Well, let's see...I've been trying to think of something profound to fill this space, something that I can look back on and say "yeah, that's exactly how I was feeling." As nothing has come to mind, I'm just going to start typing away, and see where my brain + fingertips lead me.
Yesterday was the last day at Cornerstone Christian College. I met with Jacklyn for breakfast in the morning at The Restaurant, then blogged here, then hung out with some people, then met with Nicole for lunch at the famous Martin's Bakery, then hung out a bit at the flat.
In the evening, Janine picked me up for the going-away braai. That was a really nice braai: good food, good people, and a rambunctious fire that kept blowing smoke everywhere. It was also a time for the students to say stuff to their homestay peoples. Orit couldn't be there because she had to study, so I said stuff to the Bethel students instead. Last night was the last time I'll see them for at least three months. I'm going to try to get a flight to the Twin Cities, but I'm laying the burden of opening up doorways in God's hands. I'm also hoping to meet up with a lot of them at the National Multicultural Student Leadership Conference (NCMSLC) in November. Otherwise...*sighs* I mean, I've had to say good-bye to people a lot during my short lifetime, so this should be no different, I suppose. I have to say that the group was an absolute blessing in my life and that I will miss all of them dearly.
I'm glad at least Ari and I have the same South African Airways connecting flight to Johannesburg before she heads off to Amsterdam and I go on to JFK. It was nice to not have to say good-bye to everyone last night. She was a Geneva College student once--funnily cool how God sets those things up.
And now, today, I have shopping and packing and praying and eating an amazing cottage pie Orit is going to make because she heard I always wanted to try it, and then there's cell group and time with Ronel. I'm also going to be trying not to cry--and feeling the unshed tears settle behind my eyes with a faint ache. I have the whole 18-hour flight to deal with things--right now I want to laugh and love and live for every moment I have left in Cape Town, South Africa.
I'd like to say "thank you" to all of the readers who joined me on this journey. It was an incredible, life-changing experience, everything I could have hoped and prayed for, and so much more. I look forward to seeing many of you upon my arrival in the United States. For now, take care and God bless.
"Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost." -from Romans 15
Tuesday, May 6, 2008
Monday, May 5, 2008
Two days...
Aaaack! It's difficult to imagine, yet incredibly close. *laughs* Meaning I need to finish up this blog already! Okay, so, the last major bit of stuff missing from this esteemed epistle is the township stay.
Quinton Redcliffe, one of the study abroad coordinators, worked through "2 Way Travel", a volunteer tourism company.
http://www.2waytravel.com/
The cool thing was that we worked directly with Mike, one of the directors. Khanyisa Community church is his home church, and we were more intimately involved with the community than most. During our time, we were supervised by Mzura, who is also a youth leader at Khanyisa--the guy had an amazing amount of enthusiasm, seemingly 24/7 (though I'm sure he slept sometimes--can you sleep enthusiastically?) Also, some of the local youth who were involved in the church helped us on the work projects, including Abbie, an blessed young woman of God with a seriously fast wit, and Martin, a true artist who made and fixed up our meager attempts at concrete-laying into a smooth surface.
Our 7-day Homestay in Tambo Village
Sunday - Day 1 - April 13
We arrive at Khanyisa Community church in Tambo Village.
http://www.khanyisa.org/ - Khanyisa's website
Tambo Village is a small community between the coloured township Manenburg and the black township Gugulethu. We went from the church to our homestays. Myself and Heather were with Mama Nokuzola (hereafter known as "Mama Nokz"), a single mother with an 18-year-old daughter, Thembisa (means "promise" in xhosa) and a young son, Sibumylo (sp?) who is in primary school. Char was supposed to stay with us as well, but she was still feeling sick from the allergic reaction she endured on the Eastern Cape trip. Mama Nokz is from the Eastern Cape originally--her husband died, and now she supports her family through beadwork. She makes beautiful stuff, and has contracts with several schools who sell her wares, so it's a good, stable form of employment. And of course, visitors like us buy a ton as well, especially when we know exactly whom it's benefiting!
They actually put us in nice places: all of them had flush toilets and running water, and Mama Nokz gave up her room to us. In addition, nearly every home I went to had a TV, even the really poor ones in Gugulethu! It's the oddest thing, how TV would be such a priority; many South Africans love their "soapies". I'm not sure why this is--it's one of those surface aspects I'm still struggling to relate to an understandable deep concept.
Anyway, then we went back to the church for the morning worship. It was really cool! They sang songs in xhosa and English, and the transcription & translation were on the overhead, so it was easy to sing along--and it made learning xhosa words easier! There was dancing too--just a joyful time. The sermon was on reconciliation, which was ironic considering all the Bethel students are Reconciliation Studies majors. I found the message really compelling, as it was about how, in order to reconcile with someone, you have to acknowledge that there is a problem, that the relationship is broken and that there is hurt between you and the other person(s). I think it can be so easy for me to just want to skip over to the "fixing" part, because I don't like and am not especially comfortable with dealing with emotional stuff. However, in order for true healing to take place, you have to recognize that there is a wound to heal, and allow yourself to grieve for that. He used the text of Philemon, with the reconciliation of Philemon and Onesimus the slave.
Afterwards we went to Mzoli's, a place in Gugulethu to get...meat. Lots of meat. Lots and LOTS of meat. And that's pretty much it. You sit outside under this tarpish sort of veranda at plastic tables with plastic white chairs. It reminded me a lot of a classic American barbeque joint--the ones with the REAL, slow-cooked barbequed meat. First, there was a large bowl of water with a few lemon slices--as a refresher for the hands instead of moist towlettes, I guess. Then they brought out this HUGE bowl of cooked meat--just piles of chicken pieces and pork chops and boerwors. Everyone just grabbed some for their plate. There was also a large bowl of pap, and some relishes to put on the pap. Very tasty meal. :-D
Then we walked back to Tambo and just chilled out for the rest of the day. I was outside, playing games with the local kids. Supper was again pap and chicken and stuff, and I was actually hungry--there were so many people at lunch that there wasn't really food leftover for seconds--and the locals kept insisted the guys eat more, rather than the girls. Hmph. Still dealing with the attitude that girls are always these dainty, carb-loving pasta-and-salad eaters and so can't appreciate a good-sized hunk of meat. *laughs* Seriously, it's all good. We wnt to church that night, which was a nice, low-key service involving small group reflections on the meaning of reconciliation. I mentioned that, in America, reconciliation between races/classes/etc seems to be at a standstill due to political correctness. In order to reconcile, one needs to face the conflict and pain, and PCness is all about denying that conflict and trying to paste a plaster over it. Meh.
Bed!
Monday - Day 2 - April 14
Today was up, breakfast of oats, and then over to the church for orientation and an introduction to our first project. We were laying a concrete floor in the house of Mama Nomsa, who is confined to a motorized wheelchair. Her current floor was rotted wood, making it difficult for her to get around. We also aimed to lay a pathway for her from the road to her house, because when the rains come the dirt gets all muddy and makes it difficult for her to get her wheelchair across. We were also going to paint her house.
So, today we worked on clearing out the house, mixing concrete, and clearing out the yard. I had a chance to speak with Mama Nomsa. She works with the Vukani community development project.
http://www.vukani.co.za/ - Vukani homepage
She focuses on providing help to the disabled, arranging for them to have counselling, job training, etc. She lost use of her legs due to polio when she was twelve--I can only imagine having polio and all that stuff during Apartheid, when medical care for blacks was poor and often non-existent. It was really a blessing to be able to share stories of working with organizations for disability empowerment.
After work, we were able to just relax in the evening with our host family. We watched TV and talked.
Tuesday - Day 3 - April 15
Today was more work on the job site, digging a trench for the pathway and also cleaning up the rest of the yard. There was this one patch of grass that was seemingly lushly overgrown, but when Brittany and I walked on it, we kept hearing this plasticky-crunchy sound. So, it was on with the gardening gloves and digging through the grass to pull out everything from plastic potato chip bags to used diapers. Apparently the neighbours had been using Mama Nomsa's yard as their own personal trash bin. Alcohol bottles abounded. I mentioned to Brit that this would be an excellent job to give to anyone who thinks "recycling is a gimmick." Foil and plastic do NOT decompose. Period. :-p
In the evening we had a discussion time at the church about how racism particularly affected Tambo Village. Apparently the church's location is something of a boundary line. On one side the residents are 90% coloured, and on the other, 90% black. It's amazing the amount of racism between coloureds and blacks. We also heard personal stories of racism related by Mzura and were able to discuss the situation. Char came for this meeting, and we also prayed over her for her healing. She was encountering problems getting credit for the experiential part of her schooling because she wasn't able to be in Tambo.
