January 23, 2010
Speaking Zulu
One of my goals here in SA is to learn a little Zulu. Zulu I find is not easy. There are different click sounds for different letters, to name a few the c, ch, q and x. I have not mastered any clicks, since these clicks are different for how you place your tongue in your month to make the click sound. But I have learned a few words.
A couple months ago, James purchased a few books that help people learn new languages for us SALTer’s. This books method is to try and learn new languages by a child’s perspective. Children learn how to speak by listening to grown ups by repeating words and also by try and error. So one of the techniques in the book to use a type recorder and record words and repeat them over and over and then go into the community and use those words.
I do not have a recorder, but my days before Christmas day I read through that book, and went through my little Zulu phrase book to pick out some common phrases and words, and then on Christmas Eve I met up with my dear friend Siphokazi for a couple hours to have her help me. Siphokazi is not Zulu, but actually Xhosa but does know Zulu. Since then I have learned to speak the hello greeting better and a couple goodbye greetings, thank you greetings, and a couple other words. Actually a few months ago probably back in October, I did start a few informal lessons with someone else from work. So in one of my notebooks here I have pages with Zulu words and phrases written down.
Saying hello here is not just a one word phrase of just hello. You actually have to phrase the greetings of “Hello, how are you, I am fine” which in Zulu words would be “Sawubona, unjani, ngiyaphila”; with people that you meet. So, I’ve been working on this with people I know, and people I don’t. When I greet strangers, they are sometimes surprised and often impressed that I am greeting them in Zulu. One morning this week or last at work, I saw one of my friends that works in the tourism office walking across the parking area, instead of saying ngiyaphila (I am fine) I responded “shep shep” (good good in zulu slang), and he chuckled in surprise of my response. Other times that I’ve been trying to use the Zulu words I’ve learned is when I get out of the Kombi and I’ll turn to the Kombi conductor who had opened the door for me and say “ngiyabonga” (I thank you).
So bit by bit I am learning Zulu.
Signing off… or Hamba kahle (my farewell to you all which means, go well), and you could responde back to me Sala khale (stay well)
Monday, January 25, 2010
What Do I Do?
January 23, 2010
What Do I Do?
I’ve come to an understanding by my mother since she kindly informed me that I have neglected to blog about what work I’m doing over here. I guess I have been mostly sharing about my spare time adventures and not about my work adventures or even maybe the cultural differences here in SA to back home in Canada. So, I’ll start with the first thing on the agenda; What Do I Do?
So, to start this is my work week schedule from Monday to Friday. Monday is at my MCC office (James & Joan’s home office), Tuesday Project Gateway admin building, Wednesday and Thursday School admin building, and Friday Project Gateway admin building.
My Mondays, working with James & Joan in the MCC office, I’ve been working on accounting journal entries. James is the MCC Finance person for MCC SwaLeSa group, and he gives me journal entries to write up. He also has given me receipt slips and had me reconcile them. So, I’ve been doing a little bit of accounting duties. I’ve also done some web research, spread sheets, and my biggest task I’ve been working months on is getting all the MCC books into a working library using a Dewey decimal system! They have quiet a few books, some really old and a few not as old. I have come across some interesting old African poetry books, and a few other interesting books. I have never ever done such a task before. One of the things James and Joan did was purchase a computer program that helps to find the dewey decimal number by using the ISBN number or the author and book title. A lot of their books, I couldn’t find the dewey number, and so with those books I have now separated from the other which I have successfully have labelled, I have located a reference book that breaks down the system. But have to borrow it from the School. I enjoy my work days at the MCC office and with the company of James & Joan! They have become about three different roles to me, MCC country reps, employers, and step-in parents. And I know come July when I leave SA, I will miss having them close by, but with technology they aren’t as far!
When I first began working at Project Gateway, I was given the task from one of the head admin manager persons Di Milford, to scout out on-line companies for possible grants. Project Gateway’s major inflow of money consists of grants. These grants go to the many different Gateway project’s to help cover the expenses, to help those in need to empower than and teach them to become self efficient and to move on confidently and securely. There have already been some of their projects that have moved on and are not under their umbrella of Project Gateway! So, I sit at a computer and search company web pages to see whether Gateway will qualify for a grant and then contact the company via e-mail to learn how to apply for such grants. I was doing this both Tuesdays and Fridays, but I find this work to be long and frustrating since companies don’t respond to my messages! And sometimes the office space I work in doesn’t always have internet air time.
So my Tuesday’s you will find me up in Bronwyn’s office (Finance office in Admin building) now, helping her reconciling invoices and receipts to statements for the different projects or maybe working on archiving some of the files. I enjoy working with Bronwyn she is a really sweet and friendly person and I enjoy sharing with her about my family and country back home and what I’m up to here.
