Saturday, February 14, 2009
Many people from the group had gone to Jeffery’s Bay for the weekend, so it was just eight girls and Nick here at the flats. Nick decided to cook us all egg bake for breakfast and it was very delicious! My flat wrote Valentine’s for everyone on the trip and delivered them. We drew each person’s face on there’s and wrote an individual poem!
We went to the internet café and I finally had a chance to put some pictures up on facebook. I put the pictures up and then it got really slow and I couldn’t even look at the pictures I had just added! Sorry if there are typos and the pictures are going the wrong way! We also went to the grocery store next to the internet café and decided to walk back. Our potato bag broke and potatoes went rolling everywhere. These cute little boys helped us to gather them up! We thought we had them all so we kept walking and then one of the boys sprinted back to us just to give us the one potato we had missed! He went so far out of his way. Unfortunately, it was such a nice change from the kids we normally see, following and begging us for money. It was truly a blessing.
We went to mass and then Nick and Melissa came over for supper. We had beans, steak, potatoes and wine. Yum!
Monday, March 9, 2009
Toothless Vegetables & Cape Recife
Thursday, February, 12, 2009
The Combi’s still aren’t running, so it was Gary, Vilma and the taxi’s to get us to and from school. We had our first day of Political Science and the amount of homework is overwhelming. It is so much reading and writing papers! In fact, a bunch of people decided to drop and pick up Jazz music instead. I was super tired and was planning to take a quick nap, but I slept for so long that when I woke up I just decided to go to bed.
Friday, February 13, 2009
Nothing too exiting for it being Friday the 13th. We didn’t have class. We checked out this place called Cape Recife. It was a very pretty beach with lots of beautiful rocks to sit on. There was a lighthouse as well. The taxi to pick us up was late so Nikki taught us how to play a game called Toothless Vegetables. I was not very good at it yet, but it is a game I play with the girls at camp for sure! That night played Catch Phrase and crafted.
The Combi’s still aren’t running, so it was Gary, Vilma and the taxi’s to get us to and from school. We had our first day of Political Science and the amount of homework is overwhelming. It is so much reading and writing papers! In fact, a bunch of people decided to drop and pick up Jazz music instead. I was super tired and was planning to take a quick nap, but I slept for so long that when I woke up I just decided to go to bed.
Friday, February 13, 2009
Nothing too exiting for it being Friday the 13th. We didn’t have class. We checked out this place called Cape Recife. It was a very pretty beach with lots of beautiful rocks to sit on. There was a lighthouse as well. The taxi to pick us up was late so Nikki taught us how to play a game called Toothless Vegetables. I was not very good at it yet, but it is a game I play with the girls at camp for sure! That night played Catch Phrase and crafted.
Monkeys on Campus!
Wednesday, February, 11, 2009
We went on the internet at school again. Super slow again, but I decided to forward all of my e-mails to my NMMU account because of how the system is set up we can always check them a lot faster and it uses a lot less Rand. We had Literature today. The room we are in is rather small and there are not enough chairs for everyone. It’s been a long time since I have analyzed literature – but I enjoy the short stories we are reading so far.
On campus, there are all these signs that say to do not feed the monkeys. We were all starting if there really were any monkeys, because we had been to campus four times and hadn’t seen any yet. And then we saw them! I saw like 7! One even had a baby with it! They do like food, so if you have an apple - look out. They will surround you! We saw a monkey go after a kid so he threw his backpack at it and the monkey still chased after him!
We went on the internet at school again. Super slow again, but I decided to forward all of my e-mails to my NMMU account because of how the system is set up we can always check them a lot faster and it uses a lot less Rand. We had Literature today. The room we are in is rather small and there are not enough chairs for everyone. It’s been a long time since I have analyzed literature – but I enjoy the short stories we are reading so far.
On campus, there are all these signs that say to do not feed the monkeys. We were all starting if there really were any monkeys, because we had been to campus four times and hadn’t seen any yet. And then we saw them! I saw like 7! One even had a baby with it! They do like food, so if you have an apple - look out. They will surround you! We saw a monkey go after a kid so he threw his backpack at it and the monkey still chased after him!
What! No Combis?
