A few Photos

Hi Everyone, I just thought I would add a few photos to my blog. Some of you may have seen some that I added to my Facebook account, but those of you who do not use Facebook, here are a few for you. This picture above here was taken when us 5 SALTer's traveled the 6 hr drive from Johannesburg to Pietermaritzburg with our Country Reps, James & Joan Alty. It was a beautiful drive with lots of huge hills. There were also lots of fields with cattle along the way. It was almost as though we were traveling through some Southern States and parts of Ontario with all the huge hills/mountains, and fields of round bails of hay!

This picture was taken at Tala Animal Park, which is in between Pietermaritzburg and Durban. Left to right are Me, Felicia, Anna, Simon, Andrew, James and Joan. Some of the animals we saw are the giraffe, hippo, rhino, wildebeest, zebra, different antelopes including the Kudo and Impala and the ostrich.

Well I hope you enjoyed these ones, not sure how often I'll post them.

Signing off from Gateway.....

Kunjani?, Ngiyaphila!

"Kunjani?"My new good friend Siphokazi, asked me a couple days ago at work in Project Gateway, when I came into see her. My first thought was oh dear, what does that mean again? But she quickly reminded me. Kunjani means, how are you? and she helped me again with my response of "ngiyaphila", meaning I am fine, in Zulu. All of you wanting to know how do you say the response, don't remember as I am typing the word and not actually verbally saying the response. So, all of you followers of my blog, "Kunjani?"

This week has been an week of feeling a little down and up. Tuesday, I went to work not feeling like working, and I seemed to be feeling tired still and I had forgotten a binder of research material at the Alty's where I'm still currently staying. I was first in the computer room but a few minutes later Becky, the volunteer/teams person at Gateway, came in and turned on the wireless Internet connection, and then Siphokazi, came into work. We chatted for about 15mins and all of a sudden the power went. We soon learned that all of Gateway was out of power! But at 10am that morning we proceeded to our scheduled HR meeting for us volunteers with or without power. This HR meeting was pretty much just a recap of my HR college course years and years ago! After the meeting was done, some of us sat outside and hung out and waited for the power to come back on. The few of us chatted, and the thought occured to me, wait a sec, I should try and use some of this time to learn a few words in Zulu, so I turned and ask Siphokazi, "Can you teach me a little Zulu?" I haven't found any Zulu classes yet, and I had asked some of the girls at Gateway if they could teach me a little, which they replied the could sometime. So no better a moment than this was going to be like the present! So I got out my little black notebook Mrs. Bennet gave me at the school, and flipped to the back page and handed over to Siphokazi, to start writing down a few words. So she started writing down a word and then say it and have me repeat it. Yebo - Yes, Cha-No, Sawubona-Hello, and so on. Vuyo, the gate entrance guard was sitting with us, and he thought I should also learn some Zulu slang, and he proceeded on teaching me one, which I can't remember, hehe! Siphokazi, was called away, so I was left with Vuyo, to teach me a little! Which he thought that I needed to know the word Imoto-Car in Zulu, and then I asked him a couple words. Vuyo, also thought it would be great fun to play a joke and try and convince me there is a ghost that lives in the one cell block that the volunteer teams stay in while they are there. Notty Vuyo, but I still am enjoying to getting to know you!
Before Vuyo, could teach me too many more words, Sipohazi called out to me to come into the tourism office where a bunch of staff people were gathered practicing some songs for Friday night. September 24, this Thursday, is Heritage Day in SA. And on Friday evening Project Gateway, is planning a Prison History night at the Gateway Chapel. So, again here at Gateway, I was able to enjoying their singing. I love listening and singing along with the people here on Friday, morning chaple services. While they were practicing I asked them about, their Zulu dancing, which they had no problem taking turns dancing for me. Sipohazi, Pretty, Pinky and the other's there all did a short individual dance, all a little different than each others. So much fun was had, while we waited for the power to return. After they were done planning and practicing their songs, we left and met up with some of the other staff sitting outside the Gateway Cafe, called O.P.C. (Old Prison Cafe). By about 12:30 pm, we were told by Mthoko (one of the in charge people), we could go home since we still had no power, Yeah!!
After I got home from work, I realized that God had planned Tuesday, for me to take time to get to know the people I work with better. He knew that desperatly needed the company of new friends and to feel more at home there. Later that nigh, I ended up going out to a student group gathering at the near by Cornerstone Church, I had met a girl their last Sunday and she invited me to this student group gathering on Tuesday. I was hessitant at first, and Joan, had incouraged me to go and after the day at work, I knew and I felt I must go. I need to get myself out there into groups.
Up coming activities for me this week: 1.Thrusday the 24, Gateway Christain School's Fun Walk Fundraiser, 2. Friday the 25, Prison History Night at Gateway 3. Flower show, 4. Move sometime!

Salakahle (Goodbye or Stay well)
Signing off from PMB

Kombi's (Taxi's) in SA

I'm sure you all know that I'm still living with the Alty's, so this how I've been getting myself to and from work from their home; catching a ride on the Kombi (16-18 passenger taxi). The first kombi I have to flag down on the streets near their home and work is sticking my finger pointing up. Pointing my finger up means I want to go downtown to the Rank; Market Square in my case. Inside the Kombi there is the driver and another person who is hanging out the middle back window trying to drum up customers who might want a lift. That is the person who you would hand over your money to. The rank that the kombi goes to is like going to a bus station or airport where you find the next kombi you need to travel on. Hanging from the ceilings are the street locations where the kombi's travel down. I have pretty much have figure out which kombi I need to switch to now both ways (work/home). But I pretty much stick out at the rank, since I am finding myself the only white person there. And some of the kombi people are also getting to know me and where I need to be dropped off. So everytime I pick up a Kombi off the street, either after leaving home or work, I go directly to the rank and hop on another one. My first kombi cost me R 4, second kombi R 6.60, after work, usually the first kombi is R 6.60 and the next one is R 7. So a days worth of kombi's fares would cost me R 24.20 per day, which right now with the Canadian dollar would be around $3.43.

