[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] And yet when I was in school, they didn't have these things for us.

[Assistant] Yeah. So you managed?

[User] Yeah, we managed, you know, and when the opportunity came, we took advantage. Here the opportunities are right there and the kids, I don't want that. I don't want this. Well what for, you know? So I don't. That's my biggest problem when I'm teaching, you know with the kids. I see all of this stuff and I'm thinking, they could do better, there's nothing.

[Assistant] To help or not to help. Is it worse? I don't know.

[User] I talk to them, and it's a whole different realm. They don't understand or they don't have the background of the family to say, hey, this is available to you. You have the opportunity, take advantage of it. And I guess there's so many other things out there, it's just not. They don't think of it as being opportunities.

[Assistant] So, well, when you were in serving in Ethiopia, did you feel you were filling a need that Ethiopians had? You individually and your colleagues in the Peace Corps, filling a need?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] Yeah, we managed, you know, and when the opportunity came, we took advantage. Here the opportunities are right there and the kids, I don't want that. I don't want this. Well what for, you know? So I don't. That's my biggest problem when I'm teaching, you know with the kids. I see all of this stuff and I'm thinking, they could do better, there's nothing.

[Assistant] To help or not to help. Is it worse? I don't know.

[User] I talk to them, and it's a whole different realm. They don't understand or they don't have the background of the family to say, hey, this is available to you. You have the opportunity, take advantage of it. And I guess there's so many other things out there, it's just not. They don't think of it as being opportunities.

[Assistant] So, well, when you were in serving in Ethiopia, did you feel you were filling a need that Ethiopians had? You individually and your colleagues in the Peace Corps, filling a need?

[User] Yeah. Well, at the time, I thought I was filling a need. You know, giving them an opportunity to develop a skill, hopefully to obtain some type of employment, which I saw some of them did. Unfortunately, I haven't been able to keep up with any of the students that I had at that time. But I had heard that there were some, particularly the young men, the boys in the school. Some of them did get an opportunity to come to the United States to study. So whatever, you know, um, we were offering them, some of them did get an opportunity to take advantage of it.

[Assistant] You touched somebody, certainly. How about getting Ethiopians to feel more comfortable about Americans, were you able to have any impact that way? Was the American way of life too huge a shock for them or do you think that they learned something from you?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] I don't know. Also, it may have been. I'm looking at this two ways. Those Ethiopians who had come to the United, had an opportunity to come to the United States, and actually get involved in the culture here, and then went back to their country. Now, what we were doing, they could understand. But I think the typical native person, native Ethiopian, I don't really think that we did that much. Because I didn't see, for instance, the young man who was our servant, not servant, but the guard there, I didn't see him making any changes. And the young girl who was doing the cooking, I didn't see her making too many changes either. But we did have to teach her the things that were necessary for us to survive, the boiling of the water, how to cook foods the way we wanted it cooked. But then at the same time, she taught us some things too.

[Assistant] Oh, sure. Yes, you learned about Ethiopia and Ethiopia learned about you. But how about this young woman when she gets, when she applies for a job with another European family? She can come in, I know how to boil water, I know how to be sanitary. I know that.

[User] Right.

[Assistant] OK, so she spread that. How about in your classroom?

[User] In fact, now that we're mentioning it. Now, when I went back after the year, when I went back to Ethiopia, um, my husband and I looked her up and we hired her again.

[Assistant] Because you knew she was well trained.


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] Right.

[Assistant] OK, so she spread that. How about in your classroom?

[User] In fact, now that we're mentioning it. Now, when I went back after the year, when I went back to Ethiopia, um, my husband and I looked her up and we hired her again.

[Assistant] Because you knew she was well trained.

[User] Yeah, we hired her again.

[Assistant] How about your technique in the classroom? You were taking to Ethiopia things that you took for granted in the American classroom, which was discipline, promptness. You were prepared. You, you know, probably worked with your class a little bit differently than a traditional teacher might have. Probably had some conversation in the class. You probably asked, looked for interesting things to do with the kids. Would that be a change for them?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] In fact, now that we're mentioning it. Now, when I went back after the year, when I went back to Ethiopia, um, my husband and I looked her up and we hired her again.

[Assistant] Because you knew she was well trained.

[User] Yeah, we hired her again.

[Assistant] How about your technique in the classroom? You were taking to Ethiopia things that you took for granted in the American classroom, which was discipline, promptness. You were prepared. You, you know, probably worked with your class a little bit differently than a traditional teacher might have. Probably had some conversation in the class. You probably asked, looked for interesting things to do with the kids. Would that be a change for them?

[User] For over there?

[Assistant] Mm hmm. Of course, it was a Jesuit school, just kind of sophisticated, that's a little bit of a problem. You've already had that.


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] Yeah, we hired her again.

[Assistant] How about your technique in the classroom? You were taking to Ethiopia things that you took for granted in the American classroom, which was discipline, promptness. You were prepared. You, you know, probably worked with your class a little bit differently than a traditional teacher might have. Probably had some conversation in the class. You probably asked, looked for interesting things to do with the kids. Would that be a change for them?

[User] For over there?

[Assistant] Mm hmm. Of course, it was a Jesuit school, just kind of sophisticated, that's a little bit of a problem. You've already had that.

[User] But that's what I'm thinking. They already have that. I don't think we were given any outside duties. You know, like now you have hall duty and you cafeteria duty and you've got your clubs. I don't remember having to do any of those things because the Jesuits pretty much handled all of those things for us.

[Assistant] OK, so you had a special circumstance. How about, um, with your neighbors out on the street. Americans are notoriously more friendly. Would they say, oh, there's the American, wave at her? Or would they just say, there's the American, turn aside, ignore her?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] For over there?

[Assistant] Mm hmm. Of course, it was a Jesuit school, just kind of sophisticated, that's a little bit of a problem. You've already had that.

[User] But that's what I'm thinking. They already have that. I don't think we were given any outside duties. You know, like now you have hall duty and you cafeteria duty and you've got your clubs. I don't remember having to do any of those things because the Jesuits pretty much handled all of those things for us.

[Assistant] OK, so you had a special circumstance. How about, um, with your neighbors out on the street. Americans are notoriously more friendly. Would they say, oh, there's the American, wave at her? Or would they just say, there's the American, turn aside, ignore her?

[User] Now, see there again, I don't.

[Assistant] OK. Well, you were, again, you were in the city.


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] But that's what I'm thinking. They already have that. I don't think we were given any outside duties. You know, like now you have hall duty and you cafeteria duty and you've got your clubs. I don't remember having to do any of those things because the Jesuits pretty much handled all of those things for us.

[Assistant] OK, so you had a special circumstance. How about, um, with your neighbors out on the street. Americans are notoriously more friendly. Would they say, oh, there's the American, wave at her? Or would they just say, there's the American, turn aside, ignore her?

[User] Now, see there again, I don't.

[Assistant] OK. Well, you were, again, you were in the city.

[User] Yeah, we were the city, so. We really didn't have any problem one way or the other with that.

[Assistant] That's fine. I just wondered, you know, how did they feel about having Americans among them? You probably weren't the first.


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] He did come.

[Assistant] But were you surprised when he came or?

[User] Well, no. I think at that point I didn't. I thought about it. But then he went through whatever the formalities were. And he said yes, and he came to a showing.

[Assistant] Oh wow.

[User] And had his dignitaries there and there I was standing and I didn't. I was standing. I didn't know whether to shake his hand or what. So finally, the emperor raised his hand and I shook his hand. And I was that close to him. I met him several times.

[Assistant] Did he remember you, the later times?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] Well, no. I think at that point I didn't. I thought about it. But then he went through whatever the formalities were. And he said yes, and he came to a showing.

[Assistant] Oh wow.

[User] And had his dignitaries there and there I was standing and I didn't. I was standing. I didn't know whether to shake his hand or what. So finally, the emperor raised his hand and I shook his hand. And I was that close to him. I met him several times.

[Assistant] Did he remember you, the later times?

[User] I don't think so. I suppose he met a lot of people.

[Assistant] That's impressive, that's good.


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] I don't think so. I suppose he met a lot of people.

[Assistant] That's impressive, that's good.

[User] And that was interesting also in that here you're thinking that he's a big person but he was short like me, small stature.

[Assistant] But regal.

[User] Yeah, very regal. And I met, um. We continued our own religion, in that Mary and I started attending a Methodist church there. It was a missionary church. And so even after both of us completed our tour of duty, we kept in contact with these missionaries. They stayed there in Ethiopia until after their revolution and then came back to the United States. In the meantime, she wrote a book about her experiences as a missionary there and then how her family helped Haile Selassie's grandchildren get out of the country and the different things that they did. So I've got a copy of that book. And we kept in contact with that family for a long period of time, and I don't know what happened. I think they moved or some, you know, you lose contact with these people.

[Assistant] Things happen, that's true.


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] And that was interesting also in that here you're thinking that he's a big person but he was short like me, small stature.

[Assistant] But regal.

[User] Yeah, very regal. And I met, um. We continued our own religion, in that Mary and I started attending a Methodist church there. It was a missionary church. And so even after both of us completed our tour of duty, we kept in contact with these missionaries. They stayed there in Ethiopia until after their revolution and then came back to the United States. In the meantime, she wrote a book about her experiences as a missionary there and then how her family helped Haile Selassie's grandchildren get out of the country and the different things that they did. So I've got a copy of that book. And we kept in contact with that family for a long period of time, and I don't know what happened. I think they moved or some, you know, you lose contact with these people.

