BUTSOFT

Today was a good day! Not that they all have not been in some way good, but today i was just a happy person! All Day! Amazing. I got up early, had a skype date with some friends and then got ready for the day. Since i was up so early, i had time to actually do my hair and put on makeup and dress in something other then just jeans and a t-shirt. I wore jeans and a jacket today! I think making an effort and actually doing something in the morning makes me far more awake and ready for the day then if i just put my hair in a "regal up-do" (pony-tail) and throw on some clothes and go to class. I felt more....ALIVE today. We started the class with a new instructor today. She is going to be our English teacher and she is also the principal of the school. (i may have mentioned her before) So that makes things fun! She is super nice and a great teacher but she is one of those chheeky tricky people that is super sweet to you, but still mark your papers down...i have been warned about her! I am excited though. so today we talked all about the expectation of us on how to write a proper paper. Form, style, content. That such stuff. Very thrilling. (NOT!) Most of the stff we went over i already knew, which was nice. Some of the stuff was a little different then the way i learned it 10 years ago, but i followed along. One cool thing, is that we are going to learn how to speed read! Sorta. The teacher only had about an hour today to go over it and an hour tomorrow, so she is just giving us the basics and then we can come to her if we want to learn more. I totally am going to do it!!! I have always wanted to know how to speed read! Like that robot...what is the movie called where that robot reads like super fast? Jonny-5 ???? Somthing like that. One of my favorite movies (even though i can't remember the title) I know i most likely will not get to the speed that a robot is at, but i will sure try! This has me really excited people...you don't even know!

After this whole academic day is done, i am walking out of class and the English tacher comes up to me and says "Heidi, are you going to take the English class" ? Come again?...i didn't even know there was an option NOT to take the class! She said that she thought that i would be fine without taking it and that i might find some other class more interesting! YAY! However, i told her that i don't think that i should just say no to it. I think that i should have to test out of it. If i can pass a test that she would normally give at the end of the semester or year, then sure, i'll move on, but if i don't pass the test, then i would like to take the class. She said fine. That we would look into it. Then, we also discussed doing the same thing with a few other classes, so that is cool!

As a few of you know, i said that i would be putting my grades on this here blog to share with you how i am doing. Now i don't know. I got my first grade back and i'm ashamed! Remember back last week when we took that test that was just to see how we are doing right now and how much we know? It was like a placement test? Yeah...well...remember that Bible test that 150 questions and i finished it first? That didn't do so well for me. I feel like a stinkin HEATHEN in this place! Instead of giving us our real grade for the test, she gave us our "percentage ranking". It's like out of everyone ever who has taken this test, what grade percentage am i with? Umm....i got 15. out of 100%...i got 15%. UGH! These thoughts were starting to run through my head..."i KNOW i am a Chrisian, i KNOW that i have read my Bible, i KNOW this stuff" but still...apparently my memory and what year exactly lot's wife became a pillar of salt is a little fuzzy.

moving on...

We also did a 3 part english test. Part 1) there were a bunch of sentances and we had to pick out each word and say what they are. Like verb, noun, proper noun, adjective, any many more things that i had never heard of. (honestly!) I got a "D". SORRY TIESHA!!!!! I know i should have paid more attention to that in high school. But honestly, in the 10 years that i have been in the work world and not in school, not once has an employer asked me to conjegate anything or have me pick out all the proper adjectives out of a contract or work order or antyhing! No joke...never happened. I feel bad that i got a D, but i totally have it justified in my head. I'm over it.
Part 2) Write a letter to a coal pen place and ask for an exchange. I got an A+. 100% Thank you very much! I have proper letter writing abilities!
Part 3) Write an essay on why Bible schools are important for the growth of a church. I got an A+! hey HEY hey!!!!!!

I am really glad that these scores were not for real. They don't go on any document in my file or anything. It was just a "See where you are" test. when we leave the school, i hear that we have to take the Bible test again. THANK YOU GOD! I will be able to redeem myself!

I can not promise that i will share every grade, but i think that i will try to share most. I think it will keep me positive about what i am doing and knowing that i have to tell it to a bajillion people i might try just a little harder. Maybe.

We got a new girl today!!! YAY!!! We are now up to 5 girls!! We have a total of 14 in out class now. It's great! She is a little shy, but will get used to use soon enough. We still are the quietest class they have had in a long time. We say NOTHING in class. They have to coex (sp?) things out of us just for a discussion. It's kind of funny. So many of use are "thinkers" and not loud people that if you ask us a question, we like to think it over before we offer an answer. Ha...i can see when the teachers get frustrated, and it makes me laugh.

I'm going to let you all in on a little frustration here that i am having. It's about toilet paper. Not a common subject, but one i feel the need to vent about. And honestly, what is a blog besides one big vent session?!?!? So, the school here is not doing the best financially, and they have given us a "supplies" budget. Out of this budget, comes the purchase of TP. They also do not have it in the budget to hire a cleaner this year for the girls or boys dorms. I don't know what it is like in the boy's dorms, but here in the girls, it's pretty tidy still. However, it seems like we NEVER have any toilet paper. How is it that 10 girls go through 6 rolls of toilet paper in 24 hours? Huh? Apparently last year they had an issue with it as well because they had someone stealing the toilet paper. Like they would replace the roll and a few hours later it would be gone. So then they went to issueing each person a roll and then you had to bring it with you when you went to the restroom up here in the dorms. STUPID! WHO STEALS TOILET PAPER?!?!?!?!?!? For the last 3 days there has been nothing in the restrooms. My mom, the darling know it all before it happens person she is, secretly snuck two rolls of toilet paper in my bags when i wasn't looking. So i had my own to tote with me. However, you never really know if there will be any each time you go, cause maybe there was a full roll when you went a few hours ago, but now...could be gone! So i am bringing my roll of TP with me every trip! It's annoying! And, since there has been no "cleaning crew" established yet, there is nobody in charge of refilling it. It's like we all think that someone else will take care of it. And...i just found out today, that when you DO go get toilet paper refills, you have to sign for it so they know how much you are using! Oh GEEZE! This place is so crazy!

I was in the restroom today and i noticed the new roll sitting there ON TOP of the old roll...people are way to lazy around here to even change the roll, and the new roll had it's wrapper still on it. This is what it looked like.



i thought it was funny.

i have lots more to say, but i think that this has gotten too long! I will save my stories for another time! (Knowing me, i will most likley posta gain in a few hours! HA!)

Thank you to all of you who have written me email and notes! I really appreciate you! And for those blog stalkers out there that like to read, but not comment...i appreciate you too!

I got a letter, i got a letter, i got a letter HEY HEY HEY HEY!!

I finally got my first letter!!!!! Well it was just a card, but i LOVED it! It was from my sister, Tiesha! She sent it on the day tat i left, so it took about 15 days to get here. I have sent several letters home, and they have arrived in about 7 days.

PLEASE WRITE ME! I LOVE LOVE LOVE getting mail, like everyone else, i'm sure! And i even have a "color page" wall! So if you have a kid, know a kid, are a kid or just like to color, send me your masterpiece! I only have 3 up there so far that are pages that i brought with me. I need it FULL! It's going to be a long year and i need some decorations in here!

