mail and phone

There are three ways to get in contact with me. . .
1. Call or text message my phone, 027 76 531 2149. You can buy cheap calling cards on-line (just do a google search for South Africa cell calling cards). Make sure that any calling card you buy is to call a cell phone because the prices are different. If there is an emergency, it’s best to call the Peace Corps office in Washington DC first.
2. Leave a comment here or e-mail me. If you e-mail me, you’re more likely to get a letter in return than an e-mail.
3. Write me! I love receiving mail and I check it more often than I’ve been able to get on the internet. Letters take about five days to come to my post office box. Here’s my address again:

Melissa Leedle
Box 737
Lephalale 0555
South Africa

A few of you have mentioned that you would like to send me packages. I can get almost anything my heart desires here, but that doesn’t mean that I can afford it on the Peace Corps living allowance (on the Peace Corps web-site it says living wage for the area, so I have more bogobe, a hard porridge, cabbage, and meat then I will ever want to eat and enough to go to town occasionally). On some things, especially electronics, I have to pay a duty when it is shipped to me. The kinds of things I’d love to receive:
News, I’d love to hear about anything happening in the United States! This includes newspaper clippings, crossword and suduko puzzles, old Time magazines, trashy gossip magazines. . .
Running shoes, size 7.5 Asics 2100 or Gel Kyano or Adidas supercushion
Books! There has been some confusion on the kind of books I like. . . I usually like books that have positive reviews from the NY Times, are ‘classics,’ or are chick lit. If you’d like to see examples, here’s a (long) list of examples on Amazon:

Treats, pretty much anything from Trader Joes, dried fruit/berries, candy, granola bars, soft cookies, Gatorade powder, I could go on forever here

If you’d like to send something to help in the schools. . . Again, you can get pretty much anything here. What would help the most are supplies that I can use to make examples for the teachers. I’ll probably end up making flashcards, posters, and puzzles so that the teachers understand what I’m trying to explain. If I have something ready-made from America, the teachers will only say, “Esh, but we don’t have enough resources,” and won’t use what is at their disposal. Also, I should demonstrate positive reinforcement in workshops.
Colorful card stock
Contact paper
Clear packing tape
Markers
Stickers