Tears in Heaven

Let's count the number of times I've cried in the last 72 hours, shall we?

1. When Elsha left on the night of the 8th

2. When I took a shower Friday morning

3. When Diane and Sydney left Friday afternoon

4. When I left/on the way to the airport

5. At the airport- don't even get me started on that disaster

6. When my flight into the US landed in Minneapolis

Being in America again is alarming. The first thing I noticed upon disembarking the plane was that there were white people everywhere. That probably sounds kind of ridiculous, but I've really become accustomed to being a member of the minority. I also noticed that no one is particularly friendly. You don't smile at anyone or make eye contact.

I think noticed the chain restaurants- California Pizza Kitchen, Burger King, Starbucks- and the no longer familiar foods in the vending machines- Cheetos instead of Nik Naks. As I made my way to my gate, I looked out the window and saw the saddest sight- no mountains or ocean.

It was also very strange to watch TV again. The news was on at my gate in Minneapolis. As I sat there watching I thought back to all the people who had asked me if I was particularly concerned about the crime rate in South Africa. So upon my arrival back home what do I see on TV? A college student who has disappeared, a woman who may have murdered her daughter and some guy who might get his driver's license revoked because some fun hater (who was probably jealous that he hadn't thought of it) turned the guy in for driving in the HOV lane when the only passenger was a dressed up sex doll- that last one isn't horrible, just hilarious.

Basically I was reminded that bad things happen everywhere- things are just different, not necessarily worse.

I'm excited to be going home to see my family, friends and dog. But I am absolutely heartbroken that I won't be going back to my life as a Capetonian. Again- How lucky am I to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard...

Stranded in Minneapolis for a little while longer.

Onward to reverse culture shock.

Stay Beautiful

Well my faithful readers- the time has come. I've said goodbye to Elsha already and a few hours ago I helped to send Sydney and Diane to the airport.

I made some soup to share with my friends here- everyone likes comfort food, right?

Cape Town has treated us so well today and yesterday. Where as the previous month and a half has been littered with cloudy days and lots of rainfall, the past two days have been nothing but upper 60s and lots of sunshine. What a beautiful way to end the trip.

Today I had the good fortune of stumbling upon a quote that sums up how I'm feeling today:
"How lucky I am to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard."

Leaving feels so strange. I miss my family, friends, and dog and I look forward to seeing them, but I am sad that I won't have the opportunity to return to my life here in Cape Town. I love the people that I have surrounded myself with and the fun things that we occupy our time with.

I feel so lucky to have had the opportunity to experience this place and all it has to offer. Each day had its ups and downs, but overall it was more than I could have hoped for. And I count myself lucky to have met a group of wonderful people who I hope to see sooner rather than later.

That's all from Cape Town, folks.
I'm off to experience another adventure.
Be safe,
B.

Pictures from High Tea at the Mount Nelson Hotel!

The spread! It included about 10 kind of cake, five kinds of sandwiches, savory tarts, eclairs, truffles, and little balls of glorious-ness!
The room! With (my favorite) pressed flowers framed on the walls!
Displayed are the options of loose leaf teas.
The beautiful Hotel!

Mt. Nelson was amazing! We all had such a good time. It would be so fun to do every Sunday. Thankfully, we hadn't gone before yesterday so we didn't have time to waste an insane amount of money on the same thing every week!

On Tuesday, we took a little walk to Rhoades Memorial. A couple pictures from that are included in the post below this one!

I've packed one suitcase- hopefully my wine makes it safely!

Off to buy last-minute souvenirs!

Pictures from High Tea at the Mount Nelson Hotel and Rhoades Memorial!!!

This is what our table looked like at the end of the day! We all had several different types of tea and made several trips to the buffet for savory and sweet treats!!
Diane being prim and proper while perusing the options. Doesn't her dress look nice?
Elsha and I ready for some tea! We had been looking forward to this for quite some time!
Diane and me being goofy at Rhoades! Can you spot us? This memorial is about a five or ten minute walk from campus.
The panoramic view of the city from Rhoades Memorial!

Time, Time, Time

Hello, all!
Firstly, I should admit to you that I do know that I’ve become a terrible blogger. My only excuse is that I have been so busy- exams on top of last minute excursions on top of the biological need for at least a couple hours of sleep a night have left you without regular blog updates from South Africa.

