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!
Monday, March 24, 2008
Week Eleventy!
Yes, I know I said a braai vs. barbeque post would be forthcoming, and so it shall be--as in, forthcoming from today. This is just a regular update.
So I've realized now that I have less than six weeks left in South Africa--ack! So much has happened here, and so much has yet to happen! God is still pushing me to my limits in terms of relating to people--yesterday I spent part of Easter taking the train to Athlone with Charlotte, and taking the train on a Sunday is a no-no because of the supposed danger. We did sort out some shady characters around, but we were singing "The Easter Song" by the Second Chapter of Acts and other songs and God was SO with us. This guy next to us actually enjoyed it and asked us if we were in a choir. I ended up talking to this girl next to me--used to go to church, but is lazyish because she works five days a week and takes a computer class on Saturdays. I referred her to Church on Main, because its services, while sometimes starting late, always end on time because they understand that college students (or "varsity students" in local lingo) need their study time! I'm praying she'll take me up on the offer and start going there--she likes to go to Cavendish on Sundays anyway and Church on Main is right nearby Cavendish. Oh yeah and Charlotte had bought some baked goods from Martin's Bakery, so we were handing out cookies to people on our train-riding way. ;-) Altogether, a blast. ;-D
So yes, Easter was good--we had a sermon on holiness, with a holistic sense of the term as doing everything to the glory of God. He had this interesting metaphor of a "holiness sandwich": moral goodness is the bread, which is necessary for a sandwich, but not sufficient--you need all the taty stuff inside to make it work out. And he talked some about Eric Little giving God pleasure when he ran and about not being dualistic, which was a refreshing reminder of what we learn at Geneva College (gotta love all those Humanities and Bible classes! :-D ). Then we went to Athlone to Charlotte and Maren's homestay and watched the Sound of Music with some of the Betheld students; watching that movie is an Easter tradition for Charlotte. Oh, and my family called the house--I got to talk with Steve-O and all his family for a bit, and also my family! *laughs* I feel so bad for them, because they call when I'm tiredish at night, but there really isn't any better time to call, because during the day I'm all over the place.
Speaking of night, it is weird for it to be getting dark earlier at night and staying dark later in the morning (like winter), but to still have it be "summer weather" of 70s and 80s!
By the way, I've discovered another happy treat at Martin's: feta cheese and herb flavored corn tortilla chipses! Lovely tasting, especially since it's hard to get a good corn chip here, and also they're baked AND gluten-free AND MSG-free! *sighs* I can see it now--my second little bag is just going to be packed with (pre-packaged) candy bars, chips, drewors, biltong, and gluten-free cookies! ;-)
So, I need to write a four-page paper for tomorrow, I have a group paper due Wednesday, an exam Wednesday, and then an 8-page paper due Friday, but I'm getting an extension for another week--classes are done! Time to move on to the final stage!
Orit needs her computer now--more stuff to come later!
So I've realized now that I have less than six weeks left in South Africa--ack! So much has happened here, and so much has yet to happen! God is still pushing me to my limits in terms of relating to people--yesterday I spent part of Easter taking the train to Athlone with Charlotte, and taking the train on a Sunday is a no-no because of the supposed danger. We did sort out some shady characters around, but we were singing "The Easter Song" by the Second Chapter of Acts and other songs and God was SO with us. This guy next to us actually enjoyed it and asked us if we were in a choir. I ended up talking to this girl next to me--used to go to church, but is lazyish because she works five days a week and takes a computer class on Saturdays. I referred her to Church on Main, because its services, while sometimes starting late, always end on time because they understand that college students (or "varsity students" in local lingo) need their study time! I'm praying she'll take me up on the offer and start going there--she likes to go to Cavendish on Sundays anyway and Church on Main is right nearby Cavendish. Oh yeah and Charlotte had bought some baked goods from Martin's Bakery, so we were handing out cookies to people on our train-riding way. ;-) Altogether, a blast. ;-D
So yes, Easter was good--we had a sermon on holiness, with a holistic sense of the term as doing everything to the glory of God. He had this interesting metaphor of a "holiness sandwich": moral goodness is the bread, which is necessary for a sandwich, but not sufficient--you need all the taty stuff inside to make it work out. And he talked some about Eric Little giving God pleasure when he ran and about not being dualistic, which was a refreshing reminder of what we learn at Geneva College (gotta love all those Humanities and Bible classes! :-D ). Then we went to Athlone to Charlotte and Maren's homestay and watched the Sound of Music with some of the Betheld students; watching that movie is an Easter tradition for Charlotte. Oh, and my family called the house--I got to talk with Steve-O and all his family for a bit, and also my family! *laughs* I feel so bad for them, because they call when I'm tiredish at night, but there really isn't any better time to call, because during the day I'm all over the place.
Speaking of night, it is weird for it to be getting dark earlier at night and staying dark later in the morning (like winter), but to still have it be "summer weather" of 70s and 80s!
By the way, I've discovered another happy treat at Martin's: feta cheese and herb flavored corn tortilla chipses! Lovely tasting, especially since it's hard to get a good corn chip here, and also they're baked AND gluten-free AND MSG-free! *sighs* I can see it now--my second little bag is just going to be packed with (pre-packaged) candy bars, chips, drewors, biltong, and gluten-free cookies! ;-)
So, I need to write a four-page paper for tomorrow, I have a group paper due Wednesday, an exam Wednesday, and then an 8-page paper due Friday, but I'm getting an extension for another week--classes are done! Time to move on to the final stage!
Orit needs her computer now--more stuff to come later!
Saturday, March 15, 2008
Greetings world--week ten!
Howzit? It's good over here! Let's see, a rather quicker rundown than usual.
Sunday: good services in the morning and evening, and in between Ronel and I went about Cavendish mall, which was a blast. We were supposed to be going clothing shopping, but it turns out that both of us are rather impatient with the whole trying on process, so that didn't really take up much of our time. ;-) Instead, we went to a CD shop and a book shop and a housewares shop. Mostly we didn't buy anything, because Cavendish is known to be affluent and therefore expensive. I was looking for a bargain book bin at Exclusive Books and when I asked the sales clerk about it, she smiled and said they did have bargain book bins at other stores but "not at Cavendish". *laughs* Oh well, at least that also meant really nice plush couches for lounging in between stores and not one, but TWO health stores--one which is accurately name "Wellness Warehouse!" It's the largest health food store I've ever seen--anywhere! Okay, there's Whole Foods, but this was exclusively health-related, including selling exercise equipment and having a massage area. Between the two stores I ended up buying some liquid stevia, some more muesli, and two wheat-free, sugar-free, all-natural "candy bars" (in other words, waaay healthier for you than a proper piece of candy should be ;-) ). As far as food went, we stopped by a fish place in the food court and had calamari and rice for lunch--I also bought a salad there, and some poppadums and a deep-fried spicy potato patty from the Indian place, because I could. :-D Then later at tea I had some of the "candy bars" and a carrot-ginger smoothie from Sumo with echinacea immune defence booster in it. Altogether a nice treat of an outing! :-)
Let's see, as far as this past week is concerned:
Just working on things and stuff like that and some cooking and cleaning and etc. The "bad" news I have something major due Mon-Thurs next week! The good news is that all of the assignments are laid out and explained, so I know what to do--I just have to do it! It's still so strange to be staring down the barrel of my last week of classes, and then exam week and then a trip to the Eastern Cape!
Let's see--the presentation on Monday went really well--it was God-blessed and I enjoyed it a lot actually! Also, I've watched two more movies this week. Thursday was Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow while working on the framework of an assignment, since framing an assignment is boring work(the bibliography and skimming the readings, etc). I found it to be very silly and fun and altogether a great movie to watch while doing something else, because it really doesn't require your full attention to understand. The other movie was Tiger and the Snow, made by the same guy who did Life is Beautiful. I watched it last night with Ronel. It's not nearly as heavy as Life is Beautiful, and I found it charming, though I do find Benini, well, slightly annoying, and not laugh-out-loud funny.
Alrighty, in other news: package from parents! T-shirts! It's nice to have more to wear, and they have a lot of sentimental value too--with everyone else wearing Cornerstone college or Bethel University t-shirts, it's nice to be representing the Geneva College marching band! Wo0t! Also, she packed in the "Silm" shirt and the Susque shirt, so I am seriously going to be representing over here in Cape Town, South Africa! Double Wo0T! Oh, and speaking of which Camp Susque accepted my application--I'll be working there Fellowship weekend and Changeover week! I'm so glad opened doors so I could return and help out for a bit--it's a great place to be, and will be a nice break from the work-a-day world, even with all the craziness that happens at camp as well! Camp craziness is totally different from normal craziness.
Now I need to leave so I can grab some tea and study, because there be plans tonight! I'm invited to an American-style barbeque--all the exchange students are, courtesy of Dr. Wayne Herman and his family. I'm looking forward to the ostrich burgers, and they're going to put aside some potato salad without the mayo (with a plain yogurt dressing instead) so I can have some! And a green salad too! And Woolies has MSG-free hot dogs, so I'm bringing some of those along. It should be fun! It's weird though--on the whole, I really prefer braais to barbeques--remember how I reminisced over braais in the US all that time? I need to make sure I make it to at least one more before I leave for the US. Be forewarned, a post comparing the American barbeque to the South African braai will be forthcoming!
“then know this, you and all the people of Israel: It is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified but whom God raised from the dead, that this man stands before you healed. Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.”- Acts 4:10,12
Yay Easter! God bless and keep you all!
