blog 6 - catch up

Blog 6.

I want to catch up with what’s been happening since last blog entry. 

The days seem to melt into each other and before I know it a week has gone.  I thought life would slow down when I got here, but alas that hasn’t happened, its going faster.

So Saturday 12^th was as hot as hades, about 100 in the waterbag. And now this Saturday was about 17.   Is this sounding familiar???    Just my luck -  the weather here is changeable too. And of course I shouldn’t complain because there is lots of relief from the heat at this time of the year.   And summer is just around the corner. 

I need some hang out at home trackies here.  Of course I got rid of that part of my wardrobe before leaving OZ, and now I live 2 hours from a decent shopping area.  Oh well.   I’ll just have to suck it up….  Because I went to town last week and there are no tackies to be found – wrong time of the year for that shopping.

So the sewing days this week – 14^th – 16^th.  Was not a good one.  Two machines had to go to the fixit man in Manzini and Daran was not happy.  Both machines where left from other ladies who are no longer part of the group and therefore the organisation had to pick up the cost of repairs.  

So with 2 machines down, 3 new ladies decided to choose this time to introduce themselves and let me know that they are the replacements for the ones no longer here.   One lady, Ellenah, has her own machine, not in good nick and she does not speak or understand English or simplified commands.  WOW – just one of my challenges.   I am discovering there are limitations to my illustration skills and putting a pin where you want them to sew does not work.   They will sew either side, and maybe they think they have to avoid the pin or break a needle.   When will I be able to talk enough SiSwati to give good instructions ???   probably in 2 years time. !!

The next new one whose name is  -  Nonhlanhle -   she is a natural. !!!!   WOW -  was I excited.  She speaks and understands English and has a great attitude to learning and cannot work hard enough.  She has shown me her perfectionism already.  Unpicks things quietly if it does meet her own standards.  A few more like her would be fabulous, but then I would not have much to do.   Hahahahaha

The third lady -  I cannot even remember her name, but I do remember that I could not get my tongue or teeth to work right.  So I need to discreetly ask for a repeat and practice before I run into her again.

With our new purchase of fabrics I spent some time on the weekend cutting out some of the bags that they have been making.    When they started to sew I quickly realised that what they have previously learnt, and the best way to sew this bag, are very different.  I watched in amazement at some of the sewing skills being applied and watched in horror at others.   By the end of day 1 I was exhausted.  Day 2 more of the same and at the insistence of Teresa, who wanted the ladies to make a particular pyjama pants pattern that seems to be trendy in the ‘states’.  So I thought we would give it  go. 

This was about lesson No. 6 for me -  don’t try anything new on mass !!!   just do it as a single and get everyone to watch. 

The pyjamas were a disaster.  1 out of 6 was acceptable.  I was most concerned about the waste of fabric that is not easy to get.   As a result we are going to advertise for any unwanted fabric to be donated so we can use it for training and learning purposes.   I know where there are tubs of fabric in storage !!!!

One of the ladies, Kumbuzile,  I call her Koombooz.  She is very quiet and sits and sews and doesn’t chatter to much like the others,  a quiet achiever, she has only one eye that works – not sure how much though and is a culprit of not sewing where the pin is placed.  The ladies are encouraging her to learn to speak some English, and so she is inclined to repeat what I say. 

Last Monday I was telling the ladies I would not be seeing them until the following Monday as I had to go to Mbabane.

After our class I often give Kumbuz and Rose a lift to the nearest corner for them.  I had only Kumbuz this Monday and she loves to sit in the front – if Rose is there she is relegated to the back seat as Rose would not be able to get in or out of the back of my  GSV.

I stopped at the corner and KumBuz, gets out   -   and in her best Ozzie accent says -    “see ya Munday”     I didn’t know what to do or say -  I was laughing so much at her strine accent.  She copies me parrot fashion.

When I got control of myself I replied,  “humba kahle”  that means go well.  She went off with a big smile on her dial.   See it’s the quiet ones you’ve gotta watch.

Now I have to be careful with my words and polish up my pronunciations a little.

So I headed into the city on Tuesday morning,  it had been raining for 4 days, not heavy, thankfully, as I have 14 kms of dirt / mud to navigate to reach the sealed roads, I did , a few mud skates in places, but got there without too much drama just a very muddy little GSV.