Wednesdays and Thursdays are my school days at Gateway Christian School, which is located just outside the old prison walls. Actually the area the school buildings were built on was where the prison wardens used as a recreational space during the time when the prison was in use. Some of the things I have kept myself busy with at school are creating the award certificates and Grade R (Kindergarten) graduation certificates for the Year End Award/Christmas Concert. I created, designed, printed and laminated them. I’ve also worked on creating and printing school event posters, and event tickets for the Fun Walk Fundraiser back in September, and tickets for the Year End Award/Christmas Concert back in December. I’ve also helped going around to the different classes and taken class attendance in the mornings for Mrs. Bennett (Public Relations Manager). Mrs. Bennett is who I work closely with, but have helped the school receptionist, and secretary with a little bit of filing, typing up new class list for the new school year (school years run from January to December, but it consist of four terms with a few weeks of holidays between each term). And any other tasks they might need help with. I have now just offered to help the teachers with photocopying homework sheets. The school doesn’t have money to supply the classes with work books so teaches are consonantly photocopying sheets and sheets of work assignments for the students. I think I put my foot in my month when I suggested this help last week at school, because right after the teacher’s started giving me photocopy work and I didn’t know when I could get all done, since there is only one photocopier in the school and the secretaries needed the copier too!
One of my favourite days at school is Wednesday, since this is the day that all students and teachers meet in the hall for morning worship and devotions. I love singing along with the students and teachers with their African worship songs that I have learned here. I have not learned them all very well, but there are a couple I know and love. One of my other favourite activities here at the school is when I’ve been lucky to assist one of the classes on a class trip somewhere in the city area. The children are very sweet here, and the youngest ones are very affectionate and sometimes come running over to me as I walk through the school yard to carry my purse, lunch bag and umbrella. It looks so cute when I look down to the small child carrying my purse and noticing that it is only a few inches from the ground! Sometimes I get hugs walking through the school grounds in the morning, and I very much love getting them.
Friday mornings at Project Gateway, I start the morning off at Chapel for an hour of worshiping. We used to sing African songs for the first 20 minutes but now Pastor Jabu (CEO of Project Gateway) only wants 10 mins of singing and more time focusing on the word. I love singing in the chapel here with my co-workers and friends, they sing from their hearts and it’s so incredible to sing along side with them. The rest of the day I’ve designated to spend on on-line grant research when I have internet access, and when I don’t I go asking others if they need any help with stuff.
So, as you can see I’m all over the place doing different stuff. Some days or weeks I don’t know what I’m going to do until I get there. This I find hard and frustrating since I’m used to a very scheduled work day back home and I knew what to do and when to do it, but here not always. One of the things I read about before leaving home about living and working in a warm climate culture is that the people are social orientated and not task orientated as in colder climates like back home.
Well I think that about wraps up in general what I do, I hope that has answered some questions about my days here.
Signing off in Zulu,
Hamba kahle (good bye or go well)
What Do I Do?
I’ve come to an understanding by my mother since she kindly informed me that I have neglected to blog about what work I’m doing over here. I guess I have been mostly sharing about my spare time adventures and not about my work adventures or even maybe the cultural differences here in SA to back home in Canada. So, I’ll start with the first thing on the agenda; What Do I Do?
So, to start this is my work week schedule from Monday to Friday. Monday is at my MCC office (James & Joan’s home office), Tuesday Project Gateway admin building, Wednesday and Thursday School admin building, and Friday Project Gateway admin building.
My Mondays, working with James & Joan in the MCC office, I’ve been working on accounting journal entries. James is the MCC Finance person for MCC SwaLeSa group, and he gives me journal entries to write up. He also has given me receipt slips and had me reconcile them. So, I’ve been doing a little bit of accounting duties. I’ve also done some web research, spread sheets, and my biggest task I’ve been working months on is getting all the MCC books into a working library using a Dewey decimal system! They have quiet a few books, some really old and a few not as old. I have come across some interesting old African poetry books, and a few other interesting books. I have never ever done such a task before. One of the things James and Joan did was purchase a computer program that helps to find the dewey decimal number by using the ISBN number or the author and book title. A lot of their books, I couldn’t find the dewey number, and so with those books I have now separated from the other which I have successfully have labelled, I have located a reference book that breaks down the system. But have to borrow it from the School. I enjoy my work days at the MCC office and with the company of James & Joan! They have become about three different roles to me, MCC country reps, employers, and step-in parents. And I know come July when I leave SA, I will miss having them close by, but with technology they aren’t as far!