Sunday: good services in the morning and evening, and in between Ronel and I went about Cavendish mall, which was a blast. We were supposed to be going clothing shopping, but it turns out that both of us are rather impatient with the whole trying on process, so that didn't really take up much of our time. ;-) Instead, we went to a CD shop and a book shop and a housewares shop. Mostly we didn't buy anything, because Cavendish is known to be affluent and therefore expensive. I was looking for a bargain book bin at Exclusive Books and when I asked the sales clerk about it, she smiled and said they did have bargain book bins at other stores but "not at Cavendish". *laughs* Oh well, at least that also meant really nice plush couches for lounging in between stores and not one, but TWO health stores--one which is accurately name "Wellness Warehouse!" It's the largest health food store I've ever seen--anywhere! Okay, there's Whole Foods, but this was exclusively health-related, including selling exercise equipment and having a massage area. Between the two stores I ended up buying some liquid stevia, some more muesli, and two wheat-free, sugar-free, all-natural "candy bars" (in other words, waaay healthier for you than a proper piece of candy should be ;-) ). As far as food went, we stopped by a fish place in the food court and had calamari and rice for lunch--I also bought a salad there, and some poppadums and a deep-fried spicy potato patty from the Indian place, because I could. :-D Then later at tea I had some of the "candy bars" and a carrot-ginger smoothie from Sumo with echinacea immune defence booster in it. Altogether a nice treat of an outing! :-)
Let's see, as far as this past week is concerned:
Just working on things and stuff like that and some cooking and cleaning and etc. The "bad" news I have something major due Mon-Thurs next week! The good news is that all of the assignments are laid out and explained, so I know what to do--I just have to do it! It's still so strange to be staring down the barrel of my last week of classes, and then exam week and then a trip to the Eastern Cape!
Let's see--the presentation on Monday went really well--it was God-blessed and I enjoyed it a lot actually! Also, I've watched two more movies this week. Thursday was Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow while working on the framework of an assignment, since framing an assignment is boring work(the bibliography and skimming the readings, etc). I found it to be very silly and fun and altogether a great movie to watch while doing something else, because it really doesn't require your full attention to understand. The other movie was Tiger and the Snow, made by the same guy who did Life is Beautiful. I watched it last night with Ronel. It's not nearly as heavy as Life is Beautiful, and I found it charming, though I do find Benini, well, slightly annoying, and not laugh-out-loud funny.
Alrighty, in other news: package from parents! T-shirts! It's nice to have more to wear, and they have a lot of sentimental value too--with everyone else wearing Cornerstone college or Bethel University t-shirts, it's nice to be representing the Geneva College marching band! Wo0t! Also, she packed in the "Silm" shirt and the Susque shirt, so I am seriously going to be representing over here in Cape Town, South Africa! Double Wo0T! Oh, and speaking of which Camp Susque accepted my application--I'll be working there Fellowship weekend and Changeover week! I'm so glad opened doors so I could return and help out for a bit--it's a great place to be, and will be a nice break from the work-a-day world, even with all the craziness that happens at camp as well! Camp craziness is totally different from normal craziness.
Now I need to leave so I can grab some tea and study, because there be plans tonight! I'm invited to an American-style barbeque--all the exchange students are, courtesy of Dr. Wayne Herman and his family. I'm looking forward to the ostrich burgers, and they're going to put aside some potato salad without the mayo (with a plain yogurt dressing instead) so I can have some! And a green salad too! And Woolies has MSG-free hot dogs, so I'm bringing some of those along. It should be fun! It's weird though--on the whole, I really prefer braais to barbeques--remember how I reminisced over braais in the US all that time? I need to make sure I make it to at least one more before I leave for the US. Be forewarned, a post comparing the American barbeque to the South African braai will be forthcoming!
“then know this, you and all the people of Israel: It is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified but whom God raised from the dead, that this man stands before you healed. Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.”- Acts 4:10,12
Yay Easter! God bless and keep you all!
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
Hi there
So, this is me--and it isn't one of those "new week" posts--that'll come sometime later. This is a bit more personal, which is something I'm not comfortable with on a public, rather highly advertised (for me) format.
So here goes:
Through my classes here, God has been shedding a lot of light on how I interact with Him and how that needs to change. Big surprise, right? That's called spiritual growth, which is something I was expecting, anticipating, and even praying for on this trip (though I'd like to be growing every day no matter where I am--spiritual stagnation is something I've lived and it's a sad, lonely place to be in--but that's another story . . . ).
One way is just learning to listen to Him more, not "just" to obey, but to understand. In Reconciliation and Peacemaking we've been learning about our own generally preferred modes of dealing with conflict situations, what the biblical perspective on conflict is, and that ultimately conflict is dangerous, but it is also an opportunity for positive growth and change for the better, which is an idea that is really cool and new to me. Honestly, I tend to shy away from conflict situations in my own, face-saving way because I've always associated that conflict with a bad thing--and in avoiding the situations, I become part of the problem, because nothing is solved.
Okay, back to listening--I get the whole thing that real listening is an active process (which is one reason why being around people a lot wears me out) and should be selfless and all that--basic COM 101, and I loved that class, so I remember the stuff. It's helped me a lot in working with other people. However, then the guest lecturer mentioned that when the Bible speaks of listening, it mostly means "listening to obey God" which is a good thing, don't get me wrong--I still need to do more of that kind of listening. However, she separated from that "listening to understand" which is just a complete empathetic focus on the other person in order to help them be understood and affirmed. This doesn't mean you have to agree with the person, but you need to respect their dignity as a person made in the image of God (yep, back to that stuff! *laughs* ) and part of this is listening to them. I understand this to, but somehow yesterday it just connected that I should also be treated God this way--especially God!
You see, listening to obey God is great, but without a true, complete focus on Him, it can almost be like "okay God, what are the orders for today? I'm ready to go out there in obey!" A Martha approach over a Mary approach, always wanting to quantify God's Word into action when sometimes the only action that He wants me to take is just to be still and meditate in Him and His love, to surrender even my own gifts to serve. This is hitting me in a time where I feel like, having certain gifts, I should be using them and going out there and figuring them out--and He wants me to know about them too, but He's been telling me "stop worrying yourself trying to figure out and use something you can't even begin to understand. Seek Me first and my righteousness and I'll be happy to explain, in My perfect timing. Be still, My child." Crazy, how self-centred distractions can sneak into even the most altruistic-sounding things, hm?
As far as work God has been doing in my life, He's basically been reshaping my personality and I'm not always terribly thrilled with that. I mean, we're all fallen and so even our personalities need to be redeemed according to His grace and mercy displayed through Christ Jesus and His sanctifying Holy Spirit, but still... *whines* It's not easy to come out of my comfort zone! *laughs* And I've realized how much I like to try and hold onto my sense of identity, to place it in a box, to at least be able to quantify what I already know; it gives me cold comfort because I realize how much of my own personality and life experience is still a mystery to me. God is not letting me do that! ;-) He's been forcing me to face up to parts of myself and then taking the figured-out parts out of the box I store them in and reshaping those parts for His Divine and divinely amazing purposes. I wish I could be happy about that all the time, but I can't. *sighs* It's painful.
God, when I said I wanted to be grown, I wasn't thinking I'd be grown this much!
*laughs*
From Philippians 1:
"3I thank my God every time I remember you. 4In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy 5because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, 6being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.
7It is right for me to feel this way about all of you, since I have you in my heart; for whether I am in chains or defending and confirming the gospel, all of you share in God's grace with me. 8God can testify how I long for all of you with the affection of Christ Jesus.
9And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, 10so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ, 11filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ—to the glory and praise of God."
This is the sort of verse I like to give out and quote to others, but something I need to remember is that these encouraging parts of the Bible were written for me as well!
So there's a page out of Nene's private journal entries--who knows, you may get another one or two before I come back...
Cheers!
So here goes:
Through my classes here, God has been shedding a lot of light on how I interact with Him and how that needs to change. Big surprise, right? That's called spiritual growth, which is something I was expecting, anticipating, and even praying for on this trip (though I'd like to be growing every day no matter where I am--spiritual stagnation is something I've lived and it's a sad, lonely place to be in--but that's another story . . . ).
One way is just learning to listen to Him more, not "just" to obey, but to understand. In Reconciliation and Peacemaking we've been learning about our own generally preferred modes of dealing with conflict situations, what the biblical perspective on conflict is, and that ultimately conflict is dangerous, but it is also an opportunity for positive growth and change for the better, which is an idea that is really cool and new to me. Honestly, I tend to shy away from conflict situations in my own, face-saving way because I've always associated that conflict with a bad thing--and in avoiding the situations, I become part of the problem, because nothing is solved.
Okay, back to listening--I get the whole thing that real listening is an active process (which is one reason why being around people a lot wears me out) and should be selfless and all that--basic COM 101, and I loved that class, so I remember the stuff. It's helped me a lot in working with other people. However, then the guest lecturer mentioned that when the Bible speaks of listening, it mostly means "listening to obey God" which is a good thing, don't get me wrong--I still need to do more of that kind of listening. However, she separated from that "listening to understand" which is just a complete empathetic focus on the other person in order to help them be understood and affirmed. This doesn't mean you have to agree with the person, but you need to respect their dignity as a person made in the image of God (yep, back to that stuff! *laughs* ) and part of this is listening to them. I understand this to, but somehow yesterday it just connected that I should also be treated God this way--especially God!
You see, listening to obey God is great, but without a true, complete focus on Him, it can almost be like "okay God, what are the orders for today? I'm ready to go out there in obey!" A Martha approach over a Mary approach, always wanting to quantify God's Word into action when sometimes the only action that He wants me to take is just to be still and meditate in Him and His love, to surrender even my own gifts to serve. This is hitting me in a time where I feel like, having certain gifts, I should be using them and going out there and figuring them out--and He wants me to know about them too, but He's been telling me "stop worrying yourself trying to figure out and use something you can't even begin to understand. Seek Me first and my righteousness and I'll be happy to explain, in My perfect timing. Be still, My child." Crazy, how self-centred distractions can sneak into even the most altruistic-sounding things, hm?
As far as work God has been doing in my life, He's basically been reshaping my personality and I'm not always terribly thrilled with that. I mean, we're all fallen and so even our personalities need to be redeemed according to His grace and mercy displayed through Christ Jesus and His sanctifying Holy Spirit, but still... *whines* It's not easy to come out of my comfort zone! *laughs* And I've realized how much I like to try and hold onto my sense of identity, to place it in a box, to at least be able to quantify what I already know; it gives me cold comfort because I realize how much of my own personality and life experience is still a mystery to me. God is not letting me do that! ;-) He's been forcing me to face up to parts of myself and then taking the figured-out parts out of the box I store them in and reshaping those parts for His Divine and divinely amazing purposes. I wish I could be happy about that all the time, but I can't. *sighs* It's painful.
God, when I said I wanted to be grown, I wasn't thinking I'd be grown this much!
*laughs*
From Philippians 1:
"3I thank my God every time I remember you. 4In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy 5because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, 6being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.
7It is right for me to feel this way about all of you, since I have you in my heart; for whether I am in chains or defending and confirming the gospel, all of you share in God's grace with me. 8God can testify how I long for all of you with the affection of Christ Jesus.