Wednesday - Day 4 - April 16
Today it was more work on Mama Nomsa's house--and Char joined us today! She was feeling So much better--praise God! Gotta love prayer power. :-) She joined us in Mama Nokz house, and she helped her with cooking and things; those two ladies were really a blessing to each other. Today was also the day that there was some dietary talk with Mama Nokz. We had been placed with her precisely because Heather is a vegetarian and I have food allergies, and she was doing well to provide us with food we could eat. However, dear Mama did not know that, when working hard, I need protein, and so she was feeding us lots of rice and veg and pap, which was GREAT--but too many carbs (and "too many" is "over a cupful") makes me really exhausted, and I was waking up every day tired, moreso than I should have been. Fortunately, everything was sorted out. :-) This night we went to cell groups, which was fun and really helped us feel like part of the community.
Thursday - Day 5 - April 17
Today we were in Gugulethu, walking among the rust-reddish metal shacks. We were laying a new concrete floor in the house of a woman who's house had burned down. Apparently there had been a terrible fire in the townships--and the newpapers made little-to-no noise about it. :-( It's like they're this whole other world--during my time there, I had a hard time believing I was still in Cape Town, only some miles from Cornerstone College; only the mountains in the distance showed that I was indeed within the city limits.
Work this day was crazy-exhausting, because it was all indoors working with the concrete, and by now all of us were coughing from the sand and concrete dust that flew up every time we lifted our shovels, and misted the air. Today everyone else had vetkoeks, or amaquena, as a snack--unsweeted fried yeast doughnuts. Due to allergies, I could not partake, which, honestly, I did not mind. After work we were supposed to have a movie night with some of the people from Tambo, but all of us were tired and wanted to spend more quality time with our host families.
Friday - Day 6 - April 18
Today we went back to Mama Nomsa's house. She wanted her house painted pink, so pink it was painted--I now have a pink splotch on one of my sneakers, so now I am always wearing pink. ;-) *rolls eyes* We also worked on the pathway some more and Jacklyn and I weeded and reorganized her garden. This whole time we were working on her house, she looked so pleased, and was so involved. Her smile was miles wide. Apparently she didn't get many visitors.
In the afternoon we helped out at a "Sidewalk Sunday School" community youth outreach, which was great, except it was very loud, so for much of the time I removed myself to a place where I wouldn't be doubled over in pain from the sounds. So I prayed there for various things and people-watched. That night we attended the local youth group, which was fun, although tiring--with people 24/7, I was starting to get seriously emotionally exhausted at this point.
Saturday - Day 7 - April 19
Today was a rainy day--Char, Heather and I woke up, and then lazed in bed, listening to the rain pitterpatter on the tin roof, snuggled in our beds. Mama Nokz and her family did likewise--no one budged for a bit. Due to the rain, we were unable to do outdoor work, so we were able to visit with our homestay families and we also had the option of helping out with Saturday's "Sidewalk Sunday School." At night, there was a braai for us, the youth, and our homestay families--sheep! It was good, although the food was limited for me due to allergies. Oh well. The cool thing was that Mama Nokz and Thembi are also introverts, so our whole homestay family ended up leaving the party early to relax in front of the television at home. :-)
Sunday - Not Really a 'Day', Just a Morning Service - April 20
As the title says, we packed up, breakfasted, went to church, and then returned to our "regular" homestay families, heart-warmed, but also exhausted, and looking forward to relaxing our last two weeks here.
________________________
Okay! Next post will be my last official post in South Africa!
Quinton Redcliffe, one of the study abroad coordinators, worked through "2 Way Travel", a volunteer tourism company.
http://www.2waytravel.com/
The cool thing was that we worked directly with Mike, one of the directors. Khanyisa Community church is his home church, and we were more intimately involved with the community than most. During our time, we were supervised by Mzura, who is also a youth leader at Khanyisa--the guy had an amazing amount of enthusiasm, seemingly 24/7 (though I'm sure he slept sometimes--can you sleep enthusiastically?) Also, some of the local youth who were involved in the church helped us on the work projects, including Abbie, an blessed young woman of God with a seriously fast wit, and Martin, a true artist who made and fixed up our meager attempts at concrete-laying into a smooth surface.
Our 7-day Homestay in Tambo Village
Sunday - Day 1 - April 13
We arrive at Khanyisa Community church in Tambo Village.
http://www.khanyisa.org/ - Khanyisa's website
Tambo Village is a small community between the coloured township Manenburg and the black township Gugulethu. We went from the church to our homestays. Myself and Heather were with Mama Nokuzola (hereafter known as "Mama Nokz"), a single mother with an 18-year-old daughter, Thembisa (means "promise" in xhosa) and a young son, Sibumylo (sp?) who is in primary school. Char was supposed to stay with us as well, but she was still feeling sick from the allergic reaction she endured on the Eastern Cape trip. Mama Nokz is from the Eastern Cape originally--her husband died, and now she supports her family through beadwork. She makes beautiful stuff, and has contracts with several schools who sell her wares, so it's a good, stable form of employment. And of course, visitors like us buy a ton as well, especially when we know exactly whom it's benefiting!
They actually put us in nice places: all of them had flush toilets and running water, and Mama Nokz gave up her room to us. In addition, nearly every home I went to had a TV, even the really poor ones in Gugulethu! It's the oddest thing, how TV would be such a priority; many South Africans love their "soapies". I'm not sure why this is--it's one of those surface aspects I'm still struggling to relate to an understandable deep concept.
Anyway, then we went back to the church for the morning worship. It was really cool! They sang songs in xhosa and English, and the transcription & translation were on the overhead, so it was easy to sing along--and it made learning xhosa words easier! There was dancing too--just a joyful time. The sermon was on reconciliation, which was ironic considering all the Bethel students are Reconciliation Studies majors. I found the message really compelling, as it was about how, in order to reconcile with someone, you have to acknowledge that there is a problem, that the relationship is broken and that there is hurt between you and the other person(s). I think it can be so easy for me to just want to skip over to the "fixing" part, because I don't like and am not especially comfortable with dealing with emotional stuff. However, in order for true healing to take place, you have to recognize that there is a wound to heal, and allow yourself to grieve for that. He used the text of Philemon, with the reconciliation of Philemon and Onesimus the slave.
Afterwards we went to Mzoli's, a place in Gugulethu to get...meat. Lots of meat. Lots and LOTS of meat. And that's pretty much it. You sit outside under this tarpish sort of veranda at plastic tables with plastic white chairs. It reminded me a lot of a classic American barbeque joint--the ones with the REAL, slow-cooked barbequed meat. First, there was a large bowl of water with a few lemon slices--as a refresher for the hands instead of moist towlettes, I guess. Then they brought out this HUGE bowl of cooked meat--just piles of chicken pieces and pork chops and boerwors. Everyone just grabbed some for their plate. There was also a large bowl of pap, and some relishes to put on the pap. Very tasty meal. :-D
Then we walked back to Tambo and just chilled out for the rest of the day. I was outside, playing games with the local kids. Supper was again pap and chicken and stuff, and I was actually hungry--there were so many people at lunch that there wasn't really food leftover for seconds--and the locals kept insisted the guys eat more, rather than the girls. Hmph. Still dealing with the attitude that girls are always these dainty, carb-loving pasta-and-salad eaters and so can't appreciate a good-sized hunk of meat. *laughs* Seriously, it's all good. We wnt to church that night, which was a nice, low-key service involving small group reflections on the meaning of reconciliation. I mentioned that, in America, reconciliation between races/classes/etc seems to be at a standstill due to political correctness. In order to reconcile, one needs to face the conflict and pain, and PCness is all about denying that conflict and trying to paste a plaster over it. Meh.
Bed!
Monday - Day 2 - April 14
Today was up, breakfast of oats, and then over to the church for orientation and an introduction to our first project. We were laying a concrete floor in the house of Mama Nomsa, who is confined to a motorized wheelchair. Her current floor was rotted wood, making it difficult for her to get around. We also aimed to lay a pathway for her from the road to her house, because when the rains come the dirt gets all muddy and makes it difficult for her to get her wheelchair across. We were also going to paint her house.
So, today we worked on clearing out the house, mixing concrete, and clearing out the yard. I had a chance to speak with Mama Nomsa. She works with the Vukani community development project.
http://www.vukani.co.za/ - Vukani homepage
She focuses on providing help to the disabled, arranging for them to have counselling, job training, etc. She lost use of her legs due to polio when she was twelve--I can only imagine having polio and all that stuff during Apartheid, when medical care for blacks was poor and often non-existent. It was really a blessing to be able to share stories of working with organizations for disability empowerment.
After work, we were able to just relax in the evening with our host family. We watched TV and talked.