Thank you very much!

(for those of you reading this on Facebook, please go to my actual blog and you can get my address off of there. And my phone number if you want to chat or text too! )

Wednesday

So today is Wednesday and i just finished classes. It has been a good week. Nothing really exciting has happened...well...unless you call an unruly game of UNO last night that got out of hand, exciting!?!?!?! (which, i do, actually!) Re-match is on for tonight! I showed a little bit of my mad skillz last night in card dealing. I am now known as "vegas" in our after-hours card club. Just making Bible school memories...that's all!

We are still in the middle of our orientation. We have been going over theological things about what they teach here and such things. Tomorrow, starts the classes on how to write papers here and what is expected in the non-theological classes. We will finish out our week with that, and then do the same thing all next week. Oy! Then on the 8th, our real classes start!!!! I have not had any homework besides reading thus far, however, i just noticed that we have to turn in a 3 page paper tomorrow from our homework tonight. It's no big deal, however, after talking to a few students, i am the only one that has decided to do it. Strange, i know. If it's homework, you would think, "ok, i have to do this and turn it in" right? Apparently that is not a common thought around here. If they feel like it and if it doesn't get in the way of their "life" then they will do it. Maybe i was just raised different. So, that is what i will be working on tonight! (actually, right after i am done with this, as t library closes at 4:30 and that is the only place to print.) They don't have personal printers on campus. Also, you have to pay $.20 a page! Long papers can get EXPENSIVE!

Yesterday, as i was walking into the hall where the meals are served, i scratched my toe on the door. Like it took some skin off the top of my toe. OUCH! Then, last night as i was laying in bed reading, i felt a slight sting on that toe, and i looked down and a mosquito had bitten me RIGHT ON THE SCRATCH! What the heck! Now it hurts double bad!

This morning when i got up, it was raining. I believe that i jinxed myself by putting that it had not rain since i had gotten here in the last post. So i took a shower and got ready for the day. I put on my sweatshirt and jeans and wore my UGG's. I walked downstairs and it was BRIGHT AND SUNNY!!!! i decided not to change as maybe it would raid aging in a little bit. Nope. I was sweating ALL DAY! At a short break that we had i booked it back to my room so that i cold put some flip flops on, but didn't have time to change completely. I'm so used to rain making the weather cold. I forgot that here...if it rains, it gets muggy!!! Which just intensifies the sweating! I'm glad i'm out of the classroom!

I have not taken any pictures of anything, but that's cause i have not done anything. Sorry. My classrooms are not very interesting, but maybe i will try and get some of my fellow students. Maybe.

I hope that you all are having a great week! Enjoy your Wednesday!

FIFA!

Fédération Internationale de Football Association. That is what it means...basically it's the soccer association that deals with the World Cup and such stuff. You know...like the NBA, or NFL or whatever. This...is soccer, or football as they call it here.

GST@CTS, this here college that i'm attending, has decided to kick all students out from June 11th to July 10th or so because they are going to use the college and the dorms rooms as a hostel for groups of people that are coming in. I suppose they will open it up for individuals as well, but mostly it's going to be groups. They are going to have each room set up like a hotel type thing and have a 24 hour catering service and laundrey service and such stuff. So, the lady in charge of making sure that it all gets done is a friend of Emily, you know, the lady that i stayed with when i got here. Anyways, i being new to the country and not having many friends yet, have no where to go for that month. So, i needed to find a way to stay on campus. Emily introduced us and voila! I am working here on campus during that time! I will be able to stay here on campus, most likely even in my same room! We met adn talked about some things that she needs help with and what i could do for her. Basically i am going to be her assistant and i will oversee the laundrey service and the catering and such so that she doesn't have to carry such a big load. We will be hiring catering and laundrey services but i will be in charge of making sure that all runs smoothly as well as any cleaning crew that we decide to hire i will make sure they are taken care of. Honestly i'm excited for it. It's going to be such a crazy time for Cape Town and there will be so much going on that i'm excited to be involved! There are expecting a full house for the whole month that the games are going on. I believe they are going to offer 200 rooms. (i could be wrong about that) and they are going to be putting 4 people per room. Now, these are just regular dorm rooms so a little squeezy, but people need a place to stay, so they will!

I'm totally excited! I can't wait till the time is closer and there is something to do!

Any questions? Ask away!

week one is done

Today is Saturday. It's my first saturday at the college. I can't believe that i have been here for only a week already! It seems like i have been here for so much longer then that. Friday, we just had lectures all day. We are doing this personality test type of thing that all the first year students do. It's actually really really cool. It's called Flag Page and it tells you what is positive about yourself and what your top 5 motivatons are which is what makes you do what you do and what makes you react the way you do to things. I have learned SO MUCH about myself. And others really. I have learned how to understand myself much more. And really, that is what this whole adventure is about, finding myself and my place in this world and gaining an understanding of what God has for me in the future. I would say that in this first week of school, i have learned more about myself then i have in the last 10 years. If you ever get the chance to take the Flag Page test for yourself, i would recommend it.

So anyways, we just talked about that all day long. Until lunch at least, then we were free for the day. It's sort of nice and sort of frustrating to be in this school. For me, understanding the book and the teachers is fine. English is my first (and only) lanuage. But for about 90% of the students that is not the case. The teacher has to go at such a slow pace that i find myself day dreaming a lot. Once they go over a section, we then have to go through the class just to make sure everyone knows what was said. And let me tell you, my class is starting to come out of their shells and they are TALKERS! Again, nice and annoying at the same time.

After classes and lunch was over, i went up to my room and made a few phone calls and read a book. Then the girls were walking down to the Pick and Pay (grocery store) for some ice cream so i went along. I needed to get off campus anyways and a walk sounded delightful! It was only about 1 mile round trip, but it was just right. I got back to the campus and changed and then headed out with a few friends to a church service. One of my friends that is a student here, named Michael and his friend Otneil started a church about 6 months ago. They have service on friday nights. I have been talking to Michael about it ever since he strted it and now that i am here i was more then excited to see what it was all about. From the time they started it until about three weeks ago they were meeting in a friend house. Now they have moved to a building that they found. The owner of the building said they could use it free of charge. They don't even have to pay for the electric bill or anything. And there are two restrooms on site, Praise the Lord! It is a small building, but it works great for what they need it for. In total, if everyone showed up, there would be about 40 people that attend the church, but this night, there were only about 25. It was amazing to see God work in the people through the worship and then the sermon. Michael did an awesome job as well as Otniel that started the service out. They have so little there to use, yet they do so much and are touching so many lives. It made me think about my life and all the "stuff" that i have and yet, how many lives did i touch with it? Not many. They are really in need of an overhead projector, you know like the old school kind that uses transperancies? (sp?) Right now, they are printing the words to worship off on paper and handing them out as people come in. But they don't have enough money to do that every week so they have to collecte papers after each service. It worked fine, but having an overhead would work MUCH better. So be praying for that please! They don't take offereing as far as i know seeing as most of the people that come, don't have anything. So everything must be donated.