When I first began working at Project Gateway, I was given the task from one of the head admin manager persons Di Milford, to scout out on-line companies for possible grants. Project Gateway’s major inflow of money consists of grants. These grants go to the many different Gateway project’s to help cover the expenses, to help those in need to empower than and teach them to become self efficient and to move on confidently and securely. There have already been some of their projects that have moved on and are not under their umbrella of Project Gateway! So, I sit at a computer and search company web pages to see whether Gateway will qualify for a grant and then contact the company via e-mail to learn how to apply for such grants. I was doing this both Tuesdays and Fridays, but I find this work to be long and frustrating since companies don’t respond to my messages! And sometimes the office space I work in doesn’t always have internet air time.
So my Tuesday’s you will find me up in Bronwyn’s office (Finance office in Admin building) now, helping her reconciling invoices and receipts to statements for the different projects or maybe working on archiving some of the files. I enjoy working with Bronwyn she is a really sweet and friendly person and I enjoy sharing with her about my family and country back home and what I’m up to here.
Wednesdays and Thursdays are my school days at Gateway Christian School, which is located just outside the old prison walls. Actually the area the school buildings were built on was where the prison wardens used as a recreational space during the time when the prison was in use. Some of the things I have kept myself busy with at school are creating the award certificates and Grade R (Kindergarten) graduation certificates for the Year End Award/Christmas Concert. I created, designed, printed and laminated them. I’ve also worked on creating and printing school event posters, and event tickets for the Fun Walk Fundraiser back in September, and tickets for the Year End Award/Christmas Concert back in December. I’ve also helped going around to the different classes and taken class attendance in the mornings for Mrs. Bennett (Public Relations Manager). Mrs. Bennett is who I work closely with, but have helped the school receptionist, and secretary with a little bit of filing, typing up new class list for the new school year (school years run from January to December, but it consist of four terms with a few weeks of holidays between each term). And any other tasks they might need help with. I have now just offered to help the teachers with photocopying homework sheets. The school doesn’t have money to supply the classes with work books so teaches are consonantly photocopying sheets and sheets of work assignments for the students. I think I put my foot in my month when I suggested this help last week at school, because right after the teacher’s started giving me photocopy work and I didn’t know when I could get all done, since there is only one photocopier in the school and the secretaries needed the copier too!
One of my favourite days at school is Wednesday, since this is the day that all students and teachers meet in the hall for morning worship and devotions. I love singing along with the students and teachers with their African worship songs that I have learned here. I have not learned them all very well, but there are a couple I know and love. One of my other favourite activities here at the school is when I’ve been lucky to assist one of the classes on a class trip somewhere in the city area. The children are very sweet here, and the youngest ones are very affectionate and sometimes come running over to me as I walk through the school yard to carry my purse, lunch bag and umbrella. It looks so cute when I look down to the small child carrying my purse and noticing that it is only a few inches from the ground! Sometimes I get hugs walking through the school grounds in the morning, and I very much love getting them.
Friday mornings at Project Gateway, I start the morning off at Chapel for an hour of worshiping. We used to sing African songs for the first 20 minutes but now Pastor Jabu (CEO of Project Gateway) only wants 10 mins of singing and more time focusing on the word. I love singing in the chapel here with my co-workers and friends, they sing from their hearts and it’s so incredible to sing along side with them. The rest of the day I’ve designated to spend on on-line grant research when I have internet access, and when I don’t I go asking others if they need any help with stuff.
So, as you can see I’m all over the place doing different stuff. Some days or weeks I don’t know what I’m going to do until I get there. This I find hard and frustrating since I’m used to a very scheduled work day back home and I knew what to do and when to do it, but here not always. One of the things I read about before leaving home about living and working in a warm climate culture is that the people are social orientated and not task orientated as in colder climates like back home.
Well I think that about wraps up in general what I do, I hope that has answered some questions about my days here.
Signing off in Zulu,
Hamba kahle (good bye or go well)
Monday, January 18, 2010
Changes/Add on
I realized that I didn't post everything to that blog entry so please note and read the rest of the entry which is attached to my last post.
Friday, January 15, 2010
Richard's Bay, St. Lucia and Hluhluwe & Imfolozi Park
San’bonani (hello to more than one person in Zulu),
My holiday to Richards Bay, St. Lucia and Hluhluwe, started off on the morning of the 30th of December. Lucille’s daughter Lyndall and husband Clint came up Christmas Eve and spent a few days at our place. And on the 30th we followed them up to their home in Richard’s Bay. But Lucille and I took a really nice drive up along the coast and stopped along the way at Balito beach for a walk on the board walk and a quick lunch. I found the ocean really blue here and the waves where rolling really well since it was windy.
