hey guys,
so al, our guy, is coming to pick us up in like 30 minutes to go to the airport. from there we'll catch a 9:20p flight and head to joburg. We'll stay there overnight and then in the morning, some kruger person will pick us up from our hotel and take us to kruger!!! soooo excited! Yesterday, I posted a link to the itenerary and i hope you guys can open it and take a look so you'll know where i am on any given day.
i already miss you guys distance wise, but now i'll miss you for the next week because we can't even talk :-(
well, do keep posting so I feel missed when i return, lol. particularly, let me know what's going on with that reckless county of ours, and my man.... OBAMA! (Mom, you better have tivoed last night's speech... if you didnt... grrrrrr!!!!)
OMG... al just called to say he's outside... he's waaaay early, like 30 minutes early! I was gonna call each of you but, guess not!!!
geeze louise... sorry, i love you, i miss you, and i love you somemore!
love always,
Me
Friday, August 29, 2008
Thursday, August 28, 2008
I just wouldn't be right...
Hey guys,
So I finally finished that paper... whew! And the big day is tomorrrow. I'm super duper excited! I've got a lot to do tomorrow because I haven't even begun to start packing. I started my malaria pills today... one day late, but whatever :-) Just kidding, well, about the whatever part, but I really did start the malaria pills a day late, lol. Just pray on it yall!
Um... honestly, other than that, I don't have any big updates. I just wouldn't be right if I didn't do a goodbye blog. Seriously though guys, you won't be able to write or call me for ten days. Well, you can write and call me but neither will elicit a response for ten days. I'm gonna miss you guys! I'll take LOTS of pictures and post them (semi) immediately! If I can check in one more time tomorrow before I leave, I'll do my best! smwaaah!
Love you all,
Love,
Me
ps. here's the itenerary for my trip http://mail.google.com/mail/?ui=2&ik=f82e46b4ab&attid=0.1&disp=vah&view=att&th=11bff4bffb9d2bb8
pss. i hope you're all registered to vote... this is history!
So I finally finished that paper... whew! And the big day is tomorrrow. I'm super duper excited! I've got a lot to do tomorrow because I haven't even begun to start packing. I started my malaria pills today... one day late, but whatever :-) Just kidding, well, about the whatever part, but I really did start the malaria pills a day late, lol. Just pray on it yall!
Um... honestly, other than that, I don't have any big updates. I just wouldn't be right if I didn't do a goodbye blog. Seriously though guys, you won't be able to write or call me for ten days. Well, you can write and call me but neither will elicit a response for ten days. I'm gonna miss you guys! I'll take LOTS of pictures and post them (semi) immediately! If I can check in one more time tomorrow before I leave, I'll do my best! smwaaah!
Love you all,
Love,
Me
ps. here's the itenerary for my trip http://mail.google.com/mail/?ui=2&ik=f82e46b4ab&attid=0.1&disp=vah&view=att&th=11bff4bffb9d2bb8
pss. i hope you're all registered to vote... this is history!
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
Must... write... paper!
Hey guys,
I've got a huge mid-term paper due Friday in my religion class, so I won't be writing much today. I was in the library for like 8 hours straight (in spite of the family joke, yes, really, i was, lol) and I'm still less than half way done. I've done all my research, I've just gotta go through it and put it all together. The topic is interesting, I've just gotta make myself get it done. (I'm writing about a sect of Islam in Nigeria/Hausaland Region called the Bori cult and its spirit possessing prostitute women... sounds fake, but yeah, it's real, lol.)
I really want to get it done tomorrow, and I've got SHAWCO, so needless to say, I'll be busy this week. And then, I leave for spring break on Friday!!! What are you guys gonna do without me for like 9 days?
Anyhoo, I figured out how to take pics and record video with my webcam thing, so enjoy, lol!
Love you lots,
Me
Sunday, August 24, 2008
Something's happening...
Hey guys,
So today was a great day from start to finish! I woke up this morning and went to church, came home did some work, ate lunch, then went back to church, went to a Chinese restaurant, and now I'm at home.
I went back to the Hillsong church with some friends, which is the church I told you guys about that's really production-y, like strobe lights, fog machines, and rock bands. But today was really good. I thoroughly enjoyed it! Six of us went this morning, then three of us went back tonight because they had a praise and worship thing tonight where it was allll music. It was really cool, again, nothing that I've ever been used to between Catholocism, the Kingdom Hall, and good ol' Bethlehem Baptist Church in Memphis, but still, it was cool despite its difference.
As some of you know, I had a tough day yesterday because I've just been feeling super alone and super far from any and everything familiar. But after talking to you guys, I felt a lot better, and after today, I feel tons better. I'm not sure what it is, I can't quite describe it, but something's happening. Like today's church experience was really special/different/strange for me (in a positive way). I know everything happens for a reason, and I know I'm where I'm supposed to be right now, but it's been tough feeling alone. But after today, it's like God put me here, "alone" (even though I'm really never alone) so that I'm away from home, school, family, boyfriend, friends and all of the distractions that those things and people offer, so that I can become better on my own, as a lady, a student, a volunteer, and most importantly, as a Christian.... so we can have some me and Him time, lol. I'm away from you guys because I'm supposed to be, ya know? Again, I can't quite place my finger on "it", or how to describe "it", whatever "it" is, "it" is muuuch bigger than me. but yeah, that's just a peek into the craziness going on in my brain right now.
