So let's do something!!

This has been an exhilarating (and exhausting) week; I’ve been busy, from hosting an anniversary potluck, volunteer work, an Ethiopian dinner, the beach, and one of the best weekends of my life (top three, if not top two).

As many of you know it was my two year wedding anniversary this past week on Monday to my amazing hunk of a hubby Jeremy.  We decided to celebrate by hosting a potluck.  No one knows what a potluck is here, they call it a ‘bring and share’.  ::Very literal these South Africans::   Jeremy made up a huge pot of spaghetti and sauce, and I made fantastic chocolate cake. We ended up having about 40 people over at our house.  Our roommates were amazing about it and made our day that much more special.  People are really excited about Jeremy and I being married, I think it’s because we’re a unique pair within the international students…we actually got flowers.  Kind of cool. :-D

I feel very blessed to have the partner I do, and I thank God that Jeremy is here with me to experience South Africa by my side.

I signed up to start volunteering this week at the abandoned babies home called Thusanda, the idea of orphans makes me already feel compassion so I can’t imagine what it’ll be like walking into the house of 6 babies that more than likely already have HIV.  I am blessed with this opportunity to help, and I’m excited to do all I can to make these ‘left over’ babies feel love. Just trying my best to be Jesus with skin on.

Speaking of HIV I had a workshop this week and found out that there are 33 million people in the world with HIV, 22 million of them live in South Africa.  That just blows my mind. So we were prepped on how to stay safe and not get it, basically don’t play in blood (good thing I’m not a vampire), don’t have sex with strangers (I’m married so that’s one is taken care of) and don’t do drugs (seeing as how I’d like to complete my stay here that’s not a problem either). 

Crazy thing of the week, I went to an Ethiopian restaurant, with Andrew, James, Bree, and Jeremy.  We got there and it’s an illegal restaurant behind a little convenience store, so we went in and asked for the place and the guy tilted his head towards the back, I’m not gonna lie, I was kind of nervous, it was sketchy. We went in, and ten minutes later we were served pitas that looked like foam pancakes.  Bree thought you washed your hands with them, but not so. We were then given like 15 different bowls of different fillings, and so you picked what you wanted to put in your wrap and ate it, it was pretty good.  Pretty spicy but interesting nonetheless.  James said it was the best food he’s ever had, I’d take tuna casserole over the Ethiopian food any day, but for sure I’ll be going back because it was pretty good, and really filling.

The beach was perfect this week, a bunch of us took the afternoon (you only have class for 2 hours a couple days a week) and went surfing and sat on the beach, I came late so James and I will go surfing next week.  I would like to mention again that I am a 15 minute walk from the beach…I don’t know if I can go back to living so far away…this is like heaven. Don’t worry, I’m using lots of sunscreen (which is expensive here oddly enough).

I just got back an hour ago from Plettenburg Bay, where we (Anna, Inga, Louisa, Jer, and myself)went along with a bunch of other people, but we all drove in a car together, and rocked out the preplanning so we could do cool stuff. It was AWESOME.  We went to go ride on the Elephants but one had twisted its ankle and the other had diarrhea.  Instead we were able to go feed and walk with the elephants (for an 1/8 of the price, you know me, BARGAIN SHOPPER!) and it was sooo cool. We have lots of pictures of us with the elephants, and then one almost ran me off a small dam into a mud pile hill, I gripped onto the elephant and switched sides and so instead of me sliding, it slid down…close call, because at 4 years they already weigh a gazillion pounds, and I would have not looked the same from under the elephant.  Their trunks are so cool, they like grab and suck, it’s awesome, they also ate from our hands which felt weird but was hilarious.

Then later that night on Saturday we had a Braai (BBQ) at the backpacker lodge where we stayed.  It was amazing, especially the people, enthusiastic travelers that want to see the world for what it is, not what commercialized ads says it is, and these people are from all over the world.  It’s like a camp atmosphere with dorms, and so in one room there is twelve beds, and they have lots of different rooms, and the backyard.  aah, my dream backyard, minus the 4^th and 5^th hammock and add a hot tub instead.  I was able to watch the sunrise this morning on a tree swing and read and drink instant coffee, (not good unless you add LOTS of sugar). All of this for 20 dollars a night, and I met some of the neatest people.  I can’t even begin to express how much excitement it gave me for the passion Jeremy and I have for traveling and seeing the world and absorbing cultures.  I can’t wait to go to the next backpacker.

 

Today we went to the market and found some cute little trinkets, and some awesome scarves but they were way overpriced, so that was a no go (although I did find some makeup, and I ran out of mascara so it was great to have some again) gotta look cute in the bush!  Later we went to the cheetah park Tanikwya, we were able to go into the enclosures and see the different wild cats, then we got to take 2 year old cheetahs for a walk!!! We got to touch and pet them and walk them on a sunset walk.  One of the coolest experiences of my life, and I didn’t even know I wanted to have that experience.  Just goes to show to try everything, because you never know what will change your life.

This week was enthralling. Lately I’ve been having ‘I can’t believe this is my life’ moments.  I am so blessed to be here, the people, my roommates, my husband, and just everything. I’m having a great time, and am so content. I feel like I don’t have to try to be anything for anyone, I can just let loose, relax, and take it in…maybe that’s what it’s all about…we’ll see, I guess I’ll have to keep exploring and keep blogging. :-D

Back to the grindstone! (Actually, to bed, it’s been a long weekend and I’m toast)

Lots of Love,

Aj

Ps. Mom, finding lots of awesome cool jewelry, luckily it’s all pretty cheap, otherwise my pocketbook wouldn’t like me very much.