Snowflakes in Africa

I love to play practical jokes but it's been difficult here in Lesotho. The other day I was explaining to my Me' why I was excited for the snow to fall, she shook her head and said “healdee” which is like the Lesotho version of “geez – your crazy!” As she prepared to visit a friend I had a mischievous spark... When she returned from visiting her friend I had covered all of her windows with paper snowflakes. I was so excited and laughing to myself as I waited for her to return. I heard a yell “Amo” Ke eng? Ahhhhhh Cheeee (Basotho expression for so many things). I walked over to her house and she had a huge grin on her face I said “Me' Leshua e teng!” (The snow is here!) She furled her dark wrinkled brow and said ee ee (no) Ke' lipalesa, Li Linkle! (It's flowers their beautiful!).

So... the joke backfired, but it's been fun explaining to my Me' and everyone that walks by that they are snowflakes (not flowers) and I give a song and dance schpeel about how all snowflakes are different and beautiful and that under a microscope (a huge pair of glasses that make things small big) that snowflakes look like those on the glass windows of my Me's grass hut. Very few people believe me, but at least I've taught a new arts & craft project (besides the paper airplanes that were so popular).