tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32368084381179038922024-03-13T13:04:13.448-04:00Looking for Rainbows"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart." Jeremiah 29:11-13Christianahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15251341450893674901noreply@blogger.comBlogger40125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3236808438117903892.post-38646948311476146892011-11-25T17:40:00.000-05:002011-11-25T17:40:57.551-05:00Love Is In The House-TobyMacI keep saying that I will talk about race, apartheid, and all that difficult stuff, but I put it off time and time again. I think part of it is that everything is so very complex, and it is hard to explain. Also, I still feel like I don’t have a complete understanding of everything, and I don’t want to give you the wrong idea. But, it is a huge part of SA history and I would be remiss if I didn’t tell you anything. So, I am not even going to try to give you an overview of things, but will instead just tell you some of the things that I have learned, noticed or experienced since coming here. If you don’t know what Apartheid is, go read a book (I would recommend A Rainbow in the Night, I found it helpful for me before I came). Also, if I have gotten any of this wrong, please forgive me and don’t be offended. Just remember that I really love SA, and that it is a very complicated place.<br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">Deracialization seem to be the catchphrase and the goal of everything. We are ‘de-racializing the schools’, ‘deracializing the workplace’, ‘deracializing the country’ (actually, if you want to be accurate, you should probably replace the “z” with an “s”). However, Grahamstown, like most places, is not really deracialized. There are no laws prohibiting black people from moving into a white area, and the rise of black middle class has led to some semblance of mixing. However, in reality, the town is still surrounded by townships (the name used to describe shantytowns and impromptu communities that grew up around “white only” towns during apartheid), which are often still referred to by their old names and do not appear on most of the maps of Grahamstown I can find. The main divide is caused by economic disparities… the conditions in the townships are very different compared to Grahamstown proper, and people in the townships largely couldn’t afford to move to white areas if they wanted to (When I went to some of the townships during my orientation, my guide, who lives there himself, said that many people who could afford to move to white neighborhoods didn’t want to anyway, because their friends and family lived here, and the atmosphere in white neighborhoods felt restrictive compared to the communal nature of the townships). However, the thing that I wanted to point out was that everything is still described as ‘the white neighborhoods,’ ‘the black township,’ ‘the coloured area,’ ‘the Indian area,’ etc. The fact that these places exist is a remnant of apartheid law, but the fact that they are still described this way is a remnant of apartheid ideology. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Not that people are outwardly racist (for the most part). Its just that the country was harshly segregated less than 20 years ago, and it takes awhile for people’s minds to let go of the things they were taught. This doesn’t show explicitly, but rather in subtle ways that I think are less-than-conscious practices. Race is just there, and it has been used to differentiate between people for a long time. I hate to get all psychology on you, but the best way I contextualize is using research that was done on race divisions in the workplace (in the US). Basically, researchers described two different methodologies that people use when interacting among different races. The first is the “colorblind” approach, which is basically viewing everyone as the same and seeing no difference between people of different races. The second methodology was termed “celebrating diversity,” which acknowledges that there are differences between people, but assumes that people from other races have something valuable to add to the community. It is my opinion that when people say that they are colorblind, it is because they have been told that everyone is equal and that it is wrong to divide people based on race. However, this results in trying to suppress or ignore any differences, because they feel that to acknowledge them would somehow be impolite or even racist. This in turn creates some level of tension and awkwardness, which I think exists to some degree in the US and even more here. People are extremely aware that they are white and the person next to them is black, but they aren’t supposed to be noticing this, so they can’t address whatever separates them from the other person (because those things aren’t supposed to exist, either!). Does that make sense at all? For example, I am fairly ignorant about the concept of a weave (although I know a lot more now than I did before I came… which just goes to show how much I didn’t know before), but I would feel totally rude if I said to one of my friends, “please tell me all about your weave because I am white and I have never had one and I just really don’t understand all of the details.” Okay, perhaps that was not the best example, but I hope that you can possibly relate to that awkward feeling I am describing.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">I am not saying that this applies to everyone, but I do sense that awkwardness often here. People tend to form friend groups according to color, and I don’t think it is on purpose, but it is still pretty stark. All of the churches I went to were either white or black with a handful of people mixing it up (this wasn’t quite so pronounced at Fronteirs, but was still true). Even the classes were surprisingly separated… in a university where the majority of students were black, there was only one girl in the entire third year zoology class, which was definitely not the case in my history class. In our dinning hall, it was clear that friend groups were divided along racial line for the most part. And I am totally not immune to this. I realized about midway through the semester that most of my friend here are white, and if you asked me how that happened, I really have no idea. I am not really proud of it, but at the same time I love the friends that I met here, so I don’t regret the friendships I made. It’s just something that happened along the way, and I honestly don’t know what to make of it. But it is a part of my time here, so I think it bears mentioning to you. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">What does it mean to be racist? Is it thinking less of people whose skin is a different color than yours? Is it thinking that people whose skin color is different than yours <u>are</u> different than you? Is it noticing that someone’s skin color is different from yours at all? The lines blur, and it is hard to tell the difference when it is a matter of the heart. But matters of the heart have a sneaky way of creeping into your actions without you noticing, so it is important to think about these issues. Race relations are strained here sometimes, and they are strained at home as well. If we want to stop being politically correct and actually loving our brothers and sisters, it is something that we all have to address. A matter of the heart. </div>Christianahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15251341450893674901noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3236808438117903892.post-19512877181297459432011-11-25T16:10:00.000-05:002011-11-25T16:10:05.574-05:00Free-SwitchfootDisclaimer: Okay, I am actually home now, but I wrote a few blogs right before I left and while I was traveling that I couldn’t post because I had no internet. So I am going to put them up now, and you will just have to wait for the wrap up ending stuff for a little bit. I will get around to that one eventually, I promise. In the meantime…<br />
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<div class="MsoNormal">So, I told you that I had a few adventures left to keep things interesting here during the last part of my exams. Well, Wednesday, I went with Gillian and Jill to the Born Free Centre, which is a world-wide organization that was started in the UK to rescue and take care of wild animals that for some reason can’t be released into the wild. Usually, this is because they have been raised in captivity and don’t know how to hunt or survive in the wild if they were released. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The centre that we went to was in one corner of Shamwari, which is the oldest and largest private game reserve in the Eastern Cape.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Basically, the company came in and bought a ton of farmland (aka 20,000 hectares) during a period when farming was not profitable (Its hard to farm much in the soil here in the Eastern Cape) and before any other companies got in on the game. Shamwari is now surrounded by other, smaller game reserves (no farms to be seen), but it is easily the biggest, with enough land to support two separate lion prides at opposite ends of the reserve. The cool thing is that the bigger the reserve, the more “natural” the conditions, hence the autonomous lion prides that are free to range and hunt like they normally would.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">However, the lions that I got to see were not free to range and hunt… then again, they probably wouldn’t be able to survive if they were. That didn’t stop them from being big, intimidating hunters at heart, though. The first lion we saw, Shada, was super excited by the herd of impala that were in the hills to the west of her enclosure, despite the fact that she has never hunted live game in her life. She was rescued, along with her sister and a male lion, from a circus in France, where all three were kept in a single circus wagon, the stereotypical type that’s like a big cage on wheels. It was divided into three small sections, where they were kept for breeding purposes and were declawed so that they would be ‘easier to handle’. Luckily, they were eventually rescued and sent to Born Free, where Shada got over being skittish and afraid of humans, and now appears to be quite content (other than the impala taunting her with their scent on the other side of her fenced enclosure).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The other two lions didn’t live at Born Free very long; the other lioness had a kidney disease when she came and the male lion actually dies of a snakebite, because apparently living in captivity doesn’t teach you to avoid snakes. The Born Free centre now does snake training with their lions… crazy, I know. They basically connect a rubber snake to the current in the electrical fence, then put it in the middle of the lion’s enclosure and make it wiggle convincingly. The shock is strong enough to teach the lions to leave snakes alone if a real one with venom gets in their enclosures (Behavioral Therapy!). </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-fN6Nfe10n0s/Ts__5OGTTZI/AAAAAAAAAHQ/szRZKydD5YA/s1600/CIMG4960.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-fN6Nfe10n0s/Ts__5OGTTZI/AAAAAAAAAHQ/szRZKydD5YA/s400/CIMG4960.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">The next pair of lions included an older male and younger female who had come to Born Free around the same time (they were not actually a mating pair; they don’t breed the lions at the centre because they wouldn’t be able to teach their young to survive in the wild, and apparently there are enough lions in the world that they don’t need to breed them in captivity). Anyway, the male, Brutus, was much older, and was also rescued from a French circus, where he was kept in sad a little cage. Apparently, it freaked him out when he got to Born Free and they put him out in an enclosure, because he could feel grass and see the sky (but he seemed perfectly happy when we saw him). He is much slower than the lioness, which I think had to do with being in a cage for so long, so when they feed the lions, they had to separate them, because she would eat super fast, and then eat his food, too. The lioness was younger, and was apparently found in a box… literally, imagine someone finding a box (I don’t remember where this was) and assuming that it was a cat, but then opening it and finding a lion cub. She was really active, and when Gillian crouched down to get a better look, she got up and came over to the edge of the fence so fast it was incredible. It would have been a bit terrifying, except that I totally trusted the fence… and I also wasn’t the one she was rushing at. Once we got her attention, she pretty much tracked our every move the whole time, and when we started walking, she trotted right next to us, looking altogether just a bit too interested…</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-LjEAQNji364/Ts__6Xl-L0I/AAAAAAAAAHY/XI35ceBWcP0/s1600/CIMG4971_2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-LjEAQNji364/Ts__6Xl-L0I/AAAAAAAAAHY/XI35ceBWcP0/s400/CIMG4971_2.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-SZEmm5eV_8A/Ts__7RVsGaI/AAAAAAAAAHg/NDRdugmMf-w/s1600/CIMG5001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-SZEmm5eV_8A/Ts__7RVsGaI/AAAAAAAAAHg/NDRdugmMf-w/s400/CIMG5001.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">After that, we got to see my first leopard! After my lifelong love of leopard print, it was like a dream come true. Also, it completed my big five! (Technically I don’t know if I saw black or white rhinos at the Sibuya reserve, but if I fudge that just assume a bit, I have completed my big five) Anyway, the leopards were beautiful. An Italian who was in the Ivory Coast met a man who was selling two cubs and a leopard skin (probably the mother) and he bought both of the cubs and house trained them. Eventually, they got older and more unpredictable (you know, like big, wild cats), and he wanted to give them to Born Free, but the Ivory Coast wouldn’t give him export papers, and required the leopards be taken to the Ivory Coast zoo, which apparently has really terrible conditions. After the female leopard escaped the zoo and was shot, the Italian government put pressure on the Ivory Coast, and eventually they agreed to give the export papers for the male leopard to come to Born Free. We also saw a mother and daughter leopard, although they were both a bit harder to see, because they weren’t chilling right by the edge of the fence (we got really lucky with the male leopard). The daughter was actually hanging out on top of one of the shelters that were built in each of the enclosures for when it rains, and the mother was hiding in the bush… I couldn’t find her until she came out of wherever she was hiding in the bush to be fed.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-LerMK2hzKZo/Ts__8j26JQI/AAAAAAAAAHo/PlOETI2oumE/s1600/CIMG5012.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-LerMK2hzKZo/Ts__8j26JQI/AAAAAAAAAHo/PlOETI2oumE/s400/CIMG5012.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">The last lion pair were a mother and son, although the son was old enough to have a full mane, more or less. Both of those lions were underfed when they got here, which had prevented the mane from growing in fully around his shoulder areas. They were both really active and ready to eat by the time we went over to look at them, since the truck had gotten there to feed all of the cats (they feed them every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday). These two were the only cats that could be fed together, because the male lion respected the lioness and let his mother eat her fill first. Good manners :) All of the cats basically got chunks of beef thrown over the fence (4kg for a lion, 2kg for a leopard), which they picked up like they weighed nothing and wandered off to eat with that snug look cats get. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Swi74YGBOBE/Ts__9vaOldI/AAAAAAAAAHw/E-61spN1tlk/s1600/CIMG5017.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Swi74YGBOBE/Ts__9vaOldI/AAAAAAAAAHw/E-61spN1tlk/s400/CIMG5017.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-56zpLkW4PwM/Ts__-pjXPdI/AAAAAAAAAH4/BQwO4yWx-ew/s1600/CIMG5020.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-56zpLkW4PwM/Ts__-pjXPdI/AAAAAAAAAH4/BQwO4yWx-ew/s400/CIMG5020.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Anyway, the whole thing was really cool, and I loved being able to get so close the cats, even if there were fences that may have made some of the pictures less cool (while keeping me from getting eaten). We watched while they fed the mother and son pair and the mother and daughter leopards, and then we had a lovely picnic lunch of our own while the fed the rest of the cats. It worked out really well, because the weather started to get kind of ominous, and when it rains the cats all hide in the bush or under the shelters, but they were all out and active when we were there because it was almost feeding time. I am so glad that I got the opportunity to go see them (even if I didn’t ever get to hold cubs like Jon Kentner did this summer… just another thing to add to the list of “next time I am in Africa) and it was a lovely way to take a break from exams. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</div><!--EndFragment-->Christianahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15251341450893674901noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3236808438117903892.post-18125014555276540032011-11-11T18:35:00.000-05:002011-11-11T18:35:30.997-05:00Passing Afternoon-Iron & Wine<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <o:OfficeDocumentSettings> <o:AllowPNG/> </o:OfficeDocumentSettings> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:TrackMoves>false</w:TrackMoves> <w:TrackFormatting/> <w:PunctuationKerning/> <w:DrawingGridHorizontalSpacing>18 pt</w:DrawingGridHorizontalSpacing> <w:DrawingGridVerticalSpacing>18 pt</w:DrawingGridVerticalSpacing> <w:DisplayHorizontalDrawingGridEvery>0</w:DisplayHorizontalDrawingGridEvery> <w:DisplayVerticalDrawingGridEvery>0</w:DisplayVerticalDrawingGridEvery> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:DontGrowAutofit/> <w:DontAutofitConstrainedTables/> <w:DontVertAlignInTxbx/> </w:Compatibility> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" LatentStyleCount="276"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--> <!--[if gte mso 10]> <style>
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<div class="MsoNormal">I feel as if it is time for me to give you an update on the past few days here, although I know you don’t want to hear about my extremely exciting final exams and whatnot. The past few days have been a bit rough, actually, but I am doing better now. The news of Ryan’s death was just so unexpected, and it was hard to be here by myself when I really just wanted to get in a car like everyone else and drive home to Frederick for the funeral. Unfortunately, small details like finals and the Atlantic Ocean made this impossible, so I was stuck here regardless of how I felt. The feeling of being stuck when I wanted to be home was intensified by the fact that I don’t actually have responsibilities here other than finals now... no classes to wake up for, and volunteering and stuff is finished. Most of my days are spent in my room, either studying or not studying (which is probably more often the case) and as my friends all have finals at different times and are busy studying too, we don’t see each other much.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">However, I think that I am getting past the roughest part. Although I am still sad and confused about what happened, I am remembering God’s goodness and sovereignty, and I can’t help but trust in him. There is a psalm that really helps me with this: Psalm 77. In the beginning, the psalmist is in distress and crying out to God… he asks if the Lord will reject him forever. Then, he moves into the second part, which is when he appeals to and remembers what God has done in the past. This leads to the end, when he is praising God for who He is. Its basically as if remembering who God is automatically leads to worshiping him. Its not that the trials or pain have gone away, but that the psalmist has regained some perspective, and I need to do that sometimes. Not hide the hurt or try to keep from remembering it, just remember who God is at the same time. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">So, this past week… like I said, mostly exams. I have taken three of them now, and now I just have one more next Saturday. This means that I literally have a week to do nothing. Some of my friends are going to Mozambique, and others are going to Cape Town or Zambia and Kruger Park, but I will just be chilling in Grahamstown. However, after a chat with my lovely friend Katy, I have decided that I am just going to bask in the fact that I would likely be busy and stressed out of my mind if I was home at this time of year. So, I am letting myself have a week of vacation like the ones where I go to VA beach and do nothing but sleep till lunchtime, read a book in the sunshine and watch tv. In fact, there is technically a pool here, so the only thing missing is of sand, Melissa Dorrance and strawberry desserts (all in copious amounts, of course). After all, I am in Africa, shouldn’t I be having some soft of vacation? Okay, technically I have a philosophy exam at the end of my “vacation,” but that just means that instead of reading a novel in the sun, it will be Strawson and Kant. