International Volunteer

Videos

2009-01-21T14:46:00.006-05:00

Now that I am home and not paying for internet by byte, I have uploaded several videos from my trip.

Ziplining

Otters

Castle of Good Hope

I've also added several pictures that I took the last few days in South Africa with the people I worked with. Click the photo album link on the right to see more pictures.

And lastly, while everyone else in my house complained of gaining weight, I lost weight! 16.5lbs (7.5kg) to be exact. It is an amazing feeling and I love the looks people give me who I haven't seen since I arrived back.

I drove a bit today, running some errands to the grocery store and it felt very odd to be driving. First the snow was a bit difficult for about 10 minutes or so until I got the feel for driving in the snow back. Additionally, the driving laws of both SA and the US are jumbled in my head and I have to concentrate to remember which is which country. If I'm not careful, I'll drift to the left.

I still think in terms of the South African standard of living. I bought a few toiletries at the local pharmacy and a 12 pack of soda for $44. R440? Crazy! Outrageous! Everything is so costly here. I got in the habit of splurging because everything was so inexpensive and now I must retrain my brain. I took some time to admire the differences between Checkers in SA and Kroger here and couldn't believe my eyes. In the US we have the "bigger is better" mentality and in SA, it's the opposite. In the US people want to buy everything in bulk. I didn't even see a 6 pack of soda cans, only 12 pack of cans, 6 pack of bottles, and 2 litres. In SA they have several coolers to buy soda's individually at the grocery. Here you'd have to go to a petrol/gas station to do that or find a smaller grocery.

I am not too jet lagged anymore, I am sleeping through the night, but I think my body just needs to catch up on sleep because the quality of sleep on the bed was not as good as the quality on my good bed here. I am exhausted in the afternoons and take a short nap. I love having my room back and being able to eat what I choose for dinner, but I miss having the staff singing while their work and hearing Xhosa and Afrikaans all around me.

My luggage is sitting in the hallway and I have yet to unpack. I have opened the suitcases and dug out the important things, but I'm in no rush to unpack my clothes, most of which I cannot even wear right now due to the frigid temperatures. It was -12 C today, 11 degrees at 9am.

More videos and pictures to come!

Welcome Home, Minus Luggage

2009-01-20T14:16:00.002-05:00

I slept a little bit in the terminal in the early hours of Monday morning. I was awoken by airport personnel to tell me a few gates over there were blankets and water if I wanted them. I packed my stuff up and went to get some blankets because I was freezing. I think the cold outside plus the lack of bodies to keep the airport warm contributed to the cold inside. I also felt a bit sick, from traveling from exhaustion, and jet lagged. At 5:30am Starbucks opened up and I ate a banana nut muffin and a venti hot chocolate for breakfast. Boarded the plane around 7am and we took off about 40 minutes later. I napped on the flight and was soon descending into metro Detroit. It felt surreal, to finally be home. I wondered if I was dreaming and would wake up either in the airport or the plane somewhere. But we landed and the flight attendant welcomed me to Detroit. I grabbed my stuff and headed out the jetway towards the baggage claim. It took me about 10 minutes to walk to the baggage claim where I saw my parent waiting outside the glass doors before they saw me. It was good to see them in person, but again, felt unreal. I hugged them both and we waiting around the carousel for my luggage. But it never came. Neither did the luggage of about half the plane. We all waited in line to file a report. Thankfully, the baggage claim personnel knew the exact problem and when I'd get my luggage. With the grounded planes the night before the airport just could not retag all the luggage quick enough. JFK had a backlog of luggage that it just could not handle. So they put all the rerouted luggage on a plane to Atlanta where there was more personnel to untangle the mess snow caused. Thankfully I was returning home so I had everything sitting in the house and my souvenirs in my carry-on. I left the airport, frustrated, into the cold.

I spent the day with my parents, opening presents and talking about South Africa and events that transpired here while I was gone. I went to bed early and slept through the night. One of my bags, the larger of the two suitcases arrived during the night and the second arrived around noon this morning. I have started to unpack, but I've been busy updating my music library with music from South Africa and putting the CDs my parents bought me for Christmas on my computer. This way I can update my iPod. Been listening to the same music for the past 3 months and I'm ready for some new music.

I'm feeling better now, still a bit jet lagged, but doing okay. Right now everything feels like a dream. I cannot believe I'm home but all my experiences in South Africa feel like a dream now, that maybe I wasn't there. But then I try to do something here and everything feels wrong, familiar, yet wrong. I turned on the right faucet in the shower expecting warm water, but that is the cold water here, not warm. The cars are different, I say different words, and I feel like a foreinger in my own house. I can't remember which drawer my sweaters are in. There are a few changes to the house since I left, but I feel like a guest. But one thing that felt right was my bed. I slide in last night and it was heaven. I sorely missed the memory foam on my bed. It is very comfortable.

I'll update again in a few more days to let you know how I'm feeling. Cheers.

Layover in New York City

2009-01-18T09:40:00.002-05:00

I arrived at CPT around 4:30pm (local time) and checked in. It was a bit of a madhouse, but all airports are. After I checked in my bags and got my boarding passes, I headed to security, which was significantly more relaxed than in the US. I took my laptop out of my bag and went to go take off my watch and my shoes when the guard waived me off, said I didn't have to do that. I walk through wearing a metal watch, my shoes on, and a sweatshirt with a metal zipper around my waist and the metal detector did not even go off. It was the quickest security checkpoint I'd ever been through. After that I went through passport control where they stamped my passport to leave the country. After that I meandered towards my gate and waited about 40 minutes before boarding the bus to shuttle us to the plane far away on the tarmac.

I left Cape Town International around 7pm and then flew for about 5 hours and landed in Dakar. I watched some movie with Luke Wilson called Henry Poole (?) that was rather boring and a bit eccentric. I then watched Mamma Mia, which I loved. I munched on some food and then tried to sleep. The plane was only half full so I had two seats on the Boeing 767 to myself. We landed in Dakar at 1am local time (about 11pm in CPT) and then stayed on the runway for about 2 hours while security came on board, the plane refueled, and food was delivered. Finally around 3am local time we took off, headed for Kennedy Airport in New York. Slept on and off and arrived in New York at local time of 6:30am.

I disembarked the plane and headed to the passport office to have my passport stamped. That queue took about half an hour to get through. Then I waited at the carousel for another 15 minutes before my luggage came off the plane. I collected all of it and headed for the last security checkpoint. I handed over my customs form (I did not have to pay duty on my wine because it's under 80 proof) and off I went to the Delta counter to check back in. That is where the issue arose. I could not check in to get a boarding pass because I was too early. I can only check in up to 6 hours before flight time to get a boarding pass. I asked the ticket lady what was I supposed to do for the next 6 hours until I could get the boarding pass, she said to go upstairs and sit in the lobby. I did that once before at the Sydney domestic airport in Australia and I wasn't about to do it again. I wanted to go into the Delta lounge so I asked if I can somehow get a clearance and go to Delta's lounge. She said I might, but I have to go talk the people upstairs, but I could check my luggage for my flight. The bags are bulky so I checked the two bags and went upstairs to talk my way into the lounge. The first person said I couldn't. When I persisted, she said I could talk to a supervisor. Sure, I wasn't going anywhere and I had plenty of time. So I was directed to another counter and asked for Phyllis. Eventually she said yes and printed a security clearance form for me. I could have my boarding pass printed in the lounge. I went through security just fine and am now sitting in the lounge just passing the time away on the internet.

Will update again after I land and arrive home in Michigan. Cheers.

Snowy Delay

2009-01-17T23:50:00.000-05:00

It is 10 minutes to midnight on January 18th. And though I should be home snuggled in my bed, I am not. I am stuck at Kennedy Airport in New York City. Why? Because of snow. I waited patiently all day because Delta had moved my flight from 8:45am to 4pm to 6:55pm. At quarter to 7 we boarded the plane and I sat next to a girl name Heather who had mentioned she was interested in volunteering in South Africa (after I mentioned where my travel origin was) through a nonprofit, CCS. How ironic! I showed her some pictures I had with me and talked about my trip and she sounded very interested in volunteering through CCS in either Cape Town or somewhere in South America. While we waited at the gate we chatted and then I took a nap, figuring the takeoff would wake me. I woke an hour later, still on the ground in New York City. It was quarter to 9. The plane originally had an issue with a crack in the door and then once that was repaired it was put in the queue to takeoff. We went to have the plane deiced while I was asleep and we sat again for a long while on the tarmac. Then we pulled up to a gate and were told after 3 hours sitting on the plane the flight was canceled. The FAA grounded flights due to the snowy conditions. It's for my own safety, and I appreciate that, but I am frustrated because I just want to go home right now. Delta irritated me enough times today, most issues were satisfied with the Crown Room lounge, but since it is closed at night (the entire airport is) I must lay here in the terminal and try to see what little bit of sleep I can get. Second night in a row that I'm sleeping whist in transit and not in a bed. Sigh. Nothing I can do but wait until the flight in the morning. I've been rerouted onto a flight in the morning at 7:29 and will arrive in Detroit around 10am. I don't even have my checked luggage with me to get anything to change into. Thankfully I did put clean clothes in my carry-on for today so I am wearing semi-clean clothes. I am lucky that I've been rerouted onto a flight from JFK and not having to pay for a transfer to LaGuardia like other people on my flight have to do.

I find it quite ironic, both times I traveled abroad beyond a cruise I have been involuntarily rerouted on the return flight. When I returned from Australia, a flight carrying 50 passengers was late from Brisbane to Auckland and we waited, which had me miss my connecting flight. This time the weather is too snowy and I have to wait overnight in the airport. At least when I waited overnight in Chicago I stayed a few hours in the Hilton where I could shower and I had all my checked luggage with me.

