Month: January 2018

Monday in a Picture – 33

by Kirby P., posted in Peace Corps Swaziland, pictures

Later this week, I’ll get to celebrate 33 years on this planet. In November, I started perusing the internet for possible vacations to gift to myself. I noticed Victoria Falls was reasonably priced. I had heard wonderful things about falls, so I decided to book it. 

Last week, I journeyed to Livingstone in Zambia. (As a side note, Livingstone is named for David Livingstone, who noticed the falls almost 200 years ago. My alma mater, Livingstone College, is named after the same man.) The falls are quite magnificent. The sheer power and size of falls leaves me in awe of nature and its power. The picture above was taken after a day of cycling around the town of Livingstone as I look forward to a wonderful 33. 

Be kind to yourself. 
Onward. 

Monday in a Picture – Bringing in 2018

by Kirby P., posted in Monday in a Picture, Peace Corps Swaziland, pictures

Around August 2017, I was trying to decide how I was going to bring in the new year. At first, I was pretty set on going to the Vic Falls Fest at Victoria Falls. In case you don’t know, it’s a multi-day music festival. When I started looking at logistics and pricing, I decided that it wasn’t for me. Back to the drawing board. 

I decided that I wanted three things. Amazing, delicious food; beautiful beaches; and a country that I hadn’t been to before. Some folks suggested that I check out Zanzibar in Tanzania. I did, and decided that I wanted to ring in 2018 there. 

My initial plans were foiled by an Airbnb snafu, but I resolved that and ended up staying on a different part of the island (Pajé) than I initially intended (Nungwi). It was pretty great. Many days were spent reading and resting on the beach. I was able to finish Kevin Hart’s book. I was able to eat several delectable delights. I met some friendly PCVs currently serving in Zambia. The new year was celebrated at a party on the beach complete with fireworks. 

If you ever have the chance, I’d highly recommend getting to Zanzibar. The above pictures are (top) the walkway to the beach, (bottom right) red curry prawns with a mango smoothie-and a view, and (bottom left) me eating a traditional Zanzibari soup. 

Be kind to yourself. 
Onward. 

Trees

by Kirby P., posted in poetry, Reflections

When a tree falls
in the forest, 
it always makes a sound. 
Unless it’s primadonna
as fuck. 

Showing off
for the hearing. 
Putting on
an auditory show. 
That tree doesn’t
need you to know
how loud it can be. 

Falling trees
go boom
like boa constrictors
wrap tight. 
That tree ain’t sounding off
for likes. 
for follows. 
for friends
for applause. 
The tree just falls, 
and makes whatever sound
falling trees make. 
Whatever sound
trunks make
when reunited with roots. 

Boom! 

When a tree falls
in the forest, 
it always makes a sound. 

Monday in a Picture – Embrace

by Kirby P., posted in Monday in a Picture, Peace Corps Swaziland, pictures

Prior to Peace Corps, I wasn’t well acquainted with organized affinity groups. I was member to various groups focusing on shared interests, but they weren’t organized as affinity groups. Enter Peace Corps. There are affinity groups focusing on different identities and interests. One such affinity group here in Peace Corps Swaziland is known as Embrace. It’s an affinity group organized around the Black American PCV identity. 

This weekend, Embrace members gathered for a retreat. There were wonderful opportunities for team building, enhancing self-care practices, and fellowship. The above photo was taken during one of the sessions on self care. 

Be kind to yourself. 
Onward. 

Sweet Dreams – A Trio of Brides

by Kirby P., posted in Peace Corps Swaziland, Sweet Dreams

Because I am posted in a country where I might contract malaria, I have been given an antimalarial medication called, “Mefloquine”. One of the side effects of this medication is vivid dreaming. The following is what I dreamt last night (as best I can remember). 

I was on vacation in Jamaica. There were plenty of beautiful beaches, but I opted to stay away from the beach. I spent most of my time at a playground/park at an apartment complex. I would talk to whoever came to the park. For some reason, I was more interested in hanging around the park than doing anything else. This was a daily occurrence. 

One day, at the entrance to the park, there stood three men in drag who all looked like Marilyn Manson with the hair of Peggy Bundy. Each man had on a wedding dress with hair matching the color of the wedding dress. I felt like I had seen the trio before but I wasn’t sure. One bride wore a white dress with big white hair. Another bride wore a red dress with big red hair. The other bride wore a deep purple dress with deep purple hair. 

As the trio of brides walked through the park, people started gathering. The wall turned into a processional. Then a priest appeared. The processional ended at the priest. By now, everyone from the apartment complex was in the park to see what was going on. The priest lamented about people always coming to the island to get married and not wanting to live there. He wanted more people to move to the island nation. The priest then continued with the ceremony. As the priest continued with the wedding, I noticed that the only people standing before the priest were the trio of brides. I realized that they were marrying each other and paid closer attention because this was the first wedding triad I’d ever witnessed. 

Be kind to yourself.
Onward.

Monday in a Picture – Reverence

by Kirby P., posted in Monday in a Picture, Peace Corps Swaziland, pictures

As you may know, Swaziland is a kingdom with an absolute monarchy. King Mswati III is a symbol of all things Swazi. As such, pictures of the king are all around Swaziland. Photos of the king aren’t limited to government offices and organizations. It’s typical of businesses and offices in the private sector to show reverence by displaying three photos. The highest photo is of the king. The next photo is of the queen mother. The last photo is of the prime minister. The above picture was taken at a restaurant in Mbabane. 

Be kind to yourself. 
Onward. 

Monday in a Picture – The Weeds

by Kirby P., posted in Monday in a Picture, Peace Corps Swaziland, pictures

I’ve learned that inspiration comes from all kinds of places. My knowledge of flowers, plants and other greenery is rather limited. I know what grass is. I can identify a tree as a tree. If it has mangos growing from it, I can be a pseudo-botanist for the moment. 

On different walks around my community, I’ve noticed what I would consider flowers. They are beautiful and abundant with vibrant colors. After seeing a beautiful deep purple flower repeatedly, I decided to ask a local friend what kind of flower it was. He replied, “oh, that’s a weed”. I clarified what he meant. Weeds are invasive, unsightly and detract from the beauty of the landscape. Therefore, they must be removed. I’ve learned that beauty is all around us. It’s even in the seemingly unsightly and mundane things that we see everyday. 

The above picture is of one of those weeds as seen on a walk around my community. 

Happy New Year! 
Be kind to yourself. 
Onward.