9And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, 10so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ, 11filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ—to the glory and praise of God."
This is the sort of verse I like to give out and quote to others, but something I need to remember is that these encouraging parts of the Bible were written for me as well!
So there's a page out of Nene's private journal entries--who knows, you may get another one or two before I come back...
Cheers!
Thursday, March 6, 2008
Week 9? No way.
Well, it's the start of it anyway--I'm trying to keep track of passing time in part due to:
"Teach us to number our days aright,
that we may gain a heart of wisdom."
-Psalm 90:12
Whether or not this is making me wise, I'm not sure. I think so--the daily private journal entries an things are keeping me accountable and I'm sure later I'll love to page through them. God's been taking me through quite an adventure thus far, and I'm just enjoying the journey with all of its ups and downs and hot sun and semi-tendonitis--meh. Yeah, my right arm and shoulder has been giving me trouble, I think just due to overuse--I'm getting quite the muscle in my right hand! I think in part it's because I'm having to put more pressure on my hands here. Some of the locks required you to open then while turning the key and if you're doing that one-handed and it happens to be your RIGHT hand...yeah, not great, especially for someone who has notoriously weak wrists! *laughs* I'm putting ice packs on it periodically, which help, and trying not to push myself too much.
This week was another day at the classes--and incredible examples of God's grace abounded:
-in the TRC class, two assignments were pushed back a week from their original due dates. Also, we were given the weekend to complete the last of our reading summaries.
-in Urban and Rural Development, we were notified that we could, in fact, turn in assignments later than the class as long as they were emailed to the lecturer by midnight. This is a wonderfully understanding mercy, considering most of us rely on the sometimes-fickle copiers (only two!) to print out our assignments.
Together, these two things really give me more confidence and less stress about the oncoming three weeks. Yes, it means that I have more things due exam week, but I've decided I'd rather have them spaced out than crammed together into two weeks! I don't want to be rushing through my time here--I want to enjoy every minute!
Yesterday (Thursday the 6th) was soooo hot! It was definitely in the thirties (uh, which means...really hot!) One of those days when I just want to live on plain yogurt and salad and muesli and smoothies--so I did! Sort of. The yogurt and muesli was out because I'm out of both yogurt AND muesli, but we stopped by Fruit and Veg city, so I picked up some nuts, seeds, and veg--including a cucumber! And Orit has a smoothie maker--mwahaha! :-D I made and shared avocado-cucumber-plum smoothies with vanilla and a little stevia and some milk to make it just the right texture. The maker was really easy to clean too--watch out South Africa, Nene is armed and dangerous! :-D Though I'm not sure Orit and Edith are ready for carrot-cranberry-almond! ;-)
After the smoothies, I did some devotions and prayer. One area God's really been working on me is just trusting Him for everything. Here in South Africa the schedules are often not followed--and "Africa time", while a novelty for the first few weeks, gave me some issues later on, because for certain reasons I find schedules very comforting and I need them, in a certain way. However, here even "set" things like the trains can run late, or run early, or get cancelled, or you end up crowded into a rail car with a bunch of high school students whol speak Afrikaans but use English profanity and like pop music--*sighs* I thought was flexible, but God's really been stretching my limits! It's really a blessing to be able to come back to the flat and decompress in my own room after a long day. I've started to decorate it with Scripture verses and different pretty landscapes and interesting pictures on the walls with press-it tack to really make it a restful place.
Then I watched Hairspray, because it really was too hot to study and I've been wanting to see the movie and today was two-for-one day at the DVD shop. DVD rentals here are different than in the States--you can only take them out for one night and they have to be returned the next morning by twelvish or you get a fine! Basically, if I took out a DVD for R10 and then returned it late, I have to pay another R10 for each day it's late! I'm really spoiled by Netflix and Blockbuster. Maybe it's because DVDs are in short supply, or maybe they don't trust people as much-I'm not sure. Maybe a bit of both, plus a dash of a third option I can't think of right now.
Later on in the day Celeste came over and we watched "As It Is In Heaven" because Orit and Celeste have to write a paper on it for Faith Development class. It's a Swedish movie, very interesting worldview, if predictable in parts--I couldn't really appreciate it fully because I was also working on an assignment at the time, and I went to bed before it finished anyway. The assignment is a group presentation due Monday: we have to present a sermon from a Western missionary to an African audience with a traditional background on Jesus as the source of power. I have two Africans in the group, so they're handling that perspective and so I'm supposed to come up with the Western ideas and my concepts of what contextualizations might need to be made in these circumstances. I think I might also be the one actually typing it up, but that's what we're going to decide when we meet today.
“Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.”- Psalm 139:23-24
Be careful praying this verse, because He'll definitely do it! :-D But it is one of the best experiences in the world to be worked on and led by the Most High, because even at the craziest, most challenging times, you know He's right there beside you and is ready and willing to catch you when you fall--and help you fly! Yay for bird metaphors! :-D
Anyway, that's it for now! God bless and have a great weekend!
"Teach us to number our days aright,
that we may gain a heart of wisdom."
-Psalm 90:12
Whether or not this is making me wise, I'm not sure. I think so--the daily private journal entries an things are keeping me accountable and I'm sure later I'll love to page through them. God's been taking me through quite an adventure thus far, and I'm just enjoying the journey with all of its ups and downs and hot sun and semi-tendonitis--meh. Yeah, my right arm and shoulder has been giving me trouble, I think just due to overuse--I'm getting quite the muscle in my right hand! I think in part it's because I'm having to put more pressure on my hands here. Some of the locks required you to open then while turning the key and if you're doing that one-handed and it happens to be your RIGHT hand...yeah, not great, especially for someone who has notoriously weak wrists! *laughs* I'm putting ice packs on it periodically, which help, and trying not to push myself too much.
This week was another day at the classes--and incredible examples of God's grace abounded:
-in the TRC class, two assignments were pushed back a week from their original due dates. Also, we were given the weekend to complete the last of our reading summaries.
-in Urban and Rural Development, we were notified that we could, in fact, turn in assignments later than the class as long as they were emailed to the lecturer by midnight. This is a wonderfully understanding mercy, considering most of us rely on the sometimes-fickle copiers (only two!) to print out our assignments.
Together, these two things really give me more confidence and less stress about the oncoming three weeks. Yes, it means that I have more things due exam week, but I've decided I'd rather have them spaced out than crammed together into two weeks! I don't want to be rushing through my time here--I want to enjoy every minute!
Yesterday (Thursday the 6th) was soooo hot! It was definitely in the thirties (uh, which means...really hot!) One of those days when I just want to live on plain yogurt and salad and muesli and smoothies--so I did! Sort of. The yogurt and muesli was out because I'm out of both yogurt AND muesli, but we stopped by Fruit and Veg city, so I picked up some nuts, seeds, and veg--including a cucumber! And Orit has a smoothie maker--mwahaha! :-D I made and shared avocado-cucumber-plum smoothies with vanilla and a little stevia and some milk to make it just the right texture. The maker was really easy to clean too--watch out South Africa, Nene is armed and dangerous! :-D Though I'm not sure Orit and Edith are ready for carrot-cranberry-almond! ;-)
After the smoothies, I did some devotions and prayer. One area God's really been working on me is just trusting Him for everything. Here in South Africa the schedules are often not followed--and "Africa time", while a novelty for the first few weeks, gave me some issues later on, because for certain reasons I find schedules very comforting and I need them, in a certain way. However, here even "set" things like the trains can run late, or run early, or get cancelled, or you end up crowded into a rail car with a bunch of high school students whol speak Afrikaans but use English profanity and like pop music--*sighs* I thought was flexible, but God's really been stretching my limits! It's really a blessing to be able to come back to the flat and decompress in my own room after a long day. I've started to decorate it with Scripture verses and different pretty landscapes and interesting pictures on the walls with press-it tack to really make it a restful place.
Then I watched Hairspray, because it really was too hot to study and I've been wanting to see the movie and today was two-for-one day at the DVD shop. DVD rentals here are different than in the States--you can only take them out for one night and they have to be returned the next morning by twelvish or you get a fine! Basically, if I took out a DVD for R10 and then returned it late, I have to pay another R10 for each day it's late! I'm really spoiled by Netflix and Blockbuster. Maybe it's because DVDs are in short supply, or maybe they don't trust people as much-I'm not sure. Maybe a bit of both, plus a dash of a third option I can't think of right now.
Later on in the day Celeste came over and we watched "As It Is In Heaven" because Orit and Celeste have to write a paper on it for Faith Development class. It's a Swedish movie, very interesting worldview, if predictable in parts--I couldn't really appreciate it fully because I was also working on an assignment at the time, and I went to bed before it finished anyway. The assignment is a group presentation due Monday: we have to present a sermon from a Western missionary to an African audience with a traditional background on Jesus as the source of power. I have two Africans in the group, so they're handling that perspective and so I'm supposed to come up with the Western ideas and my concepts of what contextualizations might need to be made in these circumstances. I think I might also be the one actually typing it up, but that's what we're going to decide when we meet today.
“Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.”- Psalm 139:23-24
Be careful praying this verse, because He'll definitely do it! :-D But it is one of the best experiences in the world to be worked on and led by the Most High, because even at the craziest, most challenging times, you know He's right there beside you and is ready and willing to catch you when you fall--and help you fly! Yay for bird metaphors! :-D
Anyway, that's it for now! God bless and have a great weekend!
Monday, March 3, 2008
Week Se--no, wait! It's week eight!
As of this Wednesday I will be roughly halfway through my stay here. I think I've overused the term "wow" in reference to that. As it stands, I can't imagine driving on the American side of the road--it looks weird on TV and movies. Little things like that show me how acclimated I've become so far; it will be an interesting re-adjustment! ;-)
But I'm not there yet anyway--physically or mentally. I really need to be here, focusing on God's plans for the now now, as well as the just now. Plus, assignments coming up!
I went to a party last Wednesday that was a send-off for a young woman, a graphics designer, who is going to work in Amsterdam. It was so odd to be sending someone else off--and so cool to be able to tell her that I know a little of what she's going through!
At that party, Orit started really showing signs of a flu bug, and by Friday, she was flat-out sick. I've taken over supper cooking since then, quite of my own volition.
Reasoning:
1.) she should be resting, not worrying about supper.
