This is the last weekend on my homestead and it is surreal. I can’t imagine my life after here. I can’t imagine not having all of my belongings nearly within arm’s reach. I can’t imagine getting up in the morning to go to work at 7:45. I can’t imagine living in a city (which is small enough to just be called “town”).

On the other hand, I can imagine not being woken at 5:45 a.m. by loud music. I can imagine using a porcelain toilet instead of a latrine or bucket. I can imagine not walking in front of 10 family members to get to my future, inside toilet. I can imagine washing my dishes in a sink and my clothes in a machine. I can imagine not riding a khumbi to get everywhere.

The view with the jacaranda tree, one of my new favorites.

I will miss many things, though, including all the time I spend watching movies with my bhuti Hero, celebrating my family’s birthdays, learning siSwati from my littlest bhuti Wenzo, having someone to ask for help, growing vegetables in an actual garden, an open view to the mountains, my chickens coming to my door, and many other things I won’t miss until I miss them.

Sitfwatfwa

Thandi

But I have left places I have loved many times before and survived all the moves and transitions and new jobs. I know the bad memories will fade away and the good ones will stay ingrained forever. So here’s to another goodbye and many new hellos.

Baking for the week

• Dirt pudding for my bhuti’s early birthday celebration. I had made custard from scratch a few times in America and here. Pudding is even easier! And so delicious! Sorry Jello, I have no plans of going back to the premade or powder varieties.

Media for the week

Movies and TV

• The kids and I finally finished the three season’s of Avatar. Some of the children’s movies I watch with them I think are pretty awful but they like them anyway. This TV show, though, was excellent. While there were some predictable moments, I was kept guessing until the end.
• Mission Impossible: The two high-action scenes of dangling from the ceiling in the white room and the train chase made all the boring parts to this one worth it to my bhuti.
• The Jungle Book (live action): This is the birthday party movie to be watched this evening. The kids really liked the cartoon, so I hope they like this one too. It’ll be a first for me, too.

Books

• The Girl in the Spider’s Web by David Lagercrantz: Book four in the Millennium series with Lisbeth Salander Mikael Blomkvist. I chose to read this because I heard a film version will be released in November. After reading, I watched the trailor; I think they made the film without reading the book. The movie could still be good. I enjoyed the book.
• The Girl who Takes an Eye for an Eye by David Lagercrantz: Book five in the Millennium series. It was predictable and not as good as book four.
• I’m still reading Alexander Hamilton’s biography. Finally made it to the halfway point. It is still fascinating.

Music

• I caught up on some Carpool Karaoke (and Daily Show) on YouTube to use up some internet data that was expiring.
• I listened to music from some Bushfire artists and other African musicians including Yemi Alade, Mafikizolo, Jah Prayzah, and Johnny Drille.
• I also checked out some tunes referenced in an old issue of Rolling Stone I got from another PCV: Liam Gallagher (of Oasis fame), Kesha (who knew she got rid of the $ from her name?), and First Aid Kit.
• And a couple articles my mom sent me mentioned how Meek Mill’s song “Dreams and Nightmares” was a theme song for the Cavs. I didn’t like it.