[Assistant] Things happen, that's true.

[User] Because I wrote, I think the last time I wrote, the letter came back, and I don't know where they are right now.

[Assistant] OK, we have a few minutes left. Do you have any summary of the impact of your Peace Corps experience on your entire life or anything like that you'd like to say?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] And I think if I had started right after college at that time and had been teaching, I would have had maybe 35 in 10 years ago and I could have retired. But the fact that I went to the Peace Corps and took that chance, and a couple of other chances in terms of my life, when I finally did get myself settled in, then the educational field had changed considerably. It's very difficult to find employment here, at least in the city of Buffalo. And I found that at some point in time, I was even applying to other cities trying to find steady employment.

[Assistant] Hmm.

[User] But I have opted to stay right here in the city of Buffalo. And I ended up working, uh, at various places, one of which is Bryant and Stratton Business Institute.

[Assistant] Oh yeah.

[User] With adults, using my skills and my experiences. I have also been adjunct professor at ECC Community College [Erie Community College], as well as Buff State [Buffalo State College], for a number of years. Um, so that again, expanded my career and my experiences.

[Assistant] It also detracted from your New York state tension.


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] But I have opted to stay right here in the city of Buffalo. And I ended up working, uh, at various places, one of which is Bryant and Stratton Business Institute.

[Assistant] Oh yeah.

[User] With adults, using my skills and my experiences. I have also been adjunct professor at ECC Community College [Erie Community College], as well as Buff State [Buffalo State College], for a number of years. Um, so that again, expanded my career and my experiences.

[Assistant] It also detracted from your New York state tension.

[User] Exactly. The years I spent in Bryant and Stratton, that's the biggest thing, because I was there for about 10 years. So I lost not only the years I spent in Ethiopia, because New York State doesn't accept Peace Corps, I also lost additional years by being with the Bryant and Stratton, which means now the impact on my life is that I'm still working, trying to catch up, which I probably will never be able to catch up.

[Assistant] Often you do something for idealistic reasons, and you don't think when you're 20 something that this will have impact when you are 60 something, but unfortunately it does.


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] With adults, using my skills and my experiences. I have also been adjunct professor at ECC Community College [Erie Community College], as well as Buff State [Buffalo State College], for a number of years. Um, so that again, expanded my career and my experiences.

[Assistant] It also detracted from your New York state tension.

[User] Exactly. The years I spent in Bryant and Stratton, that's the biggest thing, because I was there for about 10 years. So I lost not only the years I spent in Ethiopia, because New York State doesn't accept Peace Corps, I also lost additional years by being with the Bryant and Stratton, which means now the impact on my life is that I'm still working, trying to catch up, which I probably will never be able to catch up.

[Assistant] Often you do something for idealistic reasons, and you don't think when you're 20 something that this will have impact when you are 60 something, but unfortunately it does.

[User] So it has, um, it has impacted. But then I look at that and I say, well, if I had taken that choice and not had the opportunity, would I be able to do it now? To go to the Peace Corps? Would I even think about that? If, let's say that I had started teaching and hopefully gotten married and had children and grandchildren, then I would not have been able to do that right now, I don't think, with a husband and a family and so forth. It would not be the thing that I could have been able to do.

[Assistant] Not unless you're widowed.


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] Exactly. The years I spent in Bryant and Stratton, that's the biggest thing, because I was there for about 10 years. So I lost not only the years I spent in Ethiopia, because New York State doesn't accept Peace Corps, I also lost additional years by being with the Bryant and Stratton, which means now the impact on my life is that I'm still working, trying to catch up, which I probably will never be able to catch up.

[Assistant] Often you do something for idealistic reasons, and you don't think when you're 20 something that this will have impact when you are 60 something, but unfortunately it does.

[User] So it has, um, it has impacted. But then I look at that and I say, well, if I had taken that choice and not had the opportunity, would I be able to do it now? To go to the Peace Corps? Would I even think about that? If, let's say that I had started teaching and hopefully gotten married and had children and grandchildren, then I would not have been able to do that right now, I don't think, with a husband and a family and so forth. It would not be the thing that I could have been able to do.

[Assistant] Not unless you're widowed.

[User] Right. And even widowed, you don't know how your health is going to be. You don't know whether that.

[Assistant] Property by then and you'd worry about that.


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] Right. And even widowed, you don't know how your health is going to be. You don't know whether that.

[Assistant] Property by then and you'd worry about that.

[User] Yeah, with a lot of responsibilities. So, um. I don't regret.

[Assistant] Good.

[User] I never regretted that experience. It's the one part of my life that I said, if I could do just that section, that segment again, I would do it again.

[Assistant] Good. Should we wrap on that?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] Yeah, with a lot of responsibilities. So, um. I don't regret.

[Assistant] Good.

[User] I never regretted that experience. It's the one part of my life that I said, if I could do just that section, that segment again, I would do it again.

[Assistant] Good. Should we wrap on that?

[User] I think so.

[Assistant] Excellent. Thank you very much for your time, Cynthia.


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] I was an education volunteer, so I taught English in primary school. Two schools.

[Assistant] Okay, good. I look forward to getting the details about that pretty soon. Let's find out who you were before you joined the Peace Corps. Where were you born?

[User] I was born outside of Washington, D.C., and I grew up in Washington, D.C. I went to public school there.

[Assistant] In D.C.?

[User] In Washington, D.C., yep. My mother is a French teacher and my father is an entrepreneur. And I grew up in a bilingual household. I spoke French and English. And I have dual citizenship. So really, language education was always a part of my upbringing.

[Assistant] Yeah. And did you have siblings?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] I was born outside of Washington, D.C., and I grew up in Washington, D.C. I went to public school there.

[Assistant] In D.C.?

[User] In Washington, D.C., yep. My mother is a French teacher and my father is an entrepreneur. And I grew up in a bilingual household. I spoke French and English. And I have dual citizenship. So really, language education was always a part of my upbringing.

[Assistant] Yeah. And did you have siblings?

[User] I do. I have a younger sister and a younger brother. I'm the eldest.

[Assistant] The eldest of three. And you all speak both English and French?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] In Washington, D.C., yep. My mother is a French teacher and my father is an entrepreneur. And I grew up in a bilingual household. I spoke French and English. And I have dual citizenship. So really, language education was always a part of my upbringing.

[Assistant] Yeah. And did you have siblings?

[User] I do. I have a younger sister and a younger brother. I'm the eldest.

[Assistant] The eldest of three. And you all speak both English and French?

[User] Yes.

[Assistant] Oh, how wonderful. And so you went to public schools and then you went to. Your parents were, um, they had both gone to college?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] I do. I have a younger sister and a younger brother. I'm the eldest.

[Assistant] The eldest of three. And you all speak both English and French?

[User] Yes.

[Assistant] Oh, how wonderful. And so you went to public schools and then you went to. Your parents were, um, they had both gone to college?

[User] Yes.

[Assistant] Yeah. Okay. So what did you, did you do family vacations?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] Yes.

[Assistant] Oh, how wonderful. And so you went to public schools and then you went to. Your parents were, um, they had both gone to college?

[User] Yes.

[Assistant] Yeah. Okay. So what did you, did you do family vacations?

[User] Yes. My, since my mother was a teacher, she had the summers off. And it was always very important for her for us to have experiences in France with the culture and my family, because all of my family on her side lived over there. And still does.

[Assistant] Your mother was born in France?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] Yes.

[Assistant] Yeah. Okay. So what did you, did you do family vacations?

[User] Yes. My, since my mother was a teacher, she had the summers off. And it was always very important for her for us to have experiences in France with the culture and my family, because all of my family on her side lived over there. And still does.

[Assistant] Your mother was born in France?

[User] She was. So as a child with my brother and sister, we would always go to France for the whole summer, which was just an exceptional childhood and experience.

[Assistant] Fabulous. Where, where in France?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] Yes. My, since my mother was a teacher, she had the summers off. And it was always very important for her for us to have experiences in France with the culture and my family, because all of my family on her side lived over there. And still does.

[Assistant] Your mother was born in France?

[User] She was. So as a child with my brother and sister, we would always go to France for the whole summer, which was just an exceptional childhood and experience.

[Assistant] Fabulous. Where, where in France?

[User] The majority of my family lives in Lyon, which is a big city in the southern part of France. And I, uh, my grandmother moved out of Lyon quite some time ago and just lives in the south of France in a little village on her own land. I met my best friend there when I was five. And we're still very close best friends, so I have a lot of connections to that region still.

[Assistant] Fabulous. I'm going to be going to Lyon next month so.


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] She was. So as a child with my brother and sister, we would always go to France for the whole summer, which was just an exceptional childhood and experience.

[Assistant] Fabulous. Where, where in France?

[User] The majority of my family lives in Lyon, which is a big city in the southern part of France. And I, uh, my grandmother moved out of Lyon quite some time ago and just lives in the south of France in a little village on her own land. I met my best friend there when I was five. And we're still very close best friends, so I have a lot of connections to that region still.

[Assistant] Fabulous. I'm going to be going to Lyon next month so.

