Hey everyone! I'm in town for a trimester report, so I thought I'd write you quick. I haven't been able to communicate with people from home because of Skype issues, but I hope you all perservere and we are soon reconnected! I've been cut off cold turkey. I've got the shakes.

I miss everyone. Its been seven months now. Can you believe it? Seven months of driving on the laft side of the road, being proposed to on public transportation, and taking mid night stolls to the outhouse. Last night I sat in the main house with my family in a rain storm. It was kinda lonely in my hut, so I decided to get out and join the others. The adults played card games while the kids were getting ready for bed. One is about 7 and is a boy. He is naughty! He’s the one that flung my underwear that was drying on the fence all over the yard with a stick! It took me all day to wash my clothes at the river, so I was mad. I chased him as he screamed bloody murder, grabbed the lil fart, flung him over my shoulder, and rubbed those now muddy undergarments all over his face. He screamed! Haha I snapped. Little boys here think that if you touch a females underwear you’ll turn into a girl. Thus the reason my laundry was flung with a stick rather than a bare hand. haha But I understand, I don't want to be responsible for a sex change. Its all fun and games until someone turns into a woman. Anyways, he never touched my laundry again. Last night though, him and his also naughty little sister were in the room with us. My overprotective grandma was passed out on a cushion, but randomly would wake up in a panic and ask in SiSwati, “ Where is Sihle?!” Maybe thinking I was outside in the thunder storm? I'm white, grandma. Not an idiot. haha Although I wanted to say, “Last time I saw her she wrapped herself in tinfoil and was playing with a lightening rod…“ but I can’t say that in SiSwati, so I just looked up from my book and responded, “ I’m right here, gogo.” :) She just fell back over and continued sleeping. :) As the night went on, no one could leave to go to their rooms because the lightening and rain were still going strong. I sat quietly in my chair reading when the little girl crawled up into my lap. Its so difficult because language prevents us from talking a lot, but that night it was easier to play with them. The little girl crawled up, gave me a hug and kiss on my cheek and fell asleep like that. Her little shaved head was laying on my chest with her arms wrapped around me. It was so sweet. Her 7 yr. old brother did the same, crawled up to the space next to me, laid his head against my shoulder, and held my hand until he was asleep. It was such a surprise. The kids aren't scared of me anymore! I’ve been missing my nieces and nephews a lot lately, so it was nice to be with the kids.

Well, some news from my hut is that my gas stove ran out of propane this week and I’m about a 2 hour drive from any town that can give me affordable groceries or fill up my tank. My personal staple food is popcorn and without a stove, I’m finding it difficult to survive. :) I bought a loaf of bread and a jar of peanut butter to get me through the rest of the week at a small sitolo (store) within walking distance from my home. Yesterday I decided I couldn’t choke down another sticky PB mess. I found a packet of tuna that was sent to me from my mom and a can of corn (not sent from mom haha). Mixed it together, put it on some bread and Tah Dah…a Corn Tuna Sandwich. I’m living in a bachelor pad dream! Holla! I was saving it for a special occasion. Like starvation or PB overload. If I’m hungry enough, I’ll eat about anything I’m realizing. I’m like man vs. wild. I eat what I want, when I want and answer to nobody. :) Just livin the dream. One can of corn at a time.

So it looks like I will be living off of bread and crystal light packets until I get a chance to go to town to refill the tank. Can you imagine taking dry calcium tablets without some sort of flavored water? Me neither and quite frankly, I don’t want to. Thank you so much to the people who have sent them to me because they take water to a whole new level. For real, they are great. I like to think of them as the handy work of God. It even got me thinking, yes, God created water within the first few days of creation and it was good, but I think he realized after the seventh day of drinking plain H2O that the water could taste even better. And that’s when, my friend, He invented crystal light packets. What if crystal light packets have been around longer than what we thought? For example, the time Jesus turned water into wine. Was it a quick dump of the sweet artificial taste of a raspberry ice crystal light packet? He is perfectly capable of miracles, but I also like to think of him as resourceful. So thanks to all who’ve sent them to me. Miss you all and hope everything at home is going well. :) Let me know whats going on if you have time. :)