The service that night ended up going really late and we did not get back to campus until 12:15am. I then went to bed and didn't wake up until 1:30 pm. I was still sleepy, but decided that i needed to get up and stretch and leave my room while it was stll daylight! I found a few people in the courtyard and sat and chatted for a while. Then went back upstairs and took a nap. I was exhausted! After that i got up and took my book down to the courtyard and read for about an hour. Then went upstairs and showered and got ready for the day. (at this point it's nearly 5:00pm) then i decided that i would go do a "photo tour" of the campus! It was great. It was nice to be out in the sun! I took nearly 200 pictures and then loaded them onto my computer and then had issues uploading them so i gave up till i had the energy to care about it. Blogger only lets me upload 5 pictures at a time and they take like 15 minutes per upload. I really didn't care to spend the time doing that.

Then i did a workout. 30 day shred by Jillian Michael's. Good stuff. So glad i brought my yoga mat. Then i took another 45 minute nap. HA! Then i came down for dinner and chatted on skype to a friend for a while. Which was awesome! Now i'm writing this and trying to figure something else out with my pictures. I might try adding a link to the blog instead of adding the actual pictures.

see if this works and let me know...cause this was like 1,000 times easier! (you must copy and paste the following link)

http://picasaweb.google.com/lh/sredir?uname=Heidijoymichelle&target=ALBUM&id=5430047383187192929&authkey=Gv1sRgCJ2KsKvamvLmvAE&feat=email

Now i am sleepy again and am going to head to bed! I am supposed to go to church tomorrow morning, but have no idea what time the service is. We shall see if i make it. I might just sleep in!

Beetle Juice

This was in my shower with me today!!! Until i killed it with my pink conditioner bottle! I shower ALONE!

Remember the Titans!

I love that movie. I have seen is a bajillion times and have always enjoyed it. However. Today, we watched it as a class. First this thins morning. We were told tomeet in the sudent lounge at 8am. We got there and all sat and watched the movie in it's entirity (what is that word?). I have never felt so bad watching a movie before. For the first half, nobody smiled or laughed or anything except me and the swiss guy and one girl. (the only whites in the class) So that made me feel like a heel. I guess living in America where black oppression is not really a huge thing, or at least not as much as it is here, i never thought about the movie in that light. I just thought it was a good movie about blacks and whites coming together and playing football. yay. Now, today, it was more like i was ashamed to watch it with everyone and be white at the same time. I felt bad for the jokes and the way the blacks were treated in the movie. I never realied how callased i was to that sort of thing while in the states. When i have traveled i never think like that, but since it's not a big deal at home...i don't know. I don't think im being very clear on what i am trying to say, but just know we watched the movie, and it was awkward and then we talked about it aftrwards and it was no longer awkward. It was a very interesting day. We had our first "chapel" today. However, it's not like you think chapel is. It's not this mini church service or anything. They just are not sure what else to call it. Maybe something like "community hour" or i don't know..anyways, it was all the announcments for the year. What we are going to be doing and what is going to be happening with te school and FIFA and our breaks and such. (i will explain FIFA in a later post) Then we had tea time and then we had a class to go over everything that we have already gone over and then we were done for the day. I had a meeting with the FIFA project manager (again, i will explain later) today so i missed lunch but that's ok. i had some popcorn.

About 2pm i went out to the court yard near the ladies dorms and sat down with a few other students. I swear, if you could have taken a picture, we looked exactly like those college magazines or advertizments. We here all at a picnic table, 3 girls on one side, and a girl and guy on the other side with one more guy playing his guitar with one leg up on the bench. The sun was shinning just to the side of our table. It was awesome! Totally a "college moment" for me. Which i have not had many of yet.

I just have to wrap up a few things tonight with homework and then tomorrow is FRIDAY! YAY! Although i have no plans for the weekend and no car, so....there might be a lot of posts. HA!

When i'm bored...stuff happens!

So tonight i could not sleep. I wanted to sleep. I had a long day so i should have been super tired and ready to sleep. But no, i couldn't. So i got up and decided to put to use all these craft products that i brought with me. I have 6 classes that i will be taking this semester and i bought a notebook for each one so that i can keep them all separate. Here are some pictures of my late night sleepless boredom.

BEFORE:


DURING:


AFTER:








And now it is midnight and i have to be up at 5am to have a skype date with my "girls night in" girls! Goodnight!

The Scavengers VS. The Nerds

Today, Wednesday, we had an outing! It was a team building event is all that we were told. We had to be ready to go and in the parking lot by 8am. They said wear clothes that you can get wet and dirty! HA! (that made me a little leary about this whole thing)

We all got on the bus and took off for this mysterious place. It was a 45 minute drive out into the wine country. We ended up at a Christian Bible Camp where they had this obstacle course that is AMAZING! We all loaded out of the bus and met our instructor. Her name was Mariska. She had us split up into partners and then we had to do this game where she would call out a word, like "Knight" or "Horse" or "chivalrous" and we had a position to get into with each word. So when she said knight, one person had to get down on one knee and the other would have to sit on the knee that was up...does that make sense? And then she would said horse and the partners would have to do a piggy back sort of thing. Then she would say chivalrous and the person would have to pick up the other person and hold them in front of them, kind of like when a groom carries his bride over the threshold of their house or whatever, you know what i mean. So anyways, she would call out these word and we would have to get into that position and the last person to get into that position was out until there was only one partner set left. It was silly and fun and we all laughed so much! It also was awkward. I just met this dude two days ago and now i have to get on his back. Strange for me.
After that, we walked over to the obstacle course. We were split into two teams. Each team had a bucket full of water. The point of the activity was to get across the whole course, without stepping off the course that was about 3 ft off the ground and without spilling the water out of the bucket. If you spilled you lost 2pts, if you touched the ground, you lost 2 pts. However, there were times throughout the course where Mariska would call out "Community" and we would all have to hold each others hand and connect in a line. The first group to get to this, would get to add two points. So therefore we could not get too far apart from each other. It was CRAZY and the course was super long. It took us about an hour and a half to complete the whole thing. There were 8 people on our team. That is a LOT of people to get through a whole course and then to not spill the water as well? Goodness! We ended up ending our game with a -6 point total, however the other team had a -28. They spilled their WHOLE BUCKET! HA HA HA!!!