2.) I love to cook, and sharing that food with others is a fun ministry.
3.) I don't want to catch what she has.
So on Friday we had over a friend, Celeste, and I made pasta with a beef mincemeat/tomato sauce that wasn't quite spaghetti sauce(I can't picture coriander/cilantro in spaghetti sauce) and, unbeknownst to them, had my "secret" ingredients of cumin and a dash of cinnamon--it gives a nice, earthy flavor to balance out out the tomato, especially when you don't have a lot of mince. I also fried cabbage with oregano, olive oil, garlic, basil, and this garlic-herb salt, which is just comfort food. :-) Then we watched this movie, Touched, which was actually pretty effective and enjoyable.
Saturday was the traditional xhosa wedding, which was very loud and very celebratory and very interesting--we didn't stay for the whole thing, because this pastor started preaching in xhosa (of course) and he was going to go on for at least an hour or so before the couple was officially hitched! I liked the custom of the bride being met halfway down the aisle to the alter by the groom and his father: the two fathers put the couple together and then the couple walks to the altar together. It symbolizes the union of families, that the two families are "married", and that the family is in full agreement with the marriage. Also, the bridesmaids and groomsmen actually danced down the aisle AFTER the couple went--and not goofy dancing, this purposeful stuff with serious expressions and an excellent sense of rhythm.
Afterwards, we were going to go to the reception, where there was going to be a TON of food(acccording to the pre-emcee at the ceremony), but it wasn't ready yet since we left the ceremony early and we couldn't stay for it because our driver had an appointment to pick up another group at that same time. So we went out and bought food instead. I got 1/4 chicken (remember, these are SMALL chickens), potato wedges, and a water--Nando's potato wedges are da bomb! The best I've ever had by far.
Saturday evening I made soup: black-eyed peas, potatoes, cabbage, onion, tomato paste, and these two beef cuts that made a lovely broth. There's still some in the fridge today, even after eating it for lunch and dinner Sunday, so I'm going to have to avail meself of that later on. :-D
Aaaand, what else to say?
To Geneva people: enjoy Spring Break!
To everyone: have a blessed day!
“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways," declares the LORD. "As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.”- Isaiah 55:8-9
PS--> this passage is always good to remember! I've been struggling this semester with understanding where God wants me and why, when I need to be seeking His peace and rest and setting my mind to obeying His will and hiding His Word in my heart--then He'll reveal things in his perfect timing!
But I'm not there yet anyway--physically or mentally. I really need to be here, focusing on God's plans for the now now, as well as the just now. Plus, assignments coming up!
I went to a party last Wednesday that was a send-off for a young woman, a graphics designer, who is going to work in Amsterdam. It was so odd to be sending someone else off--and so cool to be able to tell her that I know a little of what she's going through!
At that party, Orit started really showing signs of a flu bug, and by Friday, she was flat-out sick. I've taken over supper cooking since then, quite of my own volition.
Reasoning:
1.) she should be resting, not worrying about supper.
2.) I love to cook, and sharing that food with others is a fun ministry.
3.) I don't want to catch what she has.
So on Friday we had over a friend, Celeste, and I made pasta with a beef mincemeat/tomato sauce that wasn't quite spaghetti sauce(I can't picture coriander/cilantro in spaghetti sauce) and, unbeknownst to them, had my "secret" ingredients of cumin and a dash of cinnamon--it gives a nice, earthy flavor to balance out out the tomato, especially when you don't have a lot of mince. I also fried cabbage with oregano, olive oil, garlic, basil, and this garlic-herb salt, which is just comfort food. :-) Then we watched this movie, Touched, which was actually pretty effective and enjoyable.
Saturday was the traditional xhosa wedding, which was very loud and very celebratory and very interesting--we didn't stay for the whole thing, because this pastor started preaching in xhosa (of course) and he was going to go on for at least an hour or so before the couple was officially hitched! I liked the custom of the bride being met halfway down the aisle to the alter by the groom and his father: the two fathers put the couple together and then the couple walks to the altar together. It symbolizes the union of families, that the two families are "married", and that the family is in full agreement with the marriage. Also, the bridesmaids and groomsmen actually danced down the aisle AFTER the couple went--and not goofy dancing, this purposeful stuff with serious expressions and an excellent sense of rhythm.
Afterwards, we were going to go to the reception, where there was going to be a TON of food(acccording to the pre-emcee at the ceremony), but it wasn't ready yet since we left the ceremony early and we couldn't stay for it because our driver had an appointment to pick up another group at that same time. So we went out and bought food instead. I got 1/4 chicken (remember, these are SMALL chickens), potato wedges, and a water--Nando's potato wedges are da bomb! The best I've ever had by far.
Saturday evening I made soup: black-eyed peas, potatoes, cabbage, onion, tomato paste, and these two beef cuts that made a lovely broth. There's still some in the fridge today, even after eating it for lunch and dinner Sunday, so I'm going to have to avail meself of that later on. :-D
Aaaand, what else to say?
To Geneva people: enjoy Spring Break!
To everyone: have a blessed day!
“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways," declares the LORD. "As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.”- Isaiah 55:8-9
PS--> this passage is always good to remember! I've been struggling this semester with understanding where God wants me and why, when I need to be seeking His peace and rest and setting my mind to obeying His will and hiding His Word in my heart--then He'll reveal things in his perfect timing!
Monday, February 25, 2008
Joberg stuff!
Alrighty, here is the long-awaited, much-purported(I love using the word "purported") slightly distorted, exported version of the looooong weekend at Joberg for your reading pleasure! I'm going to separate this into "tales" to help you navigate, because the post will be quite lengthy.
Thursday:
The Tale of the Nalgene *sighs*
After emailing in my paper for Urban and Rural Development(all of my lecturers aren't picky about you turning in the paper in class, just on the same day by 4pm--they understand that there are 15+ computer terminals, but only two printer/copiers that can jam up and don't receive the print job until sometimes an hour after you have sent it to them), Charlotte and I grabbed lunch at Flamingos (well, she got lunch, I got chips, because I heard their chips were really good--eh, not really. The chips here locally are mostly cooked soft, and I like thick, crispy chips with soft insides--yes, I've become a chip afiaciando! *laughs* Well, they do seem to come with everything). Anyway, then we ate the food while at the Sugar Bowl(the hangout area at Cornerstone) getting briefed on the trip intinerary(which was totally not followed, but more on that later). Afterwards, I realize my Nalgene isn't around, so I go on a search for it and I can't find it anywhere in Cornerstone. I suspect I left it at Flamingo's and someone took it, but I wasn't sure. Then, when we're about to leave, Charlotte tells me a story: she was talking with some street kids and ended up buying them all cooldrinks(sodas), and one kid lifted up a translucent green Nalgene container with a small black lid and a little bit of water in the bottom and said she could put his cooldrink in there! *laughs* What can you do? I'm sorry, I tried to hold onto it people, I REALLY did, but y'know, at least I know it has a good home now. The street kids don't have a lot, and I know at least he'll get use out of it. I bought a bottle of water to use for the weekend and I bought a more permanent one at Checkers yesterday, so it's all good.
The Tale of the Flight to Joberg and the Backpacker Lodge
We flew Kalula air. They have very zany green-patterned airline seats; I've never seen seats that...colorful. Oh yes, and our flight was delayed so we went to eat at Spur, which is like an American Applebees or Fridays, with the exception that American casual steak places places don't customarily offer garlic butter snails or monkey gland sauce(I don't THINK there are actual monkey glands in it...). I stuck to the salad bar(one stop only, so you really pile up your plate).
Once we arrived at the lodge, there was a braai for us there, which was good, although it was past ten o' clock, so none of us were terribly hungry. The next morning was apples, bananas, corn flakes, and white bread for breakfast--I had brought along some wheat-free, sugar-free muesli, some nuts, and some oatcakes, because I never know what's going to be for breakfast. This morning we learned that we weren't staying at the lodge anymore--apparently there were issues with the people using the cash bar onsite and also rumors of someone smoking marijuana at night--probably not the best spot. So for the rest of the trip we stayed at the Formula 1 Inn, which was the epitome of cheap, clean, and efficient, right down to the self-cleaning toilets and showers!
The Tale of Friday's trip to Soweto, The Apartheid Museum, and the Hector Pieterson Museum and Memorial.
The Apartheid museum...well, it was about Apartheid, which we've been studying all semester. It was interesting to see the actual film clips and footage of various events, including the portest marches and the government propoganda films. One of my areas of interest in Apartheid, and in issues of gross human rights violations and atrocities, is how people can just sit by and do nothing, or even support the oppressive regime. I guess because I'm interested in broadening minds, I want to understand how someone can close them also, because then you know how to speak to people and work with them. If ignorance is one of the main problems when people sit back and allow atrocities to happen, then you need to know where people are at in that ignorance in order to try to bring them out of it. I'm not sure if that makes any sense.
Soweto is actually an acronym for South Western Townships. A lot of the main political action and protests happened here. We toured through it, saw Nelson Mandela's house there(from the bus only--this was after the museums and we were tired by that time). We stopped by this place, Alina's, for lunch, which was really delightful--great food and we were helping out people in the township by supporting their restaurant. Afterwards there were these Soweto dancers, but I didn't stay for that, because they started whistling really loudly and sustained-ly, which about killed my ears--I was literally crying from the pain. Oh, by the way, for those who don't know, I have very hypersensitive hearing.
The Hector Pieterson museum was also very intense--more so than the Apartheid museum, because we had been studying that already and because this museum involved children protesting the Bantu education act that limited their studies and forced them to learn in Afrikaans when none of them even knew the language, sometimes even the teachers! The images of kids being shot at by policemen and the memorials...yeah, still working through that.
Friday evening we supped at the mall, which meant pita-less shwarma for me and sugarfree ice cream for dessert! I don't usually indulge, because I'm not fond of all the junque that makes it sugarfree, but every so often it's nice, especially since I haven't had time to make my own ice cream here.
The Tale of Saturday's Trip to Constitutional Hill, the Voortrekker Monument, and the Union buildings.
