I remember one of the behaviors of the Basotho that I found funny when I first arrived was the nose picking. Basotho pick their nose without shame. At the dinner table, on the taxi, when they’re bored, waiting for someone/something (which you spend a lot of time doing here), whenever and wherever! At first I didn’t really understand why everyone was always picking noses, and I found it interesting that as Americans, we are instructed from the time we are toddlers to keep our fingers out of our noses. After some time in Lesotho, I discovered that the reason for the perpetual pursuit of boogers was the climate. I started getting them too. A dusty, dry climate where the sand often blows with the wind tends to give you a crusty nose, and it’s a natural impulse to stick your finger up there to get them out so you can breathe properly. I honestly think my nose has produced more boogers here in three months than it had in one year in the U.S. Anyway, I’m glad to have tissues. This southern belle is sticking to her manners, even though no one here cares if my fingers are in my nose or not.
The other thing i find quite amazing is the capability of the Bo-M’e (‘M’e means one woman, Bo-M’e means many of them) to carry ANYTHING on their heads, even a duffel bag of mine that probably had the same weight and awkwardness of an 8-year-old child. These ladies have necks of steel and, although few of them have ballerina bodies, their balance is excellent. They never look like they’re struggling. In fact, they do it with grace. I’ve seen many of them pause, turning their heads to chat and laugh with a friend they run into on the way home, all while a 20-liter bucket of water balances perfectly on each and every one of their heads. Meanwhile Sbongile (that’s me!) is coming up the side of the mountain from the tap sweating, huffing, puffing, grunting, and occasionally sliding along the gravel path with the 20-liter bucket dragging one side of her body towards the ground. When she pauses, it’s to switch arms or to greet the children along the way who are laughing at her. At this moment I feel like the typical American girl trying to “rough it” in Lesotho. The first time I did this, it was seriously frustrating, although I’m beginning to get used to this daily task. I will say that I’ve tried to carry water on my head one time, and it wasn’t pretty. The tap is a long way from my house, and I’m not going to spill my precious water again. However, I now consider this my daily workout, and I hope that my arms and shoulders will be extremely toned and that this will become increasingly easier as time goes on. But, I don’t think I’ll ever be able to carry the bucket (with no hands) on my head though. Anyway, I’ll mess up my French braid! I keep that sucker in for three or four days sometimes. Oh, I guess it’s gross that I wash my hair approximately once a week? If you didn’t have running water, you probably wouldn’t think it was so bad.
By the way, happy new year everyone! After all the work and determination it took throughout 2010 and 2011 to get where I am now, I’m very glad to begin 2012 in the beautiful Maloti mountains of Lesotho. My new years resolutions? Have fun, make lots of friends, and make science and math more engaging and comfortable subjects for my students here. I have only vague ideas and expectations of what this year has in store for me as far as experiences and accomplishments go, but I’m excited to see how it plays out!
0 comments:
Post a Comment