Back Home

It is amazing what 12 hours of sleep can do for the human body. Maybe cats could teach us a thing or two. We were determined to stay awake as long as we could last night. We had Tivoed many shows while were gone so went upstairs around 7 pm to catch up on "So You Think You Can Dance". By 7:30 I had checked out and I did not wake up until 7:30 this morning. I felt refreshed so, fortified by my first Starbucks in over three weeks, I balanced my checkbook and tackled the bills. I also went to the bank and turned in 620 Rands and got $62.70 credited back into my checking account. I figured I should try to do those tasks which required me to be alert just in case I crashed later in the day.

Reflecting on our experience in South Africa leaves us with so much to be thankful for. We met wonderful young people who see the value in volunteering and giving back. For me, as a former high school teacher, this was especially gratifying since, much as I loved teaching, I was sometimes discouraged by the self centeredness of teenagers. Most of our volunteers were college age females. There were two older men, Rick and myself. The other guys were in their 20's with the exception of Todd who is 31 and Rick's teenage sons. Never did I hear any of the vounteers complain about our living situation or their placements. They gave so willingly of themselves and I know that they touched the lives of those with whom they worked. For some of them, it may have been their first time so far from home. I think they may have found comfort having parent figures like Dianne, Juanita, and me living with them.

I also met many terrific young South Africans at Etafeni. Dianne and I both agree that the South Africans we met are all glass half full people. South Africa, especially the Western Cape, faces enormous problems. It is estimated that 1,000 people a day are making their way to the Western Cape hoping to find a better way of life for themselves and their families. Many come from other countries in Africa where there is war and/or instability in the government. These outsiders are not welcomed with open arms by South Africans as they are seen as competition for employment. They may end up in one of the already overcrowded townships. There is a recent history of xenophobic violence against them, and unfortunately, there will likely be more in the future as their numbers increase. The young people with whom I worked are all township dwellers and all unemployed. Even with that, it was encouraging to see them coming to class each day. They are all filled with hope that if they work at it, life will be better for them and they may be able to buy a car or a home in the future. Their graduation ceremony was one of the highligts of my experience. To see them dressed up and wearing caps and gowns and smiling was very heartwarming. You would have thought that the certificates they received were gold the way they held them. It was great.

I have a lot of pictures to go through as I took over 970 pictures. Each picture will be a special treasure for me and I know I may have a tough time choosing which pictures to keep. I am so thankful for digital photography so I can review and delete those "what was I thinking when I took this picture" pictures.

A couple of final thoughts for this post. More things I learned in South Africa. Rugby is fairly easy to understand, cricket is not. I read some accounts of cricket matches in the papers and although written in English, I could have used an interpreter as I had no idea what was being said. I suppose people who come from cricket playing countries could say the same about baseball.

Going to close for now. Stay well everyone.
Art

Home again

Why does this always happen....a long long plane ride ruins the trip... After two horrendous plane trips we are now home. Some of the young folks who were leaving made it a point to find us at our gate to say goodbye...a few in tears. ARt and I became mom and dad, and they really enjoyed having us around. The last night of celebration at Marcos'African restaurant with 20 of us had dancing also.. Art got out there and danced and everyone clapped..A sight to see for sure.

This volunteer experience was one of the most challenging, terrific, enjoyable experiences I have had in my 66 years. The African people that I met..and there were many ....showed me the hopeful spirit that is raising up out of South Africa. I close my eyes and see their smile, hear there kind words...then I know that there is hope for South Africa. Thank you South Africa that provided me with so many experiences.

My last day at Carehaven had so many surprises in it. THe staff had high tea for me, complete with a hand made gift and card. THen the ladies sat me down and sang and danced. Bonita came up to me with a small wrapped gift. I had admired her scarf for three weeks. She said that she did not have much to give but she wanted to give me something. She asked that I not open it up until I was home. In it was the scarf that I admired...the best she had. Tanya did a liturgical dance and Omma sang from her soul in this beautiful Gospel voice. The kids made me a bracelet that they had decorated out of painted macaroni. Those were treasures for sure.

I feel that I know the culture and the people of the Western Cape. I am glad that I did this but I am also glad to be home. Thanks to Sarah and Liz...our home was well cared for and Jake was happy and taken care of. Thanks to all who wrote to me. I needed that personal connection so far away from home. I loved the facebook entries also.

So Dianne Reardon closes my portion of this blog..I know Art will have his final words to say tomorrow.

If It's Sunday, This Must Be Rodeo

We are home after a long day of travel. For our bodies it is about 12:30 tomorrow morning but we are going to try to stay up for as long as we can so we can adjust to this time zone. We flew on South African Air from Cape Town to London. South Africa is a very nice way to fly. We were on United from London to San Francisco and it was nice, but not as nice as South African Air.

It is kind of surreal to think that over the past day and a half we have flown from Africa to San Francisco. We have a lot to reflect about and both agree that volunteering in South Africa is one of the highlights of our lives. We learned so much and met so many wonderful people.

This is just to let you know we are home. Right now my brain is a bit fuzzy and my body is feeling sleep deprived. I did find out that it is a real challenge to fill in customs forms and list the goods and US dollars after dividing the Rand total by 8 especially if one has been flying for around 22 hours. We breezed through Customs at SFO so I guess my sleep deprived brain got the figures close enough for government work. More when my brain has caught up with my body.