Today is the culmination of an entire childhood’s worth of dreams- I am going to a tea party. High Tea at the Mount Nelson Hotel is one of the ‘must do’ things here in Cape Town and I could not be more excited. It’s a little goofy (and I know that), but what could be more fun than getting dressed up with good friends, drinking multiple kinds of tea and eating cucumber sandwiches with the crust cut off?

As for the title of this blog post- Time, Time, Time- there never seems to be enough of it does there? I've been running around like a chicken with my head cut off in an attempt to soak up as many remaining experiences as I can. I’d like to think that through what I’ve already experienced in life I would have learned to appreciate the little things and not take anything for granted. What my experiences in South Africa have taught me is that each moment is an opportunity for something beautiful. Things can change so quickly (remember the people in Masiphumelele who were sleeping and suddenly everything they had built was up in flames) and it is important to keep reminding myself, in particular, that little annoyances or unfortunate circumstances will pop up, but there is no need for me to completely beat myself up over them.

The girls and I have been talking about what we’ll do when we get home. We’re all kind of nervous that people who knew what we were up to will ask, “How was your trip?” The problem with that question is that this was so much more than a trip. We actually lived in a foreign country for nearly half a year. My entire lifestyle changed! I was just telling my mom that I can’t imagine coming home to a closet full of clothes. I’m excited, though, because I’m sick of looking at the one suitcase’s worth that I brought here. How can I possibly communicate what this experience has done for me?

Thankfully, I’ve had time to reflect lately. I feel so tied to this country that six months ago I really knew nothing about. I had learned so much. Let me repeat that. I have learned so much. I’ve learned about the politics of South Africa, it’s history, and the effect that international actors have had on it. I have a better understanding of the issues that the country is facing and where it hopes to go in the future. South Africa is truly a very strange combination of the 1st and 3rd worlds. As one of the most unequal countries in the world it is no wonder that such a huge percentage of the population is living in abysmal conditions.

As far as inequality goes, I continue to be shocked by the attitudes of some of the people here. On multiple occasions my friends and I have been having conversations with people who we soon realize are openly nasty, racist pigs. As an informed American I absolutely understand that racism still exists in the world. After all, I come from an area where there is little to none diversity. That’s certainly not to say that everyone who isn’t exposed is racist, but I have encountered such attitudes in America, just like here in South Africa.

The transition into democracy wasn’t an easy one for South Africa. The process began in 1990 and the first free and fair democratic elections weren’t until 1994. Apartheid is such a recent reality that many of the people alive in the country today participated in the oppression of the majority of South Africans. What continues to just shock me is how cruel and hateful people can be. My only hope is that as time goes on, South Africans will realize that race is nothing but a social construct to create separation.

I’m living in a strange sort of limbo right now. I am most definitely looking forward to going home- I can’t believe how long it’s been since I’ve seen my friends and family. But I’m also hesitant to leave. This is the most beautiful place I have ever seen in my life and I am continually shocked by how happy I am here. It’s probably a combination of the new things to learn, the company I’m keeping, and all the new experiences I’m having. My South African friends keep asking me if I’ll be coming back. I want to say, “Yes! Next month!” But I know that isn’t realistic. I have so much going on at home and one year left of college. Who knows what will happen after graduation… I just pray that I will, sooner rather than later, find myself with the means to return to Cape Town- perhaps with one of the people that I have come to love here.

It is comforting to think that I have made friends with people who go to American University with me. That really does reassure me- I know that I will have people close by who have experienced the same things, know the same jokes, and share the same kind of ideas.

I will try to update once more before I leave- perhaps Friday afternoon after I’ve said goodbye to Sydney and Diane.

Elsha leaves this evening- we will miss her so much.

Well, folks. I guess that’s it. Cape Town has definitely left a mark on me and I hope that I have made a good impression on the people who I’ve met and interacted with- particularly those that I worked with.

Onward to new adventures.
Be safe,
B.

Pictures from recent days!!

The houses of Bo-Kaap. This is probably one of my favorite neighborhoods in Cape Town. All of the houses are painted such beautiful colors! And the people of Bo-Kaap make darn good food!
A view of the city and the mountains (and the winter clouds) on the way up Lion's Head!
Diane and me being goofy in the Company's Gardens on another lovely day in Cape Town!
Sydney, Kait, and me eating a Gatsby- a Cape Town favorite. Of course, it has chips (french fries) on it- as all good South African sandwiches do.
Me at one of my favorite places- Old Biscuit Mill.

