This week brought a change of pace from the more seminar-oriented week before. We had a standard day of classes on Monday, but on Tuesday we left to do our Host Volunteer Visit (HVV). The HVV is a three day trip out to the site of a current volunteer. I went with another trainee to a small town about 60 or 70 km away. We first went to the Camptown of Mafeteng and met up with a few current volunteers for lunch.
The main purpose of this visit was to see a current volunteer in action. This was somewhat hindered by the face that the visit occurred during Primary School Leaving Exams, which Standard 7 students take at the end of their Primary School education. The entire school focuses on these tests, and all the other Standards are told to stay home. So, rather than go to the school and observe some Primary English teaching, I instead conducted what amounted to a survey of the school's physical plant. But I did get to talk to some of the teachers at the school, who helped talk through a few research topics about Basotho culture with me. I also got to spend some time reading one of the texts I will be teaching, A Crooked Path.
It was enjoyable and eye-opening to see how a current volunteer lives, and I can see myself making the transition in a few months.
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