Finding Contentment

This week I am truly starting to adjust to, and find contentment, in life here. I suppose to first two weeks I was a bit shell-shocked at the lifestyle I’d be leading, the family I was working for, the pace, etc. I didn’t really go through the big highs and lows that are normal with culture shock, but I now seem to have found that happy medium.
Perhaps it is because my home is now becoming a home and I have begun to create a routine. For those of you that know me, you know that this is key to my contentment. Without a comfortable home space, my whole life feels chaotic.
Of course, the comfort of my home is relative. I still don’t have great power, I still have to wash my hair in a bathtub (but at least it’s got a plug now), and most of my furniture is still temporary stuff. But bit by bit, things are coming together.
The highlight was probably getting a maid on Tuesday. I have been waiting patiently to have someone help me around the house, and now she’s arrived. Unfortunately – and I hope this doesn’t sound snooty – she isn’t the ideal maid. She has never been a maid before so she actually has no idea how to clean. I mean, she didn’t know that you need to sweep a floor before you wash it, that you should do the dusting before the floors, that you should change the dirty water in the bucket occasionally, and that you shouldn’t use the same rag for the toilet and the table, and that your cutlery and glasses need to be washed before pots and pans. I would be happy to share these cleaning gems with her, but she doesn’t speak a word of English, and furthermore, her smell is so appalling I can’t be within 5 meters of her unless a fan is on to circulate the air.
See, I told you this would sound snooty. I mean, I should be happy I’ve got a maid and so I no longer need to clean my house, change the cat litter, or make breakfast in the morning. Yes, I am complaining, but I’m going to be patient with her and try and show her things. And besides, I DID say it was the highlight of the week, so I’m still overwhelmingly happy about it!
I’m also feeling quite content here because things are going better with Christoph. We have settled into our grove, I know where I’m going with things and what I want to get out of him, and he is started to understand the concept of school. I’m also enjoying my rides to and from school. Now that I feel more comfortable in the vehicle and know the roads a bit better, I am able to take a look at the stunning scenery around me. Combine that with the fact that I’ve found two working radio stations, and both of them play African music (obviously, because it’s Africa, but so hard to find in the West – I LOVE IT!), and you can understand that driving to and from work has become a pleasure.
I am also managing to fill my afternoons and evenings with enjoyable activities. Besides blogging and lesson planning, I am re-learning to play the guitar. It’s harder than I remember, but I am going to learn it right this time. You wait people – I am going to impress you all next time I see you! I have been horseback riding a few times, including today, and I really like it. Once again, it’s SO much harder than I recall, but I am slowly getting the hang of it.
I’m also trying to get back into shape. Whether it’s morning or afternoon, I am trying to do something active. For example, yesterday I hiked up a hill with my neighbor. There’s a path that takes you up to the hill next to my home and it affords an AMAZING view of the farm. I will have to take my camera next time. It was an incredibly difficult hike, as it was quite steep and my neighbor’s pace was quick (he’s been up there hundreds of times) but I am already looking forward to next time.
Lastly, I have found a way to break the barrier that exists between myself and the black workers, and it’s not the queen wave! I have started picking them up as hitchhikers. Ok – that sounds bad, but just bear with me. Since the day I started driving, I would occasionally see Africans trying to wave down a ride. I obviously didn’t feel comfortable letting them into the car – I was new here, didn’t know how to drive properly, didn’t feel comfortable on the farm on in Zimbabwe. This week, I started to feel bad not picking them up – I mean, none of them have cars and often have to walk several hours to get to their destination. So, seeing as I have a truck in my truck that is completely detached from the rest of the vehicle, I thought it would be a safe way to pick them up and keep my conscience clean. Today I tried it for the first time. I picked up a man who was on his way to the hospital because his chest was causing him pain. I felt happy to reduce his 2.5 hour walk to the clinic. And then I picked up three school children on their way home from school, and they tried to express their thanks and goodbyes in English. That was sweet, I felt good, and I felt like in that small way, I started to feel more a part of the farm. (And don’t worry – I’ve checked with my employers and they said that it’s safe for me as long as the people are only in the trunk.)