[User] Really?

[Assistant] After the interview. We'll talk.


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] The majority of my family lives in Lyon, which is a big city in the southern part of France. And I, uh, my grandmother moved out of Lyon quite some time ago and just lives in the south of France in a little village on her own land. I met my best friend there when I was five. And we're still very close best friends, so I have a lot of connections to that region still.

[Assistant] Fabulous. I'm going to be going to Lyon next month so.

[User] Really?

[Assistant] After the interview. We'll talk.

[User] That's exciting.

[Assistant] Yeah. So you had this very, very deep international, bicultural, bilingual experience from the beginning.


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] Really?

[Assistant] After the interview. We'll talk.

[User] That's exciting.

[Assistant] Yeah. So you had this very, very deep international, bicultural, bilingual experience from the beginning.

[User] Yes.

[Assistant] Fabulous. Then you went to high school?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] That's exciting.

[Assistant] Yeah. So you had this very, very deep international, bicultural, bilingual experience from the beginning.

[User] Yes.

[Assistant] Fabulous. Then you went to high school?

[User] Yes.

[Assistant] Also in D.C.?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] Yes.

[Assistant] Also in D.C.?

[User] Yes.

[Assistant] Public school?

[User] Yes. It was called, it is called School Without Walls. It's a, it's a public school, but it's also a magnet school in Washington, D.C., where it doesn't have a certain neighborhood. It's on the campus of a major university. And so it attracts high achieving students from all over the city. And you have to pass an interview and a test to be accepted. And it's, you know, it's a bit of a selective process so. But it was a wonderful high school experience. I really loved my high school.

[Assistant] Great. Did you study another language, well, did you have to take high school classes in French?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] Yes.

[Assistant] Public school?

[User] Yes. It was called, it is called School Without Walls. It's a, it's a public school, but it's also a magnet school in Washington, D.C., where it doesn't have a certain neighborhood. It's on the campus of a major university. And so it attracts high achieving students from all over the city. And you have to pass an interview and a test to be accepted. And it's, you know, it's a bit of a selective process so. But it was a wonderful high school experience. I really loved my high school.

[Assistant] Great. Did you study another language, well, did you have to take high school classes in French?

[User] I did not, because I already spoke French. Right. And so because I already spoke French, when I was first enrolling in school in kindergarten, my mother told me that I was going to be taking Spanish. So I started, I've been taking Spanish since kindergarten. Every year I would take Spanish and up until high school. And then in high school I surpassed the levels that they offered at my school. So I would take them at the universities around, around Washington, D.C. And then I continued Spanish language in college so.

[Assistant] Yeah. Yeah. In high school, in addition to. Boy, that sounds like a very rich experience. Did you have other extracurricular things that you were involved in?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] I did not, because I already spoke French. Right. And so because I already spoke French, when I was first enrolling in school in kindergarten, my mother told me that I was going to be taking Spanish. So I started, I've been taking Spanish since kindergarten. Every year I would take Spanish and up until high school. And then in high school I surpassed the levels that they offered at my school. So I would take them at the universities around, around Washington, D.C. And then I continued Spanish language in college so.

[Assistant] Yeah. Yeah. In high school, in addition to. Boy, that sounds like a very rich experience. Did you have other extracurricular things that you were involved in?

[User] Well, the language was a big part of my extracurriculars because it took place at universities. I mean, it was part of the curriculum, but I felt like it demanded more of me than regular high school classes.

[Assistant] Yeah, sure.

[User] However, I also was in theater in high school. I really enjoy theater. My high school was very small, however, so our theater program, or any program at all really was not very large. So I think that the first two years in high school, I was, I participated in things and then I kind of petered off once we took AP language classes and we're applying to colleges and all of that. I don't really remember doing that much extracurricular because I was so engrossed.

[Assistant] In summers, did you have, did you have summer jobs?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] Well, the language was a big part of my extracurriculars because it took place at universities. I mean, it was part of the curriculum, but I felt like it demanded more of me than regular high school classes.

[Assistant] Yeah, sure.

[User] However, I also was in theater in high school. I really enjoy theater. My high school was very small, however, so our theater program, or any program at all really was not very large. So I think that the first two years in high school, I was, I participated in things and then I kind of petered off once we took AP language classes and we're applying to colleges and all of that. I don't really remember doing that much extracurricular because I was so engrossed.

[Assistant] In summers, did you have, did you have summer jobs?

[User] Well, I continued.

[Assistant] Oh no, but you went to France.


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] Well, I continued.

[Assistant] Oh no, but you went to France.

[User] I continued going to France, and I don't remember in high school. I think I still went to France and I took some classes in France to learn how to write in France.

[Assistant] Well, yes.

[User] Because I was, I had learned how to speak. And I, I would write, but I would write phonetically. And anyone who has ever studied the French language knows that that is not how you write it.

[Assistant] Right, right. So you studied that in France.


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] I continued going to France, and I don't remember in high school. I think I still went to France and I took some classes in France to learn how to write in France.

[Assistant] Well, yes.

[User] Because I was, I had learned how to speak. And I, I would write, but I would write phonetically. And anyone who has ever studied the French language knows that that is not how you write it.

[Assistant] Right, right. So you studied that in France.

[User] So I studied that, yep, one year in France. And I, I did, I think babysitting jobs a few times over the summer. I really took care of kids for a while. Yeah. Nothing very formal.

[Assistant] But in French?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] Because I was, I had learned how to speak. And I, I would write, but I would write phonetically. And anyone who has ever studied the French language knows that that is not how you write it.

[Assistant] Right, right. So you studied that in France.

[User] So I studied that, yep, one year in France. And I, I did, I think babysitting jobs a few times over the summer. I really took care of kids for a while. Yeah. Nothing very formal.

[Assistant] But in French?

[User] Yes.

[Assistant] Wow. And then you went to college. Where did you go?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] So I studied that, yep, one year in France. And I, I did, I think babysitting jobs a few times over the summer. I really took care of kids for a while. Yeah. Nothing very formal.

[Assistant] But in French?

[User] Yes.

[Assistant] Wow. And then you went to college. Where did you go?

[User] I went to the University of Wisconsin Madison.

[Assistant] Right here in Madison?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] Yes.

[Assistant] Wow. And then you went to college. Where did you go?

[User] I went to the University of Wisconsin Madison.

[Assistant] Right here in Madison?

[User] Here in Madison.

[Assistant] Wow. What brought you here?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] Well, being from Washington, D.C., which is not a state, we, uh. Basically as a resident, we were offered a scholarship. I think it was back in the nineties, I'm not quite sure. But anyways, there's a scholarship for D.C. residents if they wish to go to a state university. Of course, outside of Washington, D.C., you will pay in-state tuition.

[Assistant] Oh, terrific.

[User] So basically.

[Assistant] Anywhere?

[User] Anywhere. There is a scholarship that you will pay in-state tuition at any state school because Washington, D.C., is not a state.

[Assistant] Doesn't have a state school.


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] So basically.

[Assistant] Anywhere?

[User] Anywhere. There is a scholarship that you will pay in-state tuition at any state school because Washington, D.C., is not a state.

[Assistant] Doesn't have a state school.

[User] Right. We don't have a state school. So already I was looking at state universities and Wisconsin Madison really offered the breadth of options that I was looking for. It had a good geography program, which I was looking into. And it just had really the, the lifestyle I was also looking for, in living in a city, but also having a major university life there. And so it really just was perfect for what I was looking for.

[Assistant] Oh good. So you came here to Wisconsin, to Madison. You lived in a dorm?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] Right. We don't have a state school. So already I was looking at state universities and Wisconsin Madison really offered the breadth of options that I was looking for. It had a good geography program, which I was looking into. And it just had really the, the lifestyle I was also looking for, in living in a city, but also having a major university life there. And so it really just was perfect for what I was looking for.

[Assistant] Oh good. So you came here to Wisconsin, to Madison. You lived in a dorm?

[User] No, actually. Um. Although I was very excited to come to Wisconsin Madison, I was not offered housing the first year, so I found my own housing.

[Assistant] Oh.

[User] Yep. And, um.

[Assistant] Because you were not a Wisconsin resident?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] Yep. And, um.

[Assistant] Because you were not a Wisconsin resident?

[User] No, I think Wisconsin Madison, I don't know if they, if it's still the same thing nowadays, but they just didn't have enough room in the dorms for all of their incoming students.

[Assistant] Oh.

[User] So there was a handful of them that were not guaranteed housing at all. And so that housing was already full by the time I had accepted. And so I didn't know anybody in Madison, much less Wisconsin, just anybody at all. And so my parents got me, helped me sign up for an apartment that was on campus or very close to campus. So that was the first year. I lived in this apartment and I still had a roommate and everything. And it was very affiliated to the school, but it was not a dorm experience. The second year I did live in a dorm.

[Assistant] No kidding. It's just the reverse.


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] No, I think Wisconsin Madison, I don't know if they, if it's still the same thing nowadays, but they just didn't have enough room in the dorms for all of their incoming students.

[Assistant] Oh.

[User] So there was a handful of them that were not guaranteed housing at all. And so that housing was already full by the time I had accepted. And so I didn't know anybody in Madison, much less Wisconsin, just anybody at all. And so my parents got me, helped me sign up for an apartment that was on campus or very close to campus. So that was the first year. I lived in this apartment and I still had a roommate and everything. And it was very affiliated to the school, but it was not a dorm experience. The second year I did live in a dorm.