My holiday to Richards Bay, St. Lucia and Hluhluwe, started off on the morning of the 30th of December. Lucille’s daughter Lyndall and husband Clint came up Christmas Eve and spent a few days at our place. And on the 30th we followed them up to their home in Richard’s Bay. But Lucille and I took a really nice drive up along the coast and stopped along the way at Balito beach for a walk on the board walk and a quick lunch. I found the ocean really blue here and the waves where rolling really well since it was windy.
Ballito Beach
New Years Eve, Lyndall took us over to a look out spot in Richards Bay off the coast, and finally once we found somewhere to eat lunch and buying some shampoo since I left mine at home in PMB we finally hit the road for St. Lucia for 2 nights staying at BIB’s International Backpackers. The backpackers were ok, but I met two girls from Singapore, where they were traveling down through South Africa on a holiday. We spent a quiet night there and actually I found that it can be really challenging to find somewhere to eat at certain times. So our New Years Eve was quiet, but there were fireworks going off at private parties.
New Years Day, we slept in very late and decided after a little while to book a hippo and croc boat tour on Lake St. Lucia Estuary for 2 pm, but in the mean time Lucille and I decided to try and drive around in the Isimangaliso Wetland Park, which we waited an hour in line to get in and then we didn’t have much time to explore since we had booked the boat tour. We did see however a few animals and I got a lovely shot of the coast line again. The boat tour was good and I saw lot of hippos including a baby one with its mother but was too quick to take a photo before hiding into the water again, but did manage to get one taking a big yawn. The hippos usually stay together in groups but we did see some where there were a couple together.
Hippo at Lake St. Lucia Estuary
Later after the boat tour I was very hungry since all I had eaten that day was 2 bananas all day, so Lucille and I went over to a restaurant that we had seen the night before and decided to try out their menu. When we walked into the place we were told that the kitchen was closed and that it would reopen at 6, but we could order drinks in the mean time. It was 4pm then and we decided just to get drinks and relax until the kitchen reopened for supper. There was a constant flow of customers coming in after us and were told the same story and left, but came back closer to 6pm. By then Lucille and I picked out our food, and by 6:50pm after waiting and waiting to give our order we were told that the kitchen cooks hadn’t shown up and that they weren’t going to be selling any food. So we wondered over to another near by restaurant and waited and waited in line until we were ushered to a table. It was about 8 pm by the time I finally had some food in my tummy. The night before I had similar issues that the kitchens were closed, but finally I got a burger at place just down from our room.
Saturday the 2, Lucille and I packed up our bags and said goodbye to St. Lucia and drove over to Hluhluwe & Imfolozi Park to search for the Big 5! I have to admit that the day tour of the park was a lot cheaper than I thought it would be which was good. We had gotten there about 8:30 am and it wasn’t long before we spotted our first of many giraffes, and not too long after a wild dog, but I didn’t see it soon enough for a picture and we never saw another one the rest of the day. During the course of the drive there would be dirt roads leading off the main paved road. I finally convinced Lucille to take one but she wasn’t too keen on it and was afraid an animal would damage her car. But I glad we took this road since we came across a herd of Cape Buffalo which is one of the Big 5 I hadn’t seen yet. Along this same road but further down we came across an elephant on the road, and at the very end of the road we found a white rhino laying in the muddy water hole. Other animals we came across were a wart hog, variety of buck, baboon, zebras, black rhino, some lizard and we just missed a leopard when we ventured into the Imflolzi side. Leopards are hard to find during the day, it is better to find in the early morning or on a night drive. We also didn’t see the lion, drat’s! But we did see a whole heard of elephants cross over a low river stream!
The beautiful view of inside the Park!
Elephants crossing the stream
White Rhino
We finally had to turn around since Lucille’s gas tank was getting pretty low and we still had to drive back to Lyndall and Clint’s home in Richards Bay, so we left the park at 5pm, feeling pretty good at seeing the many animals we did come across. I had met a couple at lunch time that only had seen giraffe at the beginning of the park, and they were heading into Imflolzi to find more.
Sunday the 3rd, Lucille and I accompanied Lyndall and Clint to their church. Their church meets in a school and as we entered the worship area I happened to notice some country flags hanging on the walls. And it just so happed that the row of chairs we sat down in my Canadian flag was the one hanging beside us! After the service and before we left I had Lucille stand with me beside my flag and also with her South African Flag for a photo; I just didn’t think we would get another chance to take our photos with our country flags again.