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Also, I am not actually just lazing around <u>all</u> the time… after I finished my ethno exam Tuesday afternoon, I decided to take up my instructor’s offer to go to the drum class that he teaches in town. It was a fun, spontaneous little adventure… I took my friend M.E. with me, and we found the house in town, which turned out to belong to a secondary school music teacher and was full of instruments. And I don’t just mean the typical piano (well, there was a piano, actually), or a violin hanging on the wall… over the course of the evening, we pulled out an mbira (happiest girl!) and a karimba, which is like a slightly modernized mbira that can be mass-produced. In fact, there is a factory here in Grahamstown… they also make <u>super</u> nice marimbas there, as well as a bunch of other idiophones and a few drums. Speaking of drums, returning from my tangent... there were obviously plenty of djembes at the house, since that’s what we were playing but she also had a steel drum that her son played (and a drum set, but I was <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>way more excited about the steel drum) and after some cajoling, we convinced him to play it for us before we left. So much musical fun for one day! And by fun, I really only mean the djembe jam session, since the exam could hardly be described as fun. However, as someone living in the African Diaspora, I totally had the advantage when we got to the Americas, and I actually paid attention for the part of the course talking about Africa, so I was all set!</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Anyway, I can’t believe how soon my time here will be done. Like I said, I finished my third exam today (I took it in the Great Hall… I was seriously not kidding when I said that exams here remind me of Harry Potter) and I have started cleaning out papers that I won’t take home with me, returning stuff that I have borrowed from people while I was here, and I even caught myself thinking about how I am going to pack everything up to go. Something about knowing that I can count the days I have left here on both hands makes me think of leaving the idyllic Africa in my imagination instead of the South Africa that has temporarily become normal life. Part of me wants to just stow away on a safari and be taken out into the bush somewhere, where I can chill with giraffes and leopards (the only two animals I have failed to find, besides hippos, which I decided were not cute or friendly anyway) for a nice long time. On the other hand, I have started getting excited every time I see screen shots of Washington D.C. during Bones episodes because I am going to be there so soon! I will be so excited to be home, and I am really looking forward to Thanksgiving and all the times after that, even if I don’t know what I am going to do with my life just yet. God will provide a job or will otherwise meet my needs just like he always has. In the meantime, I can quit worrying about where I am going to work over break and just look forward to some pumpkin products and gravy. Except not touching each other on the plate, obviously, since that would be unacceptable. </div><!--EndFragment-->Christianahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15251341450893674901noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3236808438117903892.post-38688040163628872272011-11-05T21:31:00.000-04:002011-11-05T21:31:09.670-04:00How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You)-James Taylor<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <o:OfficeDocumentSettings> <o:AllowPNG/> </o:OfficeDocumentSettings> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:TrackMoves>false</w:TrackMoves> <w:TrackFormatting/> <w:PunctuationKerning/> <w:DrawingGridHorizontalSpacing>18 pt</w:DrawingGridHorizontalSpacing> <w:DrawingGridVerticalSpacing>18 pt</w:DrawingGridVerticalSpacing> <w:DisplayHorizontalDrawingGridEvery>0</w:DisplayHorizontalDrawingGridEvery> <w:DisplayVerticalDrawingGridEvery>0</w:DisplayVerticalDrawingGridEvery> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:DontGrowAutofit/> <w:DontAutofitConstrainedTables/> <w:DontVertAlignInTxbx/> </w:Compatibility> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" LatentStyleCount="276"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--> <!--[if gte mso 10]> <style>
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<div class="MsoNormal">It is 9:30 pm (your time, I don’t even want to think about what time it is here) and I can’t seem to sleep. While you all gain an hour from daylight savings tomorrow (which, by the way, is a week after Europe switches, which is confusing and led me to believe that I was just crazy for awhile) I do not, and I am unlikely to be a happy camper in the morning. In fact, I should probably shut off my computer now, because everyone knows that when you starts talking late at night/early in the morning, awkwardness is likely to ensue. However, I don’t think I am in the confession danger zone, and besides, I can’t think of any confessions that I might accidentally share with you, so I probably will be okay.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">The past day and a half, I have really wanted to go home. No, that is incorrect; I haven’t wanted to go home, I have just wanted to be home. The fact that I really don’t feel like studying and taking my exams doesn’t help, but really it stems from yesterday evening, when I found out that a high school friend of mine had been killed in a car accident. We weren’t super close, but he grew up with some of my best friends in school, and I have known him for years. I know that many other people are feeling his loss more deeply, but I cared about him, and my heart is hurting. Ryan McCann was one of the smartest guys I knew, and I always joked that he could do better than I did in school without actually trying. In fact, as I tried to study for my zoo exam last night, I couldn’t help thinking that he could probably BS his way through the exam I was studying for and still score 4% higher than me… that was our norm in biology. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">It’s just really hard, because he was a guy with so much potential… that is the word that keeps coming to mind over and over… potential, but not the time for it to come to fruition. I don’t understand God’s timing, and although I know He is good, and that God’s ways are beyond our ways, I can’t help but cry out “WHY???” with frustration at my lack of understanding, as well as a bit of anger and some guilt for time that I wasted. I both want to be God and thus call all the shots, while at the same time I feel like I have mishandled the things God <u>has</u> given to my control. I am really identifying with the part of Ezekiel 18:25 which says,<span style="font-family: "Handwriting - Dakota"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"> </span>“Yet you say, ‘The way of the Lord is not just.’ Hear, O house of Israel: Is my way unjust? Is it not your ways which are unjust?” I find myself in descriptions of Israel from time to time, usually in ways that aren’t very pretty… hypocritical and petulant come to mind right now. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">There are just times in my life when I cry out to God “Comfort me!” but either I don’t trust that he will, or I won’t allow him to… I can’t figure out which at the moment, but it makes me wish for other forms of comfort (and by that I don’t mean the chocolate cake I ate this afternoon, but the comforts of homes and hugs and loved ones). It makes me ignore the beautiful, sunny day here and the time I have left, just looking forward to the time when I am back with the people I love and I can hold them close and keep them safe (I know it’s a delusion that I can actually keep them safe, but being able to touch them makes me feel better anyway). <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">I don’t know why you read this… if it is to keep up with my various experiences here, because you miss me, or just random curiosity, but while I have you temporarily, you have to listen to what I have to say: I love you. I do. God loves you so much more. Please don’t take my word for it—find out for yourself. I might not tell you this to your face often, because I want to respect your beliefs. But you cannot understand what you stand to lose unless you understand what you stand to gain. You have a lifetime to figure this out… but I don’t know how long that will be. And I love you. I care. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Rest in Peace, Ryan. </div><!--EndFragment-->Christianahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15251341450893674901noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3236808438117903892.post-18550484602442128372011-11-05T09:58:00.001-04:002011-11-05T09:59:22.499-04:00Jumper-Third Eye Blind<div class="MsoNormal">So, I had been saving tales of this little adventure for after its successful completion, so I wouldn’t worry you (unless you are my Mother, in while case I had to balance the “please tell me when you are going to travel” rule with the “don’t tell your mother you are going to jump off of a bridge because she will worry” rule and decided in favor of the former). My classes finished on the 28<sup>th</sup> of October, and the past week was “SWOT week”, which is an acronym that has something to do with reviewing and studying for finals, but for most of the international students meant a week off school to go travel and have adventures. Since I am one of the few people who are not on a pass/fail system with my courses, the classes that I am taking here will affect my GPA at home, and I need to do well in them. This meant that I actually needed to study during SWOT week (since my first exam was November 5<sup>th</sup>, and it was my zoo theory, which I expect to be the most difficult of my exams), so it was not a good use of my time to go gallivanting off to Cape Town. Believe me, if I had the chance or was able to delude myself into ignoring the rational reasons why I couldn’t go to Cape Town, I totally would have been there. Unfortunately (although I don’t totally know why it’s a bad thing), I am both fiscally and academically responsible, and therefore Cape Town didn’t happen. I am really disappointed that I won't make it while I am here, but I just keep telling myself that I won't get there on <u>this</u> Africa trip to make myself feel better. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Amongst this and other platitudes, I consoled myself about the lack of Cape Town by taking an overnight trip on Monday to go bungee jumping. I went with Jens, one of the Germans I have traveled with before, Cameron, who is on exchange from the UK, and Kristen, who went with me to Durban (so much diversity! All of the accents make things fun… including Kristen’s southern accent, which doesn’t seem as exotic as the others but is a fun addition to the mix). We met at 4:10am—such a sacrifice—to catch a bus to Plettenburg Bay, which ended up being an hour late (in true South African style) and stayed in a hostel there overnight. The hostel was fantastic, and took care of reserving jump spots and transportation for us to the Bloukrans Bridge, which is in the Tsitsikamma National Park and is the highest commercial bungee jump in the world. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-rHkHsCXz4yg/TrU9UKefX8I/AAAAAAAAAGc/AGVDl9Avm0s/s1600/CIMG4864.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-rHkHsCXz4yg/TrU9UKefX8I/AAAAAAAAAGc/AGVDl9Avm0s/s400/CIMG4864.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Us in front of the Bloukrans River Bridge (above) and a view from the bridge (below)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-icRs9GNnHkE/TrU_M9wf1UI/AAAAAAAAAGk/s47WPrZz7WU/s1600/CIMG4874.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-icRs9GNnHkE/TrU_M9wf1UI/AAAAAAAAAGk/s47WPrZz7WU/s400/CIMG4874.JPG" width="400" /></a></div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">The ride to the bridge was a little less than an hour, through some gorgeous mountains and next to the sea. It seems like everywhere I go is just so beautiful here! I loved Plettenburg Bay, too. Although the others were a bit bored (since we were there on a weeknight during the off season) I think that of the places I have traveled to here, Plett is the one I would most like to live in. A seaside town, it isn’t that much bigger than Grahamstown, but it has more going on as far as far as downtown. Plus, everything was just so beautiful, and there was so much to do there. <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-sM8ppiegCEk/TrU_ba3vIPI/AAAAAAAAAGs/LI9J6kaREmA/s1600/CIMG4928.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-sM8ppiegCEk/TrU_ba3vIPI/AAAAAAAAAGs/LI9J6kaREmA/s640/CIMG4928.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> (Plettenburg Bay... sorry all of these pictures are kind of in shadow, I took all of them in the late afternoon)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-hbCZsoU7gL8/TrU_dM4QKGI/AAAAAAAAAG0/C-x9ztPmwIc/s1600/CIMG4949.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-hbCZsoU7gL8/TrU_dM4QKGI/AAAAAAAAAG0/C-x9ztPmwIc/s400/CIMG4949.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">The actual jump was fantastic. It was a little bit terrifying, but isn’t that what makes it fun? I have always wanted to jump of the edge of a cliff into the middle of nothing just to feel what it is like, and this was my chance. Granted, the fact that the bungee chord was attached to my feet freaked me out a bit—what if I just slipped out?—but I got back up to the bridge after in one piece. Technically, my throat was a little raw from the (completely involuntary) screaming that tore out of me about half a second after I jumped and my body send messages to my brain that I was going to die, but it was perfectly safe, and I didn’t even get whipped around by the chord at the bottom of the jump. It great fun, I would totally do it again (although I would prefer to go skydiving first) and I definitely recommend it. Although you can’t hear me—according to the guy who brought me back up, the rest of the gorge could hear me just fine—I attached the video so you can watch:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dz56968h7b9JGGeqxuIFaH5wewJPjHlI9vCjZi4CComz5HlElzsVsQN5hWfj0O-NI6HOQg0LeZuAMj0PVkWNQ' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe>Christianahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15251341450893674901noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3236808438117903892.post-47987437599386083322011-10-28T13:42:00.000-04:002011-10-28T13:42:51.532-04:00Two Birds- Regina Spektor<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <o:OfficeDocumentSettings> <o:AllowPNG/> </o:OfficeDocumentSettings> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:TrackMoves>false</w:TrackMoves> <w:TrackFormatting/> <w:PunctuationKerning/> <w:DrawingGridHorizontalSpacing>18 pt</w:DrawingGridHorizontalSpacing> <w:DrawingGridVerticalSpacing>18 pt</w:DrawingGridVerticalSpacing> <w:DisplayHorizontalDrawingGridEvery>0</w:DisplayHorizontalDrawingGridEvery> <w:DisplayVerticalDrawingGridEvery>0</w:DisplayVerticalDrawingGridEvery> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:DontGrowAutofit/> <w:DontAutofitConstrainedTables/> <w:DontVertAlignInTxbx/> </w:Compatibility> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" LatentStyleCount="276"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--> <!--[if gte mso 10]> <style>
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<div class="MsoNormal">I think there are some things that I am just never going to get used to here. For example…</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">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…<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> the point is that </span>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 <i>obviously</i> 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.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ahhh the birds are so frightening here…</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">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.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">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.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qG4k1s43LJU/TqroKnhcFCI/AAAAAAAAAGU/qWYmBU_eNnA/s1600/CIMG4806.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qG4k1s43LJU/TqroKnhcFCI/AAAAAAAAAGU/qWYmBU_eNnA/s640/CIMG4806.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">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…</div><!--EndFragment-->Christianahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15251341450893674901noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3236808438117903892.post-25742387988096909272011-10-24T14:39:00.000-04:002011-10-24T14:39:34.906-04:00Sooner Or Later-House of Heroes<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <o:OfficeDocumentSettings> <o:AllowPNG/> </o:OfficeDocumentSettings> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:TrackMoves>false</w:TrackMoves> <w:TrackFormatting/> <w:PunctuationKerning/> <w:DrawingGridHorizontalSpacing>18 pt</w:DrawingGridHorizontalSpacing> <w:DrawingGridVerticalSpacing>18 pt</w:DrawingGridVerticalSpacing> <w:DisplayHorizontalDrawingGridEvery>0</w:DisplayHorizontalDrawingGridEvery> <w:DisplayVerticalDrawingGridEvery>0</w:DisplayVerticalDrawingGridEvery> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:DontGrowAutofit/> <w:DontAutofitConstrainedTables/> <w:DontVertAlignInTxbx/> </w:Compatibility> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" LatentStyleCount="276"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--> <!--[if gte mso 10]> <style>
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<div class="MsoNormal">We are beginning to do those sorts of events that happen at endings, and it is still all a little surreal. After all, I still have a month left in South Africa, but I have been to a Leaver’s Dinner and a Farewell Dinner in just the past five days, with more to come. It seems odd to me that we are doing these things so early, but it does make sense that once finals start, people will be busy studying, and everyone will be leaving campus sporadically as they finish their exams. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">On Wednesday, I went to my first Leaver’s Dinner, which is something that seems to happen everywhere here. I was confused the first time I heard the term, but I hear it all the time now, and it is pretty self explanatory, after all: it is a dinner to celebrate the people that are leaving, whether they are third year students graduating at the end of the year—as was the case at my Hall’s dinner—or a more mixed collection of people... graduating with their bachelor's, completing their honor year, or leaving for another reason (such as going home to the United States) which is what the makeup of my cell group’s leavers dinner will be. Either way, it seems that everyone has a leaver's dinner: res halls, societies, church groups… just another norm here that isn’t done in quite the same way at home.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Actually, as I went into my hall’s Leaver Dinner on Wednesday, I tried to imagine doing something like it in Servo at the end of the year, and I just couldn’t do it. Everyone had gotten dressed up, some people in very fancy dresses (I didn’t bring such nice clothes, but I made a nice sundress work without standing out) and each table of people had decorated their table to make it fancy and pretty. The food was better than most meals that I have had in the dining hall all year, and the company was good, of course. We signed up and sat at designated tables (that we were then responsible for decorating), and I thought it was sweet when my friend Elri came to my room the day the lists went up (before I even knew we were having a leaver’s dinner) to inform me that she had signed me up to be at their table. I actually made some new friends that night, who I regaled with tales of Thanksgiving and my opinion of mullets. We had some awards and such after dinner, and the whole thing made me realize that Rhodes reminds me a bit of Hogwarts… mostly this is because of the way that exams are structured, with everyone freaking out and studying and taking exams in these huge halls with a ton of stress-inducing rules. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">I feel like I should give you some highlights of the questions I have been asked by people here, since some of them has amused me greatly and others might amuse you:</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">-Is spring break in America like it is in the movies?</div><div class="MsoNormal">-Are fraternities in America like they are in the movies?</div><div class="MsoNormal">-What is Thanksgiving all about?</div><div class="MsoNormal">-Which are hotter: American or South African guys?</div><div class="MsoNormal">-Do people in the states do drugs? ...No, not pot, everyone does pot, I mean real drugs?</div><div class="MsoNormal">-Do people actually support the Tea Party movement? </div><div class="MsoNormal">-You live in Maryland… that’s Elvis’ home, right? (Seriously, multiple people have said this to me) </div><div class="MsoNormal">-Does this taste like the Mexican food you have in the states? (NO)</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">There have been so many more, but I can’t force my brain to think of them just now… Anyway, Saturday night was the Farewell Dinner for my travel abroad program, so the Rhodes Coordinator and I rode to Port Elizabeth and met the NMMU students for a fancy diner, which I appreciated very much. Besides eating snails, which never ceases to amuse me, I had deep fried Lindt balls for desert, which just sounds like an idea that couldn’t go wrong. I had flashbacks to making deep fried oreos in my kitchen at home with Mom and Melissa, and although these were not really the same (I think they put Lindt balls in phyllo squares and dropped them into a fryer… it reminded me of a shooting star) it had Lindt chocolate in it so obviously it was a good thing. It was funny to be having a farewell dinner with people that I barely know (I have only seen the NMMU students a few times since I got here), but I balanced it later that night by getting to Skype with my cousin Margie (and momentarily with her husband Jerry, who had gotten home from Iraq the day before and surprised Margie at work a week earlier than she thought he might come home. So sweet!). The internet is really a wonderful thing, even if it does encourage facebook stalking over homework. I should really be getting back to that right now, by the way… the homework, not the facebook stalking. </div><!--EndFragment-->Christianahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15251341450893674901noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3236808438117903892.post-61352154049773357692011-10-21T14:33:00.000-04:002011-10-21T14:33:09.230-04:00Under My Skin-Jukebox The Ghost<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <o:OfficeDocumentSettings> <o:AllowPNG/> </o:OfficeDocumentSettings> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:TrackMoves>false</w:TrackMoves> <w:TrackFormatting/> <w:PunctuationKerning/> <w:DrawingGridHorizontalSpacing>18 pt</w:DrawingGridHorizontalSpacing> <w:DrawingGridVerticalSpacing>18 pt</w:DrawingGridVerticalSpacing> <w:DisplayHorizontalDrawingGridEvery>0</w:DisplayHorizontalDrawingGridEvery> <w:DisplayVerticalDrawingGridEvery>0</w:DisplayVerticalDrawingGridEvery> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:DontGrowAutofit/> <w:DontAutofitConstrainedTables/> <w:DontVertAlignInTxbx/> </w:Compatibility> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" LatentStyleCount="276"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--> <!--[if gte mso 10]> <style>