Art

Farewell To Cape Town

Our time here is almost finished. We leave for Cape Town International in less than two hours for our flight to London. It has been a truly blessed time for us here and we have added a lifetime of memories that we will always cherish.
At Etafeni yesterday there was graduation for four groups of young adults who have completed the Fit For Life Fit For Work program. One of the groups was made up of the young people with whom I worked for the first two weeks. They wore caps and gowns and green hoodsa and were dressed so nicely. They were proud of themselves and I was so proud of them that I could not stop smiling. I have only known them for three weeks, but in that time I have become very close to some of them. I have exchanged e-mail and Facebook info with those who are on the net. The ceremony for graduation was joyful. There was lots of singing, some of which appeared to be spontaneous, though I could be wrong about that as much of the proceedings were conducted in Xhosa so it is possible someone may have said "Let's sing" in Xhosa and I would have been none the wiser. Whatever the case, seeing and hearing the singing was kind of a magic moment for me and I videoed much of it on my digital camera. I took many pictures of "my" graduates and some of the others and have assured Deborah that I would e-mail them to her. Speaking of pictures, during the weeks we have been here, I have taken around 970 pictures. I guess I will have a time of it when I get home going through them and organizing them.
Dianne's people at Carehaven gave her a big sendoff yesterday. Dianne will probably let you know more about it but she is fighting off a cold and is resting at the hotel. The ladies with whom she worked and the staff at Carehaven wrote some beautiful words about Dianne. She feels so affirmed by her efforts at Carehaven. The fact that Dianne kicked ass with her placement and made such an impression on clients and staff comes as no surprise to me. I am married to an amazing woman, thank God.
We chose to spend our last night at the V & A Waterfront Hotel. Had we stayed at Homebase 2, we would have needed to clear our room by 8:00 this morning and occupied ourselves until transport to the airport. We decided the choice between sleeping on twice as wide as a diving board bed and a king bed was not difficult to make, so we chose comfort. We are so grateful we did. The hotel is allowing us to stay until we leave for the airport at 3:15. This is a great hotel and we recommend it to anyone who comes to Cape Town.
Last night many of the volunteers had dinner together at Marco's African Restaurant. Many of us are leaving and there are some who were with us last night who will stay. We are somewhat eclectic as far as age goes. I think the age range last night was 18-66. We took lots of pictures and got lots of hugs when it was time to say goodbye. We have forged some lifelong friendships with many wonderful young people who have so generously given of their time and talent in South Africa. Dianne, Juanita, and I are old enough to be their parents and have been treated as their friends. A lot of us have become Facebook friends. We have told them they have a place to stay if they ever visit San Francisco. We have already planned for Erin to stay with us at the end of September. Erin is a U of Washington grad who goes to all the football games. The Huskies play Stanford on Sept. 26th and we are going to the game with Erin. As an added bonus, she gets a tour of Rodeo. Does life get any better than that? By the way, while we were eating, a woman who was also a patron at the restaurant asked me what kind of a tour group we were. I guess she may have been curious about the obvious age differences in our group. I am still curious as to why she chose to ask me. Could it be my hair's lack of pigment? Anyhow, when I told her we were all volunteers who had been working in townships she thanked me and the group for coming to South Africa and giving our time. What a nice little perk.
Some things we did not tell you about Cape Town. It is a dangerous city after dark so anytime we were out after dark (not often for us) we took a cab, even if it as to Mels or Woolworths which are only about a quarter of a mile from Homebase 2. It can be dangerous during the daylight hours too. Two weeks ago, Juanita and Bettina walked in on an armed robbery in progress at the 7-11 store at 4:00 pm. They were not injured and not robbed, but were somewhat shaken. Our friend Jen was almost mugged in broad daylight before we arrived. She pointed out the corner where it happened. It was downtown on a Saturday. She just kept on saying "No" and pushing the potential muggers' hands away. Perhaps not the wisest thing to do, but for her it worked. Perhaps the fact that Jen is 6"1" tall worked in her favor. One of our drivers told us Johannesburg is more dangerous. Kept this bit of info until the end so family would not worry. We never felt in danger, but were constantly vigilant. This past week when we ate at Mbozi's Meats, some young boys stole all the potato chips from the tables at which we were to sit before we arrived.
Well friends, is time to bid you all adieu from Cape Town. The next post will be from Rodeo. Until then be well.
Art

The story goes on

We are waiting for a Salesian priest, Father Michael, to find us here at the waterfront so we decided to duck into a net place and blog. I have heard from some of you that you enjoy the blog of our tales of Africa. We are trying to give you a flavor on the western cape as we see it. Many people shop as we do...there are super markets like we have and we just went into a Hallmark store tobuy some materials for my placement tomorrow. They have a KFC, golden arches and subway and people love them. We have not gone there but the younger set have gone. One of the girls said today that she cannot wait to go to Taco Bell.

I wanted to tell you about the spirit in the townships that we learned about on Sunday. 6 of the our group went to the township in Kaialensha. They slept at Vickie's b and b nd loved it. They talked to the locals who actually were looking out for the white girls and did not want anything to happen to them while at the b and b. vickie began this b and b in order to put money back into th townships. The girls said tht the people down there were friendly and told them that they have a community built in their neighborhoods. Some of the neighborhoods in the dwellings take pride in the area and keep it clean on the dirt roads. Now there are some that do not, but this one did. The government is trying to build stone dwellings as fast as they can before the World Cup comes in over 300 days. The gov. does not want tourists to have a bad idea of the Cape. Now who goes first to these comes under a neighborhood vote. we do not see how they will achieve this task because here are so many families to move. When we drive to and fro from work we see he lines of latrins and water spickets and women with their buckets to fill up and wash...Some townships do not have his. Some of the men and women do want tobetter themselves and find work..HEre is the problem. Some must care for the little brothers and sisters or daughters and sons. Work is seasonal when out in the fields or working on roads. And the story goes on and on.

Today I was forced to sit in on a boring staff meeting...the Captain of the Salvation Army has taken a liking to me ( I will not join) and ask or my ideas. All I could think of were my women waiting to talk to me and here I was stuck. Groan! So I contributed and she wanted me to stay and send Art home. No way! I brought over two blank books to have people sign in and then I will put their photos next to the writing. The ladies have made beautiful pages. I do not want to read their work until I get home.

Tomorrow we are finely going to hear African music and see African dancing. Our driver plays pop music all of the time, he loves Lional Ritchie. I think I have told you about Faried, our Muslim driver for work and tour guide on the weekends. He did provide two days of great tours of the western cape, and all for $25 to $40 per person. This was all day tours. The African sunset last night that we saw facing the Atlantic OCean was spectacular for sure. Art's fingers were snapping away

One of the high lights was to see the Nelson Mandella statue in frontof the prison where he was released...It was powerfull. Our guide told us that on that day, there were so many people that it took him hours to walk out nd get into his car. People wanted to touch him.

We also learned of Steven Biko who died for the cause..There is a movie with Denzel, about this wonderful man who fought for tht rights of the Blacks.

We will not be able to blog until next Friday because we are v ery busy this week with ev ents. We will sendout aol writings from the house. Stay welll.......Dianne

In our last week

We continue to be blessed with good mild weather in the Westen Cape. We had two amazing days of touring on the weekend. On Saturday we toured the winelands of the Western Cape and had a marvelous time. We used one of the drivers who delivers people to their placements as our guide. His name is Faried and he is a real delight. He was born in Cape Town, so he has a great deal of knowledge about the area and the history. Wine is a big industry in South Africa and the South Africans pride themselves on being the equal of if not better than the French, Italians, and winemakers of the Napa Valley. Being a non drinker, I can not confirm or deny the above; but those on the tour who tasted wines had no complaints.

The scenery on the Western Cape is truly breathtaking. Being an ignorant American, I fear that my preconceived notion of what I would see here was influenced by the media, e.g., Hollywood. My eyes were opened by what I saw the past couple of days. There are mountains all over the Western Cape. They are not Sierra Nevada like in altitude, but they are beautiful and provide many kodak moments. Since it is winter here, the grass is green and lush which adds to the beauty. We were told that the grass goes brown, just like California, in the summer months of November, December, January, and February.