Anyhooo, I'm back off to school tomorrow. Plus, I've got a huge paper due Friday. I'll talk to you guys again soon.
Love you all,
Love,
Me
So today was a great day from start to finish! I woke up this morning and went to church, came home did some work, ate lunch, then went back to church, went to a Chinese restaurant, and now I'm at home.
I went back to the Hillsong church with some friends, which is the church I told you guys about that's really production-y, like strobe lights, fog machines, and rock bands. But today was really good. I thoroughly enjoyed it! Six of us went this morning, then three of us went back tonight because they had a praise and worship thing tonight where it was allll music. It was really cool, again, nothing that I've ever been used to between Catholocism, the Kingdom Hall, and good ol' Bethlehem Baptist Church in Memphis, but still, it was cool despite its difference.
As some of you know, I had a tough day yesterday because I've just been feeling super alone and super far from any and everything familiar. But after talking to you guys, I felt a lot better, and after today, I feel tons better. I'm not sure what it is, I can't quite describe it, but something's happening. Like today's church experience was really special/different/strange for me (in a positive way). I know everything happens for a reason, and I know I'm where I'm supposed to be right now, but it's been tough feeling alone. But after today, it's like God put me here, "alone" (even though I'm really never alone) so that I'm away from home, school, family, boyfriend, friends and all of the distractions that those things and people offer, so that I can become better on my own, as a lady, a student, a volunteer, and most importantly, as a Christian.... so we can have some me and Him time, lol. I'm away from you guys because I'm supposed to be, ya know? Again, I can't quite place my finger on "it", or how to describe "it", whatever "it" is, "it" is muuuch bigger than me. but yeah, that's just a peek into the craziness going on in my brain right now.
Anyhooo, I'm back off to school tomorrow. Plus, I've got a huge paper due Friday. I'll talk to you guys again soon.
Love you all,
Love,
Me
Friday, August 22, 2008
Best feeling ever!
Hey guys,
So the past couple of days, I've been the absolute worst student ever! I had two papers due on Friday and waited until when... yeah, Thursday night to finish them. But whatever, they got done in time which is all that matters.
Also, just like at home, I neverrrr go out here (go out as in hop around from club to club and get drunk). Not only is it expensive (well, expensive relative to Cape Town but muuuuch cheaper than Atlanta) but also, I figure I shouldn't do anything here that I don't do at home, so, I don't go out much here either. I'm a super duper home body. Anyhooo, a few of my friends managed to get me out of the house tonight and we went to Long Street. I'm sooo happy I went because I had a ball.
Story of the night:
I only brought R100 with me out tonight in an effort to curb my spending a little bit because going out can really take a toll on your funds. Long Street is cool, but every night there are tons of beggers who know tourists will be there to party. It's actually pretty tough to enjoy yourself because there are sooo many of them. Anyhoo, we were walking from the first place we went to towards the second place, and this kid (looked kinda short for his age, perhaps a young teenager like 12-15) came up to us in tattered clothes and said in the fakest American accent possible, "where you from? I'm Bobby from Boston!" We laughed and were like, "oh, nice to meet you Bobby," and began to start walking away. It was clear that this kid's name was NOT Bobby and that he was NOT from Boston, which is actually why it was so funny. He imitated an American accent very well. As we began to walk off, he asked for money, and as the rest of my friends walked away, because honestly, it's common. That's what you do, you walk away... normal. But for me, there was something about him that just stuck out. I still to this very moment don't know what it was about this kid. I tried to walk away but he put his arm around my shoulder, walked a few more steps with me, and in the most sincere manner I've heard said, "I just want to buy food. I PROMISE... I won't do anything else with the money. You can even buy food for me! That's all I want... something to eat!" So, he got me. My friends walked ahead into the bar, so I got my friend Luke to walk with me down to the corner store. Luke, Bobby, and I walked to the store and when we got inside I told Bobby to pick out three things, any three things he wanted. He picked a bag of rice, canola cooking oil, and a pack of chicken. It all cost me like R70 (which is like $10) which means after that and the cab fare to Long Street, which was R20, I only had R10 left on me, which is a little over one dollar. After I bought Bobby his food, he was soooo gracious, and so thankful... all he kept saying was "God bless you, God bless you, oh thank you so much, God bless you." We left the store, I told Bobby to have a good night, and he ran away with such relief and joy that all I could do was cry. Picture it... Here we are, on Long Street, in the middle of clubs, bars, drunken people dancing on the streets, and me.... crying with a white guy walking down the sidewalk. It's a pretty funny image now, but that kid, Bobby, I don't know, he's special. Do you know how many kids I've turned away? How many people I walk by everyday who beg for money? There was something about him... maybe it was his approach. Like how he came up to us with a joke, he was humorous and not immediately begging. His approach made him human, made him laugh, like you and me, whereas so many beggers take an approach that makes them seem subhuman. They beg immediately which automatically creates this unfortunate perception of superiority and inferiority. But Bobby, he came at me like a human, laughing, smiling, joking, and how on earth could you ever let a human go hungry? For whatever reason, this time, I couldn't.