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<div class="MsoNormal">Sorry that I seem to be falling behind and getting lazy! Part of it is that I have work building up as the end of the semester approaches (next week is the <u>last</u> week of lectures… I cant believe it!) but I also find that it is harder to write posts about things over time because everything just feels like normal life. I know that it isn’t, though, so I will try to record things before I forget.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">This past weekend, I went to Graaff-Reinet, which is a little town in the Karoo (the desert in SA). Grahamstown really is a nice location in that you can drive a little while in any direction and alternately come to the ocean, mountains, grasslands, or even desert. It works out super well if you are constrained to weekend travel by the existence of regular classes. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">One of the German exchange students is friends with a guy in his res who lives in Graaff-Reinet, so some of us went home with Egmont, his sister Zanzi, and his friend Freddy. It worked out really well, because Egmont and Zanzi’s mother owns a Bed&Breakfast, and we stayed in one of the guest houses, which she wouldn’t let us pay for. Also, while I am on the subject of hospitality, she had dinner ready for all of us when we got there, and had our kitchen stocked with everything we needed to have a braai Saturday night. It was all fantastic, and so nice to be in a non-dorm with non-dorm food and drinks. Behind our house was a patio with a braai area, a pool, and a bunch of gorgeous plants (also a bunch of cute cats that came and went as they pleased, which made me rather pleased as well). I was warned that the Karoo can get pretty chilly at night, but it was warm enough that we ate dinner outside both nights under the stars, which were gorgeous. Also, I love braais, and more and more I find myself mentally taking notes so I can figure out how to have them when I get home.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Graaff-Reintet was an interesting little town, and the atmosphere was unlike any place I have traveled to while I have been here. First of all, you should know that Rhodes is considered an “English” University, so while there are definitely Afrikaner students here as well as 'English' whites, most white students speak English the majority of the time (Actually, I love to be walking and chatting with Elri when her family calls, and she picks up her phone and starts speaking in Afrikaans). However, Graaff-Reinet is heavily dominated by Afrikaners, and it played a role in historical Afrikaner events such as the Great Trek (if you aren’t familiar with this, the Afrikaans- and English-speaking whites historically didn’t get along, so when British colonizers would try to consolidate their control, Afrikaners would load everything into wagons and travel into the SA interior… sort of like Westward expansion on the Oregon Trail, only minus the trail part). Anyway, the people who live in Graaff-Reinet spoke Afrikaans most of the time I was around them. In fact, Egmont, Zanzi and Freddy spoke Afrikaans a lot of the time unless they were specifically talking to us (aka the Germans: Eva, Britta, and Jens and the Americans: M.E. and I) While the Dutch roots of the Afrikaans language allowed the German-speakers to occasionally understand what people were saying, M.E. and I were lost most of the time—unless Egmont was introducing us to people… the words for “Germans” and “Americans” were pretty obvious cognates. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Speaking of being “The American,” I was told before I left to study abroad to be prepared for anti-American sentiment, but before I came to Graaff-Reinet, I really hadn’t experienced any besides the occasional derisive remark about Bush or U.S. capitalism in class discussions. However, a lot of people I came into contact with last weekend were very… opinionated… about their perceptions of America and Americans. I found that this didn’t bother me nearly as much as it did M.E.—I don’t know if this is because I am less invested in politics in the States, or if it has to do with my loyalties. I suppose I have taken “your citizenship is in heaven” to heart, and my identity as an American is not so important to me as it used to be (Don’t worry, I still am quite fond of the 4<sup>th</sup> of July). Anyway, all the ribbing didn’t get to me too much, but it was definitely an interesting experience. Also, Egmont had warned us on our drive there that Graaff-Reinet is still a pretty racist area, and that it is sometimes embarrassing for him when he brings friends home... I promise I will talk about race in SA sometime, but not now.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">I must note that Egmont does not exactly have the typical Afrikaner family. His parents are divorced, but they live pretty much directly across the street from each other. His mom runs her B&B, but her real passion is social work, and she was a social worker for years working with the mentally disabled. His dad is a criminal defense lawyer by career, but is a cactus farmer by heart. And his older brother Anton is a Buddhist/hippy sort of guy with a sprawling house (it used to be painted purple, but he told us that he had to make it more respectable when he “grew up” and had kids… the mosaics on the outer walls are still there, though) surrounded by a cactus farm (not as large as his Dad’s) that was complete with a cactus labyrinth leading to a peyote cactus and some mystical crystals. Like I said, not exactly your typical Afrikaner family. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">I had so much fun at both cactus farms; I have never seen so many different kinds of cacti in my life. Egmont’s dad has been cultivating his garden for 40 years, and the cacti are huge (well, except for the ones that don’t get big). We got lucky, and a cactus was blooming while we were there that only blooms three days a year… it reminded me of my Mom’s Christmas cactus, except it was bigger (also, we joke that the Christmas cactus at home is actually a Christmas-Easter-Thanksgiving-4<sup>th</sup> of July cactus because it blooms so many times. Anyway, this is the one that we saw in his garden…</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7_ccX9lqtf4/TqG1f631YWI/AAAAAAAAAFI/OktUjanOWAo/s1600/CIMG4732.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7_ccX9lqtf4/TqG1f631YWI/AAAAAAAAAFI/OktUjanOWAo/s640/CIMG4732.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"> Plus another cactus or two...</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RX3BK-hWGQo/TqG1hw2dNMI/AAAAAAAAAFQ/82q-qtqPOC0/s1600/CIMG4770.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RX3BK-hWGQo/TqG1hw2dNMI/AAAAAAAAAFQ/82q-qtqPOC0/s640/CIMG4770.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cEXFGIApIeo/TqG1jS8D2eI/AAAAAAAAAFY/mJuV7IO24Rs/s1600/CIMG4782.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-cEXFGIApIeo/TqG1jS8D2eI/AAAAAAAAAFY/mJuV7IO24Rs/s640/CIMG4782.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">We also visited New Bethesda<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(actually, all of the signs were in Afrikaans and said Nieu Bethesda), a town so tiny that it made Graaff-Reinet look large. While we were there, we visited the Owl House, which was the home of a recluse artist, Helen Martins, who filled her backyard with statues (many were owls, hence the name) as well as creating an interior design scheme in her house that was interesting, to say the least. She lived a tragic life, and I think the townspeople at the time thought she was crazy, but as one of my friends said while we were there, “Better to create all of this than just sit around and be depressed.” While we were in Nieu Bethesda, we also visited a brewery, where I tried honey beer and was sad to discover that it tasted less like honey and more like beer (which I don’t think I will ever develop a taste for). </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-i-7NbXHYEsk/TqG2n9Occ4I/AAAAAAAAAFg/8oFyEs7h4eY/s1600/CIMG4580.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-i-7NbXHYEsk/TqG2n9Occ4I/AAAAAAAAAFg/8oFyEs7h4eY/s400/CIMG4580.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Sculptures at the Owl House</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MJ-Pkzya7gE/TqG3ZZNno9I/AAAAAAAAAFo/wQCHkdw_suE/s1600/CIMG4606.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MJ-Pkzya7gE/TqG3ZZNno9I/AAAAAAAAAFo/wQCHkdw_suE/s640/CIMG4606.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Something that I am very fond of, though, are national parks, and before we left for Grahamstown on Sunday, we went to the Camdeboo National Park and saw the Valley of Desolation, which is an unusual series of rocky outcroppings formed by various geological processes over a really long time (clearly I am not a geologist, but I still found the view breathtaking). </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-pywO72gryts/TqG3a2A8WWI/AAAAAAAAAFw/expY6xpeeYo/s1600/CIMG4666.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-pywO72gryts/TqG3a2A8WWI/AAAAAAAAAFw/expY6xpeeYo/s400/CIMG4666.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-DLVmGGukYnc/TqG3cZCEeFI/AAAAAAAAAF4/Pbwmpd9i-6k/s1600/CIMG4681.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-DLVmGGukYnc/TqG3cZCEeFI/AAAAAAAAAF4/Pbwmpd9i-6k/s400/CIMG4681.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Q2HcFJme3IM/TqG3erawDaI/AAAAAAAAAGA/I8KwzKjLKuA/s1600/CIMG4691.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Q2HcFJme3IM/TqG3erawDaI/AAAAAAAAAGA/I8KwzKjLKuA/s640/CIMG4691.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-CgrXPpLFDgw/TqG3gfBvY-I/AAAAAAAAAGI/T0Abl5pONs8/s1600/CIMG4700.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-CgrXPpLFDgw/TqG3gfBvY-I/AAAAAAAAAGI/T0Abl5pONs8/s640/CIMG4700.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Our drive home was uneventful (no flash thunderstorms or warthogs chasing each other across the road in front of our car like the drive out), but we did get two see two fantastic rainbows, bringing my physical rainbow count up to 3. I’m afraid the pictures didn’t do them justice, but I have about a million pictures of rocks and cacti to make up for it!</div><!--EndFragment-->Christianahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15251341450893674901noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3236808438117903892.post-6050168611194426202011-10-11T17:53:00.000-04:002011-10-11T17:53:17.801-04:00No Air-Jordin Sparks<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <o:OfficeDocumentSettings> <o:AllowPNG/> </o:OfficeDocumentSettings> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:TrackMoves>false</w:TrackMoves> <w:TrackFormatting/> <w:PunctuationKerning/> <w:DrawingGridHorizontalSpacing>18 pt</w:DrawingGridHorizontalSpacing> <w:DrawingGridVerticalSpacing>18 pt</w:DrawingGridVerticalSpacing> <w:DisplayHorizontalDrawingGridEvery>0</w:DisplayHorizontalDrawingGridEvery> <w:DisplayVerticalDrawingGridEvery>0</w:DisplayVerticalDrawingGridEvery> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:DontGrowAutofit/> <w:DontAutofitConstrainedTables/> <w:DontVertAlignInTxbx/> </w:Compatibility> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" LatentStyleCount="276"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--> <!--[if gte mso 10]> <style>
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<div class="MsoNormal">Is six weeks incredibly short or very long? I really couldn't say, but it’s how much longer I will be in South Africa. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Last week, I got an email from the registrar, telling me that I was registered for too many classes at Rhodes, and since they will only give me 4 credits/16 credit hours, I needed to drop one of my classes. I should have realized that this would happen eventually, but since I really like all of the classes I am taking, I sort of ignored the issue and hoped that it would magically get resolved (this magical resolution involved me getting credit for all of the classes I am taking, and probably getting some extra biology credits thrown in just for fun). However, behaving like an ostrich does not solve problems, especially ones that involve the registrar. So, I was faced with the dilemma: which class do I drop?</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">It was a long and tedious thought process, but the result was that I decided to drop my history class. Although this is disappointing in some ways, especially because it is my favorite class and we are covering modern South Africa this quarter, the truth is that I am perfectly capable of attending the lectures if I want, and I was really learning the most from the research I was doing for papers and such. All of the books and papers are still available for me to read, should I desire to read them. And I do, but the truth is that I probably won't read them, because I will be focusing on doing well in the upcoming exams for the classes I am actually getting credit for. <!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <o:OfficeDocumentSettings> <o:AllowPNG/> </o:OfficeDocumentSettings> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:TrackMoves>false</w:TrackMoves> <w:TrackFormatting/> <w:PunctuationKerning/> <w:DrawingGridHorizontalSpacing>18 pt</w:DrawingGridHorizontalSpacing> <w:DrawingGridVerticalSpacing>18 pt</w:DrawingGridVerticalSpacing> <w:DisplayHorizontalDrawingGridEvery>0</w:DisplayHorizontalDrawingGridEvery> <w:DisplayVerticalDrawingGridEvery>0</w:DisplayVerticalDrawingGridEvery> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:DontGrowAutofit/> <w:DontAutofitConstrainedTables/> <w:DontVertAlignInTxbx/> </w:Compatibility> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" LatentStyleCount="276"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--> <!--[if gte mso 10]> <style>
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</style> <![endif]--> <!--StartFragment--><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">The Gettyburgian achiever in me feels a little guilty that I am only taking three classes when I know I could be handling more rigorous academics—isn't college about pushing yourself to the limit and barely surviving from the stress, only to feel really good about what great work you are capable of when it's all over?—but its actually nice to have a bit less work and more time to focus on doing well in what is definitely a different academic setting. <!--EndFragment--> </span>Just reading the immense list of official rules about sitting for final exams freaks me out, not including the actual material that I will be expected to know (how do I know what will be on the finals? I have only taken one test the entire semester, and all of my classes have multiple lecturers/professors whose material will be on the final exam). </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">But really, academics were not the most important factor in this decision. While I can't say I am sad about that research paper that I don't have to write now, it had way more to do with timing than anything else. History was the latest scheduled exam, so I am finished 11 days earlier now. This means that I will be home for Thanksgiving! (I am getting much better at explaining this holiday, by the way... also, Columbus day is not a holiday here, obviously, I totally forgot it existed until I saw grumpy facebook posts from people at home who were resentful because they didn't get off from classes) I needed to reschedule my flight anyway—it was too early—so barring a freak storm or something, I should be back in the US by the 22nd of November.</div><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <o:OfficeDocumentSettings> <o:AllowPNG/> </o:OfficeDocumentSettings> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:TrackMoves>false</w:TrackMoves> <w:TrackFormatting/> <w:PunctuationKerning/> <w:DrawingGridHorizontalSpacing>18 pt</w:DrawingGridHorizontalSpacing> <w:DrawingGridVerticalSpacing>18 pt</w:DrawingGridVerticalSpacing> <w:DisplayHorizontalDrawingGridEvery>0</w:DisplayHorizontalDrawingGridEvery> <w:DisplayVerticalDrawingGridEvery>0</w:DisplayVerticalDrawingGridEvery> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:DontGrowAutofit/> <w:DontAutofitConstrainedTables/> <w:DontVertAlignInTxbx/> </w:Compatibility> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" LatentStyleCount="276"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--> <!--[if gte mso 10]> <style>
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">On one hand, I am very excited about this. I will be home for Thanksgiving! I will be home in six weeks... that is so soon! And I will get to see my family and eat my Mom's delightful cooking, rather than spending Thanksgiving studying for a final in South Africa, a land devoid of pumpkin pie. On the other hand, being home soon means leaving Africa soon. Am I ready for that? I was perusing my international friend's blogs, where she had discussed all of the things she had crossed off her Africa list, and I realized that there are so many things that I want to do that I haven't yet, and probably won't be able to do before I have to go. Among these are visiting Cape Town, Kruger National Park, and Victoria Falls. I haven't been shark diving, and I don't know when I am going to have a chance to go bungee jumping (I know some people would say "why would you even want the chance to do those things?" but with Bloukrans Bridge, the highest bungee jump in the world, about 4 hours from where I live, I can't help but hear it calling). Thinking about all of this, combined with the fact that I don't know when I will be back to South Africa, made me a bit depressed.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">(Oh, I will be back... I just know that "soon" is probably not an appropriate adjective. I recently made the realization that I am likely going to be in school until my youth is just a memory, and I will have student loans until my children start college. Its difficult to work "fly to Africa and jump off a bridge" into this plan) </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">But then I thought back to something that I wrote in an earlier post...Regardless of whether I don't travel anywhere during my stay in South Africa, make no friends, and fail my classes, the purpose of my life is still going to be worshiping the God of the universe. This is just as true now as it was when I first wrote it. I may be tempted to make my life, and especially my time here, into a check list, but the fact is that it's not. Most of my best memories are not from bucket-list-worthy activities (although to be fair, some are, and there is nothing wrong with setting goals for yourself). I have a tendency to want to quantify my life, to see if I am successful or accomplished enough to measure up... and the plain truth is that I am not. But instead of being devastating, like part of my brain wants to think, this is actually really freeing. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">This weekend was full of delightful things that I hadn’t put on any exquisite list. Friday, I ran up to the 1812 Settler's Monument, where there is a fantastic view that I have seen before but don’t get tired of. I spent most of Saturday afternoon lying in the sun out on the braai area next to our res with some of my friends, and spent the remainder of the afternoon with them on an impromptu mission to get ice cream. I woke up horrendously early Sunday morning to go to a bar and watch the Rugby World Cup (SA lost to Australia at the very end, it was really depressing but still more interesting than football). Sunday night there was a praise and worship session at Frontiers, and I was able to just worship with abandon in a really fulfilling way. I didn’t really plan for any of it to happen (okay, except for the running,) but it did, and it was good. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><!--EndFragment-->Christianahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15251341450893674901noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3236808438117903892.post-34227743161641228722011-10-07T13:54:00.000-04:002011-10-07T13:54:37.336-04:00Rescue-Seabird<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <o:OfficeDocumentSettings> <o:AllowPNG/> </o:OfficeDocumentSettings> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:TrackMoves>false</w:TrackMoves> <w:TrackFormatting/> <w:PunctuationKerning/> <w:DrawingGridHorizontalSpacing>18 pt</w:DrawingGridHorizontalSpacing> <w:DrawingGridVerticalSpacing>18 pt</w:DrawingGridVerticalSpacing> <w:DisplayHorizontalDrawingGridEvery>0</w:DisplayHorizontalDrawingGridEvery> <w:DisplayVerticalDrawingGridEvery>0</w:DisplayVerticalDrawingGridEvery> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:DontGrowAutofit/> <w:DontAutofitConstrainedTables/> <w:DontVertAlignInTxbx/> </w:Compatibility> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" LatentStyleCount="276"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--> <!--[if gte mso 10]> <style>
