For my last report, I want to offer a few anecdotes regarding "things you might want to know that nobody will ever tell you" about life at St. Rodrigue and Lesotho in general. However, I won't cover everything because 1) there isn't enough space (translation: I could go on forever) and 2) learning as you go is half the experience, even if some of the experiences are very trying (you'll be amused in hindsight). That said, prepare yourself for enlightenment.
Part 1 : Travel
If you are planning on traveling out of the country during Easter and/or October holidays, make bus reservations ahead of time. It's not all that much fun to spend part of your short break sleeping on the floor of the Bloemfontein bus station.
Speaking of busesâ¦
There are two bus companies that will deliver you fairly close to the mission. Believe it or not, there are three routes from Maseru to St. Rodrigue; it's like a "Choose Your Own Adventure" book. The fastest route is accessible only by car, so you go that way very often. We discovered that there were two bus routes quite by accident: Sunday afternoon en route to St. Rodrigue, I turned to Ian and said "I don't remember this village. And we've been traveling for two hours already - why haven't we passed the rastaman selling yogurt and popcorn yet?" We later learned that we were riding "Silver," not "Mphatlalatsane."
The almighty bus schedule:
Mphatlalatsane
This bus is 13 rand and if the road is good enough, it will drive all the way up to the convent. Don't count on it, though. Plan on about a 20 minute walk from the bus stop. If you have obscenely heavy groceries, you can always enlist the help of the students.
1.) It leaves for Maseru (and Mafeteng) every weekday around 6:15 a.m.
2.) It leaves for Maseru on Sundays at 8:00 a.m. and 1:00 p.m.
3.) It leaves on Friday at 3:00 p.m. FROM MPATANE. Don't be late - it waits for no one.
4.) It returns to St. Rodrigue every day at 1:00 p.m. Get to the bust stop between 12:15 and 12:30, unless you think standing for four hours sounds fun.
5.) There is a late returning bus on Friday (8:00 pm.) and Sunday (4:00 p.m.)
Silver
It is run by the Kou company. This bus is a little slower and only gets as far as Mpatane. You can identify it at the bus stop by the sign in the window which reads Mpatane. The St. Rodrigue community is not as gung ho about this bus. Why? One of the mysteries we'll let you uncoverâ¦
1.) It leaves for Maseru from Mpatane around 6:00 a.m.
2.) It returns between 12:30 and 1:00 p.m.
3.) This bus is nice because there is an early morning Sunday bust. It leaves Maseru at 8:00 a.m. on Kingsway Road away from town, about a 10 minute walk past Emmanuel Hostel.
Best Border Post 1997
There is truly a plaque at the border that says this. Now the border is always your regular fanfare of fun. You can buy a cow whip, you might get flashed, you can call home, and you can buy Russians (Basotho name for their version of hotdogs, which, incidentally, are not good). Really, what more could you want?
Coming in and out of Lesotho is a piece of cake - they rarely even check your passport and most time you can just waltz right through.
At the South African entry, you sometimes have to wait awhile to get your passport stamped. We would recommend getting a six-month visa, which allows you to move freely between the two countries via Maseru Bridge. You have to apply on a weekday AND you'll need a letter from the school stating who you are, where you are employed, etc.
There are telephones right at the border and also about a five-minute walk up the road in South Africa (by the bus stop). It is much easier and cheaper to call hereâ¦not to mention there's no echo when you talk into the receiver.
Ladybrand is the closest town and taxis are easy to catch. The ride costs five rand. There's not much to the town but the local Spar (grocery store) has some "specialty food" you won't find in Maseru (important things like Twix bars and sometimes chocolate chips).
Bloemfontein is much bigger, and until recently we found it taxing to get there and back in a weekend. However, in October, we learned of a bus service (who knew?) which is cheaper (18 rand vs. 26 rand) and easier than taxis. It leaves daily around 11:00 from the border and returns at 6:00 a.m. (arriving in Maseru around 9:00).