Needless to say, I was out of money after that but even then, I didn't feel broke. I didn't have money for the drinks or food I intended to spend that R100 on, but it's cool because now Bobby and his family have food to eat. Plus, as I walked into bar number two with tears rolling down my face and told my friends the story, they bought me all the drinks and food I needed or wanted in addition to my cab fare to get home, so I didn't go without, and tonight, nor did Bobby :-) Honestly, tonight was one of the best nights ever, but not because I partied with friends on Long Street, but because I met Bobby :-)
sappy, corny, whatever you call it, this story made my night!
Good night fam (at 3:50 am),
Love you all,
Love,
Me
So the past couple of days, I've been the absolute worst student ever! I had two papers due on Friday and waited until when... yeah, Thursday night to finish them. But whatever, they got done in time which is all that matters.
Also, just like at home, I neverrrr go out here (go out as in hop around from club to club and get drunk). Not only is it expensive (well, expensive relative to Cape Town but muuuuch cheaper than Atlanta) but also, I figure I shouldn't do anything here that I don't do at home, so, I don't go out much here either. I'm a super duper home body. Anyhooo, a few of my friends managed to get me out of the house tonight and we went to Long Street. I'm sooo happy I went because I had a ball.
Story of the night:
I only brought R100 with me out tonight in an effort to curb my spending a little bit because going out can really take a toll on your funds. Long Street is cool, but every night there are tons of beggers who know tourists will be there to party. It's actually pretty tough to enjoy yourself because there are sooo many of them. Anyhoo, we were walking from the first place we went to towards the second place, and this kid (looked kinda short for his age, perhaps a young teenager like 12-15) came up to us in tattered clothes and said in the fakest American accent possible, "where you from? I'm Bobby from Boston!" We laughed and were like, "oh, nice to meet you Bobby," and began to start walking away. It was clear that this kid's name was NOT Bobby and that he was NOT from Boston, which is actually why it was so funny. He imitated an American accent very well. As we began to walk off, he asked for money, and as the rest of my friends walked away, because honestly, it's common. That's what you do, you walk away... normal. But for me, there was something about him that just stuck out. I still to this very moment don't know what it was about this kid. I tried to walk away but he put his arm around my shoulder, walked a few more steps with me, and in the most sincere manner I've heard said, "I just want to buy food. I PROMISE... I won't do anything else with the money. You can even buy food for me! That's all I want... something to eat!" So, he got me. My friends walked ahead into the bar, so I got my friend Luke to walk with me down to the corner store. Luke, Bobby, and I walked to the store and when we got inside I told Bobby to pick out three things, any three things he wanted. He picked a bag of rice, canola cooking oil, and a pack of chicken. It all cost me like R70 (which is like $10) which means after that and the cab fare to Long Street, which was R20, I only had R10 left on me, which is a little over one dollar. After I bought Bobby his food, he was soooo gracious, and so thankful... all he kept saying was "God bless you, God bless you, oh thank you so much, God bless you." We left the store, I told Bobby to have a good night, and he ran away with such relief and joy that all I could do was cry. Picture it... Here we are, on Long Street, in the middle of clubs, bars, drunken people dancing on the streets, and me.... crying with a white guy walking down the sidewalk. It's a pretty funny image now, but that kid, Bobby, I don't know, he's special. Do you know how many kids I've turned away? How many people I walk by everyday who beg for money? There was something about him... maybe it was his approach. Like how he came up to us with a joke, he was humorous and not immediately begging. His approach made him human, made him laugh, like you and me, whereas so many beggers take an approach that makes them seem subhuman. They beg immediately which automatically creates this unfortunate perception of superiority and inferiority. But Bobby, he came at me like a human, laughing, smiling, joking, and how on earth could you ever let a human go hungry? For whatever reason, this time, I couldn't.
Needless to say, I was out of money after that but even then, I didn't feel broke. I didn't have money for the drinks or food I intended to spend that R100 on, but it's cool because now Bobby and his family have food to eat. Plus, as I walked into bar number two with tears rolling down my face and told my friends the story, they bought me all the drinks and food I needed or wanted in addition to my cab fare to get home, so I didn't go without, and tonight, nor did Bobby :-) Honestly, tonight was one of the best nights ever, but not because I partied with friends on Long Street, but because I met Bobby :-)
sappy, corny, whatever you call it, this story made my night!
Good night fam (at 3:50 am),
Love you all,
Love,
Me
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
10 days
Hey guys,
So I leave for spring break (in Kruger, Zambia, and Victoria Falls) in 10 days! I'm super excited (besides the fact that i'll probably deplete half of my funds because I stupidly chose to vacation with rich people) because that means the semester is half way over! I know... what kind of semester has this been? It's only 12 weeks long, and next week is the sixth. The semester has been absurdly short, but then again, I'm not complaining at all!
This week and the next, the plan is to take it easy and only do free stuff, lol. This Friday, Ida/the program has planned a trip to the District Six Museum. District Six is an area here in South Africa that was populated by several different cultures and races of people. It was well-known for its various foods, cultures, religions, garb, etc. But, District Six was MOST well known for the way all its inhabitants coexisted so peacefully despite differences in race, religion, and culture. There were Indians, Asians, Malays, Africans, etc. However, during apartheid, 1966 to be exact, the government declared the area "whites only" and began to remove inhabitants in 1968. Thus, tens of thousands of people were forcefully removed from their homes. Part of District Six has now been declared a national museum, but other parts are supposed to be renovated and even redistributed. The forceful removal of the people is reminiscent to the issues faced by our Native Americans during the Trail of Tears. However, the difference is, those removed from their homes in District Six are still alive, and many even painfully drive or walk by their former homes everyday. It's pretty sad. (for more info, check out http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/District_Six)
Anyhoo, Ida organized a trip there for us (transportation and admission paid woooohoooo) on Friday around 2. I'm pretty excited; I've been meaning to go there but I'm glad I didn't because now its free. (If they take us to Robben Island for free I'll be mad).