Our tour around the Cape Of Good Hope yesterday was fantastic. It was an all day affair that included a delicious lunch at a restaurant called Sea Forth right on the the Atlantic Ocean. The food was delicious. I decided to go African with my meal so I had lamb and mutton braised in a traditional South African sauce in a small African iron cooking pot. It was delicious and not too spicy. It had curry in it, and usually I am not a big fan of curry; but this was just right. I think it was called a lamb and mutton brebie of bredie. Our tour included a visit to Boulder Beach where one can roam among and get up close and personal with the jackass penguins that inhabit the beach. Just watch out for the penguin poop as you walk around. The penguins allow you to get really close for pictures but will let you know if you are invading their personal space as I found out from one of them who thought I was getting a bit too close. We also saw baboons that roam around freely througout the Western Cape. Signs are posted all over warning folks that baboons are wild animals and not to be trifled with. Whenever we saw them, Faried told us to roll up the windows because if a baboon or baboons get into the car they can become quite aggressive. As we were departing Boulder Beach, we saw a live demonstration of baboons in action. There was a Mercedes parked on the shoulder and on the Mercedes were baboons. Two males were on the roof and had made some significant dents. One was working on the right windshield wiper and destroyed it. One was trying to get into the car, but apparently the car was locked. Two juveniles were working on removing the hood ornament. Needless to say, the re-sale value of the Mercedes probalbly suffered due to its interaction with nature. There was a car parked nest to it into which one of the baboons had climbed. I don't know if anyone was in that car, but can you imagine their surprise if they were and saw a baboon driving their car away?

We have really enjoyed our time here and have learned so much. We do look forward to our return home but I am sure that we will leave a part of us behind. We hope all is well with everyone and wish all of you good health. Speaking of health, Dianne and I have been 100% healthy, with the exception of Dianne's fall and our unscheduled visit to Christian Barnaard Memorial Hospital for x-rays. On the other hand, some of the youngsters are succumbing to colds and coughs and other maladies, some of which might be due to trying to burn the candle at both ends. Been there, done that when I was young and foolish. Now I am older and less foolish ( I think) and being up past 9:30 is the rarity for us. Life is good here and we relish our last few days here and look forward to our return.

Until next time........Art

\happy 4th

\we must leave our hotel this morning...saddly...it was built in the 1800's...and before this, this area was for slaves, a prison. the historical group preserved this place. high ceilings, details ornate on ceilings, a large lawn area and pool.....they even have a tunnel from here to the v and a hotel by the waterfront. now it is used for transporting beer to all of the hotels. so i do not want to leave but we promised we would go to the wine tour with our little family. it will be good to get away into the country..i hear it is very lush and beautiful. the rain has been good and will stay away today and tomorrow. last night i thought the building would wash away from the wind and the rain...but i see mr. sun today. the staff here is so kind and has made us feel very special. we even got a note from the manager of last week who helped me so much when \i had fallen. we plan to sing american songs in the van today...our driver, \fareed will get a treat... fareed is one of our drivers and he likes our group... he also arranges these tours for us on weekends at a cheap price. you are all sleeping now and \i am going out for the day.... bye

Prayers poured out of windows

yesterdat was unique...our tour began up in ba\kaap....meaning upper cape. \this is a section of the \Cape that has been settled by the \malays, indonesians, and indians. we ate at a restaurant that served us \indian/malay food. it was nestled high on the hill so we could see up the mountain and down into town...breathtaking for sure. \there were about 20 of us. we were greeted by the owners and began our feast with indian hors d overs. then we had a spicy meat, rice and veggies. the dessert was the best. the owner then told us about this area. in the 1800 the people from these lands mentioned above were not allowed to settle in lower cape town because of their skin color so they settled up the hill. \each home is a bright color and we were told very welcoming to strangers. all we had to do is knock on the door and ask to use the loo and we would be invited in for tea. he told us that here all colors were welcomed and anyone would help his fellow neighbor. they can leave their doors open because there is little violence there. we then walked around on the old cobblestone streets and saw more of the colors of the buildings, complete with european influence. when we crossed the street and followed our guide through a walkway is when \i heard the prayers coming from the windows. it was 3:30 and all stop to prayer no matter where they are....there are 8 mosques in this area so the prayer was so musical . \i wanted to stay and listened until it was over...it was special. \the owner told us that a true muslem took care of the women, did not harm them in any way. he said he is saddened when he hears about abuse in iraq and iran to the women. so this was a day... i am sure art told you about the slave lodge, so i will not repeat that one

today at my center, the women are already beginning to ask me to stay and leave art go home...one girl who i have worked with came into the kitchen and just stood in front of me..\i asked her what was wrong...she said you are leaving and i am sad... that made me feel good. i have grown to love my women very much..now they feel like joking with me...they are comfortable. i bet art told you about our free upgrade tonight from the v & a hotel....wow....we are really in a plush place for sure complete with our own staircase. we thanked them for their kindness...i guess after last friday night, they felt like we needed this.i had written the manager thanking him last week for the kindness of the staff....so bye fore now..love and hugs..dianne

The Beverly Hillbillies Hit The Waterfront

As soon as we got home from our placements today, we packed, called a cab, and headed for the waterfront and another night at the V & A Waterfront Hotel. We arrived at the hotel and were told that we had been upgraded. We thought perhaps to a suite in the hotel. A suite it is, but not at the V & A Waterfront. We are at the Dock House, the V & A's boutique hotel on the waterfront. We have a little balcony that looks out on the waterfront. There is a stairway from our door to our bedroom and bath area. Our bedroom at homebase 2 could easily fit into our bathroom here with room to spare. We are not exactly dressed for the part and I guess we sounded sort of country bumpkinish as we discovered what is included with our room. We don't know why we got the upgrade, but we won't complain about it. By the way, if any of you ever come to Cape Town, the V & A Waterfront Hotel is absolutely first rate and we recommend it without reservation.
Yesterday was an amazing day at Etafeni. The unemployed young adults with whom I work put on a cultural display that is definitely one of the hightlights of my trip. The women came in traditional South African Xhosi attire which was very colorful. Two of the men also participated. All painted their faces in the traditional Xhosi markings. We were not sure if the day would even happen because it was supposed to happen last week but was postponed until this week. Deborah, the program director, was not even sure if the young adults had prepared anys sort of a program. Shortly after 10:00 they showed up and began rehearsing and I was blown away by what I heard and saw. One person, in this case a woman, would start singing and the rest joined in and before you knew it, they were singing a song in the Xhosi language in perfect harmony. I have no idea what the words were, but it did not matter. Their songs had a haunting beauty and rhythm that was captivating. They danced and it seemed that the dance came from within them and carried them away. Mind, this was only the rehearsal. Around 11:00 their performance started. The audience consisted of some of the staff, the young kids who come to Etafeni while the schools are closed for winter break, and myself and two other CCS volunteers, Jen and Aly. As I watched these unemployed young men and women perform I could not help smiling and being filled with joy. The Etafeni Day Care Center and the Fit 4 Life program are one of many Non Goverment Organizations (NGOs) that hold out a promise for a better way of life for South Africa.
Today, a new group of young adults started their orientation in Fit 4 Life. I had thought that I would be with the "old" group for another week, but they begin computer training next week. I will however work with them a couple of days next week because we did not have the chance to practice interview skills with them. I have grown very close to those who have been faithful about coming and will miss them. Deborah does amazing work with them and believes in empowering them so that they can be productive workers who treat any and every job they will have in the future as a chance to serve others. She does not believe in allowing them to play the victim. As she tells them, Apartheid is over and we are the agents of change. Deborah is very Christ centered and makes not bones about where her beliefs and values are grounded.
Before closing, a few random observations about Cape Town. No turns right or left against a red light. A Stop sign is a suggestion unless on a main thoroughfare. Bell peppers of all colors seem to be a regular ingredient in dishes. Pedestrians do not have the right of way. Cars beep but rarely slow down for pedestrians. Dogs are neither spayed nor neutered. Lots of what appear to be strays in the townships. Life in townships is hard but there is great hope for improvement in the future.
Have a happy 4th everyone and will blog you later.
Art

