Roadtrip to Durban

I don't have any way of hooking up my camera but pictures will come soon.  Currently I am on a roadtrip with one of the coolest girls in the world (Kelsey) and we went from Port Elizabeth, to Chintsa, to Port St. Johns, and finally arrived at Durban two days ago. 
Today is Thanksgiving and so we are going to cook up a little Thanksgiving feast for us and the others here at the backpackers and bring a little American love to the table.  The night we got here we made rice krispies treats except they only have pink marshmellows and so it turned out kind of weird, but way yummy.  It's been raining, but we've had a blast, yesterday we went to a place called Taconula and I had the biggest pizza in my life it was as big as the table, between the four of us we couldn't finish it.   The other night we were going to bed and the boys knocked on our door and said, ladies, we're going down to the beach wanna come?  So we grabbed some bottles of wine and went down to the beach at 10 pm (usually my bed time), played near the water, and scared a bunch of white crabs that were all around the beach and just had a great time chatting and hanging out. 

I can't believe how blessed I've been in Africa, and here on this roadtrip.  I'm so thankful for so many things, my awesome husband who gave me total free reign for this roadtrip, my fantastic parents who are counting the days until they can make sure I'm safe back in America, my inlaws who are amazing and who I'll see in less than a week, and my extended family who I'll be able to see for Christmas (except for my Aunt Sara and Court, and that makes me sad). 
Thank you all for supporting me, reading along with me, and just sharing your love with me.  I would not be half the person I am without everyone I've met.


I am excited to see you all,
Amber Jane

Milkshakes, Safairis, and Roadtrips!



And I get to see things like this...awww



So I absolutely adore milkshakes.  I feel as though if I had to pick one dessert for the rest of my life I'm fairly sure a chocolate fudge cookie milkshake would be it.  My friend Sabine and I (from Denmark) had a milkshake girl's date yesterday and sat out and just had girl time. Fabulous, and then we went to the beach and got clobbered by waves. Loved it.



Going on a safari on Friday, Kelsey, Inge, Jeremy and I.  I'm quite excited, haven't gone on one yet (I know I know, slacker me). But it's supposed to be a really great private game reserve so we'll see!

I am almost done with all my exams, I have one left on Saturday, and I feel good, I've done over 10 hours of studying on each of my last exams and I kicked their butts to kingdom come, so I should be good with this exam this weekend because....AFTER THAT I GET TO LEAVE ON A ROADTRIP!!

I have done more roadtripping in South Africa than I have in my entire life. But this one should be pretty great, just Kelsey and I are and we are going up to Durban and God's window.  we're going to camp in our little tent, and drive our little hearts out.  It's going to be fantastic.  Don't worry, I'll take lots of pictures, so ya'll can check it out.

I would like to apologize for being a bad relater to people back home, I know I post in my blog and occasionally send emails, but I was chastised my friend Ellen back at home for not sending post cards and stuff to my family, so I'll be sending out post cards this week. I figure I'll talk to you all when I come home and share all my stories, and then we have a lot to catch up on, I'm just not a good skyper.  In so much, I apologize if I have offended anyone in not staying in contact. I am in full health, and still alive, and with all of my limbs.

It's strange knowing that this is my last full week here in Africa in PE, (next week I'll be roadtripping).  Tomorrow is my last day to be with the little penguins I've been working with all semester...granted, last week some of them bit me hard, but I'll miss it, strange as it sounds even though I pretty much mop the whole time, and handle dead smelly fish, I rather liked volunteering there.

PS. A house burned down today at the international housing lot. Glad it was not my house...sometimes things happen here in South Africa that would never happen if it were in the states...then again, that's pry because some rich person sued someone else so they had to take all the fun out of everything. Not sure.

I know this pry wasn't the most interesting of posts, but I thought I'd just keep you up to date on what's happening and what's going on.  Also, if anyone wants to view my blog and doesn't know how, tell them to type http://www.apassionateadventure.blogspot.com/ into their address window and it will come up.

