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
Monday, June 29, 2009
Saturday, June 27, 2009
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
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
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
Friday, June 26, 2009
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
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
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
Thursday, June 25, 2009
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
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
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
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
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
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
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
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.
Saturday, June 20, 2009
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....
Friday, June 19, 2009
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
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
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
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
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
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
Monday, June 15, 2009
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....
Thursday, June 11, 2009
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.
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.
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
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.
Thursday, June 4, 2009
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.
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
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.
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