Tuesday - Day 3 - April 15
Today was more work on the job site, digging a trench for the pathway and also cleaning up the rest of the yard. There was this one patch of grass that was seemingly lushly overgrown, but when Brittany and I walked on it, we kept hearing this plasticky-crunchy sound. So, it was on with the gardening gloves and digging through the grass to pull out everything from plastic potato chip bags to used diapers. Apparently the neighbours had been using Mama Nomsa's yard as their own personal trash bin. Alcohol bottles abounded. I mentioned to Brit that this would be an excellent job to give to anyone who thinks "recycling is a gimmick." Foil and plastic do NOT decompose. Period. :-p
In the evening we had a discussion time at the church about how racism particularly affected Tambo Village. Apparently the church's location is something of a boundary line. On one side the residents are 90% coloured, and on the other, 90% black. It's amazing the amount of racism between coloureds and blacks. We also heard personal stories of racism related by Mzura and were able to discuss the situation. Char came for this meeting, and we also prayed over her for her healing. She was encountering problems getting credit for the experiential part of her schooling because she wasn't able to be in Tambo.
Wednesday - Day 4 - April 16
Today it was more work on Mama Nomsa's house--and Char joined us today! She was feeling So much better--praise God! Gotta love prayer power. :-) She joined us in Mama Nokz house, and she helped her with cooking and things; those two ladies were really a blessing to each other. Today was also the day that there was some dietary talk with Mama Nokz. We had been placed with her precisely because Heather is a vegetarian and I have food allergies, and she was doing well to provide us with food we could eat. However, dear Mama did not know that, when working hard, I need protein, and so she was feeding us lots of rice and veg and pap, which was GREAT--but too many carbs (and "too many" is "over a cupful") makes me really exhausted, and I was waking up every day tired, moreso than I should have been. Fortunately, everything was sorted out. :-) This night we went to cell groups, which was fun and really helped us feel like part of the community.
Thursday - Day 5 - April 17
Today we were in Gugulethu, walking among the rust-reddish metal shacks. We were laying a new concrete floor in the house of a woman who's house had burned down. Apparently there had been a terrible fire in the townships--and the newpapers made little-to-no noise about it. :-( It's like they're this whole other world--during my time there, I had a hard time believing I was still in Cape Town, only some miles from Cornerstone College; only the mountains in the distance showed that I was indeed within the city limits.
Work this day was crazy-exhausting, because it was all indoors working with the concrete, and by now all of us were coughing from the sand and concrete dust that flew up every time we lifted our shovels, and misted the air. Today everyone else had vetkoeks, or amaquena, as a snack--unsweeted fried yeast doughnuts. Due to allergies, I could not partake, which, honestly, I did not mind. After work we were supposed to have a movie night with some of the people from Tambo, but all of us were tired and wanted to spend more quality time with our host families.
Friday - Day 6 - April 18
Today we went back to Mama Nomsa's house. She wanted her house painted pink, so pink it was painted--I now have a pink splotch on one of my sneakers, so now I am always wearing pink. ;-) *rolls eyes* We also worked on the pathway some more and Jacklyn and I weeded and reorganized her garden. This whole time we were working on her house, she looked so pleased, and was so involved. Her smile was miles wide. Apparently she didn't get many visitors.
In the afternoon we helped out at a "Sidewalk Sunday School" community youth outreach, which was great, except it was very loud, so for much of the time I removed myself to a place where I wouldn't be doubled over in pain from the sounds. So I prayed there for various things and people-watched. That night we attended the local youth group, which was fun, although tiring--with people 24/7, I was starting to get seriously emotionally exhausted at this point.
Saturday - Day 7 - April 19
Today was a rainy day--Char, Heather and I woke up, and then lazed in bed, listening to the rain pitterpatter on the tin roof, snuggled in our beds. Mama Nokz and her family did likewise--no one budged for a bit. Due to the rain, we were unable to do outdoor work, so we were able to visit with our homestay families and we also had the option of helping out with Saturday's "Sidewalk Sunday School." At night, there was a braai for us, the youth, and our homestay families--sheep! It was good, although the food was limited for me due to allergies. Oh well. The cool thing was that Mama Nokz and Thembi are also introverts, so our whole homestay family ended up leaving the party early to relax in front of the television at home. :-)
Sunday - Not Really a 'Day', Just a Morning Service - April 20
As the title says, we packed up, breakfasted, went to church, and then returned to our "regular" homestay families, heart-warmed, but also exhausted, and looking forward to relaxing our last two weeks here.
________________________
Okay! Next post will be my last official post in South Africa!
Friday, May 2, 2008
Five days...
Though who's counting? Not me, not really, not anymore than absolutely necessary.
I'm typing this from a 'net cafe in the Central Station complex in downtown Cape Town. Today is the last time I will be able to come here. Heather and I agree that four months seemed like a long time originally, but now is really only a taste of South Africa. Every day I'm here, I get to know the quirks and manners of this place more and more--on Tuesday, the last day I'm here, I'll probably be the most "South Africanesque" of the entire trip!
Just a thought. I have to go now before the 'net time runs out.
I'm typing this from a 'net cafe in the Central Station complex in downtown Cape Town. Today is the last time I will be able to come here. Heather and I agree that four months seemed like a long time originally, but now is really only a taste of South Africa. Every day I'm here, I get to know the quirks and manners of this place more and more--on Tuesday, the last day I'm here, I'll probably be the most "South Africanesque" of the entire trip!
Just a thought. I have to go now before the 'net time runs out.
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
So world, can she do it?
Okay, here is the deal: I'm headed out of the country soon and I want to be mostly-basically seriously entirely finished with this blog by the time I leave. That means that I need to do some major backlog posting from all the LOADS of events that happened in April; namely, the Eastern Cape trip and the Guguletu homestay.
This post will cover the E. Cape trip. Note: I have lost the memory card to my digital camera, so I was unable to take photos of a lot of this trip. Other friends took photos of me, and I did buy a disposable, so I have "hardcopies", and I've also included links, where available, to the various locations we went to, to give you an idea.
_________________________________
Eastern Cape Trip
Saturday - Day One
Today most involved road travel. The morning was interesting because it was me and all of my luggage wandering all over Diep River, because I had to return DVDs to the DVD shop and I didn't want to return them and THEN walk back to the flat to get my luggage and set out again. I have to say that it was really nice to get away from the city and experience more of the countryside--fed my soul. Still not a city-preferential person at heart, I guess! ;-)
We did go to Cango Caves in Oudtshoorn, and they were lovely, although they've been badly damaged by tourists over the centuries--the first graffiti showed up in the late 1800s! Yes, the little wags decided to put the date below their names. *rolls eyes*
http://www.cangocaves.co.za/ - we did the basic tour, because we didn't arrive in time for the adventure course.
Afterwards, we settled into these nice chalets in this greenish-mossy mountainous region and then drove back into Oudtshoorn for this small national arts festival. It was an Afrikaner festival, which was interesting, because even half of the food signs were in Afrikaans. Also, unlike in a European setting, we didn't stand out because everyone was dressed casually, so people would come up and speak to us in Afrikaans--leaving us clueless, because we don't know that much. Fortunately they were really laid-back and helpful. Of course, the excess amounts of alcohol probably helped. ;-) Char even managed to get this one guy from this group to do a round-up for her (the guys were amicably begging for spare rands for beer, so she decided to make them work for it.. *shakes head and laughs* ).
Sunday - Day 2
Today was up ridiculously early and on the road to Knysna. Blergh. On this whole, 10-day trip, we only slept in twice. Anyway, another lovely countryside bus ride to Knysna. Knysna has this small lake/harbour area, and then there are the Knysna heads, which are these cliffs jutting out over a narrow passageway into the sea. Quite beautiful.
http://www.featherbed.co.za/ -we did the ecotour stuff.
We had a ferry ride out into the lake, and then a guided tram ride up to the top of the western head(according to tram guide, lots of South African plants are fantastically useful--we kept wondering amongst ourselves "where's the poison ivy? Where's the NON-useful, helpful plants? Do they not have them here?" Cynical, curious Americans, I guess. ;-) ). Then we hiked down the head, and back to the ferry area, which was this beautiful series of covered wooden decks built among the trees and things--very cool! Had a really amazing lunch there: lots of salads and meats and starches and desserts and fruits. I had two granadilla, which is a tart, refreshing piece of plant matter better known as passionfruit in the US.
