We all should have known that I would be terrible about blogging regularly. Sorry everyone. So, to catch everyone up, the semester is quickly coming to a close. We are now in the horrid, dreaded MONTH of finals. Yes folks, we write exams for the entire month of June. It's going to be a long month.
There has been an election!
The week we got back from April Vac, South Africa went to the polls to elect a political party to run the government. South Africa doesn't necessarily vote on a candidate, it votes on a party. There has been some controversy within the presidential office since the last elected president was forced to step down amidst corruption charges and the expected winner of this year's election has been involved in all kinds of problems. The African National Congress, Nelson Mandela's party, won the election and appointed Jacob Zuma, who has been charged with rape and corruption because he allegedly accepted a bribe. He was never convicted though. Aaaaanyway, he's the new president and we got the day off so that people could go vote! It was really exciting to see the long lines. I get excited about voting regardless of the country!
Hogsback!
I went on a trip to Hogsback! Many people say that JRR Tolkein drew much of his inspiration for the Lord of the Rings trilogy from the landscape there. He lived in nearby Bloemfontein for a while and vacationed in Hogsback. It really was beautiful. I went with 4 friends, Linda, Allegra, Lindsey, and Kacey (she is Lindsey's friend who was visiting from her study abroad location in Greece). We did a lot of hiking and stargazing and avoiding topless 10:30pm. FYI, there are bars attatched to most hostels in South Africa. The bar at Away with the Faeries, the backpackers we stayed at, apparenlty celebrates topless 10:30pm on Friday nights. Much as the people in the bar tried to convince us to participate.. we didn't. We did have a really nice time though. It was so beautiful. We did have a HUGE spider in our cabin though. Oh my gosh this thing was seriously the size of my hand. We had to send for reinforcements to help us get it out. Yho, that was intense.
Anglican Retreat!
The Anglican Cathedral that I've been going to, really beautiful and the services remind me of home so much, held a college retreat at the Assegaai Trails. It was so much fun! There was a group of about 15 or so of us and we went to hang out and worship. First of all, I thought I saw a big spider in Hogsback but actually it was tiny compared to the ones at Assegaai. It was another beautiful location with hiking trails and one morning a group of us decided to go for an early morning hike. We saw MASSIVE, brightly colored, fat, man-eating (specifically Liz-eating) spiders. Some of you may think that I am exaggerating, I assure you, I am not. ;) We had some really nice Bible studies and I got to try potjie for the first time! It is a masterpiece of vegetables and meat cooked in a big iron pot, called a potjie, for a few hours over a fire. Delicious! We also had a really nice eucharist on Sunday morning. The sermon was not a preached sermon but an interactive one. We were given the option of doing 2 out of 3 reflections/meditations, a nature walk, playing with clay, or coloring. This type of sermon is something I have never experienced before and I really gained a lot from it. I really felt close to God that weekend and really felt myself opening up to him and his presence in my life.
uMariya uMama weThemba Monastery Retreat!
Linda, Corntey, and I decided that we needed a weekend of quiet reflection after the crazyness of school and work and whatnot. So, the weekend after lectures ended, we went to the Episcopal/Anglican Monastery outside of Gtown. It was so nice and we got to really chill out.. literally. This was the weekend that the wind began to blow and cold really set in. We froze out there but we had each other to snuggle with and we discovered the amazing and wonderful invention of hot water bottles. Thank goodness for those and tea because without them, I don't know how I would survive a South African winter or even an East Tennesse winter now that I've discovered them! The brothers were wonderful and so very hospitable. I even discovered that one of them graduated from Maryville College! It is such a small world! To be honest, when I heard 'whereever you go in the world, you'll find a Maryville College graduate" I scoffed and said yeah sure. Come on, the school is really small... Well, I was proven wrong. Brother Andrew graduated from MC in 1958. It really thrilled me to find him and talk to him about Maryville. It really made me miss it. One bad thing about the weekend, I got sick. :( A head cold hit me hard and I was stuffy and in a daze for a few days. Thank goodness for Linda, she is training to be a nurse and had had the same cold a week or so before me, so she gave me her pharmacy. We were only able to stay at the monastery for one night, so Sunday night we went to Cortney's house and made dinner and watched a bunch of episodes of 30 Rock, it's such an amazing show.. Tina Fey is a genius. We made Mrs. M's amazing chocolate cake and peach cobbler, thanks mom for the recipe. We also had pasta and homemade gluhwein, a warmed spiced wine that is soooooo good. It was a perfect girls' night and we got to introduce Sarah to peach cobbler! She is going to be studying abroad at Bellarmine U in KY next semester! Yay, road trips to Louisville and another excuse to go to KY! Not that I needed another one.... ;)
Trip to PE!
Linda and I had to go to Port Elizabeth to extend our study visas so we could stay for the Arts Fest in July. Both of our study permits expired on June 27th, our original departure dates. A really super awesome woman that Linda knows drove us to PE because she was going to visit her daughter. We got their early because we anticipated running into a bunch of problems.. South Africa is not necessarily known for its efficiency.... Luckily, we didn't have that much of a problem though. The Home Affairs official wanted us to explain to him the significance of the Bald Eagle in our passports and didn't like my answer so he said it was our homework to figure it out. I said it was 'fierce' and I even included hand motions, so I don't know what else he wanted in an explanation. He also gave us a hard time telling us that because we didn't bring proof of sufficient funds that our request would probably not be approved. I tried explaining that we had already submitted proof of that with our original visa application, but he didn't like that explanation either. I could not win with this guy. The visa gods smiled down on us and we were approved, thank goodness! My visa was extended until July 11th, the day my flight leaves, so let's all hope that my flight isn't late or delayed... We were able to spend the rest of the day at the Greenacres mall before heading back to Gtown. We saw 'Ghosts of Girlfriends Past' and it was awful, to be quite honest. It was a funny reminder of how incredibly cheesy Hollywood can be.