Monday, February 9, 2009
We were supposed to go to Pendla today, but we soon learned that the Combi’s were not running (on strike). Although, since we did not hear horns honking and "downtown" being shouted every five minutes, we should have known. The private taxi service we were using drives vehicles similar to Combis so they were not running either for security purposes. Gary arranged for transportation to get all of us to school. Some of us road with him, some with Vilma and some through a different taxi service that didn’t look like the Combi’s. It was a long process since Gary and Vilma had to make multiple trips.
We had our first day of Jazz class with Lestie Hughes. The chalkboards rotate – when she runs out of space she just pushes the chalkboard up to reveal a whole new one! We learned some history, listened to some recordings, watched a home video and sang. We listened to the Tembu people who can sing 2 or more parts with different rhythms. It reminded me a lot of the Mongolian Singers that came to my High School! We learned London Burning (which I had not heard until last semester when I was shadowing a music class!) and then sang it in Xhosa! I felt slightly overwhelmed by the pace but overall I enjoyed the three hour class.
We went on the internet today. It was very slow. We couldn’t even get on facebook and it took forever to load an e-mail.
On Tuesday, the Combis still were not running so Gary arranged for us to have Senior Seminar at the church across the street which was very convenient.
We were supposed to go to Pendla today, but we soon learned that the Combi’s were not running (on strike). Although, since we did not hear horns honking and "downtown" being shouted every five minutes, we should have known. The private taxi service we were using drives vehicles similar to Combis so they were not running either for security purposes. Gary arranged for transportation to get all of us to school. Some of us road with him, some with Vilma and some through a different taxi service that didn’t look like the Combi’s. It was a long process since Gary and Vilma had to make multiple trips.
We had our first day of Jazz class with Lestie Hughes. The chalkboards rotate – when she runs out of space she just pushes the chalkboard up to reveal a whole new one! We learned some history, listened to some recordings, watched a home video and sang. We listened to the Tembu people who can sing 2 or more parts with different rhythms. It reminded me a lot of the Mongolian Singers that came to my High School! We learned London Burning (which I had not heard until last semester when I was shadowing a music class!) and then sang it in Xhosa! I felt slightly overwhelmed by the pace but overall I enjoyed the three hour class.
We went on the internet today. It was very slow. We couldn’t even get on facebook and it took forever to load an e-mail.
On Tuesday, the Combis still were not running so Gary arranged for us to have Senior Seminar at the church across the street which was very convenient.
Braai and Soccer
Saturday, (February 7) – Sunday (February 8) 2009
On Saturday, we had breakfast at Tiffany’s Tea Garden and then hit the beach. It was great – the majority of our group was there all with out Nelson Mandela books. We went to mass and that evening Boris’s friends invited us to a Braai, a traditional South African BBQ. (Boris is from Bosnia and has a friend who went to St. John’s and came to PE for study abroad and now lives here). We danced and socialized and the food was amazing!
On Sunday, we went to a Soccer game in the afternoon between two local teams. The security was way intense. They wouldn’t even let us bring in empty waterbottles! They also patted people down as they entered. For food they had American Foot longs! (Probably because America is one of the only countries to use foot as a type of measurement!)
That night we went to Gondwana, a bar that has a live band play Jazz music on Sunday nights. It was a really fun atmosphere.
On Saturday, we had breakfast at Tiffany’s Tea Garden and then hit the beach. It was great – the majority of our group was there all with out Nelson Mandela books. We went to mass and that evening Boris’s friends invited us to a Braai, a traditional South African BBQ. (Boris is from Bosnia and has a friend who went to St. John’s and came to PE for study abroad and now lives here). We danced and socialized and the food was amazing!
On Sunday, we went to a Soccer game in the afternoon between two local teams. The security was way intense. They wouldn’t even let us bring in empty waterbottles! They also patted people down as they entered. For food they had American Foot longs! (Probably because America is one of the only countries to use foot as a type of measurement!)
That night we went to Gondwana, a bar that has a live band play Jazz music on Sunday nights. It was a really fun atmosphere.
AIDS Haven and Cricket!
AIDS Haven and Cricket!