After Knysna, we went to a beachside backpackers lodge, where we chilled, napped, played pool, etc. Supper was a braai. ;-)
Monday - Day 3
Up and at them early in the morning and off to Bloukrans Bungy, the tallest bungee jump in the world. No, I didn't jump; I like the sensation of flying, not falling. It would have been a waste of money for me. However, I rode a really fun zip line across the gorge to the bridge, and I was able to stay there and watch everyone ELSE jump. Nothing like vibing off other people's highs and praying for their safety! ;-)
http://www.faceadrenalin.com/ - Bungee jump--I did the "flying fox"
After the jump, we drove on to Addo Elephant park, where yes, we saw lots of elephants and warthogs and gemsbok and rooibok and other kinds of "boks"(antelopes). Ostriches aplenty too--ostriches actually are becoming really common to us, if not quite passe. We suppered at the part restaurant, where my highlight was getting garlic-butter snails. I like snails. Snails are a lot more common and acceptable as an appetizer here than in the States. Sad.
Our lodging that night was at Aardvark.
http://theaardvarkbackpackers.co.za/
I stayed with Heather in a rondavel-like structure that was actually much nicer than a real rondavel: double bed, en suite bathroom facilities, floor, etc. The place didn't have the greatest atmosphere though--not sure about the owners, didn't seem to be a happy couple. :-\
Tuesday - Day 4
Up early again, and on the road to Buccaneers Backpackers Lodge. There was some gorgeous scenery here--a lot reminded me of the Appalachian Region, and the farms in Centre county.
http://www.cintsa.com/index2.asp
Upon arriving at the lodge, we had a chance to unpack, have lunch(every day there lunch was pizza and salad, so I had...salad...it was really GOOD salad, with feta cheese and all kinds of veg, and I LOVE salad but still...just salad on a busy schedule...I had to learn some gratefulness there) and then headed out for a four-hour safari at the Inkwenkwezi wildlife park. That was a lot of fun--in the classic open-air dune buggy sort of thing. The park was really huge, so two hours into the trip we were like miles away from the centre, with all this bush between us and animals. It started raining, but fortunately they had ponchos and wonderfully warm wool blankets. We saw white lions! So cool. Ended up back at the centre after dark and had a decent meal, then back to Bucs for some sleep!
Wednesday - Day 5
I must make note of the really great breakfast spread this place had. Mostly throughout the trip we breakfasted on muesli and yogurt and nuts and takeaway of various kinds. However, at Bucs we had the options of a traditional hot English breakfast, or a selection of fresh fruit and plain yogurt and toast and cereals and tomatoes--or both! And the breakfast room deck had this bench/table built right into the railing, so you could eat while looking out onto the lagoon and ocean. Not a bad way to wake up!
Today was 3-hour horseback riding on the beach! SO much fun--I never knew it was so much work to ride a horse! I'm hooked though, even though I fell off. It was partly the horse's fault, because she freaked because another horse freaked and then I was trying to stay on and neither me or the horse managed to recover our balance. Fortunately I felt on a nice mound of sand, so no harm done, just a lot of soreness the next day from both the ride and the fall!
During this ride, Ari had a really bad allergy reaction and had to leave(she knew she was allergic and forgot to take her tablets). Char had a bad reaction too, which was really surprising, because she's NOT allergic--we think some of the horse sweat got into a rubbed sore spot on her leg, and that mixed with whatever saddle chemicals--she had to go the doctor because she was all swollen up and not breathing. :-( Scary, but God was in control!
The rest of the day we chilled out, which was nice after all the traveling! Did some serious beachcombing with Heather--we're eco-friendly beachcombers who take the absolute minimum of shells and throw back the usabel ones for the hermit crabs. ;-)
Thursday - Day 6
Yes, up again early. Today was out into Transkei area ("Kei" is a river, "trans" means across). We went kloofing--well, they did. I rowed the boat and I climbed up the rocks and then I climbed back down and eased into the water. I'm not good at diving, and I didn't think this was the day to start learning. Plus, I was ridiculously sore from the horse riding and falling. Then we went to Mama Tofu's for an "Authentic Xhosa Village Experience." *snorts* Okay, it was really decent and nice, for what it was. I picked up a few Xhosa words as well, although I had trouble with some of the clicks. We stayed the night there in a more natural rondavel--no ensuite bathroom facilities, and well, there was a floor: dirt! ;-)
http://www.khayalabantu.co.za/ - Xhosa Village experience website
Friday - Day 7
Woke up, some more Xhosa cultural education, and then out for a "leisurely mountain bike ride for all levels." True, in that we did all make it back to Bucs. And they did fit us out really nice with water bottles and had a truck skimming the roads for any people who genuinely couldn't make it. Today, I was even more sore than yesterday, because there was also the kloofing/hiking stuff. I saw the bike, winced, and--only God saw me through those threeish hours. I was NOT going on the truck unless I really, absolutely HAD to--and I didn't, as long as I took things slow and walked some of the steepest hills and didn't mind being in the very back most of the trip! ;-) It was really pretty countryside, and "only" about 13 miles to bike--honestly, if I had been in better shape--but fresh off finals week, nada. Yay for God-power getting you through the otherwise impossible!
After arriving at Bucs, I hurt. All over. So I ate, then creaked up to my bed and flopped. And journaled. And dozed. And then prayed. Did devos. Then chatted with people and Steve-O (I praise God that we were able to keep in contact for most of this trip, to one degree or another. It really helped a lot), and then supper, which was a braai. I really need to go back over all my posts and count up the amount of braais. Then sleep.
Saturday - Day 8
Got to sleep in today! Yaaaaaay! :-D Then on the road to Jeffrey's Bay, a more touristy area than Cintsa. Started seriously journalling more of the trip--it was also at this time that Char definitively decided to go home early. We stayed at a backpacker's lodge right on the beach, but it was too cold to swim, so we chilled and went out for supper and then slept.
Sunday - Day 9
Slept in again! Wo0t! After breakfast (spread similar to Bucs), we went to the outlets for Billabong and Quicksilver, etc. I ended up getting a shirt for equivalent $20ish, but it's a really nice shirt that I'll actually wear, so that counts for something. ;-) Also, bought these super-sweet all-leather handmade sandals, that were made by the shop owner's husband--they look very medievalish. Too bad it's mostly been too cold to wear them here! Oh well. Then on the road again, and Char and Colleen did something called "tree-swinging", a treeline canopy tour consisting of ten zip lines of varying lengths. Sounded cool, but I was out of money, and *shrugs* no regrets over my morning purchases. I'll have to do that sometime in the future!
Meanwhile, those of us who weren't tree-swinging were supposed to have lunch at Tsitsikamma National park, then go on a hike. However, firstly they seated us on the deck, and it was a cold, wet, windyish day. Then it took 20 mins to get menus, another 20ish minutes to order drinks (and, we insisted, food), and then about another two HOURS to get our food! Meh. They were overcrowded and mismanaged, and we tried to keep our tempers, and often walked into the gift shop to get warm, because there was really no where else to go. The cool thing was that, as we were getting our food and tempers were fraying the most, suddenly praise and worship music came on the restaurant radio! How cool was that? It's so neat how God looks after His kids.
Then it was on to our final lodge, Antlers!
http://www.antlers.co.za/
We stayed in the big units, not the chalets, but still, it was really nice and they gave us extra towels and blankets. We toured the area, then set out for supper at Enrico's. This Italian restaurant on the beach SO made up for lunch--we had a warm, welcoming supper, complete with great appetizers. Actually, the appetizers... *laughs* Okay, so every else got this puffy bread, and I got a nice salad. They also put out little metal pots of garlic & oil and what LOOKED like pesto--and, since I can't have salad dressing, I liberally covered my salad in both condiments. It turns out the green stuff was green chilies instead...and Nene doesn't do spices very well...er...yeah, that was an experience I never want to have again! I didn't even REALIZE it was the chilies until I had finished most of the salad--I kept slogging through it because, well, I like salad..? :-\ *sighs* Live and learn!
Monday - Day 10
Up crazily early, and somehow ate a lot of the most protein-heavy breakfast I've ever had (eggs and boerwors and regular sausage and bacon--also grilled tomatoes and toast, if anyone wanted those), and it was good and set with a lovely service by one of the owners...but bleeeergh, heavy on the stomach on the bus ride. No regrets though! Then on the road for the long haul back to Cape Town. By this point we're all just wanting to get off the bus, stop moving, and eat regular food out of a refrigerator instead of takeaway or restaurants. We get home safely. I hug my bed. The end!
________________________
Woosh! Okay, now for a lunch break!
This post will cover the E. Cape trip. Note: I have lost the memory card to my digital camera, so I was unable to take photos of a lot of this trip. Other friends took photos of me, and I did buy a disposable, so I have "hardcopies", and I've also included links, where available, to the various locations we went to, to give you an idea.