Last week was SWOT week which is essentially a dead week for students to chill out and begin studying for the horrid finals to come. The finals here are a lot more intense than at home. They often count for 60 - 70% of your overall mark, as opposed to home where they only count for 15 - 20%, so intense studying is necessary. I just got so bored. We spent a lot of time at Mad Hatter's, one of the most awesome cafes/ coffee shops ever, and at Home Ground, my favorite coffee place. We spend so much time at these places that we know the owners and the staff and have regular orders. It's so fun! I have my xhosa oral exam on Wednesday, June 10th, in the afternoon and my Xhosa written exam on Friday, June 12, in the morning. Say some prayers, cause I'm sure going to need them! I'd better get back to studying. Check out my slideshow for picture updates!
Sunday, June 7, 2009
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
April Vac!
It has been a little over a week since I got back from April Vac and I apologize for not updating sooner, but I had to hit the ground running when classes started again. The first week back I had a paper due Monday, a lot of tutorial work for History 101 due Thursday, and another and much more difficult paper due on Friday. Then I went on a trip this weekend. Sorry all, I’ve been busy.
Ok, so April Vac. We rented two cars and drove the Garden Route, staying in backpacker hostels all along the way, and making stops here and there to do fun stuff. We did so much that it would take me absolutely forever to go into detail about what we did so I’m going to list where we stayed and what we did and then go into detail about a few things. If you want more info about a particular activity or place feel free to comment or email me at g09e7489@campus.ru.ac.za!
I would say my favorite parts of the trip were zip lining, hiking, Robben Island, and the wine tour. It was so cool to go flying through the canopy of the Tsitsikamma National Forest! It’s known as the garden of the Garden Route and it is so beautiful! I love mountains and this place is full of tree-covered mountains. I wanted to hike Table Mountain before I left the states so I’m very glad that I was able to do that. It was a very tough climb, straight up the side of the mountain. They seriously had steps going up for more than half of the hike. The top was really cool. It is flat on top, hence the ‘table’. Katie and I had a lovely lunch on the top and had one of the best views in the world, gazing at Cape Town and the bay. We could see the whole city. Robben Island was also a really cool experience. The island is much bigger than I expected it to be after reading Nelson Mandela’s autobiography A Long Walk to Freedom, which all of you should read. I was also surprised to find out the interesting history of the island. It has been a leper colony, a prison many times, a military base during WWII, and now a museum and town where the people who run the museum live. Our tour started a the Waterfront where we took a ferry to the island, then a bus tour around to see all of the remnants of the island’s past, and then to the maximum security prison where the Apartheid government put political prisoners like Nelson Mandela. Our tour guide was a former political prisoner who had been jailed because he was working to build up a military force for the ANC, African National Congress. We got to see Nelson Mandela’s cell and got an in depth history of the prison and explanations on the workings. He also shared some of his personal experiences and stories; it was really fascinating. Our wine tour was a blast! We signed up for a tour that picked us up and dropped us off at our hostel and included lunch! I tried A LOT of wine and really enjoyed it! We also got to try cheese and chocolates that were delicious! So now, I have new plan for my coming home/ birthday party. Everyone should bring a bottle of his or her favorite wine! Sound good? Yeah I thought so. ;)
Ok, so April Vac. We rented two cars and drove the Garden Route, staying in backpacker hostels all along the way, and making stops here and there to do fun stuff. We did so much that it would take me absolutely forever to go into detail about what we did so I’m going to list where we stayed and what we did and then go into detail about a few things. If you want more info about a particular activity or place feel free to comment or email me at g09e7489@campus.ru.ac.za!
- Jeffrey’s Bay: Island Vibe Backpackers, beach-ness
- Storms River: DiJembe Backpackers, Tsitsikamma National Forest, Zip lining!
- Knysna: Knysna Backpackers, walked around town, waterfront, watched the sunrise
- Mossel Bay: Little Brak Beach House, beach-ness, drove to Oudtshourn and went to the Cango Wildlife Ranch (lame) and then to the Cango Caves (awesome!)
- Cape Town: Inn Long Street, Hiked Lion’s Head, saw the sunset and moon rise, Climbed Table Mountain (it really was a climb and not a hike), Easter Service at the Anglican Church of St. Paul, Shopping at indoor African Women’s Market and at outdoor market, Visited US Consulate, Went on a Township Tour: District 6 Museum, Shebeen and tasted homemade beer, Traditional Healer, Nursery School, Robben Island, our guide for the prison was a former inmate!, Wine Tour: 4 wineries, including cheese and chocolate tasting and lunch, Cape Point: African Penguins! Cape of Good Hope
- Overnight bus back… not so fun…
I would say my favorite parts of the trip were zip lining, hiking, Robben Island, and the wine tour. It was so cool to go flying through the canopy of the Tsitsikamma National Forest! It’s known as the garden of the Garden Route and it is so beautiful! I love mountains and this place is full of tree-covered mountains. I wanted to hike Table Mountain before I left the states so I’m very glad that I was able to do that. It was a very tough climb, straight up the side of the mountain. They seriously had steps going up for more than half of the hike. The top was really cool. It is flat on top, hence the ‘table’. Katie and I had a lovely lunch on the top and had one of the best views in the world, gazing at Cape Town and the bay. We could see the whole city. Robben Island was also a really cool experience. The island is much bigger than I expected it to be after reading Nelson Mandela’s autobiography A Long Walk to Freedom, which all of you should read. I was also surprised to find out the interesting history of the island. It has been a leper colony, a prison many times, a military base during WWII, and now a museum and town where the people who run the museum live. Our tour started a the Waterfront where we took a ferry to the island, then a bus tour around to see all of the remnants of the island’s past, and then to the maximum security prison where the Apartheid government put political prisoners like Nelson Mandela. Our tour guide was a former political prisoner who had been jailed because he was working to build up a military force for the ANC, African National Congress. We got to see Nelson Mandela’s cell and got an in depth history of the prison and explanations on the workings. He also shared some of his personal experiences and stories; it was really fascinating. Our wine tour was a blast! We signed up for a tour that picked us up and dropped us off at our hostel and included lunch! I tried A LOT of wine and really enjoyed it! We also got to try cheese and chocolates that were delicious! So now, I have new plan for my coming home/ birthday party. Everyone should bring a bottle of his or her favorite wine! Sound good? Yeah I thought so. ;)
Friday, April 3, 2009
Another Term Comes to an End
This blog comes on the last day of the term and it has been crazy. Last week did not prepare me for this week for sure... Last week I had so much fun! Tuesday night, I had dinner with my wonderful South African family and it was so nice and lovely. Wednesday night, I went to a friend's digs to cook dinner, I was responsible for dessert and I cooked a delicious chocolate cake! I got the recipe from Mrs. M and it is a M family favorite. Anyway, it was crazy fun and crazy good and we named the cake Lucille, we had to encourage her to finish baking so we weren't too late for Bible study, we were anyway. Then Thursday night, I went to the house of some Episcopal Missionaries with some friends of mine from Boston College. 
