Amazing Africa.

So I was invited to be part of a family vacation with my adopted South African family (this is a family I have stayed with a few times when I have to travel away from the village). On our “family vacation” we visited the most amazing game park which is situated almost on the border of Botswana (about 20km from the border crossing). A place called Madikwe. It’s hard to explain the African bush until you have been here but the game parks are quite amazing (and this one was exceptional). Prior to coming I had read that the lions at this game park were abundant (they actually have too many and are in the process of removing some) and I would definitely see all of the “big 5.” I had also read that I was in for a bit of luxury living. As you can imagine anything with running water is pretty luxury to me but this place was truly amazing…except at any moment you could be killed by a lion or a poisonous snake or spider the size of your arm because you are in the middle of the bush with a flimsy little fence around the perimeter. Every morning and evening you take a “game drive” which is where you look around for animals in the park – imagine a vast wilderness (not a zoo). It was spectacular. I saw African wild dogs stalk and kill an impala, lions just walking around, elephants outside my room, rhinos…tons of birds which I had no idea what they were but everyone else was always expressing amazement (there are apparently over 350 kinds of birds – that is way too many to keep track of - I am a horrible bird watcher). But I did enjoy the stalking and killing which we were able to witness. To see an animal hunt is intense. I know that sounds crazy coming from a vegetarian but there was something very beautiful about the process.


But, again, I am happy to be home. I miss my little place when I'm gone. I always call my host dad when I am gone to update him about when I am coming back (and he likes to make sure I'm alive and safe). Well, yesterday I called him saying I would be back in that afternoon. His response almost brought tears to my eyes. He said, “We can’t wait for you to come home. We have been missing you terribly.” Ahh.

Oh, don’t forget to check out my pictures. I am getting better about posting pictures.

Pick N Pay

Sometimes you do crazy things in Africa. Like run marathons. Yesterday, I ran a marathon.  And I ran this marathon so that I could qualify for an even longer run that will take place later this year.  Why?  I don't really know.

But an interesting tidbit was that a runner was hit by a car during the race yesterday.  The car that hit the runner was a get away car that had just robbed a store and was trying to quickly leave the scene of the robbery...talk about crazy.

Happy Valentine's Day!

The future.

I know I said that I just enjoy spending time with the kids here (and I do) but there are so many kids it is difficult to manage and can be overwhelming. I might have mentioned this but my work to start the girls club has led me to helping at the primary school in my village. This is a school with almost 700 learners…and not enough teachers. And that’s just the primary school. The high school has almost 1,200 learners and has a huge problem with overcrowding, lack of teachers and the list goes on…
So sometimes you just have to find a few kids that stand out and you start getting to know them a bit better. These are a few of the kids that I have been spending my time with...

Dineo. She is in 7th Grade. She wants to be an accountant. Her English is really quite good (it’s her favorite subject). She helps her best friend with her schoolwork because she doesn’t want her to fail. She is kind and funny and likes to dance (but she doesn't think my dancing is that good).  

Lebo. She is in 12th Grade. She wants to learn about meteorology. She is the only one of her friends that passed 11th Grade. She works extremely hard and wants so much to go on to tertiary school (college). She is bright, articulate and quite ambitious.  I try to help her with math and physical science on the weekends.

Kagiso. She is in 10th Grade. I don’t think she has quite decided what she wants to do but, man, is she sharp. She doesn’t take any crap (in a good way) and is a great student. I like to hang out with her because she helps me look at the world from a teenager’s perspective - she is totally honest and shares her feelings openly.

I could go on (there are others, definitely) but these kids stand out. A common link between all three of them is that they have all lost one of their parents. Their remaining parent is struggling to make ends meet (making very little money) and all have multiple siblings and have to help at home. They will face huge challenges simply because of their circumstances. It’s an amazing world we live in, isn’t it? These kids just want the same thing that any young person wants?  My hope for their future is that someday their dreams will come true.

Happy Anniversary!