Anyway, this week I'll just be relaxing and finalizing work before my trip. I'll post more later!
Love you all,
Me
So I leave for spring break (in Kruger, Zambia, and Victoria Falls) in 10 days! I'm super excited (besides the fact that i'll probably deplete half of my funds because I stupidly chose to vacation with rich people) because that means the semester is half way over! I know... what kind of semester has this been? It's only 12 weeks long, and next week is the sixth. The semester has been absurdly short, but then again, I'm not complaining at all!
This week and the next, the plan is to take it easy and only do free stuff, lol. This Friday, Ida/the program has planned a trip to the District Six Museum. District Six is an area here in South Africa that was populated by several different cultures and races of people. It was well-known for its various foods, cultures, religions, garb, etc. But, District Six was MOST well known for the way all its inhabitants coexisted so peacefully despite differences in race, religion, and culture. There were Indians, Asians, Malays, Africans, etc. However, during apartheid, 1966 to be exact, the government declared the area "whites only" and began to remove inhabitants in 1968. Thus, tens of thousands of people were forcefully removed from their homes. Part of District Six has now been declared a national museum, but other parts are supposed to be renovated and even redistributed. The forceful removal of the people is reminiscent to the issues faced by our Native Americans during the Trail of Tears. However, the difference is, those removed from their homes in District Six are still alive, and many even painfully drive or walk by their former homes everyday. It's pretty sad. (for more info, check out http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/District_Six)
Anyhoo, Ida organized a trip there for us (transportation and admission paid woooohoooo) on Friday around 2. I'm pretty excited; I've been meaning to go there but I'm glad I didn't because now its free. (If they take us to Robben Island for free I'll be mad).
Anyway, this week I'll just be relaxing and finalizing work before my trip. I'll post more later!
Love you all,
Me
Sunday, August 17, 2008
Try, try again
Howzit guys? (South African form of what's up)
So, i just got back from church. This time we went to the night service at another church that's branched somehow with the student YMCA. It was cool. Again, not what I'm used to but church is church. I met lots of new people and they fed us chicken burgers afterward, which was great because I'm all about free food in the name of fellowship, lol. (Although I will be honest, what exactly is a chicken-burger? yeah, i know... sketchy). Lol, anyhoo, I've had a pretty productive weekend. I finished one of my books for class and was able to start on another. I did some grocery shopping today and was also able to catch up on some rest. Tomorrow, I'll resume my regimine at the gym, and Tuesday, I meet back with my trainer. These workouts would actually pay off if I ate right, but then again, welcome to the story of my life! I tried to buy smart today though. I bought yogurt, dried fruit, nuts, lean bacon, whole wheat seed bread, light butter, light mayonaise (which honestly, broke my heart), 2% milk (I don't trust their skim... it just don't look right) and other sounds-healthy stuff! I'm tryin... sheesh!
Anyhoo, I'm gonna go do some more reading and then I'll probably call it a night. I pray that all is well with you guys over in America.... miss you lots!
Love you all,
Love,
Me
ps. thanks Dad for the scriptures, I did in fact look them up... I appreciate it :-)
So, i just got back from church. This time we went to the night service at another church that's branched somehow with the student YMCA. It was cool. Again, not what I'm used to but church is church. I met lots of new people and they fed us chicken burgers afterward, which was great because I'm all about free food in the name of fellowship, lol. (Although I will be honest, what exactly is a chicken-burger? yeah, i know... sketchy). Lol, anyhoo, I've had a pretty productive weekend. I finished one of my books for class and was able to start on another. I did some grocery shopping today and was also able to catch up on some rest. Tomorrow, I'll resume my regimine at the gym, and Tuesday, I meet back with my trainer. These workouts would actually pay off if I ate right, but then again, welcome to the story of my life! I tried to buy smart today though. I bought yogurt, dried fruit, nuts, lean bacon, whole wheat seed bread, light butter, light mayonaise (which honestly, broke my heart), 2% milk (I don't trust their skim... it just don't look right) and other sounds-healthy stuff! I'm tryin... sheesh!
Anyhoo, I'm gonna go do some more reading and then I'll probably call it a night. I pray that all is well with you guys over in America.... miss you lots!
Love you all,
Love,
Me
ps. thanks Dad for the scriptures, I did in fact look them up... I appreciate it :-)
Friday, August 15, 2008
R&R
So this week has been pretty uneventful for the most part. Thursday night, it was one of my friend's birthday's so we all went out to the waterfront for dinner. She's a member of a quadruplet so she was missing her sisters because it's her first time not being all together for their birthday. We had Thai food, it was pretty good!
Today, not much happened, I just went to class and the gym, came home, cooked (salmon patties with rice and corn) and now I'm probably gonna catch up on some much needed rest. Plus, I'm sorta behind on my reading after last week, so I'll probably just have a low key weekend and try to relax a bit. Plus, I'm trying to save as much money as possible. With no job or income, it's hard.