After that we walked over to a big storage container and had to take our shoes off. We then were given 6 long round logs, 3 big drums and some rope. We then were told that we had 15 minutes to build a raft out of the said material. There were directions on how to assemble it, so that was nice. (again we are in our same teams competing against each other) My team was AWESOME! We got the raft completed and were just tying it off when Mariska said, "you have 7 minutes left, but i want you now to switch rafts with the other team" OH MY GOODNESS! They were horrible! Their raft looked like a 5 yr old had built it. Our had looked like it was professional! So now we had to give them our great raft and take theirs and do our bes tto fix the mess before the time was up. We did our best. Mariska then brought out life jackets and we had to put them on and take our rafts over the the pond. Now this pond was more like an oversized mud puddle. It was DISGUSTING! I put my hand in the water and let the water just cover the top of my hand and i could not even see my fingernail polish color cause the water was so brown. Anyways, so we each hd to put our rafts in the water and then get on them and paddle around a course that was set out in the water. We were supposed to do the course twice and whoever got done first won. So the other team (the nerds) put their raft in first (our old raft) and they sat down on it and were all settled by time we got in the water. Once out raft hit the water and the first person sat down, it fell apart. We then had pieces of this raft in our hands and we are all just standing there. Mariska said that we had two minutes to put it together but could not get out of the water. uuummm...not possible. We then realized that one of the ropes had broken off the drum so we would have to get another drum from the storage unit. So we hefted the raft back out of the water nad up onto the bank. We then took the next 10 minutes taking the whole thing apart and starting over like we should have done in the first place. We built another AWESOME raft! We got it in the water and then realized that our team (the scavenggers) had 8 people while the other team only had 7. So i volunteered to stay out. And then on the second time around the course i would switch with someone. So they did a count down and Mariska said "GO" and the teams were off! Sort of. I don't think that African's know how to row a boat/raft. It was HILARIOUS! After about a whole minute, both rafts were still in the same spot. They were just moving side to side. Eventually they got the hang of it and just as they started to move, Mariska said they could lose one person so that there were only 6 people on each raft. As my team started to take off, one of the guys on the other team decided it would be a good idea to stand up on the raft to try and balance it out. (later he said he thought he might weigh more if he stood. HA!) Once he attempted to stand, one of the drums came undone from the raft and everyone fell head first into the muddy water! ha ha ha ha ha ha...it was SO FUNNY! they pulled their raft aside and tried to re-tie it except they just tied it in random place. They then tried to get back on and all were dropped off the raft again! Apparently, when we had switched rafts in the beginning, they did not check to see that we had completed tying anything. Their fault! So after the second titanic episode, they gave up. They were told to bring the raft and all it's pieces out of the water. My team, had by then made it around once and were on their second time doing the course! I was their cheerleader along with one other fellow from our team. They did an awesome job! That was WAY not how the activity was supposed to turn out, but Mariska said that it's one of the funniest things that had happened.

We were all wet and happy and tired! We had a little chat about team work and then it was time to head home. We did the drive back and got back to campus just in time for some lunch. Then we had the afternoon off. It's now 5:00pm and i am SO TIRED! I am really glad we did not have classes after that! I think i will be heading to be early tonight!

Doing this event today has made our class one big family! It was great and worked like a charm! It's nice to know everyone so well now. I'm sad that our whole class was not able to make it. Hopefully when the rest of them arrive, we will be able to get them feeling like part of the family in a short time.

I will post pictures from today as soon as i am able to get them off the school website!

I hope you all have a great Wednesday as i'm just finishing off mine!

Heidi

Day 2 was long, but really good! We started off our day by meeting in classroom 5 and had a quick 20 minute devotional. Then moved onto talking about school rules and such. They handed out the hand books and want them ready by Friday. And basically they just said, "there are no rules, just be a good person" which...i guess if that works, then great! We then had one of the teachers come in and talk to us about Time Management. Basically he just asked us to write out our 5 year plan, tell what we want to do after CTS and what we think would hinder us from getting there and what we plan on doing to change that hindrance. I was a little confused on how that applied to time management, but that is ok. It was interesting to hear what everyone said they wanted to do after school. I said, 1. Find a job in a Christian environment. 2. Start a family. 3. Be a woman of God to the best of my ability! Everyone else's were super spiritual and deep and they knew exactly what they wanted to do. I felt bad, cause i don't really tent to think about what i want in 5 years. I like to live for the "now" and be open and flexible for whatever may come along. If i have a plan, and i decide to change mid way there, then i would feel as though i have failed that plan. I don't know.
Moving on, after that class we then had a short tea time break and then back to class. We had a class called "Culture Diversity" that was AWESOME! I loved it! We had a student come talk that was from a different country and just told us about her home and what it was like to come to this school and how it has changed her. Then we had another girl do the same thing. But her background was totally different. Then again, two more guys did the same. It was very cool to hear their stories and hear all the different rules and traditions that they had and how here at CTS they have come and joined together to create their own culture. The whole point of the class was to just know that people come from all over and may think differently and may do things that are tradition to them but may offend someone else and so the whole time we are here on campus, we need to have an extra amount of Grace and not be judgmental about what we see or hear. In the end, everyone loved the class! There were tears!
Then we had a guy do a little dance. It was strange. Everyone else loved it, and i applaude the dude for doing it, but it was only 5 moves that he just kept repeating...and...well...maybe i am being harsh, but i would think that if you are going to perform something, you would have more planning into it. Everyone else LOVED it...so maybe it's just me. Honestly it looked more like yoga moves then a dance. Then we had a chat from a teacher about the Rules/Values of the school. And how as long as you have values you don't need rules. It was a very controversial talk in the end and lots of us had different idea's about it. It's funny how the littlest things can become the best conversations.
After that we had lunch. We only get 30 minutes here for lunch. Basically it's enough time to walk to the cafeteria, get your food, eat it and get back to class.

I have volunteered to be the class secretary. Which means that i have a clip board and i have to mark down everyone that is in class and who is tardy or absent and then when we have assignments, each student hands them into me and i keep them the whole day until i turn them into the admin office after classes. I think it's strange, but i volunteered before i heard what the job is...so i'm stuck with it. Now i HAVE to be on time to class!

After lunch we had to take a Bible and an English test. They lasted 3 hours. Or at least they were supposed to. We started at 2:00. I was done at 2:45. The teacher handed out both quizes and just said to do them in whatever order we wanted to. The bible test was 150 questions and was SO HARD! It was asking questions like, when what Moses born and how long did he live and who was his uncle and what tribe did his great grandfather come from? Then it would give us words in latin and then have us translate them and then have to tell what it is. I guessed on about 140 of the questions. Then the English test was just a single page of basic, "what is a verb, what is an adjective" type of thing. We then had to write a formal letter to a charcoal pen place that had to be at least a page long. And then we had to write a two page essay on one of three different topics. I chose "Why Bible School is important for church growth". I have not written that much in YEARS! My hand hurt so bad after that! I know HOW to write, but it felt like i was just learning. There is no spell check on notebook paper! UGH! And i only had a pen with me, so i had to be careful to not spell anything wrong. I hate the look of little scratch marks on papers. Also, they use a different English then i'm used to, so even when i spell something right, it's still wrong. Like Color vs. colour or program vs. programme. I'm sure spelling will be a big stumbling block for me. I'm not that great with my basic English at home...let alone a new one!

I was the first one done with the test. I don't know how i feel about that. I either bombed them, or am just better then i thought. But...these tests are not graded. They are just to see how much we know/don't now. I think i finished first because English is my first language and i can read and comprehend a lot faster then a lot of people in my class.

