if donation sizes were small. I have yet to have access to the school’s financial records, but after I finish visiting the departments I will be taking a look at their sources of income and budgeting. Hopefully there will be some ways they can save money and/or earn more. The work they do with the handicapped is really incredible.
Friday was a holiday so I didn’t go to work. Instead I went to Thaba Bosiu with Ntate Moorosi. I needed to come as part of my studies on Lesotho Politics (Thaba Bosiu was the mountain fortress of King Moshoeshoe I, the first King of the Basotho nation). I mentioned to Ntate that I needed to go there, and he said he would accompany me. Apparently that is his home, so I also got to meet his family. At Thaba Bosiu Information Centre I got to talk to a gentleman who gave me some stories and history about the mountain, its early inhabitants and the story of how it was occupied by Moshoeshoe and how it helped him to build political prestige and gain followers. It is an interesting place. The mountain (it is actually a plateau) is named "Mountain of the Night" or Thaba Bosiu, because the traditional doctors of Moshoeshoe extended a rope around the entire base of the mountain. They then put a mixture of herbs and spices on the whole length of the rope and did some traditional prayers and dances, to ensure the tribe protection from their enemies. Tradition is that their enemies were unable to cross that point and ascend the mountain after nightfall. If they did cross that point, they would have to rest every two steps, thus never obtaining the summit before morning. Other traditions state that the mountain actually increases in size at night, protecting those at the top. Thaba Bosiu has very few points at which you can access the top--the rest of the mountain is ringed with flat, smooth cliffs. Two of the paths to the top are incredibly narrow. The only one that is wide enough to provide access to many people at the same time (for example an approaching army) is also very steep and provides excellent cover for those on the top. From this point they could throw rocks that would tumble down the mountain at increasing speeds. The top of the mountain is flat and grassy, perfect for keeping cattle and sheep, thus allowing the Basotho to wait out their enemies whenever they were placed under siege. King Moshoeshoe is buried atop the mountain. We visited his grave, and also the remnants of the royal village. We also drank from the Queen's well--a well fed by a natural spring atop the mountain. It was a neat experience to see how they lived and hear more of the history of Moshoeshoe, first King of the Basotho nation.
Elections are today. There are many political parties here, and it is not clear who will win. Whoever gets most seats in the parliament will then be able to work to elect a prime minister from their party. It is cool to be here at this time. I think that Africans are more appreciative of democracy and take elections more seriously than we do in America. I felt that way during the Presidential elections in South Africa in 2009, and that is again my impression in Lesotho.
A few amusing anecdotes for your enjoyment (as If I am not long-winded enough!):
1) In Lesotho, as in South Africa, people build up businesses of every kind in every location imaginable. There are shacks and cinderblock buildings selling everything from tomatoes, to cell phones, to car repair. This week I saw one that made me smile and cringe at the same time. The Beatitudes Surgery. I suppose you can go there for all of your surgery needs, but you'll definitely need the Bible to comfort you. This dilapidated cinderblock building, complete with curling paint and dirty exterior is certain to cut you up in a very skilled and sterilized manner. I certainly hope they have some kind of training...
2) On our way to Leribe I passed a large truck with words painted on the side:
Transportation Company
The Pink House
Ha Tsosane
First, I was impressed with the ingenious name of the company. Next, I couldn't help but smile at the address. Clearly the owner lives in a pink house in the village of Ha Tsosane. That is the best you can do in a country with no street names or house addresses! (I wonder if they chose their house color just so that they would be distinguishable from the rest of the village?)
I hope you are well and happy. I am, of course. Now enjoy some photos!
Until next week...
Sala Le Molimo,
Thuso
Saturday, May 19, 2012
Five countries in five days!
Some of you may or may not know that I am now in Lesotho in Southern Africa. I have been here since May 11th.
I spent some time considering whether to start a new blog to write about my experiences while I am here. After some intense deliberation within myself, I have decided against it. I am quite busy (and have limited internet access) so I will not have time for my regular blog posts until I return. Also I didn't want to go through the process of creating a new blog and inviting people to follow it once more. So I plan to post weekly for the next three months or so on my experiences in Africa. After that it will be back to my normal blog posts.
If you want to receive these weekly updates by email, please email me at jeremy.andrew.moore@gmail.com.
This has been a very eventful week and a half. I will tell you all about it.
