Bloemfontein

Went to Bloemfontein, South Africa yesterday. And no it wasn't for hiking. It was for biannual mega shopping trip! Yeah, so because I hate shopping so much, but still like to have new clothes, etc, I tend to go all out a couple of times a year, just so I don't have to do it on a regular basis. And shop I did, yesterday.

The thing about Bloem is that they actually have a mall, that while I would normally avoid at home, was a sort of Mecca for those of us who have been in Lesotho for 3 months. So not only are there clothing, shoe, and book (!) stores in the mall, but there's also a waterfront lake area where you can eat lunch, and a MOVIE THEATER!

It was like I had stepped back into the States for a day. I had a hot chocolate at a cafe - everyone else was excited to have take-away coffee, something you definitely can't get here in Lesotho. I bought a National Geographic, though it was from March, like all the other magazines. I saw the movie "Step Up Two: The Streets" (or some title like that), and it was awesome. (My weakness: dancing movies) Oh, and the popcorn here is just air popped without butter (or butter substance). They have all kind of powdered toppings, like sour cream, vinegar, and the Basotho favorite...salt. And when you pour the salt on, it comes out but the bucket-full. And everyone I saw putting the salt on, just dumped it on. It made my lips pucker just watching.

The two best parts of the day though, were: In The Mood salon, and Woolworth's grocery store.
I'll start with the later. Woolworth's is a department store that also has a grocery section. And in the grocery section they have organic food, good quality meat, good cheeses, breads, veggies, and other things from home that you could never find in Lesotho. Like smoked salmon! It was wonderful to eat this morning. And organic peanut butter, which I forgot how much I prefer.

In the Mood...so I haven't had a haircut in almost a year. And going to a foreign salon is always pretty frightening, especially in Bloem where the women either have streaks of color (blond, red, purple) or they have mullets or perms. I'm not kidding. Most people in Bloem are really stuck in the 80s, so to go to a salon there was certainly a risk. We made appointments, and decided that we could at least wear a hat until the cuts grew out since it is becoming winter here.

Turns out that my stylist was actually great. I got a really nice cut, and though she was really wanting me to get color highlights, I was really happy with her. The real test of whether or not my hair looks good will be when I see my Basotho friends and colleagues tomorrow and this week. Because the thing is, they are really honest when it comes to physical appearance things. Whether it's the water, the soap, my diet, or something else, my skin has been breaking out here. And two people have already asked "What happened to your face?" Just like that. No pretense, nothing. Just "your skin looks terrible". Other people like to point out when expats have gained weight, when their clothes are wrinkled, etc, etc. So I'll know for sure tomorrow what the real assessment is.

It was really nice being in "civilization" (I'm probably not supposed to say that), but I have to say, I was pretty happy to be home in Maseru at the end of the day.

Today, I went to the gym. It opens at 8 a.m., and I was there at 8:05. Then I came home and worked on a Quality Assurance powerpoint all day. I'm doing a training tomorrow out in the district hospital, so I think I'm now all set.

Happy Passover!