Home Time

I don't actually expect that anyone's still reading this seeing as I have wholly neglected my audience for quite some time. This post is just for me.

I will walk home from school today to a recently vacated apartment and put my little Cape Town life into a suitcase. I will come back to school tomorrow with 25 shiny pennies for 25 exceptional girls. I'll go through the motions, try not to cry, walk through the gates of Rustenburg Junior School and probably never see any of this life again. I can't really wrap my mind around that right now.

I'm ready to come home, but I'm nervous. I know about reverse culture shock, but I've never experienced it. I expect things to be the same, but I know that they won't be. They've changed. I've changed, but I'm happy. I have LOVED my experience here in South Africa! I've learned so much and so much about myself. I can't wait to see friends and family at home, but I am sad to leave. Never will I live in a place so beautiful, surrounded by mountains and beaches. But I'm ready to get on with this life. I'm ready to come home and teach and live.

Cheers, Cape Town...

oh what a beautiful safaaaaaaaaaari!

Oh where to begin.

I just had the best experience of my entire life! Now, I’m back in school and missing the laid-back vibe and general glow of happiness that comes with safari-ing (well, at least for me).

So, we flew to Johannesburg on a Tuesday night and the next morning a bushman (Alf) came to pick us up in a khaki-coloured shirt and a long goatee. He played the part to a tee for about the first two days. Then he showed us the real Alf and he turned out to be a really laid back and cool guy with amazing stories.

We headed to Kruger where we saw lions, elephants, zebras, wildebeests, giraffes, buffalo, hippos, warthogs, tons of birds, one cheetah, two leopards, and lots of game-y animals (kudu, springbok, impala, etc – they look like deer). What a thrill to see these animals in their natural element. A lion walked right by our covered vehicle on the night game drive. It was scary and exhilarating and amazing…

From Kruger, we headed to Zimbabwe where we toured the Great Zimbabwe Ruins, stayed overnight in a wildlife orphanage, saw Victoria Falls, and met all kinds of people. Zimbabwe is a heartbreakingly beautiful place. The people we met were so friendly and open and the country itself is breathtaking, but the country is crippled with poverty right now. Merchants on the street offered us loads of goods for our t-shirts or a pair of shoes. One US dollar is worth 10,000 Zimbabwean dollars. It’s just unreal… and sad. But… we honestly (and I feel somewhat guilty) had loads of fun, too. At the Chippengali Orphange we got to babysit a three-month old lion cub named Mischka. We also made friends with Bulayka (a black rhino – and the only big 5 animal we hadn’t seen yet). We watched the lions feed and got to pet them (post-feeding). We pet vervet monkeys and Jo and Chris held a cobra snake (which peed on them and tried to bite me! I had the most hysterically awesome look-of-fear of my life!.. so I’m told). We had dinner and drinks on a “booze cruise” on the Zambezi River where we got up close and personal with hippos and by the end of the night Annie was puking her life out in a dirty Zimbabwean toilet and I was crying over a Zimbabwean prostitute… long story. We went gorge-swinging at Vic Falls. Basically, you jump off a cliff and a rope catches you and you swing through a gorge. It was the most frightening experience of my life. I screamed and then it was like the breath was sucked out of me and I couldn’t even scream. I was just terrified. But the view was spectacular! We also flew on a zip line and crossed into Zambia… HA! And I didn’t’ even have to pay for a visa! We toured the actual falls, but me and one of the other girls (Jo) pooped out early because we were FREEZING and you couldn’t actually see the falls that well due to the mist.

From Vic Falls we headed into Botswana and enjoyed a sunset cruise where we saw 32 elephants bathing themselves in the river. We also saw tons of hippopotami and some giraffes. The sunset was spectacular and the company grand. The next morning we went on another game drive (half-asleep) although Chobe National Park was much more touristy than Kruger and I didn’t enjoy it as much. Then, we headed back to Jo-burg. We stayed for a couple of nights and ended up meeting a bunch of cool travelers and we took one home with us (James - an Englishman – He stayed with us for the next week)!

