Birthday Week… err, Month!

 
2012 marked 25 years that I've graced this world with my presence. On the 15^th, I had one of the best birthdays ever… however, my Little Mermaid party is a close second. Typically the whole month of December is dedicated to both Jesus and my birthday, but unfortunately Peace Corps interrupted my celebration habits with a week of IST (in service training). So on the 14^th I started the celebration with one of my friends coming up for a Friday night braai. Then on Saturday the real party began. Can I first just say how excited I was to have a birthday in the Summer time?! It may sound ridiculous, but every birthday so far has been accompanied by cold, gloomy, snowy weather. That is why this year I HAD to have a pool party! It may seem as if I am rubbing my "posh corps" lifestyle in your face, but I can't help it if I was placed with a pool in my back yard. 

By noon, my community was crowded with Americans—we had overtaken the place. Sunbathing, cocktails, good music and food, what more could a girl ask for. The party started at 9am and lasted throughout the night. By midnight I had 12 people stuffed in my house, and another 12 camping in tents on my front lawn. I may have forgotten to tell them about the snakes, but luckily there were no fatalities. Sunday was an encore to the previous day's festivities and so it continued onto Monday. Here it is Saturday again, and I still have people staying with me. I've calculated the dates and I am going to be crowded with people well into the New Year. First comes Christmas in a couple days, naturally it will be spent at the CC. Then almost immediately I will be on the sandy beaches of Mozambique dipping my feet in the Indian Ocean as I ring in the New Year. Can't wait to tell you all about my trip!

Ube Khrismusi lomuhle!

World AIDS Day

    I come from a country with HIV prevalence close to 0%, to now living in a country with the highest rate in the world. HIV isn't a 'them' issue, it is an 'US' issue. I was never really concerned with HIV before I came to Swaziland, simply because I never knew anyone personally affected by it—that is not the case anymore. I don't know anyone personally with HIV, but that doesn't mean my friends, neighbors, etc.. don't have it, they just don't talk about it. I do however know tons of people first hand who have lost an immediate family member due to the virus. HIV isn't just some 'bad thing' you associate with Africa. It is a real disease taking millions of lives and leaving millions of children as orphans. 

December 1^st was World AIDS Day and I was so happy to see the country's response to that day. Fellow PCV's all over the country organized events, while other NGO's also did things to commemorate the day. My community did a survey to determine the current rate of HIV in my community specifically, and at my school I organized all the students to wear red. As someone who is now living on the frontlines of this war, I encourage all of you reading this see what you can do to fight AIDS; even if it's just being educated on HIV, getting tested, praying, or befriending someone who is positive. 

Let's all work together to have an AIDS free generation.