still alive and kicking!

hi everyone - i mean, "sanibonani"! i'm trying hard to make the most extensive use of my limited siswati vocabulary that i can, always to the great delight and amusement of everyone around me. i've started taking lessons, which helps a great deal.

anyway! i know you haven't heard from me forever. i just have 10 minutes here because zinhle (one of my host sisters) and i are off to the "umhlanga". it's the "reed dance," one of swaziland's national holidays. young women dress in traditional costume and dance for the king, who can select a new wife to add to the 14 he already possesses if he so chooses. it should be an interesting cultural experience! people have been telling me i should dance in it, and zinhle was all for it, but unfortunately :) she didn't have time to get me the proper traditional attire, so i'll have to wait for "next time". but i am eager to see the king, after seeing his portrait all over the place, in stores and homes.

thanks to everyone for the emails and especially the birthday wishes! it was a great birthday. i woke up in the morning and read all the notes and cards people have given me before i left - which made me happy but also a tiny bit homesick and so i was feeling a little lonely and sorry for myself as i emerged from my hut to greet my family. never fear: they had ordered a huge chocolate cake that said "happy birthday nobuhle (my swazi name - it means beautiful)! you are 20 yrs" on it in frosting. and we wore party hats and they had maxwell, a photographer friend, come and take pictures of the festivities. and then that evening was the first day of a week-long hiv/aids and child abuse conference sponsored by faith bible school, which i just got back from on saturday. but at this conference, they had another huge cake (black forest this time) and they sang to me. so i celebrated by 20th birthday very well here.

and i'm very much looking forward to this 21st year of my life. because of conferences, national holidays, visa work to be done etc, i haven't been in the office yet - i think my first day at work will be wednesday. so i'm eager to get started. all this introduction and orientation has been good but i'm ready to feel like i'm actually living here, and not just visiting or being a tourist.