The new volunteer who was supposed to be with us at departure, had finally arrived and so we were doing some of the orientation things together, like the visit to the UN office for more talks on security, then to the medical centre for  a check to ensure that we are not idiots.   The form is to be signed by the GP and attached to our application for Temporary Resident Permit.  I have now been in Africa for 6 weeks and this was to done within 4 weeks from arrival,  so I may be home soon.  The other requirement for being in town was to do the first Assignment monitor and evaluation discussion with my employers and AVI officer.   Very typical govt red tape stuff.    The biggest concern was that I am only teaching for 3 days a week and what do I do on the other 2 days.

As this assignment is full time we need to come up with justification for the 2 days.  I have given Daran a list of what I do and when etc. and he will add others things as he feels necessary, like communicating with his other staff who look after the health of the people I am teaching as most of them either have HIV/AIDS or are exposed to it.    Sadly the country officer doesn’t use reality when assessing things, and gets heavily involved with the jargonistic political correctness and always choosing the longest and most convoluted way of addressing a question or statement.  Like I just tied to do.!!  Daran kept asking her to put this into simple language – I  love him!

That meeting went for 2.5 hours and commenced an hour late due to the country officer, who being Swazi is allowed to be ate, but we are not.  I have noted that Teresa and Daran are practicing to be Swazi in this regard.  So I have decided that I will give it a go too.

We finished the meeting at 5.30 and then raced up the hill to the home of Teresa and Daran to pick up some old curtains that can be used for their office in Vuvulane or sued for training purposes. I was asked to stay for dinner and so did and helped to cook spag bol.   Very different !   after dinner they host a family fellowship, I stayed for this and it turned out to be a very good idea.  One of the ladies arrived with the biggest and the yummiest cake ever.   She has now been given the task of cake provision every week.   The people were all fabulous, very friendly and welcoming.  There was a couple from NZ who have been in Swaziland for 2 years and have just been told that their 3^rd year has been cancelled.  They are now leaving early in December and returning to NZ via Australia.   I just happened to have with me one of the bags that the ladies are making and it was the first with some good changes and it looked fabulous.  Well Sharon wanted to buy it.  They have selling for E120  (which is about $13) because of the changes made to the bag I said E150.  She not only bought that one, but another that Teresa had purchased for a friend.   I sold 2 bags!   I was so excited and can’t wait to tell the ladies.

Sharon asked if she could have 50 bags before she departs to take with her to sell.    YAY !!!  our first commission.   WOW.   I have about 20 cut out already to start.  I have also designed a small bag that is most suitable for travellers to hold passport, cash, glasses – the things you need to have ready access to and keep securely.   I requested opinions from people I met and other vollies and will re-design before we go into production.  I use one for myself now and I love it for when I go shopping. 

I went shopping with Penny before leaving Mbabane and it was very pleasant, she is a great person and I have secured a place at her home whenever I am in town.

I arrived back at my palace about 5.30 on Thursday and fund that I have now secured a gardener.   What a miracle transformation.  He is a lovely young man, so polite and friendly.  He had cut down all the dead branches, cleared around the trees where there was 3 feet high grasses etc.    Teresa and Daran had arrived behind me to pick up the ‘couch’   it has now gone to its new home.

I noticed that Nomsa had done washing ad was still cleaning my house,  I walked in to find the kitchen covered in dead bees. .   – so the story goes -  the gardener had disturbed a hive in the garden, i.e. he chopped down the part of the tree that housed them, and of course they were in search of a new home.   The ones that got into the house couldn’t get out and got caught in the mosquito net and that was the end of them.  Pretty powerful netting.   I then found that they were making their new home in the roof space and the drone from inside the house was very audible.

My gardeners name is Mcoze,  he is familiar with bees and understands their behaviour.  He said he would smoke them out at night when they were quiet.   Around 8.30 he arrived with a piece of rubber from a tyre that was alight and he was holding that in front of the small hole they were using to access the roof space.  He was not sure how would it would work and would check in the morning. 

Well they appeared to be quiet,   later in the day I heard an incredible swarming sound and noticed that they were all in the mango tree and only the occasional 1 or 2  near the eaves.   A little later another swarming and now I don’t where they have gone to.    I thought of all the honey in the roof space – YUM. 

Well it’s now Sunday 27^th and I am up to date.

Before I sign off I must tell that I found short life – real fresh milk in Mbabane and have filled the freezer.

Next week I am going to Lesotho for an AVI in-country meeting of the volunteers from Swaziland and Lesotho – about 20 of us in total.  Staying at www.malealea.co.ls

Georgie **