Monday, I met two of the other volunteers in Hoedspruit, and we did some shopping at a grocery store that’s similar (well almost) to grocery stores in the states. The store doesn’t have the same brands or the same selection, but it’s nicer than the one in Acornhoek. Since I couldn’t find a store that sold file cabinets, I checked two used furniture stores. One of them had a cabinet, but it was locked and they didn’t have the key. The lock would have to be busted, and would ruin the locking mechanism on it. Also, they wanted way too much for it considering it was locked and used. So, I will look somewhere else. We also went to a restaurant that has pizza…it’s not the like pizza we’re use to but it was close. However, we all had terrible stomach aches later from the cheese on the pizza. There was nothing wrong with the cheese, but our stomachs hurt because we are not use to eating cheese anymore!!
Also, since it was 5:30 when we arrived back in Acornhoek at the taxi rink, the other two PCV’s ended up having to stay at my room, because it was getting too dark for them to ride the taxi’s back to their homes…we are not allowed to travel after dark because it can be dangerous…they would have had to walk to their homes alone after the taxi dropped them off at the rinks near their villages, so it was safer for them to stay here. However, it was fun to be able to have some company, we cooked and chatted. One ended up sleeping on the love seat that the family is letting me use, and the other one slept on the floor in my sleeping bag.
Then, Tuesday morning we got up at 4:30am, because Heather’s (one of the PCV’s that stayed here) principal was going to get her truck serviced in a nearby town that has a mall. She said that we could come along and she would take us to the mall there. So, we all rode in the truck for the two hour drive there. We were pretty cold because it was 5am, but we all agreed it was worth it to get to go…it’s too far us to go in the taxis, because it would take several hoursl. The mall was sort of like the malls in the states…the stores are different…not the stores we are used to. And of course, we couldn’t afford really afford to buy anything, but it was fun to get out and look. I did buy a washrag, because I only brought one with me. I also found a tee-shirt on a clearance rack and bought it. Heather and I also found some hair dye and we each bought a box…it was rather expensive on our income, but we bought it anyway. When we got back to Acornhoek, it was early enough for LaTosha to go back to her village on the taxi, but it was too late for Heather because she lives further away…so Heather stayed the night again. However, since the circuit had delivered my furniture while I was out, it was nice to have Heather here to help me put the bed and wardrobe together. The bed is full size, and the wardrobe is big enough to hang all my clothes, and it also had two drawers. I’m also supposed to be getting a table and two chair soon. Since Heather spent the night again, we decided it would be a good time to dye our hair. So I dyed hers and she dyed mine. However, you should have seen the mess we made trying to get it all rinsed off in a bucket of water!! It was pretty humorous…we should have taken pictures…it’s a good thing I don’t have carpet and just a concrete floor, because we made a complete mess!! We didn’t realize how difficult it would be without running water!! LOL!!
I walked with Heather to the taxi rink this morning so she could go back home. Then I came back and arranged my furniture and finally got to unpack my clothes and such. I also made curtains for my back room (bedroom) and hung them up. I was also finally able to hang up pictures in my backroom, since I got the furniture arranged. I hung up pictures, and the cards and letters I’ve received here on the walls, since I don’t really have anything else to hang-up…but I liked hanging the cards and letters up, because it reminds me of everyone at home. I had also bought a wall mirror when the PC took us to Pretoria, so I hung that up too…my host Dad let me borrow his hammer. So, I guess my bedroom it completely “decorated” now…and it makes me feel more at “home”!! However, I can’t work on the front room…the kitchen\living room yet, because I couldn’t get my host father to take the bed back they were letting me borrow, so it’s in middle of the front room now. My host mom is gone until Saturday on a trip with their church, and he said he didn’t want to take the bed back into their house until she got back because he doesn’t know where she wants to put it. So, I guess I’m stuck with it until Saturday or Sunday!! When they get the bed out, I’ll hang-up pictures in that room too.
The principal from Chayiwe and his wife stopped over right as I was finishing the bedroom to visit…they like to stop by on occasion and chat…which consists of them asking me a million questions about America. Gladys…the Principals wife (the principals name is Paul by the way) asked if I would teach her how to cook some American meals, and I told her I would. Paul had brought two desks (there like a table) from the school for me to use to sit my stove on one, and use the other as a desk. I asked him if he would bring another one that I could use as a table, and he said it wasn’t a problem, and I could have two more if I wanted them and I could push them together to make a bigger table. This way, the school doesn’t have to buy a table, which they have no money for anyway. I will just buy two plastic chairs from somewhere for cheap so that the school doesn’t have to buy them.
I also asked Paul if he could drive me to a larger town to look for file cabinets for the school sometime soon, and he said he would. He then asked if I would help him with the school budget sometime in the next few weeks, for the new year (it starts in January), and I told him I would be happy too. Apparently the circuit gives the school a few hundred rand for each student that’s enrolled at the school, and that’s all the school gets for money for the entire year to budget with…the money is for everything that’s needed at the school for the entire year, except the teacher salary. However, the money does have to pay for the janitor’s salary!! I’m hoping to work the filing cabinets, securities bars, and paint into to budget. However, I might have to rely on some type of fundraisers or donations.
Filed under: Peace Corps Acornhoek | Tagged: Peace Corps
