News for November

It has been a while since we have updated and we apologize. We are just finishing up our "integration period" which calls us to focus on becoming members of our community. Mainly working to understand our new neighbors and their needs while forging friendships. We are finally starting to feel like we are part of the community. When we meet people out and about most of them know who we are and although we still get stares and shouts of "umlungu" (white person in siSwati) they are not so overwhelming as they were at first.

I found myself this past week reflecting on the changes that technology has brought to what the experience of PC is. Unlike our predecessors of the 60's and 70's, most PCV's today have access to internet, electricity, cell phones, and even televisions at their sites! Not all but many (probably about 1/2) of us here in Swaziland have electricity, some even running water (including flush toilets... unfortunately not us). But all of the volunteers have cell phones here (actually required by PC for safety and communication reasons) and find it very easy to keep in touch through it to other PCV's and even family and friends back in the states. How very different it is from the previous PC experience. Granted, the internet is slow and service somewhat unreliable, and the electricity normally goes out for about an hour or so every day but it is not exactly what most envision when discussing life as a PCV! How does this change our overall experience and effectiveness as Volunteers? In a way I think it can be argued that it makes us more effective because of the increase of our resources. It also keeps us a little bit more sane because of that additional emotional support at your texting or dialing fingertips. But it also can create a problem of having part of you not fully here and focused on your work here as a recent article in the Peace Corps Times explores. http://www.peacecorps.gov/pdf/media/PCTimes2006_09.pdf
Sometimes all of that technology can be distracting, but I guess it comes down to the same argument many have discussed in the more developed nations; are we more or less productive and effective because of e-mail, blackberries, ect.? We can all be ultimate multi-taskers, but should we be? Well, I can see both sides of the argument, but most of the time I am very happy to know that in my pocket I am only a text or phone call away from a friend.