_________________________________
Eastern Cape Trip
Saturday - Day One
Today most involved road travel. The morning was interesting because it was me and all of my luggage wandering all over Diep River, because I had to return DVDs to the DVD shop and I didn't want to return them and THEN walk back to the flat to get my luggage and set out again. I have to say that it was really nice to get away from the city and experience more of the countryside--fed my soul. Still not a city-preferential person at heart, I guess! ;-)
We did go to Cango Caves in Oudtshoorn, and they were lovely, although they've been badly damaged by tourists over the centuries--the first graffiti showed up in the late 1800s! Yes, the little wags decided to put the date below their names. *rolls eyes*
http://www.cangocaves.co.za/ - we did the basic tour, because we didn't arrive in time for the adventure course.
Afterwards, we settled into these nice chalets in this greenish-mossy mountainous region and then drove back into Oudtshoorn for this small national arts festival. It was an Afrikaner festival, which was interesting, because even half of the food signs were in Afrikaans. Also, unlike in a European setting, we didn't stand out because everyone was dressed casually, so people would come up and speak to us in Afrikaans--leaving us clueless, because we don't know that much. Fortunately they were really laid-back and helpful. Of course, the excess amounts of alcohol probably helped. ;-) Char even managed to get this one guy from this group to do a round-up for her (the guys were amicably begging for spare rands for beer, so she decided to make them work for it.. *shakes head and laughs* ).
Sunday - Day 2
Today was up ridiculously early and on the road to Knysna. Blergh. On this whole, 10-day trip, we only slept in twice. Anyway, another lovely countryside bus ride to Knysna. Knysna has this small lake/harbour area, and then there are the Knysna heads, which are these cliffs jutting out over a narrow passageway into the sea. Quite beautiful.
http://www.featherbed.co.za/ -we did the ecotour stuff.
We had a ferry ride out into the lake, and then a guided tram ride up to the top of the western head(according to tram guide, lots of South African plants are fantastically useful--we kept wondering amongst ourselves "where's the poison ivy? Where's the NON-useful, helpful plants? Do they not have them here?" Cynical, curious Americans, I guess. ;-) ). Then we hiked down the head, and back to the ferry area, which was this beautiful series of covered wooden decks built among the trees and things--very cool! Had a really amazing lunch there: lots of salads and meats and starches and desserts and fruits. I had two granadilla, which is a tart, refreshing piece of plant matter better known as passionfruit in the US.
After Knysna, we went to a beachside backpackers lodge, where we chilled, napped, played pool, etc. Supper was a braai. ;-)
Monday - Day 3
Up and at them early in the morning and off to Bloukrans Bungy, the tallest bungee jump in the world. No, I didn't jump; I like the sensation of flying, not falling. It would have been a waste of money for me. However, I rode a really fun zip line across the gorge to the bridge, and I was able to stay there and watch everyone ELSE jump. Nothing like vibing off other people's highs and praying for their safety! ;-)
http://www.faceadrenalin.com/ - Bungee jump--I did the "flying fox"
After the jump, we drove on to Addo Elephant park, where yes, we saw lots of elephants and warthogs and gemsbok and rooibok and other kinds of "boks"(antelopes). Ostriches aplenty too--ostriches actually are becoming really common to us, if not quite passe. We suppered at the part restaurant, where my highlight was getting garlic-butter snails. I like snails. Snails are a lot more common and acceptable as an appetizer here than in the States. Sad.
Our lodging that night was at Aardvark.
http://theaardvarkbackpackers.co.za/
I stayed with Heather in a rondavel-like structure that was actually much nicer than a real rondavel: double bed, en suite bathroom facilities, floor, etc. The place didn't have the greatest atmosphere though--not sure about the owners, didn't seem to be a happy couple. :-\
Tuesday - Day 4
Up early again, and on the road to Buccaneers Backpackers Lodge. There was some gorgeous scenery here--a lot reminded me of the Appalachian Region, and the farms in Centre county.
http://www.cintsa.com/index2.asp
Upon arriving at the lodge, we had a chance to unpack, have lunch(every day there lunch was pizza and salad, so I had...salad...it was really GOOD salad, with feta cheese and all kinds of veg, and I LOVE salad but still...just salad on a busy schedule...I had to learn some gratefulness there) and then headed out for a four-hour safari at the Inkwenkwezi wildlife park. That was a lot of fun--in the classic open-air dune buggy sort of thing. The park was really huge, so two hours into the trip we were like miles away from the centre, with all this bush between us and animals. It started raining, but fortunately they had ponchos and wonderfully warm wool blankets. We saw white lions! So cool. Ended up back at the centre after dark and had a decent meal, then back to Bucs for some sleep!
Wednesday - Day 5
I must make note of the really great breakfast spread this place had. Mostly throughout the trip we breakfasted on muesli and yogurt and nuts and takeaway of various kinds. However, at Bucs we had the options of a traditional hot English breakfast, or a selection of fresh fruit and plain yogurt and toast and cereals and tomatoes--or both! And the breakfast room deck had this bench/table built right into the railing, so you could eat while looking out onto the lagoon and ocean. Not a bad way to wake up!
Today was 3-hour horseback riding on the beach! SO much fun--I never knew it was so much work to ride a horse! I'm hooked though, even though I fell off. It was partly the horse's fault, because she freaked because another horse freaked and then I was trying to stay on and neither me or the horse managed to recover our balance. Fortunately I felt on a nice mound of sand, so no harm done, just a lot of soreness the next day from both the ride and the fall!
During this ride, Ari had a really bad allergy reaction and had to leave(she knew she was allergic and forgot to take her tablets). Char had a bad reaction too, which was really surprising, because she's NOT allergic--we think some of the horse sweat got into a rubbed sore spot on her leg, and that mixed with whatever saddle chemicals--she had to go the doctor because she was all swollen up and not breathing. :-( Scary, but God was in control!
The rest of the day we chilled out, which was nice after all the traveling! Did some serious beachcombing with Heather--we're eco-friendly beachcombers who take the absolute minimum of shells and throw back the usabel ones for the hermit crabs. ;-)
Thursday - Day 6
Yes, up again early. Today was out into Transkei area ("Kei" is a river, "trans" means across). We went kloofing--well, they did. I rowed the boat and I climbed up the rocks and then I climbed back down and eased into the water. I'm not good at diving, and I didn't think this was the day to start learning. Plus, I was ridiculously sore from the horse riding and falling. Then we went to Mama Tofu's for an "Authentic Xhosa Village Experience." *snorts* Okay, it was really decent and nice, for what it was. I picked up a few Xhosa words as well, although I had trouble with some of the clicks. We stayed the night there in a more natural rondavel--no ensuite bathroom facilities, and well, there was a floor: dirt! ;-)
http://www.khayalabantu.co.za/ - Xhosa Village experience website
Friday - Day 7
Woke up, some more Xhosa cultural education, and then out for a "leisurely mountain bike ride for all levels." True, in that we did all make it back to Bucs. And they did fit us out really nice with water bottles and had a truck skimming the roads for any people who genuinely couldn't make it. Today, I was even more sore than yesterday, because there was also the kloofing/hiking stuff. I saw the bike, winced, and--only God saw me through those threeish hours. I was NOT going on the truck unless I really, absolutely HAD to--and I didn't, as long as I took things slow and walked some of the steepest hills and didn't mind being in the very back most of the trip! ;-) It was really pretty countryside, and "only" about 13 miles to bike--honestly, if I had been in better shape--but fresh off finals week, nada. Yay for God-power getting you through the otherwise impossible!
After arriving at Bucs, I hurt. All over. So I ate, then creaked up to my bed and flopped. And journaled. And dozed. And then prayed. Did devos. Then chatted with people and Steve-O (I praise God that we were able to keep in contact for most of this trip, to one degree or another. It really helped a lot), and then supper, which was a braai. I really need to go back over all my posts and count up the amount of braais. Then sleep.
Saturday - Day 8
Got to sleep in today! Yaaaaaay! :-D Then on the road to Jeffrey's Bay, a more touristy area than Cintsa. Started seriously journalling more of the trip--it was also at this time that Char definitively decided to go home early. We stayed at a backpacker's lodge right on the beach, but it was too cold to swim, so we chilled and went out for supper and then slept.
Sunday - Day 9
Slept in again! Wo0t! After breakfast (spread similar to Bucs), we went to the outlets for Billabong and Quicksilver, etc. I ended up getting a shirt for equivalent $20ish, but it's a really nice shirt that I'll actually wear, so that counts for something. ;-) Also, bought these super-sweet all-leather handmade sandals, that were made by the shop owner's husband--they look very medievalish. Too bad it's mostly been too cold to wear them here! Oh well. Then on the road again, and Char and Colleen did something called "tree-swinging", a treeline canopy tour consisting of ten zip lines of varying lengths. Sounded cool, but I was out of money, and *shrugs* no regrets over my morning purchases. I'll have to do that sometime in the future!
