Friday at about 2:00 (normal library hours are M-F 8-5) students from one of the field guide courses came in and said that they had a huge project due Monday and could the library stay open late that evening and/or on the weekend. This wasn't just one or two, but the whole class. So, because we're here to serve the students, my boss said yes, and “asked” if I could come back after supper, around 7 o'clock, to open the library for these students, and then work an additional 8 hours over the weekend. I mean, I did have plans, but duty calls. We've done this before, and the students were always really grateful. It worked out that I'm working Saturday morning for 4 hours and Sunel is working on Sunday morning for 4 hours and we're both taking half-days on Monday.
So, I get to the library after supper and open it up. I decided not to do anything library-related because this was after-hours and I'd been at work all day. Instead I put together this first draft of my library journal for my PFE instructor. Nobody showed up. This made me so mad, and I'm contemplating not coming in on Saturday for them. They asked if we could open the library for them tonight, we did, and then they didn't use it. They shouldn't be allowed back at all, nevermind after-hours. I had every intention of sleeping until ten tomorrow and then have company over for brunch. But I changed my plans to late-afternoon and I have to get up at 6 AM on a Saturday, and if they don't show up...well, let's just say that I'm not going to be pleased. I'm sure in the final draft I'll report on the outcome of this situation and reflect on “user services” or something of the like.
What happened on Saturday morning was that I found some of the students at breakfast, hung over from partying on Friday night, and lectured them. The whole crew came in to the library and worked diligently all morning. Some of the students had never used a computer before in their lives, and their teacher expected them to use the internet to research some basic ecology questions, which they could've gotten the answers for from books, but their teacher wanted them to go online, so I got to give a crash course in using the google.
After I got out of work, Thabang came over. We just hung out on campus most of the day, he slept over, and in the morning we went to the village. Tukiso, Thabang's brother, coaches a ladies' soccer team, and he really wanted me to come watch them play. Well, last weekend, they were playing on their home turf, so I came and watched the game. It was the last game of the regular season, and because they won (3-2), they get to go to play-offs. I went and hung out with the team afterwards for a bit, and they were all really excited to have me talk to them, but they were shy about responding, even though they do all know English. They liked me because I was a foreigner and I came to watch them play. Of course they wanted to have their picture taken with me, and they even gave me jersey to wear, making me an honorary member of their team. It was all rather strange, but fun at any rate.
After that I got to finally see where Thabang lives and meet some other members of his family. After that, we met up with Thabang's friend, Thabiso, and just walked around and chatted a bit. Then we got chips (fries) and bread, because they make sandwiches out of them down here, and their fries all have chili on them in the villages. These ones were too hot for me, so I didn't eat much. On the way back to the college the sky just opened up and we got soaked. I somehow had to find dry clothes to fit Thabang and Thabiso, which was really rather amusing. We just hung out and chatted while we waited out the rain storm and by then it was time for the boys to go home. The two of them tried to teach me Sotho, but I'm terrible at it. At least I'm trying.
Nobody tell Thabang that I put this picture up of him and Thabiso drying off in my kitchen. He'll be mad at me. It was just too funny to me at the time how soaked everybody got.
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