Constitutional Hill is where the Constitutional Court(think US Supreme Court) is located--and it's also the former site of prisons. They wanted to build justice where injustice once took place, as a way of making peace with the past and redeeming the future. We toured the prisons--I think the disparities between white, coloured, and black treatment was the worst. I'm just going to highlight three things that really struck me, because I'm still processing this as well. Black women weren't even allowed panties for a while in the prisons--yes, periods and the feminine products they were allowed(pads only) were interesting experiences. On the male side, homosexuality could land you in prison--but within the prison complex, homosexuality was prominent among prisoners, even those normally heterosexual, and the wardens laughed at it and gave creedence to the gang system that used it--but at the same time, you could be flogged if caught practicing it, even in the prison--what the-??? *sighs* People need to make up their minds, or whatever, or I don't know. Lastly, for Christmas, a white prisoner was given a pound of Christmas pudding; a black prisoner was given up a cup of tea with perhaps extra sugar, and milk if there was some available after the whites and coloureds got tea.
We then toured the new Constitutional building. So many parts of the structure were symbolic of new beginnings. It seems to be a pattern in South Africa of new structures, but the same problems they have to work through, because it's all still so new and can't be done right away, and people don't change as much as we'd like to think we do. They have eleven judges representing the eleven national languages of South Africa (though now there's a twelfth: sign language), though each judge doesn't speak a different language. There are three women judges and two disabled, including one blind judge. So interesting to compare to the US system.
Lunch was on the go to the Voortrekker monument, which was quite something to follow up the Constitutional Hill! The monument basically lauds and praises the migration of the Voortreekers from the Cape Town area to the northern and eastern parts of South Africa. The controversy? Well, their relations with the Africans--think pioneers/settlers and the Native Americans. Yeah. It was interesting trying to learn about the history and mindset of these people--that, like the pioneers, many of them weren't evil or anything, and in fact were nice people--just misguided and--yeah, okay, another thing to work through for me. ;-)
After that we bus-toured Pretoria, which they're actually trying to rename "Tshwana" in honor of local tribes rather than the Voortrekker Andrew Pretorious; not much of us paid a great deal of attention at this point, because we were drained. Then we went to the Union building, where we just walked around outside and some people bought ice cream and took pictures.
The Tale of The Braai and the Beer-Guy
Then we went to another braai at a township where one of our Cornerstone aides, Colleen, used to live. Very nice people, very nice braai--they even had maize-meal pizza! We talked and learned and I was tired so I slept on a bed inside after a while. Then, we loaded up to go back to the inn and Janine noticed that our driver--well, wasn't driving. He said that he was too tired from driving us around all day and that the driver was another person from the bus company who knew the area better. Something smelled funny--literally--but we weren't sure at first...and then the guy started being, well, rather unsafe, and then on the highway he burned out the clutch, so we were kind've stranded on the side of the road--don't worry, Janine, Colleen, and Charlotte were totally on his case before this and in control and we quickly moved over to another bus with a different driver. It turns out that the "new driver" was actually our old driver's friend, not an actual employee of the bus company, and he was drunk. Yep.
TIA=This Is Africa. Though I think a similar even could happen in the US as well.
A Brief Tale Of Sunday
Alrighty, Sunday we went to a local church, they had food for us, it was good, we went ot the airport, flew back to Cape Town on Mango airlines(like Kalula, you paid for snacks) and I brought a mini-mango, so I ate a mango in a mango. This made me happy. :-D
But my! There's still so much to process. Praise God for His care!
From Proverbs 3:
19 By wisdom the LORD laid the earth's foundations,
by understanding he set the heavens in place;
20 by his knowledge the deeps were divided,
and the clouds let drop the dew.
21 My son, preserve sound judgment and discernment,
do not let them out of your sight;
22 they will be life for you,
an ornament to grace your neck.
23 Then you will go on your way in safety,
and your foot will not stumble;
24 when you lie down, you will not be afraid;
when you lie down, your sleep will be sweet.
25 Have no fear of sudden disaster
or of the ruin that overtakes the wicked,
26 for the LORD will be your confidence
and will keep your foot from being snared.
Bye for now!
Thursday:
The Tale of the Nalgene *sighs*
After emailing in my paper for Urban and Rural Development(all of my lecturers aren't picky about you turning in the paper in class, just on the same day by 4pm--they understand that there are 15+ computer terminals, but only two printer/copiers that can jam up and don't receive the print job until sometimes an hour after you have sent it to them), Charlotte and I grabbed lunch at Flamingos (well, she got lunch, I got chips, because I heard their chips were really good--eh, not really. The chips here locally are mostly cooked soft, and I like thick, crispy chips with soft insides--yes, I've become a chip afiaciando! *laughs* Well, they do seem to come with everything). Anyway, then we ate the food while at the Sugar Bowl(the hangout area at Cornerstone) getting briefed on the trip intinerary(which was totally not followed, but more on that later). Afterwards, I realize my Nalgene isn't around, so I go on a search for it and I can't find it anywhere in Cornerstone. I suspect I left it at Flamingo's and someone took it, but I wasn't sure. Then, when we're about to leave, Charlotte tells me a story: she was talking with some street kids and ended up buying them all cooldrinks(sodas), and one kid lifted up a translucent green Nalgene container with a small black lid and a little bit of water in the bottom and said she could put his cooldrink in there! *laughs* What can you do? I'm sorry, I tried to hold onto it people, I REALLY did, but y'know, at least I know it has a good home now. The street kids don't have a lot, and I know at least he'll get use out of it. I bought a bottle of water to use for the weekend and I bought a more permanent one at Checkers yesterday, so it's all good.
The Tale of the Flight to Joberg and the Backpacker Lodge
We flew Kalula air. They have very zany green-patterned airline seats; I've never seen seats that...colorful. Oh yes, and our flight was delayed so we went to eat at Spur, which is like an American Applebees or Fridays, with the exception that American casual steak places places don't customarily offer garlic butter snails or monkey gland sauce(I don't THINK there are actual monkey glands in it...). I stuck to the salad bar(one stop only, so you really pile up your plate).
Once we arrived at the lodge, there was a braai for us there, which was good, although it was past ten o' clock, so none of us were terribly hungry. The next morning was apples, bananas, corn flakes, and white bread for breakfast--I had brought along some wheat-free, sugar-free muesli, some nuts, and some oatcakes, because I never know what's going to be for breakfast. This morning we learned that we weren't staying at the lodge anymore--apparently there were issues with the people using the cash bar onsite and also rumors of someone smoking marijuana at night--probably not the best spot. So for the rest of the trip we stayed at the Formula 1 Inn, which was the epitome of cheap, clean, and efficient, right down to the self-cleaning toilets and showers!
The Tale of Friday's trip to Soweto, The Apartheid Museum, and the Hector Pieterson Museum and Memorial.
The Apartheid museum...well, it was about Apartheid, which we've been studying all semester. It was interesting to see the actual film clips and footage of various events, including the portest marches and the government propoganda films. One of my areas of interest in Apartheid, and in issues of gross human rights violations and atrocities, is how people can just sit by and do nothing, or even support the oppressive regime. I guess because I'm interested in broadening minds, I want to understand how someone can close them also, because then you know how to speak to people and work with them. If ignorance is one of the main problems when people sit back and allow atrocities to happen, then you need to know where people are at in that ignorance in order to try to bring them out of it. I'm not sure if that makes any sense.
Soweto is actually an acronym for South Western Townships. A lot of the main political action and protests happened here. We toured through it, saw Nelson Mandela's house there(from the bus only--this was after the museums and we were tired by that time). We stopped by this place, Alina's, for lunch, which was really delightful--great food and we were helping out people in the township by supporting their restaurant. Afterwards there were these Soweto dancers, but I didn't stay for that, because they started whistling really loudly and sustained-ly, which about killed my ears--I was literally crying from the pain. Oh, by the way, for those who don't know, I have very hypersensitive hearing.
The Hector Pieterson museum was also very intense--more so than the Apartheid museum, because we had been studying that already and because this museum involved children protesting the Bantu education act that limited their studies and forced them to learn in Afrikaans when none of them even knew the language, sometimes even the teachers! The images of kids being shot at by policemen and the memorials...yeah, still working through that.
Friday evening we supped at the mall, which meant pita-less shwarma for me and sugarfree ice cream for dessert! I don't usually indulge, because I'm not fond of all the junque that makes it sugarfree, but every so often it's nice, especially since I haven't had time to make my own ice cream here.
The Tale of Saturday's Trip to Constitutional Hill, the Voortrekker Monument, and the Union buildings.
Constitutional Hill is where the Constitutional Court(think US Supreme Court) is located--and it's also the former site of prisons. They wanted to build justice where injustice once took place, as a way of making peace with the past and redeeming the future. We toured the prisons--I think the disparities between white, coloured, and black treatment was the worst. I'm just going to highlight three things that really struck me, because I'm still processing this as well. Black women weren't even allowed panties for a while in the prisons--yes, periods and the feminine products they were allowed(pads only) were interesting experiences. On the male side, homosexuality could land you in prison--but within the prison complex, homosexuality was prominent among prisoners, even those normally heterosexual, and the wardens laughed at it and gave creedence to the gang system that used it--but at the same time, you could be flogged if caught practicing it, even in the prison--what the-??? *sighs* People need to make up their minds, or whatever, or I don't know. Lastly, for Christmas, a white prisoner was given a pound of Christmas pudding; a black prisoner was given up a cup of tea with perhaps extra sugar, and milk if there was some available after the whites and coloureds got tea.
We then toured the new Constitutional building. So many parts of the structure were symbolic of new beginnings. It seems to be a pattern in South Africa of new structures, but the same problems they have to work through, because it's all still so new and can't be done right away, and people don't change as much as we'd like to think we do. They have eleven judges representing the eleven national languages of South Africa (though now there's a twelfth: sign language), though each judge doesn't speak a different language. There are three women judges and two disabled, including one blind judge. So interesting to compare to the US system.
Lunch was on the go to the Voortrekker monument, which was quite something to follow up the Constitutional Hill! The monument basically lauds and praises the migration of the Voortreekers from the Cape Town area to the northern and eastern parts of South Africa. The controversy? Well, their relations with the Africans--think pioneers/settlers and the Native Americans. Yeah. It was interesting trying to learn about the history and mindset of these people--that, like the pioneers, many of them weren't evil or anything, and in fact were nice people--just misguided and--yeah, okay, another thing to work through for me. ;-)
After that we bus-toured Pretoria, which they're actually trying to rename "Tshwana" in honor of local tribes rather than the Voortrekker Andrew Pretorious; not much of us paid a great deal of attention at this point, because we were drained. Then we went to the Union building, where we just walked around outside and some people bought ice cream and took pictures.