Meanwhile, those of us who weren't tree-swinging were supposed to have lunch at Tsitsikamma National park, then go on a hike. However, firstly they seated us on the deck, and it was a cold, wet, windyish day. Then it took 20 mins to get menus, another 20ish minutes to order drinks (and, we insisted, food), and then about another two HOURS to get our food! Meh. They were overcrowded and mismanaged, and we tried to keep our tempers, and often walked into the gift shop to get warm, because there was really no where else to go. The cool thing was that, as we were getting our food and tempers were fraying the most, suddenly praise and worship music came on the restaurant radio! How cool was that? It's so neat how God looks after His kids.
Then it was on to our final lodge, Antlers!
http://www.antlers.co.za/
We stayed in the big units, not the chalets, but still, it was really nice and they gave us extra towels and blankets. We toured the area, then set out for supper at Enrico's. This Italian restaurant on the beach SO made up for lunch--we had a warm, welcoming supper, complete with great appetizers. Actually, the appetizers... *laughs* Okay, so every else got this puffy bread, and I got a nice salad. They also put out little metal pots of garlic & oil and what LOOKED like pesto--and, since I can't have salad dressing, I liberally covered my salad in both condiments. It turns out the green stuff was green chilies instead...and Nene doesn't do spices very well...er...yeah, that was an experience I never want to have again! I didn't even REALIZE it was the chilies until I had finished most of the salad--I kept slogging through it because, well, I like salad..? :-\ *sighs* Live and learn!
Monday - Day 10
Up crazily early, and somehow ate a lot of the most protein-heavy breakfast I've ever had (eggs and boerwors and regular sausage and bacon--also grilled tomatoes and toast, if anyone wanted those), and it was good and set with a lovely service by one of the owners...but bleeeergh, heavy on the stomach on the bus ride. No regrets though! Then on the road for the long haul back to Cape Town. By this point we're all just wanting to get off the bus, stop moving, and eat regular food out of a refrigerator instead of takeaway or restaurants. We get home safely. I hug my bed. The end!
________________________
Woosh! Okay, now for a lunch break!
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
Weeeeeek...wait, I forgot...um...oh, whatever...
Hello world! Life has been crazy lately. First there was the 10-day trip to the Eastern Cape, and then a brief, frantic 4-5 day period finishing a research paper, and then another Sunday-to-Sunday stayaway in Tambo village, a poor township in between Manenburg and Guguletu. I'm finally back from all of that amazing, glorious stuff--and return to a massive allergie reaction AND events almost every day! Yikes!
It's really odd to think that two weeks from today I will be boarding a South Africa Airways flight that will start me off to Pennsylvania. The first of the study abroad students left yesterday, and is likely in the air as I type this entry. Her name is Charlotte and she's been one of the few people I have really connected with here in South Africa. Due to my own introverted nature and, well, general principles of disagreement, I have not managed to form especially strong friendships here in good ol' SA, which isn't something I really regret. Rather, it makes me rethink how people come into and out of each others lives. A friend told me once that some friends are just for a season, and others just go with you wherever you are. I seem to make far more seasonal friends, I suppose. However, Facebook makes even defining seasonal friends vs. long-term friends difficult, since you can really find out about and keep in touch with anyone. There's almost a (true? false?) sense of intimacy inherent in the networking site. Hmmm.
However, I'll definitely miss her over the next few weeks, as she's someone I've come to associate with South Africa. Her departure has caused me to focus more on reconnecting with people Stateside meself--by the way, if anyone wants me to give them a call, they need to please message me with their phone number, because I can't access Geneva's intranet from over here. Thanks! I'll have the time, so I might as well.
Let's see, what else do I have to do...oh yes! Figure out the whole mess with the local hospital and insurance, because I still haven't been reimbursed from when I got sick in February. This whole ordeal has grown me, I'll admit, but at the same time, I seriously am going to work my hardest to just NOT get sick. Eish!
Lisa's 21st birthday party was yesterday. 21st birthday parties are big deals in South Africa--akin to an American Sweet Sixteen or even a graduation party. The drinking age is 18, so that doesn't really come into play. Instead, there is this big party with family and friends invited over, and the Guest of Honor requests various people to make speeches. Then the G.O.H. is given a key, often part of a ceremonial plaque when that can be afforded; this key symbolizes their independence from their family. They can come and go from the house whenever they like, without needing anyone's permission. Also, according to my friend Abbie "it means the parents are telling them to get out. They can leave now." That doesn't mean people do leave their parents house, but it's a nice thought.
I think I would like to do that for my 21st birthday. Then again, I've never known Americans to be big fans of making speeches or any of that stuff, and I've never successfully managed to get people over to my place for a party. Ever. *sighs* C'mon, the 21st has got to be special enough for that! :-p I'll figure something out. I've already figured out that the food theme will be Mexican and Tex-Mex, because those are two items I cannot get here in South Africa. I've actually taken to popping into "Mexican" joints just for amusement's sake--they commonly serve veggie burgers, chips, curry! *laughs* I've even seen an advert for a lentil burrito! Now THAT is fusion cuisine! It makes sense, because Mexico is so far away, but I still miss it.
Okay, the difference between a South Africa braai and an American barbeque:
Braais traditionally should use wood for the fire, although charcoal is common nowadays. There is a concept known as a "bring-a-braai" where everyone brings a good amount of a certain kind of meat and it's all cooked up and thrown together so everyone can try some of everyone else's. One of the central aspects of a braai is boerwors, that wonderfully rich, flavorful, fatty sausage that is IMPOSSIBLE to get in the United States. Other meats include chops, ribs, steak, and chicken; local fish such as snoek or hake can also be braaied. Side dishes include the typical green and potato salads, but also pap, the pasty maize dish, with "smoor", a savory tomato-onion topping that is really delicious. Sosaties or kebabs, can also be a part of a braai. Potatoes, sweet potatoes, and onions may also be wrapped in foil and stuck among the hot ashes or coals and cooked. Another thing I've discovered about braais is that they never, ever start on time. Seriously. This is the reason one brings a snack along or hope someone else thought to bring crisps or something, because when people say "the braai is at 5:30 pm" what they really mean is that "we're going to start heating up the charcoal for the fire at 5:30 pm. The actual meat may not be done until 7 or 7:30 pm." Braais take place in a very relaxed atmosphere, and can happen, rain or shine--even having the braaimaster(usually a guy, and only one guy) outside cooking the meat in the cold, and then bringing it in to tbe enjoyed with the rest of the dishes.
Now, some of these customs are similar to the US barbeque. However, in the US typical meats include hotdogs, hamburgers, and bratwurst. In South Africa, hotdogs are "viennas" and it never occurs to anyone to stick them on the braai--the braai is for real meat. Hamburger patties are a Western idea as well. In addition, in the US there is a distinct lack of mealie pap in any form, which is quite distressing to me, as this is a really delicious dish that needs to enjoy a wider following (unless you're allergie to corn). I guess there's also the idea of abundance in a braai--you should always have more than enough to feed everyone, and latecomers, and surprise guests, and still have leftovers in the fridge. Perhaps it's part of the ubuntu concept sneaking over.
In the end, I suppose my preference for braais over barbeques is for personal reasons: I like boerwors and "real meat" better than hamburgers and viennas; I really like pap and smoor; and I enjoy the relaxed atmosphere of a braai. *shrugs*
Anyway, I need to get to other stuff now. Posts about the E. Cape Trip and Guguletu will be forthcoming. Until then:
"The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with you all." -2 Corinthians 13:14
Byes!
It's really odd to think that two weeks from today I will be boarding a South Africa Airways flight that will start me off to Pennsylvania. The first of the study abroad students left yesterday, and is likely in the air as I type this entry. Her name is Charlotte and she's been one of the few people I have really connected with here in South Africa. Due to my own introverted nature and, well, general principles of disagreement, I have not managed to form especially strong friendships here in good ol' SA, which isn't something I really regret. Rather, it makes me rethink how people come into and out of each others lives. A friend told me once that some friends are just for a season, and others just go with you wherever you are. I seem to make far more seasonal friends, I suppose. However, Facebook makes even defining seasonal friends vs. long-term friends difficult, since you can really find out about and keep in touch with anyone. There's almost a (true? false?) sense of intimacy inherent in the networking site. Hmmm.
However, I'll definitely miss her over the next few weeks, as she's someone I've come to associate with South Africa. Her departure has caused me to focus more on reconnecting with people Stateside meself--by the way, if anyone wants me to give them a call, they need to please message me with their phone number, because I can't access Geneva's intranet from over here. Thanks! I'll have the time, so I might as well.