So this weekend we had a reason to celebrate.  My fellow Limpopo volunteers of Peace Corps South Africa group 21 (we were missing one of the group!) got together to celebrate our one year anniversary of living in South Africa. I have a few pictures of our weekend in my photo album (we even went to a coffee place in town which was a highlight)!
And now for a bit of reflection time. I never thought I would make it this far. Through the application, leaving everything that I know and love, giving up the physical comforts of my very blessed American lifestyle, trying to figure out what I was supposed to be doing in my project (and how to communicate in another language which is still definitely a work in progress)…and now I will use a cliché. It is the toughest job you will ever love. And, strangely, I do love it. Not to say there aren’t moments (or, okay, let’s be honest, even days) that I have hated it. But I am so glad I took this leap. I am doing something that only a few people will ever have the chance to do. And what makes me love it the most to be honest are my interactions with the kids.  They see me as a part of America - a place that they will probably never get to see (and many of them will never even leave this village).  But I have this opportunity to share part of what America is and who I am with these kids. It seems less and less about the big things (although I’m still trying the big things and some work, some don’t). But the exchange and sharing of culture is something I will never again take for granted.

Here's to one year in South Africa! 

Strange.

I had a week that was filled with strange and interesting things. But, I must confess that it was one of thost emotional roller coaster weeks for me. One day I was feeling the lowest of low - why did I come to South Africa?  This is crazy? The next, I was on a high - this is amazing?  I am making such an impact!  If I have learned nothing else being a Peace Corps volunteer, it is how to simply “keep going.” And, if you just keep going you get to see and do some amazing, strange and interesting stuff – and meeting amazing people along the way.

To highlight a few of the strange and interesting things this week...
• I was locked IN at work. Yes, I could not get out of the locked gate that surrounds our center for several hours.  I tried to call people and finally got in touch with someone who came and let me out. 

• I discovered that there is a pyramid selling scheme that is moving around my village that some of the people are participating in – and the products are made in Scottsdale, Arizona! How weird is that! It’s some kind of aloe product that you sell and then get other people to sell and then you can make money…I have been solicited to buy these miracle products several times. 
• I was sitting on my porch and one of Piet’s friends was putting shoe polish on her feet. I asked why? She said because it cures her pain. Oh, I said. Why not? I guess the rumor is that brown (you can’t use any other color) cures corns.

I thought I needed to pass these strange items along…and they made me feel happy about being in South Africa.

And, tomorrow, I will get up and keep going so that I can learn more strange and interesting things.

Thank you.

I first must thank my girls club donors to date (and there’s still time to make donations if you are feeling generous)! My fabulous friend Christine – you are most amazing. Grandmother – I love you. Chad, Lorrie and Kathy…I will buy you a drink when I get back (that is, when I get a job)! :)

I am working with the primary school here in my village to organize the first meeting (remember, things move via SLT but have no fear)…and I will keep you informed as to our progress. I am very excited!

So I read an article in the paper during my holiday break that I enjoyed and wanted to share…I will try to find the link and post. For now, let me at least share one small part of the article (which was about aging and living longer). The author, Robert Rowland Smith, talks about aging not along a continuous axis where you might be tempted to keep doing the same things.  He states that the challenge (and opportunity) of getting older is to make abrupt turns which might not only make you better but essentially these turns could make you a different person. I like that.

Here's to some abrupt turns for all of us in 2011. 

Ain't it beautiful.

Ahh, vacation. So I now understand why people flock to Cape Town. It is an amazing place. For the holidays (so I wouldn't be depressed without the comforts of my family and friends for Christmas and New Year), I embarked on an amazing adventure. I think I could have spent another several weeks in Cape Town and been quite content (it might have also been the showers and free use of a washer as well)?  You have the ocean, wineries, mountains, shopping, great food, museums…the list goes on. I, again, traveled with the wonderful couple, Chuck and Michelle, who have taken me under their wing and into their family (which can be confirmed because the three of us shared a flat for a week with one bathroom which did not have a bathroom door – this took a bit of coordinating but we managed…hey, it was a free accommodation). We climbed Table Mountain in record time, watched African penguins in Betty’s Bay, walked along the cliffs of Hermanus hoping to see whales (no luck), toured several wineries where I tried to taste the asparagus in my wine (no luck again but I drank it anyway), ran up Chapman’s Peak, watched a concert in the Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens on New Year’s Eve, and enjoyed the Cape Town Minstrel Carnival Parade on New Year’s day.


I must admit I was a glad to be home after my almost 30 hours of travel…but it was well worth the journey. Please view the pictures of our amazing adventure. Happy New Year.