I'm going to try to sleep a bit, my flight is at 729 and I figure Monday morning the airport will be a zoo so I might sleep while I can. Night.

Departure

2009-01-17T05:32:00.002-05:00

The day is upon me. It is 17 January, 2009, the day I leave Cape Town and head back to Detroit with all my luggage and memories of the city. I have met so many amazing people here, have fallen in love with landscape, influenced so many lives, and forever changed myself. I cannot believe 3 months have gone by. It feels like I just arrived not too long ago. I have done so many things, from riding an elephant, petting cheetah cubs, sitting in a communal cell block at Robben Island Maximum Security Prison, standing at the most southern point in Africa, to helping refugees who have hit rock bottom and gone even further down gain employment in South Africa and playing with sick children in a convalescent hospital on Christmas morning. I've served food to hungry refugees, given exhausted refugees clean clothes, and help shed light that a new, safe life will exist for them here in Cape Town. I have given my time, sweat, and love, but most of all, I have given people a hope for a better future, which is the best gift of all.

It is twenty to 2 and I leave the home base at 4pm for the airport. I have to check in, go to the VAT office to get my tax money back and the money exchange to change some of my Rand into Dollars. I am keep some crisp bills and clean coins for a money collection, but I can only take R500 out the country. Plus, I have to declare my wine upon arrive so I shall need some money to pay duty.

I must go finish my evaluation and enjoy some last minute warmth on the porch.

Part of me will always remain in Kapstaad. And part of iKapa will come home with me.

Day Before Departure

2009-01-16T09:20:00.001-05:00

I am procrastinating in my packing. I'm afraid that once I start packing, the tears will fall. Because then it will really be over. 24 hours from now I'll be heading to the airport to leave. I don't want to leave anymore. But I want to see my family and I want to go home. I'm just a mess.

Today was my last day at Scalabrini. Clive and another refugee came in today to say goodbye to me. I said my goodbyes to everyone, took pictures, thanked them for everything they've allowed me to learn and grow from within the last 3 months. They thanked me as well with a cake, potato chips, juice, and a gift. They gave me a beautiful bag with a patch in the shape of Africa sewn on it. I love it. I am forever changed by Scalabrini. Which remind me, I still have to write in the Scalabrini volunteer placement log. And finish my evaluation. And pack. So much to do, none of which I am eager to do because each one cements the fact I leave tomorrow. I love flying, but I won't enjoy the takeoff from Cape Town. The tears are welling up in my eyes already. I miss my family so much that I almost feel guilty for not wanting to leave. But my desire to stay means I did everything right. I am looking forward to being home again, but I will have some culture shock re-acclimatising to the US. Some things I've picked up on I think I might keep, like slang words and others I might break. I won't drive on the left side of the road of course since it's illegal in the US, but it will definitely take some getting used to the right side of the road and the left side driver. And the cold...it will be a shock to my body from going to the extreme cold. I will try not to get the flu, but I just might from the long plane ride and the shock of the cold.

Time to turn up the music and pack. I will continue the blog once I return home (not as frequent though) with reflection on how my trip has impacted my life and how my readjusting to American life is going.

Cheers

Another Reflection

2009-01-15T14:42:00.000-05:00

I thought I was ready to leave South Africa. But I'm not. I am going to miss this old house that I've been living in, miss the sound of the train rushing by, the wind blowing through the trees in our yard that are older than the house, the beautiful blue sky, the sea, and the mountain. Saying goodbye to people will be hard, but saying goodbye to feelings and emotions that I have from the landscape? It will be heartbreaking. I got a full body massage this afternoon (which was lovely) and while walking back by myself along the road, I took some time to listen to the sounds of people enjoying the evening with a game of soccer amongst friends, by riding a bike with happy barking dogs trailing behind, or by jogging with friends. I took a few deep breaths as I admired the clouds over Table Mountain and slowly meandered home. I'm not ready to say goodbye to Cape Town. It is home. But I have a life to go back to.

Speaking of which, I am looking forward to seeing my family, giving my gifts, sleeping on my memory foam bed, having my laptop back, and eating good food. I am not looking forward to the snow, the cold temperatures, and going back to work. I am afraid I'll get home and these past three months will feel like nothing more than dream that felt so real but never really happened. Time moves so quickly. One second isn't long enough sometimes. One hour can go by in an instant. And three months can go by in a blink of an eye. I tried to slow it down, but only I slowed down, not time.

Tomorrow is my last day at Scalabrini. I want to take pictures with everyone and try not to turn all red from crying. I've been successful at keeping my tears at bay, but as I am less than 48 hours from departure, I do not know how long it'll stay that way. I hope that somehow Brian has made it back from Zimbabwe and will be at Scalabrini tomorrow to say goodbye. I hope everyone comes tomorrow to have pictures taken with me and say their goodbyes. I shall need lots of paper for many email addresses. And lots of tissues.

Tomorrow afternoon I need to pack and fill out my evaluation.

I'm off to try to relax and then bed soon.

Day 80

2009-01-13T12:45:00.001-05:00

There are a lot of lasts this week. Last Afrikaans lesson, last shift of a staff member before I leave, last day at placement, last ride in a CCS van, last meal in South Africa, etc. So many lasts, so many times to reflect. And sadly, too many times to cry. Today is the last Afrikaans lesson. I gave Nathalie a thank you card that I wrote in broken Afrikaans. I had my Lonely Planet phrasebook that helped me with some grammar and my notes from lessons for words and phrases. I tried to use words she taught to show her the progress I've made and that I was paying attention to her instruction. She loved it, which made me feel good.

It is hard to had the reigns of the EHD over to Brooke, Stefano, and Jenny. They are both capable of the job and I have trained them well. It is hard to let go of something you enjoy so much, especially when everyone thinks you're doing an amazing job and do not want you to leave. Wonga told Nokwanda today that she's to lock the gate and not let me out on Saturday. It feels so good to know I've positively affected the lives of so many people here, which makes it all the harder to leave. I've done so much, I want to stay to see the ripple effect, but I have to go home. I cannot stay here forever, as I have a life back home. I have a life here as well and it is sad to see it end, but I can only choose one life to live. Sabrina chose to return to live here (she arrives the day I leave) but for me, my life is in America. I really do hope to have the chance to come back someday. But I love so many places, I just have no idea what the future holds for me.

I love the feel of the breeze here. It reaches down to the soul and makes it smile. It cools off the body, refreshes the mind, and forces you to pause to enjoy the moment. When the breeze comes I love to close my eyes and feel it wrap around me. It's like the city I love giving me a gentle, loving, hug. I will miss the breeze here, will miss how it moves the soul. It touches nothing but skin but is felt within. It reassures, forgives, and calms. It aids reflection and empowers you to keep going. I will miss the breeze here but every time I feel a summer breeze at home I will be reminded of Cape Town. The gift the city has given me is endless.

I spent the morning at Scalabrini, working on the EHD. It was busy, but we were able to manage. It was Brooke's first day and she fit in perfectly. There was hardly any time for rest as many of the refugees wanted CV's typed up. Unfortunately too many people lie here about the most trivial things because they are lazy. I had to be stern and a bit rude because some refugees were trying to take advantage of the EHD. They wanted extra of something or sign in after the cut off time and when I refused, they would smile and turn on the charisma to get what they want.

I noticed many South Africans here who want you to sell you something or have their own agenda will feed you any lie and use as much charm to get their way. “Pretty lady!” they call while I walk by their stall, “special price for you!” I do not think for one minute the special price is a good deal, rather it's a crappy deal as they increase the price because they think I have lots of American dollars to spend. You make eye contact with them and they rush over to talk to you. You glance at something in their stall/shop and people flock to you telling you to “take your time, looking is free”. But every item you pick up they tell you an outrageous price and refuse to leave you alone until you have purchased it. You can't even think about an item with them hovering in your face, lying about its origins and meaning. And if you are not careful they will try to stick something in your bag for the price they tell you. The biggest problem are very few items at the markets are unique. I have seen so many wire-beading animals, statues that look like they were made on an assembly line rather by hand, straw artwork, wooden salad tongs, and jewelery that I wonder who really makes all the item, where is it really made, how much did they pay for it (as they are making a great profit) and how little the actual person who worked on the item was actually paid.

Another observation I made today was when I was in Checkers looking for soda. They had hardly any six pack cans. One of a few flavors, maybe 15 sitting on a small shelf tucked away in a corner. However, the individual cans/bottles were chilled in the coolers. They had cans, 500ml, 1 litre, 2 litres of every type of soda in several coolers. I was looking for a six pack of coke light or pepsi light and could not find one. Why? Because they don't sell them. Nothing is sold in bulk here. Coming from the land of bulk supplies Costco, “bigger is better”, and volume discounts, I was astonished to find hardly anything sold in bulk. No one goes to the food shop and buys food for their family of four (or more) for the two weeks because they do not have a car to drive it home in, a fridge to store the food, or shelve space to store the food. It spoils. No one here (except CCS and offices, and restaurants) need to buy toilet paper in packs of 48 rolls, soda in a pack of 24 cans, cereal boxes that are larger than newborn babies or 36 AA batteries. It took me so much time to realize what has been staring me in the face these past 3 months, everything is smaller because people must carry what they purchase. I have missed my car some days when I just wanted to go purchase food at Checkers. I have to carefully pick the amount of food I purchase because I have to carry it over a mile home. Soda, milk, and other liquids become heavy so quickly.

Unfortunately, I have to stop my pondering here as I have several more thank you notes to write. Tomorrow is Bongi's last shift before I leave so I must spend some time figuring out what I want to say.