[Assistant] No kidding. It's just the reverse.

[User] Yes, I know.

[Assistant] Of the experience of so many kids. And so what did you study here, geography?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] So there was a handful of them that were not guaranteed housing at all. And so that housing was already full by the time I had accepted. And so I didn't know anybody in Madison, much less Wisconsin, just anybody at all. And so my parents got me, helped me sign up for an apartment that was on campus or very close to campus. So that was the first year. I lived in this apartment and I still had a roommate and everything. And it was very affiliated to the school, but it was not a dorm experience. The second year I did live in a dorm.

[Assistant] No kidding. It's just the reverse.

[User] Yes, I know.

[Assistant] Of the experience of so many kids. And so what did you study here, geography?

[User] Geography and Spanish. With a minor in European studies.

[Assistant] Wow. Yeah. And in, did you have to, did you have to do any work to afford your expenses?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] Geography and Spanish. With a minor in European studies.

[Assistant] Wow. Yeah. And in, did you have to, did you have to do any work to afford your expenses?

[User] I worked. It was mostly for me to pay for my food and housing and all of that. My family helped me cover tuition. So I did have jobs. I worked at the language lab in the university language building for I think a year and a half. It was my sophomore year I worked there. And then my junior year I studied abroad and when I came back, I think I worked there for another semester. And then I also worked as a waiter, waitress, at one of the university restaurants for, that holds meetings and things like that for alumni.

[Assistant] Oh, yeah.

[User] So I worked there for a year as well, so I had little jobs.

[Assistant] You referred to study abroad. Where did you go?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] I worked. It was mostly for me to pay for my food and housing and all of that. My family helped me cover tuition. So I did have jobs. I worked at the language lab in the university language building for I think a year and a half. It was my sophomore year I worked there. And then my junior year I studied abroad and when I came back, I think I worked there for another semester. And then I also worked as a waiter, waitress, at one of the university restaurants for, that holds meetings and things like that for alumni.

[Assistant] Oh, yeah.

[User] So I worked there for a year as well, so I had little jobs.

[Assistant] You referred to study abroad. Where did you go?

[User] I went to Buenos Aires, Argentina.

[Assistant] For a whole. year, a whole academic year?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] So I worked there for a year as well, so I had little jobs.

[Assistant] You referred to study abroad. Where did you go?

[User] I went to Buenos Aires, Argentina.

[Assistant] For a whole. year, a whole academic year?

[User] Yes.

[Assistant] Oh, my goodness. How rich this is. So you really are now trilingual?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] Yes.

[Assistant] Oh, my goodness. How rich this is. So you really are now trilingual?

[User] I am trilingual.

[Assistant] Yeah. Bueno.

[User] Si.

[Assistant] What, and um. Oh, I'm just trying to grab this super international background. And then when you graduated here, from UW, did you immediately apply to the Peace Corps?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] Si.

[Assistant] What, and um. Oh, I'm just trying to grab this super international background. And then when you graduated here, from UW, did you immediately apply to the Peace Corps?

[User] Yes.

[Assistant] You did.

[User] Well, I applied actually while I was still in school. I had always wanted to do the Peace Corps, and I just knew that that was the next thing that I wanted to do as soon as I had my degree. I wanted to join the Peace Corps. So I applied, you know, starting in October, I think, my senior year. And the whole process takes a long time.

[Assistant] Yeah. And how long did it take you?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] Yes.

[Assistant] You did.

[User] Well, I applied actually while I was still in school. I had always wanted to do the Peace Corps, and I just knew that that was the next thing that I wanted to do as soon as I had my degree. I wanted to join the Peace Corps. So I applied, you know, starting in October, I think, my senior year. And the whole process takes a long time.

[Assistant] Yeah. And how long did it take you?

[User] I took, uh, it took several months. I think I got my letter, my acceptance letter, in July, so.

[Assistant] Okay. So you'd just graduated a month and a half earlier?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] Well, I applied actually while I was still in school. I had always wanted to do the Peace Corps, and I just knew that that was the next thing that I wanted to do as soon as I had my degree. I wanted to join the Peace Corps. So I applied, you know, starting in October, I think, my senior year. And the whole process takes a long time.

[Assistant] Yeah. And how long did it take you?

[User] I took, uh, it took several months. I think I got my letter, my acceptance letter, in July, so.

[Assistant] Okay. So you'd just graduated a month and a half earlier?

[User] Yeah.

[Assistant] And what did the acceptance letter say?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] Yeah.

[Assistant] And what did the acceptance letter say?

[User] It said, congratulations. You've been accepted to Peace Corps Lesotho.

[Assistant] Uh huh.

[User] And me, freshly with my degree in geography, had to look up Lesotho on Google Maps.

[Assistant] And did you know right away that it was pronounced Lesotho?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] I did not. I was saying Lesotho.

[Assistant] Right.

[User] Where is Lesotho? I knew it was in Africa, but I did not, I wasn't entirely sure where it was. Like most people, I assume.

[Assistant] Right.

[User] So I did my research.

[Assistant] And you found out where it was. And at some point in there, found out how, how the name of the country is pronounced.


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] Where is Lesotho? I knew it was in Africa, but I did not, I wasn't entirely sure where it was. Like most people, I assume.

[Assistant] Right.

[User] So I did my research.

[Assistant] And you found out where it was. And at some point in there, found out how, how the name of the country is pronounced.

[User] I think I didn't find that out until I actually arrived. And you walking around saying Lesotho and people were looking at me like, what are you talking about? It's Lesotho.

[Assistant] You couldn't have been the only one.


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] So I did my research.

[Assistant] And you found out where it was. And at some point in there, found out how, how the name of the country is pronounced.

[User] I think I didn't find that out until I actually arrived. And you walking around saying Lesotho and people were looking at me like, what are you talking about? It's Lesotho.

[Assistant] You couldn't have been the only one.

[User] No, not at all. I think we were all walking around saying that.

[Assistant] Sure. Sure. Yeah. Yeah, of course. So where did you, um, before I talk about where, where you met your fellow trainees. How did your parents feel about this, your going off to Africa?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] No, not at all. I think we were all walking around saying that.

[Assistant] Sure. Sure. Yeah. Yeah, of course. So where did you, um, before I talk about where, where you met your fellow trainees. How did your parents feel about this, your going off to Africa?

[User] My mother was nervous. My mother was born in a different country, in France. And there isn't the history of the Peace Corps in France, um, or really that much volunteering in general. And even though she definitely supported me volunteering, she just, it didn't have that familiar ring to it like it did for my father, for example, or other Americans who have heard of the Peace Corps probably.

[Assistant] Right.

[User] You know, know about it. It really, it didn't for her. So she, uh, she was just a little nervous because she wasn't familiar with it. And I really took the time over Thanksgiving break and Christmas break and all of that to really sit down with her and talk with her about it. My father was not concerned about me. He knew very well that I could take care of myself. But my, my mother needed a little bit more coaxing.

[Assistant] But she didn't ever say, don't go, please don't go?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] My mother was nervous. My mother was born in a different country, in France. And there isn't the history of the Peace Corps in France, um, or really that much volunteering in general. And even though she definitely supported me volunteering, she just, it didn't have that familiar ring to it like it did for my father, for example, or other Americans who have heard of the Peace Corps probably.

[Assistant] Right.

[User] You know, know about it. It really, it didn't for her. So she, uh, she was just a little nervous because she wasn't familiar with it. And I really took the time over Thanksgiving break and Christmas break and all of that to really sit down with her and talk with her about it. My father was not concerned about me. He knew very well that I could take care of myself. But my, my mother needed a little bit more coaxing.

[Assistant] But she didn't ever say, don't go, please don't go?

[User] No. My parents have always been very, very trusting with me, even in my teenage years and everything, just understanding that as long as I have thought through my decision, you know, that I, they, I'm free to do what I want to do and I'm an adult.

[Assistant] So it's just a matter of appeasing your mother's fears.


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] You know, know about it. It really, it didn't for her. So she, uh, she was just a little nervous because she wasn't familiar with it. And I really took the time over Thanksgiving break and Christmas break and all of that to really sit down with her and talk with her about it. My father was not concerned about me. He knew very well that I could take care of myself. But my, my mother needed a little bit more coaxing.

[Assistant] But she didn't ever say, don't go, please don't go?

[User] No. My parents have always been very, very trusting with me, even in my teenage years and everything, just understanding that as long as I have thought through my decision, you know, that I, they, I'm free to do what I want to do and I'm an adult.

[Assistant] So it's just a matter of appeasing your mother's fears.

[User] Right, right. And she was she supported me once she really understood what the program was all about.

[Assistant] Good. So was there a goodbye party or something? You remember saying goodbye?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] No. My parents have always been very, very trusting with me, even in my teenage years and everything, just understanding that as long as I have thought through my decision, you know, that I, they, I'm free to do what I want to do and I'm an adult.

[Assistant] So it's just a matter of appeasing your mother's fears.

[User] Right, right. And she was she supported me once she really understood what the program was all about.

[Assistant] Good. So was there a goodbye party or something? You remember saying goodbye?

