Another week

Well, another week is down here. It really is amazing how time is starting to fly by now that I have most of the administrative details complete and am getting into the actual work. I tried to set up some interviews this week but was foiled by the busy schedules of the men I tried to get ahold of. Maybe next week! So it means that I spent most of my time at the National Archives picking through the records of the National Council (the advisory body that was partially elected and composed partially of chiefs...the precursor to a real legislative body) from the early 1950s. It can be interesting in spurts but as the books are about 650 pages each (the verbatim transcripts of the debates these guys held for the three weeks they met), it can also be quite tedious.
Still, it is good stuff and necessary to have for my future dissertation so I keep plugging away. The archives are quite empty other than me (I would say there in another person there looking at something maybe one out of every three or four days and those visits average under 2 hours).
This weekend is graduation at the National University (for those who finished in May) and there are four of my former teaching colleagues from St. Rodrigue who are getting degrees of some sort. Quite exciting. One of my friends is having her graduation party (for her master's degree in English--'Me Malerato/Kolobe for those who know her) on Saturday here in Maseru so I will be going to that. Another one (Ntate Leseli) is having his party (for a Bachelor's in Science) at the end of October at his home village up in the foothills so I have plans to get there as well.
I am staying connected and busy for sure. Life is good here. Hope the same is true where you are.