We made pizzas and played games! It was so awesome to be able to hang out and chill out. It was also so nice to talk to some Episcopalians! I love the church I've been going to and the people are fantastic but there is something about talking to people who go to the same church as you. It felt like home almost... We talked about Happening and how it changed our lives and how much we love it! That is especially important to me because this weekend is Happening at home and I'm so sad to be missing it. Especially since 3 of my most favorite people of all time will be there. (NB This is what my cake would have looked like if I'd had strawberries.. so this is what it will look like for my birthday party :D which you should all come to!)
This week has been.. um.. awful in some sense but good in others. I've been working so much all week. I'm going to be honest.. I'm not good at interpreting poetry or literature so why I chose interpreting Sowetan poetry from the Soweto Uprising in 1976 for my H201 semester essay topic, I don't know. It was a great learning process for me and I did get it done before the due date. I feel pretty good about it but of course, it makes me nervous. I also had a research proposal due for my ethnomusicology class, which unfortunately was done at the absolute last minute. I had to change my topic for the researach project yesterday and the proposal was due today. It's a long story but I had to change my topic 3 or 4 times, I'm just glad that I've got one now. I also had a isiXhosa test on Wednesday night. They take tests at night here.. it's weird. I really don't think my brain functions enough then to take a test.. I went into it feeling prepared but leaving was another story alltogether... I honestly don't know how I did on it. I guess we'll see after break.
Tomorrow I'm leaving for April Vacation! We're going to be gone for 2 weeks! I can't believe that we get a 2 week break in the middle of the semester. So, 8 friends and I, all American exchange students, are going to drive the Garden Route to Cape Town! I'm really excited! I think that I will have access to the internet along the way so I'll try to keep you guys updated while I'm gone. I think we'll have to wait on the pictures though until I get back, sorry... :( Maybe I'll be able to post some of my friend's pics. For the break, my res had to pack up our rooms. The school makes money off of people staying in the res's during break for conferences, so I had to move all of my stuff to a box room on the hall. It's a MONSTROUS hassle and just added stress to my life but I'm all packed now.. well for the most part. Ok so back to April Vac.. While we're driving along the G. route, I think that I'm going to go ziplining and shark cage diving! I'm really excited about it! It's going to be crazy and I'm going to be careful, don't worry. Then when we get to Cape Town, we are definitely going to hike Table Mountain, visit Robben Island, and visit the US Embassy! I'm really looking forward to that! :D I'm such a dork, I know. We also hope to go see the penguins and go to some museums. OOOOooo we're also going to go on a wine tour in Stellenbosch! Yay for wine tasting! I've heard such good things about Stellenbosch wine, you all should go down to your local liquor store right now and buy some. :) Isn't Cape Town pretty?!
I'll update when I can. Love you all!
We made pizzas and played games! It was so awesome to be able to hang out and chill out. It was also so nice to talk to some Episcopalians! I love the church I've been going to and the people are fantastic but there is something about talking to people who go to the same church as you. It felt like home almost... We talked about Happening and how it changed our lives and how much we love it! That is especially important to me because this weekend is Happening at home and I'm so sad to be missing it. Especially since 3 of my most favorite people of all time will be there. (NB This is what my cake would have looked like if I'd had strawberries.. so this is what it will look like for my birthday party :D which you should all come to!)This week has been.. um.. awful in some sense but good in others. I've been working so much all week. I'm going to be honest.. I'm not good at interpreting poetry or literature so why I chose interpreting Sowetan poetry from the Soweto Uprising in 1976 for my H201 semester essay topic, I don't know. It was a great learning process for me and I did get it done before the due date. I feel pretty good about it but of course, it makes me nervous. I also had a research proposal due for my ethnomusicology class, which unfortunately was done at the absolute last minute. I had to change my topic for the researach project yesterday and the proposal was due today. It's a long story but I had to change my topic 3 or 4 times, I'm just glad that I've got one now. I also had a isiXhosa test on Wednesday night. They take tests at night here.. it's weird. I really don't think my brain functions enough then to take a test.. I went into it feeling prepared but leaving was another story alltogether... I honestly don't know how I did on it. I guess we'll see after break.
Tomorrow I'm leaving for April Vacation! We're going to be gone for 2 weeks! I can't believe that we get a 2 week break in the middle of the semester. So, 8 friends and I, all American exchange students, are going to drive the Garden Route to Cape Town! I'm really excited! I think that I will have access to the internet along the way so I'll try to keep you guys updated while I'm gone. I think we'll have to wait on the pictures though until I get back, sorry... :( Maybe I'll be able to post some of my friend's pics. For the break, my res had to pack up our rooms. The school makes money off of people staying in the res's during break for conferences, so I had to move all of my stuff to a box room on the hall. It's a MONSTROUS hassle and just added stress to my life but I'm all packed now.. well for the most part. Ok so back to April Vac.. While we're driving along the G. route, I think that I'm going to go ziplining and shark cage diving! I'm really excited about it! It's going to be crazy and I'm going to be careful, don't worry. Then when we get to Cape Town, we are definitely going to hike Table Mountain, visit Robben Island, and visit the US Embassy! I'm really looking forward to that! :D I'm such a dork, I know. We also hope to go see the penguins and go to some museums. OOOOooo we're also going to go on a wine tour in Stellenbosch! Yay for wine tasting! I've heard such good things about Stellenbosch wine, you all should go down to your local liquor store right now and buy some. :) Isn't Cape Town pretty?!