Then ERICA CAME! The weather was kind of shotty, but we toured Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens (where we found an Erica Garden, no joke). Then, we rented a car and took the Garden Route along the southern coast of South Africa. We stopped in Oudtshourn (pronounced Oats-wooorn) and “played” with some ostriches. Erica rode one! One tried to eat me! We watched a beautiful sunset at Plettenburg Bay and got to feed elephants at Knysna Elephant Park. Before I knew it, she was back on plane and I was back at school. So goes my 2 ½ week holiday! Again, I had the most amazing experience of my life. I laughed more than I have in a year and made at least one true friend. I say goodbye to Africa in just over two weeks… I can’t believe it. I’m excited to come home and see all my people, but I will miss it here. Guess that’s life…

No pictures yet, but I will have some up soon. For those of you on facebook, I’m already tagged in some pictures from the other safariers…so check them out. LOVE!

Newbies

So, the newcomers have definitely breathed renewed vigor into this tired traveler. Though this fervor leads to lack of sleep… what a weekend!

Basically, we went out and did the bar scene and got very little sleep. I showed Chris and Jess (the newest COST student) around the Waterfront on Saturday and today we went to the beach at Muizenburg. I just cannot say it enough – this country is spectacular! It is the most beautiful place I have ever been. Whether I am climbing mountains or relaxing on white sandy beaches, I am continuously amazed by the scenery (and pictures just do not do it justice).

So, we leave for our safari on Tuesday night. I can’t imagine what I’m getting myself into, but I’m so excited!

The first day of fall

That's right ladies and gents, in just two days it'll be the first day of fall here. I'm looking forward to it cooling off a bit because the weather in this neck of the woods will still be LOVELY! haha.

This past week was very nice indeed! Dr. Howell (from UK) observed me twice and gave me some much needed CONSTRUCTIVE feedback on ways to enrich my experience here. About time.

On Thursday, I attended my first Braai at Dr. Baxen's house, which was very nice for the most part. Kaylene (another supervisor-type) made this amazing Malaysian dish. YUM. I was supposed to go to Tesha's school for an overnight simulation of the removal that took place during the Apartheid, but I opted out to keep myself sane and chipper (two qualities I cannot affirm in those who chose to attend) for the next day of teaching.

Friday night we saw the Cape Cobra's beat the Durbin something-or-others in my second cricket match. The game went down to the last ball, which was really exciting! Then, Chris and I did some roommate bonding over drinks at Cubana (the place we went for my birthday).

Saturday were planning on taking the Cable car to the top of Table Mountain and walking around, but it was so windy the car wasn't running. So, we relaxed and then went to a traditional African restaurant. I had oxtail with curry sauce (yum), ostrich, kudu, and springbok. Interesting and good. It made me think of my dad (you would have enjoyed it, pops). Oh, I also tried pap (pronounced "pop") which is a traditional African meal (like a mix between grits and mashed potatoes - it was good if you mixed it with the oxtail curry). There was live music and dancing. The group ended up cutting the rug in front of the whole restaurant. It was great!

Finally, on Sunday Dr. Howell, Tesha, Chris, and I went to Green Point - a craft market that has all kinds of touristy things like masks and such. I got some goodies and then we went to the Waterfront and I ate an ostrich burger (I like ostrich - hopefully, I'll get to ride one with Erica when she gets here! no joke, you can do that!).

So, that's that. We have Wednesday off school for Human Rights Day and some of us are going to go wine tasting. Don't worry, though, we're hiring (aka renting) a car! Then a week from tomorrow, we leave for our safari! I can't wait!

Love you all! Hope you are well!

Safari Time... almost!

Check it. I leave a week from Wednesday!

Trip Itenerary:

Day 1 – Central Kruger Park – South Africa
Depart from Johannesburg and make our way to the world-renowned Kruger National Park. After settling into camp, we venture out on our first exciting game drive as we explore Africa’s famed “Big Five” territory. We return to camp at sunset, before heading out on an open vehicle night drive accompanied by Kruger Park Rangers. Dinner to be enjoyed around the log fire, listening to the sounds of the African night.

