It's "winter" in Limpopo now, which is a time when it isn't very hot and many teenage boys get sent "to the mountain" or initiation school during the school break. it signals a passage into manhood, the boys eat very little and i am told they drink nothing for a month. they hunt and do activities together. the older men and boys there tell them stories and give them tasks. finally the boys are circumcised and given new names which are their names for the rest of their lives.

Well still trying to figure out how to start educational programs and a scout group here in the village. i feel like things are going a bit slow partly because i am still learning and making things up as i go along. there are ups and downs here, it's a little down now i am afraid. tomorrow is a big presentation and braai tomorrow which will hopefully turn things around.

Last week was definately the busiest since i came to the village. meeting lots of people as everybody wants to check out the heritage park now. i also went to a big candlelight vigil hosted by a fellow PCVs organization that was probably a little undermined by the fact that candle light vigils are a european thing that people here don't really do. but it was a big event at a very troubled village so i hope it did some good. it also looks like i will help start a scout group here. it's exciting.

I am never sure how much sa news is picked up on america but i wanted to send out a reassurance that i am nowhere near the attacks and rioting going on in a couple of jo'burg's townships. this violence is involving illegal immigrants that some south africans blame crime and employment woes on. by way of an explanation jo'burg is a dangerous place at the best of times and things sometimes get out of hand. there are places i just won't be going to during my time here so don't worry.

As family and friends can testify i love fresh fruit. it is nature's candy. this part of south africa is like the garden of eden (i am not sure he this is related but people here are TERRIFIED of snakes.) my house has a whole orchard of mango trees but it is very far from mango season. right now i have fresh lemons for lemonade and cooking though. bananas, oranges, avocado, and eggplant are all in abundance now. there is also this fruit called a paw-paw which is quite pleasant.

americans don't live in villages so the idea of living with animals that one can kill and eat is pretty novel. today i went with another volunteers organization to a village to the east. their task was to purchase a cow for an aids vigil wednesday. i went to see the area around me. since cattle are a status symbol here it can be hard to find someone to sell them but they were able to find one. i will not ever kill a cow but i have never tried duck or guinea fowl and there are a few here...

Finding one's role as a volunteer takes a while. peace corps views the first three months as an adjustment period. that doesn't mean i can't keep active though. right now i am interviewing Tinghwazi members and helping them organize their education and cultural activities for when the park opens. also i am looking at starting a scout group here. a lot of my time also goes into talking with community members, sometimes i play basketball with the kids.

Finding one's role as a volunteer takes a while. peace corps views the first three months as an adjustment period. that doesn't mean i can't keep active though. right now i am interviewing Tinghwazi members and helping them organize their education and cultural activities for when the park opens. also i am looking at starting a scout group here. a lot of my time also goes into talking with community members, sometimes i play basketball with the kids.

Names are important here, one is supposed to live ones life according to ones name. confusingly it is very common for someone to have two first names, one african and one bible name. for xitsonga speakers my name is a tongue twister. i also get confused with the other volunteer here, john. i have an african name that i have a hard time pronouncing "hlekani."i like it when people call me "brother nathan" it reminds me that even though i am far from everything that seems familiar, all men are brothers.

it has been about one month since i came to site. village life is going well. the young kids here are fascinated by my arm hair so they run up and touch it which is pretty hillarious. hopefully it will be a busy week but the itinerary is pretty vague.