[User] Yes. In Washington, D.C., there was a little get together with some family friends and my friends in Washington, D.C., and we had a little a little dinner and a little goodbye party. I didn't want it to be too dramatic because I felt like I'll be back, you know?

[Assistant] And of course, you did come back.


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] Right, right. And she was she supported me once she really understood what the program was all about.

[Assistant] Good. So was there a goodbye party or something? You remember saying goodbye?

[User] Yes. In Washington, D.C., there was a little get together with some family friends and my friends in Washington, D.C., and we had a little a little dinner and a little goodbye party. I didn't want it to be too dramatic because I felt like I'll be back, you know?

[Assistant] And of course, you did come back.

[User] And I did come back so.

[Assistant] Before you went off to training, did Peace Corps give you a list of things that you had to do? Did you have certain medical procedures to be done? Eyeglasses, wisdom teeth, vaccinations?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] Yes. In Washington, D.C., there was a little get together with some family friends and my friends in Washington, D.C., and we had a little a little dinner and a little goodbye party. I didn't want it to be too dramatic because I felt like I'll be back, you know?

[Assistant] And of course, you did come back.

[User] And I did come back so.

[Assistant] Before you went off to training, did Peace Corps give you a list of things that you had to do? Did you have certain medical procedures to be done? Eyeglasses, wisdom teeth, vaccinations?

[User] Um, yes. I had to have a few vaccinations. I had most of the vaccinations already because I had done extensive traveling in South America.

[Assistant] And that's right, going to Buenos Aires.


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] And I did come back so.

[Assistant] Before you went off to training, did Peace Corps give you a list of things that you had to do? Did you have certain medical procedures to be done? Eyeglasses, wisdom teeth, vaccinations?

[User] Um, yes. I had to have a few vaccinations. I had most of the vaccinations already because I had done extensive traveling in South America.

[Assistant] And that's right, going to Buenos Aires.

[User] Right. And then I traveled extensively around there. So I had a lot of the vaccines. So I really only a handful that I didn't have. You know, I had to have my physical and everything. But I.

[Assistant] But you were on your own for that.


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] Um, yes. I had to have a few vaccinations. I had most of the vaccinations already because I had done extensive traveling in South America.

[Assistant] And that's right, going to Buenos Aires.

[User] Right. And then I traveled extensively around there. So I had a lot of the vaccines. So I really only a handful that I didn't have. You know, I had to have my physical and everything. But I.

[Assistant] But you were on your own for that.

[User] Mm hmm.

[Assistant] You had to find your own doctor and get all that?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] Right. And then I traveled extensively around there. So I had a lot of the vaccines. So I really only a handful that I didn't have. You know, I had to have my physical and everything. But I.

[Assistant] But you were on your own for that.

[User] Mm hmm.

[Assistant] You had to find your own doctor and get all that?

[User] Yeah. But I was part of the university health care system, so I was a student, so I could just do that pretty easily on campus.

[Assistant] Good. Good, good.


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] Mm hmm.

[Assistant] You had to find your own doctor and get all that?

[User] Yeah. But I was part of the university health care system, so I was a student, so I could just do that pretty easily on campus.

[Assistant] Good. Good, good.

[User] Yeah. So it wasn't that difficult. It just takes a long time.

[Assistant] Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Very different from in the 1960s.


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] Yeah. But I was part of the university health care system, so I was a student, so I could just do that pretty easily on campus.

[Assistant] Good. Good, good.

[User] Yeah. So it wasn't that difficult. It just takes a long time.

[Assistant] Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Very different from in the 1960s.

[User] I can believe it.

[Assistant] All that happened during training.


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] Yeah. So it wasn't that difficult. It just takes a long time.

[Assistant] Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. Very different from in the 1960s.

[User] I can believe it.

[Assistant] All that happened during training.

[User] Oh, my goodness.

[Assistant] We didn't have to do that on our own. So off you go. And where did you first meet your fellow trainees, was it in Washington or did you all meet as a group? Where did you meet as a group for the first time?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] I can believe it.

[Assistant] All that happened during training.

[User] Oh, my goodness.

[Assistant] We didn't have to do that on our own. So off you go. And where did you first meet your fellow trainees, was it in Washington or did you all meet as a group? Where did you meet as a group for the first time?

[User] We met in Philadelphia for the first time. So I took my flight from Madison and I went to Philadelphia. We had a one day orientation there with a lady whose name escapes me now, but she was wonderful and she was also a returned Peace Corps volunteer from Lesotho. Worked with the Peace Corps staff and did this really wonderful orientation. And we met everyone and we did all of those awkward get to know you games.

[Assistant] And how many people, how many trainees were there?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] Oh, my goodness.

[Assistant] We didn't have to do that on our own. So off you go. And where did you first meet your fellow trainees, was it in Washington or did you all meet as a group? Where did you meet as a group for the first time?

[User] We met in Philadelphia for the first time. So I took my flight from Madison and I went to Philadelphia. We had a one day orientation there with a lady whose name escapes me now, but she was wonderful and she was also a returned Peace Corps volunteer from Lesotho. Worked with the Peace Corps staff and did this really wonderful orientation. And we met everyone and we did all of those awkward get to know you games.

[Assistant] And how many people, how many trainees were there?

[User] We were about 30.

[Assistant] Oh, that's a nice small group.


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] We were about 30.

[Assistant] Oh, that's a nice small group.

[User]
Yes.

In Lesotho, at any given time, there's between maybe 90 and 100 volunteers.

[Assistant] In country?

[User] In country, at least that's when I was there.

[Assistant] Yeah. In training, um, was there a mixture of men and women?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User]
Yes.

In Lesotho, at any given time, there's between maybe 90 and 100 volunteers.

[Assistant] In country?

[User] In country, at least that's when I was there.

[Assistant] Yeah. In training, um, was there a mixture of men and women?

[User] Yes.

[Assistant] Single people? Were there any married couples?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] In country, at least that's when I was there.

[Assistant] Yeah. In training, um, was there a mixture of men and women?

[User] Yes.

[Assistant] Single people? Were there any married couples?

[User] Yes, there was one married couple who ended up being placed very close to me, actually. And they're wonderful people and became good friends.

[Assistant] Oh, good, good, good, good. So one day. It sounds like you had a very positive experience that one day. I'm really glad that it was somebody who was a woman and who had been in Lesotho to welcome.


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] Yes.

[Assistant] Single people? Were there any married couples?

[User] Yes, there was one married couple who ended up being placed very close to me, actually. And they're wonderful people and became good friends.

[Assistant] Oh, good, good, good, good. So one day. It sounds like you had a very positive experience that one day. I'm really glad that it was somebody who was a woman and who had been in Lesotho to welcome.

[User] Yes.

[Assistant] To welcome you. That would have really eased a lot of anxiety.


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] Yes, there was one married couple who ended up being placed very close to me, actually. And they're wonderful people and became good friends.

[Assistant] Oh, good, good, good, good. So one day. It sounds like you had a very positive experience that one day. I'm really glad that it was somebody who was a woman and who had been in Lesotho to welcome.

[User] Yes.

[Assistant] To welcome you. That would have really eased a lot of anxiety.

[User] Yes. Until that we got on the bus to go to the airport and then she said, okay, we wish you all a great journey. And you could tell everyone kind of popped their heads up thinking, wait.

[Assistant] What, you're not coming with us?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] Yes. Until that we got on the bus to go to the airport and then she said, okay, we wish you all a great journey. And you could tell everyone kind of popped their heads up thinking, wait.

[Assistant] What, you're not coming with us?

[User] Which is obvious. But at 2:00 in the morning, you don't really think those things through. But and it's just to say it was a great orientation because we really, I felt connected to her at the end.

[Assistant] Sure, sure.

[User] And I felt like, oh, guide me, take me on the plane with you, please.

[Assistant] Yeah, yeah. I really do think it's sort of remarkable that you're sent off without an escort all the way to Lesotho. So where, did you fly out of Philadelphia or New York?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] Which is obvious. But at 2:00 in the morning, you don't really think those things through. But and it's just to say it was a great orientation because we really, I felt connected to her at the end.

[Assistant] Sure, sure.

[User] And I felt like, oh, guide me, take me on the plane with you, please.

[Assistant] Yeah, yeah. I really do think it's sort of remarkable that you're sent off without an escort all the way to Lesotho. So where, did you fly out of Philadelphia or New York?

[User] Uh, we flew. We took a bus to New York. Now I remember. We took a bus to New York and then flew out of JFK.

[Assistant] Yeah, okay. Did you make stops along the way?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] Uh, we flew. We took a bus to New York. Now I remember. We took a bus to New York and then flew out of JFK.

[Assistant] Yeah, okay. Did you make stops along the way?

[User] No. There is a flight from JFK to Johannesburg.

[Assistant] Oh.

[User] So I suppose we did. We stopped in Johannesburg.

[Assistant] Johannesburg. But that's practically Lesotho.


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] No. There is a flight from JFK to Johannesburg.

[Assistant] Oh.

[User] So I suppose we did. We stopped in Johannesburg.

[Assistant] Johannesburg. But that's practically Lesotho.

[User] That's, I think, one of the longest flights that you can have.

[Assistant] I bet it is.


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] So I suppose we did. We stopped in Johannesburg.

[Assistant] Johannesburg. But that's practically Lesotho.