Love you all,

See you all soon, (craziness! that and that I am tan in November)

Amber Jane

Forts, Exams, and beach days

Hello friends, family, comrades, and strangers,

I have been asked recently how to follow a blog, this is if you want to make sure you don't miss my exciting doings, or don't want to check into the blog but just get it to your email.  To the right of this post is a space that says "follow by email", insert your email address, and press submit, and then it'll send my posts right to your email so you don't have to check my site all the time, and instead can enjoy it from the comfort of your email site. 

 

Pernaz the belly dancer &
 Aj the crayon

Onto the cool stuff...

Well we had halloween not to long ago, and I thought hard about what I wanted to be, my friend Kelsey was going to lend me her toga, and she was going to be a tacky Miss America, the top was a sequinned flag, omw, it was FANTASTIC, anyways, because we are not in America, and couldn't get the right accessories, Kelsey was going to use the toga, which I learned two hours ahead of the party (because as you know I lost my phone).  I decided to be a crayola blue crayon.  It was awesome, I put a blue ribbon in my hair, blue makeup, and even made a sign.  The girl standing next to me is the beautiful Pernaz my roommate, and she was a bellydancer, but the whole night it was raining outside so she had her coat on, she took it off just so we could take a picture. Adore her. 



Sushi and girls night!

 

I told you about my first excursion with sushi, and so the girls (Kelsey, brown hair, Inge blonde hair, me in my favorite sweats) decided to get sushi and watch a movie.  As many of you know, I am a STRONG supporter of girls nights.  My roommates asked me, "Aj, you have girls nights like once or twice a week! What's up with that?" I replied, "I live with a man, I need some girl time to keep my estrogen up, plus, more desserts, with less guilt."  That and Jer will watch the good Disney movie with me, but not Little Mermaid, so I need females to bond with. We went to go get the movie at the rental store but they didn't have it.  We were shocked...so we got Jumanji instead. I forgot how scary that movie is.



Before Fort Building commenced

 

And After :-)

 

Me chilling in the fort :-)



 Now, as most of you know I am around the age of 12 in my heart.  As such we had a free day and it was yucky outside, and I was just feeling quite sludgy.  After studying for my exam for a few hours Jeremy remarks, "Aj, let's build a fort". And so we did.  Mind you, we only had one sheet, and two blankets, so we got creative and used my scarves, towels, weights, and kitchen chairs to make it work.  Turned out fabulous.  We watched some Friends (I'm working my way through Season 2 Aunt Sara) and made Mac and Cheese. Man I love my husband. Coolest best friend EVER.

   

Mac and Cheese+Husband+Fort=
AWESOME TIME



 I was able to go and have a real beach day for the first time...in a long time. It's cold here in South Africa. Anyone who tells you different is lying, or is a hyperborean giant who is used to cold weather.  It's not cold enough for a coat, but it's def not warm enough for the beach..UNTIL TUESDAY! We had a wicked great time down at the beach, and got ice cream cones and played in the water.  It was wonderful.  I loved it.  Although the salt water makes me think of french fries and then makes me hungry.

Had my first exam today, 200 points, and half my grade. It was pretty intense but I studied well, and I'm not worried about, what I am worried about is the Afrikaans test I have on Monday...that's going to be brutal.  Just keep studying, just keep studying, studying studying studying...or maybe I'll go to the beach :-)

Love you all,

Am

Shark Cage Diving,pictures, & spectacular things :-)

Let me just say, I have the best husband in the world.  I was so blessed when God led him into my life and gave him to me as a gift.  I just get a super silly grin when I think about it, we are super dorks, and I love every minute of it.  We just have so much fun together, we go shark cage diving, hiking, and the other day we even had a mini date to go to the Humane Society to play with puppies. How awesome. :-D



If you look in the cage I'm the third person to the left



Well, as you all know Kelsey, Jeremy and I went shark cage diving this weekend. IT WAS SO RADICAL!! I saw a 4 1/2 meter long shark. It was CRAZY, and it hit the cage I was in. O my word.  We got out there and chummed for sharks, (throwing dead bloody yucky fish over board) for an hour and there were no sharks...I was like ooo nooo...because it's at the end of the season for shark cage diving, but then another boat said they found a shark, so we went to go steal their shark, and we got in, and then saw the sharks...it was wicked.