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<div class="MsoNormal">Besides my frequent trips to the beach, I actually do a lot of normal things like go to class and live my life here. Much of the past week has been spent on largely logistical things: classes, papers, planning for my life post-Africa (which can be difficult to make myself think about) and general scheduling. Thus, rather than give you exciting updates about what I have been doing, I will give you some updates about what I have been thinking, instead. Hang on, this could get hectic...</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">So, last week while I was in Port Alfred "doing zoo research," we were hanging out at Kelly's house, and we watched what I would consider to be a pretty bad romantic comedy called Something Borrowed. It was stupid, I am not even going to go into it… but I realized that this was only the second chick flick I had seen since I got here. Granted, its not like I watch them very frequently anyway, I am much more likely to enjoy a good man movie (these usually fall under adventure/suspense, if you are confused by the term). Anyway, I realized that while I have not been consciously avoiding them, generally watching chick flicks while far from home is not a good idea, because it just makes me miss people that I love and brings up all these emotional needs that I don’t want to deal with. However, I am not actually telling you this to complain about missing people or my lack of romance. What I realized the next day, when I had all those things on my mind, is that my normal response to these feelings is to go to God, to ask him to help me understand the ways that he actually fulfills whatever I feel like I am lacking (he’s the only one that can truly provide what I am desiring, anyway, although I usually don’t want to see that right away).</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">However, I have been operating in a totally different response pattern while I have been here. Its as if I have just attempted to shut out any desires that I can’t immediately fulfill… Don’t have best friends around to intimately know me? Its cool, I’ll get by on more superficial interactions for a few months. No family to make me feel needed/cared for? Its fine, I’ll just take a break from people expecting things from me. I don’t need to have deeply personal conversations, intimate relationships, and forget romance, I am definitely not looking for that here. The thing is though, that the people around me at home are not ultimately the source of these things… so by ignoring them, shutting these desires out of my life, I have been dulling my life to the point where I am complacent about being in a state where I shouldn’t be content. Instead of running to God for the things I need, I have been convincing myself that I don’t need them… and ultimately, that I don’t need him. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">But that’s not the way that life is meant to be! In John 10:10, Jesus says that he has come so “that they may have life, and have it to the full.” God wants to give us so much more than what we actually think we want. And luckily, although I may sometimes fail to pursue God, he has not stopped pursuing me. Last Wednesday, while I was literally contemplating all of this, I heard a knock on my door (which rarely happens, it usually is so surprising that it makes me jump) and I opened it to find Mia, one of the girls in my res, who said, “Hey, you’re a Christian, right? Can I come in?” She then proceeded to tell me that she was giving a talk that night about giving your life completely to God, and she was talking about the way we compartmentalize our lives or are just lazy when it comes to giving some aspects to Him (convicting much??). She came over because she needed help finding some verses, and my bible happens to have an awesome concordance in the back, but since she had never even seen my bible before, I feel like there was a little divine intervention at work :)</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">I ended up inviting myself to go with her to her cell group that night. The term cell group, by the way, seems to be South African, since all of the churches I have visited (plus more that I haven’t) have cell groups, and all of the South Africans seem to know what it is, while the girls I know from other countries in Southern Africa generally have been as unfamiliar with it as myself and all of the Americans I have talked to. Basically, it is synonymous with small groups or growth groups that meet within a church group to get to know each other better and grow together. I have been twice now with Mia, and am enjoying just being in community a bit again. God has really been working on my heart in the past week or so (there is always plenty of work to be done), and while I won’t go into it all because I would ramble forever and half of it wouldn’t make any sense, I will give you the big picture: I need the gospel. (We all do.) A lot. Every day. No, really. Every. Day. I need Christ to sacrifice himself for my sins so that I can have a relationship with God. Isn’t it great that he has already taken care of it? </div><!--EndFragment-->Christianahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15251341450893674901noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3236808438117903892.post-19423867376160681042011-10-02T19:07:00.000-04:002011-10-02T19:07:26.523-04:00Valeu Valeu (Coda)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dzJ0B-iEhm9v0X9QOmgx84dnXwzkZDZmcOJMPE6WL0UILSUWPpAnTcfQqZ5a2MJrBCHoPIqIr7Uy7jg5u0_XA' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>I intended to include this video with my post about Keiskammahoek, but there was a series of unfortunate events that prevented me from uploading it earlier. Sorry that its a bit out of order, but this is just a short clip of some of the women who were singing before the festival started... I joined them eventually, but there is no recording of that! Enjoy :)Christianahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15251341450893674901noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3236808438117903892.post-39517296056991654222011-10-02T18:29:00.000-04:002011-10-02T18:29:07.586-04:00The Big Sleep-Streetlight Manifesto<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <o:OfficeDocumentSettings> <o:AllowPNG/> </o:OfficeDocumentSettings> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:TrackMoves>false</w:TrackMoves> <w:TrackFormatting/> <w:PunctuationKerning/> <w:DrawingGridHorizontalSpacing>18 pt</w:DrawingGridHorizontalSpacing> <w:DrawingGridVerticalSpacing>18 pt</w:DrawingGridVerticalSpacing> <w:DisplayHorizontalDrawingGridEvery>0</w:DisplayHorizontalDrawingGridEvery> <w:DisplayVerticalDrawingGridEvery>0</w:DisplayVerticalDrawingGridEvery> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:DontGrowAutofit/> <w:DontAutofitConstrainedTables/> <w:DontVertAlignInTxbx/> </w:Compatibility> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" LatentStyleCount="276"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--> <!--[if gte mso 10]> <style>
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<div class="MsoNormal">I returned back to Grahamstown Sunday with plenty of work (and that paper I previously mentioned that I had sort of put out of my mind because it had been assigned at the beginning of the semester for Friday) so of course I was invited Monday morning to go do field research for Zoology. I have to do an independent research project for my Zoology class, which has been the source of some frustration, because the rest of my classmates have been working on their all year, and I still basically have no idea what is going on because my professor is really chill and keeps saying things like “oh, you can join on a continuing project” (without telling we what project) or “we’ll go out into the field at the beginning of next week” (I heard this one for about a month straight). However, when zoo requirements get stressful, I just keep reminding myself that Dr. Delesalle (the Bio chair at Gettysburg) has approved this class to count as double credit (because it counts as 8 credits at every school that has a typical credit system, which Gettysburg does not), which is miraculous and will make my life that much less stressful when I return to Gettysburg and only have a million instead of a million and one requirements to complete for my majors before I graduate.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Anyway, so as I am walking into Zoo Monday morning, one of the girls in my class (who I later learned was named Michelle) stopped me and said that Professor Froneman had told her to ask the international students (there are three of us in Zoo) if we wanted to come along and do research the next day. We would leave directly after class on Tuesday, go do research in an estuary near Kenton, and then come back Wednesday afternoon in time for our Zoo prac. I immediately agreed despite the work and several classes that I had between now and then, because it is the 4<sup>th</sup> term and I still don’t know what is going on for the independent project. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">To be fair, I still don’t really know about the project; our professor didn’t come with us, and I don’t know if we are just going to use the data that Michelle and Kelly have been collecting all year or what, but it was definitely worth going either way. It ended up being Michelle and Kelly, plus M.E., Megan, and me just hitting the road in Michelle’s car shortly after our Zoo lecture (I say “shortly after,” but what I really mean is that we employed the phrase “just now” with its South African connotation rather than its American one. Anyway, it was a gorgeous day, and as I absolutely love being in cars, the ride to Kenton was great fun. I already loved road-trips before I came to SA, but my love for riding in cars has definitely increased… I will be so pleased to drive my car again, once I remember how (and which side of the road I should be driving it on). We went to collect our data in this little gated beach village that was clearly a summer-home kind of place. I was very quiet, since it is just getting warm and isn't "in season" yet (I still have trouble merging “beach season” and “Christmas season” in my head, even though Kelly told me that her family spends every Christmas at their beach house). Data collection was fairly fun, as we basically spent the afternoon wandering around in water a few inches above our ankles, and collecting sand creatures apparently went much faster than before because there were so many of us. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">We ended up driving to Port Alfred (it was a bit of déjà-vu, since I had just spent Saturday and Sunday in the same two places) and staying the night in Kelly’s vacation home, which was really cute and beachy. We went out to a seafood restaurant (I realized that I hadn’t gone to a seafood restaurant since I got here, even though we are so close to the coast all the time) and we ate so much that I am surprised that there are any prawns (aka shrimp) or calamari (aka squid) left in the ocean. Also, there was sushi at the restaurant, which made sense—sushi is seafood—while at the same time confused me… a greek seafood restaurant with sushi? Anyway, I just accepted it gratefully… I have eaten sushi once here (in Durban) and I have only seen one Chinese restaurant during my entire stay. I am pretty sure I will be picking up take-out on the drive home from the airport in December. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Anyway, it was so much fun to just randomly skip Grahamstown and go to the beach, especially because we had a legitimate excuse. The data collection took way less time than we had allowed (because it went faster with all of us) so we didn’t have to collect more on Wednesday morning, and we just hung out and enjoyed the beautiful day for a bit before packing up and heading back for our Zoo prac. Kelly and Michelle were both so nice, and it was fun having Kelly take us to all over Port Alfred… she qualifies as a local, even if she technically lives in Joburg. Also, I finally got to hear some South African music! I mean, technically I have heard plenty of traditional music in my ethno class, and I did get to hear that band in Durban, but generally most of the University students listen to American or British artists that I already know. It was fun listening to the South African bands that Michelle likes… it reminded me of all the musical instruction I have received from Elle :) </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><!--EndFragment-->Christianahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15251341450893674901noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3236808438117903892.post-54628806608869598782011-10-01T19:50:00.001-04:002011-10-12T04:09:37.130-04:00The Luckiest-Ben FoldsSo, after my impromptu journey to Keiskammahoek on Friday, I got up early Saturday morning and headed out on an overnight excursion with my study aborad program. Gilliam (the Interstudy coordinator for the Eastern Cape, who also happens to be a professor in the Geography department at Rhodes) and I met and travelled to Port Alfred (one of the two closest beaches to Grhamstown), where we met three of the Interstudy students who are studying as Nelsen Mandela Metropolitan University (in Port Elizabeth, so they get to be at the beaches all the time). There are four Interstudy students at NMMU this semester, but the guy was away for the weekend, so the rest of us had a girls’ night (or rather, weekend) out. We ate a scrumptious breakfast at this adorable little restaurant/pub/bed&breakfast that was built in a Tudor-style, and reminded me of good times in Tudor 3 last year. On the other hand, Tudor House at Gettysburg never had a patio full of plants where cute older women with British-sounding South African accents brought you tea in little tea pots while jovial grandpas watched the rugby game just inside the open veranda doors.<br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">Speaking of rugby (short tangent)… the All-Blacks played (aka crushed their opponents) on Saturday, and while it is really exciting to watch New Zealand play—they are a really good team and their Haka is <u>intense</u>—I am obviously supporting South Africa for the World Cup. The cup started during term vac, which was fun because we could watch the games in Durban with a ton of very passionate fans, but as the world cup is in New Zealand this year, all of the games are on at like 9am South African time, which makes it difficult to watch them now that we are back at school. Actually, it mostly makes it difficult for me to watch them, other people just skip class and go to the Rat&Parrot or some other bar to watch when SA is playing. I, unfortunately, feel the need to go to class, especially since I have missed several in the past two weeks due to spontaneous adventures. However, while I was in Durban, I bought a Springboks jersey, and since then I have made so many friends! Haha, but really, it is so funny the number of random conversations get into with people now on game days. Also, in case you are Melissa Dorrance and think that I only like rugby because of the movie Invictus, I would like to point out that rugby is way more intense than football, and that it is fun to watch regardless of whether or not Matt Daemon is involved. I wish that we watched rugby instead of football on Thanksgiving… this, of course, is legitimately possible for me this year, since at the end of November I will still be in South Africa, where they have neither NFL nor Thanksgiving (I actually tried to explain Thanksgiving to some girls recently, but I’m not sure how successful I was…)</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Anyway, back to last weekend! So we left Port Alfred and drove to Kenton-On-Sea, the other beach closest to Grahamstown, where we took a boat ride up the Kariega River to a game reserve. It was super cool, as game reserves tend to be pricey, and thus not somewhere I would go on my budget. We rode on the boat with two older couples (from Australia and France), and when we got to the river camp, all I could think was “someday I want to be retired with money so I can travel to these places.” It was really cool, and had the feel of those places that are meant to be rustic but are really very posh. The staff fed us lunch at the river camp (it was some of the best food I have had since I got here… calamari and springbok and this amazing bread and if I actually continue describing it I am never going to finish this post) and we had a while to chill and check out the camp… there was a really cute rocking giraffe that was very sturdy (I may have tested it out).<br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">In the afternoon, we went on a game drive on the other side of the river, where the “dangerous game” was. It was funny, because game reserves are so highly managed that I felt a little bit the Animal Kingdom safaris at Disney World. On the other hand, they are still wild animals, and I got to see them in Africa, even if they are not actually wandering around wild in the bush. We got to see lions and cheetahs for the first time since I got here, which was super exciting. The park had three of lions, although they were fenced in separately from the main reserve; apparently, it takes a ton of land to provide enough prey to feed lions if they were to wander around in the prey populations, and they also have a tendency to eat the really expensive animals in the reserve, such as the cape buffalo, rather than the impala or other buck that are really abundant. Since the lions were separate, they hadn’t eaten the buffalo, and I got to see them as well. There were, of course, a bunch of bucks of all kinds, including some kudu, impala, and these huge buck that reminded me of a mountain ram. There were also zebra everywhere, which I enjoyed, as I now have a million pictures to prove to Ron Malone that I found some. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">I was really excited about the cheetahs; they were fenced in like the lions, but we were able to get out of our safari vehicle and walk right up to their enclosure. According to Bailey, one of my bosses at Ft. Detrick, cheetahs aren’t really a danger to an adult human, because we are outside the size range of animals that they will attack (children, on the other hand, are exactly the size of an impala), so you can actually walk right in the enclosure with them. We couldn’t go in the enclosure at Sibuya (the reserve where we were), but our ranger did say that its fun to have children on a drive, because when they visit the cheetah enclosure, the cheetahs will get <u>very</u> interested and walk right up to the fence. When we were there, they could have cared less about us… the male cheetah was much more interested in the female cheetah on the other side of the fence (our ranger essentially said that they were separated to build up sexual tension in the hope that when they remove the barriers, the cheetahs will mate… I thought it was hilarious, but apparently it had worked for other pairs in the past). <br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oPArdUTYRso/ToejpMtLvWI/AAAAAAAAAFE/31suJvfZ2ys/s1600/CIMG4454.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oPArdUTYRso/ToejpMtLvWI/AAAAAAAAAFE/31suJvfZ2ys/s400/CIMG4454.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div></div><div class="MsoNormal">Saturday evening we had a braai (it was, after all, National Braai Day… okay, actually it was National Heritage Day, but it has also become braai day) and stayed in a bungalow in Port Alfred. The next morning, we got up and ate breakfast on a boat as we cruised around the marina and up the river a bit at Port Alfred, and then we rented these ridiculous things called hydrobikes and rode around the harbor by ourselves. Unfortunately, I don’t have any pictures of said bikes, so just imagine it in your head and chuckle a bit: basically, it is a bike frame mounted on two parallel pontoons, with a little propeller that spins when you pedal the bike. The handlebars are attached to a rudder-looking device so that when you turn the handles, the bike turns ever so gently in the water. It was extremely embarrassing and touristy, but also so funny that we had a good time pedaling around the marina (not very quickly, I might add in a disgruntled tone, as the propellers were too small and we decided that we were not traveling at a rate proportional to the effort we put into pedaling.)</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">We headed back to our respective universities Sunday after lunch with more of a tan than we had before (or in my case, sunburn fading into tan) and absolutely no motivation to accomplish anything. It seemed like this is probably acceptable at NMMU, where I am not sure that they actually have homework (the girls seemed to indicate that they don’t, and one of them was talking about how she just goes surfing all the time). Rhodes definitely has is pros and cons, but I will get into those another time… I have homework to do :) </div>Christianahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15251341450893674901noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3236808438117903892.post-9635626858481785672011-09-30T19:18:00.001-04:002011-10-02T19:09:34.186-04:00Valeu Valeu-Braddigan<div style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Okay, so I know I am not the most up to date on my activities here. However, I prefer being so busy doing fun things that I hardly have time to tell you about them, so you will just have to bear with me. I have an Ethnomusicology research paper due Friday (in the afternoon, luckily) and pesky things like trips to the beach keep getting in the way of writing it :) Also, this post is mad long, I apologize in advance…</span><br />
