An "Amazeballs" Weekend

Hi friends,

Happy to report that this was a very fun-filled weekend!  (I apologize in advance for how long this post will be--but I want to give all the details about our fun-filled weekend!)  I finished up the work week strong--I was able to finish the first draft of a powerpoint demonstrating my findings from the comparative assessment project, as well as help Sash edit articles for the RAG Magazine, and finalize the lesson plans Monique and I created for the Advanced Leaders Programme. 

On Friday night, Tim, Njabulo, and I went to the South Africa vs. Italy rugby game for the Junior World Championships.  It is really nice that the games are being played at UWC and in Stellenbosch--makes it easy for us to attend!  And, South Africa was FREAKING AWESOME.  The final score was 52-3, with South Africa winning of course.

 The happy spectators enjoying the rugby match!

 This is called a "scrum".  The two teams push each others, I think for possession of the ball.

South Africa is about to make a "try", which is where they run the ball into the end-zone.  This is worth 5 points! :)

 Don't you like my South Africa rugby shirt? :)

On Saturday, Sashley took Tim and I out for the day :)  First, we went to a "traditional" 21st birthday party, which was an interesting experience.  Everyone told me about how crazy and fun South African 21st birthday parties are.  Turning 21 is kind of like coming of age--they celebrate the accomplishments of the individual and their success if they did not fall pregnant and finished school.  The event is supposed to be very extravagant and polished, where the birthday girl wears a lovely gown, there are lots of guests, food, music, and speeches by friends and family.  I think I was expecting the event to be sort of like a Sweet 16 party mixed with a typical 21st party in the States, so kind of elegant and extravagant, but also lots of drinking and dancing.  The party was...interesting...haha.  The event was supposed to be from 1-6pm.  However, the party didn't end up starting until just after 4pm.  I think we were the only ones that didn't get the memo to show up 3 hours late, because once 3:30pm came around, guests started rolling in.  We didn't know when it would actually start, so Sash, Tim and I just hung out in the car and chatted, and laughed, and just had a good old time together while we waited.  We only stayed at the party for a little while, but it was a unique experience.  The birthday girl, Tabisa, did wear an elegant gown and the event was very fancy with a decorated tent, music, and food.  Sashley and others gave speeches about the accomplishments of Tabisa, and their was a lot of prayers and gospel singing.  Religion is very, very important to the people of South Africa, so many of the speeches included lessons from the Bible and thanking God for helping to guide Tabisa in a positive direction.

After the 21st birthday party, Sash took us out and about.  First we went to the Grand Hotel & Casino:

Pretty grand, eh?  It was HUGE and way more than just a casino.  Inside there was the huge casino, various restaurants, a night club, a concert hall, a movie theatre, an arcade, and a carnival mini-amusement park.  No joke--this place was "amazeballs" (this is a Monique-ism).  We just walked around and enjoyed the atmosphere, but we also went go-karting....

I was pretty excited to ride in the blue go-kart.  :)  And I won! (not that we were competing racing, but still).  Afterwards, we stopped by Sashley's home quick.  We got to meet her brothers and her parents and see her home--it was very nice! :)  We also stopped by her fiancee's home (his name is Andre) and got to meet him and his family.  They were all so nice!  One Sunday I am going to go to church with Sashley and then have a brunch with Andre's family afterward :).  For dinner, we went to St. Elmo's, which Sash said was the best pizza around.  She was right :)

After dinner, we went to the mall and met up with Sashley's 4 cousins, and a few of their friends.  We went bowling and to the arcade, which was super fun!  At the bowling alley we went to, you don't wear shoes--you have to bowl either in your socks or barefoot.  I thought that was interesting.  At the arcade we played a bunch of games--they had old school Pac Man and Super Mario--which was awesome!  We also played some pool :)  Sashley's cousins invited us over for dinner next week--isn't that so nice?  Everyone we meet is so friendly and inviting!  Overall, our Saturday out with Sashley was very fun! Sash and I are going to sit and plan out dates for the other adventures we want to go on before I leave.  We want to go hiking in Durbanville, she wants to take me to church with her, and we want to go shark diving! 

Yesterday, Sunday, was a really great day too!  We got to go out with some new friends from the States, and some of our friends from here too.  There are a bunch of other students from the States who arrived at the end of last week and are staying at UWC.  There are two students, Raji and Giselle (from Vermont and Illinois) who are here to do research with the college of nursing.  Raji and Giselle have quickly become good friends of ours--we get along way too well and have way too many laughs when we are together! :)  There are also 25 students who go to university in Oklahoma and Missouri who are here for an entrepreneurship program.  We have been meeting them on and off and hope to be able to meet up with them and hang out once they get situated.  But, anywho, back to Sunday...

