My big project, Finishing the Ward 4 AMICAALL/Nhlangano Town Council Social Center, the PCPP

ITS FINISHED

Peace Corps Partnership Proposal (PCPP) with the Nhlangano Town Council (NTC)


http://swazilandreflections.blogspot.com/2011/01/my-big-project-finishing-ward-4.html

First application draft submitted Feb, 2011
Approved & Funding Begins on PC website May 17th
IT WAS COMPLETELY FUNDED on Sept 8th.
Construction started on Oct 24th.
All exterior construction done by Dec 20th.
Grand Opening Jan 5th, 2012
Round 2 of the Funding arrives in early January.
Interior Only Construction Restarts Jan 16th.
Construction all done Feb 16th (minus a million tiny To Do's)
Project Officially Closed May 4th, 2012

Let the children play, learn & be safe.


As of Aug 25th, 2012, I am no longer a PCV, I am now RPCV (Return Peace Corps Volunteer). This blog is my experience in Swaziland between June of 2010 & Aug of 2012. Enjoy.

Wednesday, November 10, 2010

Weirdest Work Day Ever

Ok, so working in Hollywood I saw car accidents all the time, people in all kinds of make up (aliens, injuries, cross dresser), worked with the WWE wrestlers and of course lots of weird people.

But this day takes the cake or should I say the steak.

I get to work and Dennis my counterpart says we are taking off to go get the cow.
On Sat is a big celebration of World Aids Day which is actually Dec 1st, but it is celebrated early in this region, so we drive out to this homestead, the kids goes and gets the cows which is 2 adults & 2 young ones. The kid is give a rope to put around the cows horns which takes several tries. Then now 3 men have joined as my counterpart & I watch. They tie the cow to a tree and begin the process of killing it. Since it is going to be feeding the people at the party. One comes out with a kitchen knife. And the stick the knife in the back of the head into the brain repeatedly. The cow is in pain but doesn’t die. Now they are not being cruel to the animal, it just isn’t dying as it is supposed to. As they continue to scramble it brains it just keeps kicking. Finally it gives up and sits down, but won’t die. They all admit that this process usually works and next they cut the throat. Now it really appears dead, but we go to pick it up and it kicks again. So the process of kicking the cows foot it kicks back means its still alive. Finally, it dies. So we load it into the back of a pick up truck, I am inside pulling on the horns, the other 4 are using legs to lift it. This thing stinks and I have to literally climb over a dead cow to get out of the back of the truck with blood on my shoes.

We drive to the slaughterhouse, where we drag the cow out of the back of the pick up, cow blood gets all over my pants. Surprisingly it doesn’t really bother me.

I have never been to one before and watch them cut apart several other cows before they get to ours. The cut off the feet at the at the knees, cut off the head, hang it upside down, more blood the drains out, they cut out the intestines and then the grass/shit from inside the intestines and to quote Han Solo “And I thought they smelled bad on the outside.” SUMS IT UP.

They cut up all of the meat parts into the different sections, again this is at a place where these guys do this all day everyday.

Once it is cut up they give us back all of the parts, except the shit, we load it back in the truck, which is much lighter now with the head right next to its 4 hooves in a bucket.

And drive to the butcher. We unload all of the parts and I am carrying the back that includes the intestines which rips open and it spills all over the floor. The butcher just picks it all up puts it in another bucket, as I was walking away.

So from mooing to frozen (well in the freezer) 5 hours.

Then it was go home.

Oh, and the whole day everything was done in the rain, so my pants where totally soaking wet, Thank God for my great North Face jacket that kept me warm and dry up top.

2 comments:

  1. Want to hear more about your work - how did this World AIDS Day celebration go? What else are you ?doing with Dennis at work?

    ReplyDelete
  2. i agree with Charlie - i want to hear more about your work!

    ReplyDelete