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</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">This past Friday, I went on a trip with my ethnomusicology class to a music festival near Keiskammahoek... that is all I knew about it before we left. Well, our teacher also said that we would be leaving at 7am. Should I have known that it was a straight up lie? After all, this is Africa (I have been hearing that <u>all</u> the time recently...) Our professor arranged for a 21 person van to drive us (it was a little under 2 hours away) and told me that one of my American friends, M.E., could come with us if there was extra room in the van. She is interested in cultural stuff, and none of the people I knew from my ethno class were coming, so I figured it would be fun for her, and I would have a buddy for the day. We showed up at 7:05 after a mad dash to turn in our Zoo prac assignments, (they were due before we were supposed to get back, so we planned on sliding them under the secretary's door, but of course the outer door to the department was locked... so stressful!) only to find that we were some of the first people there, and the professor hadn't even arrived where we were supposed to meet. Thus began a very African adventure...<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">I have no idea what I was expecting when our professor said we were going to a music festival, but it was not what we actually found. The last bit of our trip was a 10-15 drive down a dirt road into the middle of nowhere, which eventually led to the most confusing building I have ever randomly found in the wilderness. I was this immense cement thing shooting up in the air and curving around so that I thought we were driving towards some sort of colosseum. We weren't, the building was just curved like a semicircle (as well as curving upwards, it was just a very odd design).<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-lxmyeaiWxjg/ToOe7ewTZQI/AAAAAAAAAEg/U7dHPNthZZo/s1600/CIMG4267.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-lxmyeaiWxjg/ToOe7ewTZQI/AAAAAAAAAEg/U7dHPNthZZo/s400/CIMG4267.JPG" width="400" /></span></a></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4lX8z5n63xQ/ToOe8vfXGOI/AAAAAAAAAEk/GMkcvFMfOaI/s1600/CIMG4270.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-4lX8z5n63xQ/ToOe8vfXGOI/AAAAAAAAAEk/GMkcvFMfOaI/s640/CIMG4270.JPG" width="480" /></span></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">(This is a building. I promise.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Also, I know that it looks like it stretches straight across in the first picture, but it actually curves inward.)</span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
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<div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">When we pulled through the gate, we found this odd building, some people milling around, and a lot of grass. It turned out that despite leaving almost an hour after we were supposed to, they were just setting up. This actually worked out for the best, because we had a long time to wander around exploring and figuring out what was happening. It turned out that we were at a Heritage Festival, which suddenly made sense, because Saturday was National Heritage Day. There was a population of Xhosa-speaking people living in a village somewhere nearby (they called it a village; I never actually saw it so I am using their descriptor) and the local people had an annual weekend festival to celebrate. So we were basically crashing their party, but they didn't seem to mind. We also learned that the site we were at was a big deal... it had been a very important battle ground in a series of battles during the Frontier Wars that took place before Europeans consolidated control of the country. The huge weird building had been built by some important colonial commissioner/offical, who used it when meeting with chiefs and representatives of the people. Also, the burial site of Chief Maqoma, a famous Xhosa chief who played an important role during the Frontier Wars, was within walking distance to the place were the festival was taking place.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">I apologize if any of that information is confusing (or incorrect), but since the entire festival was in Xhosa, I was at a bit of a disadvantage as far as understanding what was going on. There was a translator, but it was hilarious, because the master of ceremonies would talk for literally 15 minutes, and then the translator would come up and say something along the lines of “He just explained the history of the location and the events that are taking place today.” A few of the details were unfortunately lost in translation… It was a shame, because it sounded really interesting, and as I have a tenuous grasp on the history during that time period because of my South African history class, I would have loved to fully understand the importance of the place where we were. I also would have liked to visit Maqoma’s grave, but this was a ceremony that was reserved for the men near the beginning of the festivities, while the women and the boys hung out and waited for them to trek to wherever they were going and back.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">I didn’t really mind hanging out with the women though, because I got to hear them sing! Actually, I got to sing with them, which was awesome despite the fact that I don’t speak Xhosa (I have always been pretty good at faking lyrics that I don’t know, anyway) and I absolutely could not master the steps they were doing (despite my best efforts and those of my teachers’). The best part of going on a trip with ethnomusicology students is that the whole point of ethnomusicology is to go find music from other culture and study it, which meant that my tendency to go exploring/take pictures/record video was totally normal. A few of us happened upon some women, who were singing for fun, and we stopped to observe them for awhile (yay ethnomusicology!), but music is much more of a communal activity here than that of performer and audience, so when one of the women caught my eye and motioned for me to join in, I did. It was really fun, even though I couldn’t really speak to the women (it was one of the few situations I have been in here where the older adults only speak Xhosa). It was also awesome from an ethno perspective, because I have learned about traditional Xhosa music, and it was super cool to see some of the aspects of the music in real life. I was totally geeking out over the polyrhythms and polyharmonies, and it was really cool to see the way that hand-clapping, rather than a melody line, formed the basis of the song that everyone conformed to. It was also cool to experience (although not properly execute) the connection between body movement and music… in the Xhosa musical tradition, the strong beat is connected to an upward movement (of the feet, usually) rather than a downward movement that you find in western music. I really couldn’t get the hang of it, although the several very sweet mamas (a term of address used for women who are older than you… as opposed to sisi/sister when you are talking to someone your age or younger) very patiently tried to teach me the correct rhythms.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">The improv music session was actually my favorite part of the day, although I enjoyed all of the actual performances during the festival, especially those of the poet. There is a musical tradition of “praise-singing” that is common in many parts of Southern Africa, where the poet/griot/praise-singer performs something like spoken-word with or without musical accompaniment. Either way, there is much more attention paid to sounds—of the words themselves and of the rhythm—and it is considered to be music. This poet was really good; I was totally enthralled even though he was speaking in Xhosa, and he also happened to be a really good djembe and mbira player as well. As much as I love drums, I think the mbira is probably my favorite African instrument (but you will have to look it up for yourself, because I didn’t get any good video, and this is already too long for me to go off on an mbira tangent…) <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Anyway, it was a really awesome experience… I enjoyed the performances (including a choir singing in 8-part harmony that reminded me of my beloved GCC) and it was a good day, even if I might have forgot to put sunscreen on before I left that morning. In the middle of the afternoon, one of the Xhosa guys came up to me and said, “Excuse me, I don’t mean to be rude, but do you have sunscreen on? Maybe you should sit in the shade. Our skin can handle it, but yours can’t.” I thought it was hilarious, because I didn’t burn nearly as much as the other white people I was with. In fact, it was really more of an obnoxious sunglasses tan than anything else, and that is fading now. Anyway, the moral of the story is that it was a day well spent, and M.E. and I had a lovely adventure. </span><br />
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</span></div>Christianahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15251341450893674901noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3236808438117903892.post-69770963939958561912011-09-26T13:35:00.000-04:002011-09-26T13:35:03.912-04:00The Tide-The Spill CanvasAdventuretime with Kristen and Christiana, Episode 3: Ushaka and Beach Fun<br />
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Don't you just want to say Ushaka three times in a row like they say Mufasa in Lion King? Or maybe that's just me... Moving on...<br />
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One of the days that we were in Durban, Kristen and I went with the other 4 international girls in Durban from Rhodes to Ushaka Marine World/Water Park. Did I mention that it wasn't just the two of us all week? Four other Americans who are on exchange at Rhodes for the semester had decided to go to Durban, and it worked out that we spent a lot of time with them... we both stayed at the same hostel in Morningside from Sunday night till we left (on different buses) the next Sunday. It was nice to have some people to make plans and do things together at night with, but the two of us could go off and do our own thing as well...we were at hole in the wall indian restaurants and markets while they were shopping at Mr. Price and eating at Wimpy's (Mr. Price=Target, Wimpy's=Wendy's, more or less).<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Anyway, Ushaka is a huge complex, complete with a water slides, an aquarium, dolphin and seal shows, shark cage diving, snorkeling, scuba diving, surfing, a dangerous animals exhibit, plenty of shops and stuff to keep everyone entertained, from the schoolchildren on class field trips to the families there for the day and tourists like us. We went and played for awhile on the water slides, although we did not go on the "highest slide in Africa" because a drop that steep without a tube just looked like it would be painful at the bottom. Afterwards, we went to the marine world part of the park and went snorkeling with sharks. The aquarium at Ushaka is the 5th largest in the world, but unlike the Baltimore Aquarium, you can get in it :) Obviously, they don't let you go snorkeling with the ragged tooth sharks, you have to go cage diving to do that. However, since you can go cage diving off the coast in areas like Cape Town, we decided to forgo the cage diving. Instead, we went to a different part of the aquarium where the tanks are partially outside, with viewing windows that people can see from the inside of the aquarium. We got to snorkel in one of these areas, and it was really fun. We weren't supposed to actually touch the fish or dive down to the bottom (where the sharks were hanging out), but it was super cool to be so close to all of the pretty, tropical fish. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6tOzhyVMlpM/ToCYvcoNrYI/AAAAAAAAAEQ/nH8vWrR1avE/s1600/CIMG4214.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-6tOzhyVMlpM/ToCYvcoNrYI/AAAAAAAAAEQ/nH8vWrR1avE/s400/CIMG4214.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">(The fishes we were swimming with. I was most excited about the Dori-fish... er, Palette surgeon)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-8BJSaO7k-GM/ToCYxOBfz8I/AAAAAAAAAEU/eBwicANGrpI/s1600/CIMG4221.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-8BJSaO7k-GM/ToCYxOBfz8I/AAAAAAAAAEU/eBwicANGrpI/s400/CIMG4221.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">(This is a picture I took from the inside of the aquarium of where we had been snorkeling before. There are some people in the background scuba diving, but they are really just doing some training/safety before going for a dive in the ocean, which Ushaka is right next to) </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The aquarium was cute (it had a finding Nemo exhibit, with all of the species of fish in the movie, minus the shark, in a tank) and I loved the dolphin show. I don't know if I was just exhausted at the time, but the 'majestic, intelligent creatures that we share this world with' were making me emotional, which was very entertaining. What can I say, dolphins are so much like us, we are all connected, etc. (cue "Circle of Life" in the background...)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">While I am on the subject of ocean creatures... we spent quite a bit of time at the beach while we were in Durban. It was sunny most of the week, although it was windy enough that I don't think you could categorize us as ocean creatures. Intertidal for sure, though. Other than feet at the edge of the water, I didn't really get in until the last day we were there, when the wind died down and the weather was gorgeous. Most of the time, Kristen and I spent our time at a part of the beach that was the closest walk from our hostel... we just turned left at the end of our road and walked straight for 20 minutes (over a bridge by the stadium they built for the soccer world cup last year, which was cool looking...)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/--FZzcg5prN4/ToCdzn2cBeI/AAAAAAAAAEY/tRc8X9u1flw/s1600/296829_10150374874319540_500474539_9838509_1183049718_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/--FZzcg5prN4/ToCdzn2cBeI/AAAAAAAAAEY/tRc8X9u1flw/s320/296829_10150374874319540_500474539_9838509_1183049718_n.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Anyway, the last day we were there, we went with one of the other guys who was staying at the hostel (he was on break from University of Liverpool, and was working with some other british students at a program for street children in Durban for about a month) to North Beach, where he typically went to surf. The ocean is definitely much rougher along the coast here than on the East Coast at home, which means two things: Surfing is big here (although I am not sure that I will take advantage of this while I am here; surf boards do not appear to be compatible with my balance), and swimming at the beach is really restricted. There are small areas where you are allowed to swim (they go out and measure the rip-tides and currents on a regular basis, and these swim areas appeared to move around a bit), which are vigilantly watched by several lifeguards. The section that we were in was super crowded, and I couldn't go out to the deeper water where I would have liked because I didn't have a buddy (we couldn't just all leave our stuff and go in the water, so I would hang out with the stuff while Kristen and Yassin went out). Guys did tend to approach me and offer to take me into the deep water, but I did not want to be taken anywhere, thank you very much, so I remained firmly where I was. I tended to draw attention to myself at the beach where we were, which could be annoying but also meant that the life guards could easily pick me out of the crowd, so I was unlikely to be swept away unnoticed :) I don't have the time or space to go into SA race relations here, but I will just mention that the beach sections were pretty sharply divided, which was why I stood out so much (My curves fit right in, though, which I found amusing).</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-CVFuP1sT9JY/ToCd2iAXJgI/AAAAAAAAAEc/rcCTYrwoZ-8/s1600/296461_10150374876864540_500474539_9838539_1561546582_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-CVFuP1sT9JY/ToCd2iAXJgI/AAAAAAAAAEc/rcCTYrwoZ-8/s400/296461_10150374876864540_500474539_9838539_1561546582_n.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Its like an easy version of Where's Waldo... </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Thus ends my report on Durban adventures, not because there isn't more to say (I can always find more to say) but because there are other adventures to tell. Later! </div><br />
(Footnote on Durban Adventures: I would be remiss if I didn't mention that Kristen and I went to a swanky revolving restaurant that was at the top of a high rise in the center of downtown. It was sort of an accident; we had intended to go to the BAT center, which by all accounts was a cool cultural center with stuff going on at night, but when we got there, there was nothing much going on. Since we had already taken a taxi there, we decided to salvage the evening by going to Roma's Italian Restaurant, where we split a three course special for like 300 rand, which isn't bad for two people but was outside our usual budget. It was super fun, though... all cities look cool when they are lit up at night, and the food (including the best stuffed mushrooms I have ever had, some really tasty veal and amazing dessert) was fantastic. Also, it was just funny to be eating in an Italian restaurant in the middle of a South African city. Good times were had all around ;)Christianahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15251341450893674901noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3236808438117903892.post-26549968431046865282011-09-23T18:31:00.000-04:002011-09-23T18:31:02.094-04:00The Longest Drive Home (I Should Have Taken The Subway)- The Apathy EulogyAdventuretime with Kristen and Christiana, Episode 2: Malls and Markets<br />
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So, Kristen and I are both the sort of people that want to take advantage of 'authentic African experiences' while we are here. This is an odd thing to look for in a simultaneously first and third world country. What I mean is that South Africa is extremely prosperous, and in many ways is a first world country, while at the same time, it has the greatest wealth disparity IN THE WORLD. They recently wrestled this title from a South American country somewhere (and before you get all proud that the US doesn't have the highest income disparity, we are number 4 or something) Anyway, SA is in some ways extremely modern, and you aren't going to find a lot of the 'traditional Africa' that you might expect in other Sub-saharan countries. However, my point was that Kristen and I are much more interested in experiences that we can't get at home, rather than going to fast food restaurants and malls.<br />
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However, in a bit of irony, between the two of us, we ended up being in a mall at least once every single day we were in Durban except for Tuesday. Kristen's mac was broken, and she needed to take it to an apple store to get it fixed, so Sunday we went to Gateway, which is a huge mall in Durban that claims to be the biggest mall in the Southern Hemisphere. Not only was it huge and super fancy (it reminded me a bit of the King of Prussia mall, complete with a movie theater, rock-climbing wall, wave pool, waterfall, valet parking, and three stories of stores), but the shocking difference between Gateway and the markets and minibuses we had been through on our way their was ridiculous. We ended up making an appointment to get her computer fixed on Monday, so we had to come back the next day (and again on Wednesday. Originally, the technician said on Monday that it would take 45 minutes to fix... then a bit longer... then "I'll call you when it's done"... then eventually when we went back to the store for the millionth time to bug them, he said it wouldn't be done that day, and she could probably pick it up the next morning.) So, although we went to Gateway multiple times (and spent so much time in there that even I knew where almost every store in the massive place was by the end) I think our most ridiculous/adventurous trip was the first one, so I will only describe that one...<br />
<br />
When we asked about Gateway at our first hostel, the staff said it was really far away, and was going to cost a lot to get there by taxi (260 rand the one time we made the mistake of letting the parking guard convince us that we needed to take a taxi to get home instead of a minibus), so she explained how to get there using the minibuses. Later, we found an easier route from our second hostel, but the first time:<br />