On Monday May 7th, I left Phoenix at 7 or so in the evening. I arrived in London sometime in the late morning. It was an uneventful flight, other than the lady next to me spilling wine on my only white t-shirt. Once I arrived in London I acted fast, leaving the airport and taking the express train to Paddington station. For the next four and a half hours, I walked from Paddington station towards Buckingham Palace and Big Ben. It was a marvelous experience. I walked through some residential areas (as residential as London can be, I suppose) and trekked through a lot of downtown London. There were SO many people. It was worse than Johannesburg in some areas. The variety of people was also quite impressive. Areas of note were Hyde Park (where I watched some horseback riders), St. James Park (where I observed the great variety of waterfowl), and the Guard's training area (where I saw the Queen's guards train and listened to the band). All of those I saw on my way wandering around as I worked my way towards Buckingham Palace. It is a very cool building, as are the surrounding monuments and the gold adorned gate surrounding it. Next I went to Big Ben and Westminster Abbey, where I had someone take my picture with the big clock. My time was short and I walked so far and so quickly that I feared I would have blisters. I nearly ran to the subway station. As I waited in line to buy a ticket, I listened to the white couple behind me speaking to each other. Their accent seemed out of place, yet familiar, so I asked them where they were from. Turns out they were South African! (Okay, she was Kenyan, and he was South African, but they raised their family in South Africa.) Now they live in the British Virgin Islands, and they were on vacation in London. I told them I was on my way to Johannesburg, and we talked about the RSA for a while. It was nice to meet them. I took the subway and then the express train back to the airport, got through security very easily, and then literally had to run to get on my plane (I was one of the last two to board).
The flight to Johannesburg was again uneventful (Except for when I spilled my full cup of water in my lap. Yeah, that was fun). I arrived at 6 a.m. and snatched a taxi to the taxi rink downtown. I had plans to see my friend in Swaziland and watch the BYU Young Ambassadors that night (they just happened to be performing in Mbabane that same day). It was interesting taking the first two taxis. The first one from the airport was a small taxi cab (the kind we are used to in America). I had to pay by the kilometer, and there was a meter keeping track. It cost R12.50 per kilo, and ended up costing me R311 (somewhere over $40). The drive was about 30 minutes long. In contrast, the taxi I took from Joburg to Mbabane, (a sprinter van!) took me four and a half hours to Swaziland and cost me R190. It was a very full taxi, with a total of 23 persons.
Swaziland was great. It is a beautiful country. Very green and wet, with rolling hills. The taxi dropped me off in the middle of town with my luggage and absolutely no idea of how to find either my friend or the performance venue that I needed to be at. I asked around until I found an internet cafe and sent a Facebook message to Manqoba Shongwe, (one of the Elder's I served with in Joburg) which he responded to about an hour later. He came and met me, and then we took a taxi to the King's Spa and Convention Center. There we met Jordan Roper, another Elder I served with on my mission. He is playing piano with the Young Ambassador's band. MANY church members from Swaziland came for the production. The performance was awesome, and the highlight was when they did a local song in the native language. Their pronunciation was great, and the style was just like they do here in Africa. Everyone in the audience was going nuts! Afterwards they greeted the audience, which was really great. I stayed that night with the Shongwe family, where I met Manqoba's sisters, brothers, and parents. He has a very large family. They were VERY accommodating and enjoyable to be around. Their property was neat. They have a rather large home, though it is in various states of completion. They also have a few fish ponds, cows, and chickens. Quite a neat place, really. The next morning I caught a taxi back to Joburg, and then another taxi to Lesotho. That was a taxi total of almost 10 hours. I arrived in Lesotho Friday morning (midnight). In the course of five days, I had visited five countries (USA, UK, RSA, Swaziland, Lesotho) and spent a total of over 35 hours in a taxi or plane (not to count the numerous hours spent waiting at the taxi rink or airports).
Now for my experiences so far in Lesotho. When I arrived, Ntate Moorosi (the father of the family I am staying with) picked me up at the border and drove me to the village Ha Matala where I will be staying until mid-August. After sleeping for a few hours, I woke to find that my young friend Katleho (six years old) had already gone to school. Mme Moorosi was at work, but Ntate Moorosi was still there as was their young one Gayla and their worker. As is common in Lesotho and South Africa, the Moorosi's hire someone that helps with the cooking, cleaning, and childcare. She also eats and sleeps at the home. The Moorosi's worker is called Selingi.
Staying at the Moorosi's is such a blessing to me. They have a car, which is very uncommon here. They always want me to use the car if I need to go anywhere, and they give me rides to work and to church (where we all go together). Also I pack a lunch to take to work, and I come home to find dinner prepared for me by Selingi. Also Mme and Selingi do all of the laundry, so I haven't even washed anything yet. To all of their kindness I owe them so much. It is a great blessing to me, and is allowing me to focus on my studies and my internship.