Tim, Raji, Giselle, JP, Eugene, Lunga, and I all went out to Mzoli's.  Mzoli's is a braai restaurant in Guguletu, one of the townships in Cape Town.  We were expecting there to be mostly local people at Mzoli's from the township, but there were actually a lot of tourists eating there too.  Mzoli's is a very popular spot for people who want to get a glimpse of the townships.  Guguletu is really beautiful in a very unique way.  I haven't taken photos of the townships we have been through because I feel like it would be rude to document people's homes and lifestyle, but I have been taking mental snapshots of them.

Mzoli's. Was. Awesome.  When you walk in, there are big glass cases of all sorts of meats for you to choose from.  You order the meat and then they put it on a platter and you walk it back to the braai grill to be cooked.  The grill is huge with open firewood--super nice.  We ordered beef and chicken, and it was delicious!  We also ordered pup, which is a corn starch substance kind of like a sticky mashed potato.  We had a great braai lunch, some beer (which apparently you have to have at Mzoli's or its a crime, haha), and enjoyed the house music.  Welcome to Mzoli's:

The line waiting outside :)

 HUGE tray of braai!

 Giselle, Raji, and Tim eating the yummy braai!

 So much meat!

 The white stuff is the "pup".

 Eugene, JP, me, Lunga, and Giselle.

 Tim, Eugene, JP, me, Lunga, and Giselle.

 And...it's all gone!  Apparently it is "a crime" to not drink with your braai at Mzoli's.  I can't remember the last time I drank on a Sunday...But, when in Africa, you do like the Africans! :)

After Mzoli's, Lunga dropped Tim, Raji, Giselle and I off at the Waterfront.  We were planning on taking the 3pm ferry to Robben Island, but unfortunately the last ferry that goes out on Sunday's was at 1pm, so we missed it.  Bummer!  But, it is okay.  We spent the afternoon walking around the Waterfront, enjoying the weather, and we went out for a lovely dinner.

 Tim, Giselle, and Raji out at the Waterfront

 Beautiful sunset on the beach.  I tried to touch the water and got wet up to my knees...woops.

 I love the beach and the sunset!

 Tim and Raji enjoying dinner :)

 This is Giselle's standard camera smile, haha.

roasted red pepper and chicken salad = my favorite

What a great evening out at the Waterfront, right? :)  After we got back, JP, Eugene, and Lunga came over to our residence hall and we all watched a soccer game (Croatia vs. Italy) and hung out.  It was a great evening!

So, that's it--all the awesome details about our "amazeballs" weekend!

Hope everyone back home had a great weekend too!

Sending love,

--Kaity

Safari-- here we come!

Hi friends,

Today we have successfully booked the details for our trip to Port Elizabeth next Friday through Tuesday! :)  We have the car rental reserved, hotel accommodations booked, and our Addo Elephant Park safari reserved through Criss Cross Adventures! :) :) :) :)

Next week Friday we will leave Cape Town bright and early in the morning and drive down the Garden Route.  We will stop to view Cape Agulhas, where the Indian and Atlantic Oceans meet, and then we will stay overnight in Knysna.  On Saturday, we will continue the drive to Port Elizabeth.  When we arrive, we plan to go to Seaview Game and Lion Park, where we can handle lion and tiger cubs, as well as see other wild animals in the reserve (including giraffes!!!!).  On Sunday, we have an 8 hour full-day safari at Addo Elephant Park.  SO PUMPED.  On Monday we leave Port Elizabeth and drive back west toward Oudtshoorn.  In Oudtshoorn, we will tour the Canga Caves, and if time permits, we will explore an ostrich farm.  We will spend the night in Oudtshoorn and complete the drive back to Cape Town on Tuesday.

This will be the most awesome adventure ever!  CAN'T WAIT! :)

I am also pretty excited to drive, seeing as my driver's seat will be on the right side of the car and I will have to drive on the left side of the road.  I have missed driving!  Hehe, it will be fun and different for sure!  Yesterday I bought a really great road map book of South Africa, so we should be all set to go the distance!

Adventure is out there,
--Kaity

Lingo Lessons

Hi friends,

This post is dedicated to documenting the new words that I am learning while here in South Africa.  The words defined here will be in a variety of languages--Afrikaans, Xhosa, Zulu and slang terms or phrases in English. As I learn new words, I will update this post so that we can all learn and remember the lingo!