The Lazy Song

Hello faithful readers!

First, I should apologize. I realize that it has been awhile since I’ve posted anything. Sorry… Everything and nothing at all has been happening all at the same time!

Exam time has begun here at UCT. My first final is for my African Genocides class and that is on May 30^th. I then have my SA Politics final on June 1^st and then a long break until my Religion final on June 7^th! Needless to say, I just need to make it through the first two and then I’m home free- very nearly literally.

I’ve been meaning to study. I really have. The fact that Thursday is almost over is very alarming. I really need to hop to it tomorrow. The problem I’ve been having is that… I’m lazy. I love being in my bed doing absolutely nothing but piddling around on the internet. Hence, the name of this blog. Bruno Mars’ The Lazy Song has become my anthem for finals in SA.

I’m not too worried about my Genocide final or my Religion final. But my Politics final really has the ability to kick my sweet little you know what.

This past week the girls and I had dresses custom made for us (so fun), went to Old Biscuit Mill- again, ate a lot(!), and had our final CIEE dinner!

Our dresses are so cute! I’m actually really happy about how they turned out. In fact, a couple of us are thinking about getting another one. Once I get it washed I will take a picture of myself in it and post it.

Biscuit Mill was, of course, wonderful as always! I’m really going to miss it. It’s got a great vibe and can always satisfy all of my food cravings! You can get everything there! Steak sandwiches, pesto, cookies, chocolate, coffee, pizza… anything you can imagine! While we were there this week we ran into a place we’d never been before- an organic chocolate producer! It was so amazing. They were so nice and let us sample just about everything. Each of us bought a couple of truffles to take home. Have you ever tasted a chocolate bean? It doesn’t taste real great. The cool thing about them is that everything there is 100% organic. The guy that owns it was super nice and we basically dominated the samples he had laid out.

Our final CIEE dinner was… ridiculous. Imagine cramming 180 young Americans into a place where they really don’t want to be, but feel obligated to go to. Needless to say most people were completely wasted. The food was actually pretty tasty! One person deemed it The Farewell Dinner that No One Remembers…

While we were down on Long Street picking up our dresses, we stopped to get a Gatsby sandwich for lunch. Sydney has been saying that it’s one of the things we’re supposed to eat before we leave. I’m not really sure what exactly is on it. But in true South African fashion it is loaded with chips (or french fries) and steak.

I’m honestly getting kind of anxious about leaving. I’m not uber excited about it like I was a few weeks ago. I’m going to miss my life here. Of course, I’m excited to get home to see the people I’ve been missing, watch TV, and get my phone back. But I’m actually really happy with my life here- surprisingly happy, actually. The good thing about who I’ve made friends with here is that a lot of them go to AU so we can sustain the relationships we’ve made over here.

The weather here is still pretty crappy- rainy and cold. I’ll be excited to get back to warmer weather at home. I’m almost out of internet so I’m going to wrap it up!!

Love you all.

I’ll post pictures soon.

Be safe!

B

Sea Breeze

Good morning, readers!

I hope this late evening/early morning in Cape Town finds you well. As for me, I just returned from my first adventure to one of the American houses- this is where the majority of people on the CIEE program live. The other options were LBG (where I am at) or a homestay. The houses are SUPER nice! They have a maid come in each week to clean, most people have their own room and the accommodations are just generally pretty spectacular- especially when you consider that it took me weeks to get rid of all the cockroaches in my kitchen.

This last week has been kind of crazy. I’ve had several papers and projects due and luckily they all got done. But my procrastination has reached an all-time high. I had a paper due at 4 pm on Monday and didn’t start it until 2 am Monday morning… Kind of ridiculous? Yes.

We also went to Mzoli’s this past Sunday. This restaurant in the township Gugulethu is one of the major staples of Cape Town and all the guidebooks classify it as a must-see. Basically, you bring your own booze, sit down, and wait for the staff to bring you a GIANT plate of meat. It’s quite alarming to see a reflection of your own behavior there in your friends. I told my friend Jeff that we were acting like emaciated dogs in a desert that had just stumbled upon the carcass of an elephant. Graphic, I know. But we were starving and there are no plates, no utensils, no napkins. Oh, and the meat (chicken, steak, and sausage) is covered in a barbeque-like sauce. Just picture it… On top of all of that, Mzoli’s is basically one big party. Everyone is drunk as skunks and dancing up a storm. It really is quite a lovely experience. This past Sunday, however, was Mother’s Day so it was a little more tame than usual.