My first day back at church was amazing. It was so good to be in the Masianokeng Branch again. I served there as President and then second counselor of the congregation in 2008-2009. It was the longest I lived in an individual area on my mission; I stayed nearly 8 months. I don't know if someone didn't show up to speak, or if Ntate Moorosi just planned on having me speak and didn't tell me... but I spoke for about 10 minutes in the meeting. It was a great opportunity, and the members were so happy to see me. I was likewise so overjoyed to be reunited with them. There are a lot of people in these surrounding villages that are so special to me. It was great to see people that I met with that are still coming to church. I also was pleased to hear that a man we taught in 2008 has recently been baptized. His name is Khobatha. I told the Moorosi's that I used to meet with him and they were surprised because he hadn't come to church until last year. It was just so nice to be there, and I know I will enjoy the company of these saints for the next three months.
Another note about church--the Masianokeng Branch used to rent a small space from Itjareng Vocational Training Centre (the place I am now doing my internship). In May the branch finally started meeting in their new location, a set of six trailers that are set on the property that I helped select for purchase in 2008. The trailers are semi-permanent; they will stay at least until the congregation exceeds 100 on average, at which point they will build a permanent structure. They do, however, have plumbing, electricity, a kitchen, bathroom, and a baptismal font (all of those things are a big deal here).
Now on to my internship-- I started work on Monday. I am mostly working with Mme Pascalina Letsau, the extension officer for Itjareng. Itjareng (or IVTC) is basically a training ground for physically and mentally handicapped people of all ages to learn vocational skills and become self reliant. There are seven main courses: computer literacy, sign language, metalwork, leatherwork, carpentry, sewing, and agriculture. Each trainee takes computer literacy, sign language, and agriculture, and then opts for one of the remaining courses as an emphasis. On Monday I was introduced to each of the teachers, went to a training meeting on the upcoming elections, and met with the director of IVTC.
At the meeting for the elections, some people came to teach the students how to vote (elections are on the 26th of this month). I was nodding off the whole time as I was so tired and the whole meting was in Sesotho. After the meeting, Mme Pascalina introduced me to all of the trainees and told them my name. Then she asked them what my Sesotho name should be. They suggested two, Thuso and Lebohang, and then voted. I am now called Thuso (pronounced Two-so) which means help. They selected it because of its meaning and the purpose for my coming--to help Itjareng.
In my meeting with the director we discussed what I can do to be helpful to the centre. I will be doing many things including traveling to follow up on past trainees, working in the classrooms, records keeping, technology upgrades, finances, and budgeting. My work will largely be with Mme Pascalina, who is in charge of doing the records and follow up visits. She also does trainings in far flung villages on HIV/AIDS which I will likely participate in.
Well that is all the time I have for now. I am doing very well, I am happy, and I feel very blessed. Thank you for your love, support, and prayers.
Until next week,
Sala Le Molimo (stay with God)
I spent some time considering whether to start a new blog to write about my experiences while I am here. After some intense deliberation within myself, I have decided against it. I am quite busy (and have limited internet access) so I will not have time for my regular blog posts until I return. Also I didn't want to go through the process of creating a new blog and inviting people to follow it once more. So I plan to post weekly for the next three months or so on my experiences in Africa. After that it will be back to my normal blog posts.
If you want to receive these weekly updates by email, please email me at jeremy.andrew.moore@gmail.com.
This has been a very eventful week and a half. I will tell you all about it.
On Monday May 7th, I left Phoenix at 7 or so in the evening. I arrived in London sometime in the late morning. It was an uneventful flight, other than the lady next to me spilling wine on my only white t-shirt. Once I arrived in London I acted fast, leaving the airport and taking the express train to Paddington station. For the next four and a half hours, I walked from Paddington station towards Buckingham Palace and Big Ben. It was a marvelous experience. I walked through some residential areas (as residential as London can be, I suppose) and trekked through a lot of downtown London. There were SO many people. It was worse than Johannesburg in some areas. The variety of people was also quite impressive. Areas of note were Hyde Park (where I watched some horseback riders), St. James Park (where I observed the great variety of waterfowl), and the Guard's training area (where I saw the Queen's guards train and listened to the band). All of those I saw on my way wandering around as I worked my way towards Buckingham Palace. It is a very cool building, as are the surrounding monuments and the gold adorned gate surrounding it. Next I went to Big Ben and Westminster Abbey, where I had someone take my picture with the big clock. My time was short and I walked so far and so quickly that I feared I would have blisters. I nearly ran to the subway station. As I waited in line to buy a ticket, I listened to the white couple behind me speaking to each other. Their accent seemed out of place, yet familiar, so I asked them where they were from. Turns out they were South African! (Okay, she was Kenyan, and he was South African, but they raised their family in South Africa.) Now they live in the British Virgin Islands, and they were on vacation in London. I told them I was on my way to Johannesburg, and we talked about the RSA for a while. It was nice to meet them. I took the subway and then the express train back to the airport, got through security very easily, and then literally had to run to get on my plane (I was one of the last two to board).