After lunch sometime we finally hit the road for home. I needed to get back so that I could my wash my clothes and repack for the next day for Port Shepstone/Shelley Beach for my Mennonite Christmas Retreat. It was a good holiday and I feel very blessed to have seen so much of God’s beauty in the past couple months and look forward to many more opportunities!
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
December Wrap-up Part 2
Dec. 29. 2009
December Wrap-up Part II
Continuing…
Over the course of the weekend, I kept myself pretty busy with outings as well. Which included a dinner at a friend’s from NCF, where I met up with another friend and some new people. One of these new friends has traveled to Canada and enjoyed our French Cappuccino at Tim Hortons. Who knew I could meet South Africans who know what Tim Horton’s is without me explaining what type of business it is. So far I have met two people here who like our French Cap from Tim Hortons back home in Canada, who knew!
The next day the 19th, I went to my first Zulu wedding, where I was the only white person in attendance, talk about being a minority! This hasn’t been the only experience of feeling like a minority because of skin colour, I have experienced it before here. When attending African weddings it is a good idea to make sure you check what time the ceremony is actually going to start at. I arrived at Pretty’s wedding with friends from work on time 10 am, and we waited and waited and soon discovered that there was another function going on at the same church. And eventually we finally saw other’s from work starting to arrive and they said they were on time! And then the ceremony began over 2 hours after we had arrived and it was all spoken in Zulu! The wedding party entered the church dancing down the centre isle and I soon discovered that in Zulu tradition that all the brides’ maids all looked identical from dresses to hair styles. Following the procession of the wedding party, the groom danced down the isle and then the beautiful bride. Also want to note too, that weddings here very similar to Western style of weddings where the bride will wear a white gown and the bride maids and grooms men in beautiful dresses and suits as well as the flower girls and ring boys.
The next day 20th my friend Liesel took me to see Howick Falls, and then we headed next door to Umgeni Valley Nature Reserve. Where we ate our picnic lunches sitting on a stone ledge over looking another breath taking view of God’s beauty, and then we took off for our hike in search of the zebras, wildebeests and giraffe’s we had seen from our picnic spot up above. As we got down into the grass land we followed a tire track path and followed it around. We came to a fence line and past the fences in area we found the giraffe’s we spotted from our picnic lunch, but they were pretty far away. As we continued our hike through the grass lands we came across and got very close I might add to a heard of wildebeests, a herd of zebras and eventually we finally spotted 2 giraffes just off the trail, oh so close! Other animals we came across were impala, blesbuck, and Nyala; we also heard the African Fish Eagel, and the Trumpeter Hornbill; and lastly came across a Koppie Foam Grasshopper and an Assassin bug. What a fantastic day, and I look forward to many more adventures with my really good friend Liesel! This hike I would like to say I was better prepared for and wore my hikers and slacks instead of my sandals and skirt!
The next few days after my amazing hike, I spent time trying to learn some Zulu, which I find not an easy language. So, Sanibonani (greeting hello to more than one person), unjani (How are you?). And then it was Christmas Eve where Lucille’s daughter Lyndall and her husband Clint have been staying here for a few days and leave in the morning.
Christmas Day, I spent going to Church first thing and a little while later, my friend Kath and her family picked me up on the way to their family Christmas. The days leading up to Christmas Day were some pretty hot days, that even reached 37 degrees, ouch it was hot, but Christmas Day it decided to be a cold wet misty rainy day. Kath’s family stated that this weather we are having was not normal, actually the summer thus far hasn’t been very normal, thanks to global warming! And in the end, I had a really nice day with them.
Boxing Day I called up Liesel to see what she was doing, and I ended up going over to her place where I took a little time of journaling and some good conversation and took in watching the monkeys swinging around in the near by trees. Probably the scariest part of the afternoon, was watching Liesel’s roof tiles getting blown off her roof. But thanks to her brother, who climbed up and nailed down the lose ones that still managed to cling to the roof, while Liesel wondered around her neighbour hood picking up the tiles that did fly off. Later on she took me over to her mom’s place where I finally met her mom and her mom’s boyfriend and had some supper with them.
Now tomorrow I am leaving to go to Richards Bay and then onto St. Lucia and to Hluhluwe Animal Park to finally have an animal game drive, and lots of fun searching for animals. Hopefully I’ll spot the Big Five! After returning for less than a day I’m off to Port Shepstone to meet up with my SwaLeSa SALT’ers, the Radical Journey participants, the other MCC workers, past IVEPer’s, and Mennonite Church USA & Canada people. I think there are over 30 of us who are going to be together for 4 days from the 4-8th of Jan. I am so looking forward to this retreat! Then back to work on the 11th and hopefully some Christmas family mail awaits me there which will be more like birthday mail instead!