* Remember, with all busesâ¦nothing is ever certain and patience is key.
Part 2: The Wild World of Teaching
Here are some bits and pieces that would have been nice to know from the get go.
Grades: They are based only on quarterly tests. This was quite hard for me to come to terms with, but after a lengthy conversation with 'M'e Malerato, I understood the mentality (which revolves around the fact that the Form C and E students' successes are in fact measured by one exam, so other students should be prepared for this method of assessment). You'll still do quite a large amount of marking; however, it just doesn't factor into the grades in the long run, regardless of how long you argue.
On being a class teacher: This is rewarding but a lot of work. You are responsible for choosing prefects, assigning girls to sweep the classroom daily, preparing them for activities like Moshoeshoe's Day, English Day, etc. The most time consuming part is at the end of each quarter when you are in charge of writing up their report cards and determining their class rank. As classes are anything but small, you will be in charge of anywhere between 40 and 60 girls.
Literature: English language is taught six periods a week and Literature is taught as a separate class four periods a week. Each grade does four books a year and teachers often share the Lit load - each teacher takes one book. This also means that each teacher teaches that book once a week, and the students are reading four books simultaneouslyâ¦which is really hard for them (as I feel it would be, anywhere). If you are lucky enough to have all of the Lit classes for one Form, you can restructure this if you choose (teach one book first quarter, another second, etc.). Important: the Form B's read the same books two years in a row, so DON'T PANIC when your class is nowhere near finishing the book (we learned this juicy bit in April).
Stickers vs. Beating:
Some teachers beat the students, some do not. The teachers won't expect you to follow suit and some of the students still don't understand why we don't, despite multiple discussions. In fact, I've had students holler at me in class to beat their neighbor because she is "being silly." Of course there are many alternative measures and rewarding behavior with small stickers and stamps can do wonders for classroom management. Most of the teachers do give out some stickers and you might find the students pestering you if you don't.
Other odds and ends about school:
Technically speaking, the students have three exercise books for each subject. Of course this is a far cry from reality but let's just speak hypothetically for a moment. So, little Malehlohonolo will have one book for notes, one for class work/homework, and one for weekly tests. The vocabulary you use when asking them to take out a specific book is important, particularly in Form A.
Furthermore, when teachers collect homework, they generally collect each student's exercise book, which helps the kids to keep all of their work in one place, but leads to looming piles of notebooks all over your desk and its surrounding vicinity.
It's also useful to know that the schedule changes on Friday - 8th period is moved to the beginning of the day so school starts at 7:45, as opposed to 8:25, and ends at 2:20 instead of 3:00. This is done so teachers and students can catch the 3:00 bus to Maseru. On the first Friday of every month there is also a morning mass at 11:00, so morning classes are only 30 minutes long. In addition to wacky Friday schedules, classes are often interrupted and/or cancelled for a variety of reasons, ranging from pregnancy tests to cadet rallies to repairing the road for visitors.
Reading back over this report, I'm surprised by my own formality - this time around, my writing feels a lot less personal and much more factual. I think there are two reasons for this. First of all, I do believe most of these things will prove beneficial somewhere down the road of your year in Lesotho (I only made up three things in this report. Promise). Secondly, on a more selfish level, it is easier for me to deny how close the end of my year and experience really is. If I only write about facts, I can selfishly harbor every sentimental moment and pretend that I still have countless volleyball practices, AIDS Awareness meetings, and Literature classes left to attend. As a graduating senior, a year felt like an enormous hunk of time. Ten months into teaching and I'm not ready to let go of this place: how do you let go of something when it has become so much a part of yourself? I guess I will soon find out.
In two short months, I'll be coming home, and there are aspects of home I am looking forward to immensely. While it will be undeniably difficult to leave these mountains, endearing people and a lifestyle I've certainly grown accustomed to, I am certain that Lesotho and all I've experienced will never leave me.
