Did I really see that?

We are now into our third week in this lovely but forgotten African
country. Every day I see something that I take in at the instance and
then later snap back with the question - Did I really see that? Here
is a selection. Did I really see:

- a child herd boy barefoot and wrapped in a blanket leading several
bony-ribbed cattle through the baked dry fields.

- Patty and I actually pay to get into a taxi van that would seat 7 in
Canada but transported 15 to the local village. Patty had to sit a
child on her knees so we could all make the voyage. The van not only
lacked seatbelts but floor bolts to keep the seats in place and a
secure means of fastening the flapping, sliding door - all driven
under questionable license authority by a 15 year old.

- a farmer ploughing and planting his field with an iron plough pulled
by two cattle braced by a hand-made wooden yoke? I have seen such
contraptions at several Canadian pioneers museums but not in action.
(Incidentally, if any Canadian museums need to replenish their plough
collection they can be bought both new and used at the Hlotse market.)

- a primary school teacher wearing the same tattered, ripped clothing
for a couple of days straight. I have already grown to expect this
condition in the children, but the teachers?!?

- evidence of multinational company exploitation of Lesotho workers at
a paltry few dollars a day salary? Yes -
a textile plant in Maputsoe. The multinational exploited? A Chinese
company!

Last week I celebrated my birthday in the grandest style with a
beautiful multi-layered cake prepared by Sister Celestina at the
convent bakery in Pitseng. She was so joyously enthusiastic at the
prospect of baking this cake and so proud of the offering - all of
which outshone the tasting of the result. I shared the cake with our
fantastic Help Lesotho Youth Corps colleagues who clearly had never
seen anything like it I also offered a quarter of the cake to the
local chief and his family. They were all so delighted that I expected
the honourary membership to the clan to be soon forthcoming. Indeed
Chief Joseph did pay us a visit the following day. However, his
purpose was not as I suspected. Instead, he was seeking our
assistance in solving a problem with his daughter's cell phone!
Strangely enough, in a country with extraordinarily limited internet
access, there is no shortage of cell phones with even the smallest tin
shack store selling cell time cards.

One of my projects this week will be the launching, in response to
popular demand, of conversational French lessons at the Centre under
the tutelage of le professeur Culbertson. Already enrolled are two of
the Youth corps, some local primary school teachers and the very
enthusiastic local Catholic priest and some of his friends.
Fortunately for me, I had as ample an opportunity to practice my
French last month in France as I did my wine tasting competency. My
students will soon be heard impressing their friends with words like
"Guy Lafleur" and "le Pocket Rocket" throughout northern Lesotho

A bientot!