The flight to Johannesburg was again uneventful (Except for when I spilled my full cup of water in my lap. Yeah, that was fun). I arrived at 6 a.m. and snatched a taxi to the taxi rink downtown. I had plans to see my friend in Swaziland and watch the BYU Young Ambassadors that night (they just happened to be performing in Mbabane that same day). It was interesting taking the first two taxis. The first one from the airport was a small taxi cab (the kind we are used to in America). I had to pay by the kilometer, and there was a meter keeping track. It cost R12.50 per kilo, and ended up costing me R311 (somewhere over $40). The drive was about 30 minutes long. In contrast, the taxi I took from Joburg to Mbabane, (a sprinter van!) took me four and a half hours to Swaziland and cost me R190. It was a very full taxi, with a total of 23 persons.
Swaziland was great. It is a beautiful country. Very green and wet, with rolling hills. The taxi dropped me off in the middle of town with my luggage and absolutely no idea of how to find either my friend or the performance venue that I needed to be at. I asked around until I found an internet cafe and sent a Facebook message to Manqoba Shongwe, (one of the Elder's I served with in Joburg) which he responded to about an hour later. He came and met me, and then we took a taxi to the King's Spa and Convention Center. There we met Jordan Roper, another Elder I served with on my mission. He is playing piano with the Young Ambassador's band. MANY church members from Swaziland came for the production. The performance was awesome, and the highlight was when they did a local song in the native language. Their pronunciation was great, and the style was just like they do here in Africa. Everyone in the audience was going nuts! Afterwards they greeted the audience, which was really great. I stayed that night with the Shongwe family, where I met Manqoba's sisters, brothers, and parents. He has a very large family. They were VERY accommodating and enjoyable to be around. Their property was neat. They have a rather large home, though it is in various states of completion. They also have a few fish ponds, cows, and chickens. Quite a neat place, really. The next morning I caught a taxi back to Joburg, and then another taxi to Lesotho. That was a taxi total of almost 10 hours. I arrived in Lesotho Friday morning (midnight). In the course of five days, I had visited five countries (USA, UK, RSA, Swaziland, Lesotho) and spent a total of over 35 hours in a taxi or plane (not to count the numerous hours spent waiting at the taxi rink or airports).
Now for my experiences so far in Lesotho. When I arrived, Ntate Moorosi (the father of the family I am staying with) picked me up at the border and drove me to the village Ha Matala where I will be staying until mid-August. After sleeping for a few hours, I woke to find that my young friend Katleho (six years old) had already gone to school. Mme Moorosi was at work, but Ntate Moorosi was still there as was their young one Gayla and their worker. As is common in Lesotho and South Africa, the Moorosi's hire someone that helps with the cooking, cleaning, and childcare. She also eats and sleeps at the home. The Moorosi's worker is called Selingi.
Staying at the Moorosi's is such a blessing to me. They have a car, which is very uncommon here. They always want me to use the car if I need to go anywhere, and they give me rides to work and to church (where we all go together). Also I pack a lunch to take to work, and I come home to find dinner prepared for me by Selingi. Also Mme and Selingi do all of the laundry, so I haven't even washed anything yet. To all of their kindness I owe them so much. It is a great blessing to me, and is allowing me to focus on my studies and my internship.
My first day back at church was amazing. It was so good to be in the Masianokeng Branch again. I served there as President and then second counselor of the congregation in 2008-2009. It was the longest I lived in an individual area on my mission; I stayed nearly 8 months. I don't know if someone didn't show up to speak, or if Ntate Moorosi just planned on having me speak and didn't tell me... but I spoke for about 10 minutes in the meeting. It was a great opportunity, and the members were so happy to see me. I was likewise so overjoyed to be reunited with them. There are a lot of people in these surrounding villages that are so special to me. It was great to see people that I met with that are still coming to church. I also was pleased to hear that a man we taught in 2008 has recently been baptized. His name is Khobatha. I told the Moorosi's that I used to meet with him and they were surprised because he hadn't come to church until last year. It was just so nice to be there, and I know I will enjoy the company of these saints for the next three months.
Another note about church--the Masianokeng Branch used to rent a small space from Itjareng Vocational Training Centre (the place I am now doing my internship). In May the branch finally started meeting in their new location, a set of six trailers that are set on the property that I helped select for purchase in 2008. The trailers are semi-permanent; they will stay at least until the congregation exceeds 100 on average, at which point they will build a permanent structure. They do, however, have plumbing, electricity, a kitchen, bathroom, and a baptismal font (all of those things are a big deal here).