Day 2 – Northern Kruger Park – South Africa
An early rise, we start the day with coffee and rusks befor venturing out to explore Northern Kruger. Most of the day will be spent game viewing, bird watching and stopping at various waterholes en route to our northern camp. Arriving at our camp at sunset, we settle down for a traditional braii (barbeque) for dinner and relax around the campfire.

Day 3 – Great Zimbabwe – Zimbabwe
Up at daybreak, we go on our last game drive in Kruger Park, before heading towards the border post at Beitbridge and into Zimbabwe. We then make our way to the town of Masvingo and the sight of the Great Zimbabwe Monument. Overnight at a campsite in Masvingo.

Day 4 – Chipengali Wildlife Orphange – Zimbabwe
After breakfast, we take a guided walking tour of the mysterious archaeological site known as the Great Zimbabwe Ruins. We then depart for Zimbabwe’s second largest city, Bulawayo and spend the afternoon on a tour of the Chipengali Wildlife Orphanage. Overnight at Bulawayo.

Day 5 & 6 – Victoria Falls – Zimbabwe
Departing Bulawayo after breakfast, we head for Victoria Falls (one of the seven wonders of the world!). We arrive in time to set up camp and relax, before heading out on a sunset cruise on the mighty Zambezi River. Sundowner drinks and snacks to be enjoyed on board. After dinner, we venture out to explore the nightlife of Victoria Falls. Time is spent at your leisure over these two days. Optional activities include white water rafting, bungy jumping, a canoeing safari, or even the “flight of the angels” over the falls. We spend one evening out on the town enjoying a traditional meal at one of the local restaurants.

Day 7 – Chobe – Botswana
This morning we explore the magnificent Victoria Falls before venturing out for the Kazangula border post and into Botswana. We set up camp on the edge of the Chobe National Park, where you have the option to relax or enjoy some great game viewing on a Chobe River Cruise.

Day 8 – Nata (Makgadikgadi Pans) – Botswana
We venture out into an open 4x4 vehicle to explore the Chobe National Park, home to some of the largest herds of migratory elephant in Africa. After brunch, our journey takes us south to the edge of the famous Makgadikgadi Pan, where you have the opportunity of an optional trip to the fascinating pans. The evening is to be spent camping at Nata Lodge.

Day 9 – Johannesburg – South AfricaAn early rise, we enjoy coffee and rusks before departing for Martin’s Drift border post, we have breakfast en route, then onto the final stretch to Johannesburg.

More later, but new pictures!

Check out Erica's stuff at: www.livepersonalshoppers.com

3 weeks until BREAK! (see new pictures!)

What an amazing weekend! Friday night Tesha, Chris (our new roommate) and I went out to dinner and chitchatted the night away. Then, on Saturday Simone and Mark took the four of us (all roomies) to Boulder Beach where we got to swim with the penguins! See pictures. Impressively, Chris, Tesha, Nathan, and I all squeezed into the back of Simone’s hatchback… it was interesting!

I tried to pet a penguin at the beach and it bit me! Haha! No blood, though. Then, Nathan, Chris, and I climbed all over these huge rocks. I accidentally slipped and fell into the water, cutting my wrist, hands, feet, and bum on the way in. But a little relaxation on one of those rocks, and I was ready to go again. Then, we walked along the path at the beach to see more penguins and got back into the car to go to Bloubergstrand. On the way to Bloubergstrand, we saw some baboons on the side of the road!

In Bloubergstrand, we went to a little restaurant right on the beach and had some pizza and beer. YUM. I decided to be adventurous and had the Four Seasons Pizza (mushrooms, asparagus, tomato, and ANCHOVIES)…. It was different. Very salty.

Today we are going to walk to Kirstenbosch to see the place and then to a concert in the gardens and then to a concert there with Dr. Baxen and Dr. Howell (who’s here for ten days from UK).

Oh, I also caught my first cricket match on Wednesday. It was really fun! Like baseball, only interesting… haha. I got a free hard hat.

Bye bye now.

P.S. Is anyone still reading this thing?

