July 2010
22 posts
So I came here with the intention of donating at least 80% of the clothing that I brought with me. However, I think I may have not calculated correctly (or at all) because I’ve basically been wearing the same clothes in a three/four day rotation. So if I seem to be wearing the same clothes in my pictures, it’s because I am!
Lizzy: this post is for you!
Every time I see a goat here—which is pretty damn often, I think of you, Liz! (of course, you’re never far from my mind anyways:-))
Love ya!
Yoga
I found this really great yoga studio in Cape Town. It’s called Shanti Cape Town. It is specifically an Ashtanga studio, so I was more than thrilled. The teacher, unfortunately, (well fortunate for him, but unfortunate for me) is traveling to India in a few days, so I wont’ have the opportunity to take many classes with him, but he was a really terrific teacher. He’s super stoked about his...
Djembe
I was hanging out at the Ubuntu Festival for Mandela Day and walking around the Greenmarket Square and I am very happy to say that I am the proud new owner of my very own djembe. For those of you who don’t know what a djembe is—it is an African drum—and mine is beautiful!!! Odi is a great percussionist and watching him at the conference in Lesotho got me totally inspired. So I did play a little...
UU Cape Town
Went to the Unitarian Church in Cape Town on Sunday. The minister, Rev. Roux Malan, was away, but he’ll return for next week. The church is a fairly small building, but is housed right near the middle of downtown Cape Town—just off Long St, the “main” street. The church building itself is beautiful with nice lighting and a great loft which doubles as the library. Leigh, the president of the...
Robben Island
While in Cape Town I’m going to try to take advantage of my free time to explore the city and all it has to offer—which is a lot. Today I went to Robben Island, a decent sized island about 15km off the coast of Cape Town. This island is where the maximum-security prison was operating, and is where Nelson Mandela was imprisoned for 27 years. I went on a tour of the island as well as one of the...
Cape Town
I’ve arrived in Cape Town. Been here for two days so far and I love it. It is different from just about every other city I’ve been in. With Table Mountain rising out of its center—the landscape is incredible. I went to the office today and met everyone that I’m to work with for the rest of the summer. Everyone was very nice and I think I’ll settle in quite nicely here. The specific projects...
Hlane Game Reserve
Sabelo came to Lomahasha to fetch me. On the last day we were there, we went to the Hlane Game Reserve—the national game reserve of Swaziland—the one the king goes to once a year to hunt in in order to prove his dominance. Our guide was a jerk at times, and was pretty careless at other times—but I think we all had a great time. We saw rhino, warthog, elephant, nyhala, lion, antelope, giraffe,...
Lomahasha
The next stop in Swaziland was Lomahasha—I’m staying with Sabelo’s extended family. Lomahasha is the most rural village that I’ve stayed in thus far. A few houses have scarce electricity and running water, but most do not. And hot running water is definitely out of the question. The first Mashwama family that I stayed with had three children, a little girl, Temashinga, a little boy, Banele,...
Egumeni
Next stop: Swaziland
From Lesotho, I went to Swaziland to learn about the Egumeni project. The name “egumeni” refers to an old African practice that has been lost to most communities with the rise of modernity and individualization—even in the most rural communities. With egumeni, women would sit around in a circle and share their chores, keep one another company, as well as...
Lesotho (pronounced Lee-su-tu (though the last u...
Odi and I did a bit of traveling around Lesotho when we weren’t needed at the conference. We decided to drive around a bit and see what we could find. From having read my handy dandy travel book on Lesotho, I knew that not too far away there was a cave village that apparently housed some very old bushman rock paintings—though I knew little more. So off we went to try to find our way. We didn’t...
Siyafundisa
Odi and I eventually did make our way to Lesotho for the Anglican Students Federation (ASF) conference. This conference is for all of the Anglican Students across Southern Africa. The conference is being held at the National University of Lesotho in Roma, and there are approx. 350 students attending. Odi is one of the field workers in charge of the Siyafundisa program, one of the projects that...
Road Courtesy
So how many of you have ever gotten stuck behind someone driving way too slow on the road with no passing or cars constantly coming in the other direction? Or how about you’re just driving along enjoying the drive, following the speed limit, and some jerk comes racing up behind you, flashes the high beams, and eventually has to slam on their brakes before running into the back of your car? Well,...
Joburg townships
Sabelo, my internship supervisor here, and Odridge (Odi) met me at the Joburg airport. From here I traveled with Odi to Lesotho (a small, land-locked country completely surrounded by South Africa). We thought it would take about 5 hours, but it ended up taking closer to 8—a very long 8 hours especially after the long flights. But Odi was the best travel companion (and guide) a girl could ask...
Travel
So the flights to South Africa were relatively uneventful—which is exactly what you want a flight to be! I had a two-hour layover in the airport in London. I decided to do a bit of yoga to relax and loosen up before the long flight, so I scouted out a quiet spot a couple of gates away from where everyone was waiting. After a few sun salutations though, a few people had come over to join in (and...
June 2010
2 posts
Departure Day!
Yesterday: packing all day with the company of several of my loveliest friends!
Also yesterday: having my sub-letter back out last minute. Though thankfully to my wonderful roommate Carolyn, I know we’ll find someone! Seriously, she is totally fab!
Last night: still up packing until midnight.
This morning: up at 4.
Right now (4:55): typing and trying not to freak out obsessively that...
Inaugural Post
Welcome to my first attempt at blogging!
And welcome to the countdown to my departure to South Africa!
My flight takes off in about 46 hours. Mostly everything is done. Everything except for the actual packing of my bags that is. But that’s happening tonight—like right now, actually! Gotta go!
More to come on my actual internship in the next post.
Peace to y’all!