After that, i called Emily and she came and picked me up seeing as i needed to go to the store for a few things. It's hard not having a car and not being able to run to the store for anything i need. I had to bring my list and make sure to think about what i might need in the future because i don't know when i will be back to a store. (or off campus for that matter) We got everything that i needed and then went to dinner. We went to Nando's. I GREAT chicken place. They just serve chicken in lots of different ways. It's SO GOOD! Then we got an ice cream bar and headed back to school. I spent the rest of the evening getting everything put away. I was able to talk to my Dad and Mom on skype for a little while and then went to bed. Exciting times!

Mattress update! So Tuesday morning i got my new mattress!!!! That was SO FAST! I was expecting like a week. Even though they are kept at the end of the hall, i was not allowed to get it myself. Someone had to bring it to me. I asked if i could keep both of them and she said "no, we can not treat people different here. no favoritism's" so i said ok and switched my mattress. I slept so great that night. It was a perfect mattress compared to the other one. But she never came back to get the old one, and it was getting in my way, so i put that back on my bed too. Now i have the two mattresses and i'm happy as a clam! I will give it up if she asks, but i don't think i am going to volunteer it. HA!

Lenard has not shown up again. =(

Lenard the Lizard!!!

So tonight i went and worked outside for a little while on my computer. Just to get out of my room. When i came back, Lenard was here! However, he was on my bed. I had to have a little chat with him. It went something like this.

"Lenard, i know we are friends, and i know that we are close, but i really feel that we are too early in our friendship to sleep in the same bed. I actually would prefer that you slept outside the bedroom until we are better acquainted. Maybe in the future i could make you our own home. But until then, please respect my boundaries and find another warm bed to lie in. Thank you for understanding"

Now, as soon as i finished said conversation, i then mocked myself for talking to a lizard. But...this is Africa, and i'm all alone here and have not made any friends except Lenard, so until i am close enough to the other humans to hang out with them, i will continue to befriend Lenard. (if he comes back after that shameful way i kicked him out)


And....i think i am lacking in sleep and it's affecting me. Sorry for this ridiculous post!

I have black feet

So, today is Monday, January 18th and it was my first day of school that i have had in 10 years. (nearly) I have been to lots and lots of meetings in my life where we all just sit around and listen to someone talk but not really listen because we all know the secretary will send out notes later and tell us what we need to do. Those meetings, are where i made most of my grocery list and weekend plans. Today was different. Today i HAD to listen. Today is when i learned that my life will never be the same. Today is when i learned that i can NOT pronounce half the names of my fellow students. You try saying leritedeknbsd and not sound foolish. I referred to so many people as "hey friend" today that i almost felt bad. Especially since they all got my name right, although it sounds more like "IDEE" but that is fine..i will answer. Today is when i realized that i have to be up at 6am everyday from now till forever (or so it feels like) Anyone that knows me and my sleeping preferences, knows that if i am to wake up, i would rather it be in the pm, then the am. I pray that i will get used to it fast!

Today started at 6am when my alarm went off. Sort of. I went to bed last night at 11:30pm and awoke at 1:30am wide awake. Ready to start my day. I thought that i had just beat my alarm. (even though it was pitch dark outside) i checked my clock and was VERY surprised to see that i had 4.5 hours left till my alarm went off. Sadly, i did not go back to sleep. I was too nervous to take a sleeping pill for fear of not waking up for class, but tonight i will not be so stupid. Tonight, i might even take TWO sleeping pills! My bed is...um...ok...i guess. I have one slim mattress that when i am laying on it i can feel exactly where each board is and approximately how wide each is. I think the sleeping pills might help me with that tonight. I have inquired about a second mattress and have been promised one, but there is no timeline as to when that promise will be fulfilled. So, till it comes to pass, i shall just have to get along without it.

Anyways, so it's now 5:45 am and i decide that it's stupid to just sit in bed when it hurts and i can't sleep. I should get up and get ready for the day and and just find something productive to do with myself as long as i'm awake. Good plan, but hindered. On thursday when i got here to Cape Town and i turned my cell phone on, i was able to figure out how to turn the alarm on, and luckily i turned it on for 6am. However, i now can not remember how to change it. So i must wait till 6am to turn my alarm off. Everyday! I shall sometime have to just sit and read the book, but it's not something i find highly important at the moment. So, i got out of bed and sat at my computer and tried to access online and my skype. I am having issues with my skype..but whatever. Then at 6am, my alarm went off and i hit "dismiss" and off to the showers i went. I HATE SHARING A BATHROOM! I had to bring my little bag of all my toiletries that i needed for the shower. Use them and then put them back in my bag. There are 4 shower stalls and as i was the only one up out of bed at that time, i was able to have my pick! The shower curtains are see-through. Not what i would have chosen, but what the heck, this year is about new experiences, right?

I showered, dressed and was ready to go for the day within a half hour. Now why i thought it would take me two hours i do not know. Class started at 8:00 and it was now 6:40. I thought about climbing back in bed to see if i could sleep a bit, but i had just done my hair and didn't feel sleepy, so i passed on that. I ended up wandering downstairs for a while and then coming back to my room to play around online. Nothing exciting.

8:00 i went over to classroom 1. There are 7 classrooms total. I met a few other new students and became acquainted. In all, there were 11 new students that showed up today. We are supposed to have 17 in total. Out of the 11 that showed up, there are 4 nations represented. American, African, Swedish and Ethiopian. There might be more, but i am unsure at this time. Out of the 17 new students in my class, 3 of them are girls. Oy Vey! The way school works here is that each class stays together the whole year and takes the same classes. So if i was to stay for the full 4 years here, i would be with the same 17 people in every class every year. We have classrooms assigned to us and then teachers change. Interesting.

We reviewed the schools policies and mission statement and such things. Learned about the history of the school and where the vision is for it. All very interesting. We had tea time with the school staff and were introduced to everyone. We got a tour of the building (of which i found boring as i already know my way around seeing as i have been here several times) then we had lunch, and then registered and made sure that our accounts were paid. After that, the afternoon was ours to do whatever we wanted! I took my laptop to the IT guy and he set me up with the proper wireless network, as well as got my skype all fixed!

It is now 5pm and i have the evening free. These next few weeks are going to be fun filled and long. I am excited!

Here are some pictures of my dorm room before i got to it with my stuff!







Now here are some while i am unpacking!!!










And this is my room all done! I have not hung anything on the walls yet, but i will sooner or later!








This is what i see out my window in the early evening.


This is my new found friend in my room. I named him Lenard!!! (however, Lenard ran away this morning. i am hoping that he comes back soon!)






I want to say Thank You to all of you who are encouraging me. I need it and i appreciate it. Things are hard right now and i'm going through a lot and knowing that i have friends that believe in me makes it a little easier.

Prayer Requests:
1. Peace about the decision of moving over here and starting school
2. My sleeping pattern will kick into "African time"
3. That my freshman class becomes friends easily and we form a bond that will last all year long



P.S. Even if you are wearing shoes around here, your feet end up nearly pure black from the dirt all around here. It's disgusting! Maybe i will show you a picture of that too!

