Elena and her little sister Zanile
Dear All,
I am deep in the land of lush greenery, too much rain and many mangos, enjoying temperatures that never make me clench and waking each morning before dawn to bird songs. The new studio will be sited and pegged today and despite my mild misgivings about being the “project manager,” things seem to be gracefully falling into place.
The Mapusha women told me in great seriousness that they must head up the building project for if people think it is me, we will be cheated. They have chosen the crew of six local unskilled laborers to work beneath a foreman and his two skilled workers (chosen by the architect.) The crew is three men, three women; Regina’s son, Lindy’s sister, Benny’s uncle, Ambrocia’s husband and two ‘good’ women from the village who have lost their husbands and need work. The aim is to get the studio up in the three months my visa allows.
I have 2 picks, 4 shovels, 25 droppers (pegs) and a ball of string in the back of my car and will pick up Stephen Williams to head out with me today. The first challenge will be to get up the water logged, perhaps sinking, dirt road to the site.
Last week, after getting my head around the 10 hour time change and the 60 degree temperature differential (it was 104F on my first day) I decided to surprise the women by appearing at their Sunday church service. I slipped in the door and into a back pew late and there was Gertrude sitting right next to me. She silently clapped and yululululululued and then gently put her head on my shoulder. At the meet-and- greet portion of the service, I had the fun of shocking Regina, Lindy, Anna Mbetsi and Anna Ndudzukulo. Hugs and laughter galore made it a home coming and after the service, sitting in the Mapusha studio with Regina and Gertrude it was as if I had never left, didn’t have a whole life 11,000 miles away.
The pictures on the right are from our grand celebration of Eulender Mbetsi, who has just passed her matric! (center, black and white striped shirt)
I will be posting weekly on the Mapusha and Me blog (www.mapushandme.blogspot.com) so become a follower if you want to watch the Rooiboklagte happenings. The new studio for Mapusha will be the central action but I’m looking forward to the building of the play structure for the nursery school children and the spiffing up of the Community Development Center, the sinking of the borehole! Those are the key tasks for this visit so please hold that vision with me - children playing on the structure, an english class in the community building, water flowing from the garden irrigation system and the women weaving in a beuatiful, light filled new studio.
Thanks so much for your support,
with love,
Judy
Last week, after getting my head around the 10 hour time change and the 60 degree temperature differential (it was 104F on my first day) I decided to surprise the women by appearing at their Sunday church service. I slipped in the door and into a back pew late and there was Gertrude sitting right next to me. She silently clapped and yululululululued and then gently put her head on my shoulder. At the meet-and- greet portion of the service, I had the fun of shocking Regina, Lindy, Anna Mbetsi and Anna Ndudzukulo. Hugs and laughter galore made it a home coming and after the service, sitting in the Mapusha studio with Regina and Gertrude it was as if I had never left, didn’t have a whole life 11,000 miles away. 