The Tale of The Braai and the Beer-Guy
Then we went to another braai at a township where one of our Cornerstone aides, Colleen, used to live. Very nice people, very nice braai--they even had maize-meal pizza! We talked and learned and I was tired so I slept on a bed inside after a while. Then, we loaded up to go back to the inn and Janine noticed that our driver--well, wasn't driving. He said that he was too tired from driving us around all day and that the driver was another person from the bus company who knew the area better. Something smelled funny--literally--but we weren't sure at first...and then the guy started being, well, rather unsafe, and then on the highway he burned out the clutch, so we were kind've stranded on the side of the road--don't worry, Janine, Colleen, and Charlotte were totally on his case before this and in control and we quickly moved over to another bus with a different driver. It turns out that the "new driver" was actually our old driver's friend, not an actual employee of the bus company, and he was drunk. Yep.
TIA=This Is Africa. Though I think a similar even could happen in the US as well.
A Brief Tale Of Sunday
Alrighty, Sunday we went to a local church, they had food for us, it was good, we went ot the airport, flew back to Cape Town on Mango airlines(like Kalula, you paid for snacks) and I brought a mini-mango, so I ate a mango in a mango. This made me happy. :-D
But my! There's still so much to process. Praise God for His care!
From Proverbs 3:
19 By wisdom the LORD laid the earth's foundations,
by understanding he set the heavens in place;
20 by his knowledge the deeps were divided,
and the clouds let drop the dew.
21 My son, preserve sound judgment and discernment,
do not let them out of your sight;
22 they will be life for you,
an ornament to grace your neck.
23 Then you will go on your way in safety,
and your foot will not stumble;
24 when you lie down, you will not be afraid;
when you lie down, your sleep will be sweet.
25 Have no fear of sudden disaster
or of the ruin that overtakes the wicked,
26 for the LORD will be your confidence
and will keep your foot from being snared.
Bye for now!
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
Aaaand it's week 6!
I can't believe that as of tomorrow I will have been here six weeks--time seemed to drag at first, but now it goes sooo faaast--probably the classes and assignments and finally getting with a local church and cell group meetings and making a friend in the building and all of that stuff. Yes, that's right, a friend in the building complex, AND a church--finally! It's been a busy weekend! ;-)
See, the thing was that Orit was going to be out all weekend and I didn't really want to be out all weekend with her, so I wasn't--I stayed home and did homework and chilled out and watched some DVDs. Only I was trying to find a ride to church and it was like God was closing all of the doors. So on Sunday I walked out to the main road and I see a girl in her early twenties walking around with a bible in her hand. So I asked her for directions to a local church and I ended up going to her church instead, the Main Road church. I really like it--there's a feeling that this is where I'm supposed to be, which is nice, and there are a lot of local college students there. Someone got up during the worship service and said God had told him to tell us that there were some in the audience who felt like this polace was an oasis, only temporary and then they woiyuld go out into the desert. He then said that God wanted the people to know that it was okay to encamp at this church. It's really funny, because that's exactly how I've been feeling lately--I need those connections. I went to the cell group meeting and clicked right away. Praise God!
In other news, I'm headed to Joberg this coming weekend--we leave Thursday on a plane and get back Sunday. It should be a lot of fun--I'm looking foward to the break from Cape Town. It's lovely here, but I'd like a change of scenery, even if to jut be able to appreciate where I am more. It's about that time of the semester. ;-) We'll be visiting the Apartheid museum, the Nelson Mandela museum, the Voortrekker monument, and a few other places as well.
Monday I turned in my last assignment for South African History and Culture, so now that class is DONE! It's very nice to not have to worry about it any more--I can focus on my other classes. Today was the special study on the TRC--we actually had someone who was on the Reparations committee guest lecture! It was really interesting to get that kind of first-person perspective. When she was on the TRC, she worked 16 hour days for three years, collecting peoples testimonies about how they were violated. It sounds really intense--we watched part of "A Long Night's Journey Into Day" which is a documentary featuring for case studies on the TRC. Please, look into it--it conveys a lot of the essence of the TRC much better than I could in written format.
Okay, that's all for now folks! Well, except I had my first experience with making custard this weekend--and it turned out quite nicely! Very tasty too, and I sweetened with stevia. Unfortunately, I think there might be an ingredient that didn't agree with me--mehness. Oh well.
Take care all!
See, the thing was that Orit was going to be out all weekend and I didn't really want to be out all weekend with her, so I wasn't--I stayed home and did homework and chilled out and watched some DVDs. Only I was trying to find a ride to church and it was like God was closing all of the doors. So on Sunday I walked out to the main road and I see a girl in her early twenties walking around with a bible in her hand. So I asked her for directions to a local church and I ended up going to her church instead, the Main Road church. I really like it--there's a feeling that this is where I'm supposed to be, which is nice, and there are a lot of local college students there. Someone got up during the worship service and said God had told him to tell us that there were some in the audience who felt like this polace was an oasis, only temporary and then they woiyuld go out into the desert. He then said that God wanted the people to know that it was okay to encamp at this church. It's really funny, because that's exactly how I've been feeling lately--I need those connections. I went to the cell group meeting and clicked right away. Praise God!
In other news, I'm headed to Joberg this coming weekend--we leave Thursday on a plane and get back Sunday. It should be a lot of fun--I'm looking foward to the break from Cape Town. It's lovely here, but I'd like a change of scenery, even if to jut be able to appreciate where I am more. It's about that time of the semester. ;-) We'll be visiting the Apartheid museum, the Nelson Mandela museum, the Voortrekker monument, and a few other places as well.
Monday I turned in my last assignment for South African History and Culture, so now that class is DONE! It's very nice to not have to worry about it any more--I can focus on my other classes. Today was the special study on the TRC--we actually had someone who was on the Reparations committee guest lecture! It was really interesting to get that kind of first-person perspective. When she was on the TRC, she worked 16 hour days for three years, collecting peoples testimonies about how they were violated. It sounds really intense--we watched part of "A Long Night's Journey Into Day" which is a documentary featuring for case studies on the TRC. Please, look into it--it conveys a lot of the essence of the TRC much better than I could in written format.
Okay, that's all for now folks! Well, except I had my first experience with making custard this weekend--and it turned out quite nicely! Very tasty too, and I sweetened with stevia. Unfortunately, I think there might be an ingredient that didn't agree with me--mehness. Oh well.
Take care all!
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
Greetings--it's week 5!
Yay!
Okay, that exclamation is partly out of joy that I have finally attended more than one day of college, and partly out of relief that I'm not too far behind in studies. I'm really enjoying my classes, even if it can be difficult to acquire the readings. See, they don't really expect you to buy textbooks here--they put the books on reserve at the library and you're expected to sign them out, make the copies you need, and then return the books for the next person to copy. Quickly one learns tricks, such as signing off on a sheet that grants you hand-delivered copies of all of the readings in exchange for the equivalent charge on your student account in copy fees, and borrowing someone else's copies of the readings because they feed through the copier faster. Make sense? Anyway, it's a learning process, as is printing out papers from one of the two fickle copiers--did I mention the computers are rather fickle too? Fortunately, the lecturers are very understanding and the librarian and student library assistants are very helpful.
There's going to be a birthday braai on Thursday for Maren, one of the Bethel study abroad students. I love braais. I think it's really cool how people seem to have braais at the drop of a hat hereabouts. Usually meats of various kinds, including chops, chicken, steak, or boer wors are braaied. Boer wors is a rich, fatty, coarsely-ground farmer's sausage that's absolutely delicious, in my humble opinion, even if it is horrible for a healthy diet. You have to live a little. ;-)
A random fact about South Africa: the tap water is drinkable (at least in city and suburb areas--I can't speak to rural regions). This is an absolute God-send for me, because I inhale water like no tomorrow and it's very convenient to be able to fill up out of the sink instead of pay loads of money on bottled water. The tap water actually tastes better than Beaver Falls tap water (though that isn't really saying much). Another food fact is that feta cheese is available quite easily here--even many convenience stores have it, and a greek salad is a very common side salad option in many restaurants. However, you have to search high and low to find any signs of Mexican foodstuffs, which nixes my idea for using cheap corn tortillas. Tortilla chips here are called "nacho chips" and they are a mixture of wheat and corn. I guess we're a looong way from South of the Border!
Oh, and baloney here is "polony." It tastes the same though. :-p
So yes, I have a 6-page paper due on Friday that I need to write and a group presentation due Thursday that I need to prepare for.
Laters!
Okay, that exclamation is partly out of joy that I have finally attended more than one day of college, and partly out of relief that I'm not too far behind in studies. I'm really enjoying my classes, even if it can be difficult to acquire the readings. See, they don't really expect you to buy textbooks here--they put the books on reserve at the library and you're expected to sign them out, make the copies you need, and then return the books for the next person to copy. Quickly one learns tricks, such as signing off on a sheet that grants you hand-delivered copies of all of the readings in exchange for the equivalent charge on your student account in copy fees, and borrowing someone else's copies of the readings because they feed through the copier faster. Make sense? Anyway, it's a learning process, as is printing out papers from one of the two fickle copiers--did I mention the computers are rather fickle too? Fortunately, the lecturers are very understanding and the librarian and student library assistants are very helpful.
There's going to be a birthday braai on Thursday for Maren, one of the Bethel study abroad students. I love braais. I think it's really cool how people seem to have braais at the drop of a hat hereabouts. Usually meats of various kinds, including chops, chicken, steak, or boer wors are braaied. Boer wors is a rich, fatty, coarsely-ground farmer's sausage that's absolutely delicious, in my humble opinion, even if it is horrible for a healthy diet. You have to live a little. ;-)
A random fact about South Africa: the tap water is drinkable (at least in city and suburb areas--I can't speak to rural regions). This is an absolute God-send for me, because I inhale water like no tomorrow and it's very convenient to be able to fill up out of the sink instead of pay loads of money on bottled water. The tap water actually tastes better than Beaver Falls tap water (though that isn't really saying much). Another food fact is that feta cheese is available quite easily here--even many convenience stores have it, and a greek salad is a very common side salad option in many restaurants. However, you have to search high and low to find any signs of Mexican foodstuffs, which nixes my idea for using cheap corn tortillas. Tortilla chips here are called "nacho chips" and they are a mixture of wheat and corn. I guess we're a looong way from South of the Border!
