Less than Four Weeks

Well I was going to blog the four week count yesterday, but being that you have already read and looked at my previous blog entry about the storm, you can see why it didn't happen. That storm was pretty nasty!!

So, less than four weeks is now my current time frame. I can't believe it. Five weeks I'll be in South Africa with my fellow SALTer's. I suppose you might be wondering as to who my fellow SALTer's are. Well, like I said in previous posts I'm traveling with two Canadians to South Africa, they are Felicia and Andrew. I've slowly have gotten to know them a little bit from facebook and can't wait to meet them in person at orientation in Akron, PA. Felicia and Andrew are going to be in the city called Durban. Durban is a major port city, along the Indian Ocean coastline, in South Africa but also a holiday hot spot for tourist with their beautiful beaches. For some silly reason I can't seem to load pictures into this blog so you going to have to use the links to see pictures from off the web. Along with Felicia, Andrew, and myself are two other SALTer's traveling with us. Their SALT placement is in the country/kingdom called Lesotho, which is pretty much smack dab in the middle of SA. Their names are Simon and Anna. Simon, I actually already met the end of June at the Ontario SALTer's gathering in Kitchener, but Anna is from Chicago and I haven't met her yet. And I am in Pietermaritzburg, SA, which is the capital of the Kwazulu Natal Province, and will be in between the other's geographically.

I have gradually gotten my numerous forms filled out and set them off to their respective destinations. My work/travel visa application I mailed off to the South African Consulate General, in Toronto on the the 2nd of July and I'm am hoping to get back really soon. I can't wait to be able to hold it in my hands. I just have a few more important papers to look after yet. I'm getting there. I haven't begun to pack yet, but have started to already get some little things and have started building a list of clothing in the back of my head, I suppose I should start writing that on paper. lol

I am almost done reading Nelson Mandela's autobiography Long Walk to Freedom. It has actually turned out to be a pretty good book, minus of course all the political jumble. But what would his book be about if it didn't have political part's to it! He was after all the first black South African President, you would have to expect some politics to the story! I'm just not really into political stuff. But it been good learning about his struggle to bring South Africa to an nonracial democratic government where all people of races and colours are treated as equal. Even if it meant to sacrifice time away from your family and the years spent in prison to fight for your cause. Nelson, was president from 1994-1999. I think I have read somewhere that if there was one thing Nelson felt he should have done differently was to pay more attention to the AID's/HIV epidemic in South Africa. I am amazed as to all the bloodshed that has happened in the process for South Africa to have gotten to that state of equal status. Anyways, It's been a good book.

Tomorrow I'm expecting my next update on my donations for this SALT placement. I know I'm getting really close to my goal, $4600, but just don't know where exactly!

Anyways, signing off to go finish Nelson's book.