After-School, We Climb Mountains. Actually.

After school today, I (attempted to) climb up the mountain with one of my friends from Lesotho. I say attempted to not because we couldn't, just because we got lost, and never actually got to Tom, the proper peak of the mountain. I guess it was a good thing we got lost, because we wound up walking randomly into this village on the mountain. There was this little kid sitting on the porch of a house that was blasting Cascada music inside, and he chased me down with a rubber band, trying really hard to shoot me. It was actually pretty hilarious.

As we were walking out of this village, this truck comes bursting out of the trees. It was just so funny, because you have to understand that we got there by this path up the mountain, picking our way through grass and rocks, and ditches and such. It wasn't so much a road as it was two narrow strips without grass on them, and yet this massive truck comes pulling up into the village. I guess people live there, so it makes total sense and everything, but because we were "exploring" it gave us a start to see a truck bursting out of the bushes.

And then on the way down, I couldn't help but look at the view. I'd only ever been up the mountain during fog before, when it looked like this:

So, you can see that the scenery isn't the greatest in the fog. Today, it was clear though, and I was so determined to go up there... and success! It was so beautiful. I had this feeling that I haven't had since standing on the top of the mountain above Petra. It was just quiet, other than the wind and the grass. It was so wonderful. After a few minutes of appreciation, we figured we should break the appreciation and take our dorky pictures.

 

So, I guess that's me, on a mountain in Swaziland. Looking at this picture is kind of awesome - let me describe to you what the stuff below is: my school. (Whoa!)

 

In the middle there, you can see the field. That's where all the sports happen. For description's sake, I'm going to start describing what's on the right-hand side of the field, just to the left of the rock that I'm standing by, and go counterclockwise around the field in telling you lovely people what the stuff is.

 

The building right there, just to the left of the rock in the picture - that's the classroom block, where almost all of my classes are held. To the left of that, you see some trees, and then there's the bluish-greyish building. That's the CCLD, or Center for Creative Learning and Development. (We love acronyms here). Essentially, it's a music room and practice rooms downstairs, and a empty drama/dance room upstairs. Attached to it is the amphitheater, where we have assemblies in the mornings sometimes. Just to the left of that is the yellow building, which is the MP Hall, or the multi-purpose hall. It's a gym, but there's also the rock climbing wall and weight lifting room in there.

 

Continuing counterclockwise around the field, you can see that turquoise slimmer there is the pool. I've gotten into the habit of swimming a mile in the pool every Sunday morning, and in all honestly, the pool just makes school sometimes feel like vacation. I'll enjoy it now though, because once it gets to be June and July, and winter comes, it's not quite as nice to go swimming (understatement of the year - apparently it actually gets decently cold here). Also, it still feels weird to say July in the same sentence as winter. Southern hemisphere, you confuse me.

 

And then, last stop on this lovely tour of campus, just below the pool in the picture, is that big white building with the red roof, which is Emhlabeni, where I live! There are about 130 of the IB kids that live here with me, and we pretty much are the best. I mean, Elangeni, the other IB hostel is cool too, but you can't see it in this picture. Also, Emhlabeni is the best.

 

Did I mention that Emhlabeni is the best? Just kidding. But mostly not.

 

But yeah! That's campus, and now I'm really tired from walking up the mountain, but I still have rehearsal tonight, and lots of homework to do, and dinner is being served in a few minutes, so I'm going to just end this here!