Hey, friends and family! Here is my (surely much awaited) blog update.  I apologize for the long delay. As I quickly came to find out, internet connectivity in Africa is anything but assured.  But anyways, here is a brief synopsis of what I’ve been up to the last couple of weeks:

Staging (Peace Corps orientation) in Philadelphia was June 25^th-26^th. I completed some last-minute volunteer registration forms and met my fellow PCT’s (Peace Corps Trainees) for the first time. We departed JFK international airport for Jo’burg on the morning of the 26^th.  The flight was largely uneventful and only mentionable because of the fact that the JFK-Jo’burg direct flight is one of the longest current commercial flights in operation today (approx. 15 hours).  Once in Jo’burg, we caught our connecting flight to Manzini, Swaziland. 

After we landed, we traveled to a local institute that Peace Corps Swaziland rented out to host some segments of our training exercises. We spend the next couple of days in the hostels adjacent to the institute.

 On July 2^nd, I met traveled to my temporary site for the rest of PST (Pre-Service Training) with my host family. I live on a large homestead in a small village not too far from Manzini with a little more than a dozen other PCT’s (the nearest is a 3 minute walk). My host family is comprised of over a dozen members and they treat me like one of their own. I don’t have electricity and I boil/filter my drinking water, but I think I have adjusted quite well to those facets of existence. The challenges thus far have come in cross-cultural differences and my struggle to learn the local language of siSwati.

My days (and nights) have largely been dictated by a regimented schedule developed by Peace Corps. I typically wake up at 5:30 am to prepare for the day by boiling water, taking a bucket bath and brushing my teeth. After which, I either head to the main road to catch the chartered bus to the training facility for the day or head to a pre-determined location in my village to do an activity with my fellow trainees. I’m usually back on my homestead no later than 4:00 pm and in bed by 8:30 pm. 

So, yeah… now you’re caught up. I left a lot of detail out and I realize that my abbreviated post leaves a lot to be desired but it’s too difficult to describe in words my experience thus far. However, I’m more than willing to address any questions you may have. Just post them in the comments section below the post. I, of course, cannot guarantee a timely response, but I will respond eventually.