July Storm

Well I would have posted this yesterday, but I just didn't get to it. Yesterday morning I woke up to a horrible massive thunderstorm around 8am. The winds were unbelievable, the rain just poured and the thunder and lighting were just as powerful. This has been the second huge storm in the last few months. My town got really hit, and we had tons of damage in some parts of town, especially my neighbourhood. In my backyard we have three large maple trees, the middle tree lost a huge branch which is actually hanging on by a inch is resting on an telephone wire. We are still unable to get help getting it down.

My good really good friends across the street got a lot more damage done. They had just managed to just get to the basement when all of a sudden they heard a big bang and then lots of rumbling on their roof. A large branch from their backyard maple tree hit the peek of their roof and rolled down the roof and swiped off the top of their chimney and knocked over the fence below, right in front of their back door.

There was also two other large tree branches that were knock down on just my street alone. One was just two houses down where the tip of the tree just graced the front windows. The second tree branch was on the end corner of my block where the branch got stock on a hydro wire which ended up causing the power on my block to be out for over 10 hrs.

The next streets around my street had large branches down too. But some parts of town just really didn't get hit like my area, and didn't get any power outages. A small community just about 10 mins from town, had roof tops lifted off. They are out of power until Thursday, due to the massive damage done to the community.

Interesting Facts about South Africa

Quick and Interesting Facts About South Africa
Did You Know?


1. South Africa has 11 official languages from A - Z: Afrikaans, English, Ndebele, Pedi, Sotho, Swati, Tsonga, Tswana, Venda, Xhosa and Zulu.
2. The Population is approximately 45 million
3. South Africa is five times the size of Japan and three times the size of Texas or the size of Spain and France together.
4. South Africa has deserts, mountains, escarpments, plateaus, grasslands, bush, wetlands and subtropical forests
5. South Africa enjoys one of the world's highest average daily hours of sunshine 8.5 compared with 3.8 in London, 6.4 in Rome and 6.9 in New York. The weather is famously excellent, mostly warm dry and sunny.
6. South Africa is rated in the top five in the world in supplying safe, drinkable tap water.
7. South Africa is the second largest exporter of fruit in the world.
8. South Africa has the longest wine route in the world.
9. South Africa is ranked first in the world for its floral kingdom.
10. South Africa's blue sky is the second brightest in the world.
11. South Africa has the third highest level of biodiversity in the world.
12. The Lost City Resort Hotel in Sun City is the largest theme resort in the world.
13. South Africa is the only country in the world to voluntarily abandon its nuclear weapons program.
14. South Africa is among the first countries to gain Blue Flag status for some of its coastal beaches.
15. South Africa has the deepest mines in the world and commands superior skills in deep level mining.
16. South Africa is the world's top ranked gold producing country commanding more than 80% of the world's platinum reserves.
17. The highest quality cars in Europe are made in South Africa. BMW's Rosslyn plant was awarded the highly prestigious European Gold Plant Quality Award ranking it first among European plants in terms of quality.
18. The first person of African descent to win the Nobel Prize was South Africa's Zulu Chief Albert Luthuli.
19. South Africa has the only street in the world Vilakazi in the historical township of Soweto to house two Nobel Peace Prize winners - Nelson Mandela and Archbishop Desmond Tutu.
20. South Africa is the leading country in having more women in the cabinet.

These Fact were found on the South African Consulate General Webpage.

Ontario SALTer's Gathering

Last night 7 out of 8 of us Ontario SALTer's met for the first time. We met at the MCC office in Kitchener, where we started with a light dinner prepared by Cath Woolner (MCC Human Resources, Ontario office), and got started right away with introductions and where everybody is going. We were all able to ask lots of questions and learned from each other how things were going and also learned any helpful traveling tips from those who have lived and traveled and abroad. Before we left we took a group photo. Listed below are my fellow Ontario SALTer's minus one and their country of placement.

L-R front row of the picture are Kim Walker (Bolivia), Iris Suggett (India), Adrienne Schellenberg (Bolivia). L-R back row, me (South Africa), Katie Friesen (Chad), Simon Martin (Lesotho), and Ben Reesor (Bangladesh). Absent was Yolanda Weima (Burundi or Rwanda) not sure which.

Next time we will meet again and the rest of the SALTer's will be August 8th in Akron PA at orientation. It was a great night. Sorry we missed you Yolanda.

I am hoping by next week I'll get my visa sent off to the South African Consulate General in Toronto. Just have to do a good copy of the application form and bundle everything up and mail off. The rest of my paper work is slowly getting filled out soon will be ready to mail off too.