Oh, and baloney here is "polony." It tastes the same though. :-p
So yes, I have a 6-page paper due on Friday that I need to write and a group presentation due Thursday that I need to prepare for.
Laters!
Saturday, February 9, 2008
Yes, so, well, I was sick...
And I still am--no, I'm recovering, but I probably could still spread it to others. I'm trying to be really careful about that, because there's definitely no joy in this sickness, except the joy that God gives one to endure and heal and rest.
In short: there's a tummy bug going around southern Cape Town, including Cornerstone College. I caught it, and my immune system was low due to being badly sleep-deprived and not eating well and not taking my supplements regularly and because it was in God's will, somehow, for me to endure this trial in order that I might be refined further into the new creation He made me to be. SOOO, yeah, I was skipping Tuesday's class, at home, was exiting the bathroom and whoops! Something happened and next thing ya know, I'm blinking at the splotches of blood on the ground, and I realize it's coming from me, because I fell from dizziness and stuff. I knocked over one of the hamster cages too. Orit, who has been worried about me all afternoon, at first freaks because of the blood, then quickly gets a hold of herself, grabs the hamster and sticks him in the cage, then hauls me (yes, physically, because I had NO STRENGTH) to the ER, where it's discovered that my temperature's 104 degrees. Yep, not good, so I'm dosed up on painkillers and antibiotics and IV fluid, because I'm badly dehydrated(yes, hard to belief, but I was so nauseous even water didn't sound good). I remained in the hospital until 2pm Thursday, when THANK GOD I was released (it was a great hospital--individual TV screens over each bed, really good food, very friendly nursing staff, air-con in each room--but, yeah, I was ready to leave).
Wow. That was really hard to write. I don't think I've fully come to terms with the situation yet--when I do, I'll probably cry or something.
So yes, Thursday evening to Friday evening was spent at Ruth and Manachem's, because Orit has class on Friday and she didn't want me in the flat by myself and she had an appointment to see an admissions counselor at Stellenbosch uni with Ruth on Friday anyway.. It was really restful there--they have a heated pool and a landscaped backyard and lots of comfy furniture to sleep on. It was a nice time of quiet reflection, praying, Bible reading, and journalling, as well as watching food shows on their primo TV and reading magazines and cookbooks. I (heart) reading cookbooks, especially chocolate cookbooks!
It's given me a different look at luxury. I had the luxury of being able to go to hospital, of being able to have antibiotics and afford to rest in facilities that are much nicer than what is available at state hospitals. I had the luxury of not worrying about class work or having kids at home or how I was going to pay for this. However, I did worry about the work and the payment; that's just my inability to trust God. It really convicted me to realize that many people have to trust and thank God in much worse conditions--why on earth was it so hard to trust Him in such "easy" surroundings? Often I floated between being fretful about where I was, thinking about all of those who go through much worse conditions in much more difficult environments, and losing myself in mindless TV programming or picking at the scabs on my lips and chin. Granted, I also did some reading for class and I did pray and journal a lot, but it was HARD to break out of that funk and do something productive for the kingdom of Christ--even if that "productive" thing was just coming to Him and laying all of my burdens and trials and cares at His feet and allowing Him to take away the guilt I felt over having such abundance. Guilt is such a selfish emotion in so many cases--if one doesn't immediately go to God and ask what to do with it, it can so easily fester into self-hatred, when one is supposed to be free of all that junk, accepting Christ's freely-offered sacrifice and God's incredible love and the Holy Spirit's powerful anointing, and giving out that love to others, living in His joy.
*sighs*
I have no answers.
Psalm 23
A psalm of David.
1 The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want.
2 He makes me lie down in green pastures,
he leads me beside quiet waters,
3 he restores my soul.
He guides me in paths of righteousness
for his name's sake.
4 Even though I walk
through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil,
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
they comfort me.
5 You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my enemies.
You anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
6 Surely goodness and love will follow me
all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the LORD
forever.
In short: there's a tummy bug going around southern Cape Town, including Cornerstone College. I caught it, and my immune system was low due to being badly sleep-deprived and not eating well and not taking my supplements regularly and because it was in God's will, somehow, for me to endure this trial in order that I might be refined further into the new creation He made me to be. SOOO, yeah, I was skipping Tuesday's class, at home, was exiting the bathroom and whoops! Something happened and next thing ya know, I'm blinking at the splotches of blood on the ground, and I realize it's coming from me, because I fell from dizziness and stuff. I knocked over one of the hamster cages too. Orit, who has been worried about me all afternoon, at first freaks because of the blood, then quickly gets a hold of herself, grabs the hamster and sticks him in the cage, then hauls me (yes, physically, because I had NO STRENGTH) to the ER, where it's discovered that my temperature's 104 degrees. Yep, not good, so I'm dosed up on painkillers and antibiotics and IV fluid, because I'm badly dehydrated(yes, hard to belief, but I was so nauseous even water didn't sound good). I remained in the hospital until 2pm Thursday, when THANK GOD I was released (it was a great hospital--individual TV screens over each bed, really good food, very friendly nursing staff, air-con in each room--but, yeah, I was ready to leave).
Wow. That was really hard to write. I don't think I've fully come to terms with the situation yet--when I do, I'll probably cry or something.
So yes, Thursday evening to Friday evening was spent at Ruth and Manachem's, because Orit has class on Friday and she didn't want me in the flat by myself and she had an appointment to see an admissions counselor at Stellenbosch uni with Ruth on Friday anyway.. It was really restful there--they have a heated pool and a landscaped backyard and lots of comfy furniture to sleep on. It was a nice time of quiet reflection, praying, Bible reading, and journalling, as well as watching food shows on their primo TV and reading magazines and cookbooks. I (heart) reading cookbooks, especially chocolate cookbooks!
It's given me a different look at luxury. I had the luxury of being able to go to hospital, of being able to have antibiotics and afford to rest in facilities that are much nicer than what is available at state hospitals. I had the luxury of not worrying about class work or having kids at home or how I was going to pay for this. However, I did worry about the work and the payment; that's just my inability to trust God. It really convicted me to realize that many people have to trust and thank God in much worse conditions--why on earth was it so hard to trust Him in such "easy" surroundings? Often I floated between being fretful about where I was, thinking about all of those who go through much worse conditions in much more difficult environments, and losing myself in mindless TV programming or picking at the scabs on my lips and chin. Granted, I also did some reading for class and I did pray and journal a lot, but it was HARD to break out of that funk and do something productive for the kingdom of Christ--even if that "productive" thing was just coming to Him and laying all of my burdens and trials and cares at His feet and allowing Him to take away the guilt I felt over having such abundance. Guilt is such a selfish emotion in so many cases--if one doesn't immediately go to God and ask what to do with it, it can so easily fester into self-hatred, when one is supposed to be free of all that junk, accepting Christ's freely-offered sacrifice and God's incredible love and the Holy Spirit's powerful anointing, and giving out that love to others, living in His joy.
*sighs*
I have no answers.
Psalm 23
A psalm of David.
1 The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not be in want.
2 He makes me lie down in green pastures,
he leads me beside quiet waters,
3 he restores my soul.
He guides me in paths of righteousness
for his name's sake.
4 Even though I walk
through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil,
for you are with me;
your rod and your staff,
they comfort me.
5 You prepare a table before me
in the presence of my enemies.
You anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
6 Surely goodness and love will follow me
all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the LORD
forever.
Monday, February 4, 2008
First day of classes
Actually, the title should read "first day of class" because there's only one a day. Today's was African Worldview. It looks to be a really interesting class--diving deep into African traditional religious beliefs and how they've interacted with the church in Africa, particularly Southern/South Africa. There's really no better place to study it--a third of my classmates have first-hand experience growing up around traditional religions.
Here's an interesting thought too: ancestor worship--only a part of Africa, or in the US? I think I'm going to post it on Facebook and see what responses come up.
This weekend was really busy and crazy-fun and adventurous. We tried to go to the wild animal park again. This time is was me, Orit, Ruth, Manachem, Orit's two nieces and one nephew, and the friend of one of the nieces. We were all loaded up in the 4x4 with plenty of food for a picnic--and then about a mile or so into the park, the radiator in the 4x4 goes kablooey with a big, smoky puff! *laughs* Fun, eh?
So Ruth calls AA and Manachem figures out how to back the vehicle down the whole way back. It's going at a snail's pace, so Orit and I each grab two kids and head off back to the braai-ing/park/pool area. Orit tries to take a short-cut; I opt for the main road, because I don't trust my sense of direction out here, nor hers particularly. The walk is uneventful, involving pictures and water breaks and mixed nut breaks and lots of talking; afterwards I take the girls out for ice cream at the park tuck shop and, after searching around for Orit, we meet up with Ruth at the playground.
Meanwhile, Orit's gotten lost with the other two kids, calls Ruth, and ends up being fetched by park employees--turns out she was on an old four-wheeler path. They DID get to see a lot of animals up-close though, including zebras and springboks. One of the kids had left their shoes in the 4x4, so Orit had to walk barefoot because she gave the kid her flip-flops! After this whole incident, I was dubbed "Safety Lady" by my two girls. *rolls eyes and smiles* All credit goes to working at Camp Susque last summer. I'm just glad Orit made it out alright with her two kids.
Then we had a picnic, I played with the kids while Orit and Ruth sorted out the car-towing stuff, and then we went back to Ruth and Manachem's, I chilled out on a chair, and then we had a nice braai.
Sunday was spent praying, studying, working on a Vday package for Someone Special, and yeah, more reading and studying.
Load shedding--just plain annoying! I wanted to skype some people today, then Blip! Out goes the power for three hours! Canned tuna and raw veggies for supper--pretty good actually. Life remains interesting here in South Africa. Bye for now.
PS--By the way, I chose Peacemaking and Reconciliation--or rather, I think it chose me. First class is tomorrow!
Here's an interesting thought too: ancestor worship--only a part of Africa, or in the US? I think I'm going to post it on Facebook and see what responses come up.
This weekend was really busy and crazy-fun and adventurous. We tried to go to the wild animal park again. This time is was me, Orit, Ruth, Manachem, Orit's two nieces and one nephew, and the friend of one of the nieces. We were all loaded up in the 4x4 with plenty of food for a picnic--and then about a mile or so into the park, the radiator in the 4x4 goes kablooey with a big, smoky puff! *laughs* Fun, eh?