Cheers.

Reflection

2009-01-12T10:20:00.000-05:00

As I start to wind down and towards my departure, these entries become less adventurous and more reflective, which means I can combine two days into one entry. Sunday I tried to think of something to do but could not come up with anything I wanted to do. I had done everything I wanted to do here and I did not want to spend taxi fare and entry fee into a museum that I wasn't interested in just for the sake of doing something. The place I found online for a massage is not open Sunday or Monday so I called to make an appointment today (left a message on their machine) and hopefully will go on Wednesday afternoon. So I hung around the house doing nothing significant until Mike decided to teach me how to through an (American) football. After about 5 minutes Mike said I've improved 193%. So that was fun. Then Mike, Derek, and I went into little Mowbray for some happy hour drinks at 4. We shared a jug of margarita, however, it was quite strong. We estimated the jug to be about a litre a half and that it had 10 shots of tequila in it. It was too much for me and I felt ill for awhile, but recovered soon after. It could have been the braai earlier that despite our attempts to keep the flies away, they landed on everything, so maybe the tequila helped kill something in my stomach as I had not been feeling wonderful throughout the afternoon.

About 15 of us decided to go to La Med to see Goldfish play in concert. I loved it, but many of the new volunteers are still jet lagged and suffering a bit of culture shock so they were exhausted early. I think they wanted to go out but their body did not. I enjoyed 2 bottles of Savannah Dry and 1 bottle of something similar to Smirnoff Ice (but wasn't made by Smirnoff). I drank the latter one too fast and became all silly and bubbly (beyond my normal self). I quite enjoyed my last Sunday night out.

This past weekend has been intense, with 25 new volunteers arriving. I have gone out of my way to help them and answer every question to the best of my ability so everyone knows my name, yet I am still working on their names. It does feel nice to be in seniority, to be asked questions and have a reputation of “knowing everything”. I am comfortable with the house, the people, my placement and my routine here that I try to be a good role model of a volunteer here. I hope in my short one week with them I have helped them through the crazy part of arrival and orientation. The first week is the most intense and I love helping any way I can.

Speaking of which, I helped bring in all the leftover food from the braai yesterday while the rest of the staff enjoyed their lunch break. I needed something to distract myself from thoughts of Saturday and so to keep busy I chose to clean up lunch. Nolundi and Bongi kept trying to make me stop whilst they sat at the porch, calling “Katewe (kah-tea-way), that's enough.” “Stop Katewe.” “Thank you, Katewe, but please stop.” Katewe is the Xhosa name the staff gave me. It means “chosen one” just like every other Xhosa name. Apparently half the names in Xhosa mean chosen one. I appreciate the gesture very much.

Today started my last week at Scalabrini and many people, staff and refugees, did not want me to leave. They keep telling me that they hope I miss my flight! So mean, yet so nice to know how much they care about me. I will miss all of them. No one can believe I've been here 3 months already. It's almost as if I have to bring in my passport to show them the date it was stamped and the date my visa expires. I am trying to take pictures of everyone this week to make sure I have a picture of everybody. I still have to finish my thank you cards. I have about 20 to write. As for my job at Scalabrini, I'm sure I've trained Jenny well and tomorrow I'll train Brooke (another CCS volunteer). I am trying to make the hole left by my departure as small as possible.

I never thought much about my departure, mostly because I never wanted to think about leaving, but I am trying to make it a smooth transition. The trouble with saying hello is someday you'll have to say goodbye. And goodbye can be the most painful word. Especially when you have no idea how long the goodbye is for. I hope to come back, but I have no idea where life will take me so I have to say goodbye as if it is forever and hope that it is not. We will email back and forth, but I do not think it will last long, unfortunately. People get busy, people move on, that is the way life works. But forever the time we have had together will remain in my heart. I am a changed person, I am a better person, and being here was worth all the hours I spent collecting soda cans and returning them for the deposit money, all the time spent writing letters and trying to raise money. I have changed so many lives in many ways that I will never know. I can just smile and thank everyone for everything as I leave and let the tears fall in happiness for everything that has transpired over the last 3 months rather than in sadness for the departure from friends.

New Volunteers

2009-01-10T14:09:00.001-05:00

I spent the morning being lazy. As I knew so many people were coming today I took time to enjoy the quiet. I played Skip Bo, went online, and then as some volunteers began to trickle in, I took about 5 of them on a walk to Rondebosch to show them the area. We came back in time for some lunch and then I relaxed in my room again before heading with Wonga and Israel to the airport to pick up the largest group of volunteers, 12 of them on one flight, the same Delta flight I came in on. It has been a whirlwind introducing myself so many times and being tour guide. I've enjoyed it immensely as it shows how far I've come in the past 11 weeks. I remember feeling overwhelmed and a bit lost in the crowd when I came so I've tried my best to ask people who look confused if they want help. I unfortunately will not get to know these volunteers as well as I would like to so the best I can do is be available to answer every question to tell them where to find the answer. I remember thinking after a week or so of being here that eventually I'll be the knowledgeable one helping new volunteers. And here I am.

I have to remember to slow down and take everything in. I need to memorize the drive to Scalabrini, memorize faces. I want to engrave Cape Town and South Africa in my memories so it will always be there. I need to take pictures of everything and me with everyone. I need find pictures of myself to print off and give to the staff. And throughout it all, I have to try not to cry. I wish I did not have to say goodbye. My heart already aches, the tears already well up in my eyes. I am so attached to Linda, Bongi, and Nolundi that I can't imagine saying goodbye. I do not even know how to form the words. I did not intend to be so close with the staff but it happened and I will be forever greatful.

Tomorrow I think I will go for that massage and start taking pictures of the staff members with me so that I can print out pictures to give to them of us. I will be working at Scalabrini in the mornings all week and I plan on working at Scalabrini in the afternoons Monday – Wednesday (if there is work). Thursday I'll go to Rondebosch to print photos for the staff and the homebase (as well as buy tissues) and then Friday afternoon I'll pack. Saturday I'll try to relax and talk with the staff. I hope to get each one on video so I can hear their voice whenever I miss them.

Cheers

Second to Last Friday

2009-01-09T15:26:00.000-05:00

Israel insisted on dropping me off early today. Jenny was going to Sarah Fox Children's Hospital today to say goodbye to the staff and the children. I felt like a broken record telling Israel no one was there. I ran the bell several times and no one answered. He got out of the van as if I was doing something wrong or his presence would have someone answer the bell. A few minutes later he decided no one was there and had me wait in the van. About 5 minutes go by and then I see Barbara walking towards Scalabrini. I hopped out and greeted her. Israel took off and I sat at the EHD for 40 minutes without anything to do because we were not open yet. Four people trickled in for the desk and wanted me to help with Gumtree searching. I had nothing else important to do so I gave them about 20 minutes each where I sat with them and searched for positions on Gumtree. I encouraged them to walk around and look in the newspaper as they have a much higher percentage of obtaining an interview. Two of the refugees were very saddened when I told them they could not just leave their CV and I would apply for jobs on their behalf every day. I'm not looking for a job, they are, and they need to make it a full time job. One person looked like he wanted to spend no time looking for one, claim he had been looking everywhere, and therefore deserve a job. They seem to think if they can convince me, I'll hand them a job, like candy sitting in my desk - when their good I'll hand them one. I called all my Oxfam clients asking them for updates and requesting they come in next week as it will be my last week. There are a few details that need to be discussed prior to my departure so they can continue their search in a positive direction.

In the afternoon I relaxed in my room, ate some lunch, showered, went for a walk with Jenny, and then looked at Jenny's pictures from her travels in Nambia. She has some beautiful pictures of sunsets and animals. The heat was unbearable she said, averaging 100F to 125F each day. She camped in tents and drove around for some hikes and village visits. The pictures were beautiful but I do not think I could live in a tent when its 125F. Too hot, too miserable and I therefore would not enjoy it.

Tomorrow the new volunteers arrive and the house goes from 5 to 30. I'm excited for new people, but the day is bittersweet because it begins my 12th and final week of my trip here. I might celebrate by going to a local spa about a km away and getting a 60min massage. I've never had one and my neck and shoulders have been hurting for a long time. No one seems interested in rubbing my shoulders, so I might as well pay R250 ($25) for an hour. Not bad.

Well, off to sleep. Cheers.

Crazy Morning at Scalabrini, then San Village

2009-01-08T13:45:00.000-05:00

This morning I awoke not to my alarm but to a large gathering outside my window where people were greeting each other loudly, “mora” (morning) they said to each other in Afrikaans. I peeked out the window and saw a good dozen of people smiling, eager for something to be happening. At 7am I found out the main event. Garbage can diving. Complete disregard to anyone who may be sleeping in the area they shouted to each other about their finds and stuffed what they wanted into plastic bags. I got up out of bed, dressed for the day and left at half past 7. When we left this morning for placement in about 15 minutes time, there were several people passing by, smiling, pushing shopping carts full of finds from the neighbor's garbage cans.