• airtime = minutes for the cell phone
• baakie = pick-up truck
• baas = boss
• baie dankie = thank you very much
• biltong = dried beef, like beef jerky
• biscuit = cookie
• blikkeisdorp = tin town 
• braai = barbecue
• dassies = mountain rabbit
• eats = food
• gatsby = a super big sub sandwhich
• hoe gaan dit? = how are you?
• hoezit? = how is it? 
• it's sorted = all set 
• krish = kindergarten
• kwaai = cool
• molo = hello
• naartjie = clementine, tangerine 
• one day is one day = a phrase to express that something amazing is going to happen one day...
• reccie = reconnaissance exercise, an exploration
• robot = traffic light
• sangoma = witch doctor
• tekkies= sneakers 
• the Arc = a homeless shelter in Cape Town
• the boot = the trunk of the car
• to sit = to meet together
• to hire = to rent 
• tuck shop = convenience shop (kind of)
• unjani? = how are you?
• wamnkelekile = welcome

--Kaity

Best. Day. Ever. :)

Hi friends,

Today we hiked to the top of Table Mountain!  It was absolutely breathtaking and one of the most amazing things I have ever done.  I think the view from the top of the mountain was the most beautiful sight my eyes have ever seen.  From one side of the mountain, we could see the Atlantic Ocean, and the beaches of Camps Bay.  From the other side, we could see more of the Atlantic Ocean, Robben Island, the city of Cape Town, and Lion's Head mountain.  You could also walk across the top of the mountain to see the clouds engulf the mountains from a distance.  It took us almost 3 hours to climb, which I think was partly because of the steepness and difficulty, and partly because we hiked at 1pm in the hot sunshine.

Either way though, it was incredible.  Tim and I literally took hundreds of pictures, which we will post as soon as we sort through them all.  In the meantime, I picked my "Top Ten" photos of shots that I love from today's hike of Table Mountain.

Kaity's Top Ten Photos (in no order):

  

 Me, sitting on top of Table Mountain.  I love the mountains being engulfed by the clouds!  So amazing.

 Standing atop Table Mountain, the view of the Atlantic Ocean and mountains.

 Ta da!  Tim and I sitting at the top with an amazing view behind us.

 We were on top of the world!  Up in the clouds.

 The Atlantic Ocean, Camps Bay, and the beautiful mountain base.

 The Atlantic Ocean, Lion's Head Mountain, and the city of Cape Town.  The island out in the ocean is Robben Island, where Nelson Mandela was imprisoned.  From this aerial view of Lion's Head, the name makes more sense--you can see the mountain that would be its body. :)

 Hello, Cape Town!

 Breath-taking.

This is Babalo, my giraffe sitting atop Table Mountain.  The name "Babalo" originates from South Africa and means "blessing".

This was one of my favorite views while hiking up the mountain.

Ahhhhh, I am still in awe by how amazing today was.  Stay tuned for more photos later this week! 

With love,

--Kaity

Dancing the Night Away

Hi friends,

I am happy to report that South Africans sure know how to dance and drink their beer, haha.  Tonight Asellah, Munya, and I went out to The Barn, a pub and night club on campus.  I must say, we had an awesome night!   The Barn is a nice bar, with a pool table, outdoor hangout area, and a dance floor.  The music was PERFECT.  Earlier in the night, the DJ played a lot of "house music", which is kind of like techno but with more bass and rhythm.  Then they started to mix in night club music I am used to back home, which was awesome.  My sister has been telling me for years that I am rhythmically challenged and not a good dancer, but I still got my groove on tonight.  :)  I must say though that South Africans have great rhythm and are great dancers.

Alcohol in South Africa is a bit different than back home.  I don't recognize many of the brands.  About $10 can buy you over 2 liters of draught beer, which I think is pretty good.  I kept seeing students buy a crate of beer--yes a full crate.  You just go up to the bar and ask for a crate and they give you one (with 12 beers).  Mind you, the beer bottles are bigger here--not just the typical size back home.  Back home, a standard beer is 12 ounces, here it is 16 ounces.  Pretty crazy if you ask me!

Overall, The Barn was a fun time and I will definitely be going back.  It is nice that there is a bar on campus since transportation, especially at night, is not easy and can be expensive. :)

For a taste of South African house music, listen to the song Heavenly Sent by Mi Casa (love it!):  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BjL0edwOh_I


Keep dancing,
--Kaity

2 Week Mark

Hello Everyone!

       So it is kind of hard to believe, but Kaity and I have made it to the 2 week mark.  2 Weeks ago yesterday we arrived here in South Africa.  Since then we have done some exploring, with lots more planned, and had the chance to meet some amazing people.  Unfortunately some of our new friends are leaving on Sunday since they were only here for 2 weeks.  However, that means that new folks can come in.  We have heard that there are actually two groups of students from America who are coming to visit for several weeks.  We are not sure where they are staying but hopefully at least some stay in Theology in the open spaces so that Kaity and I can continue to meet new people.