A Day Afternoon Off In Capetown

We finished our placement this morning and had lunch back at home base 2. After lunch we piled into a cab with the twins Max and Nick and Jen and Glenna and headed for Table Mountain with the intent of riding up the gondola to the top. Alas, when we arrived there, the winds were too severe so the gondola service was suspended. Not knowing if the gondola would be in service later in the day, we decided to head down the mountain and hired a cab to take four to Green Market Square (an open air bargaining market where we were two days ago) and Dianne and me to Rondebosch. We agreed on 120 Rand, but guess what? The cabbie claimed ignorance and said 120 to Green Market and then 130 to Rondebosch. It cost us 120 from Rondebosch to Table Mountain, so our driver was attempting to cheat us. We refused to pay that amount and all got out at Green Market and paid 60 and walked away. Thank goodness for Jen. Sher took the lead in refusing and stuck to her guns. I am sure the cabbie was pissed, but he was trying to take us for a ride in more ways than one. Lesson learned. Always havethe cab run the meter if a metered cab.
This morning at Etafeni was a very good morning for me. I was able to give a short lesson about body language and how we communicate nonverbally through our bodies. I got one of the girls to volunteer and took her outside and told here we would do a skit. I was to start telling her a story and her instruction was to let the rest of the class know that she was not at all interested in what I was saying through her body language. She did a very good job and the rest of the class correctly chose bored and uninterested in my story. We also talked about body language during an interview and how to sit and how to place hands and how to dress for the interview. It was fun to teach.
After tea at 10, Deborah conducted a discussion with the students about their attitudes towards homosexual sex, promiscuity, obligations of HIV+ people to disclose to families and also whether HIV+ people should abstain from sex and should a pregnant HIV+ mother have an abortion. I have never seen this group so engaged as with this discussion. It was amazing to watch and I told them I was greatly impressed by their level of discussion when I had to leave for the day. They had definite and divergent opinions, some of which were influenced by their religious views and were very eloquent in expressing themselves. It was a real treat for me. Tomorrow, they are going to put on a cultural display which should be interesting and informative.
Tomorrow we go the Area 6 museum and to the Slave Lodge. I really like the balance between volunteerism, free time, and cultural learning experiences. Cross Cultural Solutions is a reall tiptop organization.
Really need to go now. Hope all are well and keeping us and South Africa in your thoughts and prayers.
Art

Wwednesday at the Cape

We tried to go to the top of table mountain in a 56 passenger cable car. At the top, Art and four more were going to rapell down the mountain and back up....I was to sit at the top and video this...but, when we got to the top, they just closed the cable car due to winds. Boo Hoo..our days are running out and we might not get to do this now. This is one of the hazards of this venture today. So we are able to find an internet cafe, Cafe no....in the back of a barber shop, down a seemy hallway. Here are the computers.
yesterday we had a speaker who spoke to us of the rights of the grape pickers in the wine country...it parallels the migrant workers of California. They now have a union working for them, but before 1994, women worked from Sunday to Friday and came home with 30 rand because they deducted for food and lodging...that is the equivalent of 30 cents. The men got a little more. When they picked the conditions were and are very poor for them..it is a seasonal work so people are left to being homeless when it is not picking season. Things are changing now for the better...very slowly, but they are changing. I think through educating the young people, rights will change here.
Before the talk, the CCS staff gave us a huge lunch, complete with turkey, and fixings for sandwiches...and chocolate cake...you can imagine how yanks devour a feast like this. We are also enjoying sunshine still and eating outside is a pleasure. Keep your fingers crossed that we do not have the torential rains that we had last week....my water wings got so wet.

Tomorrow we go to a lunch spot where we will be entertained by african singers than tour the slave lodge and museum. This weekend we will visit the vineyards one day and Sunday go to the around the cape.. It is cheap because the van fits 8 to 10 of us. We have formed a family within the house family. THe teen twins keep us laughing....they keep trying to get there dad to let them do what the adults are doing like bunjee jump, shark dive and many more things...poor dad , he just shakes his head and says, "my partner will kill me if I do that." He did entrust the twins with us today. Dad needs a break.

My field placement continues to be a learning for me and an opportunity for me to use my talents.....I must learn to not get sucked into their stories too much....today I learned that one thing that happens is that women often make up stories to get into the center to get clothes and free services and then they leave in the middle of the night.. This does not always happen, but once in awhile it does... Young moms use the luxury of the creche to drop their babies and then they go smoke in the sun......they are not to do this since the poor creche worker has big kids along with the babies....

Art and i have decided to return to the hotel for Friday night since last friday night was not so good. Thank you for all of your emails..hearing from the other side of the world is good for me. Bye and love...Dianne

Our Weekend

Fact: seagulls in SA do not sound like they do in America...
Fact: sunrise is at 7:30am...weird
Fact: The Church in SA is just the same as in America\....we went to the cathedral..St. Mary's. As I looked around, I saw Blacks, Coloreds and whites all together singing and pray\ing and I thought....it is possible here.

we spent the day in the sun at the Botanical Gardens in Kirshenbosch...It was a 50 acre garden nesteled against table mountain. EVerywhere we turned there was something beautiful to look at and Art was snapping away here and there. He said it was his best day ever here. The sun made it so to us. THere is nothing like breathing the air and see green. Kids are kids any where....I spent time watching kids roll on the grass and enjoy tag on the dells while art snapped away. l\
LaSt night 6 house mates had gotten a chocolate cake and gift and came in singing Happy anniversary to us....so sweet. After we watched soccer

Today at my placement one of the ladies is a massage therapist and she gave me reflexolgy....so sweet...she plans to move away from the center and make a new life for herself in Massage. She even said, "dianne, i remember what you taught us on Thursday and so I taught a crises women on the weekend and she felt good." I smiled so much at her and thanked her for learning

Bye and love........Dianne

Molweni Bantu

T hat is for all of you. Greetings in Xhosa.....we are now experiencing the other side of CT....away from townships. Yes, there is beauty in CT....when the sun comes out, and finally we are promised three days of sunshine. This cape is windy of course because we are towards the end of the penninsula. TOmorrow we will do something fun for sure, since we had o cancel the safari due to clumsiness on my part...a bad fall in a restaurat in the bathrromm. So ladies came in and there I was crawling to the wall toget up...they thought I was drunk, but now chance here. The hotel sent a doc to the room, complete with drugs for me..so everything is ok now, an the doc told me to get a "proper walking stick" so I have an ebony stick, complete with an elephant on the top. With rest fo today, tomorrow I should be good to go....the meds are taking care of the pain. So Last night weate at "Mama Africas"...We tried aligator meat///uck....and ostrich meat.....more yuck.....liked the deer and kudu but who can like eating Bambi. But we have tried many African dishes now. I love the flat bread and the fatcake(fried balls of bread). The fruits and veggies are fresh and good and they cook alot of this at our place.