On to new feelings- The weather is changing here in Cape Town and I’m not too pleased with it. Overall, it’s just a very sad thing. It means that winter is coming and my time here in South Africa is coming to an end. I have 4 days of classes left and my last final is on June 7th. Of course, I knew that this would happen. But as the breeze from the ocean gets cooler and cooler, I feel another short chapter of my life coming to an end. I really have been pleasantly surprised at how happy I am here. Thank goodness for that. Nearly six months here would have been miserable if I had been less than content in South Africa.

So yes, it has been cold and rainy and foggy here in Cape Town. I miss the days of skipping classes to head to the beach or sitting out on the steps on campus to soak up some sun! Don’t get me wrong- I do not want it to be so hot that I come home everyday and have to take a cold shower, but I did not pack appropriate clothing for this type of weather!

Coming up soon- tomorrow we are going to a vintage store in a neighborhood called Observatory. Apparently there are MAJOR sales going on that need my attention. I’m definitely looking into finding a jacket… Also this week, the girls and I are headed to the Women’s Market on Long Street (where we go fairly often to party) to get dresses made for us! I am SUPER excited for this. We pick out the fabric we want, give them a general idea of a design, and then they measure us, and viola! Three days later we have a custom made dress! I am still hunting for the perfect white wine to bring home (Groot Constantia was featured at Wine Society this week and dominated! So I might have to get one of their whites). So the search continues. In our last few weeks in Cape Town I still need to get souvenirs for all my dearly beloveds at home, maybe venture to see some elephants, and manage to study for my finals which account for more than 50% of my final grades! EEK!

Attached to this post are some pictures of us at Mzoli’s last Sunday.

I hope you are all enjoying the warm weather I hear you’re having and aren’t suffering too badly from the atrocious gas prices I keep hearing about!

Love you all.
Be safe,
B.Self-explanatory: THE SIGN! This genuinely is one of those places that you are required to see when you go to Cape Town. It's unlike anything you'll experience anywhere else. Genuinely delicious food and an incredibly atmosphere.
Sydney, Nate, and Elsha flashing the newly copyrighted group signal. Taken from our fearless leader and BAMF, Barack Obama. This is how we abide by the State Department's warnings to not draw attention to ourselves... :)
The aftermath...
The giant platter that your meat comes on!
The crew: Elsha, me, Diane, Nate (lurking in the background), Kait, and Sydney

One More Thing

I just want to take a moment to celebrate my man. I'm sure most of you have already seen this picture, but needless to say it has inspired some incredibly entertaining moments for the Americans here in Cape Town. We're all about celebrating the best looking BAMF in the whole damn world right now! And thanks to the Seals that actually carried out the operation!

Some People Change

My darling readers!

First, I should apologize for my lack of updates. The other day I realized just how long it had been since I posted anything. I immediately got to work, determined to post something. But there seems to be a running theme in my life these days that equates to me being absolutely incapable of doing anything in a timely manner. This new habit of mine has been particularly destructive to my school work. I hear from my friends who are not in South Africa that they are nearing finals week or just finished their last final and I become green with envy! As of today I have 9 school days remaining. My finals begin on May 30th.

So much has been happening recently and at the same time there has been no news. As my time here in South Africa comes to an end, I become increasingly more reflective (as tends to happen when ends near) about the effects of this adventure on me as a person and a citizen of the world. Certainly I have discovered new things about myself, but my daily life and habits have also changed dramatically.

As I have talked about before I now have a new love and appreciation for wine! My friends and I go to Wine Society every week to sample wines from vineyards near Cape Town (we went last night, in fact), we have gone to Stellenbosch twice (one of the best places in the world for wine), we drink it casually at home, and I have even started having dreams about wine. I really am shocked at much I enjoy drinking wine. This is partially because I had never really been exposed to much wine, but also because I was never a big drinker- that has also changed a little bit while in South Africa. I keep thinking about what book I’m going to get when I get back to America. I’ve been wanting to get the equivalent of a Wine for Dummies book so I can learn more about the different grape varieties and how the fermentation process works, etc. But I am most definitely going to wait to get home to purchase said book- you wouldn’t believe how expensive books are here! I really feel like drinking and collecting wine could be a hobby that I have for the rest of my life. It’s so fun to talk to other people about what you’re getting from the wine because everyone tastes and smells things differently. I’m trying to decide which four bottles I’m going to bring home (you can have two in each checked bag). I know I’m going to bring home a sparkling red wine to drink on my 22nd birthday (if I can keep it that long). I have an Shiraz blend that I’m bringing home for my family (it smells like coffee). And I am going to bring home a white wine for Annie (the next door neighbor/woman whose family we basically forced into our own). So that leaves space for one more bottle… I’m determined to make it a good one.