Jenny and I arrive at Scalabrini at 20 to 9, and said good morning to everyone while setting up for employment help desk. I began seeing people shortly after 9 and told Jenny to go upstairs and wait for Alyssa to come. But Alyssa never came. I called her throughout the morning, but she never came and I never heard from her. Fine, Stefano can go upstairs, however, he left with Lena to go interview Oxfam clients about I don't know what. I was quite irate at this point as I essentially had to hand the desk by myself as I was attempting to train Jenny and handle everyone. We had to leave at exactly 12 today because of afternoon plans so I was in a rush. Joseph the other guy who was supposed to be on the employment help desk did not show up either. Jenny tried to help, by making copies and assisting people with phone calls while I handled CV's. She was supposed to be trained today by Alyssa on how to write a SA CV. And most people today wanted a CV. Eventually Joseph showed up at 11, strolling in casually. What the heck? Again I realize he had never been here when the desk is open, but that is the priority on Tuesdays and Thursdays. I was essentially running the desk myself and trying to train Jenny at the same time. I would have loved to have a clone today. No one else at Scalabrini knew what to do for the EHD. Brian is the back up, but he's still out. He hopefully will be back either tomorrow or Monday. There were some network problems that they wanted me to troubleshoot and I told them to go ask Antonio upstairs, right next to the computer lab but they wouldn't. I didn't finish the desk by the time I had to leave and I just left it for Tania. She can deal with her volunteers that didn't come in, she can deal with refugees who waited all morning and are confused. I'm done for the day.

We came home, had a quick packed lunch and then headed up the northern coast to this San village which was about an hour from Cape Town. Which turned out to be incredibly touristy and not worth the R150 at all. Of course there were beautiful views of the rural countryside, which was worth the $15 CCS paid. I was so excited to hear and learn about the San culture in a San village, but that was not what this was. We arrived and soon climbed onto a large trailer behind a large John Deere tractor (yes, they even have John Deeres in SA...picture uploaded to the photo album) and began our drive around the beautiful lands. But the tour guide didn't speak. We drove around this beautiful open land and he never opened his mouth. We got to our first stop which was a small walk. He showed us animal footprints and related it to how the San hunted, which was interesting, but every indigenous culture tracked by using droppings and footprints to hunt. We walked around, past an interesting hut without stopping or explanation, yet stopped at a patch of grass to point out different size of dung. Eventually we arrive at the replica San village which is about 5 huts centred around a fire pit. The three tour guides being to tell us about daily life in the San village which I found interesting, but since two of them spoke to us in their native tounge and then another guide translated, I soon became bored. I could somewhat guess what she was saying by her hand gestures, but I would have preferred a translation while she was gesturing with her hands and items, not talk in a San language while gesturing and then English without her gesturing. All the rock paintings were fake, the village was fake, and soon found out these weren't even San lands, the reserve bough the lands about 10 years ago to set up this tour to share the San culture. It was much more of a tourist gimmick than actually concerned with the San culture.

While bored I decided to people watch. All but one of the visitors were white and it felt strange to be surrounded by so many white people. Many wore tourist clothes, easily making themselves a target. Some men even wore swim trunks without a shirt. They were covered in tattoos and just came across as wealthy people coming to South Africa who've been at the beach for days on end and the wife wanted to do something “cultural” as she was enamored with the guide and the husband was bored. Would not recommend going there to anyone. We left as soon as the tractor pulled up to the lodge, despite the guides pleading with us to go watch a “short” half hour movie about the San. We were not interested.

By the time we arrive back at home its quarter to 6 and dinner is lentil bake. I cannot find the delivery menu and I insist Nolundi is hiding it from me because she wants me to eat her lentil bake despite me telling her for 11 weeks now that I do not like lentils. She laughs and tells me she is not hiding it. But I know, I have a feeling. I tell Nokwanda that Nolundi is hiding the menu. They laugh and say something in Xhosa that I can't understand. I'm used to hearing Xhosa and Afrikaans, but I hate it because I never know what the people are saying and it drives me nuts. Eventually, Nolundi laughs and opens a drawer and says “oh this delivery menu” while laughing. I snatch it away, sneer at her, and thumb through it. I decide on Ocean Basket for some hake and chips (fish and chips). I had it before and it was tasty so I was looking forward to some good “feesh” (that's how Ocean Basket spells it, it's a joke). It was tasty. And then I ran out ketchup. No reason to buy more as I'm leaving in 9 days, but still, it was sad. Fish and chips just tastes so much better with ketchup.

I've uploaded some pictures of Scalabrini, I will be taking some of the inside soon, right now I just took a few snapshots of the building and street. I also uploaded a few pictures from the San village tour, as the views were beautiful and the village was neat (albeit fake). Off to read before bed. Cheers.

Welcome Programme

2009-01-07T12:55:00.001-05:00

This morning Jenny and I arrived around 8:20 because we were having trouble with the van. As Israel drove out this morning, Nokwanda pointed out there was an oil spill on the ground. We drove a few km and realized this wasn't going to work and came back to take Wonga's van. So by the time we got there Barbara, Desire, and Sergio were already there. As I walked up the stairs someone banged on the door and I looked down to see Fazel and Althea (Aly) at the door. I rushed down, happy to see them. In fact everyone was there, Rhabia, Tenelle, and Ferroza. I missed them over the holidays. Ferroza was quiet but adorable as ever. She told me she wants to come home with me instead of her mommy. She likes me better. Aww!

Soon Jenny and I made our way upstairs and helped with the Welcome Programme by assembling food parcels. These were gray plastic bags that we put one packet of sugar, corn maize/flour, beans, rice, and canned meat (like Spam). For an hour we put food parcels together. I then gave Jenny and Joseph (another new volunteer from New York City, here through another NGO) on the grand tour of Scalabrini. Both of them were amazed at the size of the building. I was too when Tania gave me a tour. But now I feel comfortable and I love the building. I will take pictures soon. We then helped in the sorting room for awhile as well. The sorting room is a room on the 2nd floor where all the donations come in and we sort the clothes by gender and clothing types.

By quarter to 12 we had finished for the day. In fact, all the staff had finished for the day. There is still not much work to be done. We did hear from Brian, he had to return to Zim after his holiday there to attend his uncle's funeral. Jenny and I chatted with everyone for awhile, had several laughs, and then went down to say hi to everyone in the kitchen. Around half past twelve Israel came to pick us up.

I ran errands in Rondebosch today but forgot to buy minutes for my phone! I will go buy minutes on Friday. Tomorrow we are going to the San Village north of Cape Town to experience the first culture in South Africa. I am excited to see rock painting and understand more about the San people. After I returned home from Rondebosch I began to read a little but soon I got a tension headache. My neck and shoulders hurt immensely. I took some Excedrin Migraine and tried to lay down, but there children outside shouting.

The migraine took a lot of out me so I am going to lay down and read, but I think I might be falling asleep soon. Cheers.

Coming to Grips with Leaving SA

2009-01-06T14:26:00.001-05:00

Israel insisted on dropping me and Jenny off at Scalabrini at 8:15am this morning, despite my insistence that no one was there. Luckily, Mama (our cleaning lady) was walking up to the building when we arrived and she let us into the building. Since no one else was there Jenny and I sat reading for nearly 40 minutes before Landy came in and unlocked doors for us. Jenny will be taking over my position when I leave in two weeks so today was her first day. There were only about 20 people who came to the employment help desk today so it was a wonderful day to train Jenny.

I introduced her to those who were here, Brian is still MIA. I have not received a response from him so no one really knows where he is. My gut says he's fine, enjoying time with family in Zim. Dixon is an oddball, quite funny and says what you least expect him to say, yet very good at his job when he needs to be. As I introduced him to Jenny, he said “Merry Happy Christmas”. He could not believe I was leaving soon (many people were sad to realize I've been here almost 3 months), so he told me he was divorcing me now. I joked back by saying “But what about the children?” He laughed and said he was keeping them. I pretending to be angry and said, “Fine, take the children, take the house, take everything, I'm leaving!” He laughed and I smiled. It was great fun. And a perfect example of Dixon's crazy jokes.

Jenny shadowed me, watching my behavior towards the refugees. She worked 20 years in the police department so she knows how to handle people, but she wants to mesh in with Scalabrini. She loved her first day, stating it was much more relaxing than at Sarah Fox where all the children run around crazy and attention-starved.

After we returned I nibbled on lunch and then decided to spend the afternoon reading in my room, however that plan failed the moment I decided to take a 10 minute power nap. I set an alarm on my phone and when it went off in 10 minutes I turned it off, thinking I'd get up in about 10 more minutes. I fell back asleep however and the next thing I know it was 2 hours later. I missed language lessons with Nathalie. I will make sure to see her next Tuesday as next week is my last week.

As I think about going home, I am excited, yet very sad to say goodbye to the staff here. I love them like family and my heart will break when I must say goodbye. I will cry because my heart knows I won't be back, but I never know where life will take me. We have email of course, but it is not the same as waking up in the morning with their smiling faces here. I will miss Aunti Linda the most. She has a great spirit about her, she pushes you to smile and to be as happy as can be. Her smile and laughter is infectious and I love hearing her voice in the hallway. I will miss Bongi, Nolundi, and all the rest. I've been here for 3 months and they have taken very good care of me. How can I repay them?

I have been looking at my flight itinerary and I have a 12 hour layover in New York City at JFK airport. I arrive at 705A and leave at 655P. What in the world am I going to do for 12 hours? I am looking into storing my luggage at the airport for the day and going out into the city, but cabs can be expensive and I have NO CLUE where I am going. Will there be enough time? I am most interested in going to the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island. Maybe I can even find my great-grandparents in the log books. I have an idea of their names before and after it was changed and the country of origin. I'm trying to see if one of the volunteers who left here who lives in NYC can play tour guide for a day. I was bored enough on my 6 hour layover in JFK the first time. I can only read, eat and walk around with my luggage for so long before I'm bored to death. Why not take advantage of the day? I just don't prefer to go alone in NYC with no knowledge of it at all. Anyone know anyone or have ideas?

Off to read more of my book. Cheers.

