The festival and scout group got put on hold a little bit this week, meetings get pushed back and back and back, but I am optimistic that the scout group will start soon (about the festival, at this point I really cannot say.) Development work can be frustrating. I think I will become involved in tutoring at one of the local schools or maybe volunteering at the church I go to in town. meanwhile mangoes are slowly ripening in my yard... In a couple of months I will be hoarding my favorite fruit and chasing out adorable but pesky village children trying to pilfer my precious crop. Something to look forward to. Reading a lot of books lately. Finally read Catch-22 which was amazing. Also read this book by an Afrikanner journalist which provides a very interesting perspective on the apartheid struggle. cannot recall the name, but i'll recommend it. The comedians by Graham Greene was good, but I didn't find it as funny as perhaps it was intended to be (sort of a comedy within the tragedy of Haiti, the Western Hemisphere's most troubled nation.) Neveryona, this fantasy novel a friend loaned me I found just about unreadable. Finally, cannot recommend Empire Falls enough, well worth a read and a re-read, of course it won a pulitzer so it doesn't need my recommendation. Writing a bit in my spare time. Think I may put a short story online at some point, as i doubt it will be worth hoarding, and stories are meant to be read I feel.

Well I am going to Tzaneen this weekend. It always feels like going on an adventure, exploring new parts and places of South Africa. My mission is to visit the Tzaneen Scouts and see how they run Scout groups for low income kids. I will take this back to my village and help them to start a group in Thomo. Anything else going on? Nothing really exceptionally exciting. The goats in the village continue to invade my yard, I want to start a garden but it will need good planning. New Peace Corps volunteers are coming to my area in about a week. In the program I am in we work with South African NGOs (normally, it gets confusing.) This next group SA18 will be working with the schools in South Africa, which were very poorly managed with oppressive teaching methods during the apartheid area. This program is helping these schools to embrace new methods which is a noble goal I feel. Right now it is me, John (works with a home-based care organization), and Jade (working with an organization that passes technical skills on to various institutions.) Soon there will be five more Americans with their own experiences and perspectives, it will be a good thing.