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We caught a minibus on Florida Rd to 'the workshop', which was basically an open air street market. This was the friendliest minibus experience ever. Two guys asked us if we were lost while we were looking at a map posted on the road, and when we said we were looking for the fasted way to get to the workshop, one of them looked around and said "probably that combi (minibus) right there" and proceeded to hail the bus and enquire if it would get us to the workshop. The driver was really nice, and told us that we needed to watch our purses where he was dropping us off, and there was a friendly lady sitting next to us who offered similar advice. After working our way to the opposite corner of the workshop, we got on another minibus, which took us to Victoria Street market (step 2 in the directions to Gateway we had been given). This wasn't open air, but was another market area that was like a combination of chinatown in NYC and a mercado that I went to in the Dominican Republic. Basically, very exciting and also a bit terrifying. Again, I wish I had pictures, but it was not someplace you would want to wander around with a camera looking like a tourist. We ate lunch on Victoria Street at this fantastic little hole in the wall Indian restaurant and bakery that had some really cheap and yummy bunny chow, then attempted to find the minibuses that would get us to Gateway. At this point we got a little turned around (or more so than usual, I think the majority of the time we were walking around Durban I was either partially disoriented or working my way toward lost), and ended up at a minibus location that was not the one we were looking for. However, the drivers said they would get us to Gateway, or rather "just across the street" from Gateway.<br />
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</div>This street happened to be a freeway, which they pulled over to the side of and dropped us off/kicked us out.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-tzmTmlUx7HA/Tnz_HNE-Y7I/AAAAAAAAAEE/GiaiyJ9PIro/s1600/CIMG4142.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-tzmTmlUx7HA/Tnz_HNE-Y7I/AAAAAAAAAEE/GiaiyJ9PIro/s400/CIMG4142.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">It was the most ridiculous ride I have ever had. Luckily, we were able to hop the guardrail and walk up a semi-path to an overpass (with a sidewalk) that got us over the freeway and into an area full of big retail buildings, were we eventually located the mall. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2PO0ynpILXE/Tnz_Iu7yofI/AAAAAAAAAEI/6g89j7u8XVY/s1600/CIMG4144.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2PO0ynpILXE/Tnz_Iu7yofI/AAAAAAAAAEI/6g89j7u8XVY/s320/CIMG4144.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">(Our friendly, side-walked overpass)</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-VLEqQqlR3wY/Tnz_KCCX8_I/AAAAAAAAAEM/saWlaEaVHbE/s1600/CIMG4151.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-VLEqQqlR3wY/Tnz_KCCX8_I/AAAAAAAAAEM/saWlaEaVHbE/s400/CIMG4151.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>So basically I walked from the side of the highway for about 10 minutes to the biggest mall I have ever been in. It was crazy.<br />
<br />
Just in case you were curious, most of the other mall trips happened by accident as we were looking for ATMs, bathrooms, places to catch a minibus, grocery stores, etc. Later in the week, we went back to the workshop (I got myself a Springboks jersey... the rugby world cup is going on right now, and SA is doing really well so far!), as well as an Indian trade fair (more irony, we were in Africa and went to a market of things specifically made in India. What can I say, Durban has a large Indian population...), a cute, posh little Saturday market in Essenwood where I tried my first biltong (its a SA food similar to jerky), and a "lifestyle market" on Florida Rd that was similar to the Essenwood market. While I did not, unfortunately, visit as many markets as I did malls (not that I wanted to go to more markets, just less malls) Kristen and I calculated and figured out that our minibus to mall ratio was in favor of the minibuses, so I think we redeemed ourselves in the end.Christianahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15251341450893674901noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3236808438117903892.post-89732676119022444152011-09-22T09:13:00.000-04:002011-09-22T09:13:49.423-04:00I Need a Dollar (How to Make it in America)-Aloe BlaccOkay, Adventuretime with Kristen and Christiana, Episode 1: Transportation<br />
<br />
Love it, hate it, took a lot of it, paid a ton for some and basically nothing for others.<br />
<br />
First of all, I would like to state for the record that I refuse to travel to a foreign country again before I turn 21. Luckily, since I don't plan on going anywhere else before April, I don't think that it will really be an issue. I also am not traveling anywhere without a credit card again, but that is another issue... It is fairly difficult, it turns out, to rent a car if you are under 21. In fact, in some countries you have to be 23, but the limit for most places in SA is 21. I am fairly sure that it is impossible for me to rent a car in Grahamstown; the Avis at least won't rent to anyone under 21. This shouldn't really matter because technically I am heavily discouraged from driving by my study abroad program. I signed a form that I believe acknowledged that they told me I shouldn't drive a vehicle in SA (without actually agreeing that I wouldn't drive... ) The point is, they don't want me to do it because people drive on the other side of the road and driving cars is dangerous. So I shouldn't really be driving anyway, which is fine because I didn't... Kristen and I were able to book a car at an agency in Durban that would rent to people under 21, but when we got there, they wouldn't accept her traveler's credit card for complicated reasons that had to do with holding payments and regulations and such. So, the moral of the story was that we were safe little girls who did not get into any cars with steering wheels on the right and take ourselves to Kruger. It was a bit disappointing, since I don't know if I will be able to get up there while I am here, but God was probably looking out for us and preventing some sort of disaster.<br />
<br />
However, we still had many crazy transportation adventures which no doubt kept our guardian angels busy (my study abroad program did not have me sign any forms against walking in cities, which I think is probably more dangerous than driving...). We took a coach bus to and from Durban, but rather than paying the extra money for a Greyhound bus (one of Gettysburg students who was at Rhodes last fall told me that his Greyhound broke down, anyway), we took City-to-City, which got us there just fine, despite being slightly lower quality than some buses I have been on. However, I think that in general, not having a bathroom on the bus worked out really well in our favor, since we made plenty of stops and the bus smelled fine the entire trip. The first hour out of Grahamstown was both hilarious and awful; there were music videos this boy-band full of blond haired guys (I can only describe their singing style as crooning) playing on the tvs (and the 40-something guy beside me was definitely singing along). Kristen was a few rows ahead of me, sitting next to a woman with a baby that was totally chill when we got on the bus, but started wailing for approximately the next hour until they got off. Luckily for us, a lot of people got off after the first hour or two, leaving us to enjoy the other 10 hours in relative peace. They played some ridiculous movies, including Jennifer's Body (without the sound... it was just as funny for me but Kristen had no idea what was happening) and what I assume to be a bootlegged version of the Salina Gomez movie where she goes to Paris and gets mistaken for a movie star. I actually enjoyed most of the bus ride, as I like road trips, and I enjoyed checking out the scenery until it got dark.<br />
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Once we got to the bus station in Durban, we needed to take a taxi to our hostel (it was dark and we had luggage, anyway). We did take a few taxis over the week: to the music festival, because we didn't know where it was (and it was dark), back and forth to the downtown when we went out Tuesday night (and again Wednesday after we walked downtown in our quest for a rental car but didn't want to walk all the way back), to Ushaka and back, back from the mall once, and whenever we moved our luggage, but in general, we tried not to use them too much. There are some metered taxis, and others where you can haggle a bit with the driver, but either way you can end up paying quite a bit... or at least, more than we wanted to. I was sent to Durban with advice to "not let the taxi drivers rip you off" and I still have no idea how to accomplish this...<br />
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So, we spent quite a bit of our time on minibuses! I didn't take any pictures of them (usually because they were in areas where you wouldn't want to take out a camera) but basically they are 15 seater vans that drive people around... you can find them all over southern Africa. Most of the ones in Durban don't exactly have specified routes, or at least not posted ones, so I usually just ended up walking to the drivers window and repeating the name of the place we were trying to get to, and the driver would either tell us to get in or point us in another direction where we could find minibuses to our desired location. This could be tricky, and was a bit of an adrenaline inducing activity, but it felt like such an accomplishment to get to where we wanted to go (and only spend 4 to 10 rand to get there... the exchange rate is 7 rand to the dollar). I spent 10 rand to ride a minibus to a place that it cost 260 rand to get back from in a taxi.<br />
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While using various forms of public transportation made me appreciate my 4runner at home all the more (I don't even know what the age to rent a car in the US is... it has just never come up), and we sometimes had to invest quite a lot of time and energy to get where we needed to go, I believe that our transportation adventures in Durban were overall quite successful (of course, there was the 260 rand taxi ride, which was depressing, and then that time we were dropped off on the side of the freeway, but that it a story for another post...). We got safely where we needed to go all week (this includes our multitude of walking adventures, as we walked whenever it was daylight and the distance was doable. Or when we thought the distance was doable and ended up walking basically to the other side of the city) and in the end were returned in one piece to Grahamstown. I should mention that the bus ride home was fairly uneventful, as we were traveling overnight and mostly just tried to sleep, except that my seat mate was extremely talkative and I got to hear all about his life, from his job working for Volkswagen to his opinions about crime in Port Elizabeth and experiences with religion. Not as conducive to sleeping as snuggling with Melissa Dorrance on a band bus, but I did okay :)Christianahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15251341450893674901noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3236808438117903892.post-52129025063155519482011-09-21T14:58:00.000-04:002011-09-21T14:58:28.197-04:00In No Time At All-Article OneSorry for the hiatus! I am safely home from term vac, and I have so many adventures to share that I don't think it's a good idea to try to write it all out in one post. Plus there are those pesky things called classes that I have to go to and I receive more work, which cuts into my blogging time :) So, I will give you a quick overview of "Adventuretime with Kristen and Christiana" (aka term vac) now before my history class, and hopefully I can ramble later about things like minibuses, markets, and malls (all things I encountered frequently in the past week) at a later time...<br />
<br />
Saturday morning, Kristen and I headed to the center of Grahamstown to catch a bus to Durban. We left at 8am and got to Durban sometime after 7pm... making good time, actually, as it is basically a 12 hour trip by bus. We spent our first night in a hostel in the Berea area, and ventured out to a street festival at the advice of our friendly hostel staff in time to see the band Napalma. Sunday we switched to Tekweni Backpackers, a hostel right off of Florida Road in the Morningside area... not much like the Morningside I know, but it was a nice area, and we could safely walk to places on Florida Rd at night, which was great. We spent part of Sunday and most of Monday on a quest to get Kristen's broken laptop fixed, which entailed several additional adventures. Tuesday was a beach day, and we were supposed to leave Durban on Wednesday, but ended up staying for the rest of the week when car rental issues couldn't be sorted. Thursday we went to Ushaka, which is a massive water park/marine world by the beach in Durban. Friday we were back at the beach, as well as an Indian trade fair at the racetrack. Saturday we mostly explored some markets, and Sunday we hit the beach for some perfect weather before forcing ourselves to get everything packed up and catching a bus overnight back to Grahamstown. We got back at 5:30am, and I managed to drag myself and my huge suitcase (I only brought big suitcases here, which makes it appear that I extremely overpack when I go on weeklong trips) from the center of town up the hill and back to my room by 6am. At this point it seemed like it would be stupid to go to sleep and then get up in 2 hours for my classes, so I headed off to play some drums for my ethno class in a slightly delirious state...<br />
<br />
Thats basically a mad oversimplification of our week. I promise I will elaborate (hopefully not too much) at a later date. I will just finish for now with a sad tale...<br />
<br />
On Sunday, the temperature in Durban was like 32 degrees Celsius, and I was walking around in shorts and a bathing suit. When I got back to Grahamstown, it was in the teens, and Monday I wore long sleeves, a sweater, a scarf, and a jacket basically all day. Devastating. It reminds me a bit of deceitfully warm spring breaks in Nicaragua, only to return to Gettysburg and discover that in reality, March is just not warm. In this case, I am pretty sure that Grahamstown is just being spiteful, since it is warmer basically everywhere else. Perhaps it will motivate me to stay inside and catch up on my work?Christianahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15251341450893674901noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3236808438117903892.post-65969822096549092812011-09-07T14:24:00.000-04:002011-09-07T14:24:46.253-04:00Use Somebody-Kings of Leon<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <o:OfficeDocumentSettings> <o:AllowPNG/> </o:OfficeDocumentSettings> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:TrackMoves>false</w:TrackMoves> <w:TrackFormatting/> <w:PunctuationKerning/> <w:DrawingGridHorizontalSpacing>18 pt</w:DrawingGridHorizontalSpacing> <w:DrawingGridVerticalSpacing>18 pt</w:DrawingGridVerticalSpacing> <w:DisplayHorizontalDrawingGridEvery>0</w:DisplayHorizontalDrawingGridEvery> <w:DisplayVerticalDrawingGridEvery>0</w:DisplayVerticalDrawingGridEvery> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:DontGrowAutofit/> <w:DontAutofitConstrainedTables/> <w:DontVertAlignInTxbx/> </w:Compatibility> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" LatentStyleCount="276"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--> <!--[if gte mso 10]> <style>
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<div class="MsoNormal">Backing up a bit… sorry this is sort of out of order, but to celebrate spring this past weekend, I escaped Grahamstown and went to the beach. (Not that Grahamstown isn’t lovely, its just also very difficult to leave/travel if you don’t have a car, and the Avis in town wont rent to anyone under 21.) Luckily, the two German girls who are here are both older, so on Saturday morning Eva, Britta, Kristen and I rented a car with the intention of driving to Coffee Bay, which is located on the ‘Wild Coast’ between here and Durban. However, when we stopped a Chintsa for lunch around 12:30, we found out that the road between there and Coffee Bay was bad, and it was going to take us another 3 ½ hours to get there. So rather than spending most of the weekend in the car (not that it wasn’t delightful to actually be in a car again… I love road trips!) we decided to stay at this super cute backpackers lodge in Chintsa. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">When I got here, I had this misconception that backpacking around the country involved camping, and that backpackers lodges involved camping as well. In reality, backpacking in SA involves hostel hopping, which I am guessing is more like backpacking in Europe than in Appalachia :) I am much more down with staying in a dormitory with showers than camping, and the place that we were at reminded me of Laguna de Apoya, which we stayed at during choir tour in Nicaragua this spring. I did not sleep out in a hammock, but it felt tropical with all of the palm trees and very secluded (in a good way, with more nature than village). There were a bunch of little buildings tucked into the side of the hill, which overlooked the river that separates East and West Chintsa with a beautiful view of the sea. Although it was a bit chilly this past weekend (not quite swimming weather, unfortunately) we did put on swimsuits and walk at the edge of the water. Actually, in order to reach the beach, we had to follow a path that at points involved wading through the river's edge, which was much cooler than the relatively warm Indian Ocean.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">While swimming was out, we did spend some time on the beach, as well as taking a short little canoe/kayak trip up the river. I was in a double kayak, so it was much easier to handle, but the wind was high so it was difficult for the other girls to paddle through the waves upstream, and the wind kept blowing cold water onto us as we went. So we turned around fairly quickly and let the wind push us back to where we started. We also played a bit of volleyball on Saturday (it was the free activity for the afternoon—wine and volleyball). I have never played volleyball where there are rules about wine breaks at certain points of the game, or where various dogs either chase each other through the court or just lay down and sleep while a game is going on. I can’t say that I was very good at volleyball, and I have still definitely not acquired a taste for wine (although it seems like that would make it more difficult to hit the ball, anyway, so it wasn’t really a bad thing). Anyway, we mostly just chilled at the backpackers, explored around the area, and ate fantastic food—a Xhosa meal for dinner and a yummy breakfast outside on a deck overlooking the cove—but it was a beautiful weekend and a nice chance to get away and go on an adventure. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">I have realized that I want to come back to South Africa. I know that sounds funny, since I have three months here still. There is just not enough time (or money) for me to do all of the travelling that I want to do and explore all of the gorgeous places that I haven’t been to yet. It turns out that I totally enjoy ‘backpacking’, and I would love to come back someday with a partner in crime, a map, and a car and just travel all over. For some reason, when you go to new and beautiful places, you want to share it with someone you love and just… be. While I can’t really do that to the extent I would like during this semester, I am realizing that it is a desire I have. I want to travel, to explore, and to share. Hopefully, God has some of that in my future. In the meantime, I will just share a little with you. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-x5uf4cJa1P0/Tme0kIePQrI/AAAAAAAAADw/9SJ8qd2Fe0E/s1600/CIMG4006.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-x5uf4cJa1P0/Tme0kIePQrI/AAAAAAAAADw/9SJ8qd2Fe0E/s400/CIMG4006.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Our view from the deck outside of our room :) </div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-tEvevjYt5QQ/Tme0lx2_h5I/AAAAAAAAAD0/NH-88if3z8A/s1600/CIMG4021.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-tEvevjYt5QQ/Tme0lx2_h5I/AAAAAAAAAD0/NH-88if3z8A/s400/CIMG4021.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">(You see that sandy bit at the bottom between patches of grass leading into the water? That's the path to the beach.)</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-wZnPTjC6Mb4/Tme0nKdafVI/AAAAAAAAAD4/LXIOJ6I92Xw/s1600/CIMG4035.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-wZnPTjC6Mb4/Tme0nKdafVI/AAAAAAAAAD4/LXIOJ6I92Xw/s400/CIMG4035.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Western part of the cove (the tide is in, and seawater meets the river at this spot)</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Hybfw2Pq8XI/Tme0oX9YtJI/AAAAAAAAAD8/GElfTx5TBxE/s1600/CIMG4037.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Hybfw2Pq8XI/Tme0oX9YtJI/AAAAAAAAAD8/GElfTx5TBxE/s400/CIMG4037.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">(Eastern side of the cove)</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-D0I282FIZYA/Tme0pjnT26I/AAAAAAAAAEA/ogDNw9egj4E/s1600/CIMG4058.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-D0I282FIZYA/Tme0pjnT26I/AAAAAAAAAEA/ogDNw9egj4E/s400/CIMG4058.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">(Britta, Me, Kristen and Eva on the deck where we ate breakfast)</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br />