        It was a very early morning today.  I was up at 4:15am to start setting up for the Fast and Flat Marathon here at campus.  As I was shuffling around my room the strange thought hit me that while I was getting up, back home it was only 10:15pm.  In other words, I was just starting my day as the majority of folks back home were not even getting ready for bed. However, I shook the sleep from my bones and continued to get ready despite that tiring realization.  I was helping out since Residence Life was one of the sponsors of the race.  Candice and Njabulo were also helping out with a number of other students.  Our job was to hand water out at the first water station 3k into the race.  However, I don't think any of us were prepared for what was to come.  Those racers in the front of the pack were too busy trying to win to try to accurately grab the water packets we were handing out since at that point none of us really knew the best strategy to hand out water without having it ripped out of our hands just to land on the blacktop and explode.  By the time the front runners passed I think we all had begun to perfect a method of effective water distribution, but then found ourselves overwhelmed by the masses of runners and walkers that followed.  At a few points even though we were on the sidewalk we had runners and walkers on both sides of us.  We truly were an oasis in a sea of blacktop.  At least until we ran out of water, than we became the bearers of bad news as we had to tell tired and thirsty folks that we had nothing for them.  It was tough to see them run by us and not be able to offer any relief, especially when our unpreparedness caused so many water packets to be wasted.  Luckily there were more water stations up ahead.  Hopefully next year more water can be provided.  I do also want to point out that we were in fact handing out water packets.  It was a weird concept having little plastics pockets filled with water that runners could tear a corner and suck out the water as they ran.  A neat idea, but they tended to be very slippery which had led to so many people dropping them.

Anyway, I also wanted to recap this week briefly.  On Thursday and Friday I was in the res halls surveying students to learn how Res Life can better serve students.  I was very impressed by the number of students who were more than happy to take the time to fill in the 10 question survey.  A lot of them generally wanted to provide feedback and were curious to learn more about res life.  What also impressed me was the feedback the provided.  A lot of students wanted Res Life to put on some very important programs including academics, HIV/AIDS awareness, family planning, and motivation.  Back in the states I always tended to find that students only wanted social programs.  While some students did put down social programs as something they wanted, it was often because they wanted to continue to meet new students, including those from other countries.  It was very refreshing interacting with students who wanted more out of college than to simply party.  In fact, the majority of students I have spoken to are all in very challenging majors like law, accounting, bio chemistry, and countless others.  There seems to be very few students pursing a liberal arts degree.  I wonder if it has something to do with what programs UWC offers or by the fact that students are focused on fields with good paying jobs that can help many of them improve their lives in the townships.  

Yesterday I also had the chance to sit in on a departmental meeting for Residential and Catering Services or RCS.  This meeting was help in the TV community room in one of the Res Halls.  It was very interesting because there was one small table at the front of the room where Mr. Seale sat.  The rest of us sat on large couches facing forward.  It was certainly a very odd feeling sitting on a couch for a staff meeting that could be compared to RE meetings back home.  I also had to chuckle to myself since the hot button issue that was discussed at the meeting was staff placement.  Mr. Seale tried to make the decisions on placement and met with some resistance.  It was just funny that both here and back home there is a lot of tension around placement.

Good news everyone! (written in the words of Prof. Farnsworth) Hopefully my tablet will have app access again starting on Monday or Tuesday of next week, thanks to my awesome parents for sending me the part I need! Love you both and thanks again!

I will also end this overly long blog post with some words of wisdom.  I have recently watched some episodes of Wacky Races online in my free time since I finished my 5th book.   For those of you who are unaware with the show, it was on when I was growing up and involved several characters racing across various landscapes in ridiculous cards such as the Arkansas Chuggabugg and the Creepy Coup.  This show also had a dastardly villain named non other than, Dick Dastardly.  He drove the number 00 car and always would try to cheat his way to a 1st place victory.  However, I failed to notice something very odd when I watched the show growing up.  In order to set all of traps he failed at getting to work he had to be far enough ahead of the others to set them up.  It then dawned on me that if he had just focused on racing, 9 out of 10 times he could have won gold by just continuing to race and continuing to stay in 1st place.  Why then did he insist on giving it all up to try to slow the other racers down so that he could win.  Was he not confident enough in himself to solely rely on his own abilities to win a race and therefore felt the need to have to cheat in order to achieve victory.  Were the writers of the show simply trying to teach children that cheating was no way to win, or were they in fact trying to teach children that in order to be successful in life, it requires us to have faith in our own abilities.

Well that's it for now. Sorry again for the long post and congrats if you made it this far!

Until next time, you stay class planet earth,

-Tim

Friday Inspiration

The wise words of Nelson Mandela:

"A good head and a good heart are always a formidable combination."


"After climbing a great hill, one only finds that there are many more hills to climb."


"Education is the most powerful tool which you can use to change the world."


"For to be free is not merely to cast off one's chains, but to live in a way that respects and enhances the freedom of others."


"It always seems impossible until it is done."


--Kaity