P.S.S. Simone is giving me her old phone, so I should be up and running again by the middle of next week. WHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOH. Simone said she didn’t even feel sorry for me when she heard that my phone got stolen ON MY BIRTHDAY because it was stupid of me to have it in the outside pocket. Oops! Stupid American tourist!

24 years of GLORY!

Heh heh. Or something. So, yesterday was my birthday for those of you who are oblivious to things of great importance. And as usual, I have found that low or lack of expectations creates wonderful birthdays! I went out to brunch at Melissa’s Constantia, the most adorable café that had a big (probably 15 person) kitchen table in the middle of the floor and everyone just sat together, like some very large, particularly dysfunctional family. They had cakes and muffins and a cold breakfast buffet (which I opted for) with granola, mueslix, delicious fresh fruit (which is always amazing here), oatmeal, honey, more granola = YUMS in TUMS. Teneal (one of the grade 3 teachers) invited me and we were joined by 5 other teachers from Rustenburg and one unsuspecting boyfriend. The people were really nice and Teneal gave me really nice beady bracelets and I got some lotion from another teacher. Which was very sweet seeing as I didn’t expect anything.

Then, I went to the mall to doing a little shopping for myself and while I was in one shop, I had my cell phone swiped! This put a slight damper on the day, but I decided it was better that than my iPod or my wallet! So, oh well.

Then, I relaxed for a bit and went out to a very chic Cuban restaurant called Cubana – I can’t figure out where they came up with the name… with my two roommates. We had steak and jalapenos and some vino and then I had a flaming shot in lieu of a birthday cake. Super sweet! (meaning particularly nasty) My roommates ended up picking up the tab (the sweethearts) and we took the bus home. It really was a lovely day! Thanks to everyone for the birthday emails and to my pops for singing me an exceptionally beautiful rendition of an old classic (you know the one). TWO DOZEN. I am old!

So, this week I am teaching Monday, Wednesday, and Friday all by myself and then next week I teach the entire week solo! WHOOH! I’m excited and just a bit nervous. The Solar System Unit is going very well (the girls love it) and this week the girls are doing group projects on Mercury, Venus, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune, so wish me luck!

P.S. Keep holding your breath for the meatloaf on a stick explanation… mwah haha! Ah, patience, grasshoppah.

"the gerkin"

The most spectacularly disgusting thing happened to me this morning. I still can't believe it.

6:03am - I awake, feeling not so refreshed due to the warm room conditions and a snoring roommate, but I drag my tiny heiny (love to the sister) into the shower and emerge refreshed and cleansed, ready for the day that lies ahead.

6:14am - I sneak into the room so as not to wake said snoring roommate and tiptoe up to my bed, so I can make it (what a good girl I am, right, Mama?). What's that little stain? Did I have a bloody nose last night? Maybe that's why I didn't sleep so well. I go up to touch the stain, to see if it's blood... it's 3-dimensional... and slimy. A worm? I poke it. It turns over... it has a little face. It's a DEAD BABY LIZARD!

I'm in shock. Did I sleep with it all night? Did I kill the little baby lizard?

I collect myself and the lizard... and have a little laugh, but decide that I need my sheets changed before I can sleep in that bed again.

I run into "the domestic" (aka housekeeper) on my way to school and try to explain the situation to her. Could she please change my sheets because I found a dead baby lizard in my bed this morning. She looks confused. I remember the last lizard escapade and recall that my students used a different name for the lizard... it started with a g.... gerkin? So, I tell the housekeeper that there was a dead baby gerkin in my bed this morning and could she please change the sheets. This time she looks at me like I'm crazy. I try to repeat myself, enunciating, speaking more slowly... then, I remember, the students didn't say gerkin. They said gecco. I just told the housekeeper that I found a little baby pickle in my bed!

I attempt to sort out the situation... but I feel like a fool. LIKE A FOOL! Haha! Oops! Off to school!

P.S. The sheets were changed.

Stay tuned for the next episode: Meatloaf on a stick.

I love Cape Town!

Oh, what a beautiful mooooooooorning! And now, it’s actually a beautiful day/afternoon. I just got back from Kenilworth where Tesha and I did some much needed shopping! YAY!