I'll update when I can. Love you all!
Friday, March 20, 2009
Wait.. I actually have to go school?
Let me start off with some news... I GOT MY NOSE PIERCED!
I've wanted to do it for a long time and I'm really glad I finally did it! The first week with it was difficult but now I'm used to it and all is well! It was also done in a really safe and sanitary way at a pharmacy in Grahamstown.
Ok, so... school has become actual school now. This has felt like a vacation for so long and I'm sad that I actually have to do work now. I've had my first test and I've turned in a few assignments, so I'm slowly but surely getting back into the swing of things. The next two weeks before the April Vacation are going to be a git rough though. I have 4 essays, a research proposal, a test, and various homework assignments due before my 2 week break. I'm not going to lie to you.. that scares me a little. Tomorrow is going to be a paper writing fest in my room, let me tell you.
About two weeks ago, the day after I got my nose pierced actually.. A group of us hiked up the hill behind campus to the Settlers Monument, for the original settlers of Gtown and all of that. Anyway, it sits up on one of the ridges of the vallely that Grahamstown sits in and you can see the entire town. We had a dinner picnic and watched the sun go down. It was so lovely and so fun! It also gave me some cool pictures to show you guys!
Last weekend, I went on a trip to a beautiful p
lace on the Garden Route, the road that goes to Cape Town from Port Elizabeth, called Knysna. My friend and I took a bus to a town called Plettenberg Bay, 30-45 minutes east of Knysna, where we got to go to an Elephant Sanctuary and a place called Monkey Land. It was a very touristy and exciting experience! At the Elephant Sanctuary, we got to learn about elepants, touch them, walk 'trunk in hand', and ride them! It was so exciting!!! I was really giddy and I took a TON of pictures, of course! Then we walked over to Monkey Land where we got to walk through a forest loaded full of monkeys! There are 8 different types of monkeys that live in the forest and over 350 in all. The really cool thing is that most of these monkeys come from weird situations, aka not the wild, and are used to humans, so they have no problem walking up to you or getting close to you. Our guide told us many stories of the monkeys stealing things from people; like one time, a monkey stole a woman's car keys and they had to chase the monkey all through the forest, which is quite large. They don't normally chase the monkeys down when they take things though. 
Then we kind of hitched a ride to Knysna with some people that went on the tour through the forest with us, they offered and we didn't have to pay for a cab! When we got to Knysna, we met up with a familly that my friend knows from the states. They have family in South Africa and were visiting for a few weeks so they offered to let us stay with them! This house is so amazing. 
It was like a 12 star hotel. Absolutely beautiful and in the perfect location. *sigh* I didn't want to leave....... We had a great time there hanging out by the pool, going out on the boat, and experiencing the night life. All in all, it was a fabulous weekend.
We hope to have a fabulous spring break as well! A group of friends and I are planning on driving the Garden Route all the way to Cape Town, visiting various points of interest along the way, and staying in Cape Town for about a week before riding the Greyhound bus back to Gtown. We haven't finalized all of our plans yet but I'm getting excited!
I've gotten to the point where I'm feeling much more comfortable. I've found some favorite restaurants and an AMAZING coffee shop. It's called Home Ground and they roast their own coffee beans and make homemade baked goods.. *sigh* it's perfect! It's actually become quite an addiction and I've been going almost everyday. I've really been enjoying hanging out with all kinds of different people. At home it is really easy to just stick with the people that you know and are close to, but I'm not really close to anyone here so it's really easy for me to branch out and get to know a lot of people. For example, I've really been enjoying a Christian group that I've joined called 26:8. They have a Bible Study on Wednesday nights and a contemporary worship service at the Baptist Church in town on Sunday nights. I don't think that I would have joined a group like this at home, especially if I didn't know a couple of people pretty well. But, I feel really blessed to have the spiritual support and the friendships that I've made in 26:8, and I'm glad that I decided to join it.
I really like Grahamstown and I'm really falling in love with South Africa. It's such a beautiful place that has so much history and such wonderful potential. I'm already thinking of when I'll be able to come back!
I've wanted to do it for a long time and I'm really glad I finally did it! The first week with it was difficult but now I'm used to it and all is well! It was also done in a really safe and sanitary way at a pharmacy in Grahamstown.Ok, so... school has become actual school now. This has felt like a vacation for so long and I'm sad that I actually have to do work now. I've had my first test and I've turned in a few assignments, so I'm slowly but surely getting back into the swing of things. The next two weeks before the April Vacation are going to be a git rough though. I have 4 essays, a research proposal, a test, and various homework assignments due before my 2 week break. I'm not going to lie to you.. that scares me a little. Tomorrow is going to be a paper writing fest in my room, let me tell you.
About two weeks ago, the day after I got my nose pierced actually.. A group of us hiked up the hill behind campus to the Settlers Monument, for the original settlers of Gtown and all of that. Anyway, it sits up on one of the ridges of the vallely that Grahamstown sits in and you can see the entire town. We had a dinner picnic and watched the sun go down. It was so lovely and so fun! It also gave me some cool pictures to show you guys!
Last weekend, I went on a trip to a beautiful p
lace on the Garden Route, the road that goes to Cape Town from Port Elizabeth, called Knysna. My friend and I took a bus to a town called Plettenberg Bay, 30-45 minutes east of Knysna, where we got to go to an Elephant Sanctuary and a place called Monkey Land. It was a very touristy and exciting experience! At the Elephant Sanctuary, we got to learn about elepants, touch them, walk 'trunk in hand', and ride them! It was so exciting!!! I was really giddy and I took a TON of pictures, of course! Then we walked over to Monkey Land where we got to walk through a forest loaded full of monkeys! There are 8 different types of monkeys that live in the forest and over 350 in all. The really cool thing is that most of these monkeys come from weird situations, aka not the wild, and are used to humans, so they have no problem walking up to you or getting close to you. Our guide told us many stories of the monkeys stealing things from people; like one time, a monkey stole a woman's car keys and they had to chase the monkey all through the forest, which is quite large. They don't normally chase the monkeys down when they take things though. 
