Mosquitoes, Politics

I have added some pictures, by-the-way.

This morning I was late for work. Since I was late, I rushed past people that I would normally have stopped to chat with. This is very un-African of me.

As I rushed past a furniture store, where I had previously made the acquaintance of one of the sales people, I heard a whistle directed at me. This is a common way to grab someone’s attention here in South Africa; you can’t walk around downtown Tzaneen without hearing a good deal of whistling. “Why didn’t you come in and say hello?” he scolds me.

“I’m really late for work, so I’ve been rushing since I left my flat” I explain, trying to sound as hurried as possible. He laughs as he takes my hand and leads me into the store. He explains we need to talk business. When we get to his desk, he starts to describe his vision for a new company. He shows me his business plan and then asks if I can help him make it better. I’m thinking “I’m a history major…”, but I say yes anyway. After a good 20 minutes I finally get back on the street, and headed to work. I hope I can help him out somehow.

He and I have spoken many times before. He is an outspoken opponent of America’s current foreign policy. When he found out where I was from, he was thrilled that he could finally give a piece of his mind to an actual American. He has a satellite at his home and watches CNN, so he is supplied with a constant stream of news to keep him busy. “Be careful with that CNN” I warn, “It's American propaganda…” He is not alone in his desire to say a thing or two about America.

The people I meet almost always have something they want to ask or say about my homeland. The most common thing people say is that they want to visit; the second most common topic of choice is probably the presidential election, i.e. Barrack Obama. One question I got a couple times after Hillary finally dropped out of the race was “Is he the President yet?” In fact, I have been asked to explain US Presidential politics on more than one occasion. Even when people have negative things to say about the US, they almost always tell me they want to visit.

I got a call a few weeks ago from a man named Patrick. I honestly couldn’t remember where I had met him, but he was very keen on meeting up with me. I figured that if I gave him my number, he couldn’t have seemed to threatening to me at the time, so I say yes. We arranged a meeting spot at the crossroads of two major highways. I had no idea what he wanted to do. It turns out he is a scientist who has worked at the Malaria Institute for the past 30 years. So, we take a walk to the Institute.

The Malaria institute, I am told, is responsible for ridding my particular area of malaria carrying mosquitoes years ago. I am afforded VIP status and am treated to a full tour of the labs and grounds. There are dozens of containers, in which mosquitoes at various stages of life are kept. There is also a shed that houses hundreds of guinea pigs. These hapless creatures are drugged and then placed in the aforementioned containers when the scientists want the mosquitoes to lay eggs. Apparently blood is necessary for egg production; otherwise the mosquitoes seem happy enough with sugar water. Another fun fact is that mosquitoes have an average lifespan of 14 to 28 days. On parting Patrick gave me the largest banana I have ever seen, one that he had harvested from one of his own banana trees.

So, I’m meeting people, which is nice. Work is good too. I’ve finally gotten a new version of Tsogang’s website up (www.tsogang.org). It’s the first website I’ve ever published, so I’m still trying to figure it all out. Once I understand well enough, I will show my co-workers how to edit and publish a website as well. I think that’s what Peace Corps means when they talk about “capacity building”. I am also working on creating a database for all of the projects that Tsogang has worked on since 1996. Since the current filing system is a bit arcane, this is quite the task. Once I get this database finished, it will be a useful tool for Tsogang long after I leave. This is a pleasant thought.

Since I am approaching my third month in Tzaneen (and my fifth month in South Africa) I will be going to what Peace Corps calls in-service training for the next two weeks. This is supposed to consist of additional relevant training for work. It also provides an opportunity to catch up with fellow volunteers. All 30 of the volunteers in my group have been placed in different NGOs, over three different provinces. Our experiences will be diverse, and probably instructive. Another plus is that we are given three (free) squares a day for the whole training period. That, in itself, is probably enough to keep me happy.

Thanks for reading.