I Should Tell You

A little bit about what’s going on in my life!!

1. School

This has been dominating my life. Work is really starting to pile up and I am… over it- to say the least. My Advanced South African Politics class is particularly troubling. We just turned in another paper this week. The topics are so vague (and kind of absurd) that it makes writing the 1,000 word responses kind of difficult. They certainly take up much more of my time than they should! I also had a test this week, but it was quite easy… I probably shouldn’t say that until I get the grade back, though. But the next few weeks will be intense. I’ve got a ridiculous number of tests, projects, and papers that need to be taken/done. With all of the public holidays coming up (Good Friday was yesterday, Family Day, Freedom Day, and Workers’ Day) we only have 17 days left of classes! Crazy, or what? The first couple of preliminary finals schedules have been released and mine isn’t too bad. I have one on the 30^th of May, the 1^st of April, and the 7^th of April.

2. Poor Communication

One of the most obnoxious things about being in South Africa (and there really aren’t many) is that being in contact with people back home is so darn difficult! Lately, I’ve had a lot going on and that translates to me needing to able to communicate with people. Not always an option here… It’s just one more thing that proves that Cape Town is trying to be a 1^st world city while being surrounded by the 3^rd world. For example, Skype always works best if I just make an audio call with no video. Should I hope to do video, only one of the parties involved can be streaming. Two is way too much for my faulty internet connection to handle. Also, Skype seems to function properly if the windows are open. Which, you might think, why is that a big deal? Well, when it’s nighttime and the mosquitoes are after me like an emaciated dog after a chicken leg it can be problematic.

3. Wine

I now love it! Each Friday night I attend Wine Society at UCT with some of my friends. We usually get six glasses- mind you they’re only about half full. We rank each wine we taste for it’s color, nose, and taste. Today Amy, Arianna, Chelsea, Diane, Elsha, Kait, Miki, and I went to Stellenbosch on a wine tour! We went to four different vineyards. The first two were very good and I enjoyed nearly everything I tasted. And I was less than impressed by the last two. Overall, I tried more than 25 wines today. Needless to say, I had a darn good time! But what’s very cool about this whole experience is that I’m learning so much. I now know a little bit more about what you taste when you’re drinking wines and I know more about my own palette- which helps me to decide what I will like. It’s so fun to be surrounded by other people who are learning these things too. We can all talk to each other about what we taste and smell in the wines. It’s just a very cool experience. I bought a bottle from the first vineyard we visited, Simonsig, and I am bringing it home to my Mommy!

4. Rent

I have recently gotten on a new kick. If you know anything about me you’re probably very familiar with how I fall head over heels for a new… anything- hobby, tv show, band, etc. Well, right now I’m on a Rent kick. Like the musical… I knew a couple of the songs, but really had no idea what the story was. I borrowed the DVD from Elsha on Monday and have watched it at least 15 times. Not to mention I now have the soundtrack and haven’t stopped listening to it. I’m dreaming of seeing it performed. It’s no longer on Broadway so maybe one day I can see it done by a traveling group. Basically, I have fallen madly in love with Roger. If you’re familiar with Rent, you’ll know that the title of this week’s blog is also the title of a song from the show!

That’s pretty much all right now. Scroll down to see two posts worth of pictures of our Stellenbosch trip. We enjoyed ourselves so much that we’re talking about going back on Monday! God love South Africa and its love for a considerable number of public holidays!

I’m going to be living La Vie Boheme this week- another Rent reference!

Love you all.

Be safe,

B.

Pictures from Stellenbosch

The trio (me, Diane, Elsha) taking in the scenery after one (or 20) too many glasses of wine. :)
Time to go home!
The set-up at the last wine estate.
The whole group- Chelsea, Arianna, Amy, Elsha, Diane, Miki, Kait, and me!
Remember how we like when you open sparkling wine with a sword?

Pictures from Stellenbosch

The girls having a good time at Simonsig!
There were white roses everywhere... :)
These oak barrels store mostly red wine for however many months are needed for the wine to mature. Each barrel holds more than 400 bottles!
So we passed by a cupcake shop... too bad it's a holiday and closed. :(
We made it! Thanks to Elsha for taking the picture!

Random Unseen Pictures

A float in the Carnival parade last month.
Elsha and me with one of the "Ocean Waves."
Some of the girls at Kirstenbosch Gardens.
Diane and me on the coldest, windiest beach day ever!
Goofing around at Muizenberg beach in Cape Town. :)

Viva la Vida

Have you ever had your life completely changed by something? Maybe the entrance of a new person in your life? Or an event that shook you to your core? I know I have. These events can be absolute blessings. I always think about my best friend when I think about those good things. One night this boy came with us to the drive-in movie theater. I absolutely hated him. I vividly remember picking up my chair and moving it far away from him. There was no way I was going to be able to enjoy the movies if I was seated near him. So a friend and I moved and then gossiped about how much we detested him for the rest of the night. He didn’t like me, either. Interestingly enough, he was interested in my best friend. Soon, they were dating. He was her first real boyfriend and they’re still together now. But the interesting thing about that story that concerns me is that he is now one of my most favorite people. I miss him so much when I’m away at school. I can’t imagine not having him in my life. His coincidental entrance into our lives changed how the last year of high school was for my friend and me. And his continued presence makes life interesting and so enjoyable. That’s an accidental moment that changed my life in a little, but wonderful, way.