So Ruth calls AA and Manachem figures out how to back the vehicle down the whole way back. It's going at a snail's pace, so Orit and I each grab two kids and head off back to the braai-ing/park/pool area. Orit tries to take a short-cut; I opt for the main road, because I don't trust my sense of direction out here, nor hers particularly. The walk is uneventful, involving pictures and water breaks and mixed nut breaks and lots of talking; afterwards I take the girls out for ice cream at the park tuck shop and, after searching around for Orit, we meet up with Ruth at the playground.
Meanwhile, Orit's gotten lost with the other two kids, calls Ruth, and ends up being fetched by park employees--turns out she was on an old four-wheeler path. They DID get to see a lot of animals up-close though, including zebras and springboks. One of the kids had left their shoes in the 4x4, so Orit had to walk barefoot because she gave the kid her flip-flops! After this whole incident, I was dubbed "Safety Lady" by my two girls. *rolls eyes and smiles* All credit goes to working at Camp Susque last summer. I'm just glad Orit made it out alright with her two kids.
Then we had a picnic, I played with the kids while Orit and Ruth sorted out the car-towing stuff, and then we went back to Ruth and Manachem's, I chilled out on a chair, and then we had a nice braai.
Sunday was spent praying, studying, working on a Vday package for Someone Special, and yeah, more reading and studying.
Load shedding--just plain annoying! I wanted to skype some people today, then Blip! Out goes the power for three hours! Canned tuna and raw veggies for supper--pretty good actually. Life remains interesting here in South Africa. Bye for now.
PS--By the way, I chose Peacemaking and Reconciliation--or rather, I think it chose me. First class is tomorrow!
Thursday, January 31, 2008
Greetings all--an update to finish off Week 3!
Rocklands was a huge amount of fun. It's an interdenominational conference center/camp/retreat with adventure course settled near the base of a mountain in Simons Town. You wake up in the morning, go outside, and face this immense peak on one side with greenery brushing the ledges, and the vast ocean on the other--so beautiful! I had a really nice time of mental, spiritual, and physical refreshment:
-Physical: went on a hike, jumped up and down on a trampoline(normally I'm terrified of trampolines--well, of falling off of trampolines, but these were inserted into holes in the ground, with the edge of the trampoline just meeting the edge of the earth), built a house of cardboard and a sandcastle with my "team", and slept. Sleep is good.
-Mental: I let go of all the homework I still have to do to complete "South Africa and Its Peoples." I outlined a summary the last night I was there, and that was it.
-Spiritual: amazing praise and worship services and messages and a really great, healing prayer time--and some quality time journaling by my lonesome. *sighs happily* I think Christian retreat centers have this universal quality of peace about them--Susque felt the same way; it's this wonderfully restful sensation of being in a place that is being prayed for by a lot of people. You feel an extra bit of protection, like Jesus going away on the mountain top.
And now...
down...
to...
EARTH!
Back at the ranch, there was more official orientation at Cornerstone to prepare for classes to start next week. Over the past two days we've toured campus, received a TON of information and booklets, received security tags to get into the building without having to buzz the entrance and wait for the receptionist, and in general tried to get our brains into gear for the rest of the semester. The grading system is different here--an "A" is 75-100, a "B" is 70-75, a "C" is 60-69, a "D" is 50-59, and an "F" is anything below 50. However, the difficulty remains the same--that is, it suddenly becomes much harder to achieve a 75, etc. 4 full-semester courses taught in seven weeks--this term is going to go fast.
On that note, I'm still not sure if I should take Peacemaking and Reconciliation. It deals mostly with the history of conflict resolution, different types of conflict resolution in different cultural and interpersonal aspects, and one's own methods of dealing with conflict. It sounds interesting, but...does it work with my major, Cross-Cultural Studies? My other option is Theories of Personality, which goes into the major personality theorists and then discusses different personality traits, internal/external motivation, and intrinsic/environmental factors in personality. Again, it sounds very interesting: question is, does it work better or worse than the first option? *sighs* I have no idea, but I'm very open to anyone's ideas, suggestions, or random comments. I need to decide by Monday.
Oh, by the way, more adventures with Janeen and the Many Locks That Don't Like to Open For Her:
-having been dropped off at the nearest supermarket, the Intrepid Explorer walks approximately ten minutes, purchases secured in her oh-so-theft-deterring black backpack of Wal-Mart fabulousness; she is anxious to get inside and have a snack. She approaches the gate, pulls out her key ring, and attempts to unlock the gate. Doesn't happen.
-the Intrepid Explorer THEN twists the key this way and that, alternatively tries the other lock even though she knows it never works in that lock, and in total spends about 4-5 minutes struggling with the implacable piece of intricately cut metal. The lock stays locked.
-after this defeat, the Intrepid Explorer walks a short distance away from the offending gate to the end of the block, trying to trick the lock into letting its guard down. She then walks back and plunges her key into the keyhole and--nothing. The lock laughs at her.
-she then prays, which she should have done to start with, and calls her flat-mate's cell phone. Nothing doing on that end.
-the Intrepid Explorer then half-heartedly tries the lock a few last times, and calls her flat-mate's step-mom. Ruth answers the phone, and sets about Doing Something.
-the Intrepid Explorer waits for the Something to be Done, and while idling, manages to sneak inside the gated fence after someone else who's key DOES work the lock. Perhaps they secretly bribe the lock with chocolate-flavored WD-40.
-upon entering the flat, the Intrepid Explorer then has to sort out the fact that her flat-mate WAS in the flat, and she could have "buzzed" her, had the Intrepid Explorer the slightest idea what "buzzing" was, and in the mean time, she has to sort out things with Ruth and the flat-mate who is exasperated at being fussed at by Ruth.
-Eventually, a snack is eaten. It is tasty and involves lots of vegetables. The End.
When I get a house, I'm thinking of just getting a nice, safe moat and drawbridge; no keys, no fuss, and you can have goldfish and rabid platypi in the moat.
A last note: there's a really good health food store within walking distance--it sells wheat-free, yeast-free stevia cookies! :-D
“You are forgiving and good, O Lord, abounding in love to all who call to you.”- Psalm 86:5
Praise God from Whom all blessings flow!
-Physical: went on a hike, jumped up and down on a trampoline(normally I'm terrified of trampolines--well, of falling off of trampolines, but these were inserted into holes in the ground, with the edge of the trampoline just meeting the edge of the earth), built a house of cardboard and a sandcastle with my "team", and slept. Sleep is good.
-Mental: I let go of all the homework I still have to do to complete "South Africa and Its Peoples." I outlined a summary the last night I was there, and that was it.
-Spiritual: amazing praise and worship services and messages and a really great, healing prayer time--and some quality time journaling by my lonesome. *sighs happily* I think Christian retreat centers have this universal quality of peace about them--Susque felt the same way; it's this wonderfully restful sensation of being in a place that is being prayed for by a lot of people. You feel an extra bit of protection, like Jesus going away on the mountain top.
And now...
down...
to...
EARTH!
Back at the ranch, there was more official orientation at Cornerstone to prepare for classes to start next week. Over the past two days we've toured campus, received a TON of information and booklets, received security tags to get into the building without having to buzz the entrance and wait for the receptionist, and in general tried to get our brains into gear for the rest of the semester. The grading system is different here--an "A" is 75-100, a "B" is 70-75, a "C" is 60-69, a "D" is 50-59, and an "F" is anything below 50. However, the difficulty remains the same--that is, it suddenly becomes much harder to achieve a 75, etc. 4 full-semester courses taught in seven weeks--this term is going to go fast.
On that note, I'm still not sure if I should take Peacemaking and Reconciliation. It deals mostly with the history of conflict resolution, different types of conflict resolution in different cultural and interpersonal aspects, and one's own methods of dealing with conflict. It sounds interesting, but...does it work with my major, Cross-Cultural Studies? My other option is Theories of Personality, which goes into the major personality theorists and then discusses different personality traits, internal/external motivation, and intrinsic/environmental factors in personality. Again, it sounds very interesting: question is, does it work better or worse than the first option? *sighs* I have no idea, but I'm very open to anyone's ideas, suggestions, or random comments. I need to decide by Monday.
Oh, by the way, more adventures with Janeen and the Many Locks That Don't Like to Open For Her:
-having been dropped off at the nearest supermarket, the Intrepid Explorer walks approximately ten minutes, purchases secured in her oh-so-theft-deterring black backpack of Wal-Mart fabulousness; she is anxious to get inside and have a snack. She approaches the gate, pulls out her key ring, and attempts to unlock the gate. Doesn't happen.
-the Intrepid Explorer THEN twists the key this way and that, alternatively tries the other lock even though she knows it never works in that lock, and in total spends about 4-5 minutes struggling with the implacable piece of intricately cut metal. The lock stays locked.
-after this defeat, the Intrepid Explorer walks a short distance away from the offending gate to the end of the block, trying to trick the lock into letting its guard down. She then walks back and plunges her key into the keyhole and--nothing. The lock laughs at her.
-she then prays, which she should have done to start with, and calls her flat-mate's cell phone. Nothing doing on that end.
-the Intrepid Explorer then half-heartedly tries the lock a few last times, and calls her flat-mate's step-mom. Ruth answers the phone, and sets about Doing Something.
-the Intrepid Explorer waits for the Something to be Done, and while idling, manages to sneak inside the gated fence after someone else who's key DOES work the lock. Perhaps they secretly bribe the lock with chocolate-flavored WD-40.
-upon entering the flat, the Intrepid Explorer then has to sort out the fact that her flat-mate WAS in the flat, and she could have "buzzed" her, had the Intrepid Explorer the slightest idea what "buzzing" was, and in the mean time, she has to sort out things with Ruth and the flat-mate who is exasperated at being fussed at by Ruth.
-Eventually, a snack is eaten. It is tasty and involves lots of vegetables. The End.
When I get a house, I'm thinking of just getting a nice, safe moat and drawbridge; no keys, no fuss, and you can have goldfish and rabid platypi in the moat.
A last note: there's a really good health food store within walking distance--it sells wheat-free, yeast-free stevia cookies! :-D
“You are forgiving and good, O Lord, abounding in love to all who call to you.”- Psalm 86:5
Praise God from Whom all blessings flow!
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