Many of you love our blog so far....thank you for your mails about this. In the Malls you would think you were in SF...and the music the young people like are the same... I asked a young lady at the center...15 years who she likes and it was Beonce and Myria.....I want to hear more real african music... I think they are taking us to this next Thursday.......

This wharf feels like SF.....the many colors of people are interesting...people in long outfits, people scarved on their heads, languages from all over...all of this makes it facinatig.
Goood to be down by the sea...the sea is always good to breathe and clear. Until I blog again...Love, Dianne

On The Waterfront

Molweni bantu,
We are celebrating our 34th wedding anniversary by indulging ourselves with a stay at the V & A Waterfront Hotel. The hotel is quite nice and we love our room. Sleeping in a king bed is quite a change from our sleeping arrangements at homebase 2. We had thought we were going to sleep in bunkbeds. My mind raced with the multiple dangers of forgetting I was on the top bunk when I needed to get up to use the facilities down the hall at night. That would have been our experience had we been put up at homebase 1. We are on the first floor, have our own toilet and shower, and are not in bunkbeds. We are in twins that are put together, so being in a king is luxurious.
Central heating is not the norm in Cape Town. Our house is nice, but it does get cold at night since we are in winter here. Of course, all temperatures are in Celcius and I forget how to convert to Fahrenheit. Suffice to say it does get cold at night. When the Cape was getting blasted by storms last week, the wind was howling and there were times when the rain came down with a vengeance. One morning at breakfast Bettina, one of our fellow volunteers, discovered that the toaster was wet due to a leak in the roof directly above it. Needless to say, that toaster was out of commission for awhile. The bedrooms do have heat of a sort. A large white metal 30"x30" square is attached to the wall. When plugged in, the square is hot. Sounds good, right? The heat seems to radiate no farther than 3-6 inches from the surface, so all in all, not too efficient. Layering clothing is the answer. There have been nights when Dianne has resembled Nanook of the North as she gets into bed. I use an extra blanket on cold nights.
We are enjoying some fine weather now. The sun is out and temps in the high 60's. I know it's in the 60's thanks to CNN on the hotel TV. There seem to be certain universals when one travels overseas. You can usually count on MacDonalds, KFC, and CNN all of which have a presence here in Cape Town. Of course, all of the news media and radio stations here are filled with news about Michael Jackson. I got to talk to the young adults with whom I work about MJ. He was quite popular here in Cape Town. I am sure his music will be selling like crazy for awhile.
Lots of anticipation about World Cup here next year. Major construction is taking place all over Cape Town. Here at the waterfront we are close to the new soccer stadium as we can see the upper rim of the stadium and the construction cranes from our hotel window. One of the young women with whom I work was wondering yesterday what will happen when the World Cup is over. Will things be better for the people of Cape Town. I find that the young adults I am priviliged to be associated with are very wise and hope for a better Africa. The same young lady was telling me about the violence by South Africans against people from Zimbabwe that occurred last year. She could not understand the why of the violence. She asked "Aren't we all Africans?"
Time to check out now. More later.
Art

Away for the weekend

We have left the friendly confines of hb2 and are now ejoying luxury at the V & A Waterfront Hotel in Cape Town. The weather has changed from stormy to cloudy with a promise of sun for the weekend. We will really enjoy our time here at the V & A as the accommodations at hb2 are comfortable, but far from luxurious. Our day at hb 2 begins at 6:20 and hopefully a hot shower. I say hopefully because with 18 people sharing hot water, the supply goes fast. I have found that if I get up early, I am guaranteed a hot shower.

We have become close with the volunteers at hb 2. Along with Juanita, we are the over 60 contingent. There is a father named Rick who is here with his twin teenage sons, Max and Nick. We also have Erin who is a recently laid off high school teacher from Seattle. She is a real joy to be around as she is so full of life. We also share with Bettina who is still waiting for her luggage that somehow did not make the trip from South America to South Africa. Katie leaves tomorrow. She is a perky 19 year old who is on her third CCS stint. We also have Aimee from Manchester England and Meaghan. Katie, Aimee and Meaghan are veterans which means they have been here for three weeks at least. Jen is a college student who will be joining me at Etafeni next week but will work on a different project. Amanda also leaves tomorrow, but she will meet up with her fiance and travel around South Africa a bit. We also have Shanika from Virginia going into her senior year in college in N. Carolina. We have fun together and have a nice little community. We think some of the young ladies may look on us as surrogate parents as I have seen Dianne in heart to hearts with some of them.

We had HIV AIDS briefiing yesterday. 6.5 million South Africans (out of 40 million) are infected with HIV. There are over 1 million AIDS orphans in South Africa. Treatment with ARV's begins when T Cell count falls below 200. If below 200 a person is eligible for disability of 640 Rands (about $80) per month. Once T Cells are higher, disability stops. Result, some people choose to keep T Cells below 200 by not taking drugs on regular basis so they can still collect disability. The middle generation is hardest hit by HIV AIDS. Result, grandparents (if alive) care for orphaned children. Obviously, this is a huge problem for all of Sub Sahara Africa.

I have made contact with the Salesians here in Cape Town and we hope to meet with them to find out about their work in Cape Town. Having been a Salesian teacher gives me an immediate entrance with Salesians around the world.

We hope all is well with all of you and will keep you posted.
Art

First Free Weekend

Since this is our anniversary weekend, we said goodbye to our new family and headed down to the waterfront to the V and A hotel. My my, it is fancy..Compared to what we are sleeping on this is definitely luxury. A big fluffy bed and fluffy pillows awaited us inside with a lot of bells and whistles. This will be a nice break away for sure. Now Ilove the people in our house...most are going on an extreme sport weekend up to the Eastcoast...we will all share photos on Sunday night. We will have our safari photos to share and they willhave their bunjee, zip, photos to share. I needed a mental break away too..since I am working in a setting with women who have tough lives, and I see going to work the poorest dwellings...I find I need to fill up this weekend. Tonight we have chosen an African restaurant named Mama Africas...they have dancing African style and singing during dinner.

Today I actually got the privedge of Counseling two different women in our center. Most of the time, I just listened to their feelings because I cannot give guidance since i do not know what services are available for the women. They really try to get the women to venture out and get jobs, take care of their paper business and see to their children in school. THey do not want the women to get to lazy and not do for themselves. So they are gentle but they push. The social worker sees the women daily and is there to motherthem and always give help. Today the women had smiles because some big benifactor sent clothes for women and children and babies...they had big smiles And where happy to show "auntie" as they call me their new things. One of the women is a masage therapist and I am going to have her give me reflexology next Monday. The staff all want to come to SF...they have really taken me under their wing. THey were all giggly about my weekend away for my anniversary.