Now on to my internship-- I started work on Monday. I am mostly working with Mme Pascalina Letsau, the extension officer for Itjareng. Itjareng (or IVTC) is basically a training ground for physically and mentally handicapped people of all ages to learn vocational skills and become self reliant. There are seven main courses: computer literacy, sign language, metalwork, leatherwork, carpentry, sewing, and agriculture. Each trainee takes computer literacy, sign language, and agriculture, and then opts for one of the remaining courses as an emphasis. On Monday I was introduced to each of the teachers, went to a training meeting on the upcoming elections, and met with the director of IVTC.
At the meeting for the elections, some people came to teach the students how to vote (elections are on the 26th of this month). I was nodding off the whole time as I was so tired and the whole meting was in Sesotho. After the meeting, Mme Pascalina introduced me to all of the trainees and told them my name. Then she asked them what my Sesotho name should be. They suggested two, Thuso and Lebohang, and then voted. I am now called Thuso (pronounced Two-so) which means help. They selected it because of its meaning and the purpose for my coming--to help Itjareng.
In my meeting with the director we discussed what I can do to be helpful to the centre. I will be doing many things including traveling to follow up on past trainees, working in the classrooms, records keeping, technology upgrades, finances, and budgeting. My work will largely be with Mme Pascalina, who is in charge of doing the records and follow up visits. She also does trainings in far flung villages on HIV/AIDS which I will likely participate in.
Well that is all the time I have for now. I am doing very well, I am happy, and I feel very blessed. Thank you for your love, support, and prayers.
Until next week,
Sala Le Molimo (stay with God)
Monday, March 19, 2012
innocence
for those of you who don't know, i am in the US Army. i joined the Utah National Guard 2 years ago--in march 2010. it has been a great experience. it has also been very different from my experiences in high school, at college, or on my church mission.
in comparing the army with my personal religious beliefs, i often have been faced with conflicts. i don't enjoy the dirty jokes, drunkenness, or profanities that are often a part of Army culture. in mentioning this, i want to point out that the Army is full of very good people. just because they differ from me in behavior or religious preference does not make them somehow "bad." i have often been impressed with the professionalism and conduct of my fellow soldiers. they strive to live the Army values, which are:
Loyalty
Duty
Respect
Selfless Service
Honor
Integrity
Personal Courage
in my unit, i interact with many soldiers--male and female, old and young, enlisted and officers. religion does not come up often in conversation (though we do start company activities with a prayer). in my company there are few people that are actively and openly religious. those few people tend to hold back in conversations because they do not want to be involved with some of the conversation topics that come up.
there is a brother and sister in my company who are very religious and innocent. they both recently turned in mission paperwork at the same time (she is 21, and he is 19). i have been impressed with how genuine and sincere they are. these two individuals are without guile.
yesterday at the chow hall, one of the soldiers brought up the "popcorn song." the young man did a little demonstration of the song, singing it for those of us at the table. if you are LDS you know it--just a ridiculous little ditty about how the blossoms on fruit trees looks like popcorn. a few minutes later the first sergeant came in the room. one of the soldiers at our table said, "hey first sergeant! this kid has a song he wants to sing for you! he's been practicing at our table." the first sergeant loved it. he called the young soldier over and announced to the whole company, "hey, listen up! we've got us some entertainment."
we all laughed and enjoyed as the soldier sang "popcorn popping on the apricot tree," complete with actions. he was red-faced and embarrassed, but a good sport about it. when he sat back down, one of the soldiers said, "man you are so innocent i fear for you." we laughed, but i could tell that he meant it. the young soldier could also sense that. one of the other soldiers said, "yeah, you need to get out of utah," somehow implying that his innocence was naive and ought to be outgrown. the implication was that only by getting out of utah could he experience what the world is really like.
what bothered me was the expectation that he needed to "finally grow up." did the other soldiers think that after living somewhere else he would come home with street smarts and cynicism, finally willing to laugh at their dirty jokes? i understand what they were saying. after all, i think utah is quite a protected place, separated from many aspects of the "real world." perhaps it is a good thing to go out and experience the difference. whether you live in south africa, russia, or south america (this young soldier will be serving in ecuador), i think that there is value in experiencing different cultures, religions, and languages. i also think that there is a lot of variety to be found within the united states.
while it is good to experience differences in culture and perspective, we do not have to change ourselves to fit whatever culture we live in. we can (and should) still be ourselves. i believe that we can let our experiences change us, and we can increase in our ability to understand and empathize with others. however this increase in understanding does not need to coincide with a decrease in those beliefs and behaviors that make us who we are.
