We’re one week in!
I am now living in Serowe where I will stay for 10 weeks of intensive
Pre-Service Training (PST). So much has happened I’m not even sure how to put
it all into words. Instead of writing a giant post, I’m going to break down my
thoughts and observations into different theme posts.
I won’t always have internet, so I’m writing posts out on my
laptop as I think of them and then saving them to a USB for whenever I can get
to an internet café.
The Matching Ceremony
- Week 1
This first week has been so many things I’m not even sure
how to explain it all. I was a bundle of nerves during the matching ceremony. I
felt very anxious about joining a family I had never met and becoming a part of
their lives. I didn’t know what to expect or how to act and I so badly wanted
to make a good first impression. However, the second I met my host sister all
of my worries went away and I knew I would be ok.
My host sister’s name is Wabobedi, she’s 39, and she is one
of the warmest people I’ve ever met. I was one of the few people who was called
up during the official ceremony (in the interest of saving time) and after
giving me a big hug, she took my hand and brought me back to her seat. She then
gave me my new Setswana name: “Lorato Lame”, which roughly translates to ‘love
of mine’. Since that was a bit of a mouthful when I knew no Setswana, my family
has since shortened it to Lame (pronounced Lamie) or ‘mine’.
The matching ceremony was also my first introduction to
Setswana prayers. Every gathering usually begins with a prayer, which always
involves singing. I love the singing here. Everyone seems to know how to sing
in unison and everyone also seems to know the words to every song. When people
begin to sing the entire room swells with it and it fills you up in the most
wonderful way. I definitely want to learn as many Setswana songs as possible.
That’s all for now! Adjustment takes a while and I have my
ups and downs, but so far I feel like I’m where I’m supposed to be.
Here's a photo of me meeting my host sister for the first time at the matching ceremony
No comments:
Post a Comment