Category: pictures

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 – 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. 

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. 

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.