i am glad to say that i never "grew up" from my state of innocence. i have learned and understood many things so far in my life, and i plan to learn much more. but i have come to the conclusion that innocence is not just a state of being; it is a choice. there are several definitions of innocence: freedom from sin/guilt, simplicity/naiveté, harmlessness, and lack of knowledge or understanding. i think all but the last are positive attributes that we ought to be developing in ourselves.
in conclusion, i want to go back to the story of this young solider. i hope he never grows up. i hope he expands in learning and understanding while remaining innocent, simple, and harmless. i hope he can stay strong and be himself in a world that sees innocence as weakness and naiveté as stupidity.
in comparing the army with my personal religious beliefs, i often have been faced with conflicts. i don't enjoy the dirty jokes, drunkenness, or profanities that are often a part of Army culture. in mentioning this, i want to point out that the Army is full of very good people. just because they differ from me in behavior or religious preference does not make them somehow "bad." i have often been impressed with the professionalism and conduct of my fellow soldiers. they strive to live the Army values, which are:
Loyalty
Duty
Respect
Selfless Service
Honor
Integrity
Personal Courage
in my unit, i interact with many soldiers--male and female, old and young, enlisted and officers. religion does not come up often in conversation (though we do start company activities with a prayer). in my company there are few people that are actively and openly religious. those few people tend to hold back in conversations because they do not want to be involved with some of the conversation topics that come up.
there is a brother and sister in my company who are very religious and innocent. they both recently turned in mission paperwork at the same time (she is 21, and he is 19). i have been impressed with how genuine and sincere they are. these two individuals are without guile.
yesterday at the chow hall, one of the soldiers brought up the "popcorn song." the young man did a little demonstration of the song, singing it for those of us at the table. if you are LDS you know it--just a ridiculous little ditty about how the blossoms on fruit trees looks like popcorn. a few minutes later the first sergeant came in the room. one of the soldiers at our table said, "hey first sergeant! this kid has a song he wants to sing for you! he's been practicing at our table." the first sergeant loved it. he called the young soldier over and announced to the whole company, "hey, listen up! we've got us some entertainment."
we all laughed and enjoyed as the soldier sang "popcorn popping on the apricot tree," complete with actions. he was red-faced and embarrassed, but a good sport about it. when he sat back down, one of the soldiers said, "man you are so innocent i fear for you." we laughed, but i could tell that he meant it. the young soldier could also sense that. one of the other soldiers said, "yeah, you need to get out of utah," somehow implying that his innocence was naive and ought to be outgrown. the implication was that only by getting out of utah could he experience what the world is really like.
what bothered me was the expectation that he needed to "finally grow up." did the other soldiers think that after living somewhere else he would come home with street smarts and cynicism, finally willing to laugh at their dirty jokes? i understand what they were saying. after all, i think utah is quite a protected place, separated from many aspects of the "real world." perhaps it is a good thing to go out and experience the difference. whether you live in south africa, russia, or south america (this young soldier will be serving in ecuador), i think that there is value in experiencing different cultures, religions, and languages. i also think that there is a lot of variety to be found within the united states.
while it is good to experience differences in culture and perspective, we do not have to change ourselves to fit whatever culture we live in. we can (and should) still be ourselves. i believe that we can let our experiences change us, and we can increase in our ability to understand and empathize with others. however this increase in understanding does not need to coincide with a decrease in those beliefs and behaviors that make us who we are.
i am glad to say that i never "grew up" from my state of innocence. i have learned and understood many things so far in my life, and i plan to learn much more. but i have come to the conclusion that innocence is not just a state of being; it is a choice. there are several definitions of innocence: freedom from sin/guilt, simplicity/naiveté, harmlessness, and lack of knowledge or understanding. i think all but the last are positive attributes that we ought to be developing in ourselves.
in conclusion, i want to go back to the story of this young solider. i hope he never grows up. i hope he expands in learning and understanding while remaining innocent, simple, and harmless. i hope he can stay strong and be himself in a world that sees innocence as weakness and naiveté as stupidity.
Friday, March 16, 2012
equality in relationships
this post was inspired by the thoughts of dr. kelly flanagan in a post called, "marriage is for losers." i encourage you to read it--it is relevant and well stated.
i have often thought about equality between relationship partners. in every relationship i have been in, i have considered whether one of us was more dominant than the other. think about the relationships you have had. did one person always make the decisions? did one person always get their way? was there usually a "winner" and a "loser" in fights, arguments, or conversation?
how much do you compromise in a relationship? how much ought you to give up for your partner's sake? i believe it is just as possible to give too much as it is to give too little.
your thoughts, feelings, and opinions are much of what makes up who you are. these things need to be shared VERY OPENLY in relationships. i have seen the effect of poor communication in relationships. in most cases, not sharing an opinion is infinitely worse than sharing one.