Day 1,2 and 3

The following is a list of random things that i have learned while here so far:

1 My eyebrows grow like crazy while in flight
2 I crave coffee more in the heat then i do in the cold
3 I LOVE L'Oreal shampoo (as bad as it is for my hair, i don't care)
4 As much as i thought i liked to fly...i was wrong. I hate it now
5 There really shoud be a 12 step program for Blackberry addiction. I am goiong crazy without my storm! I never realized how much i was on it or depended on it before now


Day 1: Thursday January 15th.

I arrived to Cape Town at 10:00am on the dot! Met with Greg and Emily and we headed home. I am staying with them at their house until i move into the dorms at school on Sunday. We were able to relax and i took a shower and then Emily and i ran to the store so that i could get a few things. (such as a hairdryer and a flat iron and some above mentioned "shampoo of the gods") Then we went to the mall and made a few more stops before going to Nando's for dinner. THE BEST chicken place in the WORLD. It's MY favorite at least. After that we stopped and grabbed some frozen yogurt and headed home. I did my best to stay awake as late as possilbe. My goal was 10pm, just to try and get acclimated asbest as possible and as soon as possible. I made it to 9:00. So not too bad. I went to bed and procceded to sleep for 13 hours!

Day 2: Friday January 16th

I awoke around 10am and got up and showered and got ready for the day. Emily and i left the house around 1:30 and headed over to the school so that she could have a meeting and i could say hi to a few people and pick out my dorm room. I chose room #1. Then we headed home and all 3 of us went off into our offices (me in my bedroom) and were on our computers for a while. Then we headed out at 5:30 and saw Sherlock Holms. A much better movie then i thought it was going to be. I would actually see it again! We came home after that and ordered pizza and watched an episode of The Big Bang Theory (or favorite show) and then split again to our computers.
Note: The movie theatres here are WAY cool! A whole lot better then the ones back in the states. They were SUPER comfy seats, they had little trays at each seat instead of cup holders. The tray could fit your popcorn AND your drink! And when you go up to the desk, you can order your ticket and your popcorn from the same person...such convienience! And...it's assigned seating. AWESOME! You can look at the screen and pick out which seat you want and then they give it to you. Way better!

Day 3: Saturday January 16th
Well...today we got up and went out to breakfast at a great crepe/pancake place. It was at the mall. We ate outside on the watefront. Beautiful! Then Greg and Em had an appointment so i walked around the mall for a while, sat outside and watched the boat go by. (yes, just one went by) Took a few pictures and then sat dawn for a cool drink. It was a great afternoon. Then we drove home but stopped along the way at a little hidden beach that we just happen to come upon. It was BEAUTIFUL! I got to take a few more pictures and walk in the water (which is freezing!) and then we came home, had some lunch and now it's nap time. We are going out to dinner later tonight but for now...it's all about relaxing!

Here are some fun pictures from today! (comments below each picture)


Driving to the mall - a picture of Table Top Mountain




Me just sitting on a bench enjoying the sun



The mall that i was at on the waterfront


The Beach that we stopped at

My trip to Cape Town, Part 2

Just so you all know...i slept for 13 hours straight. Felt great! And honestly, i could go back to bed right now. I am still sleepy. Sleeping pills are going to be my best friend for the next few days!

Ok, so i had landed in Joburg and i went through visa control and then was waiting for my bags when i realized that in about an hour, my plane would LAND in Cape Town. The plane that i was supposed to be ON! Ugh! So, i waited for my bags, felling a little less rushed, seeing as i didn't need to catch my flight obviously and went through customs. I then had to make my way out of the international area and find the domestic flight area so that i could re-book a ticket to Cape Town that night. My mom had given me VERY DETAILED instructions on how to get to that area. I followed them exactly, however, as i was going upstairs in the elevator, a man and another woman were on there with me. They were really nice, just chatting. The man asked me where i was headed and i said to the domestic counters and he said, "great, it's just over there, i will take you". I said "no thanks" and pushed my cart off the elevator. He came off with me and put his arm underneath mine and grabbed my cart of luggage. He pushed me away and then said "no, i WILL help you find it, it's just over here" I again said, no thanks and tried to get my cart back with no luck. This whole time he is pushing my car at a very fast pace and i am trying to keep up and get it back from him. I was irritated and leary of him and just all around tired, but still trying to use the manners my momma instilled in me. I was polite but to the point. By te time i was able to get a grip on my luggage cart again, he had already pushed in onto an escalator. We were going up to another level. I was worried, but still felt a little ok as we WERE going in the direction of the signs that said "domestic travel desk". We got to the top of the stairs and i was looking around and a guy in a really nice suite with a name tag on like all the other airport workes came up and asked me if i was ok. I said that i was just looking to go re-book a ticket to Cape Town as i had missed my flight and he said, "this man here helping you will take you there" and directed us up another escalator. We got to the top and by then i had had enough. I said, "ok, i will find it from here. Thanks for your help" He said, "may i have some money for helping you this far. I knew that if i didn't give him money he would just follow me till i did, but i didn't have any Rand to give him that i could get to easily. So i just reached my hand in my bag and pulled out a dollar bill and gave it to him. After i zipped up my bag he then grabbed my cart AGAIN and said "ok, now that you have paid me, i can not let you find it on your own. i will help you the rest of the way." UGH! i really wasn't sure what to do at this point. I had no idea where we were, and if i didn't have him with me i don't know if i could find my way back down to where i needed to go and we were like 3 levels above where i needed to go and i didn't see any elevators, just escalators and really...don't take your luggage DOWN as escalator on a cart...scarry. So, i said ok, you point me in the direction but i will push the cart. He again pushed me out of the way and said, "no, i will push it". I walked right along side of it and had my hand on my bag. (the one with my purse in it) and he pushed my cart out a door and guess where we were. THE PARKING LOT! OH MY GOODNESS! I was freaked out at this point. I said, "Where are we and why are we in the parking lot?" He said "oh, it's a short cut...i promise" He pointed in the direction that he was going to take me. I saw a few people getting into their cars ahead so i followed along with his plan thinking that if i was going to make a scene, i would rather there be people around. So we took a few steps and then he "accidentally" knocked my pillow out of my bag and off the cart. (if you are looking at the cart from the rear, he was in the middle, pushing it, i was on his right and he knocked the pillow off to the left.) So he then looked at me and said, "oops, you should pick that up." I just stared at him. With one of those "are you kidding me??" looks. He just kept looking at me and then at the pillow and then at me again. Until finally he realized that i was getting upset and he picked up the pillow. We took another few steps and then my passport somewhow dropped on the ground. After it dropped, he took a few more steps. Well...a pillow is one thing, but i am NOT going to let my passport sit there on the ground of the parking lot and i am NOT going to let him touch it. So i figured, if he decided to run off with my stuff, at least i would have my passport. I grabbed it and came back to the cart and he was just standing there waiting for me. The top flap of my bag was open and pushed back and so i flipped it back closed. I had put my passport in my jacket pocket and when flipped my bag closed i noticed that the zipper was undone just slightly. Hence the reason my passport had fallen. I zipped it closed and tried to take control of my cart. No luck. He was a strong bugger. We took a few more steps and i noticed that on the left hand side of my bag, he was holding my wallet. It was pushed up againt my bag so that it was black on black and then with his hand black as well, it was hardley noticable, but i saw it. we were just a few feet away from the people and as soon as we got to them, i reached over and grabbed my wallet. He took a few steps back and let go and then i realized that he had taken out my other wallet as well (one i have with my american stuff and then other the with my african things) and it was sitting in the cart as well as my plane ticket. (old, but still, it was out of my bag) i grabbed my things, put them back in my bag and said "i will find it on my own" and turned around and walked away. Get this...so he came up to me again! He said, "well, could i have a few dollars for getting you this far?" I WAS IN THE BACK OF A PARKING LOT!!!!!! I gave him the meanest glare i could and did a little evil laugh and sniffed and said "no". and then walked away. I assume that he left it at that seeing as he had been caught. The people loading their cars with their luggage asked me if i was ok or if i had misplaced my car and i said, "no, i just needed to lose him. Thank you though."

