Here's a few things that have happened recently. The first two are about sheep.
1) Twice in the past two days, a very young sheep has wandered into my empty classroom while I was sitting at my desk. The first day, it poked around the student desks and made a few contented bleats before eventually leaving of its own accord. The second day, 'M'e Sekatle (you will remember as the teacher of grade 2), called out to me "Ntate Rethabile! You have got a new learner!" Then, a boy in grade 2 came in, made a few conciliatory noises, coaxed the sheep into his arms, and brought it back outside. I wish this happened every day of my life.
2) I was riding a taxi to Ha Sekake yesterday when we pulled up on the narrow shoulder next to a young sheep (perhaps an age mate of the fellow from school). The conductor jumped out, peered around up and down the surrounding mountains, scooped up the sheep, and hopped back into the taxi. I eyed the other passengers to see if this was all on the up-and-up, but wasn't able to tell. Then, the driver spotted a herd of sheep hidden in a fold of the mountain to our right, and inquired whether the herder was missing one of his flock. We drove about two minutes on, stopped, and the conductor cajoled an old man passing by to accept the sheep.
3) Tuesday was an exceptionally clear day, and I was staring out at the mountains when I noticed a few protuberances on the western slope of the largest mountain. I grabbed my binoculars and got a better look. Turns out there are quite a few houses up there, along with a road cut into the side of the high peaks. I'd never noticed this before. It's fun to learn something new!
4) Today, a student in class 6 asked me to use the pencil sharpener (I have said many times that they are free to use the pencil sharpener whenever they like, but they insist on asking. This is one of those things you just have to accept). I was writing on the board, and over my shoulder I heard her panicked cry: "SIR! It is not there!" Her tone of voice was what you would use if you'd just discovered the Mona Lisa had gone missing under your watch.
5) Yesterday, my principal 'M'e Faso and I selected three of the finest, choicest hogs in Ha Sekake to bring home to school, along with a healthy 500 kilograms of Pig Grower (accept no substitutes!). This is the final step of the first phase of my community's secondary project, and I couldn't be happier to see it underway. While I won't be able to see these three get to producing beautiful litters (I'm told the pig-stork brings them), I am excited to see Caliban, Mrs. Prendergast, and Herbert Hooves-er making themselves at home. I hope to make a blog post which gets into the nitty-gritty of the secondary project process.
6) I am four days away from the two-year mark here in Lesotho, and I've reached that stage of equanimity which one feels at the end of things. As you would do in my place, I spend my free time reading Ecclesiastes, picking up soil from the yard and then letting it fall from my stretched fingers into the breeze while making a deep, knowing "mmmmm" noise, and drinking tumblerfuls of bourbon as I sit on my stoop and squint at the setting sun.
1) Twice in the past two days, a very young sheep has wandered into my empty classroom while I was sitting at my desk. The first day, it poked around the student desks and made a few contented bleats before eventually leaving of its own accord. The second day, 'M'e Sekatle (you will remember as the teacher of grade 2), called out to me "Ntate Rethabile! You have got a new learner!" Then, a boy in grade 2 came in, made a few conciliatory noises, coaxed the sheep into his arms, and brought it back outside. I wish this happened every day of my life.
2) I was riding a taxi to Ha Sekake yesterday when we pulled up on the narrow shoulder next to a young sheep (perhaps an age mate of the fellow from school). The conductor jumped out, peered around up and down the surrounding mountains, scooped up the sheep, and hopped back into the taxi. I eyed the other passengers to see if this was all on the up-and-up, but wasn't able to tell. Then, the driver spotted a herd of sheep hidden in a fold of the mountain to our right, and inquired whether the herder was missing one of his flock. We drove about two minutes on, stopped, and the conductor cajoled an old man passing by to accept the sheep.
3) Tuesday was an exceptionally clear day, and I was staring out at the mountains when I noticed a few protuberances on the western slope of the largest mountain. I grabbed my binoculars and got a better look. Turns out there are quite a few houses up there, along with a road cut into the side of the high peaks. I'd never noticed this before. It's fun to learn something new!
4) Today, a student in class 6 asked me to use the pencil sharpener (I have said many times that they are free to use the pencil sharpener whenever they like, but they insist on asking. This is one of those things you just have to accept). I was writing on the board, and over my shoulder I heard her panicked cry: "SIR! It is not there!" Her tone of voice was what you would use if you'd just discovered the Mona Lisa had gone missing under your watch.
5) Yesterday, my principal 'M'e Faso and I selected three of the finest, choicest hogs in Ha Sekake to bring home to school, along with a healthy 500 kilograms of Pig Grower (accept no substitutes!). This is the final step of the first phase of my community's secondary project, and I couldn't be happier to see it underway. While I won't be able to see these three get to producing beautiful litters (I'm told the pig-stork brings them), I am excited to see Caliban, Mrs. Prendergast, and Herbert Hooves-er making themselves at home. I hope to make a blog post which gets into the nitty-gritty of the secondary project process.
6) I am four days away from the two-year mark here in Lesotho, and I've reached that stage of equanimity which one feels at the end of things. As you would do in my place, I spend my free time reading Ecclesiastes, picking up soil from the yard and then letting it fall from my stretched fingers into the breeze while making a deep, knowing "mmmmm" noise, and drinking tumblerfuls of bourbon as I sit on my stoop and squint at the setting sun.
Haha this was fun to read!!! I'll be reading more of your posts as it's always interesting to read what others think of my home country :-)
ReplyDeleteAlso,thank you for the time you spent serving over there. You may have not heard it all the time,however it was highly appreciated by those you came in contact with as well as worked with.
Thank you, Rose, I appreciate that!
ReplyDelete