Then we kind of hitched a ride to Knysna with some people that went on the tour through the forest with us, they offered and we didn't have to pay for a cab! When we got to Knysna, we met up with a familly that my friend knows from the states. They have family in South Africa and were visiting for a few weeks so they offered to let us stay with them! This house is so amazing. 
It was like a 12 star hotel. Absolutely beautiful and in the perfect location. *sigh* I didn't want to leave....... We had a great time there hanging out by the pool, going out on the boat, and experiencing the night life. All in all, it was a fabulous weekend.
We hope to have a fabulous spring break as well! A group of friends and I are planning on driving the Garden Route all the way to Cape Town, visiting various points of interest along the way, and staying in Cape Town for about a week before riding the Greyhound bus back to Gtown. We haven't finalized all of our plans yet but I'm getting excited!
I've gotten to the point where I'm feeling much more comfortable. I've found some favorite restaurants and an AMAZING coffee shop. It's called Home Ground and they roast their own coffee beans and make homemade baked goods.. *sigh* it's perfect! It's actually become quite an addiction and I've been going almost everyday. I've really been enjoying hanging out with all kinds of different people. At home it is really easy to just stick with the people that you know and are close to, but I'm not really close to anyone here so it's really easy for me to branch out and get to know a lot of people. For example, I've really been enjoying a Christian group that I've joined called 26:8. They have a Bible Study on Wednesday nights and a contemporary worship service at the Baptist Church in town on Sunday nights. I don't think that I would have joined a group like this at home, especially if I didn't know a couple of people pretty well. But, I feel really blessed to have the spiritual support and the friendships that I've made in 26:8, and I'm glad that I decided to join it.
I really like Grahamstown and I'm really falling in love with South Africa. It's such a beautiful place that has so much history and such wonderful potential. I'm already thinking of when I'll be able to come back!
Saturday, February 28, 2009
Wow, I'm really in South Africa!
I'm sitting here in my res with a cup of rooibos tea, I'm now addicted to it, and a copy of the newspaper! Both of which, I am very excited about. I've just gotten back from eating dinner with two very lovely friends and a birthday party, where I didn't know the birthday girl, and I am ready to update you all on what's been going on here in South Africa! The past two weeks have gone by in a blur and I'm not even sure where to begin.
School:
Classes are going well, really well in fact. I was nervous about them because of the differences that I have been warned about. So far, nothing has been too wacky for me. Most classes have even been really interesting! I'm doing a lot of reading for History 201. I've already read All Quiet on the Western Front and while I enjoyed it, it did not help me get over my homesickness that second week. Talk about a depressing book, seriously! Now I'm reading The Grapes of Wrath and so far I'm really enjoying. Steinbeck writes very well and I can hear the accents in my head and it is a comforting reminder of home. A weird connection, my prof for History 201 taught at MC in 2003 for a semester and knows my advisor! What a small world right!? I think that is really cool. In my ethnomusicology class we have started learning a dance, song, and drum sequence from Zimbabwe. It's so fun, I can't even tell you! We all look really silly and it's just a good class. For this class we are also learning how to transcribe drumming and I think that will be a REAL challenge. I'm nervous about being tested on it because I have a hard enough time dancing to the beat so how am I supposed to be able to recognize a beat and write it down!? I've joined the African Drumming Society on campus to hopefully help me out! It's all an experience.. :)
Last Weekend!
A family of warthogs running away from us.
So, I had a really interesting experience last night. Some of my friends and I went out and we were having a good time, going from place to place, dancing a lot! It was towards the end of our night and we were standing outside of a club called Friars and were waiting in a fairly long line to get in. There was a group of us and we had passed this guy on the corner who was begging. It is really not uncommon in Gtown to see someone begging or for someone to come up to you and directly ask you for money. Usually it's no big deal and you just continue walking, which was what we did when we first saw this guy. Well, he started moving closer and closer to where we were standing in line, none of us noticed because there were a lot of people around. He was standing behind two of my friends and all of the sudden I saw that was taking the phone out of one of my friends' purses. I don't think that I really realized what was going on, but (and this is really funny) my first reaction was to reach across the circle that my friends were standing in, touch this guy's hand, look him in the eye and say "No Sir, no sir!". I suddenly turned into Counselor Liz and was treating this guy like one of my 4 year olds from camp two summers ago! He got this really scared look in his eye like we were going to shank him, handed my friend her phone back and ran away. It was really odd and funny. We decided that after that we were ready to call it a night and everyone headed back to their res's. Ha ha, I still laugh about the way I unconsciously handled that situation. It was a good wake up call though, you can't be too cautious with your belongings, especially in crowded situations.
Tomorrow I'm going with the M family to a isiXhosa church! I'm really looking forward to it and am excited and a little worried about using the little isiXhosa that I know. I talked to a guy last night in isiXhosa and he understood me so that's a good sign right? Ha ha, whatever, I'm going to chalk it up to experience..
