Rain. I didn’t think I could ever appreciate such a simple
thing so much. The rainy season in Limpopo runs from October to April. Last
week I sat on my porch and watched a massive thunderstorm roll in over the mountains
and inundate my village. We needed it. It hasn’t rained significantly since
April and the wonderful respite it brought from the early summer heat was a
relief, not to mention the extra water it brought to our strategically
placed 50 gal. drums and JoJo.
The moment brought me back to a time about 2 years ago when
I took a trip back to Johnson School to meet with Mr. Wood, a 4th
grade RPCV and teacher, who instilled the idea of the Peace Corps in me with
just one simple slideshow back in the year 2000. I went to see Mr. Wood because
I was still unsure if the Peace Corps was for me, or whether I could handle
being sent overseas to serve for 27 months. I wanted to hear about his
experiences as a PCV in Thailand in the early 90s. As he was walking me out of
the building (me still very unsure) he said, “Look, if the idea of watching a
thunderstorm roll in over endless rice paddies after a long hot day appeals to
you at all, I think you should
apply.” Well, I did and it was one of the best decisions I have ever made.
Finally, my garden, which I’ve been working on since I got
to site has finally begin paying off! I have TONS of broccoli and my carrots,
red onions, beets and tomatoes should be just about ready in the coming weeks.
I am currently at a training to get more in-depth knowledge of some of our
partnering programs, including GRS and BFL and also attend a perma-gardening
workshop that I can use to help establish a easy-to-maintain garden at my Drop
In Center.
No comments:
Post a Comment