I think there are some things that I am just never going to get used to here. For example…
There is a window in the shower that I use in res. I actually really like having a window there… its frosted, so it’s not like anyone can see in it, and there are advantages of having a ledge and sunlight and such. Anyway, the architecture is not the point… the point is that birds fly into the window ALL THE TIME. The first time it happened, I was confused, then finally just decided that a very stupid bird must have flown into it. I mean, I understand birds flying into sliding glass doors and such (the reason I don't wash the one at home is obviously because I want to protect innocent animals) but this is a frosted window, and there is no way that a bird could miss that it is there. Plus, they can’t see their reflections in it either, so why would they fly into it? Well, after having it happen over and over, I have decided that the birds are not stupid (well, actually, they are), but that they are flying into the window on purpose. This is terrifying. A bird (or multiple birds, it was always black but I can’t see much through the frosted window) flew into the window inside the shower NINE times today. Sometimes they fly into the other window in the bathroom too, but not today. Also, they do it more when there is movement or colors near the window (such as when I sit my shampoo on the ledge), which makes me feel like they are purposely attacking me… perhaps they are territorial, and have nests outside the window or something? Either way, it was freaking me out today… the windows are cracked, and I had a sudden thought, “What if the cracks in the window are from the birds? What if they break through the window while I am in here washing my hair?” Its like Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho meets The Birds. Ahhh the birds are so frightening here…
I got an Ethnomusicology paper back today, and was amused to find that my professor had made notes about my grammar all through my paper. Now, I am obviously not an English major, and I make mistakes from time to time, but I read through the whole thing and only one thing that he pointed out was actually wrong. Perhaps it is the fact that I speak “American” English? I don’t know, but I find it quite amusing, especially because English is not my professor’s first language, and I often have to work to understand what he means. Also on the funny side, the note at the end of the paper says, “Excellent! 78%” At home, I think I would choke if I got a 78 on a paper, but here, it’s the equivalent of an A. I don’t think I will ever get used to the academic system here. In some ways, it is much easier than at home, but I struggle in other ways… sometimes, I really wish professors would just tell me what I need to do in order to do well in their class. Zoology especially. However, I am just going to do the best I can and not stress out about it... its not the end of the world if I don’t do as well as I want, and I basically have no idea what my grades are right now anyway, so there is no use in worrying.
Another thing I don’t think I will ever get over is how blue the sky is. It's just intense, and I absolutely love it.
Last thought… I will never get used to the way time moves here. Its so slow and so fast at the same time. I had my last mentoring session at the Rafael Center yesterday, and I can’t believe it is done. Also, I had my very last lecture this morning; now I just have SWOT week and then exams. However, when you are in the moment, everything seems to move so slowly here, so I don’t understand how it could be coming to an end. People tend to not hurry, so everything seems very chill and relaxed and "we’ll take care of the 'just now'” until suddenly, the day is gone and the week is gone and the semester is almost over. I am just about ready to buckle down and study for exams, and I have started trying to finalize travel plans and figure out how in the world I am getting to the airport (most of my afternoon magically slipped away while I was trying to work on that), but often I feel confused about how I got here. I will be excited to be home, but I also have so much more left I would like to do. South Africa is full of surprises and unexpected adventures, and I am not quite ready for them to end. Luckily, I have a few up my sleeve to keep the next month interesting…
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