Let's see, what else do I have to do...oh yes! Figure out the whole mess with the local hospital and insurance, because I still haven't been reimbursed from when I got sick in February. This whole ordeal has grown me, I'll admit, but at the same time, I seriously am going to work my hardest to just NOT get sick. Eish!
Lisa's 21st birthday party was yesterday. 21st birthday parties are big deals in South Africa--akin to an American Sweet Sixteen or even a graduation party. The drinking age is 18, so that doesn't really come into play. Instead, there is this big party with family and friends invited over, and the Guest of Honor requests various people to make speeches. Then the G.O.H. is given a key, often part of a ceremonial plaque when that can be afforded; this key symbolizes their independence from their family. They can come and go from the house whenever they like, without needing anyone's permission. Also, according to my friend Abbie "it means the parents are telling them to get out. They can leave now." That doesn't mean people do leave their parents house, but it's a nice thought.
I think I would like to do that for my 21st birthday. Then again, I've never known Americans to be big fans of making speeches or any of that stuff, and I've never successfully managed to get people over to my place for a party. Ever. *sighs* C'mon, the 21st has got to be special enough for that! :-p I'll figure something out. I've already figured out that the food theme will be Mexican and Tex-Mex, because those are two items I cannot get here in South Africa. I've actually taken to popping into "Mexican" joints just for amusement's sake--they commonly serve veggie burgers, chips, curry! *laughs* I've even seen an advert for a lentil burrito! Now THAT is fusion cuisine! It makes sense, because Mexico is so far away, but I still miss it.
Okay, the difference between a South Africa braai and an American barbeque:
Braais traditionally should use wood for the fire, although charcoal is common nowadays. There is a concept known as a "bring-a-braai" where everyone brings a good amount of a certain kind of meat and it's all cooked up and thrown together so everyone can try some of everyone else's. One of the central aspects of a braai is boerwors, that wonderfully rich, flavorful, fatty sausage that is IMPOSSIBLE to get in the United States. Other meats include chops, ribs, steak, and chicken; local fish such as snoek or hake can also be braaied. Side dishes include the typical green and potato salads, but also pap, the pasty maize dish, with "smoor", a savory tomato-onion topping that is really delicious. Sosaties or kebabs, can also be a part of a braai. Potatoes, sweet potatoes, and onions may also be wrapped in foil and stuck among the hot ashes or coals and cooked. Another thing I've discovered about braais is that they never, ever start on time. Seriously. This is the reason one brings a snack along or hope someone else thought to bring crisps or something, because when people say "the braai is at 5:30 pm" what they really mean is that "we're going to start heating up the charcoal for the fire at 5:30 pm. The actual meat may not be done until 7 or 7:30 pm." Braais take place in a very relaxed atmosphere, and can happen, rain or shine--even having the braaimaster(usually a guy, and only one guy) outside cooking the meat in the cold, and then bringing it in to tbe enjoyed with the rest of the dishes.
Now, some of these customs are similar to the US barbeque. However, in the US typical meats include hotdogs, hamburgers, and bratwurst. In South Africa, hotdogs are "viennas" and it never occurs to anyone to stick them on the braai--the braai is for real meat. Hamburger patties are a Western idea as well. In addition, in the US there is a distinct lack of mealie pap in any form, which is quite distressing to me, as this is a really delicious dish that needs to enjoy a wider following (unless you're allergie to corn). I guess there's also the idea of abundance in a braai--you should always have more than enough to feed everyone, and latecomers, and surprise guests, and still have leftovers in the fridge. Perhaps it's part of the ubuntu concept sneaking over.
In the end, I suppose my preference for braais over barbeques is for personal reasons: I like boerwors and "real meat" better than hamburgers and viennas; I really like pap and smoor; and I enjoy the relaxed atmosphere of a braai. *shrugs*
Anyway, I need to get to other stuff now. Posts about the E. Cape Trip and Guguletu will be forthcoming. Until then:
"The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with you all." -2 Corinthians 13:14
Byes!
Thursday, March 27, 2008
By the way--Week 12! Braai post STILL forthcoming...
*laughs* Guess what? A policeman kicked down our door last night! :-D
.....
Okay, ya, I'll explain. ;-) You see, Charlotte, Heather and I were going all abouts yesterday, to the bakery and to Kalk Baai and to the flat, etc. Then we all went to the internet cafe, and from THERE I was set to meet Ronel for supper at Nando's, to sort of give her a break from studying for her FOUR EXAMS on Saturday (5 hours straight--crazy! Keep her in prayer, if you wouldn't mind). Anyways, so I gave Charlotte and Heather my keys, since they were going to walk straight back to the flat. Ronel and I had a nice supper, a brisk walk back to Pinewin Place, and then a nice discussion at her flat for a bit, and then I headed back to my flat--only to realize that Char and Heather had not yet crossed the summit of door-dom. Apparently, they didn't realize that there were three locks to unlock, and one of my keys was off its chain loose in the purse I gave Heather, so they thought the door was just jammed, instead of still locked, and had jostled it and rammed against it and stuff. This was NOT good for the health of the lock.
So, I tried to unlock it with the proper key--no way. Not a happy lock, wasn't budging one bit. If only it knew the fate that was in store for it... *sighs tragically* So we called Orit and while waiting for her went to Ronel's and hung out a bit, because she graciously said we could crash in her room while she studied with a friend in the lounge. Then, when Orit got back, we walked down to the police station that happens to be located on the block, and they said they would send someone over (honestly, they seemed kinda relieved it was just a lock thingy). So, rightly figuring that we'd have to wait a bit for the police, we oiled and jostled and jimmied that lock every which way from Sunday--HAH! Nothing. In fact, when the police got there, they said we had made it worse. Fun stuff!
So they tried to maneuver the lock for a bit, and then one of them asked us if he could kick the door in--it would permanently damage the lock. We said sure, go ahead--I mean, the lock was broke anyway, we just wanted to get inside. So with a few kicks--door's open! Yep, just like on TV--craziness doubled! Char said she doesn't feel quite so safe with all the locks now, because she knows they can be kicked down, but I'm just happy we got in.
Okay, in other news--Eastern Cape Trip leaves tomorrow! Lots of packing and preparation and purchasing of special foodstuffs to do! We'll be back on April 7th. The trip involves the following fun stuff:
-Adventure course through Cango caves (yep, tight spaces)
-Ostrich farm! (tour, and I WILL be riding an ostrich! :-D )
-visit to Knysna heads (whatever those are) and ferry trip. Also, horse riding on the beach! Now, I've never ridden a horse in my life, so that should be interesting!
-bungee jumping at the highest jump in the world (I will be TAKING PICTURES of the jumpers, thank you very much!)
-sunset safari (those are fun)
-visit to lion and crocodile park (I'm hoping I might get to pet one of them too, for an extra fee...oh, c'mon, it'd be fun! *laughs* But I dunno, we'll see how much money I'm willing to spend--I'll be keeping in touch with the parents and Steve-O, so I might get talked out of it--who knows?)
-river cruise--yep, another one, always nice
-ecological beach walk
-two nights in a "traditional xhosa cultural village" for tourists. *rolls eyes a bit* Okay, I'll be open, but really, *wrinkles nose* I'm not expecting anything earth-shattering...we shall see...
-mountain bike ride *blinks* Okay, should be interesting.
So yeah, toss in a few breather days, and there's our trip!
In other news, exams went really well--praise God! I'm glad they're over and done with--and it was the same sort of format as the US: multiple choice, short answer, three essays. *shrugs* Now I just have that term paper due, and then Quinton is going to assign us a reflection paper on our township volunteer work week, and that's about it! Well, and there's that paper Crossroads wants...*shrugs* Eh, it'll get done. It's not like I have a huge lack of experiences to write about!
I'm actually really excited about my term paper for the TRC (and not just because John gave us a two-week extension--though that definitely helps! ;-) ). I'm studying the translators of the TRC--the entire proceedings was translated into the eleven different languages! The translators had to interpret everything in the first person, which is seriously psychologically traumatizing if the subject matter is gruesome murders and racist attitudes and such deep pain... Google the play "Truth In Translation" for more info. Basically, I'm taking their experiences and showing how that was modelled in the story-telling of some of the victims, as many of them were the "translators" for relatives who died, so couldn't exactly tell their story. I'm also addressing how even some of the perpetrators were really "translating" through the beliefs Apartheid instilled in them. In each case, true personhood is denied because they are living someone else's story. I tie it together with the liberating power of that story-telling and some person ideas and voila! A paper!
