Sawubona Kids!!
I said hello to you in Swati, the official language of Swaziland. I don't know too many words, so it is a good thing that most people here also speak English.
If you look at a map of the world, or a globe, you will see that I am further away from home than I have been on any of my other trips this year. Abigail, I'm not sure exactly how far it is, but the airplane ride took 17 hours!
The country has seasons like ours at home. Sometimes it feels cold in winter, but it doesn't snow. Look at the picture of me. You can see that this is a dry time of year. The grass is all yellow. The trees have deeper roots to find water, so they stay green all year.
The trees are acacia trees. Some people call them thorn trees because they have long shap thorns along the branches. That is good protection against animals who might want to eat the leaves and bark.
Behind me you can see the hills. The countryside is full of low round hills like these, but there aren't any very tall mountains, Gage.
One thing I learned is that Swaziland doesn't have a president. Our country has a president, and people can pick a new one every 4 years. Swaziland has a king, and he will stay King for his whole life. When he dies, another member of his family will be the new king (or queen). This is a picture of King Mswati III.
Dallas asked what the flag looks like. Here it is. Most flags don't have pictures on them but this one does. The shield and spears are symbols. They stand for protecting the country and keeping it safe.
Sahara wants to know what kind of clothes they wear. Most of the time, people wear skirts or dresses, pants or shorts, and shirts, like we do. That is called Western dress. Sometimes, for special holidays and festivals, people wear fancy outfits with feathers, shells and beads. That is called traditional dress. These girls are dressed up and ready to be in a holiday parade.
Perlita wrote, "What kind of food do they have in Africa?" Here in Swaziland, they eat a lot of corn, beans, grain, and meat. One way they like corn is in baked cornbread. Here they call it mealie bread, but it tastes just as good!
Ivy asked about the animals that live here. They have elephants, rhinos, hippos, and giraffes. A much smaller kind of animal that is all over the place is mosquitos. The people call them mossies. The bites really itch!
I know that your school year is almost over. This is my the last trip before your summer break. I have enjoyed sending you messages and pictures from so many places. I hope that when you get bigger, you will have a chance to travel. The world is full of so many wonderful things to discover!
Sala Kahle! (That means good-bye)
Your friend,
Flat Stanley
I said hello to you in Swati, the official language of Swaziland. I don't know too many words, so it is a good thing that most people here also speak English.
If you look at a map of the world, or a globe, you will see that I am further away from home than I have been on any of my other trips this year. Abigail, I'm not sure exactly how far it is, but the airplane ride took 17 hours!
The country has seasons like ours at home. Sometimes it feels cold in winter, but it doesn't snow. Look at the picture of me. You can see that this is a dry time of year. The grass is all yellow. The trees have deeper roots to find water, so they stay green all year.
The trees are acacia trees. Some people call them thorn trees because they have long shap thorns along the branches. That is good protection against animals who might want to eat the leaves and bark.
Behind me you can see the hills. The countryside is full of low round hills like these, but there aren't any very tall mountains, Gage.
One thing I learned is that Swaziland doesn't have a president. Our country has a president, and people can pick a new one every 4 years. Swaziland has a king, and he will stay King for his whole life. When he dies, another member of his family will be the new king (or queen). This is a picture of King Mswati III.
Dallas asked what the flag looks like. Here it is. Most flags don't have pictures on them but this one does. The shield and spears are symbols. They stand for protecting the country and keeping it safe.
Sahara wants to know what kind of clothes they wear. Most of the time, people wear skirts or dresses, pants or shorts, and shirts, like we do. That is called Western dress. Sometimes, for special holidays and festivals, people wear fancy outfits with feathers, shells and beads. That is called traditional dress. These girls are dressed up and ready to be in a holiday parade.
Perlita wrote, "What kind of food do they have in Africa?" Here in Swaziland, they eat a lot of corn, beans, grain, and meat. One way they like corn is in baked cornbread. Here they call it mealie bread, but it tastes just as good!
Ivy asked about the animals that live here. They have elephants, rhinos, hippos, and giraffes. A much smaller kind of animal that is all over the place is mosquitos. The people call them mossies. The bites really itch!
I know that your school year is almost over. This is my the last trip before your summer break. I have enjoyed sending you messages and pictures from so many places. I hope that when you get bigger, you will have a chance to travel. The world is full of so many wonderful things to discover!
Sala Kahle! (That means good-bye)
Your friend,
Flat Stanley
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