I just finished the other week the book 28 Stories of Aids in Africa. It was a very interesting and eye opening book and I learned lots too from it. Reading peoples stories of how Aids has affected them and what they have done since learning of their disease. Some of them have reached out and helped others, some have become activists with bringing awareness to the disease and trying to get medical treatment to help others and themselves, and also trying to teach others how to protect themselves and others from it too. So now I'm concentrating on the book Long Walk to Freedom, Autobiography of Nelson Mandela.

Still much to do in 6 1/2 more weeks.

Signing off..

Corrections

I thought I would make some corrections from a post made back in May. I made the comment that the past SALTer's and current SALT'er say that this is their hardest year of their life. I think I should have said it was a challenging year. Also I mentioned about about two other Canadains traveling with me to South Africa, one from BC and one from Man. I was wrong. They are from BC and AB. I am excited to meet them as well as the two going to Lesotho.
I hope I havn't offended anyone with my mistakes.

Two months till Orientation in Akron, PA

I can't believe that in two months I'll be in Akron, PA along with all of the 59 other SALTer, 68 IVEPers, and 12 YAMENs for our one week orientation. I am very excited and nervous.
This past few days, I've been really busy working on my work visa, other paper work, and getting my shot's done. A requirement for my work visa to South Africa, I needed to get a chest x-ray and have a paper signed by the radiologist. I think I may have raised a few eyebrows in my local doctors clinic and the x-ray department at the hospital with that request. I guess the only reason they would issue chest x-rays if the TB skin test came back positive, but it is a requirement for the visa form, and so I got one done. Just to let you know, my TB skin test was negative, which I expected. Phew!
Other things that I've continued to do is read, read and more reading. I am currently reading two books, or maybe it's three books or four? lol Oh, dear better make sure I get them read before I leave. But the two I've been really focusing on are the autobiography of Nelson Mandela called Long Walk to Freedom and the other one is called 28: Stories of Aids in Africa. So far they have been interesting.
On June 23, I'm going to be meeting most of the other Ontario SALTer's at the Kitchener office. I'm excited to be meeting them and so it won't be all new faces when we reach Akron Pa in two months. There are 8 of us in total from Ontario, and I think either 13 or 14 of us Canadian SALTer's in total and the rest from the US.
One thing I did learn today is my flight itinerary to SA from Akron, Pa. I'll be on three different flights to get there. My longest flight length is a whopping 15 hrs long. Ouch, I guess I'll be doing some sleeping during that time. In total, my fly travel time is about 20hrs long. Ouch once again :) :(
Anyways there are things I need to do, so I'm signing off now.

10 1/2 weeks till Orientation

Well I can't believe it's June already. Wow!!! Just a couple more months till I'm in SA! So, my preparation continues. The other week I receive my work visa information. There are sure lots of things to submit to process for that. I was suppose to have found what I have so far fund raised last Friday, but won't find out until next week. Two weeks ago, I finally bought a web cam and had my first conversation with James and Joan Alty, who are the representatives for MCC SwaLeSa (Swaziland, Lesotho, and South Africa). They seem like a really nice couple and I can't wait to meet them in person. Actually I wish I could go to SA now, but can't, too much still to do. Drats!!
I have finally finished reading the book The Covenant, one of many suggested books from James and Joan. It was a very interesting book and I enjoyed learning about the history of South Africa and how the country was developed. I learned a lot of history, which is good and hope that this knowledge will help me understand the culture and the people better. One thing that I would suggest to the author, would be to include a map of South Africa. A map would have been very helpful.
I am now reading Long Walk to Freedom, an autobiography about Nelson Mandela, and 28 : Stories of AIDS in Africa. I've also have watched Cry Freedom, Sarafina, and a documentary of Nelson Mandela. I am learning lots.
This past Saturday, May 30, my mother and I went to the Mennonite Relief Sale in New Hamburg, where I met up with Calth Woolner and had a nice chat with her. I haven't seen her since she interview me about two years ago when I first applied.
Well I have lots more paper work to still fill out :( . And lots more to read, so I'm heading up to bed and want to read a few more pages before I'm for the night.

Preparation mode continues

I have found that this SALT placement has a lot more paperwork than I anticipated, but I know it's all worth it in the end. It least I hope so. lol I know it going to be hard, but I pray that my family and friends stick with me and encourage me when I'm feeling lonely, send me some funny stories about back home to make me laugh. I have read other SALTer's blogs from the past and this currents year and they do said it's the hardest time during their life. I pray that this experience for me will be life changing and teach me more about me, that after completing my year I'll know more what I want to do with my life. I'm not going to be Tim Horton's Lifer!

This past week I learned that there are six other Ontario SALTer's going to other countries, and I also learned through a different letter that I'm traveling to South Africa with two other Canadians, one from BC and the other from Man.

Well this is all I feel like sharing for now, I hope you will continue to view my blog, especially when I'm there. Better stories I hope to share then.
Kendra