Category: Monday in a Picture

Monday in a Picture – Tibi Tendlu

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

In 2016, a documentary premiered in Swaziland. It featured Swazis talking about Tibi Tendlu (pronounced tee-bee ten-jlu), or family dirt, including child abuse and gender based violence. A fellow Swaziland PCV recently kicked off an initiative to host screenings of the documentary for school aged girls and young women around Swaziland. My community was fortunate to participate in the screening series.

Last week, our high school hosted a screening of Tibi Tendlu. A facilitator involved in the screening’s post-production process joined us and led our GLOW club participants in discussions about gender based violence and family dirt. The girls were also provided with contact information for organizations that can help address gender based violence in Swaziland. The above photo is of the girls watching the documentary last week.

Be kind to yourself.
Onward.

Monday in a Picture – Chicken Dust

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

One of the greatest ways to experience a place is through its food. Swaziland’s street food culture features a few staples. One of the meals that can be found all around Swaziland is chicken dust.

Chicken dust is a grilled chicken quarter typically served with a maize porridge known as lipaleshi (pronounced lee-pah-lee-she), or pap, and salad. Some chicken dust stands give the option of fries or rice. You may be wondering why it’s called chicken dust. The short answer is: I don’t know. I suppose that it may be because of the placement of chicken dust stands on the side of the road where dust can be kicked up by passing cars. But again, I don’t know. Chicken dust is a good, quick lunch or dinner that will cost 20-25 emalangeni.

While I haven’t experience all chicken dust places in Swaziland, I’m confident that the best chicken dust can be found in Mankayane across from the bus rank. They give the option of pap or rice to accompany their flavorful, juicy chicken. Be sure to treat yourself to this Swazi delicacy if you’re ever in the neighborhood. The above picture features the delicious chicken dust from Mankayane.

Be kind to yourself.
Onward.

Monday in a Picture – A Bug’s Life

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

Swaziland has opened my eyes to many new things. I have a newfound love of ice water and mangoes. Learning siSwati has introduced a culture of depth and tradition. I have also taken a special interest in the small critters I see in the rural community.

Apparently, this is a thing for PCVs in many countries. A PCV in Mozambique organizes and curates an Instagram account (@woahinsecto) featuring insects from all over the world. Growing up in an urban environment, I found insects to be a nuisance. When I did journey to more rural places on family vacations, the insects were huge and had stingers that left itchy bumps. The only insect that had redeeming qualities was the firefly because it lit up the summer sky.

I’ve seen creatures here that are truly stunning. Some of the tiny critters are extremely hairy. Other critters are incredibly colourful. A couple of weeks ago, I was at school heading to class when I saw the critter pictured above. I thought it might jump when I got close, but it didn’t. It did start walking away. Luckily, I was able to get close enough to snap this picture.

Be kind to yourself.
Onward.

P.S. – According to @woahinsecto, the creature above is the Pygromorphidae and their colors are a warning to predators that they are chemically protected!

Monday in a Picture – Sihambile eWakanda

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

Warning: This post does have some spoilers regarding Black Panther.

I’m writing this on Wednesday 21 February. Today, students from 14 different communities across Swaziland came together to journey to Wakanda. Some students and chaperones traveled for hours to Swaziland’s only movie theatre. As I journey back to school with my students, I’m tired and happy. My heart is full.

For many students, this was their first trip to the cinema. They were excited. I was excited. Everyone was excited. The students were able to meet and fellowship with other students from around the kingdom. And as an added bonus, they got treated to the cinematic experience that is Black Panther. After the movie, several students gave a Wakandan salute and two thumbs up. I was able to speak with some of my students after the film about their thoughts and reactions. One student said that he enjoyed the film overall, but that he was really appreciative of how the ancestors were intertwined into the story. To see T‘Challa consulting his late father in the ancestral plane was powerful. Another student was enthralled with the relationship between Africans and Black Americans as he sought to understand why Killmonger wanted to destroy Wakanda.

I must say that I have a newfound appreciation for the teachers and other responsible adults who chaperone field trips regularly. If you haven’t experienced this film yet, I’d highly recommend it. It’s a cinematic delight.

The above picture was taken just before the students went into the theatre to see Black Panther. On a related note, I never knew how difficult it was to get 70+ school children to stay still long enough to take a picture.

Be kind to yourself.
Onward.

P.S. – Sihambile eWakanda means “We went to Wakanda”.

P.P.S – Here’s a picture of me, my counterpart, and our top students (per last year’s results).

Monday in a Picture – The News

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

Swaziland is home to at least 3 different regular newspapers. The Times of Swaziland and the Swazi Observer are daily publications. I rarely see the Swazi News, but it’s here. All of these regular newspapers are written in English. I’ve been told that there was previously a siSwati language newspaper as well. All of the newspapers cost five emalangeni each. While the Swazi Observer markets itself as “Revived, Reliable and Read”, Swazi News says that it’s “A Complete Read”. The Times of Swaziland states that it’s been “The National Newspaper of Swaziland since 1897”. The Times of Swaziland is the oldest newspaper in Swaziland. The above picture shows print editions of the three periodicals from previous months. 

Be kind to yourself. 
Onward. 

Monday in a Picture – MTN on the Street

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

Some months back, I wrote about MTN in Swaziland. While MTN offers post-paid, or contract, cell phone plans, many people around the kingdom use MTN’s pay-as-you-go service. This system works by purchasing airtime. 

While airtime can be purchased from MTN stores and authorized retailer shops, it’s also available at most grocery stores and various other shops. One of the most readily available places to get airtime is from a street vendor. Some street vendors have a big yellow umbrella (like the one in the picture above). All vendors have a yellow MTN vest that identifies them as MTN vendors. With an MTN street vendor, you can buy a SIM card, airtime, or data bundles among other things. MTN street vendors also work with MTN’s Mobile Money service. Mobile Money is another world. It’s a wallet connected to your cell phone number. It can be used to send and receive money, pay bills, and buy airtime. It’s similar in many ways to PayPal or Venmo. The MTN street vendor is often a one stop shop for handling many matters. 

Be kind to yourself. 
Onward. 

Monday in a Picture – Super Bowl Slumber Party

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

This morning (my time), I experienced a first in Swaziland. Watching the Super Bowl. A fellow PCV (with amazing WiFi) hosted a Super Bowl pizza party. Swaziland is seven hours ahead of Washington, DC. This meant that we tuned in for a 1:30 am kickoff. The day and night were filled with food, friends, and football. 

I had the thought several moments during the game, “I’m watching the Super Bowl in Swaziland!” This thought made the sporadic buffering very bearable. And now, I’m well fed, extremely tired, and filled with adrenaline from watching an exciting game. I’m thankful to have had the opportunity to watch my first NFL game in more than two seasons. The above photo is of some friends who also joined in the festivities. 

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. 

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. 

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.