Friday, February 6, 2009
We went to the House of Resurrection AIDS Haven. Aggie, who is in charge, talked to us about the kids and about the Haven itself. She has tremendous faith. They survive only on donations and when they need something she prays and God always answers. We had a chance to interact with the kids. The babies were so cute! I loved working with the toddlers though. Aggie reminded us that even though they have HIV/AIDS they are just kids. And just like any other toddlers as soon as we got there they clung onto us and wanted to be held. They were a bit manipulative - they liked to be lifted so they could reach the things they otherwise could not! One thing that surprised me is that these kids receive so many gifts and toys. For Christmas each child gets a whole bag full of new things! Aggie said people frequently want to donate, but don’t know what so she likes it when people ask her what the Haven needs.
After the AIDS Haven we decided to walk to the Pick ‘n’ Pay, the grocery store Gary took us to when we first arrived. The nearby grocery store and Friendly 7 Eleven don’t have nearly the amount of things that the larger grocery stores do and it is a bit more expensive. Our fridge/freezer is not very big for five people, but the milk is shelf stabilized and doesn’t need to be refrigerated, which works out well for us since we have a lot of cupboard space! I brought some recipes from home but it is a little bit tricky since everything here is measured in metric but so far all our food has been delicious.
That evening we went to a Cricket Match, Gary had a couple friends from England there who could explain the game to us. Nikita also helped explain. However, it was a new form of cricket so they weren’t sure on all the rules. It is about the same pace as Baseball and towards the end it was very close and everyone was into the game! We had ice cream, the warriors won and a few people even came back with souvenir Warrior Hats – it was a lot of fun!
Friday, February 6, 2009
We went to the House of Resurrection AIDS Haven. Aggie, who is in charge, talked to us about the kids and about the Haven itself. She has tremendous faith. They survive only on donations and when they need something she prays and God always answers. We had a chance to interact with the kids. The babies were so cute! I loved working with the toddlers though. Aggie reminded us that even though they have HIV/AIDS they are just kids. And just like any other toddlers as soon as we got there they clung onto us and wanted to be held. They were a bit manipulative - they liked to be lifted so they could reach the things they otherwise could not! One thing that surprised me is that these kids receive so many gifts and toys. For Christmas each child gets a whole bag full of new things! Aggie said people frequently want to donate, but don’t know what so she likes it when people ask her what the Haven needs.
After the AIDS Haven we decided to walk to the Pick ‘n’ Pay, the grocery store Gary took us to when we first arrived. The nearby grocery store and Friendly 7 Eleven don’t have nearly the amount of things that the larger grocery stores do and it is a bit more expensive. Our fridge/freezer is not very big for five people, but the milk is shelf stabilized and doesn’t need to be refrigerated, which works out well for us since we have a lot of cupboard space! I brought some recipes from home but it is a little bit tricky since everything here is measured in metric but so far all our food has been delicious.
That evening we went to a Cricket Match, Gary had a couple friends from England there who could explain the game to us. Nikita also helped explain. However, it was a new form of cricket so they weren’t sure on all the rules. It is about the same pace as Baseball and towards the end it was very close and everyone was into the game! We had ice cream, the warriors won and a few people even came back with souvenir Warrior Hats – it was a lot of fun!
Monday (Feb 2) – Thursday (Feb 5) 2009
We started orientation this week. We got ID badges and people took funny pictures. We then had a funny photo contest and recorded it on Talkie. I was one of the first people who went and did not make a funny face – but I am sure there will be plenty more funny face photos opportunities to come. Much of the information we received at the first orientation session is irrelevant to us, since we are not directly enrolled in the University but at least we got to interact with the other international students for a bit.
On Tuesday Amina and I took our laundry to the Laundromat. It is custom to drop off your laundry and come back and pick it up the next day. It was only 35 Rand, which is about $3.50. We are so spoiled here. We have someone to do our laundry, the maid cleans and makes our bed every day and she even does the dishes! We burnt rice the other day so I did my best to help her out by scraping it out. Her name is Zuik and she is such a sweetheart - she plans to show us pictures of her baby and of the girls who stayed here last year!