School:
Classes are going well, really well in fact. I was nervous about them because of the differences that I have been warned about. So far, nothing has been too wacky for me. Most classes have even been really interesting! I'm doing a lot of reading for History 201. I've already read All Quiet on the Western Front and while I enjoyed it, it did not help me get over my homesickness that second week. Talk about a depressing book, seriously! Now I'm reading The Grapes of Wrath and so far I'm really enjoying. Steinbeck writes very well and I can hear the accents in my head and it is a comforting reminder of home. A weird connection, my prof for History 201 taught at MC in 2003 for a semester and knows my advisor! What a small world right!? I think that is really cool. In my ethnomusicology class we have started learning a dance, song, and drum sequence from Zimbabwe. It's so fun, I can't even tell you! We all look really silly and it's just a good class. For this class we are also learning how to transcribe drumming and I think that will be a REAL challenge. I'm nervous about being tested on it because I have a hard enough time dancing to the beat so how am I supposed to be able to recognize a beat and write it down!? I've joined the African Drumming Society on campus to hopefully help me out! It's all an experience.. :)
My friend and I were trying to make plans to go to the beach last weekend and we were running into so many problems it wasn't even worth it. Disapointing to the extreme... THEN I ran into some of the french exchange students who were also planning their weekend and they invited us to go with them! Yay! We ended up going to the Addo Elephant National Park and to Port Alfred! It was so much fun! I got to see wild elepants, warthogs, elands, buffalo, zebras, monkeys, ostriches, dung beetles, and some various birds and things. We drove through the park in our rented van and got to stop where we wanted and take pictures and soak up the fact that we were in South Africa experiencing wildlife! I took sooooo many pictures, I'm going to put up some of the best ones. Port Alfred was beautiful! The beach was clean and basically empty because this is the off-season. We had an interesting dining experience at a place called Guido's and I don't think I'll be eating there again, but overall it was really nice! We stayed in some cottages in a camp ground a short drive from the beach and we were able to spend almost all day Sunday laying around on the beach! It was overcast and kind of windy but I didn't get sunburned! Success!! I was even able to get my homework done at a reasonable hour when we got home. It was a very good weekend!
A family of warthogs running away from us.
AN ELEPHANT!!!!!!!!
So, I had a really interesting experience last night. Some of my friends and I went out and we were having a good time, going from place to place, dancing a lot! It was towards the end of our night and we were standing outside of a club called Friars and were waiting in a fairly long line to get in. There was a group of us and we had passed this guy on the corner who was begging. It is really not uncommon in Gtown to see someone begging or for someone to come up to you and directly ask you for money. Usually it's no big deal and you just continue walking, which was what we did when we first saw this guy. Well, he started moving closer and closer to where we were standing in line, none of us noticed because there were a lot of people around. He was standing behind two of my friends and all of the sudden I saw that was taking the phone out of one of my friends' purses. I don't think that I really realized what was going on, but (and this is really funny) my first reaction was to reach across the circle that my friends were standing in, touch this guy's hand, look him in the eye and say "No Sir, no sir!". I suddenly turned into Counselor Liz and was treating this guy like one of my 4 year olds from camp two summers ago! He got this really scared look in his eye like we were going to shank him, handed my friend her phone back and ran away. It was really odd and funny. We decided that after that we were ready to call it a night and everyone headed back to their res's. Ha ha, I still laugh about the way I unconsciously handled that situation. It was a good wake up call though, you can't be too cautious with your belongings, especially in crowded situations.
Tomorrow I'm going with the M family to a isiXhosa church! I'm really looking forward to it and am excited and a little worried about using the little isiXhosa that I know. I talked to a guy last night in isiXhosa and he understood me so that's a good sign right? Ha ha, whatever, I'm going to chalk it up to experience..
Sunday, February 15, 2009
Officially 1 Week
As of today, around 3pm here (it would be about 8am at home), I have been in Grahamstown for exactly one week! Admittedly, this has not been the easiest of weeks, but it has definitely been a good one. I'm learning a lot about myself, some good things and some bad, and I can feel myself growing a lot. I've met some really cool people and have really been blessed with their kindness, patience, and generosity.
There have been many times when I've reminded myself of John, my little brother, when he was really young. He would ask so many questions that it was difficult to listen to the radio if he was in the car. Well, I've also been asking a lot of questions this week. Questions like, "What is that? What did she say? What language was that in? What's your name again? How do you spell that?" and so many more. It's all a learning process and I'm doing my best to be a sponge.
Thursday I went on a picnic! Unfortunately, I didn't understand that this was supposed to be a hike/picnic and I was woefully unprepared and overdressed for the occasion. I got sunburned, but I made some really good friends. We went to a dam a little ways off campus and then walked around and saw some of the landscape. It was a warm day but it had a nice breeze. We ate an assortment of foods that everyone shared like pineapple, plums, apples, sandwiches, chocolate muffins, etc. It was healthy and delicious!! The area that we were in was really pretty. A local South African went with us and she gave us some insight on the land and nature
around us. Apparently, the lovely trees that we were sitting under are not native to this area and were brought over by settlers. Many of these trees actually disturb the natural environment, some ways, and the government has been cutting down the invading trees to make more of a grassland type of landscape. We actually saw some men cutting down trees on our hike, and it made me sad because I love trees.
Later that night, I went to an interdenominational christian group called 268, it is an international group that uses Isaiah 26:8 as it's focus/aim "Yes Lord, walking in the way of your truth, we wait eagerly for You, for Your name and renown are the desire of our souls." It was the O week kick off and they were having pudding (desserts) and games! We played human fooseball, which was very interesting and fun. It was really cool to meet some people and have that christian connection with people.
Friday, I got to go shopping! It's weird being so far from home because most of the things that I shopped for I would normally already have. Stuff like school supplies, water, snacks, and tissues, were somewhat easy to find. Lucky for me, one of my friends went with me and helped me navigate the city and the stores because they are set up a bit differently from US stores. I also had to go shopping on Sunday for some more basic supplies and I think I'm going to have to go again soon. It's weird trying to live my "normal" life, my life in the states, without the stuff that I nor
mally have at my fingertips.
Friday night the school hosted a street party! Once the rain stopped it was so much fun! The school had some bands and DJs come to perform and they had beer and other drinks for sale and everyone just partied in the street. Everyone got so excited for the last DJ to perform, DJ Club. He was pretty good, I'm just not used to thinking of DJs as performers because they don't play an instrument and they don't sing. Anyway, it was fun and I got to hang out with some of the international students that I went on the picnic with!