</span></div><!--EndFragment-->Christianahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15251341450893674901noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3236808438117903892.post-63706850881747842012011-09-07T13:56:00.000-04:002011-09-07T13:56:50.909-04:00Control-Shawn McDonald<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <o:OfficeDocumentSettings> <o:AllowPNG/> </o:OfficeDocumentSettings> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:TrackMoves>false</w:TrackMoves> <w:TrackFormatting/> <w:PunctuationKerning/> <w:DrawingGridHorizontalSpacing>18 pt</w:DrawingGridHorizontalSpacing> <w:DrawingGridVerticalSpacing>18 pt</w:DrawingGridVerticalSpacing> <w:DisplayHorizontalDrawingGridEvery>0</w:DisplayHorizontalDrawingGridEvery> <w:DisplayVerticalDrawingGridEvery>0</w:DisplayVerticalDrawingGridEvery> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:DontGrowAutofit/> <w:DontAutofitConstrainedTables/> <w:DontVertAlignInTxbx/> </w:Compatibility> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" LatentStyleCount="276"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--> <!--[if gte mso 10]> <style>
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<div class="MsoNormal">Happy Spring! </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div>… Or you can enjoy the stiflingly hot, sticky, humid time of year at the summer just before fall comes. Or possibly torrential downpours for days. You know, whichever you prefer. As for me, I am so pleased that spring is here and warmer times are ahead. August 1st was officially the first day of spring, although Friday was just weird… sunny, then windy, then rainy, then sunny but also rainy, then just really windy. This week has been warmer, enough so that I wore shorts Tuesday and Wednesday. And there you have my very official weather report. :) <div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">In other news, I spent some more time at the Rafael Centre this past week (I suppose I should spell it properly, although I am not handling this American to British English switch very well, and will probably blame that when I can never spell properly ever again. Of course, 'again' implies that I could spell anything properly in the first place…). <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Aya and I are getting on well—I asked him if he played any sports and he told me that he didn’t, but that he liked to read novels and write poetry. Also, he really likes life sciences/biology, and when I asked him what he wants to do later in life, he told me he was considering being a psychologist or a lawyer. Could there be a better mentor/mentee pair? Granted, he writes most of his poetry in Xhosa, so I can’t understand it at all, and I do have difficulty understanding his accent some times, but hopefully that will improve as we go. On Thursday when we met, he asked if I had extra time to meet this week, so I went in again Monday and we worked on his projects a bit. Honesty, so there wasn’t a lot that we could do except for some brainstorming before he does his research for the papers, so we mostly just hung out and chatted. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He is graduating at the end of this year, provided that he passes his examinations, and then in December he is going ‘into the bush’. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">This is sort of a coming of age thing for Xhosa guys that has survived over time and is still a part of the culture in this area. As far as I can gather, some older men take a bunch of guys (all around the same age, although there are not really structured age-groups in society the way there used to be) out into the surrounding countryside and leave them there to survive on their own for 3 or 4 weeks. While I can imagine that this would actually be quite difficult (I have no idea what you would eat… it’s a good thing no one is leaving me out in the bush), I can’t help but think that this is also an excuse for male bonding time. But no man-dates at Servo or Saturday morning brunches here… this is serious. Anyway, after the older men go out and bring them back, there is a big celebration that involves lots of beer, gifts, and possibly slaughtering a cow. I am a little fuzzy on the details, but it sounds like a big deal. When I took my tour to the township shortly after I got here, we saw some guys coming back from the bush, as well as a party with tons of neighbors and a cow… there’s just a difference between knowing that it happens, and Aya telling me that he is doing it himself. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">This week has just been a mash of trying to get work done while planning for vac. I finally have plans… well, a rough sketch, anyway. I am definitely going to Durban with Kristen. We are going to leave Saturday morning (for a 12 hour bus ride) and are coming home the following Sunday overnight, so that we should arrive back in Grahamstown around 5:30 in the morning. Hopefully, we are going to rent a car in Durban (I don’t know if the 21 age requirement is nationwide, or just in Grahamstown… we were able to book a car through Economy Car Rentals, so hopefully everything will work out in Durban and we will just possibly pay an underage insurance fee), which will allow us to drive up to Kruger National Park with a stop in Swaziland. The plan is to drive to Swaziland on Wednesday and get to Nelspruit (just outside of Kruger) by Thursday night, do some drives on Friday and Saturday, and take a shuttle/minibus back to Durban on Sunday. There is still a part of my mind that is panicking and saying that the rental car isn’t going to work out, but if not, we will just stay in Durban for the week. I am sure we can find something to do… I mean, there is a beach, so it wouldn’t be that terrible. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Anyway, in the meantime, I am just constantly being reminded that God is has been taking care of me, is taking care of me, and will take care of me in the future regardless of how much time I spend panicking and trying to control things in my life. So, the real plan is: I am going on a trip over vac. I will explore new places and see new things. I might not go everywhere I planned, but I will find a place to sleep at night, food when I am hungry, and I will get back to Grahamstown more or less in time for classes to start (although will I really want to go to class when I get home 3 hours before it starts?) I was in the dining hall yesterday, taking a break from stressing over bus and car bookings, and a girl was making toast with her back to me so that I could read Jeremiah 29:11 written on her shirt. God knows the plans he has for me! And then today my dear Melissa sent me <span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Lucida Grande"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">Proverbs 19:21 "Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the LORD that will stand." <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Lucida Grande"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">It has just been so helpful to be told over and over again (because I can forget very quickly… as soon as I get back to my laptop and open up travel booking pages or something) that God is in control. He is big enough to have this great master plan, and he still cares about the details my life. Like where I am keeping my stuff over vac, how I will get malaria meds, and hopefully where I will be sleeping next week. I have to be smart and make good decisions, but I am not alone in them. And that is a big comfort. <o:p></o:p></span></div><!--EndFragment-->Christianahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15251341450893674901noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3236808438117903892.post-48047228651997106072011-08-31T15:54:00.000-04:002011-08-31T15:54:59.828-04:00Only You-David Crowder Band <!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <o:OfficeDocumentSettings> <o:AllowPNG/> </o:OfficeDocumentSettings> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:TrackMoves>false</w:TrackMoves> <w:TrackFormatting/> <w:PunctuationKerning/> <w:DrawingGridHorizontalSpacing>18 pt</w:DrawingGridHorizontalSpacing> <w:DrawingGridVerticalSpacing>18 pt</w:DrawingGridVerticalSpacing> <w:DisplayHorizontalDrawingGridEvery>0</w:DisplayHorizontalDrawingGridEvery> <w:DisplayVerticalDrawingGridEvery>0</w:DisplayVerticalDrawingGridEvery> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:DontGrowAutofit/> <w:DontAutofitConstrainedTables/> <w:DontVertAlignInTxbx/> </w:Compatibility> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" LatentStyleCount="276"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--> <!--[if gte mso 10]> <style>
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<div class="MsoNormal">Today started off pretty rough, I’m not going to lie. But everything that was causing my bad day is circumstantial, and I wanted to let you know that God is way more permanent than my issues. This is true for everything, but sometimes it is more apparent than others. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">For example, today started out with the thought “today I am going to figure out whether I am going to Mozambique or not”. I didn't. Kristen and I are hoping to travel there over the term vac, but in order for this to happen, I need to find out that 3 things are true:</div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">1.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span>Cameron (one of the international guys) is coming with us. While I like a good adventure, I am not going with only one girl. If it’s only us, we will stay in SA, where there are more places that girls can travel alone safely.</div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">2.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Vaccinations are not required to enter Mozambique or return to SA. Mozambique is not a Yellow fever region, but often you still need to have the vaccine to re-enter SA from some neighboring countries, and it is possible that it is required for entry. I didn’t get the vaccine before I left because I was a)stupid and b)not planning very well. Since I didn’t need any new vaccines to enter SA, I didn’t bother to go to a travel clinic… which also means that I don’t have the yellow book that has my immunizations record in it. So if you need this to get into Moz, I am stuck. </div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">3.<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><!--[endif]-->Visas are either attainable at the border or can be gotten in a week. Citizens of most countries (except SA and a few neighboring countries) need a visa to enter Mozambique, and since we would be traveling by bus, we can’t just land in the airport and take care of it there. Most travel guides say that you can’t get a bus ticket straight to Maputo (the capital) unless you have a visa, because the bus wont wait for you to get one at the border. I think… most information is not very complete or official, and the embassy website is in Portuguese.</div><!--EndFragment--><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Anyway, just writing this out is making my stress level rise. Kristen and I had agreed that we would find out about these three things and make a decision by today. However, Cameron wasn’t in Kristen’s class today, and neither was Yve Marie, the guy who recommended Mozambique to us and would know about visas and vaccinations. Also, Kristen was going to call the embassy today, but she didn’t get time… and thus, still no answers. Planning travel stresses me out, and the fact that the trip is so close is making it way worse.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Then, we got our Zoo papers back after class today, and I didn’t do so well on it. And by not well, what I mean is that the professor thought I was answering a different essay question that I was, and he gave me a 30%. Also, it turns out that I had miscopied the question that I intended to answer, hence the professor not knowing which one I was answering. Either way, bad news bears. The grading system is different here, but a 50% is still failing. Just so you know. Also, Zoology is the only class I am taking that counts toward my major… so it is basically the only class that matters. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Thus, I was not in the best mood right around lunchtime today. Kristen had texted me to say that the guys weren’t in class, and that she wasn’t going to have time to call the embassy. Perhaps I should have offered to call them, but I ran out of airtime last night and need to buy more before I can make any calls. Also, I was fairly distressed by that point in the day, and I selfishly didn’t want to deal with it.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">So, that brings us to the point in the story were things turn the corner. I had already used up my quota of listening to Jason Mraz’s Details in the Fabric to calm down while trying to figure out travel plans yesterday, and today was beyond Jason’s abilities. So I gave up trying to do my zoo lab, and opened my bible, which had psalm 49 marked for today. It might be hard to see this psalm as encouraging on the first read through, but I needed it. Verse 13 talks about “the fate of those who trust in themselves”, and it hit me so hard… that’s exactly what I had been doing. I take on all of these challenges that I have decided will make my life complete: I am going to travel and have adventures, make friends and be liked here, do well in my classes be successful in life… </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">In all of these things, I may toss a casual prayer up—“Hey God, just wanted to let you know that I want this stuff and you should make it happen because you love me and you are sovereign. I am going to ‘trust’ you on this, but I don’t have time to chat, because I need to go strive to make all this happen so I can by happy. K bye”—but I am not actually trusting God with these things. I hold them so close! I work so hard to get ‘the good life’ for myself, but it just isn’t possible for me to do. And you know what the greatest part of this is? Those things don’t even matter. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Regardless of whether I travel nowhere during my stay in South Africa, make no friends, and fail my classes, the purpose of my life is still going to be worshiping the God of the universe. <i><o:p></o:p></i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Its amazing. While I am busy stressing and freaking out, my creator is literally here with me, moving heaven and earth so that I have the chance to have a personal relationship with him. He is SO BIG. And I am so busy running around trying to make myself happy that I completely ignore the one who will actually satisfy my longings. I can be pretty obtuse sometimes. But that’s is why I have days where things don’t go the way I planned… so I can realize that not only do I not have the power to make things go according to my plan, but that I might have the plan all wrong anyway. If life were great all the time, I would forget how much I need God… I get so easily distracted by the daily little things. Is it weird that I am grateful for today?</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">I just want to share a passage from Job 40 that hints at the truth about my life (and yours?)… </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana; mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt;">“Then the LORD spoke to Job out of the storm:<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana; mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt;">“Brace yourself like a man: I will question you, and you shall answer me.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana; mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span>Would you discredit my justice?</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana; mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt;">Would you condemn me to justify yourself?<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana; mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt;">Do you have an arm like God’s,<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana; mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt;">and can your voice thunder like his?<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana; mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt;">Then adorn yourself with glory and splendor,<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana; mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt;">and clothe yourself in honor and majesty.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana; mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt;">Unleash the fury of your wrath, <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana; mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt;">look at all who are proud and bring them low,<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana; mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt;">look at all who are proud and humble them,<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana; mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt;">crush the wicked where they stand.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana; mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt;">Bury them all in the dust together; <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana; mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt;">shroud their faces in the grave. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana; mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt;">Then I myself will admit to you<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana; mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt;">that your own right hand can save you.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(v. 6-14)<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">I don’t know about you, but my right hand is not up to the task. Yet somehow, I am comforted. I don’t need to take life into my own hands. I can’t make it go the way I want, but I don’t have to. Its not that the stuff I was stressing about isn’t important, but we have a God that is so much more important. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">P.S. …And he is faithful. I found out yesterday that we don’t have to empty everything out of our rooms over term vac (like they do for some vacations); I can leave my stuff that I don’t need safely here, even though the res will be closed. And that zoo paper? I talked to the professor, and he is letting me re-write it. But even if he wasn’t…praise God. </div><!--EndFragment-->Christianahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15251341450893674901noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3236808438117903892.post-54675878040273859522011-08-30T07:09:00.000-04:002011-08-30T07:09:14.232-04:00Walk On-BraddiganAllow me to give you a slightly eccentric walking tour of campus… let's start at Beit House:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-wnf9XtAHRBg/TlvFjimj1KI/AAAAAAAAADU/teFkVeEEXWE/s1600/CIMG3959.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-wnf9XtAHRBg/TlvFjimj1KI/AAAAAAAAADU/teFkVeEEXWE/s320/CIMG3959.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">My ethno class is the farthest walk, regardless of whether I am at the International Library of African Music for my practical, or the Environmental Sciences building for lectures. The ES building is on the front corner of campus, which I believe used to be a convent that was later bought by the school. It’s a nice walk, because you have to cross a little wooden bridge over a stream, and you can often hear piano music playing from the open windows of the music building (which is right next to the ES building). <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-iaDgUH107Ko/TlzBIYfWNFI/AAAAAAAAADs/Aoqsty3Kxjk/s1600/CIMG3985.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-iaDgUH107Ko/TlzBIYfWNFI/AAAAAAAAADs/Aoqsty3Kxjk/s400/CIMG3985.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Speaking of music, there is a guitar player who I have seen twice now, sitting on the wall next to the psychology building as I walk down to Ethno. There are occasionally street musicians who play on the corners in Grahamstown, but this guy looks like a student, and I don’t know if he is just playing for fun or not. Either way, he is really good… he seems to be playing classical style guitar when I walk by, although I am definitely not an expert. It is very enjoyable. Additionally, the only sculpture on Rhodes’ campus is also on my walk to Ethno (If I just walked past the theater as well, I could get my art fix every time I had class). It is metal and basically looks like a bunch of bicycles welded together to imply motion. There is also a comical sign next to it... it doesn’t say ‘do not climb the sculpture because you will get in trouble’ but basically ‘do not climb the sculpture because it’s tough luck if you fall off.’ Love it!<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4M--C9kCiYs/TlzBE2Y3MtI/AAAAAAAAADg/S9gsb6UF7O0/s1600/CIMG3967.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4M--C9kCiYs/TlzBE2Y3MtI/AAAAAAAAADg/S9gsb6UF7O0/s640/CIMG3967.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-o_dvt054yXQ/TlzBHe_CMOI/AAAAAAAAADo/ORC_urQnh-c/s1600/CIMG3977.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-o_dvt054yXQ/TlzBHe_CMOI/AAAAAAAAADo/ORC_urQnh-c/s400/CIMG3977.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-oTxgn9Di2XU/TlzBGKOac_I/AAAAAAAAADk/-_Me5GYGBoQ/s1600/CIMG3974.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-oTxgn9Di2XU/TlzBGKOac_I/AAAAAAAAADk/-_Me5GYGBoQ/s400/CIMG3974.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">(Some random guys offered to take my picture... they were traveling from near Durban to Cape Town, preaching 'the truth', which seemed slightly complicated and involved a lot of signs and biblical references. We had an interesting chat, some of which I agreed with and some of which was just confusing. I am so glad that the gospel is straightforward... )</div><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Another thing I love is the walk from my res to the dining hall. Firstly, the walk is only slightly longer than the walk from my house to my Grandma’s porch, and it is even more socially acceptable for me to wear my slippers during said walk. Normally I would not be caught out of my res dressed down (unless its Late Night at the library with Elle, in which case grunge clothes are required) but there are so many days that it is cold and I want to wear socks without tying the shoelaces on my sneakers. I miss boots so much! However, besides the charm of the cute little stone path past flowers a big old tree, the walk is worth it. Not that the food is particularly tasty, but the dining hall has its little charms. There is a sign above the toaster that says, “To avoid burnt offerings, heat settings should remain between…” Also, there is always tea, and although I have my own now (breakthrough: microwaves heat water, so why would I bother buying a kettle?), I still appreciate it. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tSx0lbcJ8Us/TlvDXyZnbbI/AAAAAAAAADI/A_4Um1JEuFM/s1600/CIMG3945.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-tSx0lbcJ8Us/TlvDXyZnbbI/AAAAAAAAADI/A_4Um1JEuFM/s400/CIMG3945.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">(This is the view from the steps of our dining hall)</div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7uAywkcSXRI/TlvDZ3v84LI/AAAAAAAAADM/CYt8cCC9qXw/s1600/CIMG3951.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-7uAywkcSXRI/TlvDZ3v84LI/AAAAAAAAADM/CYt8cCC9qXw/s400/CIMG3951.JPG" width="300" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">(Another set of steps from the dining hall... my slipper-safe walkway)</div></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