*laughs* Now I just have to actually WRITE it! Oh well, I have that outline and a rough draft of the introduction and first paragraph--no worries! Giving them up to God!
I want to try "smiley" while I'm in the townships. Smiley is cooked sheep's head. Frankly, that just sounds interesting.
Verse Of the Day
"For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all men—the testimony given in its proper time."- 1 Timothy 2:5-6
.....
Okay, ya, I'll explain. ;-) You see, Charlotte, Heather and I were going all abouts yesterday, to the bakery and to Kalk Baai and to the flat, etc. Then we all went to the internet cafe, and from THERE I was set to meet Ronel for supper at Nando's, to sort of give her a break from studying for her FOUR EXAMS on Saturday (5 hours straight--crazy! Keep her in prayer, if you wouldn't mind). Anyways, so I gave Charlotte and Heather my keys, since they were going to walk straight back to the flat. Ronel and I had a nice supper, a brisk walk back to Pinewin Place, and then a nice discussion at her flat for a bit, and then I headed back to my flat--only to realize that Char and Heather had not yet crossed the summit of door-dom. Apparently, they didn't realize that there were three locks to unlock, and one of my keys was off its chain loose in the purse I gave Heather, so they thought the door was just jammed, instead of still locked, and had jostled it and rammed against it and stuff. This was NOT good for the health of the lock.
So, I tried to unlock it with the proper key--no way. Not a happy lock, wasn't budging one bit. If only it knew the fate that was in store for it... *sighs tragically* So we called Orit and while waiting for her went to Ronel's and hung out a bit, because she graciously said we could crash in her room while she studied with a friend in the lounge. Then, when Orit got back, we walked down to the police station that happens to be located on the block, and they said they would send someone over (honestly, they seemed kinda relieved it was just a lock thingy). So, rightly figuring that we'd have to wait a bit for the police, we oiled and jostled and jimmied that lock every which way from Sunday--HAH! Nothing. In fact, when the police got there, they said we had made it worse. Fun stuff!
So they tried to maneuver the lock for a bit, and then one of them asked us if he could kick the door in--it would permanently damage the lock. We said sure, go ahead--I mean, the lock was broke anyway, we just wanted to get inside. So with a few kicks--door's open! Yep, just like on TV--craziness doubled! Char said she doesn't feel quite so safe with all the locks now, because she knows they can be kicked down, but I'm just happy we got in.
Okay, in other news--Eastern Cape Trip leaves tomorrow! Lots of packing and preparation and purchasing of special foodstuffs to do! We'll be back on April 7th. The trip involves the following fun stuff:
-Adventure course through Cango caves (yep, tight spaces)
-Ostrich farm! (tour, and I WILL be riding an ostrich! :-D )
-visit to Knysna heads (whatever those are) and ferry trip. Also, horse riding on the beach! Now, I've never ridden a horse in my life, so that should be interesting!
-bungee jumping at the highest jump in the world (I will be TAKING PICTURES of the jumpers, thank you very much!)
-sunset safari (those are fun)
-visit to lion and crocodile park (I'm hoping I might get to pet one of them too, for an extra fee...oh, c'mon, it'd be fun! *laughs* But I dunno, we'll see how much money I'm willing to spend--I'll be keeping in touch with the parents and Steve-O, so I might get talked out of it--who knows?)
-river cruise--yep, another one, always nice
-ecological beach walk
-two nights in a "traditional xhosa cultural village" for tourists. *rolls eyes a bit* Okay, I'll be open, but really, *wrinkles nose* I'm not expecting anything earth-shattering...we shall see...
-mountain bike ride *blinks* Okay, should be interesting.
So yeah, toss in a few breather days, and there's our trip!
In other news, exams went really well--praise God! I'm glad they're over and done with--and it was the same sort of format as the US: multiple choice, short answer, three essays. *shrugs* Now I just have that term paper due, and then Quinton is going to assign us a reflection paper on our township volunteer work week, and that's about it! Well, and there's that paper Crossroads wants...*shrugs* Eh, it'll get done. It's not like I have a huge lack of experiences to write about!
I'm actually really excited about my term paper for the TRC (and not just because John gave us a two-week extension--though that definitely helps! ;-) ). I'm studying the translators of the TRC--the entire proceedings was translated into the eleven different languages! The translators had to interpret everything in the first person, which is seriously psychologically traumatizing if the subject matter is gruesome murders and racist attitudes and such deep pain... Google the play "Truth In Translation" for more info. Basically, I'm taking their experiences and showing how that was modelled in the story-telling of some of the victims, as many of them were the "translators" for relatives who died, so couldn't exactly tell their story. I'm also addressing how even some of the perpetrators were really "translating" through the beliefs Apartheid instilled in them. In each case, true personhood is denied because they are living someone else's story. I tie it together with the liberating power of that story-telling and some person ideas and voila! A paper!
*laughs* Now I just have to actually WRITE it! Oh well, I have that outline and a rough draft of the introduction and first paragraph--no worries! Giving them up to God!
I want to try "smiley" while I'm in the townships. Smiley is cooked sheep's head. Frankly, that just sounds interesting.
Verse Of the Day
"For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all men—the testimony given in its proper time."- 1 Timothy 2:5-6
I like this because it emphasizes testimony given at the proper time--it can be so easy to see ANY time as being the right time to just whip out your faith and life story, but really we need to rely on God's blessed and perfect timing to guide our actions.
And right now, I need a nap. Catch ya laters everyone! Miss you!
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
Praise Report! Praise Report!
I have been praying about what I should do with my laptop. It works perfectly fine, but I've been looking at smaller models--if I'm going to be travelling a lot, I need something compact. Then again, I'm not going to be travelling hugely for the next twelve months. On the other hand, it would be nice to not have to carry it through airports and things--on the other hand, that's a pretty sad reason to get rid of a laptop.
Actually, all of the above are, yet somehow, I kept praying about it, and I felt like God was calling me to give it away to someone while I'm here. I was thinking perhaps someone from the townships, but that wasn't sitting right. Then, I remembered a friend from Cornerstone, Bonolo, who always looked tired. She said it was because she worked and volunteered for the school as well as attending classes, and she had to borrow other people's computers at odd hours of the night, because she couldn't always use the computer lab (conflicted with work hours or class hours or also was just plain full of people). I thought she had a job and was saving money from that for a computer, but God kept putting her on my heart, through listening to His voice and the confirmation of a good friend, Charlotte.
Now, when I was praying about this decision, I asked God to specifically to have the person who needed the laptop to be praying for it, and to let me know they had been praying for it. So today I go up to Bonolo and I tell her that I'm giving away my laptop and if she wants it, she can have it by the end of the week. The first thing she does is scream and then, when she caught her breathe, she tells me that she has been praying for a laptop--praying since January, in fact!
See, her desktop computer had gotten stolen or lost in storage or something in January, and she had been scrambling to get her assignments done ever since. She had in fact been praying specifically for a laptop, because she needed it for her fieldwork placement in third term. And she HAD been saving up for a laptop, but God told her to give all the money away to someone who needed it.
God works in such amazing ways! Now, I've just got to clean off the laptop, both in terms of content and physically, and then hand it over by Friday! Zach's going to look it over tomorrow, and I'm going to download the latest version of Norton Antivirus.
God is so good!
Actually, all of the above are, yet somehow, I kept praying about it, and I felt like God was calling me to give it away to someone while I'm here. I was thinking perhaps someone from the townships, but that wasn't sitting right. Then, I remembered a friend from Cornerstone, Bonolo, who always looked tired. She said it was because she worked and volunteered for the school as well as attending classes, and she had to borrow other people's computers at odd hours of the night, because she couldn't always use the computer lab (conflicted with work hours or class hours or also was just plain full of people). I thought she had a job and was saving money from that for a computer, but God kept putting her on my heart, through listening to His voice and the confirmation of a good friend, Charlotte.
Now, when I was praying about this decision, I asked God to specifically to have the person who needed the laptop to be praying for it, and to let me know they had been praying for it. So today I go up to Bonolo and I tell her that I'm giving away my laptop and if she wants it, she can have it by the end of the week. The first thing she does is scream and then, when she caught her breathe, she tells me that she has been praying for a laptop--praying since January, in fact!
See, her desktop computer had gotten stolen or lost in storage or something in January, and she had been scrambling to get her assignments done ever since. She had in fact been praying specifically for a laptop, because she needed it for her fieldwork placement in third term. And she HAD been saving up for a laptop, but God told her to give all the money away to someone who needed it.
God works in such amazing ways! Now, I've just got to clean off the laptop, both in terms of content and physically, and then hand it over by Friday! Zach's going to look it over tomorrow, and I'm going to download the latest version of Norton Antivirus.
God is so good!
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