Saturday I met the US missionary family in Grahamstown that I talked to before arriving. They are soooooo awesome. They had me over for lunch and served barbecue and chips (real chips not french fries) and then for dessert, Mrs. M made PEACH COBBLER!!! I was so excited, I can't even tell you. It was such a God moment because that was exactly what I needed after a week of adjusting to new foods. It seriously made my week. And as if that wasn't enough (which it definitely could've been), they let me use their skype to call my parents! It was the first time that I had heard their voices since I left Atlanta and I can't tell you how exciting that was. It was so overwhelming that I started to cry when Mom answered the phone. After talking to the fam for over an hour, they invited me to stay for dinner and watch rugby with their family and the Pastor and his family from the church that hosts 268. I had one of the best days of the week on Saturday. They took such good care of me, introduced me to rugby and explained it to me, fed me South African food like biltong (a type of SA beef jerky but different from US beef jerky), a butternut squash with chakalaka (sp?) dish, and gave me some ammenities like a top sheet for my bed, a cell phone, and an adapter for my room. They also said that I could go with them to the Addo Elephant reserve nearby, volunteer with their tutoring ministry, and attend a rural church with them one Sunday. I feel so blessed to have met this wonderful family.
Today, I went to an evening church service at the Grahamstown Baptist Church, where 268 is held and where M family goes. I ended up walking there by myself, which turned out to be a good thing and a bad thing. I felt good about it because I was able to find my way around this small town, but I did walk by myself and it is not always safe when it starts getting towards dusk. When M family and the Pastor found out that I had done that.. well they didn't like it. My parents should be happy to know that I have a lot of people looking out for me and taking care of me. Anyway, the church is really pretty with lots of wood inside and history. It was a contemporary, very meaningful service and we had communion which was very special for me. Afterwards, they had tea and cake socializing time. I met some really nice people, this seems to be a theme for South Africa, and got to really experience the family atmosphere of the church.
I'm beginning to feel a lot more comfortable with my surroundings and with the people here. Classes start tomorrow and I'm pretty excited about them. I'm taking
History 101: Africa and the World
History 201: Representations of the the 20th C.
Ethnomusicology
isiXhosa (one of the native languages in South Africa)
They all seem like they will be very interesting and challenging, especially the isiXhosa class. IsiXhosa is the clicking language that many of you may have heard about. It seems intimidating but the professor says that some of her best students are international students and that she has faith that we will do well. I plan on practicing a lot with some of the girls in my res. Also, the tutoring that I may be doing will be for native isiXhosa speaking children and I bet I'll be picking up a lot there.
Well this was a really long one, I'll try to update the blog more so they don't get quite so long. I love you all and I hope you all are doing well! If you have any questions or want to email me, use
g09e7489@campus.ru.ac.za. You can also send me letters at
Elizabeth Embler
Olive Schreiner House
Private Bag 1032
Grahamstown, 6140
SOUTH AFRICA
if you want to.... ;)
There have been many times when I've reminded myself of John, my little brother, when he was really young. He would ask so many questions that it was difficult to listen to the radio if he was in the car. Well, I've also been asking a lot of questions this week. Questions like, "What is that? What did she say? What language was that in? What's your name again? How do you spell that?" and so many more. It's all a learning process and I'm doing my best to be a sponge.
Thursday I went on a picnic! Unfortunately, I didn't understand that this was supposed to be a hike/picnic and I was woefully unprepared and overdressed for the occasion. I got sunburned, but I made some really good friends. We went to a dam a little ways off campus and then walked around and saw some of the landscape. It was a warm day but it had a nice breeze. We ate an assortment of foods that everyone shared like pineapple, plums, apples, sandwiches, chocolate muffins, etc. It was healthy and delicious!! The area that we were in was really pretty. A local South African went with us and she gave us some insight on the land and nature
around us. Apparently, the lovely trees that we were sitting under are not native to this area and were brought over by settlers. Many of these trees actually disturb the natural environment, some ways, and the government has been cutting down the invading trees to make more of a grassland type of landscape. We actually saw some men cutting down trees on our hike, and it made me sad because I love trees.Later that night, I went to an interdenominational christian group called 268, it is an international group that uses Isaiah 26:8 as it's focus/aim "Yes Lord, walking in the way of your truth, we wait eagerly for You, for Your name and renown are the desire of our souls." It was the O week kick off and they were having pudding (desserts) and games! We played human fooseball, which was very interesting and fun. It was really cool to meet some people and have that christian connection with people.
Friday, I got to go shopping! It's weird being so far from home because most of the things that I shopped for I would normally already have. Stuff like school supplies, water, snacks, and tissues, were somewhat easy to find. Lucky for me, one of my friends went with me and helped me navigate the city and the stores because they are set up a bit differently from US stores. I also had to go shopping on Sunday for some more basic supplies and I think I'm going to have to go again soon. It's weird trying to live my "normal" life, my life in the states, without the stuff that I nor
mally have at my fingertips.Friday night the school hosted a street party! Once the rain stopped it was so much fun! The school had some bands and DJs come to perform and they had beer and other drinks for sale and everyone just partied in the street. Everyone got so excited for the last DJ to perform, DJ Club. He was pretty good, I'm just not used to thinking of DJs as performers because they don't play an instrument and they don't sing. Anyway, it was fun and I got to hang out with some of the international students that I went on the picnic with!
Saturday I met the US missionary family in Grahamstown that I talked to before arriving. They are soooooo awesome. They had me over for lunch and served barbecue and chips (real chips not french fries) and then for dessert, Mrs. M made PEACH COBBLER!!! I was so excited, I can't even tell you. It was such a God moment because that was exactly what I needed after a week of adjusting to new foods. It seriously made my week. And as if that wasn't enough (which it definitely could've been), they let me use their skype to call my parents! It was the first time that I had heard their voices since I left Atlanta and I can't tell you how exciting that was. It was so overwhelming that I started to cry when Mom answered the phone. After talking to the fam for over an hour, they invited me to stay for dinner and watch rugby with their family and the Pastor and his family from the church that hosts 268. I had one of the best days of the week on Saturday. They took such good care of me, introduced me to rugby and explained it to me, fed me South African food like biltong (a type of SA beef jerky but different from US beef jerky), a butternut squash with chakalaka (sp?) dish, and gave me some ammenities like a top sheet for my bed, a cell phone, and an adapter for my room. They also said that I could go with them to the Addo Elephant reserve nearby, volunteer with their tutoring ministry, and attend a rural church with them one Sunday. I feel so blessed to have met this wonderful family.