Next to the library is a big tree with these really cool birds' nests. I told you that I wasn't taking pictures of birds, but I lied. The nests hang down from the ends of branches and look like little woven pods, with the entrance to the nests a hole on the bottom. It is a super interesting construction, and they are attached to the branches incredibly well... it gets very windy, and the branches all whip around and the nests swing all over the place, but they remain firmly attached to the tree.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-R_M1OAEuejY/TlvE4uiaXjI/AAAAAAAAADQ/BQAQU8PaGIo/s1600/CIMG3930.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-R_M1OAEuejY/TlvE4uiaXjI/AAAAAAAAADQ/BQAQU8PaGIo/s400/CIMG3930.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">(I know you can't fully appreciate them in this picture and its hard to see, but here are some nests with the library in the background) </div><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">One continuous challenge with our walking tour is the actual walking… I have yet to come to a solid decision about what side of the sidewalk I should be walking on. At home, I can confidently walk on the right side, and know that everything is as it should be. Here, things are more confusing… I originally thought “well, they drive on the left, so I suppose I had better walk on that side” but this is not a foolproof plan, and I still find myself narrowly avoiding colliding with people all the time. Stairs are the worst, because most of them have turns and landings, so you can’t see when people are coming. This makes walking slightly stressful, but don’t worry, I can handle it.</div>Christianahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15251341450893674901noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3236808438117903892.post-29225713493380282412011-08-29T15:12:00.000-04:002011-08-29T15:12:32.998-04:00Gray or Blue-JaymayOkay, some things that I should have been mentioning while I was busy writing papers for the past week…<br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">Tuesday, I had a really interesting history lecture about the Cattle Killings, which I had seen referenced a few times but didn’t really know anything about. The actual story was intense, and it sounds like half a fairy tale without the Disney ending. Basically, a young girl was visited by two strangers in 1856, who brought a prophecy that the Xhosa people needed to kill all of their cattle. The cattle were apparently unclean from being tended by ‘dirty hands’ (witchcraft). Once all the cattle were killed and all the crops destroyed, the people were to build bigger kraals (holding areas for their cattle) and dig bigger grain pits, because bounty would be brought to all of the people, and everyone would have abundance, and the dead (their ancestors) would rise. This message got the Xhosa King, who believed prophetess girl for some reason, and he t<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">old the people to follow through with it. Some didn’t, but the majority did, and since the dead didn’t rise and the new cattle didn’t come (technically, they never killed <i>all </i>of the cattle—about 10% of the people refused—thus not fulfilling their part of the prophecy) the people had no food, and either starved (around 75,000 people died) or were forced to sign agreements with the British colonial government to sell themselves as labor in exchange for food supplies. I mean, it was way more complicated than that, but that is the main idea. There is still a ton of controversy and conspiracy theories about who the strangers were, if they really existed, who is to blame for the cattle killings, the socio-historical factors involved... I won’t go into any more detail, b</span>ut it was intense. I really like my history class, even if taking it means an exam on November 30th.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Thursday, I went to volunteer at the Rafael Centre for the first time, and had an awesome experience. There is a program there for high school students from the township who are infected or affected by HIV. It is similar to the idea of a support group; they get resources and information about AIDS (the stigma here is huge, and there are still lots of people who don’t have accurate information about the virus) as well as incentives and support to live a better life (if they attend all of the events, they each get a cell phone that was donated to the centre, which is a big deal because, according to Gillian, guys will sell drugs and girls will sell themselves to get a cell phone) and a chance to be with other people their age going through similar experiences. One part of Gillian’s job is finding out what else these kids need, and trying to get it for them. In some cases, they have asked for extra help with schoolwork, and this is where I came in! I am going to be mentoring one afternoon a week, tutoring someone that wants the help. Although I have always felt unprepared to be a tutor (I swear it requires more than just being a good student, especially because if you are a good student, you don't have the experience of<i> </i>ever <i>being</i> tutored) my experiences volunteering for Elle’s LIU migrant education program at Gettysburg has prepared me at least a bit. In fact, I think it was good training, as the two main differences here are a Xhosa accent instead of a Spanish one, and the desire to learn, the second of which I am totally down with. (To clarify, it isn't that none the LIU kids want to learn, but since only the Rafael Centre kids who have asked for extra help are getting tutored, they actually want to be there, which is awesome.) </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">I don’t know if we will be paired with the same kids for the semester, but I got to work with a Senior (they call senior year matric year in SA) guy named Aya. If I get to work with him again, my goal is to learn to say his full name, but that wasn’t attainable this week. He wanted help with life sciences and geography, which was terrifying for a minute because I had no idea what earth sciences was and I am terrible at geography (especially African geography, can you label just the 54 <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">official </i>countries on a map? I can do like 10). However, it turns out that life sciences is biology! When he opened his textbook to Mendel and Darwin, I was so happy I could have sung. Discussing genes and loci and meiosis was like a dream for me, although we had some awkward times reviewing the female reproductive cycle, complete with hormonal patterns and every form of birth control that exists. While this is a great thing for teenage boys to know about, I would love it if someone other than myself was transmitting the knowledge…</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">This week mostly has been a blur of paper writing. On the bright side, I am pleased to note that I managed to keep my library total down to three, which was a nice average of one library per paper (I still don’t know where the Ichthyology Library is). I did get to go to a braai on Friday afternoon after I finished my papers... It was a res bonding thing, so we had it right next to Beit. Can you imagine having a barbecue area next to every res on campus? It’s all about priorities. Anyway, we had yummy food, although the weather had gotten colder and threatening. We have been having a weird weather pattern where the day starts out beautiful, then it gets really windy, and storm clouds roll in around dinnertime. At least it hasn’t been raining! In fact, compared to the weather at home, I would say that we have it pretty nice. And when it is nice, it is amazing…the sky is so blue that it is almost painful.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-U0spop-WM44/Tlvd0Z3k7fI/AAAAAAAAADY/ztTMHqcvmQc/s1600/CIMG3936.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-U0spop-WM44/Tlvd0Z3k7fI/AAAAAAAAADY/ztTMHqcvmQc/s400/CIMG3936.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-oyguBb9Is6s/Tlvd1jE54jI/AAAAAAAAADc/SHI7Ltqnnpw/s1600/CIMG3955.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-oyguBb9Is6s/Tlvd1jE54jI/AAAAAAAAADc/SHI7Ltqnnpw/s400/CIMG3955.JPG" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">It's really blue... just sayin</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div>Christianahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15251341450893674901noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3236808438117903892.post-81930108497389302952011-08-29T12:48:00.000-04:002011-08-29T12:48:38.186-04:00Paper Planes-M.I.A. <!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <o:OfficeDocumentSettings> <o:AllowPNG/> </o:OfficeDocumentSettings> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:WordDocument> <w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom> <w:TrackMoves>false</w:TrackMoves> <w:TrackFormatting/> <w:PunctuationKerning/> <w:DrawingGridHorizontalSpacing>18 pt</w:DrawingGridHorizontalSpacing> <w:DrawingGridVerticalSpacing>18 pt</w:DrawingGridVerticalSpacing> <w:DisplayHorizontalDrawingGridEvery>0</w:DisplayHorizontalDrawingGridEvery> <w:DisplayVerticalDrawingGridEvery>0</w:DisplayVerticalDrawingGridEvery> <w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/> <w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid> <w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent> <w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText> <w:Compatibility> <w:BreakWrappedTables/> <w:DontGrowAutofit/> <w:DontAutofitConstrainedTables/> <w:DontVertAlignInTxbx/> </w:Compatibility> </w:WordDocument> </xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" LatentStyleCount="276"> </w:LatentStyles> </xml><![endif]--> <!--[if gte mso 10]> <style>
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<div class="MsoNormal">The study abroad wave has hit. Not here obviously, since we are just chilling in the middle of our term (actually, we are in the second to last week of term, and it is past time to make plans for term vacation), but facebook has been strewn with statuses about people either going back to school or going abroad. I am actually really glad that I came so early; not only am I a trendsetter (hahaha), but really, it is nice that I am not having the shock of settling in while all my friends back at Gburg have a jolly good time together. I am sad that I wasn’t at the Leadership Team retreat last week, and it is hard to know that I am missing choir recruitment and seeing everyone again, but I know that God has other plans. Sometimes I just wish I knew what those plans were :) </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">I am currently in the process of making plans for my term break, and it is comically stressful. Instead of going to classes, coming back from classes, and doing homework, I actually have to make travel decisions that involve other college students. If you don’t already know, getting people in this age group to make definitive plans is like trying to herd some creature that is not meant to be herded. I think goats would be too easy... Anyway, I will hopefully be going somewhere and doing something fun, although we decided that getting to Victoria Falls was too expensive to justify, so no bungee jumping off of the falls for me. On the other hand, the highest jump in the world happens to be along the Garden Route between here and Cape Town… </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Anyway, classes have been classes; I go to them, take notes, play the djembe, the usual. This past week was a bit hectic because I had an Ethnomusicology paper due Friday, a Zoology paper due Friday, a Philosophy test Friday, and a History paper due this afternoon. Luckily, I was supposed to be gone this weekend, but the trip got postponed, so I had the weekend to write the history paper. And by weekend, I really mean Sunday, since inevitably that is when I write it. Friday night I was too happy about finishing everything else, and Saturday magically filled up before I noticed it. I went for a run around lunchtime up to the 1820’s Settlers Monument, which is at the top of a hill behind campus, and despite the fact that the steep part at the bottom made me consider quitting and/or dying, I made it up and it was totally worth it. I think that spring is coming; it is hard to tell because plants have been blooming constantly since I got here, but a new variety have started blooming, and they are gorgeous… random wildflowers blooming along the road, and more planted in beds everywhere. There are trees with what looks like cherry blossoms as well near my res, and I love it. </div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dSC8rv3e3Zk/TlvB2da6e9I/AAAAAAAAADE/ZxBZdAgXom4/s1600/CIMG3933.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dSC8rv3e3Zk/TlvB2da6e9I/AAAAAAAAADE/ZxBZdAgXom4/s640/CIMG3933.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><o:p>(This is in front of the Psychology building, which is right next to Beit House)</o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><o:p><br />
</o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal">Saturday afternoon resulted in an impromptu tea date, where I finally found a travelling companion (hopefully two) for the term vac. I spent way too much time afterwards determining that a Victoria Falls trip was going to be too expensive to be feasible, and then I got to have great chat time with my Mom and Melissa. I recently made the magical discovery that I can call the US using skype on my computer, and it only costs 2.3 cents/min, which is way cheaper than every other calling plan I have found. So I can now call home, which I love, and obviously I use video skype all the time. Luckily, I am fairly good with my quota usage, so if I accidentally skype for nearly 2 hours, its okay :) </div><!--EndFragment-->Christianahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15251341450893674901noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3236808438117903892.post-90504182024963822972011-08-21T16:32:00.002-04:002011-11-20T10:42:35.566-05:00Faithful-Shawn McDonaldIn case the organizers of Destination Imagination were concerned, their program does help prepare people for real life. Actually, I am sure they already know this, but what they don’t know is that I averted a major crisis Friday night when I lost the key to the padlock on my closet door. I lock my laptop and other important things in there (like all my shoes, belts, and laundry hamper, actually), and being the super smart girl that I am, I stuck the extra key to the padlock inside the closet (I didn't exactly anticipate needing it after losing my key). However, with the help of a belt, a necklace, some newspaper, a flashlight, a shoe, a toothbrush (with travel cover), scissors, tape, my dry erase board, some bobby pins, and a thesis I checked out of the library (probably shouldn’t have used that one, but it is fine), I successfully got into my closet in under an hour. It was touch and go for a while, but everything worked out in the end, and I was fairly pleased with my creative problem solving.<br />
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</div><div class="MsoNormal">In other news, Friday was a good day. I forced myself to go to Cory library and the music library to do research for two of my papers… we have so many libraries it is going to make me crazy. Granted, I like books as much as the next person—probably more, actually—I just wish that these books could be kept in one convenient location, perhaps the huge and beautiful and totally non-sketch library that is a 30 second walk from my door. However, we also have Cory library, which is the historical library where super old and/or super cool books are stored dealing with Eastern Cape (and, I am assuming, South African) history. I enjoy the books in Cory library, but unfortunately, nothing is in circulation, so you have to go there to read them, and this library is only open business hours during the week. Thus, I cannot simultaneously have the primary source for my history paper, write my history paper, and either be in my room or work during the weekend. Moving on, the Music library (not to be confused with the International Library of African Music, which is completely different) is in the music department, which is not a place I would go if it was going to get dark, or if there was bad weather. This library is basically open during business hours, too, although I believe it is supposed to be open for a short time on Saturdays. This is where the sources for my Ethno paper are rumored to be located, so I went there Friday as well. We also have a SAIAB/Ichthyology Library, which is where the sources for my Zoo paper appear to be, based on the catalogue searches I have been doing. I have no idea where this library is; I could always look on a map, but I am thus far boycotting the idea that I need to go to four different libraries for three papers, so I will see what I can find at the main library first. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">Anyway, after getting a bit of work done in the afternoon, Nhla (one of the sub-wardens in Beit) invited me to go with her and a few friends to see Carl Ncube, who is a comedian from Zimbabwe that she knows from home. It was a really funny time, although part of that had more to do with being out of place than actually understanding what was supposed to be funny. Nhla said that most of the people there were from Zimbabwe… I have no idea if she knew all of them (which seems pretty unlikely, since there was a big crowd) or if she just has some magical radar that I am unaware of (this seems pretty unlikely as well, so I am at a loss to explain how she knew). The Rhodes cheerleaders performed, which was a particularly… entertaining… experience. I am pretty sure that my nearest basis of comparison would be Gettysburg’s Bomb Squad, except that Bomb Squad has the occasional guy and/or white girl. Anyway, it was very amusing, and I enjoyed the comedians, although I didn’t get all of the jokes, which was half the fun. Afterwards, I met up with some of the girls in my res, and we went out for a bit. I didn’t really feel like going all that much, since it had gotten so cold, but I don’t want to go out late on Saturday nights, so if I go Friday, I can stay in Saturday and have a nice quiet evening to myself without feeling antisocial. It worked out super well Friday, because one of the girls wanted to head back early, so I went with her and ended up having a nice chat. Roxanne is really sweet, and I am realizing, once again, that there are lots of people here that would be wonderful friends if I would just put the effort into getting to know them. Ah, so much teaching time. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">The rest of the weekend was pretty chill. I didn’t do anything worth mentioning on Saturday, unless you want to hear about really boring papers (turns out I only really like researching history papers, and that is still a chore) and quiet evenings in Res. On Sunday, I had intended to go back to Frontiers, but I slept badly (luckily, this doesn’t happen nearly as frequently anymore) and I was so tired this morning that I decided to sleep a few more hours. However, it turns out that when Roxanne goes to church, she goes at night, so I went to River of Life with her this evening. It was an interesting experience; I would definitely call it contemporary, but I don’t think it is somewhere that I would want to attend all the time. The majority of the people there were students (sometimes you just have to spend time around “grown ups” and being around adorable children is always nice), but the important thing was that there was some substance missing in it for me. On the other hand, it was almost nice to be jolted by being in a place where I knew none of the music… it reminded me that the universal church is connected through the bible, not by the worship songs they sing. It’s kind of eye-opening to see, as I have in my time here so far, Christians who are really different than what I am used to in terms of worship, fellowship style, or the way they relate to—or understand—God. God is working in their lives and receiving honor and praise from them just as he does with me… and yet, in different ways. God is way more ‘big picture’ than I am, and that can only be a good thing. I just want to see a bit more of the picture the way that he does, and even that seems overwhelming. </div>Christianahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15251341450893674901noreply@blogger.com1