Anyhoo, just wanted to keep you guys updated. I hope things are well with all of you, and please enjoy the summer weather for me. It's still kind of chilly here :-(
Love you all,
love,
Me
Today, not much happened, I just went to class and the gym, came home, cooked (salmon patties with rice and corn) and now I'm probably gonna catch up on some much needed rest. Plus, I'm sorta behind on my reading after last week, so I'll probably just have a low key weekend and try to relax a bit. Plus, I'm trying to save as much money as possible. With no job or income, it's hard.
Anyhoo, just wanted to keep you guys updated. I hope things are well with all of you, and please enjoy the summer weather for me. It's still kind of chilly here :-(
Love you all,
love,
Me
Wednesday, August 13, 2008
Hey guys, I had SHAWCO today which was exciting. I teach 6th grade and they're so sweet. They were bad today, but that'll change next week. Today, being the first day and all, was super hectic. I didn't even find my kinds until 30 minutes into the session. Then, we had to share classrooms with another class because the other rooms were full or locked. So, next week we should have our own space.
Lyndon made it safely to Atlanta this morning after being stranded in Dakar for a day. However, the sweet little old ladies I told you guys about made good on their promise and took good care of him :-)
I'm super sleepy from class and SHAWCO so I won't be writing long, but I just wanted to let you guys know I'm alright and everything's okay. Anyhoo, I love you all and thank for being you. Your comments always make me smile!
Love you all,
Love,
Me
Lyndon made it safely to Atlanta this morning after being stranded in Dakar for a day. However, the sweet little old ladies I told you guys about made good on their promise and took good care of him :-)
I'm super sleepy from class and SHAWCO so I won't be writing long, but I just wanted to let you guys know I'm alright and everything's okay. Anyhoo, I love you all and thank for being you. Your comments always make me smile!
Love you all,
Love,
Me
Monday, August 11, 2008
He's gone... back to work :-(
So yeah, I just left the airport, and I am officially homesick! I never ever in a million years want to be this far away from home for this long ever again! When I get homesick, the longest distance I want to be away is a domestic flight, and luckily the longest flight in US is only a three hour flight, four with tough winds, however a short drive would be preferable. So, these are all things I will be sure to consider for law school because this is getting a little bit out of control :-(
Lyndon made it onto the flight (first class... again) but I'm still really concerned. I didn't know this until we got to the airport, but he's not coming straight to Atl, first he has a pitstop in NY at JFK. However, the flight from Dakar to JFK is oversold, so he may be stuck in Senegal for a night. When I was waiting for him to check his luggage, I met the two nicest little old white ladies, Ms.Becky and Ms.Debbie (they're sisters). They are also flying standby on Lyndon's flight and if he's stuck, they're stuck, so they promised to babysit him for me if they get stranded. If it weren't for them, I think I'd be a mess of worry!
Don't get me wrong, I'm super duper appreciating this experience, but that's just what it is, an experience, and what do you do with experiences? Yup, learn from them. Thus, I've learned how far NOT TO BE from home :-) See? I'm trying to be optimistic so that I can finally stop crying (and no Dad... not in fetal position thank you very much!).
He really had a great time, except we didn't get to do one thing... shark diving, and we tried three separate times, I guess it just wasn't meant to be. He swears he's coming back just for that though, we'll see. Really though, I want all of you to come! Everyone should get a piece of this pie... and it's soooo possible! (order passports NOW!)
As much as I enjoyed his stay, it's back to work now! I'm kinda sorta inefficient when he's around, lol. So now, as my AKA grad advisor would say, I can "get back to the REAL serious matter... my AKAdemics" :-) Also, you all be sure to bombard Lyndon when he gets off the plane... he's got some surprises for you all ;-)
Anyhoo... I'm gonna go get in fetal position, pop some popcorn, watch one of the movies he brought me, and check my blog every 10 minutes for your comments... yay!
I love you all,
Love,
(homesick) Me
Lyndon made it onto the flight (first class... again) but I'm still really concerned. I didn't know this until we got to the airport, but he's not coming straight to Atl, first he has a pitstop in NY at JFK. However, the flight from Dakar to JFK is oversold, so he may be stuck in Senegal for a night. When I was waiting for him to check his luggage, I met the two nicest little old white ladies, Ms.Becky and Ms.Debbie (they're sisters). They are also flying standby on Lyndon's flight and if he's stuck, they're stuck, so they promised to babysit him for me if they get stranded. If it weren't for them, I think I'd be a mess of worry!
Don't get me wrong, I'm super duper appreciating this experience, but that's just what it is, an experience, and what do you do with experiences? Yup, learn from them. Thus, I've learned how far NOT TO BE from home :-) See? I'm trying to be optimistic so that I can finally stop crying (and no Dad... not in fetal position thank you very much!).
He really had a great time, except we didn't get to do one thing... shark diving, and we tried three separate times, I guess it just wasn't meant to be. He swears he's coming back just for that though, we'll see. Really though, I want all of you to come! Everyone should get a piece of this pie... and it's soooo possible! (order passports NOW!)