But moments can also be less than wonderful or even adequate. Life isn’t easy and things can be absolutely horrible. There are moments that take your breath away in the worst way. Like others, I’ve experienced things that I wouldn’t wish on my worst enemy.

But what I think is most important is how you respond to these moments. Good or bad, life is about choices. I have certainly made mistakes in my life. There are choices I made that, in retrospect, were completely wrong. On the other hand, I’ve made choices that, while incredibly difficult, were really the right thing to do. One little good choice was accepting the presence of my friend’s new boyfriend; that has led to me having a new friend that means a great deal to me. Some of the bigger choices are harder to come to terms with. But I think I’ve learned that life unfolds as it will. I believe that everyone has an end that they are supposed to reach. The events of our lives lead us to that purpose- even if at the time we cannot understand how there could be a reason for something so horrible (or ok, or wonderful).

I am a big believer in quotes. Through them I find inspiration, healing and the will to go on. Albus Dumbledore once said, “It is our choices that determine who we become, far more than our abilities.” Choices are important. Life is all about how you respond to situations. Sometimes things come up out of the deep, blue sea. In The Sound of Music Maria says, “When God closes one door, somewhere he opens a window.” You might think that a door has been closed (and even locked), but you never know when God’s wind will open a window.

Everyone deserves happiness. Pursue it for all you’re worth. I have attempted to lead the kind of life that I thought I would as a little girl. I was always dreaming big. Never was I the kind of girl who only had small town dreams. There’s certainly nothing wrong with that. For some people that is exactly what they want for themselves. I’ve just always been the kind of person who wants to go somewhere and do something.

But my time in South Africa has been a learning experience and has helped me realize that I might only want to go places and do things for a period of time. Eventually my dreams lead me back to a white house with a large porch in the country, somewhere near my loved ones. Only with time will I discover if that’s where my choices will get me.

Life is all about moments- good ones and bad ones. Seize them all. Sometimes, God’s plan will surprise you and take your breath away.

Sorry for the lack of pictures lately. Haven’t been up to much of anything particularly special. Hopefully, soon.

Love you all.

Remember to breathe.

Be safe,

B.

PS- It turns out that I was allergic to my malaria medication, Doxycycline. So I stopped taking it on my own orders. I'm feeling much better. Please pray that I do not contract malaria, as I stopped taking the medication before I was supposed to. :)

Candle in the Wind

Hello all!

I hope this blog post finds you well.

Things here in South Africa are still quite spectacular. It kind of hit me the other day that I’ve developed a life here- and for some reason that seems so odd. But apart from a change in location, my life in South Africa is very similar to my life at school in Washington, DC. I have a core group of friends, who I walk to class with, meet for lunch, chat with in the evening. I also have a schedule: I go to my 10 am class with Diane everyday except for Tuesdays (when she has an earlier tutorial) and Wednesdays when we do laundry together. On Thursdays I volunteer at PASSOP in the afternoon. At least once a week we go to the Pig and Swizzle bar in town- lately we’ve been going to watch the soccer games that are happening right now. And on weekends we have several places that we spend time at (Old Biscuit Mill, of course). All of this is incredibly similar to my real life. I think the part that strikes me about these similarities is how comfortable I am here.

Despite all the similarities to home and my level of happiness, I dealt with a few days of homesickness last week. For no apparent reason I was just… down. I think that the semester began and we were all living the fast and furious life. Then mid-semester vacation came and we went Mozambique, which was incredible! When we got back to Cape Town there were things going on at my real home that I, obviously, wasn’t able to deal with because I’m so far away. I think that is what made me homesick. Thankfully, I wasn’t the only one. But I certainly know that I wasn’t too much fun to be around for a few days.

It’s amazing what clarity you can get when you change your entire way of life. I went from living in a city that is, arguably, one of the most powerful in the world. My iPhone was very nearly permanently attached to my hand and I was in constant contact with my two best friends and family in Nebraska. Now, I’m living in a city that is attempting to be first world while being geographically in the middle of the third world. I heard my best friend Jenna’s voice for the first time in months the other day, but only for a few seconds. And I haven’t talked to Taylor in ages. One of the most frustrating parts of being in Africa is having locals know what’s appropriate to say to you and what is not. I understand that American women are sensitive- I will be the first to admit to that. But sometimes African men can be completely ridiculous. I got into with one last week.