I’ve also learned that I am a fairly self-sufficient human being. Since I began college, I’ve always lived on campus and had a meal plan- which basically mean that I never cooked meals for myself. I would buy ramen, but that’s about it. But here I cook for myself! And sometime for my roommate, Amy- which I dearly love to do. I make different concoctions of pasta, stir fry, lots of sandwiches, casseroles, chicken (though this is happening less and less now), soup, and more! For awhile I was taking pictures of what I was making just to have them documented. I’m actually quite proud of myself. One of the most amazing things is that I feel like I’m eating healthier here than I generally do at home. I” always eating a lot of vegetables. Even when I got to the grocery store, my first stop is the produce section and that is the large majority of what is in my cart. I’m also loving hummus, tzatziki, and pesto! Also, I’m amazed at how little meat I eat. When I cook at home, my diet is largely pescatarian. I eat vegetarian sandwiches and sometimes have tuna. Anymore, I’m just too cheap to buy meat! Hehe

I’m also really coming to terms with my beliefs and what’s important to me. There isn’t a whole lot to say on this subject, but I’m quite surprised by some of the results.

As I’ve mentioned before a big part of my life here is the organization I volunteer at. PASSOP has helped to open my eyes to a number of problems within South Africa that I might never have noticed existed. We do a significant amount of work with refugees (particularly those from Zimbabwe) and we also help South African residents create resumes so that they can find work. I’ve spend a lot of time typing up CVs (or resumes) here and I hope that that was time well spent. Thursday night we had an event to help raise funds for the victims of a fire that happened on Monday in the township Masiphumelele near Fish Hoek. If you get time, please look into what happened there. 1500 homes were burnt to the group and now 5000 people are displaced. PASSOP has an office in Masiphumelele that was affected by the fire, but not destroyed. I was so happy that the even turned out to be as big of a success as it did. We made 7000 rand! About $1000!!! I’m actually quite surprised how many people showed up to support our organization (thanks so much for going with me, Kait!)

As my time in South Africa begins to wind down, I look forward to the life I have to go home to. I am ready to sleep in a bed that doesn’t have a very large crater in the middle of it when I wake up in the morning, to not find cockroaches in my kitchen, and to not have mold growing on the walls. But all of those things are incredibly superficial- most of the reasons that make me ready to go home are. And though there is a part of me that is excited to return home (USA, USA!), I am also incredibly sad to only have 5 weeks left. I’ve made new friends that I hope to remain close with, broadened my horizons, discovered new passions, and learned a lot about other people, the world and myself. I have enjoyed my time here so much and I know that, though things will definitely be different for me when I go home, this was an experience that was important for me to have. Things are definitely changing. Time in college is winding down, the acquisition of new friends, the loss of old relationships, new hobbies, new beliefs, new opportunities… After the life I’ve lived so far, I’m excited to see what’s around the next corner.

Love to you all. Thank you for reading. Remember to look up the fire!

Be safe,
B.

Pictures from ANOTHER Adventure in Stellenbosch!

Kait, me, Sam, and Elsha (and some creepy, mean lookin' fella) at our last winery of the day, Seidelberg! We left there with a lot of wine (in bottles and in our veins), lemons from some hateful Afrikaaners, and some lovely memories! hehe
Me, Elsha, Sam, and Kait outside Fairview. They use the goats to make some SUPER delicious cheeses! Last time we were there we hadn't even noticed the goats... I guess that sometimes happens when... you're in a hurry...
Elsha and I during our tasting at the super modern/fancy J.C. le Roux! Can I get a "yay!" for Sparkling Wines and Methode Cap Classiques?
The kids waltzing into the House of J.C. le Roux!
Kait, Elsha, and Sam waiting for the taxi that seemed to take FOREVER! And at the same time browsing the real estate in the area!

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!!