I’m not gonna lie. The last few weeks have been tough. Being away from family and other personal drama, it makes me crave the comfort of home. But I’ve made it through and things are going really well! This past Monday I taught the entire day (except for the Afrikaans lesson). I also taught Maths for three days IN A ROW (I know, spectacular!) AND (yeah, I’m not even finished yet) we are well on our way with the Solar System Unit of which I am the BOSS! Hard to believe I’ve come so far. Yeah, I know it.

Tuesday Mrs. Meyer took me to Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens and we have a very nice walk through this spectacular place (I’m definitely going back with my camera… and a good book). One of the most popular flowers is called Erica (spelled the same way. Mom, did you know that?) My teacher was surprised when I told her that was my sister’s name. I don’t think she’s ever heard of it as a person’s name before. It made me miss my mama as I zoned out when Mrs. Meyer talked about the names of the many many flowers and plants (heh heh).

Thursday the grade 3s went to the Planetarium. I asked my students what it was like before we got there. They said it was like a domed-shaped movie theater. I immediately envisioned the I-Max… hmmm…. It was a bit different. Try tiny. The movie was supposed to be about the planets, but it was basically a hyped up cartoon, but the cartoons didn’t even change position. It was just a photo that moved... The girls loved it. Then we walked around the garden and the teachers and I had tea in a little café under a tree. A pigeon pooped on one of the girls and I found out that that’s considered good luck!

I have recently noticed the spectacular amount of cockroaches in this beautiful city. Thankfully, the ones that I see are all dead. On the ground at my school. On the sidewalk (called pavement here). Right in front of my face as I did a backbend over a yoga ball at the gym… that one was my favorite. We really bonded.

P.S. Check out new peekshurs (translation: pictures)
P.P.S. Another funny tale. We were shopping at the little vender places right outside the mall and I asked this woman what size the dress was. She said something, and I could not understand her. So she said, "small may-sssssssss" (small makes). I apologized then started laughing. It was funny. Oh, silly, silly American. Can't understand the accent. She laughed. I laughed. Being a foreigner is strange and hilarious.

Check out new random pictures!

http://picasaweb.google.com/heinz.christie

here's the website again... ERICA!

I will write a real post probably tomorrow. I know. VERY exciting!

Trains, trains, & more trains?... wait... where am I?

So, it’s been one month. It’s hard to believe and yet… not so hard to believe.

Story #1: I am Mr. Miagi!

Tesha and I went out to lunch yesterday. As I may have mentioned before, most places don’t have air conditioning, so they just open doors/windows to keep cool. There also seems to be a complete lack of screens, so, as you can imagine there are flies around. So, Tesha and I get our food and dig in, but there are flies swarming around us (in reality there were just two house flies). So, I wave my hand back and forth over my plate, trying to shoo them away. I feel something in between my index and middle finger. I look. It’s a fly. I caught it in between my fingers. EW! I put it in my napkin; Tesha passed me some hand sanitizer from her purse. I AM MR. MIAGI! (sans chopsticks)

Uh, I can’t seem to think of any other stories right now, so here’s a list of funny expressions:

Naughty (for bad)
SHAME! (instead of saying, ‘what a shame,’ they’ll just say ‘shame!’)
Boot (For trunk)
Rubbish or litter (for trash)
Ya (for yes)
Now (but it doesn’t mean right now, it means soon or later)
Cokey (for marker)
Rubber (for pencil eraser)
Duster (blackboard eraser)
Jerseys (for cardigans)
Tomato (pronounced toe-ma-toe) sauce (for ketchup)

That’s all I can think of right now… but I will continue in my anthropological endeavors…

Not much happened this week. Went to school all week. Went to a Professional Development seminar on Friday afternoon about phonological awareness. It was really interesting – talked about how to make different sounds and how to explain these sounds to ESL students. Friday Tesha and I rented movies, Saturday we ventured into the world of the Cape Town train system. We got lost (my fault – I thought we were going to Muizenburg, but really we wanted Hoet Bay), but eventually found our way to some shopping. I didn’t buy anything, but it was fun taking the train. Saturday night I finished a book and went to bed early. Then, this morning I made breakfast for everyone. I wanted to make pancakes, but I couldn’t find pancake mix at the grocery store!? SHAME! Heh heh. See how well I’m adapting to my new environment.