My friend Elsha and I were talking yesterday. We discussed that we’re actually really happy here (despite my slip up last week), but when the time comes we think we will be ready to go home. Elsha and I are similar in that we are both incredibly close with our families (she’s from Ohio- maybe it’s a Midwest thing). Both of us have appreciated the clarity we’re getting from our study abroad experience. I know that there are certain things that I thought I might do after college, but now I’m quite sure I won’t. Simply because I don’t want to be away from what, to me, matters most for too long. I don’t want to miss two years worth of birthdays. If I’m still living in the United States (not necessarily Nebraska) I have the option of flying back home whenever I’d like. That’s something that I didn’t really realize I appreciated as much as I do.

Coming up soon: shark cage diving, a possible trip to wine estates over Easter (Jesus loved wine, right?), more beach time before it gets too cold, essays, tests, and class readings.

A professor mentioned the other day that the winds were changing, which apparently results in a general feeling of nostalgia. So that’s what we’re blaming last week’s attitude on.

Well, I’m off to class and then volunteering.

Love you all.

Be safe,

B.

More Pictures

Me relaxing on the wooden boat. Sometimes it was a little scary- I felt like it was going to tip over...
The biggest pizza I've ever seen/eaten. We couldn't finish it!
Lauren, Nate, and some ladies literally walking into Mozambique.
Me, Diane, and our new Swedish friend Emmanuel. He was having a good time...
Me wrapped up like an African Goddess in my new sarong thanks to Diane Beyers.

Boys of Summer

Good evening from South Africa!

As I’m sure you all know I recently returned to Cape Town from Mozambique. My week there was incredible. It was exactly what I wanted out of my Spring Break (well, technically it was the mid-semester break, but I’m an American- so it’s Spring Break).

I spent my days sprawled out on a towel on the sandy beaches. By night, I spent time with my trip-mates and fellow hostel dwellers.

To begin the trip, we flew from Cape Town to Johannesburg. The next day we took a Greyhound bus to Maputo (the capital city of Mozambique). We had planned to stay in Maputo for a few days, but ended up being there for just two nights. Maputo is kind of a typical African city- it reminded me a little bit of Nairobi. Like in most African cities, there is trash everywhere. One would think the remedy to this problem would be simple- just have more trashcans on the sidewalks! While in Nairobi, I took a picture of the one trashcan I found on the streets. But as you can probably imagine, when your country is still reeling from a devastating civil war (as Mozambique is) a little trash seems like no problem at all. We went to a mall in the city and got our money exchanged and then went across the street for lunch. It was at this “seafood restaurant” that the five of us ate the biggest cheese pizza I have ever seen in my lifetime. None of us thought that we would have a problem finishing this pizza. Boy, were we wrong. There was so much cheese on it that we hardly eat two pieces let alone finish the entire pie! We discovered fairly quickly that there wasn’t a lot to see or do in Maputo, so we headed to Tofo!

Try to understand this- to leave Maputo we had to leave our hostel at 5 am during a torrential downpour. We (the five of us), along with 20 other people boarded what can only be described as a glorified VW Bus. Do you have this pictured in your mind? Maybe add a foot or two in length to the bus. Not everyone had a seat. So there we were, the 25 of us, with all of our luggage, piled, squished, and squeezed into a van. Needless to say, it was a very long 8-hour drive.

But our arrival at Tofo made the horrific bus ride worth the trouble. We stayed at a hostel that was literally on the beach. I would walk out the front door of my hut, go down a set of stairs, and voila! I was at the beach! It was so beautiful… and exactly what I wanted out of Spring Break! I got a fairly nice tan and I was relaxed for one whole week.

Because the hostels that we stayed at in Maputo and Tofo are owned by the safe company many people stayed at both of the Fatima’s locations. Which was great! We got to hang out with the same people for six days.

It was so interesting to be in Mozambique; their currency (meticals) looks like Monopoly money, everyone speaks Portuguese (which we don’t), and the things that are frustrating about South Africa (like efficiency) are multiplied there!

Though I had a really great time on vacation, I was ready to get back to Cape Town. But as soon as I got back here, I got really homesick! I just feel like there is so much going on at home that I’m missing. Studying abroad has really helped me to determine where my priorities lie… and I’m kind of surprised by the result.

Before I go I should tell you one more thing- it rained twice while we were in Maputo. It was so beautiful. Most people who know me can probably remember that I love the rain. Some of the most clarifying and cathartic moments of my life have taken place outside during a rainstorm. There is something about heavy rain that washes away your pain and cleanses your soul as it hits your skin drop by drop. It also never hurts to dance in it…

As always, stay safe.

Love from South Africa,

B.

PS- Check out the post below this one for pictures!

Pictures of my Adventures in Mozambique!

Me on a traditional Mozambiquan fishing boat- called a dhow.
We girls (and some new friends) on an island having lunch.
Diane protecting herself from those deadly mosquitos!
Nate, me, and Diane after we had bought our lunches for the week- fresh bread!
We made it across the border!!