now i want to suggest that there is a correlation between relationship equality and compromise. in order to be equal, both partners in a relationship need to share their feelings. there also needs to be a willingness to compromise. sometimes this means that you don't get to eat at your choice of restaurant. sometimes this means that you allow your partner to "win" an argument even when you think he/she is clearly wrong. compromising does not mean that the same person is always compromising--it needs to go both ways. whatever the circumstance, we need to be open enough to consider the other person's point of view. and we should be able to expect that our partner is honestly sharing their point of view. there is no reason for silence.
dr. ben carson taught me a lesson at the BYU devotional on Feb 24th. he told the story of a pair of adult siamese twins. they were very intelligent. both had college degrees. both of them had doctorates (though only one of them had wanted one). in considering the operation to separate them, they were informed that there was a possibility that one or both of them could die. despite the danger, they decided to go ahead. ben quoted them as saying, "we would rather die than spend another day stuck together." dr. carson gave us this response: "i was surprised at first, but then i did something that i highly recommend you try out--i put myself in their shoes." after he considered how difficult it would be to spend literally every second of every day stuck to another person, regardless of how much you liked that person, he decided it would be very difficult indeed.
the point i am trying to make in sharing that story is that we need to put ourselves in our partners shoes. we may think that we know our partner very well, but chances are that you don't know everything. i bet that those siamese twins still had arguments. i bet that they sometimes surprised each other with their differences of opinion. as we interact with our significant others, we need to put ourselves in their shoes often. every time that we disagree. that doesn't mean we will necessarily change our minds, but it does mean we are more likely to understand and to empathize.
in dr. flanagan's blog, he speaks of three different kinds of marriage relationships. the first two are grossly unequal. i quote from his blog:
"In the first kind of marriage, both spouses are competing to win, and it’s a duel to the death. Husbands and wives are armed with a vast arsenal, ranging from fists, to words, to silence. These are the marriages that destroy. Spouses destroy each other, and, in the process, they destroy the peace of their children. In fact, the destruction is so complete that research tells us it is better for children to have divorced parents than warring parents. These marriages account for most of the fifty percent of marriages that fail, and then some."
"The second kind of marriage is ripe with winning and losing, but the roles are set, and the loser is always the same spouse. These are the truly abusive marriages, the ones in which one spouse dominates, the other submits, and in the process, both husband and wife are stripped of their dignity. These are the marriages of addicts and enablers, tyrants and slaves, and they may be the saddest marriages of all."
"But there is a third kind of marriage. The third kind of marriage is not perfect, not even close. But a decision has been made, and two people have decided to love each other to the limit, and to sacrifice the most important thing of all—themselves. In these marriages, losing becomes a way of life, a competition to see who can listen to, care for, serve, forgive, and accept the other the most. The marriage becomes a competition to see who can change in ways that are most healing to the other, to see who can give of themselves in ways that most increase the dignity and strength of the other. These marriages form people who can be small and humble and merciful and loving and peaceful."
after reading his words, i came to the conclusion that i need to work to have that third type of marriage in my future. the others are too painful and sad to consider. so how do we create that kind of self-sacrificing, loving, compromising relationship? and how do we do it without changing too much of ourselves?
i believe it is possible to change and compromise in a healthy way and in a healthy quantity. i think there are two main things that we can do to foster equality in our relationships:
1) listen to each other. try to listen more than you talk. when your partner is not speaking, listen more. as you listen, put on his/her shoes.
2) do not be silent. share your opinions, both big and small. there is no reason why a mother-in-law should hear the true feelings of a husband or wife before it has been shared with their partner.
i think there is too much of a tendency for one person in a relationship to dominate the relationship. that dominant person calls all the shots, makes all the plans, and ends up in control. at first there may be a reason why their partner puts up with it. maybe they are just glad to have a boyfriend/girlfriend (or husband/wife). maybe they don't like making choices or they have a hard time choosing between alternatives. but i don't think it is good for a relationship to be so one-sided. in most cases we will make better decisions when two people come together and deliberate. even if our decision is not the best (in our opinion) we may find that joint-solutions are more effective than a solution decided upon without mutual agreement.
i want a relationship where my opinion is equal to (not superior to) my wife's. i want a relationship where my wife feels comfortable calling me an idiot when i am acting like one. i want a relationship where we are both willing to admit it when we are at fault. what do you want? share your thoughts.
i have often thought about equality between relationship partners. in every relationship i have been in, i have considered whether one of us was more dominant than the other. think about the relationships you have had. did one person always make the decisions? did one person always get their way? was there usually a "winner" and a "loser" in fights, arguments, or conversation?