There are many services in the townships there to help thehomeless, the HIV/AIds patients, the abused women, the orphans, the abused children.. THere, amid the dwellings you can see a building providing some service. The biggest problem in SA now are the people immigranting from Zimbawee and other areas such as Ghana...over 1000 weekly. Then they need to get an assylum card to assure they can stay..But the paper work is extensive and it can takedays and days for them. You might wonder, where do they stay until then....onthe streets, under bridges....this is where the crime comes in because the township SA do not want the zimbawees at all...there is so much prejudice between Africans from every area. One of our house mates works at the immigration house so that is why I know so much now about the process.

Hope you are enjoying my blog....until next time..Love, Dianne

The Sun has come out..

This is big here...the sun is out and it has not rained all day. For me who has been freezing since I got here, this gives me great hope. Who said that African never got cold...they lied.. It is even snowing in the high mountains.

Last night, five of us took off for the biggest Mall I have ever seen and a great restaurant for \make your own pizza. After a good glass of "Fat Bastard" Chardonay and a delicious pizza overlooking a canal like venice, I felt refreshed and good to go again. The contrast between this Mall and the Townships is drastic for sure. All high end clothes sold there and very good restaurants. But one needs a mental break now and then and that is what we got.

One of the great things about our house is the way folks gather after dinner to play games or like last night popcorn and sharing photos of family. Art very proudly showed photos of "his kids" for all to see. One girl showed us the video of her bungee jumping here in SA. Don't worry...art will not be bungee jumping here..he promised , although I can tell he would really like to show the younger folk how "super stud" he is.

I am hoping this weekend that the animals will show their faces when I go on a safari..if I must get up at 4am they better be there. Sunday we hope to go to the Botanical Gardens and chill away from this house a bit.

Today I got to help lead a women's group with my partner, Juanita. I began with yoga and relaxation and stress relief they can do daily and Juanita followed with Affirmation therapy. we were the bomb..and we had the women smiling and laughing after. we get to have women's group two days a week and children's group on anger management issues two days. and then one day combine women aND THeir children to teach the mom's how to work with their chidlren.. They have not learned how to nurture because so much time was spent on warding off the abuser. I continue to work in the kitchen, a fav of mine since we sing and serve food and laugh a lot. Bye for now Dianne

My First Two Days

I am on an amazing project at the Etafeni Day Care Centre in Nyanga Township. I work with a woman named Deborah who runs a program for umemployed youth who show promise. They enroll in a six week program that helps them with life skills such as preparing a resume and CV, job interviews, computer skills, and having a realistic plan for their lives. I hope that I do well . The young people are at least 18 years old and have completed at least high school. Most if not all are in dire financial straits, so this is a real opportunity for them. I spoke with a young lady today named Natalie who said it is very hard for her family. Her mother died last year and she has had to stop school because of lack of money. She wants to be a teacher, but needs money to attend university. She told me she was very hungry today because she had not had dinner last night because of no food. I am sure her story is not untypical for people in townships in South Africa.

Cape Town is a a city of contrasts. There are very wealthy areas, and then there are the townships. The government is attempting to build new homes for township dwellers, but it appears to be an impossible task as the population of Cape Town is growing faster than new buildings can be constructed. Even within the townships, there are marked differences. There are substantial homes, but the vast majority of the dwellings are shanties that are tiny and flimsy. Most are constructed of lumber scraps and/or corrugated tin. When the weather gets cold and wet, as it has been these past three days, it is not unheard of that big fires occur in the townships as people do what they can to fight the cold. People use storage containers as their place of business whether it be a tyre repair shop, a beauty salon, or a barber shop. There is massive unemployment. I think one of our tour guides said Cape Town's unemployment rate is around 40%. There is great anticipation about the World Cup next year and the government is doing a lot of construction near the highways so that people will see it; but there is no hiding the townships from view. We were told by our tour guide that people in the townships actually intentionally put up shanties near the new buildings and in full view so that visitors will see the real townships.

We had our first language lesson in Xhosi yesterday. Some of the sounds are so foreign to English speakers that the language is a real challenge. I will try to communicate with the adults in Xhosi and hope that I don't say anything that will cause an international incident. It is one of those clicking languages but sound very lyrical when spoken by a Xhosi speaker.

We have learned that there are different classes in South Africa such as the white, the colored, the black, the malay, the indian. Colored refers to mixed race and is not politically incorrect as it is in the states. Referring to a person born in South Africa as a Native South African is considered an insult, though I can't remember why now. At the risk of belaboring the obvious, we are discovering and trying to honor the cultural differences we are experiencing here.

We hope all is well with all of you and will try to keep you posted.
Art

Day two at Care Haven

I could not wait today to get to Carehaven. We again began with prayer and tea...always bushtea to start ones day. Then off to orientation to tell us and show us the way the center works. Each women in crises gets to stay for three days in a room to calm and center and recieve social services. then, if she wants and she does not go back to her man, she moves into the building in a room for her and her children. IF she works, she pays 45 rand a week for this....about $5. If she does not work, she is given oportunity to work in the center or in the thrift store for money..her kids are cared for in the center. They try and hlep her learn skills such as being a clerk, computers, making jewelry, cards, sewing things to sell... because most of these women have no skills and need to feel self sufficient if they are to stay on their own and make a life for themselves. Then they move to a furnished apartment for 450 rand a month...again if they are working. THey are given meals for the first month and then they are on their own. 450 r is about $50 a month. The women are varied ages that I have met there. THe young moms carrying their babies are always interested in some advice. Juanita, my companion from my group, who is in mental health and I will be leading a women's group twice a week, and a skills group twice a week. Ok, you are wondering what skills I can teach...well guess what...card making is one of them so I am in there. Since I do not sew I would be hopeless in that room. They do make beautiful things and they are proud of them. When I do not do these things I love to work in the kitchen with Mama Vickie. Mama Vicki and I have connected for sure. She missed me last night. She is putting off her holiday so she can be with me.....she said "we have so much to share". It is not all of the time that she has a mature woman in her kitchen. We laugh, we sing , we share. She is a Xhosa woman, who lived in carehaven many years ago because her husband abused her many times. So to give back she volunteered there and now she is a worker , paid and gives back> We are already imagining how sad it will be when we say goodbye. She has taught me in two days so much of her people.

Now today is a free afternoon so everyone takes off, us included. THere is no class to attend so five of us have gone to the Canal Walk Mall to shop for phones, clothes, internet and food. TOmorrow our afternoon class is on Aids in SA...so we are enjoying the free time for sure. This weekend the younnger set are going on an extreme sport weekend....bungee jumping, zip lining, elephant and ostrich riding. THey are very excited to try these things....Art just says...I have done two of those things already. Next weekend a bunch of us are going around the Cape for an adventure that will include getting up close and personal to penguins called Jackass penguins.

