Day I

We arrived in Lesotho!

Things That Told Me That I Was Definitely Not In America Anymore

1. The airport was a small brick building with a sign that read “King Moshoeshoe National Airport.”
2. There were two immigration desks where they checked our passport. There wasn’t a line.
3. The immigration desks, single baggage claim conveyer belt, and customs desks were in one big room.
4. After fifteen minutes of waiting by the conveyer belt a man wheeled in a cart with our luggage.
5. At the customs table (about twenty steps to the right of the baggage claim) they opened one of my bags, deemed it to be fine, and then, when we told them that the other two only consisted of clothes, they smiled and said that they we could continue without them checking the other two.
6. My dad got in the left front seat. I was about to tell him that Dr. Pii was going to drive us when I noticed that the steering wheel was on the right side.
7. So I thought that maybe our driver was trying to swerve and avoid something by driving in the left hand lane and then became anxious when I was convinced that we were headed towards oncoming traffic. Nope, apparently you’re supposed to drive on that side.
8. Women had baskets on their heads and babies swaddled on their backs. (I’m determined to have no need for backpacks and grocery carts upon my return as I’ll only need a blanket to swaddle schoolbooks to my back and a basket to balance groceries on my head.)
9. (Okay so this one only applies to Houston.) There are large, rolling hills all around me.
10. There are fruit stands every mile or so with bananas, apples, oranges, and bags of foods I can’t identify.
11. There are clothing lines outside of every house with shirts, pants, and sweaters hanging out to dry.
12. I can’t understand the radio.
13. Kids are outside. (AKA not inside participating in video game marathons and ogling at TV sets hours on end)
14. I saw a cow on the side of the road. And then three more. And then two sheep. And then chickens.

Notable events: I finally saw the clinic in person and took the first steps in my new home. (A cottage next to the clinic.)

back of the clinic

view from my bedroom window (soooo, my daily commute isn't too bad :))

my cottage!

bathroom

washer

kitchen

living/dining room (continuation of the kitchen)

dryer

my lifesaver (space heater)

back of space heater

I met my roommate Lorine who’s a resident from Canada.

Dropped my dad off at the Lesotho Sun Hotel.

dr. pii, dr. mohapi, and my dad at the reception desk

my dad knows how to rough it.

I awoke from my four-hour midday nap to the arrival of my second roommate. Her name’s Lena and she just finished her Junior year at Rice.

We went to the “Shoprite” grocery store downtown and although it didn’t have the selection I’m used to, it had a surprisingly good selection of foods. Lena and I purchased some things on our own and then split the cost of things we could share.

My purchase consisted of…

• Asparagus, sweet potatoes, squash
• A bag of mixed vegetables
• A bag of pears and apples
• Soymilk
• Peanut butter
• Wheat bread
• Oatmeal (Correction, JUNGLE OATS!)
• Brown sugar (for the jungle oats)
• “Whispers of Summer” Ceres juice (which is usually ridiculously expensive and only found at whole foods, but since it’s produced in South Africa, it’s not very expensive and they have every flavor!)
• lentils and brown rice

I slept in long underwear, a long sleeve shirt, fuzzy socks, and a sweatshirt.

my first dinner! mixed vegetable (cooked it myself :))

Lorine!

Lena!