As much as I enjoyed his stay, it's back to work now! I'm kinda sorta inefficient when he's around, lol. So now, as my AKA grad advisor would say, I can "get back to the REAL serious matter... my AKAdemics" :-) Also, you all be sure to bombard Lyndon when he gets off the plane... he's got some surprises for you all ;-)
Anyhoo... I'm gonna go get in fetal position, pop some popcorn, watch one of the movies he brought me, and check my blog every 10 minutes for your comments... yay!
I love you all,
Love,
(homesick) Me
Saturday, August 9, 2008
Brother, Sister...I Give GoOd Price Fa You
Hey Granny, Mamma Bowles, “King Of The Ribs” Mr. Pierre Bowles, Kristina, Tiffany, Uncle Chavez, Mom, GOD and everybody else I forgot to mention.
This morning me and jasmine woke up pretty early to go shark diving, I was pretty excited about going but unfortunately they cancelled because of the high swells in ocean. Meaning they didn’t want the waves slamming people around the cage with sharks circling around waiting to take an arm or leg. Sounded fair to me, but I was pretty disappointed. Hopefully we can make it out tomorrow.
So we’re sitting around the room thinking, “What exactly could we do with our lives now?” It’s Saturday and I leave on Monday, so we’re trying to make the best with the time. I knew I was going to have to bring back a whole suitcase with just souvenirs for everybody, and I hadn’t bought anything even resembling a post card for anybody up to this point. So that daughter of yours came up with the idea of going to the African Flea Market, also known as Green Market Square. I couldn’t say no if I wanted, so we got dressed and called Al (Jasmine’s personal driver) to have him take us to this Green Square Place.
When Alfred (I mean…AL) dropped us off on long street, where the market is located. We went into the first shop we saw. Walking inside, you’re going to see African masks and statues from wall to wall. Along with drums, beads, paintings, springbok (a colorful gazelle like animal) coats and carpets and some more interesting things. One thing about the African Market that I noticed is that it’s definitely not short on customer service. They just be doing too damn much. Once you look at something for 2 seconds, or pick it up…It’s like somebody come out of nowhere with one of them crazy smiles like “Aww shark head, You like???? I give you good price. What you want to pay fo dis?” I’m looking at the guy like thank you but I’m just browsing. “No, No my brother…I give you GoOooOood price…How much money you have??? I do good price just Fa You” I’m trying to tell this man I don’t want the shark head in the nicest way I can, so you just don’t have a choice but to walk away.
That pretty much how the majority of the shopping experience turned out to be, but they were some really nice ones too. This lady sold me and Jasmine these handmade African Photo Albums for super cheap. She kept telling us how we were her first customers and we had to be happy for her to have good luck…Well 50 dollars for two big books and this African instrument thingy put smiles on our faces. Hopefully that brought her more paying customers. All in all was a pretty good day though, we’re probably going to go out later to grab something to eat and enjoy the nightlife. Besides my hands are starting to hurt.
Love yall,
Lyndon.
This morning me and jasmine woke up pretty early to go shark diving, I was pretty excited about going but unfortunately they cancelled because of the high swells in ocean. Meaning they didn’t want the waves slamming people around the cage with sharks circling around waiting to take an arm or leg. Sounded fair to me, but I was pretty disappointed. Hopefully we can make it out tomorrow.
So we’re sitting around the room thinking, “What exactly could we do with our lives now?” It’s Saturday and I leave on Monday, so we’re trying to make the best with the time. I knew I was going to have to bring back a whole suitcase with just souvenirs for everybody, and I hadn’t bought anything even resembling a post card for anybody up to this point. So that daughter of yours came up with the idea of going to the African Flea Market, also known as Green Market Square. I couldn’t say no if I wanted, so we got dressed and called Al (Jasmine’s personal driver) to have him take us to this Green Square Place.
When Alfred (I mean…AL) dropped us off on long street, where the market is located. We went into the first shop we saw. Walking inside, you’re going to see African masks and statues from wall to wall. Along with drums, beads, paintings, springbok (a colorful gazelle like animal) coats and carpets and some more interesting things. One thing about the African Market that I noticed is that it’s definitely not short on customer service. They just be doing too damn much. Once you look at something for 2 seconds, or pick it up…It’s like somebody come out of nowhere with one of them crazy smiles like “Aww shark head, You like???? I give you good price. What you want to pay fo dis?” I’m looking at the guy like thank you but I’m just browsing. “No, No my brother…I give you GoOooOood price…How much money you have??? I do good price just Fa You” I’m trying to tell this man I don’t want the shark head in the nicest way I can, so you just don’t have a choice but to walk away.
That pretty much how the majority of the shopping experience turned out to be, but they were some really nice ones too. This lady sold me and Jasmine these handmade African Photo Albums for super cheap. She kept telling us how we were her first customers and we had to be happy for her to have good luck…Well 50 dollars for two big books and this African instrument thingy put smiles on our faces. Hopefully that brought her more paying customers. All in all was a pretty good day though, we’re probably going to go out later to grab something to eat and enjoy the nightlife. Besides my hands are starting to hurt.
Love yall,
Lyndon.
P.S....I put a picture up from the safari yesterday
Friday, August 8, 2008
Good times!