Back to Scalabrini

2009-01-05T14:34:00.001-05:00

I was thrilled to be going back to Scalabrini today because I missed it quite a bit. My sentiments were not shared by any other employee however, as several staff members (including my two major bosses) were not back. Brian is still somewhat MIA (he reportedly went to Zimbabwe to see family for the holidays) but he had mentioned he was going to try to extended his trip. I made him promise to be back before I left. Miranda will not be back until the 12th. A few others will not be back until the 12th either. The soup kitchen does not reopen until the 12th so the kitchen staff is not in either. So who is there? About half the staff. How much work is there to be done? None. I called my Oxfam clients and heard great news from some and not so great from others. Nancy and Mercy found full-time jobs. They are not waitressing like they had been trained to do, but for now, they are earning an income and that is the most important thing. Things will only go up from here. However for Monica and Chipo, they said they either found no vacancies or the offer was too low. I do admit the offer was on the lower side, but beggars cannot be choosers! Both of them need a job and the Oxfam project ends at the end of January. I leave in 2 weeks and I doubt much more effort will be put in for them. In a year they have been unable to find a single job? I have my doubts. I think they just don't want a job. That is sad, as I have tried very hard to help. But in the end, I cannot force them to work, they have to want it for themselves. I wish them the best.

No one came in today to ask for employment assistance because the desk is still advertised as being only open two days a week. We will now return to 4 days a week as tomorrow I start training a CCS volunteer to replace me and another volunteer so the employment help desk can start to be more than just simple services by offer employment counseling. The packet I wrote is a great way to start a conversation between the refugee and the volunteer. I am thrilled that the EHD will be heading in a positive direction after I leave.

I was slated to work afternoons today but with the lack of work I decided against returning. I had PB&J for lunch because I just could not stomach the Shepard's pie. The mash on top was okay, but the mince below it was not. It had ground up meat, carrots, peas, and a few other vegetables in it. Other volunteers and staff liked it but I did not. I guess I'm a picky eater. Oh well.

I begged Israel to take me to the post office today because I was sure my package from my parents was sitting at the post. I was right! There was a slip in the box and I went upstairs to fetch the package. I had to pay R25 to retrieve it but that's not big deal. I was excited to see my mom's handwriting, it made me bit homesick. I was grinning ear to ear holding my package. Inside were Christmas presents from my parents. They sent me 2 CDs, 3 new shirts, some puzzle books, and some gum! Yay! My mom is awesome. I miss my parents so much, I cannot wait to go home. I love SA, but I am excited to go home and share my experiences here with everyone back home. Just because I physically leave SA, a part of me will remain here and a part of SA will come back with me. My experience does not end in 2 weeks, it just changes.

To add to my excitement at the post office, Israel was leafing through the letters and I saw my grandparents' return address. I didn't have to see it was addressed to me I grabbed it from him and he went to complain when he saw it was for me. I told him I recognized my grandparents' address. It was so nice to have a physical reminder from home. It made my day to get a package and a Christmas card. So thank you Grandma and Grandpa, I know you're reading this! I hope to see you shortly after I return home.

The rest of the afternoon I just hung around the house reading and playing Skip-Bo on my Nintendo DS. I have several books in progress right now because I want to read so many, but I had been reading Shamanka, a young adult fiction story about magic and illusion. It is quite good, an easy read but I love the point of view the author writes from. There is a bit of mystery and problem solving, something I do not get often from my romance novels. I'm sure I'll finish it in the next few days. I'm nearly halfway through already.

Hopefully tomorrow will be much more busier with the EHD open and training Jenny and Lousia. I'm looking forward to it.

Cheers!

10 Weeks Down, 2 More to Go

2009-01-04T15:39:00.001-05:00

I am beyond excited to return to Scalabrini tomorrow. Today I spent the morning being a little lazy before going shopping with Erica. She needed to buy a large suitcase because she bought lots of things here as well as a few other misc errands. I went with her because I needed to buy thank you cards, print off a few pictures from my safari and buy a newspaper to wrap my valuable souvenirs. I managed to fit all but 2 t-shirts and 3 bottles of wine in the suitcase. However, the 3 bottles are in Styrofoam and in a cardboard carrying case. I'm hoping Delta will allow me to travel with it on the plane in addition to my backpack and carry-on because I really do not want to put wine in the hold of the plane. They are secure in their foam, but I want to be extra sure. I cannot put them in my backpack because it is a camera backpack where the bag has two sections, the bottom is a camera bag and the top is a day bag.

Erica and I went to Cavendish Square. Despite being close I had never been there because I'm not a fan of shopping malls. Rarely are there anything else but clothes stores. But I had a few things to buy and Erica was leaving today so we hung out for a bit. As we entered the mall there was a McDonald's where we quickly decided hash browns sounded good. Upon further discussion we just decided to have breakfast since neither of us ate much this morning. After breakfast we peaked around the stores and ran our errands. At the chemist (Erica wanted medicine to help her sleep on the plane) I purchased a pair of slippers. These are memory foam slippers for R129. I am not sure of the quality of the memory foam or if it is genuine memory foam but the slippers are warm and comfy. I figured my feet will be chilly in Michigan and these slippers have good soles and are comfy.

We left the mall in search of a taxi just sitting around. Instead we found KFC. We decided takeaway chicken would be tasty for a late lunch. Erica started munching soon after we bought it, but I saved mine for lunch. I like chicken here and roasted chicken is good here but I was in the mood for some decent chicken. The KFC here is good, much different than back home, I think it's more healthy (as Erica stated since I rarely go to KFC at home). It was good and I enjoyed my chicken on the bone. I like that kind of chicken more, it tends to be more moist. Chicken breast (that come frozen in bulk) tend to go from undercooked to overcooked. Typically here when chicken breasts are made they are dry and overcooked. Nolundi made the chicken breasts today and I couldn't eat much because it was too dry (and we have no sauces). Thankfully I ate enough calories and greasy American food today (horrible for my body, tasty for my palate) that I was fine and only nibbled on dinner.

I spent the evening figuring out how to pack my souvenirs in my carry on. It was a puzzle that I needed to figure out while I still had room to do so in my room and to take inventory of all the things I have purchased over the last 10 weeks. I am done with shopping, done with all the cultural activities I wanted to do (I am doing one later this week though), and done with everything I came here to do. I have had an amazing experience here but I am ready to go home. I miss my family and I want to show them pictures and give them their gifts. I loved my trip and I'm ready to share and show those back home the beauty of South Africa. I of course will be sad to leave people I've met here behind, but one cannot say hello without saying goodbye. But we have facebook and email so I am not worried about keeping in touch with people.

I am eager to go back to Scalabrini to see what everyone did during their holiday. I miss the staff and several of the refugees I've been helping. I'm hoping some will come tell me they've got a job or had an interview over the holidays. It will make me happy and proud to see the influence I have made on the refugees. The positive thing with staying here 12 weeks is I am able to see goals met and exceeded in measurable outcomes. Those who come here for 3-6 weeks may not be able to see the influence they have made. I am lucky to see the smiles and joy in their voice. I have written the refugee packet which was something I really wanted to give Scalabrini. My goal for the next two weeks is to help put in motion methods of continuing my work at the Employment Help Desk. One of the volunteers in CCS is interested in taking over my job so I will speak to Scalabrini tomorrow about handing off the project to her. I want to make sure all the refugees I help most often are doing well and are going in a good direction. I will be bringing my camera along for the next two weeks to take pictures with people as they come and go.

Off to sleep then to Scalabrini! Cheers!

African Safari

2009-01-03T09:45:00.000-05:00

I set the alarm for 30 minutes before the driver from Aquila Safari was to pick me up, however I had trouble staying asleep. I awoke at 3am and was wide awake. Eventually I put on some headphones and listened to Enya for a bit before the alarm went off at 4:45am. I changed and was putting on my shoes when Nokwanda knocked on the door telling me the driver was here. I was the first one to be picked up and it was still dark outside. I waved to Nokwanda and I was off for my safari. Sort of.

We drove all around the Cape area for an hour picking people up. Then we drove two hours to Aquila Private Game Reserve. After our arrival we had a full course buffet breakfast. Finally at 9am I climbed into the large jeep (with about 15 other people) and we were off on a safari!

We entered the park and I was a little disappointed not to immediately see an animal. After some reflection I figured they stay away from the lodge so we had to drive to them. The game reserve is fenced in, to protect the animals from people and to protect people from the animals, however within the fences is is sprawling, undisturbed nature. Aquila has all “Big 5” animals: lion, rhino, buffalo, leopard, and elephant, but since they roam freely on the reserve visitors may not see them. I had my SLR camera and my 300mm zoom lens with me rather than my simple point-and-shoot. My trigger finger was at the ready to snap a million pictures of the animals.

We drove around a hill and first saw buffalo. They had these ugly horns on their heads and reminded me of the “fat lady” in operas. There were 3 buffalo relaxing by the water and occasionally staring at us. They were not entertaining at all. Next to them were a few zebras, who are incredibly beautiful. A zebra's strips are unique, just like a fingerprint. In fact, when a baby is born a mother will take it away from the heard for a few days to have it imprint the mother's strips in its mind so the baby will know who its mother is in a heard of a 100. We continued along the drive path and came upon some baby elephants playing in the sand. They were cute and very far away, so even with the large zoom on my camera I could not get close shots of them. I was not sad at all as I had some from when I rode an elephant. In the grass near the elephants we spotted a wildebeest, which I could not see quite well as it was hiding.

