Sunday in Maseru

I uploaded some more photos this morning from my hike yesterday. Please let me know other things that you are interested and seeing, and I'll try to get pictures up.

We didn't wind up going to the Hash today. Lauren has a messed up back, so she decided not to go and we didn't know how to get there/weren't in the mood to figure it out. She offered to give me the car, but I think I need a few more days here to get used to the "wrong" side of the road thing.

Instead, Suzanna walked Sarah and I over to the gym. It's brand new, huge, and has anything you could ever want from a gym (including aerobics and spinning classes). There's even a lap swimming pool inside the gym, and a bigger one outside. I think there were some guys there from the Lesotho National Football team. I say solely based on the fact that they were in really good shape, and because they were wearing what appeared to be uniform shorts. I'm probably making that up, though. We worked out for about 45 min, and then decided we should get to the Shoprite before it closed at 1 p.m.

On the way to the gym, I should mention, there were masses of people walking in their Sunday best to this large field up the street from our house. It looked like the entire city of Maseru was headed for the gathering. We asked someone what was going on, and he told us it was an MKM meeting. MKM, it turns out, is this corrupt company that basically ran a pyramid scheme (which is NOT illegal in Lesotho), and stole thousands of Maloti from the Basoto here. They were promised a 50% return on their investments, and if they convinced friends to join, even more...Needless to say, lots of people gave their money (money they had been saving for school fees), the government found out, and tried to shut down MKM, but because it's not illegal, the gov't was unsuccessful. In fact, the Basotho were angry at the government for trying to shut down MKM. So we think today was a way for MKM to win back its "investors". Great, huh?

The only other excitement of the day was going to Shoprite 45 min before it was slated to close. Not only had the MKM rally just gotten out, but apparently, everyone does their shopping at the last minute. So the lines for the registers were half was down the shopping aisles. I waiting for 40 min in line but wound up having a good time chatting with the women behind me. They were trying to cut the line, and telling me to do it first, and they would follow. They said no one would say anything to me because I am a foreigner. I didn't do it, though.

I'm cooking up some lentils, peas, and beans for dinner tonight. And while that goes for a few hours, I am finally getting started on some independent work. It's really too complicated to explain at this point, but given my Type A nature, I was asked to try an figure out what is going on with a mess of data that was compiled a year ago on referrals from the Queen Elizabeth II (QEII) Hospital in Maseru to hospitals in Bloemfontein, South Africa. It's about to pour, so it's a good Sunday to sit inside with my computer.

Go Pats!!