how much do you compromise in a relationship? how much ought you to give up for your partner's sake? i believe it is just as possible to give too much as it is to give too little.
your thoughts, feelings, and opinions are much of what makes up who you are. these things need to be shared VERY OPENLY in relationships. i have seen the effect of poor communication in relationships. in most cases, not sharing an opinion is infinitely worse than sharing one.
now i want to suggest that there is a correlation between relationship equality and compromise. in order to be equal, both partners in a relationship need to share their feelings. there also needs to be a willingness to compromise. sometimes this means that you don't get to eat at your choice of restaurant. sometimes this means that you allow your partner to "win" an argument even when you think he/she is clearly wrong. compromising does not mean that the same person is always compromising--it needs to go both ways. whatever the circumstance, we need to be open enough to consider the other person's point of view. and we should be able to expect that our partner is honestly sharing their point of view. there is no reason for silence.
dr. ben carson taught me a lesson at the BYU devotional on Feb 24th. he told the story of a pair of adult siamese twins. they were very intelligent. both had college degrees. both of them had doctorates (though only one of them had wanted one). in considering the operation to separate them, they were informed that there was a possibility that one or both of them could die. despite the danger, they decided to go ahead. ben quoted them as saying, "we would rather die than spend another day stuck together." dr. carson gave us this response: "i was surprised at first, but then i did something that i highly recommend you try out--i put myself in their shoes." after he considered how difficult it would be to spend literally every second of every day stuck to another person, regardless of how much you liked that person, he decided it would be very difficult indeed.
the point i am trying to make in sharing that story is that we need to put ourselves in our partners shoes. we may think that we know our partner very well, but chances are that you don't know everything. i bet that those siamese twins still had arguments. i bet that they sometimes surprised each other with their differences of opinion. as we interact with our significant others, we need to put ourselves in their shoes often. every time that we disagree. that doesn't mean we will necessarily change our minds, but it does mean we are more likely to understand and to empathize.
in dr. flanagan's blog, he speaks of three different kinds of marriage relationships. the first two are grossly unequal. i quote from his blog:
"In the first kind of marriage, both spouses are competing to win, and it’s a duel to the death. Husbands and wives are armed with a vast arsenal, ranging from fists, to words, to silence. These are the marriages that destroy. Spouses destroy each other, and, in the process, they destroy the peace of their children. In fact, the destruction is so complete that research tells us it is better for children to have divorced parents than warring parents. These marriages account for most of the fifty percent of marriages that fail, and then some."
"The second kind of marriage is ripe with winning and losing, but the roles are set, and the loser is always the same spouse. These are the truly abusive marriages, the ones in which one spouse dominates, the other submits, and in the process, both husband and wife are stripped of their dignity. These are the marriages of addicts and enablers, tyrants and slaves, and they may be the saddest marriages of all."
"But there is a third kind of marriage. The third kind of marriage is not perfect, not even close. But a decision has been made, and two people have decided to love each other to the limit, and to sacrifice the most important thing of all—themselves. In these marriages, losing becomes a way of life, a competition to see who can listen to, care for, serve, forgive, and accept the other the most. The marriage becomes a competition to see who can change in ways that are most healing to the other, to see who can give of themselves in ways that most increase the dignity and strength of the other. These marriages form people who can be small and humble and merciful and loving and peaceful."
after reading his words, i came to the conclusion that i need to work to have that third type of marriage in my future. the others are too painful and sad to consider. so how do we create that kind of self-sacrificing, loving, compromising relationship? and how do we do it without changing too much of ourselves?
i believe it is possible to change and compromise in a healthy way and in a healthy quantity. i think there are two main things that we can do to foster equality in our relationships:
1) listen to each other. try to listen more than you talk. when your partner is not speaking, listen more. as you listen, put on his/her shoes.
2) do not be silent. share your opinions, both big and small. there is no reason why a mother-in-law should hear the true feelings of a husband or wife before it has been shared with their partner.
i think there is too much of a tendency for one person in a relationship to dominate the relationship. that dominant person calls all the shots, makes all the plans, and ends up in control. at first there may be a reason why their partner puts up with it. maybe they are just glad to have a boyfriend/girlfriend (or husband/wife). maybe they don't like making choices or they have a hard time choosing between alternatives. but i don't think it is good for a relationship to be so one-sided. in most cases we will make better decisions when two people come together and deliberate. even if our decision is not the best (in our opinion) we may find that joint-solutions are more effective than a solution decided upon without mutual agreement.
i want a relationship where my opinion is equal to (not superior to) my wife's. i want a relationship where my wife feels comfortable calling me an idiot when i am acting like one. i want a relationship where we are both willing to admit it when we are at fault. what do you want? share your thoughts.
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