[User] That's, I think, one of the longest flights that you can have.

[Assistant] I bet it is.

[User] It's, it's a very long flight.

[Assistant] How many hours, do you remember?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] That's, I think, one of the longest flights that you can have.

[Assistant] I bet it is.

[User] It's, it's a very long flight.

[Assistant] How many hours, do you remember?

[User] I think it was 15 hours or 16. And then in Johannesburg, I mean, you have to stop. There's no direct flight to Maseru. Maseru's the capital of Lesotho. So we stopped in Johannesburg. Had a few hours before we got on a tiny little plane to Maseru.

[Assistant] And you're exhausted already.


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] It's, it's a very long flight.

[Assistant] How many hours, do you remember?

[User] I think it was 15 hours or 16. And then in Johannesburg, I mean, you have to stop. There's no direct flight to Maseru. Maseru's the capital of Lesotho. So we stopped in Johannesburg. Had a few hours before we got on a tiny little plane to Maseru.

[Assistant] And you're exhausted already.

[User] Yes, absolutely.

[Assistant] Because how can you sleep on a plane when you're so excited?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] I think it was 15 hours or 16. And then in Johannesburg, I mean, you have to stop. There's no direct flight to Maseru. Maseru's the capital of Lesotho. So we stopped in Johannesburg. Had a few hours before we got on a tiny little plane to Maseru.

[Assistant] And you're exhausted already.

[User] Yes, absolutely.

[Assistant] Because how can you sleep on a plane when you're so excited?

[User] I know.

[Assistant] So a couple of hours then you get on a small plane, the 30 of you with no escort. So you've had to negotiate your way through the airport in Johannesburg.


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] Yes, absolutely.

[Assistant] Because how can you sleep on a plane when you're so excited?

[User] I know.

[Assistant] So a couple of hours then you get on a small plane, the 30 of you with no escort. So you've had to negotiate your way through the airport in Johannesburg.

[User] Mm hmm.

[Assistant] What, what was that like in Johannesburg at the airport?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] I know.

[Assistant] So a couple of hours then you get on a small plane, the 30 of you with no escort. So you've had to negotiate your way through the airport in Johannesburg.

[User] Mm hmm.

[Assistant] What, what was that like in Johannesburg at the airport?

[User] It was really astounding because it really was just stereotypical Africa in your face when you arrive at the airport.

[Assistant] Really, even in the airport?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] It was really astounding because it really was just stereotypical Africa in your face when you arrive at the airport.

[Assistant] Really, even in the airport?

[User] Yes. Well, you know, um, South Africa had the, I think it was 2010 World Cup there. And so as far as I know, to my knowledge, the airport had a makeover done to really cater to all of the people that were coming to see the World Cup. And so it really, um, is just, you know, trying to make you feel like you're, you're just stepping into the bush almost. Like the culture and.

[Assistant] Oh, really?

[User] Oh, yeah. People in traditional outfits, you know, from South Africa are walking around. There's giant wooden giraffes. There's a beaded sculpture of Nelson Mandela standing there. I mean, all sorts of things which, you know, we don't see that at the airport in Washington, D.C.

[Assistant] No, no. So they really wanted to impress you that you know right away you are in Africa.


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] Yes. Well, you know, um, South Africa had the, I think it was 2010 World Cup there. And so as far as I know, to my knowledge, the airport had a makeover done to really cater to all of the people that were coming to see the World Cup. And so it really, um, is just, you know, trying to make you feel like you're, you're just stepping into the bush almost. Like the culture and.

[Assistant] Oh, really?

[User] Oh, yeah. People in traditional outfits, you know, from South Africa are walking around. There's giant wooden giraffes. There's a beaded sculpture of Nelson Mandela standing there. I mean, all sorts of things which, you know, we don't see that at the airport in Washington, D.C.

[Assistant] No, no. So they really wanted to impress you that you know right away you are in Africa.

[User] Right, yeah. That's how I felt, you know, at least. And of course we're all overwhelmed anyways, so it really was like, we're here.

[Assistant] And then you pile on to the small little plane.


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] Oh, yeah. People in traditional outfits, you know, from South Africa are walking around. There's giant wooden giraffes. There's a beaded sculpture of Nelson Mandela standing there. I mean, all sorts of things which, you know, we don't see that at the airport in Washington, D.C.

[Assistant] No, no. So they really wanted to impress you that you know right away you are in Africa.

[User] Right, yeah. That's how I felt, you know, at least. And of course we're all overwhelmed anyways, so it really was like, we're here.

[Assistant] And then you pile on to the small little plane.

[User] Yes.

[Assistant] And how many hours of a flight was that one from Johannesburg into Lesotho?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] Right, yeah. That's how I felt, you know, at least. And of course we're all overwhelmed anyways, so it really was like, we're here.

[Assistant] And then you pile on to the small little plane.

[User] Yes.

[Assistant] And how many hours of a flight was that one from Johannesburg into Lesotho?

[User] It's very short, I want to say it's about an hour or maybe 40 minutes. Maybe even 30 minutes. It's a very short plane ride

[Assistant] Maybe this is the time to talk about exactly where Lesotho is geographically.


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] Yes.

[Assistant] And how many hours of a flight was that one from Johannesburg into Lesotho?

[User] It's very short, I want to say it's about an hour or maybe 40 minutes. Maybe even 30 minutes. It's a very short plane ride

[Assistant] Maybe this is the time to talk about exactly where Lesotho is geographically.

[User] Okay.

[Assistant] In case whoever is listening to this isn't quite sure.


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] Other country.

[Assistant] Yeah.

[User] And it is not a part of South Africa. So the language in Lesotho is Sesotho. And there are parts of South Africa that speak Sesotho or Sotho. And they have definitely, you know, a history that intermingles. However, the reason primarily that Lesotho has remained a sovereign nation is because it's located in the middle of the Drakensberg Mountains and the Maloti Mountains. So it is very high up. You know, it's one of the only countries in Africa where it snows on a continual, I mean, on a consistent basis annually.

[Assistant] Oh.

[User] It has the four seasons. It has a very cold winter. I mean, it's the mountains. So there is snow, I mean, every year.

[Assistant] So when you were packing, you had to pack for both summer and winter.


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] And it is not a part of South Africa. So the language in Lesotho is Sesotho. And there are parts of South Africa that speak Sesotho or Sotho. And they have definitely, you know, a history that intermingles. However, the reason primarily that Lesotho has remained a sovereign nation is because it's located in the middle of the Drakensberg Mountains and the Maloti Mountains. So it is very high up. You know, it's one of the only countries in Africa where it snows on a continual, I mean, on a consistent basis annually.

[Assistant] Oh.

[User] It has the four seasons. It has a very cold winter. I mean, it's the mountains. So there is snow, I mean, every year.

[Assistant] So when you were packing, you had to pack for both summer and winter.

[User] Oh, yeah. You know, we definitely. And then also knowing that it's the mountains. So you really have, I mean, your hiking boots and all that and, yep, the four seasons.

[Assistant] It's a lot to cram into, what did you get, 40 pounds or 50 pounds?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] It has the four seasons. It has a very cold winter. I mean, it's the mountains. So there is snow, I mean, every year.

[Assistant] So when you were packing, you had to pack for both summer and winter.

[User] Oh, yeah. You know, we definitely. And then also knowing that it's the mountains. So you really have, I mean, your hiking boots and all that and, yep, the four seasons.

[Assistant] It's a lot to cram into, what did you get, 40 pounds or 50 pounds?

[User] Right. Right. Oh yeah. Yeah.

[Assistant] So, so you fly into the capital city, which is Maseru. And how do you get off the plane? This is a small plane. Do you walk down a little ladder sort of onto the tarmac?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] Oh, yeah. You know, we definitely. And then also knowing that it's the mountains. So you really have, I mean, your hiking boots and all that and, yep, the four seasons.

[Assistant] It's a lot to cram into, what did you get, 40 pounds or 50 pounds?

[User] Right. Right. Oh yeah. Yeah.

[Assistant] So, so you fly into the capital city, which is Maseru. And how do you get off the plane? This is a small plane. Do you walk down a little ladder sort of onto the tarmac?

[User] Yes.

[Assistant] Uh huh. Just like in the movies.


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] Right. Right. Oh yeah. Yeah.

[Assistant] So, so you fly into the capital city, which is Maseru. And how do you get off the plane? This is a small plane. Do you walk down a little ladder sort of onto the tarmac?

[User] Yes.

[Assistant] Uh huh. Just like in the movies.

[User] And we just walked to the airport from there.

[Assistant] From there, right. There's no big jetway.


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] Yes.

[Assistant] Uh huh. Just like in the movies.

[User] And we just walked to the airport from there.

[Assistant] From there, right. There's no big jetway.

[User] Yes. No.

[Assistant] As soon as you open the door and step out, now unlike in Johannesburg, you are really in Africa. You're breathing African air. What was the temperature? What time of year was it?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] And we just walked to the airport from there.

[Assistant] From there, right. There's no big jetway.

[User] Yes. No.

[Assistant] As soon as you open the door and step out, now unlike in Johannesburg, you are really in Africa. You're breathing African air. What was the temperature? What time of year was it?

[User] It was the spring when we arrived, because I arrived in October and the seasons are inverted there.