We continued driving around and came upon some springbok, some antelope and more zebras. Springbok are the cutest animals. They are similar to deer, but are much smaller and prettier. Springbok have light brown back, a white underbelly, and a dark brown stripe between the two. The guide told us that one hour after birth the animal can walk and at 3 hours after birth it can run as fast as an adult. No wonder the rugby team is named the Springboks! It is also their national animal. They hop like deer do across the road and walk slowly amongst the grass. They were the most plentiful animal in the game reserve, I saw them in at least 3 or 4 different locations. The antelope was big and ugly. It has skin that hangs down underneath its neck and grossed me out. They didn't do anything while we saw them. The springboks were playing around and eating while the antelope just sat there or stood there. One made a slight noise, but just like most of the animals there, they were quiet. I did get some incredible shots of the zebras at this time.

We moved along and saw a rhino hiding in the grass. The guide said because there was a helicopter safari today (someone came in via helicopter) it scared a few animals, including the rhino) away. I also thought the jeep made quite a bit of noise. I was wary of the jeep, first of all it had a left-side driver, which was very odd to see; I'm quite used to the right-side drivers. This means the jeep was not made in South Africa or any other country nearby. Secondly, there was a large hole between the driver and the guide where the gearshift had trouble shifting the gear. We had to call for radio help once when we got stuck in the sand and had the battery replaced in the jeep. The vehicle is not known for its quality apparently. We pulled up to a circular drive and got out to take a break. They served us sparkling grape juice and we walked around for about 20 minutes. I grew restless as I was not paying to sip grape juice right now, I wanted to see some animals!

Finally we set out for the lion reserve. Aquila has to section off the lions because they are too aggressive towards the other animals. They still roam quite freely in a good size section, but nevertheless, sectioned off from the rest of the park. I saw a family that stole my heart. If only the lions wouldn't maul me to death, I'd want them as pets – or at least pet them and hug them. So adorable! But alas, if I approached them, they'd feel threatened, attack me, and I stand no chance against a lion. The male lion in their shelter and was upside down half sleeping, half watching us with his paws in the air. Lions sleep about 20 hours a day, the rest of the time they eat. The male was cute, bating around at nothing. The female slept on top of the shelter, glanced up at our jeep's approach, decided we were harmless and then went back to sleep. There we 3 cubs wandering near their shelter as we approached, but then laid down in the grass. I could see their faces watching me, but not much more.

After we left the lions we returned to the general reserve and saw a giraffe munching on plants. Since there are only a few high trees in the reserve the giraffe will not grow much taller. I had no idea a giraffe's height is based on the height of the food it can reach. Makes lots of sense not to grow any more than necessary, but I had never known about any form of growth control beyond a few medical articles. The giraffe was beautiful, I could not stop taking pictures. The reserve only had one so I knew this was it for giraffe pictures. I have several good ones, including the (female) giraffe sticking her tongue out. My 300mm zoom lens was amazing, I wouldn't have had any amazing shots without it. I'm glad I lugged it all the way here.

We circled back around to see some more zebras and buffalo before going back to the lodge. We arrived back at 12 and the lunch buffet started at half past 12. I browsed the overpriced and quite unimpressive curio shop before heading to the bar for a rum and coke light (R20!). There was a ton of food at the buffet but I just had chips (fries), chicken, corn on the cob, and some bread. Tasty! I also had a second rum and coke light. I meandered around the lodge before hanging out in a non-smoking lodge watching a South African soap opera. There were subtitles because about ¾ was in Afrikkans and the other ¼ was English. It was funny, despite knowing nothing about the premise of the show. Shortly about half past 2 we left for Cape Town. There was a 2 hour drive back through the beautiful winelands and through the Huguenot Tunnel (a several km long tunnel through a mountain). The driver dropped me off last at quarter to 6 because he was lost driving around Cape Town due to some parade/festival that had so many streets blocked off.

Derek, Mike, and I went out around half past 7 because I wanted to go out for some nachos and margaritas at Pancho's in Observatory. However, once we got out of the cab we found out Pancho's as closed for the new year and won't open until the 6th. We walked a few shops over and settled on Obz Cafe. I had some Italian pasta, a margarita, and a rum & coke light. The guys hardly drank at all. The one night I want to go out and they don't! So frustrating. We came back shortly after 9 and I was about to crash for the night when I decided to upload pictures from my safari as I was sure everyone wanted to see them. I took about 400 photos with my trigger happy finger, about 1.5 GB worth. Many of them are amazing up close shots. With the help of Photoshop when I get home many more will be amazing too. I have to adjust the lighting on some of them, as they look washed out.

Cheers!

Shopping and Farewell Dinner

2009-01-02T15:49:00.000-05:00

As I have finished my refugee packet, I took this morning to enjoy the time left here in Cape Town. I was online for a bit of the morning, played some Skip Bo on my Nintendo DS, and then had a personal rock concert with my iPod. None of the volunteers were home but David was working on the bathroom outside my door so I cranked the volume on the iPod, closed the door, and danced around my room and sang. It was a great feeling, just being happy here. I am excited to be going home in two weeks because I'm ready for another adventure, whatever it may be. My original goal for this trip was to be a transition period between my life as a student and my life as an adult. I feel ready to conquer the world now, which is great. I helped out many refugees and impacted so many lives here. I have enjoyed my time here and I will miss the friend I have made, but I cannot move forward in life without saying good bye. It will be hard to hug Nolundi, Bongi, and others good bye in two weeks, but with photos and email, I'll be alright. Maybe just a few tears.

After lunch we had a feedback session to talk about our experiences with CCS and our placements. We each spoke for a couple of minutes and then Luann gave out gifts to the volunteers who would be leaving in the next two weeks. The gifts were a beaded pin with the CCS logo and the South Africa flag. I have seen so many people get their pin and I was excited to finally get mine. It means so much to me as I have enjoyed working with CCS and have fond memories of my experience here.

In the afternoon Erica, Mike and I went to Green Market in Cape Town. I had few more small things I had been debating about purchasing that I decided to buy. I bought some more presents for people and some jewelry for myself. After I arrive home I'll take pictures of what I brought back and post them after I give the gifts to the respective people. That way you will see what I brought back but still keep the surprise for those who I bought gifts for.

The three of us stayed downtown and met the rest of the volunteers, Francis, Luann, and her family at Nyoni's Kraal for our farewell dinner. This was my last farewell dinner so it was rather sad to realize I'm not here for forever and it is almost time to go. I ordered pork rips which were delicious but ended up being nearly two full slabs. I unfortunately could not bring them home with me because the house is Halaal and pork is not allowed in the house. However, I gave my leftovers to Israel to take home. He will enjoy them. Erica, Mike and I split two bottles of Cabernet Sauvingoun, which was good. I'm still a bit tipsy from it, but it'll help me sleep tonight.

Speaking of which, I should get to bed as I have to get up at 4:45am to go on a safari! I'm excited. I've checked my batteries for my camera and am ready to go.

Cheers!

Happy New Year!

2009-01-01T09:25:00.001-05:00

Happy New Year! I hope everyone enjoyed themselves and stayed safe. Yesterday I edited my refugee packet a little bit in the morning, as I keep wanting to change the wording of some of my sentences. Nothing major though. I think it is complete, however, I will send Miranda a copy that she can add anything else.

In the afternoon I strolled over to Rondebosch to take some photos of the area to show you. I've uploaded them to the photo album. I also uploaded a video yesterday which is shows the outside of my house. Since all 9 volunteers signed out for dinner, the staff was allowed to go home at 4 and be paid until 5. Yay! I bought Bongi, Ntutu, Nolundi, and Aunti Linda some brownies to thank them for all their hard work. They clean more in one day than I do in one week! Every day they move the beds and couches to sweep and mop the floors. They insist on making our beds, folding our blankets and opening the shades. They wash our dishes, make food for us, and always have a smiling face, even when their face shows they are dead tired. I appreciate their work so much. I tell them thank you every day, but whenever possible, I buy them chocolates.

At 7, Kathy, Jenny, and I left and walked down the street a couple blocks to a restaurant called Greek. Guess what they served? Greek food (hard guess, hey?)! I pasta with pesto and a “hint” of chili. I soon found the hint was more like a slap across the face and I quickly asked for water. It was good, just spicy! Between the three of us we had two bottles of wine (Sauvingon Blanc) and the most wonderful garlic, butter toasted pita bread. Mmm, I could have eaten that bread all night. After the delicious meal we ordered delicious deserts. We split Baklava, peanut butter and strawberry ice cream (my favorite!) and chocolate mousse (way too sugary/chocolaty).

We came back and I bought Tim Tams (YUM!) for a New Year's treat. Kathy was exhausted and went to bed while Jenny and I stayed up talking for awhile. Jenny didn't make it to midnight either, but I did. I called my mom to wish her a happy New Year when it was midnight here. Then I called and talked to Erin. I went to bed so exhausted at 1:30am that I stayed there until 11am.

I thought that since today was a public holiday all the market's would be open. I took the train to Cape Town station and then ate a relaxing lunch at McDonald's (as it was one of the three shops open) and then headed to Green Market. But no one was there! So sad. It seems logical to want to have the market open when all the shops are closed and people are not working. Oh well. I turned around and walked back to the train station. I bought a ticket to Rosebank station and the train pulled into the station at 14:06 (2:06pm). It sat there until 14:45 (2:45pm). SO BORED. I can only play Snake on my phone for so long.

I when I finally got back home I decided to hang out on the internet which made me sad, as I have no one to hang out with today. I haven't seen any of the guys since yesterday afternoon. I heard they came back this morning from their night of partying and mayhem but quickly left for the overcrowded beach. I think I'll just read or something. I'm not up for going to extremely crowded places.

Tomorrow afternoon I plan to go back to Green Market and then Saturday I'm going on a safari. After that I'll have done everything I've wanted to do here in South Africa. Next week I'm back at Scalabrini and head back home to snowy Michigan on Jan. 17th.

