Thursday, March 19, 2009

Molo Unjani

Molo! (hello!)

Unjani? (how are you?). Ndiphilile (I'm fine). Today I had the girls I tutor teach me some phrases in Xhosa. Today was first day that I felt I really connected with the girls at Ihkaya Primary. The kids in the afterschool program are 7th graders and still learning English, which has definitely been a challenge. But, each week I go back it seems easier to understand eachother. While we were playing 4 square today, one of the girls lovingly just leaned against me and played with my hair. It was such a sweet moment of acceptance.


The girls in their uniforms.
This is a view of the back of the school. We play kickball, soccer, and four square out on the concrete here. In the background are the mountains and vineyards of Stellenbosch.
Inside the classroom where I tutor.
At Big Beach (near Cape Town) with Shari, my sweet South African friend! Shari took me home with her the weekend before last, which was so nice. Her brother makes delicious macoroni and cheese that puts Kraft to shame. In the background is Table Mountain. Big Beach is a pretty local beach, with a lot of surfers.

Penguin, up close and personal!

Ah, the seashore of the Atlantic in South Africa.
Haha. Please observe my face. These are all girls from my wonderful small group! We went to a social on the beach with a bunch of other college kids from church. Beautiful!
Janna and I! I love this girl. She is from West Virginia, fellow Southerner!
We hiked up a mountain at 4 am to watch the sunrise. This the first light at 6 am. What an adventure!

Friday, March 6, 2009

Penguins, Monkeys, and Cheetahs...Oh my!

I got to play with Lemurs at Monkey Town! They are the laziest of the primate family...and I love them. They are great jumpers too. Usually they lie around on their backs though.
Opps...I guess that is why I now missing a leg. Just kidding! There are cheetahs at Spier Winery were we went wine tasting. It was 10 Rand to see the cheetahs and another 10 Rand to taste wine. What a deal! That is $2 US total.
Monkey Town- "Where humans are caged and monkeys run free." This the best 30 Rand ($3) I have ever spent in my life! I got to play with Squirel Monkeys and Lemurs.
The food court at Canal Walk, South Africa's largest mall. Talk about over-stimulation! I sersiously thought I was in Times Square...not Africa.
African Penguins at Boulder's Beach. Yep, there are native penguins here in South Africa!
Haha. If you are wondering if I rode in this flaming red and white 1977 VW Beetle, the answer is: Oh yeah! My friend Nanna from Norway rented this bug, and we definitely drove it to both the beach and the mall. We got many funny stares. We named the bug "Bernita."
These are the stairs up to Cape Point, near the Cape of Good Hope. The currents of the Atlantic and Indian Oceans meet here. The water is beautiful.


Hope you enjoy these pictures!! I am sorry I have been so slow to update my blog. More pictures and stories to come soon!

Love,
Nicole