[Assistant] Oh yes, because we're south of the Equator.


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] Yes. No.

[Assistant] As soon as you open the door and step out, now unlike in Johannesburg, you are really in Africa. You're breathing African air. What was the temperature? What time of year was it?

[User] It was the spring when we arrived, because I arrived in October and the seasons are inverted there.

[Assistant] Oh yes, because we're south of the Equator.

[User] Right. So it was just starting springtime there. Uh, I can't remember if it was particularly, I mean, I think it was just moderate temperature, you know. And then Maseru is also located in the lowlands. You know, there's half of the country is considered in the lowlands, although it's still quite high compared to sea level and all of that. It's, it's called the lowlands. And then the other half of the country is really, really high up in the mountains.

[Assistant] Do you know what the elevation is?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] It was the spring when we arrived, because I arrived in October and the seasons are inverted there.

[Assistant] Oh yes, because we're south of the Equator.

[User] Right. So it was just starting springtime there. Uh, I can't remember if it was particularly, I mean, I think it was just moderate temperature, you know. And then Maseru is also located in the lowlands. You know, there's half of the country is considered in the lowlands, although it's still quite high compared to sea level and all of that. It's, it's called the lowlands. And then the other half of the country is really, really high up in the mountains.

[Assistant] Do you know what the elevation is?

[User] I have been told that Maseru is the elevation of Denver.

[Assistant] Okay, so about 5,000. Uh huh.


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] Right. So it was just starting springtime there. Uh, I can't remember if it was particularly, I mean, I think it was just moderate temperature, you know. And then Maseru is also located in the lowlands. You know, there's half of the country is considered in the lowlands, although it's still quite high compared to sea level and all of that. It's, it's called the lowlands. And then the other half of the country is really, really high up in the mountains.

[Assistant] Do you know what the elevation is?

[User] I have been told that Maseru is the elevation of Denver.

[Assistant] Okay, so about 5,000. Uh huh.

[User] Uh huh.

[Assistant] And everything else is higher than that.


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] I have been told that Maseru is the elevation of Denver.

[Assistant] Okay, so about 5,000. Uh huh.

[User] Uh huh.

[Assistant] And everything else is higher than that.

[User] Everything else is higher than that. So that's the lowest point or one of the lowest points in the country. Lesotho is the size of Maryland. I can't remember how big that is, but it's very, it's very small. However, because it's so mountainous, it's still, it can take a very long time to go from one place to another place. I mean, that the size is no indication of how far it is.

[Assistant] So I want to talk more about getting around in Lesotho in a minute. So you're not hit by a blast of tropical heat when you get off the airport, or get off the airplane?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] Uh huh.

[Assistant] And everything else is higher than that.

[User] Everything else is higher than that. So that's the lowest point or one of the lowest points in the country. Lesotho is the size of Maryland. I can't remember how big that is, but it's very, it's very small. However, because it's so mountainous, it's still, it can take a very long time to go from one place to another place. I mean, that the size is no indication of how far it is.

[Assistant] So I want to talk more about getting around in Lesotho in a minute. So you're not hit by a blast of tropical heat when you get off the airport, or get off the airplane?

[User] No. No, there were some staff members at the airport.

[Assistant] They greeted you right there?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] No. No, there were some staff members at the airport.

[Assistant] They greeted you right there?

[User] Yes.

[Assistant] Good.

[User] And a few Peace Corps volunteers who were there currently with little signs saying welcome to Lesotho and all of that.

[Assistant] That would make you feel good.


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] Yes.

[Assistant] Good.

[User] And a few Peace Corps volunteers who were there currently with little signs saying welcome to Lesotho and all of that.

[Assistant] That would make you feel good.

[User] It did. It did. And then we piled into those white vans with the Peace Corps logo on it.

[Assistant] You had to move through customs?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] And a few Peace Corps volunteers who were there currently with little signs saying welcome to Lesotho and all of that.

[Assistant] That would make you feel good.

[User] It did. It did. And then we piled into those white vans with the Peace Corps logo on it.

[Assistant] You had to move through customs?

[User] Yes. Customs was not very intense.

[Assistant] Okay, so it didn't take forever.


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] It did. It did. And then we piled into those white vans with the Peace Corps logo on it.

[Assistant] You had to move through customs?

[User] Yes. Customs was not very intense.

[Assistant] Okay, so it didn't take forever.

[User] No, Maseru is a very, very small airport. I think, I mean, there's maybe one or two flights a day, and I'm pretty sure they just go to Johannesburg. There's, there's nowhere else it goes I think.

[Assistant] So you get into these little vans, all 30 of you? Or there were a couple of vans?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] Yes. Customs was not very intense.

[Assistant] Okay, so it didn't take forever.

[User] No, Maseru is a very, very small airport. I think, I mean, there's maybe one or two flights a day, and I'm pretty sure they just go to Johannesburg. There's, there's nowhere else it goes I think.

[Assistant] So you get into these little vans, all 30 of you? Or there were a couple of vans?

[User] There were a couple of vans.

[Assistant] And off you go to where?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] No, Maseru is a very, very small airport. I think, I mean, there's maybe one or two flights a day, and I'm pretty sure they just go to Johannesburg. There's, there's nowhere else it goes I think.

[Assistant] So you get into these little vans, all 30 of you? Or there were a couple of vans?

[User] There were a couple of vans.

[Assistant] And off you go to where?

[User] We went directly to our training villages. We had three training villages and one of them was called Makola. It was a bigger village, and I think most volunteers were placed in Makola. And then there were two other villages right outside of Makola that were smaller, and they had just a handful of volunteers each there.

[Assistant] How did they split you up or were you all going to be doing the same kinds of jobs?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] There were a couple of vans.

[Assistant] And off you go to where?

[User] We went directly to our training villages. We had three training villages and one of them was called Makola. It was a bigger village, and I think most volunteers were placed in Makola. And then there were two other villages right outside of Makola that were smaller, and they had just a handful of volunteers each there.

[Assistant] How did they split you up or were you all going to be doing the same kinds of jobs?

[User] Lesotho has, it had really at that point two types of jobs. There were, there was education and there was health. And so my group, we were all education.

[Assistant] You were? Okay.


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] We went directly to our training villages. We had three training villages and one of them was called Makola. It was a bigger village, and I think most volunteers were placed in Makola. And then there were two other villages right outside of Makola that were smaller, and they had just a handful of volunteers each there.

[Assistant] How did they split you up or were you all going to be doing the same kinds of jobs?

[User] Lesotho has, it had really at that point two types of jobs. There were, there was education and there was health. And so my group, we were all education.

[Assistant] You were? Okay.

[User] And within education, you can do either primary English or high school math. So we were separated into those groups.

[Assistant] Okay. So the math teachers would be in maybe a different training village from the English teachers.


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] Lesotho has, it had really at that point two types of jobs. There were, there was education and there was health. And so my group, we were all education.

[Assistant] You were? Okay.

[User] And within education, you can do either primary English or high school math. So we were separated into those groups.

[Assistant] Okay. So the math teachers would be in maybe a different training village from the English teachers.

[User] Yeah. It was high school science and math, now that I can remember. I mean, there was an emphasis on math because of standardized testing and all of that. But, you know, definitely there were science teachers there, of course, as well. And I believe most people there were science and math teachers.

[Assistant] Oh, really? A smaller number of English teachers?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] And within education, you can do either primary English or high school math. So we were separated into those groups.

[Assistant] Okay. So the math teachers would be in maybe a different training village from the English teachers.

[User] Yeah. It was high school science and math, now that I can remember. I mean, there was an emphasis on math because of standardized testing and all of that. But, you know, definitely there were science teachers there, of course, as well. And I believe most people there were science and math teachers.

[Assistant] Oh, really? A smaller number of English teachers?

[User] Yeah, we were maybe six or seven.

[Assistant] Yeah. Yeah. So then, so there you are. You're in a training village. Where are you living during training?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] Yeah. It was high school science and math, now that I can remember. I mean, there was an emphasis on math because of standardized testing and all of that. But, you know, definitely there were science teachers there, of course, as well. And I believe most people there were science and math teachers.

[Assistant] Oh, really? A smaller number of English teachers?

[User] Yeah, we were maybe six or seven.

[Assistant] Yeah. Yeah. So then, so there you are. You're in a training village. Where are you living during training?

[User] I lived with the chief of Makola, who was a woman, and they were the Tumo family.

[Assistant] The chief was a woman?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] Yeah, we were maybe six or seven.

[Assistant] Yeah. Yeah. So then, so there you are. You're in a training village. Where are you living during training?

[User] I lived with the chief of Makola, who was a woman, and they were the Tumo family.

[Assistant] The chief was a woman?

[User] Yes.

[Assistant] Is this typical in Lesotho?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] I lived with the chief of Makola, who was a woman, and they were the Tumo family.

[Assistant] The chief was a woman?

[User] Yes.

[Assistant] Is this typical in Lesotho?

[User] No, it's not. Um. It. I asked her about this once I got to know the family very, pretty well, which I, I loved my host family. They were so good to me. And throughout my Peace Corps service, I came back and visited them and kept in touch with them because they really, really were just very, very good to me. Um. With her family, her, as far as I know, what she explained to me, was that her husband in his family, they were the family with the chiefs. And as is part of the culture in Lesotho, and really just the dire economic situation, a lot of the men leave Lesotho to go work in the diamond mines.