I’m excited for school this week, continuing with the Solar System Unit and doing a fun Dictionary Detective activity. I think I’ll explore the UCT campus sometime this week. The adventure continues!

There are ROBOTS in South Africa!

Please, do not be too alarmed. Robots, aka traffic lights, exist in the United States as well. You may have seen some…

So, this week went by very quickly. I kept myself busy at school Monday through Friday. Then, Friday night Tesha and I just vegged out. Saturday we went to a nearby market with Nathan and some of his friends from school. The market was a bit posh for my style, but it was fun getting out the house and walking around. Then, Tesha, Nathan, Dylan (Nathan’s friend from school), and I took a scenic drive along the beach. We stopped and shopped a bit and then went to the beach. It was lovely. I love laying at the beach, listening to the waves and watching people. I saw my first real-life SURFERS! I know. Shocking. Seriously, though, it was fun just hanging out and, like I said, people watching.

After that we all came home, had some dinner, and watched a movie since Nathan and I got up at 6:30AM! (on a non-school day) to go and climb TABLE MOUNTAIN! And guess what? WE DID IT! (see the pictures).

It was absolutely, indescribably, breathtakingly BEAUTIFUL! It was a tough climb (it took us about 4 and a half hours to get to the top), but the view was amazing and the experience itself was wonderful. Nathan, Mark (one of the teachers at Nathan’s school), and Mark’s girlfriend (I can’t spell her name) ended up walking down. Actually, as I’m typing this they are still in the process of climbing down. But Dylan, his two friends, and I opted for the cableway, which gave us a great new perspective of the mountain on the way down. So, now I’ve gotta hurry up and relax (heh heh) because I’ve got a long week ahead of me at school.

P.S. I had a long talk with my supervisor and my cooperating teacher, and I think that the school situation is going to work out just fine. Although I must admit, I am very jealous of Nathan's school!

What an incredible day! Tesha, Nathan, and I went on an amazing adventure with our neighbor’s son Heinz. First, I feel the need to describe our neighbors a bit. They are incredibly, interestingly eccentric and kind. They come from Germany and have lived here since Heinz was young (I’m guessing about twenty-five years). Dieter speaks so quickly in his German/South African accent and is usually incredibly difficult to understand. Brenna has three windy white curls protruding from her chin mole and a little dog with long, white hair. The dog’s balding and has patches of bright pink skin peering through it’s fur. I can hardly look at it! But they are seriously the NICEST people I’ve met in a long time! Dieter walked us to call our families the second night when we were really freaked out, Brenna continually gives me advice, from shopping to laundering (which I must learn to do by hand). Their son Heinz has offered to drive us around whenever he has a day off (he’s a baker).

So, anyway, today, we went with Heinz on a three-hour car ride around "my mountain" stopping at Clifton Beach, Hout Bay, and various other spots for an entirely new perspective of this country. Let me tell you, it was spectacular!

We overlooked the city and various suburbs, saw some amazing Oceanside apartments and mansions, a castle (pictured), beautiful mountains, seals, a police helicopter (looking for Nathan), dolphins, lots of people… it was beautiful. Then we hiked up part of Table Mountain and had yet another amazing view. We ended up having to leave Tesha for the wolves (seriously, we left her on the trail as she refused to hike any further!), but it turned out that when we reached "the top," there were about six different trails to choose from the shortest of which was an hour long. We couldn’t leave Tesha for that long, so we turned back, but we’re definitely going back soon because you can hike all the way to the cable cars at the top of Table Mountain or through Kirstenbosch Gardens! By the end of the day all of us had shaky legs (literally), and decided to head home for some much-needed relaxation.