I walked back through the door where i come in and just wandered around until i found a sign i recognized and after about 10 minutes of searching, i finally found where i needed to be. I got in line to get my next ticket and when i got up to the counter they nice lady said, i'm sorry the next flight has already closed and is taking off in 10 minutes. You will have to get a ticket for tomorrow morning because that is the next flight to Cape Town. "huh?!?!?!?" Then she told me to go to the ticketing counter and ask to re-book my ticket. I went over to that counter and they said they were closed and could not help me. That they re-opened at 4:30am and i would have to come back then. I was nearly in tears and had no clue what to do. I said to them "WAIT...just tell me what flight has openings for the mroning and how much it would be. They glared at me and i glared back. I was done being polite. (well...sort of. I can't fully be mean. They hadn't really done anything wrong) She "not so kindly" told me that she could book me on the 6am flight but that i would have to come back and pay in the mroning and then it would be offical. And it was going to cost me R1463. Which is about $200. that is just the re-booking fee. My original ticket...only cost me $130. This is CRAZY! So i said fine, and they shut their window and i walked away. Didn't walk anywhere in particular...just walked. To a place that i could sit and figure out what to do next. It's nearly 9pm in an unfamiliar airport where even the workers are corrupt and now i have to figure out what to do till morning. Then i tried to think, well if i found a spot i could sit till mroning, how in the WORLD would i stay awake to keep an eye on my luggage. So, i called Greg Johns. The missionary and friend that was to be picking me up in Cape Town and told him that i could not get out of Joburg till 6am and i didn't know what to do. He said that he would call me back in a few minutes. So i called my daddy. Everything seems to be ok when you talk to daddy.

A few minutes later Greg called back and said that they had booked me into a bed and breakfast and that the owner was on his way to the airport to get me. I felt good and scared at the same time. I didn't want to leave the airport cause that was the only way i was going to get out of this city, and i didn't want to have to trust anyone that i didn't know. It's pitch black outside so if something DID happen, how would i ever descibe it to anyone. But Greg and Emily seemed to trust this person and Emily had stayed there a few times before and he was a Christian and only about 10 minutes from the airport. I went outside the airport and waited till he arrived.

He was a wonderful guy! The minute he saw me he came up and gave me a big hug! I needed it, although it wasn't that comforting seeing as i didn't know him, but i did geta good vibe from him. So, i decided that i would trust him...sort of. We get my bags in th car and drove off. His place was WONDERFUL! It was like a mini hotel in his house and the rooms were huge. i had a big king size bed with a table and two chairs and a big bathroom. So much better then staying in the airport. I got ready and crawled into bed and shut my eyes and imediatly could see that creeps face. He was just starring at me everytime i closed my eyes. I finally got into a bed and now i can't sleep. I layed there, eyes wide open for about an hour. Finally, i think i just got to the point where i passed out more then fell asleep. I don't remember sleeping. I just remember laying there, and then being woken up by my alarm. It was 3:30am. I think i most likely slept about 2 hours, but that is it. I got in the shower, where there was no shampoo or anything, just a bar of hand soap that i had grabbed off the sink. I washed up, hair and all, with that soap and then got ready to go. The nice host knocked on my door just as i finished zipping up my bags and we went into the house to settle the account before we left. It ended up costing me about $70 but that was just fine. It was worth it to not have to stay in the airport.

We arrived at the airport at 4:30 and i made my way to the counter to pay my money and get on the flight to Cape Town. While the lady checked me in, i asked if there was a later flight that might be a little cheaper. Even though all i wanted to do was to get out of the city, i also know that i don't really have any money, so whatever i am spending on a ticket, is coming out of my poor college student fund, so i need to be frugile. And it's daytime now and i felt a little better (but just a little) She said that there was a flight at 8am that i could get on for about R349. Which equals $50 apx. I told her to change it for me and saved myself about $150. Awesome!

I called Greg and Emily and told them that i would in Cape Town about 10:00. I then made my way through security and found my gate and sat down. Something about going through security just made me feel...um...secure. I felt like everything was going to be ok now. I found a little fast food place to eat at and had some breakfast and just hung out a while. I still had 2 hours before my flight. Eventually i go on the plane and we took off!

Now, as for the flight down to Cape Town, i was just so happy to be on it that i don't want to complain, but i must complete this story with the events of that trip.

The flight was only about half full. Nealry all the isle and window seats were taken, but most middle ones were not. It was nice. A lady sat in the isle while i had the window seat. She was vary nice. Looked as though she was going to Cape Town on business as she only had her purse with her. No other luggage. We said little to each other but both felt the same way about the people behind us. It was a mother and her 3 kids. A baby, who cried for 3/4 of the trip and a little boy that was in the middle sleeping the whole time and a little girl at the window that would not stop throwing up. Between whiffs of the baby diaper the REALLY needed to be changed and the smell of throw up (sitting RIGHT BEHIND ME) and also the smell of someone in front of me. (i don't care to identify the smell) it was a long flight. Then towards the end, the lady next to me brought out this sort of creme or something and kept putting it on her feet...like she applied it 5 or 6 times. She would apply it, let it soak in, i guess, and then alpply again. It smelled like peppermint, so that was a little better then everything else. It was the type of smell that clears your sinuses even when you didn't know they needed to be.

We landed in Cape Town and de-planed. My luggage was amoung the first to come off and i walked out the doors to a greeting of Greg and Emily. I was SO HAPPY to finally see someone i knew and just to get a hug. That's all i really needed, was a hug.

We walked out to the car as i recounted my story.

What a long trip!

Thank you all for your prayers. As you can see, they were needed and put to good use! The Lord is so good to me and kept me safe and of sound mind. There were several times that i was about to lose it and burst into tears, but i knew that i needed to be strong and pay attention. Things like this is what makes my faith stronger.

PS...the guy that owned the bed and breakfast called me to just check up to see how i was doing. Such a nice guy!

I'm off to visit the school today. I get to pick out my dorm room curtains! YAY!