Hey guys,
So Wednesday night, Lyndon's luggage arrived around midnight. It was a tedious ordeal, but he got it... which means I got my goodies. Thanks Mom and Granny.... I won't need soap for at least six years! lol... just kidding :-)
Then, yesterday (Thursday), we went to Robben Island which was a wonderful experience! We boarded a ferry from the waterfront and headed over, the ride was beautiful and took about 20-30 minutes. Upon arrival, we received a driving tour around the island (which is much bigger than I had thought all these years) and saw the hostipal, where the white guards lived, where the solitary confinement quarters were, the attack dog kennels, and the lime quarry where Nelson Mandela and other political prisoners were forced into hard labor. Then, we received a tour around the actual prison. Our tour guide through the prison was an ex-prisoner who told us all the painful stories his heart could muster. Meeting people like him makes you feel soooo silly anytime you harbor ill feelings or hold grudges against people who have "wronged" you; he holds no ill feelings toward the people who TORTURED him for years while imprisoned, which makes my petty grievances seem just that... PETTY! He was really good! In addition, both ex-guards and ex-prisoners give tours around the prison, and many of them are neighbors on the island and live side by side, despite previous years of conflict. After we returned to the dock, Lyndon and I stuck around for dinner on the waterfront (the best little pizza place EVER!) and then we came home.
Today, we went on our safari! The tour guide picked us up at 6:30 am. We were driven about an hour outside of Cape Town to a place called Fairy Glen Nature Reserve. We had a full breakfast, were driven around for a few hours, received a full lunch, and were driven back home. We saw 4 out of 5 of THE BIG FIVE!!! The only one we didn't see was the leopard, but we saw lions, buffalos, rhinos, elephants, girraffes, wildebeast, ostrich, gazelles, antelope, and like 5 other things that look like antelope but aren't, lol. Again, we got some AMAZING pictures from the past two days. COMING SOON... I PROMISE!!! Now that our safari is over, we've checked in to our bed and breakfast (free on behalf of a raffel held by Two-Way Travel, woop woop) and will probably catch a movie at the mall or go to Long Street.
Tomorrow is Lydnon's surprise. Many of you know what it is already but for those of you who do not, I can't say because after I post this, he'll probably log-in, read it, and comment. Thus, the surprise would be spoiled. But my point is, tomorrow will be another big day and we'll have to get up early again if all goes as planned.
We're having a ball, and I wish you guys were here! Also, I've made you all authors for the blog, so feel free to post your own blog messages, may they be questions, current events from the other side of the world etc. That way, I can post answers and responses to your stuff too!
Love you all,
Love,
Me (and Lyndon)
So Wednesday night, Lyndon's luggage arrived around midnight. It was a tedious ordeal, but he got it... which means I got my goodies. Thanks Mom and Granny.... I won't need soap for at least six years! lol... just kidding :-)
Then, yesterday (Thursday), we went to Robben Island which was a wonderful experience! We boarded a ferry from the waterfront and headed over, the ride was beautiful and took about 20-30 minutes. Upon arrival, we received a driving tour around the island (which is much bigger than I had thought all these years) and saw the hostipal, where the white guards lived, where the solitary confinement quarters were, the attack dog kennels, and the lime quarry where Nelson Mandela and other political prisoners were forced into hard labor. Then, we received a tour around the actual prison. Our tour guide through the prison was an ex-prisoner who told us all the painful stories his heart could muster. Meeting people like him makes you feel soooo silly anytime you harbor ill feelings or hold grudges against people who have "wronged" you; he holds no ill feelings toward the people who TORTURED him for years while imprisoned, which makes my petty grievances seem just that... PETTY! He was really good! In addition, both ex-guards and ex-prisoners give tours around the prison, and many of them are neighbors on the island and live side by side, despite previous years of conflict. After we returned to the dock, Lyndon and I stuck around for dinner on the waterfront (the best little pizza place EVER!) and then we came home.
Today, we went on our safari! The tour guide picked us up at 6:30 am. We were driven about an hour outside of Cape Town to a place called Fairy Glen Nature Reserve. We had a full breakfast, were driven around for a few hours, received a full lunch, and were driven back home. We saw 4 out of 5 of THE BIG FIVE!!! The only one we didn't see was the leopard, but we saw lions, buffalos, rhinos, elephants, girraffes, wildebeast, ostrich, gazelles, antelope, and like 5 other things that look like antelope but aren't, lol. Again, we got some AMAZING pictures from the past two days. COMING SOON... I PROMISE!!! Now that our safari is over, we've checked in to our bed and breakfast (free on behalf of a raffel held by Two-Way Travel, woop woop) and will probably catch a movie at the mall or go to Long Street.
Tomorrow is Lydnon's surprise. Many of you know what it is already but for those of you who do not, I can't say because after I post this, he'll probably log-in, read it, and comment. Thus, the surprise would be spoiled. But my point is, tomorrow will be another big day and we'll have to get up early again if all goes as planned.
We're having a ball, and I wish you guys were here! Also, I've made you all authors for the blog, so feel free to post your own blog messages, may they be questions, current events from the other side of the world etc. That way, I can post answers and responses to your stuff too!
Love you all,
Love,
Me (and Lyndon)
Wednesday, August 6, 2008
New pics posted!
http://picasaweb.google.com/jasmine.bowles
I'll post the wine festival pics as soon as I can. I'm out of internet again, so I'll have to do the uploads at another time when I come to the internet cafe!
