Site change and other updates

Well my computer seems to have kicked it, at least temporarily. The power button is broken and I am unable to turn it on... if anyone else have had a similar problem with Macbooks and knows how to fix it let me know!

Anyways thankfully last weekend I was able to borrow a laptop from another PCV, and I am again connected to the world.. yay! So now I suppose its time for some updates on moving and the new site..

I'll start chronologically. Exactly 2 weeks ago I went back to my site after staying with a couple of friends at their site. Which on a sidenote, was amazing and thanks to Casandra I got to eat some delectable mac and cheese. Yum! So anyways that Monday I went back to my site to begin the packing process. Thankfully my APCD (peace corps "boss" figure) had gone to my site a week before and informed my school they had decided to move me due to the security issues. My principal did NOT take it well, did not understand why they felt this was the only solution, and would not accept that i was unable to finish my service there. So I knew the actual moving day would not be an easy on. I packed up everything that afternoon and evening and stayed for one last night in my room. I'm thankful i was able to have a full ast day at least to spend with my host family. Monday morning some representatives from the Department of Education came to moving, and after a very tearful goodbye with my host family, teachers, and students, I was on my way to my new site.

My new village was actually just recently vacated by another couple from my group. In fact they were 2 of my best friends in Peace Corps and they both had nothing but great things to say about their experience in the village, so I was pretty happy it worked out that I could move there. The village is about 100km north of Kuruman in the Moshaweng valley, which is now basically just a large dry riverbed. There are a few other PCVs in this area, and one only about 5km from me! So nice to have someone close by.

Honestly I can't say enought about how much I love my new home. I absolutely adore it and I could feel that it was a perfect fit for me from the day I moved in! My host family (the Molefi family) is an older couple in their 60s and are incredibly nice and welcoming. AND they both speak english, so communication is significantly improved! I have a single room (bigger than my last) that has a seperate entrance and a door that goes into the house. After what happened at my old site I was pretty adament that I didn't want a seperate house and preferred to be in close quarters with a host family. I got exactly what I asked for and thankfully I absolutely love the family, so it's really a perfect setup for me! Another bonus to my new home... they have their own borehole (well) in their yard and RUNNING water in the bathroom right next to my bedroom! Which means there is a flush toilet! There is also a bath but nobody really uses it for bathing (its kinda gross), but it's amazing to have the running water right there and a drains! I was doing fine having to walk to my community tap for water at my old site but I will not pretend that it isn't awesome to not have to. Sadly the pump on the borehole is broken momentarily and in the process of being fixed, but im sure the running water will come back to me. I am eagerly awaiting its return.

I will write an entry dedicated to the new school(s) that I work in soon, because I have a lot to say about it and the massive differences from my old schools. Briefly though, my supervisor (Ruth) is the principal of the primary school in Laxey, which is maybe one of the best and most well-run schools I have seen in this country. My experience here so far has actually re-instilled my faith in the education system here seeing that there are, in fact, schools that are thriving even in poor and isolated rural communities. Of course there are a few things here and there that I will be able to help with when the new schoolyear begins in January (grades 3-4 English and math, library stuff/reading classes, and helping Ruth set up a parent/teacher conference thing that she wants to happen every term), but I will have a lot more freedom and time to do fun projects. In the next couple weeks I will be painting the world map on one of the school walls, and I am still busy planning Camp GLOW, which takes place December 11-15. I am sooo so excited for the camp and I think it will be a perfect thing to finish out 2010 with! There is also a high school right next door to the primary school, which I will also helping out at occasionaly (probably with a computer lab that was recently put together there).

Im getting rambly. All I can really say is that life is going great for me here! It was pretty traumatic going through the move and saying goodbye to my old village but for me this just reinforces that everything happens for a reason. I already feel at home and totally comfortable here, and I think this will be a fantastic place to finish out my service. I already get gaggles of adorable little children at my door every day so excited to have a new volunteer and someone new to play with! They have definitely already discovered that I am a sucker for the little cuties and don't mind playing with them after school because so far they've come over just about every day.

OK, that's all for now. I'll post some pics soon as well as more info on my new school. Missing you all and hope you enjoy all the haloween festivities for me!