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year's Eve

2008-12-31T16:03:00.004-05:00

Here's a tour of the outside of my house. Enjoy! And have a happy new year!

Monday, Tuesday, and a Video

2008-12-30T13:11:00.005-05:00

29 December
Yesterday morning I worked on the refugee packet (click here to view Please let me know if you have any comments regarding it).I also hung out in the kitchen because Nolundi was back from holiday and I was happy to see her. She and Bongi were cooking food for lunch at Mzoli's, an local hangout in Gugulethu (a township, pronounced goggle-late-two). The other volunteers were going to go to lunch directly from placement and I would leave here around noon with some staff. One o'clock rolls around and I still haven't heard from anyone coming to get me. I meander out to the staff office and only Luann, Tahira, and Francis are here. Francis stared at me, trying to figure out why I was still here. Apparently Israel came back but forgot to come and get me before he left to Mzoli's. I rode with Luann and Francis in Luann's car. We drove about 3 minutes from the homebase when Israel phones Luann frantically saying he forgot me. Luann told him it was okay, I was in the car with them. I was a little pissed at almost being forgotten. By the time I arrived at Mzoli's, there was no chicken left. I had two wings, but they were mostly fat and hardly any chicken. I cannot eat the lamb and was not interested in a veggie sausage. So I hardly ate anything.

By the time we left it was pouring rain. I asked Francis if I could borrow Israel to drive me to Rondebosch because I needed minutes for my phone and wasn't keen on walking in the rain. Turns out several people needed to go so he took us all up there and I got my errands done. After I came home I uploaded all my weekend adventures to my blog.

30 December
Today I finished the refugee packet but will continue to revise it on Wednesday and Friday. David woke me up at 8am pounding away at taking off tiles in a nearby bathroom. We're renovating the bathrooms in the house right now and the pounding at 8am wasn't a wonderful wake up call. Tomorrow will be better because I'll be expecting it as well as the majority of the tile removal occurred today.

I spent a lazy afternoon talking with the staff, reading, and surfing the internet. Nothing too exciting, unfortunately, but after a long, exciting weekend, some down time is in order.

Tomorrow is New Year's Eve, the last day of 2008. I'm not a big party-goer but I thought I should do something for the evening. However, I've been told the roads are extremely dangerous because it is rare to find a sober driver that night. I had planned to go into town to a concert, but after learning it was from 6pm-6am and that it wouldn't be safe for me to come home shortly after midnight by myself I chose instead to stay close to the home base and instead celebrate the event with Jenny and Kathy at a local Greek restaurant where we can have wine and good food and then walk home. I typically stay at home with my family and watch TV and then watch the ball drop in Times Square in New York City and then go to bed. It is not a big deal to me as it is others. I'd rather just avoid the whole mess by enjoying a nice evening at home rather than go out.

The video below is of Bongi and Nolundi cooking in the kitchen today. Bongi is making minced pie. The stuff in the pot is what's for dinner. Needless to say, I ordered fish and chips from Ocean Basket.

Cape Agulhas Holiday: Day 3

2008-12-28T15:14:00.000-05:00

I set the alarm for 6:30am because we wanted to go to the cave today and the peak of low tide was at 9:38am. However, after the second snooze I dismissed the alarm on my phone and the next thing I knew it was 7:15, the time Derek and I were supposed to meet Shamiel. We came downstairs about 20 minutes later to find Shamiel was running late himself and just came down. We ate the same wonderful food for breakfast as we had the day before and headed out to the beach around 8:30 after checking out of the wonderful Arniston Hotel.

As we descended down from the car park to the beach I cut the bottom of my foot on hidden rock in the sand. It was just a surface scrape so I tried to ignore the pain while we admired a jellyfish that had been washed ashore by the tide and left out to dry in the hot summer sun by the waning tide. However, the pain was too strong and I decided not to climb around the semi-sharp rocks, even in my flip flops to see the cave. I did not want to injure myself further and stayed back on the beach while Shamiel and Derek headed towards the cave. Additionally, the waves looked strong and mist spraying up all over the rocks and I was afraid my camera would get wet. I walked around, ankle deep in salt water hoping the salt would cleanse the wound enough to reduce the pain. It worked and I drew some images and words in the sand while my mind walked down memory lane of summers spent in Mackinaw City. Still having more time to kill, waded around in some of the tidal pools. There were a few small fish trapped in the tidal pools and would have to wait until high tide this evening to swim back out to sea.

We left the beach around 10 and headed towards the Die Mond nature reserve. The van had to do some off-roading. Shamiel tried to impress us with feeling what a fishtailing car feels like, but I told him it felt just like fishtailing in the snow and ice back home, except if you get stuck in the sand, people are more likely to help you because they won't freeze their fingers trying to help. The nature reserve was beautiful, with a river running through the centre and a long pedestrian bridge that we crossed to get to a walking trail. Derek, Shamiel and I walked 1.2 km to a very secluded beach at the mouth of the river. There were several sandbars and deltas in the shallow mouth that when I stopped moving and just listed to the strong wind I felt as if I was the only person around for kilometres. The landscape was so peaceful, serene and foreign that I felt as if I was on another planet. There were large sand dunes to my right that were being shaped by the strong wind. I found the scene to be breathtaking. The sand was so full of water that if I stood for more than a second my feet would begin to sink. It was not quicksand, but it had many properties of quicksand. Most of the river had a redish tint to it, which was caused by a high iron content. This I know from lakes back home. Derek loves the sea as he is from Los Altos, CA, but I prefer the lake as it is calmer and less intimidating.

We treked back to the bridge at the entrance to the nature reserve and left Cape Agulhas for our last stop, Hermanus. This town is a popular spot for people to stop and watch the whales migrating through. However, Derek and I were there a month and a half too late and there were no whales. Nevertheless, we enjoyed our time in Hermanus. We ate lunch at Ocean Basket where I had Heinz ketchup with the most amazing fish & chips I've ever had. I didn't think I'd the whole basket, but I did. I'm not a fan of seafood, but the fish I've had all weekend on the coast was amazing. So tasty and not fishy at all.

I shopped around at the open air market and meandered around some of the shops, but only found one more present for my mom. She's so easy to shop for! Jewelry is abundant here and she loves jewelry. I need to go to Green Market to get two more gifts and I think one more thing for me.

Shamiel dropped Derek and I off at home around 6. I was exhausted but since there was no dinner (I had signed out for dinner) I ordered a pizza and uploaded photos of my weekend to my photo album. There are 32 photos of my trip for you to see when you can.

I had a great time in Cape Agulhas and I'm so glad I went.

Cheers!

Cape Agulhas Holiday: Day 2

2008-12-27T14:36:00.000-05:00

Derek and I got up around 8:30 and met Shamiel downstairs for a continental breakfast. This was by far the best continental breakfast I've ever had. I had freshly made strawberry youghurt, a mini waffle (with chunks of sugar I had to pick out) and a sausage omelet. Delicious! Much better than toast, fruit, and occasional runny eggs at the homebase. We left the home base shortly after 10 and headed to the beach to see a cave that Shamiel wanted to show us during low tide. However, we missed the peak of low tide and the tide was rising too quickly so we had to turn around. We will find out when low tide is in the morning and will come back tomorrow.

We decided to head out to Struisbaai to look into surfboard and/or kayak rentals since no one in Arniston has equipment to rent. We pulled up to Struisbaai about half an hour after we left Arniston because we had to drive up to Bredasdorp because the van was not built for off-road on the dirt roads. Shamiel took us to the longest boardwalk in the southern hemisphere, which winds around the rocky shore to the beach. We walked most of it, then turned back because we wanted to go drive the 10 minutes or so to L'Agulhas to go to the most southern point and the lighthouse.

At L'Agulhas we first we climbed to the top of the lighthouse, all 71 steps. Rather than steps, there were 71 rungs of 5 ladders we climbed to the top. It was a bit windy on the ground and the wind strength was multiplied on the top of the light house. I had to slide my feet on the deck to ensure my flip flops didn't go flying off. It was fun to lean into the wind with arms outstretch and the view was incredible. I could see out into the Indian and see the Atlantic Ocean in the distance. For a good minute I heard my mom yelling in my head about the height and the wind (she's not fond of heights). It made me smile to have her there with me. I love you, Mom! I peered in at the light, as it was off, and admired the powerful beacon that warns ships of the rocky coast of southern Africa. The light can be seen for 30 nautical miles and has an intensity of 7,500,000 candlepower. After about 10 minutes atop the lighthouse Derek and I climbed down and we headed a few kilometres west to the most southern point in Africa.

Standing near the monument while others were taking pictures I took in the landscape. The shore was quite rocky and large, jagged rocks lined the shore. I was unable to stand with one foot in the Indian and the other in the Atlantic because of the jagged rocks. If I had proper water shoes on rather than cheap flip flops I would have been more adventurous to walk in the water. Derek and I had Shamiel take plenty of pictures of us at the monument that symbolizes how far south we are. The surrounding area to the point was undeveloped, protected land which looked more like reclaimed land. It was sandy, rocky, and grassy, with its image completely reliant on mother nature.

We decided to grab a bite to eat at a seafood takeaway. I ordered hake & chips and a Savannah. It tasted great, similar to fish & chips back home, but quite fresh, as I'm sure it was caught the day before. It was the best fish and chips I had so far. It was not fishy tasting at all. Today marks 9 weeks in South Africa and 3 to go. I have to start taking pictures of places in Rondebosch and at the Scalabrini Centre soon. I want to make sure I have pictures of everything and everyone.