Love you all,
Love,
Me
ps. We didn't get to do SHAWCO, there are riots in Khayletsia today because of a worker's strike due to rising food costs. It was too dangerous... I was soooooo dissappointed! I've been looking forward to going for weeks! But, safety first :-(
I'll post the wine festival pics as soon as I can. I'm out of internet again, so I'll have to do the uploads at another time when I come to the internet cafe!
Love you all,
Love,
Me
ps. We didn't get to do SHAWCO, there are riots in Khayletsia today because of a worker's strike due to rising food costs. It was too dangerous... I was soooooo dissappointed! I've been looking forward to going for weeks! But, safety first :-(
Tuesday, August 5, 2008
First day with the Lyn-man!
Hey guys!
Lyndon arrived safely yesterday and today we rode the cable car up to Table Mountain. It was absolutely breathtaking and we got some REALLY GOOD pictures! (I'll upload pictures when I go to a free wifi spot, otherwise, it'll use up all my megabites... coming soon though, promise!) Our day got started late because he slept the day away from the exhaustion of the plane. Then, to top it off, he's kinda sick, and the freezing cold on top of the mountain didn't help.
Anyhoo, after the mountain, we went to dinner on Main Rd. and walked home. I fixed him Thera-Flu, and now he's asleep again, probably for another umpteen hours!
Tomorrow we're going to class and then I have my first day of SHAWCO tutoring in the township. I'm very excited about that!!!
Well, I'll talk to you guys later!
Love you all,
Love,
Me
ps. Mom and Granny, Delta lost Lyndon's checked baggage; it never even left Atlanta, so I haven't gotten to see all the goodies you packed me, but I'll definately let you know when I receive them! Thanks again!
Sunday, August 3, 2008
Legally publically tipsy!
Hey guys,
So today was the Stellenbosch Wine Festival which was so nice... even though I hate wine, lol. I mean, I won't say I hate it, I just haven't found the one for me yet. I do know though, that I like white more than red.
So we were driven to Stellenbosch by the same travel agency that is planning my spring break trip, and its a short 30-45 minute drive. After passing miles and miles of vineyards, we arrived at a vineyard with two biiiig tents set up. Inside, there are lots of different restaurants, vineyards, etc. with booths set up for you to try their wine. So, after you go from booth to booth to booth to booth, you start to feel it a litte bit. Mind you, it's like noon! lol... My favorite was this sparkling champagne rose' stuff! It was nice and was the only champagne people I saw there. I think I'll buy some tomorrow. O, that's another thing... all the wine is great quality but SUPER cheap and sold at all local grocery stores because its grown right here! So, the bottle I'm talking about is R50 or like 7 bucks! (I'm gonna miss the lower drinking age when I get back to America, but only for SIX MONTHS, then I'll be 21!!!)
Anyhoo, I've met "my girl" here. You know the person who's gonna be your person? Yeah, I found her, and guess what her name is... you guessed it, Jasmine, lol. She goes to Spelman is really cool. My roommates aren't quite the girls for me, some of the ppl in my program are cool, but still aren't the girls for me, but Jas is my girl :-) Yayyy I have a friend!
Well, I'll talk to you guys later, but know what? I can tell my Dad is out of town because the rest of you suck at commenting!!! (except you Granny... smwaaaah!!!) Dad comments EVERY time, preciate it pops! :-) If you guys don't comment, I feel like I'm writing to myself... and Granny, lol.
Whatever.... anyhoo, I love you no less!
Love,
Me
ps. Lyndon gets here tomorrow!!! Please pray for his safe departure and arrival! I'll keep you guys updated!
So today was the Stellenbosch Wine Festival which was so nice... even though I hate wine, lol. I mean, I won't say I hate it, I just haven't found the one for me yet. I do know though, that I like white more than red.
So we were driven to Stellenbosch by the same travel agency that is planning my spring break trip, and its a short 30-45 minute drive. After passing miles and miles of vineyards, we arrived at a vineyard with two biiiig tents set up. Inside, there are lots of different restaurants, vineyards, etc. with booths set up for you to try their wine. So, after you go from booth to booth to booth to booth, you start to feel it a litte bit. Mind you, it's like noon! lol... My favorite was this sparkling champagne rose' stuff! It was nice and was the only champagne people I saw there. I think I'll buy some tomorrow. O, that's another thing... all the wine is great quality but SUPER cheap and sold at all local grocery stores because its grown right here! So, the bottle I'm talking about is R50 or like 7 bucks! (I'm gonna miss the lower drinking age when I get back to America, but only for SIX MONTHS, then I'll be 21!!!)
Anyhoo, I've met "my girl" here. You know the person who's gonna be your person? Yeah, I found her, and guess what her name is... you guessed it, Jasmine, lol. She goes to Spelman is really cool. My roommates aren't quite the girls for me, some of the ppl in my program are cool, but still aren't the girls for me, but Jas is my girl :-) Yayyy I have a friend!
Well, I'll talk to you guys later, but know what? I can tell my Dad is out of town because the rest of you suck at commenting!!! (except you Granny... smwaaaah!!!) Dad comments EVERY time, preciate it pops! :-) If you guys don't comment, I feel like I'm writing to myself... and Granny, lol.
Whatever.... anyhoo, I love you no less!
Love,
Me
ps. Lyndon gets here tomorrow!!! Please pray for his safe departure and arrival! I'll keep you guys updated!
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