Today, I went to an evening church service at the Grahamstown Baptist Church, where 268 is held and where M family goes. I ended up walking there by myself, which turned out to be a good thing and a bad thing. I felt good about it because I was able to find my way around this small town, but I did walk by myself and it is not always safe when it starts getting towards dusk. When M family and the Pastor found out that I had done that.. well they didn't like it. My parents should be happy to know that I have a lot of people looking out for me and taking care of me. Anyway, the church is really pretty with lots of wood inside and history. It was a contemporary, very meaningful service and we had communion which was very special for me. Afterwards, they had tea and cake socializing time. I met some really nice people, this seems to be a theme for South Africa, and got to really experience the family atmosphere of the church.
I'm beginning to feel a lot more comfortable with my surroundings and with the people here. Classes start tomorrow and I'm pretty excited about them. I'm taking
History 101: Africa and the World
History 201: Representations of the the 20th C.
Ethnomusicology
isiXhosa (one of the native languages in South Africa)
They all seem like they will be very interesting and challenging, especially the isiXhosa class. IsiXhosa is the clicking language that many of you may have heard about. It seems intimidating but the professor says that some of her best students are international students and that she has faith that we will do well. I plan on practicing a lot with some of the girls in my res. Also, the tutoring that I may be doing will be for native isiXhosa speaking children and I bet I'll be picking up a lot there.
Well this was a really long one, I'll try to update the blog more so they don't get quite so long. I love you all and I hope you all are doing well! If you have any questions or want to email me, use
g09e7489@campus.ru.ac.za. You can also send me letters at
Elizabeth Embler
Olive Schreiner House
Private Bag 1032
Grahamstown, 6140
SOUTH AFRICA
if you want to.... ;)
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
My First Week In Grahamstown
I landed in Johannesburg on Saturday evening and
stayed overnight in a pretty touristy hotel and flew to Port Elizabeth the next day. From Port Elizabeth, I was driven to Grahamstown with two other exchange students and began my semester at Rhodes University! Everything has been going well this week, for the most part. Everyone here in my residence is really nice and really helpful when I ask them questions. They are always seeing if I need help and if I'm enjoying my time here.This week is "O" week, orientation week, and the school has been hard at work making everyone feel comfortable and encouraging the first year students to mingle. I'm counted as a first year because.. well it's my first year at Rhodes! Plus I'm so new, I need all of the extra help and attention. They've been having a lot of social functions for us to meet other people. On Sunday night, they held a wine and jazz event that was a lot of fun. It wasn't jazz like we are used to in the states with saxophones and other brass instruments, they used percussion instruments and it was really cool. The night was so warm and there were so many people there that I didn't stay very long. We've also had a wine and cheese night, I didn't go to that because I wasn't feeling well. We've also had a braai, a barbecue with chicken and other things but not pork, and tonight, Wednesday night, there was a Chocolate Ball! They had chocolate fountains, chocolate cake, donuts, marshmellows, and lots of fruit. It was so much fun! They decorated the hall with black and white fabric and used white Christmas lights throughout the fabric. I'm not sure what they have planned for tomorrow night but I know that on Friday night they have a huge street party planned and it is supposed to be a lot of fun! They also have this really funny tradition of having the first years sing serenades to each other. The different residence halls each prepare a song and then waaaay early in the morning, like 5am, a guy's res will go to a girl's
res and they will sing to each other. While this may seem weird and kind of like hazing, it's actually a really good way to meet people because afterwards, they have all of the girls throw their keys in a pile in the middle and the guys pick up one and then they chat for a few minutes before presenting their partner to the group. I've met some pretty cool people this way and it helps me get to know my res mates better. This O week thing would be a cool way to do it in the states.Tonight, I went out on the town for the first time. Some friends from my res and I first went to this place called the Union, which is a bar/club located on campus, and then we went to the Rat and Parrot, one of the favorite bars in town. It was fun to go out and dance and have a good time with some local South Africans. These ladies are really sweet.
I've been pretty busy doing orientation with the international office. We've had a general lecture on the foundation of Grahamstown and Rhodes. We've also had one on the differences in the academic systems here and at home. I don't think that it will be that bad, especially since I've been talking to my friend Sarah, who went to Rhodes for a semester 2 years ago, about it. There should be a bunch of lectures and one tutorial session a week that will give me small group interaction and discussion. The examination period at the end of the semester lasts a month instead of a week, that will be different for sure. So I've been trying to get myself registered for classes and make sure that they'll transfer to MC. Right now I'm signed up for:
History 101: Africa and the World
History 201: Represnting the 20th C.
Ethnomusicology (African music and the theories of it, apparently a lot of international students take it)
and I'm trying to take an environmental science class but I'm waiting on confirmation of the credit transferring.
I hope to get into town and explore it more. It seems really cute. I also and looking forward to getting more involved in the community here at Rhodes. The clubs seem really interesting. Tomorrow night I'm going to a Christian group called 268 for a pudding and games night. I'll make sure to let you all know how that goes, I'm pretty excited!
The only draw back to my experience so far is the hard time that I've had adjusting. My sleep schedule is way off and I can't sleep at night but want to sleep all day. My stomach has also been acting up and when I'm hungry and go to the dining hall, it decides that it actually doesn't want to eat, at least not this new kind of food, and I have a hard time eating. Luckily, they have a cool system here where I can choose my meals, what I want to eat everyday, and that way I can choose things that are close to what I would eat at home. I can do this until my stomach decides to settle down enough to let me experiment because all of the food looks so good!
I'll do my best to upload some pictures here soon. I haven't uploaded them to my computer yet though. I hope everyone is doing well at home! I miss you all very much!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)