Everyday we pile into vans to take us to our jobs.....we always drive by the poor township sections that I have told you about...it is pouring outside...has been for days...and I wonder how they servive in there...it just touches my soul.

one of our guides told us a new word used ...cockroach....it stands for the taxis in the townships who have no license and drives anywhere in that township for 5 r...she said never to get into a taxi cockroach becuase they are not stable. Funny isn;t it...
We took a XhoaSA LESSON yesterday...required...well....art got it a little but I was lost...you click your tongue when you say a Q or C or X...but they are different clicks...the teacher laughed at me clicking away.

So my friends...here it is for now.. I hope you are enjoying our blogs. signing off, dianne

WE HAVE BEGUN

DaY ONE FIELD PLACEMENT....I HAD A GREAT DAY.. I WENT TO A CENTER FOR ABUSED WOMEN AND CHILDREN RUN BY THE SALVATION ARMY. WE BEGUN BY PRAYING...THE CAPTAIN LED THE GROUP...CAPTAIN OF THE SALVATION ARMY. THEN THERE IS TEA TIME..THAT IS BIG HERE. THEN I WORKED WITH THE COOK WHO WAS VERY LIVELY AND SANG ALL OF THE TIME. WE MADE TEA AND BREAD FOR THE LADIES AND THEN LUNCH..THIS GAVE ME A CHANCE TO MEET THE WOMEN AND LEARN A LITTLE ABOUT THEM. I LOVED THE KITCHEN BECAUSE I COULD SEE THE WOMEN... THE PLACE TOTALLY HELPS EACH WOMEN EMPOWER AND LEARN SKILLS. IT HAS SO MANY NICE FEATURES ABOUT IT THERE FOR WOMEN. THERE ARE SO MANY ABUSED WOMEN HERE IN CT..SO CENTERS LIKE THIS ARE TREASURES. ART LOVED HIS PLACE...HE HAS ALL SMILES TONIGHT.. HE WILL WORK WITH YOUNG FOLKS WHO HAVE BEEN IN HIV TREATMENT AND ARE NOW LEARNING JOB SKILLS AND WILL LEAVE THE PROGRAM IN TWO WEEKS. HE WILL ROLE PLAY WITH THEM ON HOW TO GO ON AN INTERVIEW, HELP THEIR ENGLISH SKILLS AND MANY MORE THINGS. EVERYONES JOBS ARE INTERESTING AND WE ALL SHARE AT DINNER TIME. THEN THE YOUNGER ONES GO TO PUBS OR OUT CLUBBING.. BUT SINCE WE GET UP AT 6ISH ART AND I STAY AROUND THE HOUSE. OUR HOUSE IS THE BEST HOUSE...VERY BEAUTIFUL FOR CT STANDARDS SO WE ARE HAPPY HERE. THE FOOD IS GREAT AND FRESH AND THE COOKS LOVE WHEN YOU COMPLIMENT THEM. THIS WEEKEND ART AND I WILL GO ON A SAFARI FOR A DAY TRIP. WE ARE GOING TO A HOTEL ON THE WHARF AND THEN TOUR FROM THERE...WE ARE EXCITED BECAUSE IT WILL BE SUNNY ON WEEKEND...NOW IT IS RAINING IN TORENTS...I HAVE BEEN VERY COLD AND WET SO I NEED SOME SUN...BY AND LOVE TO ALL.

Home Base #1

So after spending a chilly night at the B and B we were served a lovely breakfast before departing to home base 1...this is the largest of the home bases and has room for 30 volunteers and 4 bathroom. this is not where art and i will stay..we are going to base 2 a newer place with fewer rooms and bathrooms. all is very organized, very clean and very spacious. everything is taken care of for us...cooking, washing dishes, laundry, cleaning of the rooms..we are to do nothing but the volunteer work and enjoy the culture. We met an african man named Frances who is the guide in the first home. he is very knowledgeable of the area and the base so just gave us orientation for one hour. my head is swimming and i am trying to retain everything. there are four types of people in SA...the blacks, the coloreds, the white and the indians. all have different languages. we will learn words in each language soon. so goodbye for now....

Cape Town at Last

First day, first impressions.

So after three awful days on the airplane, we are here in Cape town staying in a small but quaint B and B nestled against the Table Mountain. A room with a bed look so good to us after trying to maneuver sleep in an airplane seat. Any way you position, sleep is hit and miss and noisy and uncomfortable. Even getting through Heathrow this time made us laugh. Would you believe that I got stopped and searched all over only to find out that I had a capstick in my pocket that had a metal outside. So now Cape Town and first impressions...the airport was clean and efficient so getting out of there with our baggage was a relief. I am always relieved when I see our Reardon bags. Then we called the Taxi service that our Cross Cultural told us to use at all times. Again, this was a smart move because when you get off of the plane and are ready to get transportation, there are about 20 taxi drivers who immerge on you. We were told that many are not safe nor leggit. So here comes Rashid from Excite Taxi.....very charming and informative. Sigh of relief once again. He knows his way around and told us little things we could use now and again. We have found another member of our group in our b and b. She is a retired army vet..nurse from Kuwait.....who is travelling and experiencing many things. Poor thing had the airlines loose her luggage...so right now she has the clothes on her back..I made her a care package for now and she was greatful.
Driving to the B and B we passed at least ten different townships. THese are areas that started during apartheid and have remained. It reminded me of the slums in Slum Dog Millionaire....house upon house made of cardboard, metal, whatever. It is here that we will work.. Cape Town is preparing for the football games in 2010...so there you have the modern springing up...what a contrast side by side.... that got me first... Looking forward to having a good night sleep in a real bed...jet lag will not be so bad then when we check in tomorrow at our place for three week. So bye for now.... Love, Dianne

From Cape Town

We arrived in Cape Town this morning around 9:30 am Cape Town Time. For those of you on the west coast of the states, that's 12:30 am. Our bodies are here and the rest of us is trying to catch up with us. We have had a very long travel time and are glad we got here a day early so we can let our bodies adjust to the time zone change.
The flight from SF to London was uneventful. We are so glad that we had a room at the Sheraton Heathrow as we were able to shower, get refreshed, and even catch a bit of a nap. The flight from London to Cape Town was long and we were able to sleep part of the way, but only in bits and pieces.
We were pounced upon by cabbies as soon as we cleared customs (by the way, no paperwork to fill out to enter South Africa), but told them we were going to call for our car. Cross Cultural Solutions had recommended certain companies, so we called Excite Taxi and our driver, Rashied, was there in 5 minuntes. He was very nice and took us directly to our B & B, the Little Scotia. We had informed the B & B we would be arriving early and thankfully our room was ready for us when we arrived. The bed looked so inviting that it was not long before we were both sound asleep and stayed that way for 3-4 hours.
One of the other CCS volunteers is at the same B & B and we met her in the lobby and went out to have a late lunch/early supper. Her name is Bettina. She is from Colorado and a recent graduate of CU Boulder in International Relations. She flew in from South America where she was in Argentina taking Tango. She will teach English in Spain after CCS and hopes to take the Foreign Service exam in October. She is doing her travels before settling down to life. More power to her.
We have not been able to get a real feel for Cape Town yet. Where we are staying is close to the University of Cape Town and in the shadow of Table Mountain. Table Mountain is the dominant feature in Cape Town and creates a rather dramatic backdrop for us to view. On our way to the B & B, we passed a couple of Townships. They look like they define the word poverty. There appeared to be many buildings constructed of corrugated tin and scaps of lumber. I am sure our eyes will be opened by our experience in Cape Town.
We hope all is well with all of you and will keep in touch.
Art