[Assistant] In South Africa?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] Yes.

[Assistant] Is this typical in Lesotho?

[User] No, it's not. Um. It. I asked her about this once I got to know the family very, pretty well, which I, I loved my host family. They were so good to me. And throughout my Peace Corps service, I came back and visited them and kept in touch with them because they really, really were just very, very good to me. Um. With her family, her, as far as I know, what she explained to me, was that her husband in his family, they were the family with the chiefs. And as is part of the culture in Lesotho, and really just the dire economic situation, a lot of the men leave Lesotho to go work in the diamond mines.

[Assistant] In South Africa?

[User] In South Africa.

[Assistant] So that leaves women to.


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] No, it's not. Um. It. I asked her about this once I got to know the family very, pretty well, which I, I loved my host family. They were so good to me. And throughout my Peace Corps service, I came back and visited them and kept in touch with them because they really, really were just very, very good to me. Um. With her family, her, as far as I know, what she explained to me, was that her husband in his family, they were the family with the chiefs. And as is part of the culture in Lesotho, and really just the dire economic situation, a lot of the men leave Lesotho to go work in the diamond mines.

[Assistant] In South Africa?

[User] In South Africa.

[Assistant] So that leaves women to.

[User] Yes.

[Assistant] Be the decision makers.


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] Yes.

[Assistant] Be the decision makers.

[User] Yes. So my host father had spent many, many, many years working in the diamond mines in South Africa to provide for his family. And I don't know if it was when he was going to leave or one of the times at the beginning when he had come back. But they had, he and his wife had a discussion about, well, who's going to run the village? And, you know, he said to her, you would be very good at this.

[Assistant] Oh, wow.

[User] I think you should run it because of her temperament and all of that.

[Assistant] What an extraordinary man.


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] Yes. So my host father had spent many, many, many years working in the diamond mines in South Africa to provide for his family. And I don't know if it was when he was going to leave or one of the times at the beginning when he had come back. But they had, he and his wife had a discussion about, well, who's going to run the village? And, you know, he said to her, you would be very good at this.

[Assistant] Oh, wow.

[User] I think you should run it because of her temperament and all of that.

[Assistant] What an extraordinary man.

[User] I know. And, uh. And she was, she is very good at it. She's still the chief, as far as I know. And yep, she was just a wonderful, really good, caring person. Good person to be chief.

[Assistant] So you in her, you're living with her family?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] I think you should run it because of her temperament and all of that.

[Assistant] What an extraordinary man.

[User] I know. And, uh. And she was, she is very good at it. She's still the chief, as far as I know. And yep, she was just a wonderful, really good, caring person. Good person to be chief.

[Assistant] So you in her, you're living with her family?

[User] Yes.

[Assistant] Did you have a room of your own?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] Yes.

[Assistant] Did you have a room of your own?

[User] I did.

[Assistant] During training?

[User] Yes. I had a little room that was separate from their house. It was just a separate little brick house on their compound.

[Assistant] Okay. Were there other separate little houses on the compound?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] I did.

[Assistant] During training?

[User] Yes. I had a little room that was separate from their house. It was just a separate little brick house on their compound.

[Assistant] Okay. Were there other separate little houses on the compound?

[User] No, I think that was, that was it.

[Assistant] Two buildings, the main one and your little house?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] Yes. I had a little room that was separate from their house. It was just a separate little brick house on their compound.

[Assistant] Okay. Were there other separate little houses on the compound?

[User] No, I think that was, that was it.

[Assistant] Two buildings, the main one and your little house?

[User] Yes.

[Assistant] Were there other people your age, were there children?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] Yes, there was, um. So there was my host mother who was pretty elderly at that point. I don't know how old she was exactly, but she was up there. And one of her daughters lived with her. Her daughter had been married and then her husband passed away and she had moved back in with her family.

[Assistant] Yeah.

[User] So she was living there. And then, I don't believe it's her daughter, but she called her her daughter. But it was from another, it was the granddaughter of my host mother. Lesotho families, just like in many countries I think, are pretty ambiguous.

[Assistant] Yeah.

[User] You hear, you know, that this person.

[Assistant] My cousin and my brother.


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] Exactly. This is my daughter. This is my cousin. But you don't really know the bloodline.

[Assistant] Yeah, yeah.

[User] But honestly, it doesn't really matter.

[Assistant] Doesn't matter.

[User] So she was there, and then there was a grandson that was also there.

[Assistant] And so how old were these?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] But honestly, it doesn't really matter.

[Assistant] Doesn't matter.

[User] So she was there, and then there was a grandson that was also there.

[Assistant] And so how old were these?

[User] Right. The grandson was I think maybe seven. I forget his name now. But the granddaughter was 11. And the daughter who had moved back in with them was, I'm not sure, maybe in her thirties. She looked like she was in her thirties.

[Assistant] And what was the language in that house?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] So she was there, and then there was a grandson that was also there.

[Assistant] And so how old were these?

[User] Right. The grandson was I think maybe seven. I forget his name now. But the granddaughter was 11. And the daughter who had moved back in with them was, I'm not sure, maybe in her thirties. She looked like she was in her thirties.

[Assistant] And what was the language in that house?

[User] It was Sesotho and English.

[Assistant] Now you had not, you went straight into this family.


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] Right. The grandson was I think maybe seven. I forget his name now. But the granddaughter was 11. And the daughter who had moved back in with them was, I'm not sure, maybe in her thirties. She looked like she was in her thirties.

[Assistant] And what was the language in that house?

[User] It was Sesotho and English.

[Assistant] Now you had not, you went straight into this family.

[User] Mm hmm.

[Assistant] You had had no training in Sesotho at all when you first got there.


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] It was Sesotho and English.

[Assistant] Now you had not, you went straight into this family.

[User] Mm hmm.

[Assistant] You had had no training in Sesotho at all when you first got there.

[User] Mm hmm.

[Assistant] Whew. But they did speak some English?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] Mm hmm.

[Assistant] You had had no training in Sesotho at all when you first got there.

[User] Mm hmm.

[Assistant] Whew. But they did speak some English?

[User] They did. They were well educated, this family. My host mother, the chief, spoke English and her daughter also spoke English very well. So it was, was nice to arrive and be able to communicate with them.

[Assistant] No kidding. Right. Right. So that and, um, your host mother did all the cooking for you, right? You ate with them?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] Mm hmm.

[Assistant] Whew. But they did speak some English?

[User] They did. They were well educated, this family. My host mother, the chief, spoke English and her daughter also spoke English very well. So it was, was nice to arrive and be able to communicate with them.

[Assistant] No kidding. Right. Right. So that and, um, your host mother did all the cooking for you, right? You ate with them?

[User] Yes, I would eat with them per Peace Corps rules. I think if I remember correctly, the first month they were supposed to provide you with all of the meals. And then the second month of training, you could start making your own meals and shopping for yourself.

[Assistant] You had, in your tiny little house, you had a kitchen?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] They did. They were well educated, this family. My host mother, the chief, spoke English and her daughter also spoke English very well. So it was, was nice to arrive and be able to communicate with them.

[Assistant] No kidding. Right. Right. So that and, um, your host mother did all the cooking for you, right? You ate with them?

[User] Yes, I would eat with them per Peace Corps rules. I think if I remember correctly, the first month they were supposed to provide you with all of the meals. And then the second month of training, you could start making your own meals and shopping for yourself.

[Assistant] You had, in your tiny little house, you had a kitchen?

[User] Yes, well, I had, I had a little gas stove. Right. That I could start making my own meals.

[Assistant] Yeah. Okay. I could see how that might be good training. But we'll talk about that later, about how, to what extent you had to take care of your own food. Um. And then during the day in training, you would gather with other Peace Corps volunteers.


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] Yes, I would eat with them per Peace Corps rules. I think if I remember correctly, the first month they were supposed to provide you with all of the meals. And then the second month of training, you could start making your own meals and shopping for yourself.

[Assistant] You had, in your tiny little house, you had a kitchen?

[User] Yes, well, I had, I had a little gas stove. Right. That I could start making my own meals.

[Assistant] Yeah. Okay. I could see how that might be good training. But we'll talk about that later, about how, to what extent you had to take care of your own food. Um. And then during the day in training, you would gather with other Peace Corps volunteers.

[User] Yep.

[Assistant] In Makola. The, what did you say, six or seven of you were in Makola together?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] Yep.

[Assistant] In Makola. The, what did you say, six or seven of you were in Makola together?

[User] Makola had the largest group. I think we were maybe 15 actually. And then the other villages were the smaller groups. So, yep. Every morning we would meet at the church in Makola.

[Assistant] The church?

[User] Uh huh. They had a church building.

[Assistant] What kind of church?


[System] Act as an information elicitation agent for oral history.

[User] Makola had the largest group. I think we were maybe 15 actually. And then the other villages were the smaller groups. So, yep. Every morning we would meet at the church in Makola.

[Assistant] The church?

[User] Uh huh. They had a church building.

[Assistant] What kind of church?

[User] Which was pretty large. Uh, I forget. It was a Christian, Christian church. I don't remember what sector of Christianity. I forget.

[Assistant] It doesn't matter. Doesn't matter. It, was it like a meeting room, a big meeting room?