Signing off…
Wishing you all a Belated
Merry Christmas & Happy New Year
I had a wonderful Christmas Break, stay tuned for my holiday travel adventures. I will post them as soon as I can and when I have internest access!
December Wrap-up Part II
Continuing…
Over the course of the weekend, I kept myself pretty busy with outings as well. Which included a dinner at a friend’s from NCF, where I met up with another friend and some new people. One of these new friends has traveled to Canada and enjoyed our French Cappuccino at Tim Hortons. Who knew I could meet South Africans who know what Tim Horton’s is without me explaining what type of business it is. So far I have met two people here who like our French Cap from Tim Hortons back home in Canada, who knew!
The next day the 19th, I went to my first Zulu wedding, where I was the only white person in attendance, talk about being a minority! This hasn’t been the only experience of feeling like a minority because of skin colour, I have experienced it before here. When attending African weddings it is a good idea to make sure you check what time the ceremony is actually going to start at. I arrived at Pretty’s wedding with friends from work on time 10 am, and we waited and waited and soon discovered that there was another function going on at the same church. And eventually we finally saw other’s from work starting to arrive and they said they were on time! And then the ceremony began over 2 hours after we had arrived and it was all spoken in Zulu! The wedding party entered the church dancing down the centre isle and I soon discovered that in Zulu tradition that all the brides’ maids all looked identical from dresses to hair styles. Following the procession of the wedding party, the groom danced down the isle and then the beautiful bride. Also want to note too, that weddings here very similar to Western style of weddings where the bride will wear a white gown and the bride maids and grooms men in beautiful dresses and suits as well as the flower girls and ring boys.
The next day 20th my friend Liesel took me to see Howick Falls, and then we headed next door to Umgeni Valley Nature Reserve. Where we ate our picnic lunches sitting on a stone ledge over looking another breath taking view of God’s beauty, and then we took off for our hike in search of the zebras, wildebeests and giraffe’s we had seen from our picnic spot up above. As we got down into the grass land we followed a tire track path and followed it around. We came to a fence line and past the fences in area we found the giraffe’s we spotted from our picnic lunch, but they were pretty far away. As we continued our hike through the grass lands we came across and got very close I might add to a heard of wildebeests, a herd of zebras and eventually we finally spotted 2 giraffes just off the trail, oh so close! Other animals we came across were impala, blesbuck, and Nyala; we also heard the African Fish Eagel, and the Trumpeter Hornbill; and lastly came across a Koppie Foam Grasshopper and an Assassin bug. What a fantastic day, and I look forward to many more adventures with my really good friend Liesel! This hike I would like to say I was better prepared for and wore my hikers and slacks instead of my sandals and skirt!
The next few days after my amazing hike, I spent time trying to learn some Zulu, which I find not an easy language. So, Sanibonani (greeting hello to more than one person), unjani (How are you?). And then it was Christmas Eve where Lucille’s daughter Lyndall and her husband Clint have been staying here for a few days and leave in the morning.
Christmas Day, I spent going to Church first thing and a little while later, my friend Kath and her family picked me up on the way to their family Christmas. The days leading up to Christmas Day were some pretty hot days, that even reached 37 degrees, ouch it was hot, but Christmas Day it decided to be a cold wet misty rainy day. Kath’s family stated that this weather we are having was not normal, actually the summer thus far hasn’t been very normal, thanks to global warming! And in the end, I had a really nice day with them.
Boxing Day I called up Liesel to see what she was doing, and I ended up going over to her place where I took a little time of journaling and some good conversation and took in watching the monkeys swinging around in the near by trees. Probably the scariest part of the afternoon, was watching Liesel’s roof tiles getting blown off her roof. But thanks to her brother, who climbed up and nailed down the lose ones that still managed to cling to the roof, while Liesel wondered around her neighbour hood picking up the tiles that did fly off. Later on she took me over to her mom’s place where I finally met her mom and her mom’s boyfriend and had some supper with them.
Now tomorrow I am leaving to go to Richards Bay and then onto St. Lucia and to Hluhluwe Animal Park to finally have an animal game drive, and lots of fun searching for animals. Hopefully I’ll spot the Big Five! After returning for less than a day I’m off to Port Shepstone to meet up with my SwaLeSa SALT’ers, the Radical Journey participants, the other MCC workers, past IVEPer’s, and Mennonite Church USA & Canada people. I think there are over 30 of us who are going to be together for 4 days from the 4-8th of Jan. I am so looking forward to this retreat! Then back to work on the 11th and hopefully some Christmas family mail awaits me there which will be more like birthday mail instead!