Inside 24 hours

It's hard to imagine that in 24 hours we will be somewhere in the air between San Francisco and London, the first stop on our journey. We leave SFO around 7pm and arrive in London Thursday afternoon at 1:35 pm. Our flight to Cape Town leaves London at 9pm. To pass the time in London, we have taken a room at the Sheraton Heathrow at the Day Rate. This will allow us to shower, freshen up, and rest at the hotel. Our luggage will be checked through from SFO to Cape Town, so anything we need for the hotel will be in carry ons.

Our flight to Cape Town will take around 12 hours and if we are on schedule, we arrive in Cape Town at 10:10 am on the19th. We will spend the 19th at a B & B and on to the home base on the 20th. One of the other volunteers will be at the same B & B with us so we will get the chance to meet her and share transportation to the home base on Saturday.

We have both finished our suitcaase packing and have only carry on items to put into our backpacks. My rule of thumb is if it does not fit and is not absolutely essential, it's not going. My expeience with travel is that even though I think I am economizing as far as packing goes, I usually take more than I use. I'm pretty sure that my packing job for our trip back home in July will be somewhat less organized. Rule of thumb: everything gets washed.

Since we both have our placements, our trip seems more real. I have done some research on my placement and am already wondering how effective I will be working with mothers and children who are HIV+. I am not afraid. I just need to be open minded and remember that I will need to live life on life's terms while in South Africa. Big day tomorrow, so I bid you all goodnight.
Art

Placement in South Africa

My placement will be with Etafani at the Fit 4 Life project. Schools will not be open while we are in Cape Town, but I may be teaching English and life skills to unemployed youth. According to Cross Cultural Solutions, Etafani is a "small grassroots community based organization in Nyanga, a township outside Cape Town". It includes a preschool, vegetable garden, a nutrition program, community worker program that operates and supports surrounding health care clinics, on site HIV testing and counseling. According to the description, it appears that Etafani places special emphasis on care of mothers and children with HIV/AIDS. I will find out more about exactly what I will be doing while I am there. Right now I am just open to whatever the Lord has in mind for me and hope that you will join me in prayer and/or good thoughts so that I may do the best I can while I work at Etafani. Art

My placement

I learned last night that I will placed at Carehaven...this is a place run by the Salvation Army. It is for abused women and children. I will be helping to empower mothers, do parenting classes and work side by side in a shelter setting. Carehaven enables women to begin the healing process in a three stage setting. Knowing their children are safe...there is a creche(nursery) and a Educare for older children......women receive jobs skills, emotional support, life preparation, aids awareness training...and many more. Those of you who know me well will be smiling right now, because you know what my talents are and you know how perfect this placement is for me. Last year, I worked in a shelter just like this in Alameda and gained from this. So off I go Tomorrow......Dianne

48 hours to go

48 hours until we leave....this is the hardest part..."Did I forget anything?"....."Did I make sure the house sitters have all of the information they need?", " did I remember.........?". Now Cape Town is a large city and has every thing we need if we forgot something. So Why am I worrying? Once we get to our home there and settle in and meet the other people who will be volunteering at different sights in the Township, life will settle down a bit. Cross Cultural Solutions has assured us of our safety while there. We will have to check in with a photo ID in and out. During the week there is a 11pm curfew and on the weekends it is 2am. If you do not arrive by that time, they send someone out looking for you. Strict you say....no, it is for our safety. Cape Town by day is like SF....but by night a different place. Until we write again....

Less Than One Week

We have less than one week before we take off for South Africa. Today we had a conference call with Ileana, our volunteer coordinator, and three of the other volunteers who will be with us in South Africa. We do not have our placements yet and we hope to know what we are going to be doing prior to our departure. Cross Cultural Solutions is really well organized, so we have great confidence in this organization.


We will be going into winter in the Southern Hemisphere, so our days will be shorter with the sun setting before 6 pm. We also need to take raingear as this is the rainy season in South Africa. It is not monsoon type rain, probably more like San Francisco in the winter type rain.



Although we do not know our specific placements yet, we did find out that we will be working in townships which means, I am sure, that during our stay in South Africa we will be exposed to the extremes of South African society. We will live in one of two home bases with other volunteers some of whom will already have been in country for a few weeks. We arrive on the 19th in Cape Town and will spend the first night at a B & B and then make our way to the home base on the 20th to check in and get situated and continue to rest up. Orientation begins on Sunday morning and takes up all of Sunday and Monday and we begin our placements on Tuesday.



We are looking forward to the great opportunity this venture presents to us. We will try to be faithful about updating the blog.

Organizing

Keeping items organized has been so helpful to me...things for suitcase, things for backpack, things for purse etc.....Thursday we get a conference call from Cross Cultural Solutions where all of us in our house will receive important information and share concerns and ideas. Hopefully we will receive information on our field placements. I am anxious to know so I can prepare.

The Stress of travelling

The travelling part is the best part..the worst part is packing. Each airport has different rules with how many carry ons you can have. For Example, Heathrow only lets you have one carry one...so this means no backpack and purse. Stress is when you have to cram purse into overloaded back pack. Then every place allows different items....I have checked all over the net...one airline lets on blunt scissors others don't...a challenge to one who does stitchery onboard for boredom.

Getting Ready

Went to safe deposit box to get passports. Such lovely photos of us. Bought some travel necessities and checking items off our list. Two weeks from today we will be somewhere between London and Cape Town. For reference to all who follow the blog, we will be 10 hours ahead of west coast time.

Packing

Getting organized is the pits for sure.....so many details to bring..I hate this part

two weeks to go

We have two more weeks to prepare. Soon we will find out our placements. CCS has set up a fancy conference call on June 11 with all in our house...this is to answer questions that we might have...and then ILiana, our supervisor has prepared a power point on the computer for us to see. They are very organized and I like that one. CCS has prepared orientation classes the first day, city tour the second day..afternoon, third day in afternoon language lessons and aids awareness on the fourth day in the afternoon. Our field work is done from 8am to noon everyday and then a van picks us up and brings us back to our house for lunch.

Before we Go To Cape Town

We are Getting ready to go to Cape Town. We will be using this to update our fabulous days in Cape Town and our adventures in traveling. Please enjoy reading this and living our experience with us for the three weeks.