Papa! Moroho! Nama!

One of the most frequently asked questions I get in emails or phone calls is: "What do you eat over there?" Honestly, PC volunteers in Lesotho are pretty lucky because we're so close to South Africa--even if we don't have a certain food product in our village, chances are we can get it in Maseru, the capital, or South Africa.
Traditional Basotho food consists mostly of papa, moroho, and nama. Papa is usually described as a stiff porridge made from maize meal. I like to think of it as extremely bland mashed potatoes that have had all the moisture sucked out of it (and not actually made from potatoes). It's pretty good with other foods, but it's pretty gross by itself. I don't make it myself (although it's very easy), but I eat it at "restaurants" in town and with Basotho sometimes. Basotho eat it with everything-- it's their staple carb food. I love papa with "moroho" which is a blanket term for any cooked leafy vegetable. Moroho usually involves chopped up cabbage, sometimes carrots, sometimes spinach, or swiss chard, etc. It's cooked in oil and flavored with salt or Aromat (pure MSG!) or something similar. My favorite moroho (that I can make) consists of chopped cabbage and grated carrots. Then there is nama which simply means "meat." When we were in training at the Training Site in Maseru, most of the meat that was cooked for us was dubbed "mystery meat," but it always tasted good. Nama in Lesotho is either chicken, cow, pig, or sheep. No rat stew... yet! Just kidding. Other things Basotho eat if it's available: pumpkin, squash, beetroot, bean salad, potato salad, soups, eggs, bohobe (bread), etc. Most food are doused in salt or MSG flavor or Rama (margarine, yum).
Although these are the most available foods in Lesotho, I usually don't eat them. I eat a lot of rice with veggies, beans, grilled cheese, tuna sandwiches, yogurt and granola, PB & J, lentils, soups with bread, etc. In the mornings I eat either oatmeal, yogurt and granola, or eggs and buttered bread. That's right -- I like eggs now! Basotho taught me that they taste really good if you use enough oil when you cook them. :) You can get a lot of instant foods in Maseru too -- like 2-minute noodles (Top Ramen) and cup-a-soup. I generally don't cook meat for myself, but I eat it in town or with friends. And of course I always boil my water. Oh, and tortillas are hard to find here so I make my own with I'm really craving a burrito. We can bake things too with a Dutch oven (hehe), like cookies and casseroles, but I haven't attempted the Dutch oven yet. Also they sell candy bars in most camptowns so I get my chocolate fix when I need it -- I can even get Peanut Butter M&Ms at a certain gas station in Maseru, so good! The only food I truly miss and salivate when I think about is the In-N-Out cheeseburger. Alas, there is no hope of finding an In-N-Out cheeseburger in Africa, or barely outside of California. Most of my fellow American volunteers have not enjoyed or even heard of In-N-Out which causes me pain. So, to all of my In-N-Out buddies (there are so many of you), enjoy an INO cheeseburger or Double-Double for me and tell my favorite burger joint that I miss it.

"These Are A Few Of My Favorite Things..."

We swore in today! I am now an official Peace Corps volunteer. Yesterday a few of us volunteers were bored so we wrote a song about our PST (pre-service training) experience. Enjoy!

Sung to the tune of "My Favorite Things" by Julie Andrews:

Raindrops in my room, I hate my tin roof.
I pee in a bucket and you can too .
Tampered packages might arrive in spring.
These are a few of my favorite things.

Braying donkeys, ke kopa lipompom.*
Tea time and cookies, I fell in a donga.*
At sunrise I shiver in my drafty latrine.
These are a few of my favorite things.

When the dogs bite,
When the cocks crow,
When they call my fat,
I simply remember I'm in Lesotho, and then I don't feel so bad.

Time has no meaning we ema outside freezing.*
Music in kombis leaves my ears bleeding.*
Bitter PCVs why don't you just leave?
These are a few of my favorite things.

Aggravated assault; I just lost my teeth.*
Always use the bridge, no wait, never use the bridge.*
Papa, moroho and MSG--
These are a few of my favorite things!

Ample Leg Hair.
Bucket Bathing.
My Butt's never Clean.*
I simply remember that boxed wine is cheap, and then I don't feel so bad!

Hahah! Sometimes we get crazy when we're bored. :) The asterisks above will eventually be footnotes, but I'm too lazy to figure out how to do that in HTML. Email me if you have any questions or news! I leave for Qacha's Nek tomorrow morning at 5am via kombi!

Qacha's Nek, here I come!

I'm here now at my site writing this blog on paper later to be transferred to "the internet." I got the site I wanted!! I'm in Qacha's Nek working for PSI (Population Services International) and LPPA (Lesotho Planned Parenthood Association). Both PSI and LPPA are international organizations at least as far as their funding and infrastructure are concerned, so I will have the luxury of working in an actual office (at times) and working with educated and accountable people. I live outside of town in my own rondavel with... ELECTRICITY! This came as a surprise to me because I knew I was going to be living in a village, and the vast majority of volunteers do not have electricity. I am so happy to have a light in my house so I can read and draw and get work done at night (like at home!). In the training village where I was living prior to Qacha, it was difficult at night working by candlelight. Also I have cell phone reception in my house! I'm spoiled by Peace Corps Lesotho standards. According to others in Qacha's Nek though, it can be rough living up here in the mountains. The weather is unpredictable--lots of snow in the winter, rain in the summer, and cold temperatures at night. I need to get me some long underwear. :) The other PCVs in Qacha's Nek seem cool too despite the fact that I think they're all from the East Coast. Coastal rivalry is common here among PCVs so I will be representing the Westside by myself in my district. Luckily my fellow Californian Kjessie (surfer babe from NorCal) is relatively close to me--about a 4 hour bus ride plus a boat ride across a river plus a hike over a mountain. According to current volunteers, the first few months at site can be difficult because not only am I getting settled and used to my home, but I'm on "lockdown" meaning I can't leave my district--which for me means I won't be able to see any of my fellow trainees for 3 months because I'm the only new volunteer in Qacha's Nek. Hopefully someone will throw a big party when lockdown is over.
I live on a family compound outside of town with my ntate (host dad) who is almost 90. I know--he's so old, especially for Lesotho. He's awesome. I love him already. I'm sure there will be more on my ntate in another blog...
After discussing my job position with my supervisors at PSI and LPPA, I will be doing a lot of work in the villages mobilizing the communities in Qacha's Nek and informing the villagers of the services provided by PSI and LPPA. In a nutshell, PSI focuses mostly on VCT (Voluntary Counseling and Testing) for HIV; and LPPA offers contraceptives and education for family planning. Although the circumstances are obviously drastically different I'm looking forward to comparing Planned Parenthood in Los Angeles, one of the wealthiest and best-known cities in the world, to Planned Parenthood in Qacha's Nek, the smallest district in a relatively unknown poverty-stricken country in Africa. Because I will be mobilizing villages, it will be crucial to my success here that I learn Sesotho and speak it confidently. Easier said than done--wish me luck!
Since I will be at site for the next 3 months and I'm not sure how reliable internet is in Qacha's Nek, it may be a while until my next blog...