Signing off…
Wishing you all a Belated
Merry Christmas & Happy New Year
I had a wonderful Christmas Break, stay tuned for my holiday travel adventures. I will post them as soon as I can and when I have internest access!
December Wrap-up Part 1
I know you all have been waiting for me to post something so here is my December Wrap-up Part 1.
Dec. 29. 2009
December Wrap-up: Part I
Wow, I can not believe that it is already the 29th of December and soon it will be the last day of 2009. Since I am here in SA and my family is back home in Canada, for 7 hours between New Years Eve and New Years Day, we will be living in two different years; scary eh?
I just thought it was about time to do a December wrap-up. I had a very busy December and all of you my followers are probably very eager to know what I have been up to. So again grab yourself a mug and your favourite hot beverage since it’s probably very cold, and a snow storm blowing around outside where it is probably around -15 with a -25 wind chill!
Let me start off with the first weekend in December (4-7) which was my Advent Spiritual Retreat weekend with my 4 other SALTer’s here in SA and Lesotho. The Spiritual weekend we once again spent the Saturday and Sunday at Jim & Heather Johnston’s where Jim had us meditating, and journaling and presenting our case studies. After our first spiritual week with Jim back in August, he assigned us a case study where we were to describe our most difficult situation. During the weekend sessions we were to analyze each others situations and try and offer some solutions to resolve the problem if it needed to be resolved. Over all, the weekend was fun and it was great to have us all back together, to top off the weekend we spent the day in Durban where we visited Andrew’s and Felicia’s homestays and their work placements and before dropping Andrew and Felicia off we finally hit the Durban beach to take in the huge rolling waves hitting the shore. I have to admit it was great to finally be able to enjoy the water, and discover how salty the water is here!
Tuesday and Wednesday nights that week, was Gateway Christian School’s Year End Award Nights and Christmas Concert. Tuesday night was the Junior Primary Grades (Grades R- 3) and Wednesday was the Senior Primary. The hall was packed on the Tuesday night since it was Graduation night for the Grade R class, that there weren’t enough seats for all the guests. The children did an awesome job on their skits, singing, reciting and dancing. One of my favourite performances would have to be the Senior Primary boy’s performance of traditional Zulu dancing where they dance in traditional attire as well. Bravo!
The rest of the week I was busy going to prayer meeting at church and a movie night with some friends of Lucille’s. That weekend was a quiet and peaceful weekend to ready myself for the busy work week to begin again.
Tuesday the 15th I attended a Christmas Party with my new friends from my Alpha table. Alpha finished up on the 8th but I had missed it due to the School Concert. It was a great night and I feel very privileged to have made such good friends to be invited to their home group Christmas Party. It was very festive with décor (minus the tree, since Noel doesn’t own one), but included a fun game of Christmas Bingo, good food and good fellowship!
Wednesday the 16th was a holiday here, so I took full advantage of it, and Lucille and I enjoyed a fabulous day of day tripping into the Valley of 1000 Hills. Valley of 1000 Hills is situated about 30 mins outside of PMB, between Durban and PMB. It is so amazing how much breath taking, natural beauty there is here in KwaZulu Natal, and it’s just in their back yard! In the Valley of 1000 Hills and once we were on the right road we found our way to PheZulu. Here we learned about the Zulu tribe and some of their traditions and were entertained with some Zulu dancing in front of the amazing back drop of the Valley. And also took in their Crocodile and Reptile’s exhibit too. I don’t think I’ve seen so many crocodiles. Did you know that during the winter months here they can survive without food, since they are cold blooded animals? Also, did you know they have been around for about 200 million years and they can live up to 160 years of age and the females will continue to breed until she dies?
After we were done taking in PheZulu and the Crocs and reptiles, we tried heading down to Shongweni Dam, which also in the Valley of 1000 Hills. Actually we only touch a couple of the many places to visit in the Valley, and there is still more to discover and visit. When we left PheZulu, we somehow ended up making a wrong turn and made a complete circle back to PheZulu, but on the detour we came across Pot and Kettle, a neat little stop where we wondered in and out of some shops that sold a variety of souvenirs and where I bought myself a beaded necklace for R40, which would roughly be around $6.00. After speaking to someone in one of the shops, I finally managed some directions to the Dam, and off we went. The view of the Dam was very beautiful and breath taking, and we even took the adventure of walking down the inside passageway of the Dam wall itself. But it was rather dimly lit and very dirty and not as exciting as getting 2.5 – 3 m away from a herd of zebras in another area of the park.