My first week of school went pretty well. It’s so different from what I expected. The girls color A LOT. I teach my first lesson on evens and odds on Monday, so I’m excited to plan plan plan away tomorrow afternoon. Hopefully, my teacher won’t mind if they do something besides dittos or … COLORING! My teacher, Mrs. Meyer (pronounced Mayor) is very nice, though. She’s older and we’ve had some interesting discussions on the end of Apartheid and how the education in South Africa has changed since then. She explained how difficult it is to reconcile the ideals versus the realities of this nation. While every group of individuals wants to be heard and respected, the schools can only do so much.
I volunteered to help one of the other third grade teachers with the Swim Team, so that should be fun.

Finally, a short anecdote from the classroom:

Roxi: Miss Heinz, Miss Heinz, I got a 10 out of 10 on my Maths (pronounced Mats)
homework. Oh wait, in America you say Math (pronounced Mat).

Me: Actually, we say Math –th –th (emphasizing the -th sound).

Roxi: -th –th (she repeats with her tongue shoved between her teeth and halfway
sticking out of her mouth). [She shakes her head and looks at me like I'm crazy]

P.S. Just tried handwashing laundry... = not fun!

Also, check out new pictures!

Stories from the other side...

...of the equator.

So, every time I finish blogging (oh, I am so technologically advanced!), I finish feeling like I had nothing to say only to arrive home and realize I didn't tell any of the funny happenings that occur daily.

Story #1: The Cockroach

A shriek from the kitchen!
nathan and I look at each other and don't do anything. We decide to go into the kitchen after a little while. Tesha is hiding behind the refridgerator. Tehsa has discovered a cockroach in the kitchen. It goes without saying that this is gross, but I'm a big girl. I'm not afraid of bugs (too much). I have lived by myself and been forced to kill more bugs in various shapes and sizes than I would care to remember, so I ask her where it went and quickly attempt cockroach death squat position 9B. Then I saw it. It was HUGE!!! At least two inches long AT LEAST and fat! I scream, which makes Tesha scream again and we both hide behind the refridgerator. So, long story short, Nathan tries to catch it with a tube sock! Tesha and I keep screamign when we see it, so he thinks there are more cockroaches and starts freaking out. We (mainly Nathan - although I offered some serious moral support) captured the cockroach and nathan set him free somewhere... I never did ask.

Tale B: The Pushover

So, after just a few short days with nathan I realized that he says "uh-huh" a lot when he doesn't understand what the person is saying instead of doing what I do which is ask the person, "what?" "excuse me?" "one more time" until you understand them. So, the trio is at the mall and we stop to have something to eat. The lady takes our drink order and nathan says he'd like a water with lemon. nathan seems to think she is confused, so he tries to explain he'd like a lemon and water. the woman says "lime." He explains again what he'd like. Tesha and I start to laugh and tell him that she gets it.

two minutes later:
Nathan's water and lemon comes out.... it's GREEN. She made him a lime water, water with lime juice. Tesha and I proceed to crack up (kindly, after the waitress has left). Nathan won't send the water back since he spent two minutes trying to explain to the woman exactly what he wanted and he still didn't get it. We let it go. (although not without the picture I took).

The bill comes. nathan was charged 9 rand for the lime water! Tesha and I proceed to pee in our pants!

So, again, just two stories I failed to mention.

Life has been stressful the past couple of days. Tesha and I both hate our schools.

All my kids have done for the past week is color and there is NO and I mean NO behavior management plan in my classroom...? It makes no sense.... She says she gets stricter and they have more to do as the term progresses... I'm crossing my fingers because right now I just feel terribly disappointed.

I have learned a couple of math (which they call "maths") techniques that I think are helpful, but when I asked her today if they use manipulatives... she stared at me like she'd never heard of them... hmmmm....

Anyhoo, we're going to go hiking with Heinz again this Saturday and I'm super excited. Tesha and I joined the gym yesterday, so hopefully the endorphins will help me keep from crying at school.

More later.

I added new pictures of Rhodes Memorial (where we went with Heinz on Sunday).

Pictures!

For pictures go here:

http://picasaweb.google.com/heinz.christie

I'll be updating them frequently... oooh ahhh!