On Wednesday we took a trip to GreenAcres shopping center. It was very much like an American mall. We did some grocery shopping and I finally got a beach towel! I also got a notebook – the paper here is longer then in the US though (A4). I got some colored paper and glitterglue to make valentines and other crafts as well. I also had my first Hello Kitty sighting! It was at Woolworth’s (a department store) and I took a picture with the model (this creepy girl) and her HK backpack!
That night we had a power outage. The power was out the whole night and into the morning. It was only in part of the city so some people still went out. It was late enough that I just colored and went to bed. Although the power was out we still had running water so we could still shower and flush the toilet which was amazing!
On Thursday we had a tour of the city. It was really interesting to get a brief history of Port Elizabeth, but I had trouble hearing everything because we were in large group. We went to the Red Location Museum located in the township. I felt awkward at times in the township – on our big double decker bus. We were just entering into their area and starring at them and there little houses. But what surprised me was that they all loved to wave at us. Everyone we drove past waved excitedly. The tiny little government houses seemed to stretch on forever. There were some kids who were playing outside the museum and lots of people took pictures and played with the kids. I was also surprised by the number of people on the busy road who were standing in the middle trying to sell things to people in cars as they were stopped at the stop lights.
We ate lunch at GreenAcres. I had taken my own lunch but I had a caramel dipped ice cream come for dessert! It was so good! I also got some postcards and envelopes! So if you write to me I can write you back! And Nelson Mandela is on the postage stamp! After lunch we made a trip to the post office. I was buying stamps for a few different people and itwas a very slow process. It was confusing because I didn’t know how much stamps were to the US and didn’t know how to explain I wanted postcard and envelope stamps but we finally got both kinds of stamps.
We started orientation this week. We got ID badges and people took funny pictures. We then had a funny photo contest and recorded it on Talkie. I was one of the first people who went and did not make a funny face – but I am sure there will be plenty more funny face photos opportunities to come. Much of the information we received at the first orientation session is irrelevant to us, since we are not directly enrolled in the University but at least we got to interact with the other international students for a bit.
On Tuesday Amina and I took our laundry to the Laundromat. It is custom to drop off your laundry and come back and pick it up the next day. It was only 35 Rand, which is about $3.50. We are so spoiled here. We have someone to do our laundry, the maid cleans and makes our bed every day and she even does the dishes! We burnt rice the other day so I did my best to help her out by scraping it out. Her name is Zuik and she is such a sweetheart - she plans to show us pictures of her baby and of the girls who stayed here last year!
On Wednesday we took a trip to GreenAcres shopping center. It was very much like an American mall. We did some grocery shopping and I finally got a beach towel! I also got a notebook – the paper here is longer then in the US though (A4). I got some colored paper and glitterglue to make valentines and other crafts as well. I also had my first Hello Kitty sighting! It was at Woolworth’s (a department store) and I took a picture with the model (this creepy girl) and her HK backpack!
That night we had a power outage. The power was out the whole night and into the morning. It was only in part of the city so some people still went out. It was late enough that I just colored and went to bed. Although the power was out we still had running water so we could still shower and flush the toilet which was amazing!
On Thursday we had a tour of the city. It was really interesting to get a brief history of Port Elizabeth, but I had trouble hearing everything because we were in large group. We went to the Red Location Museum located in the township. I felt awkward at times in the township – on our big double decker bus. We were just entering into their area and starring at them and there little houses. But what surprised me was that they all loved to wave at us. Everyone we drove past waved excitedly. The tiny little government houses seemed to stretch on forever. There were some kids who were playing outside the museum and lots of people took pictures and played with the kids. I was also surprised by the number of people on the busy road who were standing in the middle trying to sell things to people in cars as they were stopped at the stop lights.
We ate lunch at GreenAcres. I had taken my own lunch but I had a caramel dipped ice cream come for dessert! It was so good! I also got some postcards and envelopes! So if you write to me I can write you back! And Nelson Mandela is on the postage stamp! After lunch we made a trip to the post office. I was buying stamps for a few different people and itwas a very slow process. It was confusing because I didn’t know how much stamps were to the US and didn’t know how to explain I wanted postcard and envelope stamps but we finally got both kinds of stamps.
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