Uh, yes that's a shark shadow...
Told you Jaws was real



When it goes by the boat and your looking down you get so scared. I was starting to get a little sea sick but I brought motion sickness tablets so I was okay. 

We survived the sharks...and got certificates of bravery

God made everything big and small...I think God was in an intense mood the moment he made sharks, because they are scary looking.  But I'm fine.  No bones lost, no blood shed! But I did lose my phone :-/



Modeling monkey...
it was hilarious

We went to Monkeyland, where they have something liike 400 monkeys I think. I don't know, some crazy amount, one even sat on my shoulder and tried to steal my scarf, heres how it went



The bridge of the incident, which is a huge
awesome suspension bridge



Monkey: Give me give me, pretty scarf!

Aj: Oh your cute

Monkey tries to bite my shoulder and take scarf "I will kill you if I have to!"

Jer: Take a picture!

Aj: I CAN'T, I have the camera it doesn't work that way!

Kelsey: AJ THE MONKEY IS GOING TO KILL YOU!

Monkey tries to bite again

Aj: Not that bad, okay that one kind of hurt...

Aj running from monkey, while monkey sends evil eye...



I like to move it move it...



Party people at Oktoberfest



I also went to Oktoberfest here in South Africa. They love tradition, it was amazing, we danced the night away in between a club type atmopshere and this amazing German beat mix with old German music and new beats. Pretty sweet. But everyone stands and dances on tables...I also discovered how much I enjoy these Fruit Breezers (like wine coolers) slushies...they were AMAZING. But not the Leechee one. That one was not very good. Overall fantastic Oktoberfest. Check off the list! 



Possessed Monkey...super cute, but then
freaks out and becomes demon monkey. Creepy.



This weekend we are staying at home here in Port Elizabeth and going to this massive street market in Central (this time we KNOW where it's at). 

Also my mom's birthday was yesterday...got to call her via skype. Way exciting, she's going to Isreal, my mom...the world travelor...I gave her the bug ;)

Went dancing last night with my girlfriends, and got home at 2 am, I haven't done that in a long time, and then woke up at 7 to go to my Feminism Test (which I passed with sparkling colors). But I had the jibbers and NEEDED to go dancing, so it was worth it. But I'm pry going to go home after I type this up and take an nice nap after lunch, my father-in-law is rubbing off on me :-)

Finished my feminism class today. Amen. Never have to go again. I am a happy happy camper.

Today Kelsey, Inge and I are going to have a beach day today, eat some sushi, (I ATE SUSHI FOR THE FIRST TIME ON WEDNESDAY, quite good), and watch the Little Mermaid, I have the coolest best friends in South Africa.



Today was the last day of classes!!! Yay! Now just 3 tests and then I'm done with college. How exciting! God bless,

Am 

-This post is full of so many random things, I'm sorry if you have trouble following my train of thought, I'm just so excited and have a massive case of the jibbers.



ps. I'll touch down in Iowa in less than one month...craziness.

Also would like to put out there that CHRISTMAS IS AROUND THE CORNER! I love christmas...I'll have to talk about that in a later post perhaps. Hot Chocolate, wrapping paper, pie, family, gifts, ornaments, music, candy...did I mention all the great food?  And best of all it's Ferry year, so we're having massive christmas at my grandmas. Love love!

Life is magical. It just doesn't get better than this.:-)

Also perhaps, because yesterday I got a bunch of new African Worship music, so I've been dancing and smiling like a fool all day, and especially on my 45 minute walk to school. Love it.