As I said earlier it was quite windy and we soon found out no one would let us rent a surfboard or a kayak. We decided to check out a Die Mond nature reserve, but it had closed by the time we pulled up. We plan to come back tomorrow morning after we go to the cave. Defeated, we headed back to our hotel. Derek went out to the beach to swim for half an hour. I intended to swim and then shower, but I got caught up in the movie Jack on the TV. I quickly showered and Derek and I headed down to dinner at the hotel's bar with Shamiel at 7. I had the most amazing tomato and basil soup, about a quarter of a “beef” patty that tasted more like ostrich and I didn't like it, and a good slice of cheesecake. I had Smirnoff Storm to drink, which is essentially Smirnoff Ice. While Derek and Shamiel were smoking some cigars I left to go up to the room to call my family who were all together at my aunt and uncle's house for family Christmas. It was nice to talk to everyone. I came back down to have one last drink with Shamiel and Derek before I headed back upstairs for bed.

Cape Agulhas Holiday: Day 1

2008-12-26T13:27:00.000-05:00

Author's Note: I wrote some of this in the van, some of it afterwards.

I'm so excited to get out of the city! Derek, Shamiel and I have been looking forward to this trip for the past two weeks. Shamiel isn't even looking at this as work, rather as a fun holiday with friends who are paying for his accommodation and paying him to drive them because we can't drive here. We are blasting Goldfish and are calling our van the party bus. The scenery is beautiful, lush, and green. There are beautiful vistas where I can see for kilometres, mountains in the distance with rolling green hills of farmland and vineyards. Reminds me of photos of Ireland, actually. Shamiel estimates the drive to be about 2 hours to Arniston.

We arrive in Arniston around 11. We took a walk, about a km up the road towards the beach. There were some of the most incredible sand dunes on the right side of the road and the Indian Ocean on the left. We walked down to the shore, rolled up our pant legs (I forgot my capris at the home base!) and waded around the shore skipping stones and admiring our first look at the Indian Ocean (well, first look for Derek and I). The Indian Ocean is much lighter in color, similar to the azure blue of the Caribbean Sea. It is much warmer than the Atlantic and looks much more inviting. The Atlantic is a very deep blue and looks like dangerous and mysterious, like it holds many secrets. Shortly thereafter we headed back towards the hotel to check in. Our rooms were not ready just yet, so we decided to grab some lunch at a seafood place. There was a poster on a phone poll about “The Cave” which boasted the best seafood. We found it, however, it wasn't exactly a restaurant. It was a trailer that served seafood. Derek and I ordered calamari & chips and Shamiel had hake & chips (plain fish fillet). The calamari was good, however I am not a big seafood fan or calamari fan, so I only ate about half of my calamari. Derek was kind enough to finish off what was too much for me. According to Derek, the calamari was fried perfectly, as it was not gummy. He said most calamari is overfried in the US, but this was perfect. It was a bit greasy, but most fried fish is.

By 3pm we arrived back at the hotel and found our rooms. Derek and I were sharing a room and Shamiel had is own room at a tour guide's rate. The Arniston Hotel is a 4 star hotel and was worth the $125/night. The furniture was whitewashed, we had a large balcony overlooking the pool, and an extremely large, tilled bathroom, complete with whirlpool. Shamiel had a similar sized room, but we only had to pay $50/night for him. We had a TV in the room with satellite TV and complementary brandy, too bad neither Derek or I like brandy. Interestingly enough, Derek and I each had a twin bed. The two beds were pushed together to look like a king size bed, but they each had their own linens.

The guys decided it was nap time, as Shamiel had been working since 4:30am and Derek said he was exhausted from not sleeping well. We decided to meet in the hotel lobby for dinner at 6. Derek was out within 5 minutes so he didn't hear me change into my suimsuit and go down to the pool. I was eager to swim in a pool, rather than ocean because the smell of saltwater was getting to me. The pool was not heated however, and took me a few minutes to acclimate. It was rather small, not even large enough to swim laps, but I swam around underwater, enjoying the feeling of weightlessness without the motion of the ocean tossing me about. It was quite peaceful. After about 15 minutes I got out and laid on the chaise lounge chair to dry and tan. It was a wonderful feeling to be swimming in an outdoor pool and laying out in the sun on the day after Christmas. I've always been in Michigan for Christmas and I soaked up the sun for all it was worth for 40 minutes. I went back to the room around 4:30 to shower and call home on the balcony. I noticed I was a bit pink, but with a few rubs of aloe I hope the slight burn will turn into a tan, as I have not been able to tan since I've been here. I had to wake Derek at 6 for dinner.

We ate dinner in the hotel's bar. I had a wonderful 200g steak, though it was a bit sweet and dry, and chips, washed down by Savannah Dry. I of course did not finish the steak, as that is 10oz. All three of us succumbed to the calling of desert and I had two brownies with vanilla ice cream. I couldn't even finish that! I had a brownie and a half before I called it quits. After stomaching all this food, we each got our bills. Guess how much all of this food cost? R135 ($13.50!) I am so spoiled with prices here, it will be difficult to go home to pay the expensive prices. We hung around talking and drinking until the bar closed at 11. I was enjoying myself so much that I was sad for the night to end. We were plenty entertained by the 2 saltwater fish tanks, each of which were about 50 gallons (my guess). The fish would swim away fast when your hand got close to the glass so we kept playing with the fish for a good twenty minutes. The bar top even had a fish tank! The top where customer's drink rested was clear because there was a shallow tank that allowed the fish to swim all around the bartender and entertain patrons. I crashed about midnight.

Map of Southwestern South Africa

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Note: Waenhuiskrans is the Afrikaans name of Arniston. L'Agulhas is the town where the southern tip is located. Struis Bay is the English name of the town Struisbaai.

Merry Christmas!

2008-12-25T11:35:00.001-05:00

Merry Christmas!

So what makes it “feel” like Christmas? Many of the volunteers here say it does not feel like Christmas, even I've sad it. So why doesn't it? Is it the routine we have the makes it Christmas? The decorations? Does it not feel like Christmas because I'm away from all the commercialization? I am not bombarded here with music and Christmas items here so it is easy to miss the holiday. I miss my family, but not as much as I thought today. I missed them more yesterday than I have since shortly after I arrived here. I really missed our traditional of Christmas Eve presents. It is on Christmas Eve that I give my parents a special gift, one I want them to take time to look at and appreciate. I work hard on these presents and I did not do that this year because I am gone. However, there is one special gift I am bringing back from Africa for both my parents and I hope they appreciate as much as I love it.

Moving on to the best part of today. Ten of us went to Sarah Fox Convalescent Children's Hospital to play with the children. I had an amazing time. The children had a few presents already given by local charities or people and I sat down with this one boy and played with a car and two Power Rangers. He spoke no English, just Xhosa, and the only Xhosa word I know is molo, which means hello. But we didn't need language really, he would hand me the car and the power rangers and I figured out he wanted me to stick them through the open windshield to push them around. The best communication was body language, as it's universal. I smiled and waved, which they reciprocated. They would bring a toy over and we would play, both talking in our own languages and not understanding what the other was saying. After about 10 minutes we took almost all the children to play outside. Some of the smaller children had never been outside because the number of volunteers is so low, they can only let the children who can occupy themselves go out to play. Most of the children live in cribs or cots in a big open room. Despite being away from their families, they were happy to play on the swings and the playground equipment. I made the mistake of sitting on the ground and I became part of the playground equipment. They would come up and sit on my lap, jump on my back and dance around me. If one kid moved, another would take their spot. I ticked the kids and tried everything else I knew to make them laugh. Many of the kids are sick, their faces are disfigured or are burn victims. One boy had been burned on nearly all of his skin. The nurses told me his head wrapping just came off and until then all you could see were the slits of his eyes. The other children were afraid of him. Now he's a bully, taking toys away from the smaller children. We tried to tell them no when they do something wrong, but it is not our place to discipline. Most often a stern voice will stop the negative behavior and send the children running away to do something else. The children loved to pose for our cameras. We cannot use the photos for our own profit/gain, but we can use them to show other people. Plus, the kids love to sit down and take a picture with you, as long as you show them their picture. It makes them smile and giggle because they feel important.

At 12:30 we were picked up and I was beat. Being a human jungle gym took a lot out of me. We ate leftover Christmas dinner for lunch, since all the staff, save for security, had the day off. I am so happy they are; it was because I was so upset they had to work that I said something and the staff was given the option to come in for double pay or stay home for no pay. I wanted them to have a paid day off, but I am happy with them choosing to stay home to be with their families and to go to church. Most of them were very happy they could go to church today. After lunch we took our miniature tree into the lounge and put our presents underneath it. We set a limit of R50 ($5) and each bought something for a gift exchange. We went around and picked presents and had a stealing frenzy. It was fun. Most gifts were food purchased at Pick N Pay or Checkers. I ended up with some chocolates. I had a few, offered most of them away and still have many left. I will definitely offer them to the staff when I see them on Monday. I do not need to eat 400g worth of chocolates. As tasty as it would be I would get sick and it would ruin all the weight loss I've done so far.

I spent the afternoon resting, calling friends and family, and then laying around outside. I'm going to see what to do about dinner and then relax around the house the rest of the night. Christmas is always a lazy day for me so I'm doing the same here in South Africa. I need to pack tonight, as tomorrow morning around 8am I'm off to Cape Agulhas. I cannot wait. I'm so excited for a beautiful and fun filled weekend with Derek and Shamiel.

Merry Christmas to all and I hope you had a wonderful day as well with your family. I've uploaded pictures from dinner last night, the bonfire, and Sarah Fox. Click the link on the right labeled “Photo Album”.

Cheers!