My trip to Cape Town, Part 1

This is a little story about my trip to South Africa. My 3 day trip. My 45 hour commute if you will.

It all started Tuesday morning in Seattle at 4:00am. I, along with my mom, dad, sister and brother piled into one car and headed to the airport. We arrive, check in, (each of my bags were 49lb's (allowed 50) cutting it close, i know! But Thank You Lord that they made it fine. Being so early at the airport, nothing before going through security is open, so we as a family sat in th Seattle's Best seating area and just talked for a while. When the security line got down to a good length, i decided that it was time to go. We said our goodbyes, did three rounds of hugs and then i was on my own. Standing alone in that line ready to take off my jacket and shoes. My family stood there and wached until i walked around the corner with one last wave of goodbye.

They started to load the plane by zone, starting with Zone 1 and going through zone 5. I was zone 4. When they reached 3, i decided to use the restroom one last time. By the time i was out, thre was only a short line so it as delightful! I found my row of seats and there were already two people sitting down. I had a window seat for all my flights, so the guy got up out of his isle seat and put up my bag for me in the upper bin, such a nice chap he was. Then the lady that was in the middle seat, did one of those, legs up on the other seat so that i could squeeze by type of things. Domestic flights are not meant for "squeezing by" but...she insisted...so i slugged past here with my bag for under the seat and she made a groaning sound and whatever...it was her fault. I sad down and got situated. At this point, i had looked over to my new seat mates for the next 5 hours and decided that they were married. Even though he was a man of about 70 years of age, receeding hairline, what hair was left was half white half grey and a pretty nice belly on him. The lady, i swear, could have been a venezuelan (sp?) model. She was beautiful! But they were obviously flying together and they each had a ring on so i just decided they were married. Strange as it was. This is when i noticed that the lady was crying. Not out loud, but one of those cry's where the tears are coming out but no noise is accompanying it. She just kept wiping tears away all through the seating process and the drive out to the runway and also through take off. After take off, she curled up and cried herself to sleep. Slight whimpering could be heard while she slept. It was really odd. Her husband kept asking what was the matter and she would just look at him and say nothing. I'm sure there was a great story there...i was dying to know what they were leaving and why she was so upset about it. But...because i'm sure the story in my head would be much better then the truth, i decided not to ask.

The flight was pretty much uneventful. Nothing happend out of the ordinary. (except the crying lady) and we arrived in Atlanta on time.

I had a 3 hour layover in Atlanta so i found my terminal and then headed out to find something to eat. I sat at TGIFridays for a while and ate a small little something and then just got too weirded out by eating alone. I don't like it. Especially in a restaurant. Makes me feel lonely. So i paid my bill and left. I went back to my terminal and awaited my flight.

Boarding went fine. I was the first one to my row and was able to get settled before the other two arrived. It was an older South African couple that ended up sitting down. She sat next to me and he in the isle seat. As soon as they started sitting down i knew i would hate them there. She smelled as if she had bathed in her perfume and then soaked her clothes in it and then sprayed a few sprayes just to be sure it was on. OH MY GOODNESS! I turned my air thingy on full blast. She sat down and started to complain about how cold it was and i ignored her comments. Ugh! It was her fault that i needed fresh air blasting on me anyways. I could not identify the smell to a particular brand, but i do know that it was a musk. Now ladies....if the bottle of perfume that you have says the word "musk" on it anywhere...just think of it as saying "smell of old ladies". At no point, should anyone be wearing a musk anymore. That fad went out in the 60's. Leave it alone.

Now this smelly couple was REALLY nice. They lived an hour north of Joburg and were just coming home from a 5 week vacation in Miami. Where is poured down rain for 4.5 weeks of their trip. They seemed relly bothered by it. Kept saying that it was nice to see the grandkids, but should have gone to Durban. Whatever. They asked me lots of questions about what i was going to do and why i was going to South Africa. We had a few random conversations before the plane pushed away from the terminal. We rolled out to the runway and got in line to take off. They pilot came on and said that we were 4th in line to take off. Just as we were about to go, the pilot came back on and said that we were turning around and going back to the terminal because they heard a bang noise in te rear of the plane. They thought that it might be a piece of luggage that had fallen down or dropped or something and wanted to make sure before they took off. We sat there for an hour and then the pilot finally came back on and said "it was not luggage, and so the mechanics are just now going through the whole plane to see what it might have been. There is no time for departure at this moment." We waited there another hour until they decided that it was nothing and we could take off. So, basically, a waste of two hours. We finally took off and startd on the 15 hour flight. It took forever! I couldn't sleep. Between the smelly lady next to me and the cold air i had to keep on me, it was horrible. I wasn't hungry and didn't drink anything so that i would not have to get up. Cause that meant leaving my filtered air stream and walking through the "smell". I stayed in my seat the full 15 hours and ate little, drank less. By the time we landed, i had gotten about 45 minutes of sleep total. (not in a row...just throughout the flight) My neck was crimped, my knees were hurting and my feet were sweating. I had decided that Uggs were a good idea for flying. Bhey are not. Comfy while standing, not comfy while sitting for several hours at a time.

The plane arrived in Johhanasburg 2 hours after it was scheduled to. Originally i only had a three hour layover in Joburg so i was pushing it. I had to get off, go through passport control, then wait for my bags, which, of course were nearly the last ones to come off. Then make my way through customs and then figure out where to re-check everything back in.

This is where the story gets good...

but i'm sleepy as it's now the end of Day 3 of travel and i still have not slept yet.

I will continue the story tomorrow.

Goodnight!

I'm HERE!

So i have finally made it to Cape Town! It took me 3 days, but i made it! There is a crazy story that goes along with my flights (each one was a story by it's self!!!) that i will write soon.

Thank you all for your prayers! They were much needed!

Love you all!

Saying Goodbye

It's my last weekend here in the states. Things are crazy! It seems the closer the time comes to leave, the more things come up to do. Saying goodbye is weird. Do you ever think that? Cause really, i have come across people that have nearly fallen apart cause i'm leaving and won't be around, and then there are the people that just say "hey, awesome, have a good time. See you later" and i'm not sure which i feel. I am for sure NOT going to fall apart, cause i just don't do that. And besides, it's just a year. Actually not even a year, it's 10.5 months. Geesh! but i don't know that i will be as calm as a high-five and a "See ya later". Everyone is different i guess and i will just adapt to them. Cause i'm more the type to give a hug and move on.

how do you say goodbye to people?

1 week from today...i'm gone.

Today markes one week until i leave. I fly out at 7am on Tuesday the 12th. I will make it to Atlanta that same day and then have a few hour layover and then take the 12ish hour flight to Jo-burg and then get my bags, go through customs, and re-check back in for my last flight to Cape Town. My new home away from home!!!!!

I have one bag sort of packed, but will be finishing that up and packing all my clothes and getting the final things put in storage this week. I'm sure this week will go by SUPER fast!

I am so excited, but will miss everyone so much. I didn't realize how much i hate saying goodbye until i have had to start doing it.

I will be gone 10.5 months total, so thats not that bad, right?