To finish off the wonderful day of day tripping, Lucille dropped me off at the Alty’s and I took in a Menno braai (bbq) with my Mennonite family of friends here. It was an awesome African holiday!
End of Part I
Dec. 29. 2009
December Wrap-up: Part I
Wow, I can not believe that it is already the 29th of December and soon it will be the last day of 2009. Since I am here in SA and my family is back home in Canada, for 7 hours between New Years Eve and New Years Day, we will be living in two different years; scary eh?
I just thought it was about time to do a December wrap-up. I had a very busy December and all of you my followers are probably very eager to know what I have been up to. So again grab yourself a mug and your favourite hot beverage since it’s probably very cold, and a snow storm blowing around outside where it is probably around -15 with a -25 wind chill!
Let me start off with the first weekend in December (4-7) which was my Advent Spiritual Retreat weekend with my 4 other SALTer’s here in SA and Lesotho. The Spiritual weekend we once again spent the Saturday and Sunday at Jim & Heather Johnston’s where Jim had us meditating, and journaling and presenting our case studies. After our first spiritual week with Jim back in August, he assigned us a case study where we were to describe our most difficult situation. During the weekend sessions we were to analyze each others situations and try and offer some solutions to resolve the problem if it needed to be resolved. Over all, the weekend was fun and it was great to have us all back together, to top off the weekend we spent the day in Durban where we visited Andrew’s and Felicia’s homestays and their work placements and before dropping Andrew and Felicia off we finally hit the Durban beach to take in the huge rolling waves hitting the shore. I have to admit it was great to finally be able to enjoy the water, and discover how salty the water is here!
Tuesday and Wednesday nights that week, was Gateway Christian School’s Year End Award Nights and Christmas Concert. Tuesday night was the Junior Primary Grades (Grades R- 3) and Wednesday was the Senior Primary. The hall was packed on the Tuesday night since it was Graduation night for the Grade R class, that there weren’t enough seats for all the guests. The children did an awesome job on their skits, singing, reciting and dancing. One of my favourite performances would have to be the Senior Primary boy’s performance of traditional Zulu dancing where they dance in traditional attire as well. Bravo!
The rest of the week I was busy going to prayer meeting at church and a movie night with some friends of Lucille’s. That weekend was a quiet and peaceful weekend to ready myself for the busy work week to begin again.
Tuesday the 15th I attended a Christmas Party with my new friends from my Alpha table. Alpha finished up on the 8th but I had missed it due to the School Concert. It was a great night and I feel very privileged to have made such good friends to be invited to their home group Christmas Party. It was very festive with décor (minus the tree, since Noel doesn’t own one), but included a fun game of Christmas Bingo, good food and good fellowship!
Wednesday the 16th was a holiday here, so I took full advantage of it, and Lucille and I enjoyed a fabulous day of day tripping into the Valley of 1000 Hills. Valley of 1000 Hills is situated about 30 mins outside of PMB, between Durban and PMB. It is so amazing how much breath taking, natural beauty there is here in KwaZulu Natal, and it’s just in their back yard! In the Valley of 1000 Hills and once we were on the right road we found our way to PheZulu. Here we learned about the Zulu tribe and some of their traditions and were entertained with some Zulu dancing in front of the amazing back drop of the Valley. And also took in their Crocodile and Reptile’s exhibit too. I don’t think I’ve seen so many crocodiles. Did you know that during the winter months here they can survive without food, since they are cold blooded animals? Also, did you know they have been around for about 200 million years and they can live up to 160 years of age and the females will continue to breed until she dies?
After we were done taking in PheZulu and the Crocs and reptiles, we tried heading down to Shongweni Dam, which also in the Valley of 1000 Hills. Actually we only touch a couple of the many places to visit in the Valley, and there is still more to discover and visit. When we left PheZulu, we somehow ended up making a wrong turn and made a complete circle back to PheZulu, but on the detour we came across Pot and Kettle, a neat little stop where we wondered in and out of some shops that sold a variety of souvenirs and where I bought myself a beaded necklace for R40, which would roughly be around $6.00. After speaking to someone in one of the shops, I finally managed some directions to the Dam, and off we went. The view of the Dam was very beautiful and breath taking, and we even took the adventure of walking down the inside passageway of the Dam wall itself. But it was rather dimly lit and very dirty and not as exciting as getting 2.5 – 3 m away from a herd of zebras in another area of the park.
To finish off the wonderful day of day tripping, Lucille dropped me off at the Alty’s and I took in a Menno braai (bbq) with my Mennonite family of friends here. It was an awesome African holiday!
End of Part I
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