My first week

So, it's only been one week since I left. That's hard for me to realize since everything feels so new, but I think I'm really starting to adjust to my life here now. This weekend was nice. We just relaxed mainly, went to the water front yesterday (check out new pictures on picasa - just use the same url from last time). We walked around, shopped, ate, Tesha got her nails done (haha), and just enjoyed the weather. Today we're going to Kirstenboch for a concert, then early to bed to start our first offical days of school. I'm excited! and I got my first assignment - I'll be helping my teaching teach about the Solar System! WHOOH! Seriously, though, I do look forward to it. I think it'll make me feel like I have a purpose...

I guess that's really it. I went on my first run today (man, that altitude's a killer... couldn't be I'm slightly out of shape...) and almost got hit by a car.... OOPS! Guess I'm really not used to the opposite driving yet. It is very HOT here. But Cape Town really does have all four seasons in one day, by nighttime it's chilly and I have on long pants with a jacket... although I am a well-known freezy-cat.

My first day of South African third grade

Although originally, I was supposed to be in an sixth grade classroom, this morning, Jean and I switched it around, so I could participate in a third grade classroom (a grade I haven't been a part of yet). It went pretty well. I left at tea time (11am). And no, I am not joking! They have tea. The students take English, !Xhosa (a tribal language), and Afrikaans starting in primary school. I was very impressed! Today, we experienced our first black out. Tesha and I went to the grocery yesterday and attempted to stock our tiny fridge, so luckily the blackout didn't last too long and none of our food spoiled.

Nathan was sick all day yesterday (some sort of stomach bug) and I feel generally clogged today (some sort of nostril disaster!).

I feel that I'm finally settling into the ways of Rondebosch although I cannot get used to the cars driving on the opposite side of the street and the drivers on the opposite side of the car than I am used to. I cannot tell you how many times I double take when I think a child is driving a car. I also have to be very cautious crossing the street because I cannot figure out which way the cars from. Tesha and I both stand there looking around in all directions "just to be safe." But I remember what my wise ol' mama always says, "you may be right, but you'd be dead right" (said about the traffic in Pittsburgh).

I'm really grateful to have roommates as a kind of buffer who I can laugh with when things start feeling overwhelming. The other day in the grocery store Tesha, Nathan, and I just wandered around in a daze, starving, exhausted, and unable to process. The currency is different, the nutrition facts are different, I'm learning about all kinds of new fruits and vegetables (rocket, lichi, and some derivation of passion fruit.) But whenever I have asked for help, the Capetonians have been very friendly and helpful.

Nathan and I are back to school tomorrow, but Tesha has the day off. Then, I'm going to put money on a pre-paid cell phone, which is free if you all call me. The number is 079-428-6365. Although I don't know how much it would cost anyone from the US calling me. Just remember that I am 7 hours ahead.

I think the jet lag is finally subsiding and I'm starting to feel more like myself. I look forward to getting super involved in my school, so I stop feeling so homesick...

This morning at school the teacher briefly introduced me and then had me read a story to the class. The girls all looked around and whispered as I read. At the end of the story, Mrs. Meyer verbalized that I did not sound like they did and asked the girls where I thought I was from. In awed voices, they cried, "Ameeeerica!" It's funny. People will turn around when they hear us talking in the street and eavesdrop at the supermarket at our funny accents. Definitely a first for me!

Saturday we are going to the waterfront shops and to the beach and then on sunday we are going to Kirstenboch (sp?) to walk around the botanical gardens and then to a picnic and concert.

Hope everyone's doing well!

Pictures!

Okay, so it's impossible to contact people right now. long story. But I will have a cell phone probably by monday. Anyhoo, below is my picasa web album. let me know if anyone has trouble looking at it. gotta jet. tesha's waiting on me. bye bye now. love love to everyone!

http://picasaweb.google.com/heinz.christie/MyCapeTownApartment

down south

Down here in the south, the weather is sunny and beautiful. I just got here at 6:15am this morning, and it still doesn't feel real. I'm goign to try to post some pictures of my new abode now before my time at the internet cafe expires.

p.s. i was asked for the first time yesterday if i spoke english...