Sometimes I do get a lift to work on Fridays with the Alty's, sometimes a lift home by someone either from the school (Mrs. Bennet) or someone else from Gateway, or I have taken the adventure of walking home. Walking home is about a hours walk. But, I have to be very alert of my sourndings doing this by myself, since it is not uncommon for muggings here eek!

Signing off from PMB

Special Highlights

Well I was going to write this in my previous blog, but it was getting far too long, so I decided to just dedicate it to one entry by itself.

So today marked a few special highlights, one I already mentioned in the previous blog, about getting to work all by myself! The second highlight would have to be my favourite one. Interacting with the school children. Yesterday, the school was given a large lot of yogurt from a near by dairy. So, today and tomorrow the children are being treated to a cup of yogurt. I was asked to help distribute the yogurt and was able to deliver the treat to the R (kindergarten) class. Oh, how the children were so thankful for the special treat. After giving the teacher the yogurt cups the children just swarmed up to me to give me their hugs. Such a presious moment that I hope I'll never forget! The children are all so sweet. I am to be called Auntie Kendra by the students. Auntie, is used to show respect.

Another highlight was to sit in with a group of children practicing a Zulu dance, oh how such a treat that was too! The children in the group were the younger children. They were very happy for me to be with them. September 24th Heritage Day here in SA, and so the school is planning a fun day, where the parents are asked to come and join in with a fun walk, but this class of young Zulu dancers were told that they might be able to present to their parents their dance. I am looking forward to see their performance!

And lastly, my last highlight was that successfully walked home from work all by myself. I am very proud at that accomplishment! Of course I had a map with the route all highlighted for me, and I did manage to get off route, but made it home safe and sound. It took me 1hr and 15 mins, but with stopping a couple times to check the map, stopping and double checking with passer byers that I was on the right track, and not sticking to the highlighted route, I could probably shave off those 15 mins. But I just had to walk, it was such a beautiful day, but if I were to change one thing it would have to be to wear my hikers next time. But I did after all do it!

Signing off from Maritzburg for the last time today, till next time!

Welcome Warm Spring Days

Well I didn't think I would blog this soon again, but today I feel I must. My last blog entry, I commented about the other's leaving two by one by one from our country reps home. It was sad but a happy moment. We finally split up and went our separate ways. So a couple days later, was told I could move into the adjoining flat house, located behind the main house. The flat house contain a bedroom with two single beds, off a lounge room and a little kitchenette (no appliances, eg. no fridge or stove), and washroom. I really don't need the appliances, since the flat is just outside the kitchen in the main house. But moving into the flat house, just reminded me again that the boys are gone and my adventure is continuing!

Okay, so you are probably wondering when I'm moving out. Well I don't have an exact date yet, but it's looking like sometime around the 26th or 27th of September. The house I'm moving into doesn't have room for me yet, until another girl leaves, which might be either the 25th or 26th of September. So I have temporally moved into the flat house. I have to add in here that I now have met my house mother Lucille, and one of the house girls, Nandi, they are especially friendly, and I look forward to moving in! Actually Lucille, called me at work today which was a good and unexpected surprise! But I better stick in the time frame and not jump around from day to day!

So, to start my first four days of work, I'll start on Monday. Monday, I spend here James & Joan's home at the MCC office. James gave me a manual to refresh myself on accounting principles, and after reading it through a couple times, he got me going on some journaling, and some little filing tasks. My day finished off with working on something in Excel. A good first day with the MCC office, and I look forward to many more days of work with them :).

Tuesdays and Fridays, you will find me in at Gateway's Administrative building doing whatever administrative duties they need or want me to do. I will probably be asked to help in other areas too!

I officially, got a tour of Gateway's grounds, including touring in the prison cells, including the alleged cell that Mahatma Gandhi, stayed in. The Administrative building used to be the building where the Political prisoners from the Apartheid era, where kept in cells, but also contained a gallow. If you go to the seminar room, in the building and look up to the ceiling, you will see a rectangular spot where the men were hung and dropped through, and in the floor directly below, you can see a smaller rectangular indentation where the bodies were dropped after they died. Scary eh? Gateway, uses all the buildings either for all their different projects, offices, shops, storage, housing for volunteer groups, and for their museum tour with period artifacts left from the days of the prison. So, if you come with a group to volunteer, you will be housed and paird up to sleep in a cell. But don't worry, the cells aren't what the used to be like. For some historical dates, the prison was built with the first cell house in 1862 and six years later another cell house was built in 1868, and over the years they kept on building more and more cell houses. The prison closed in 1989, and in 1992 Project Gateway moved in, renovated some and has continued to grow with their many project needs.

So, Wednesday and Thrusdays I'm in the Gateway Christian School. Where I'm assisting the Public Relations Manager, Mrs. Marge Bennet. She is a very lovely woman, and I am especially looking forward to spending the year with her! I do need to say that I am looking forward to working all with the lovely people in both Gateway Admin building and the School, and especially the children :) Everyone has given me a very warm welcome. My work with Mrs. Bennet will consist of administrative work, but also accompaning her around the school, where she interacts with the students. The school has about 270 disadvantaged students who would not be able to attend a good school without the help of overseas sponsers who pay for their tuition. The school classes start at level R (kindergarten) through to grade 7.

Well tomorrow I'm in Gateway, but will start the day off in chaple first. Signing off from Maritzburg (aka Pietermaritzburg), SA