Today was really an incredible day and what I experienced will last with me a lifetime. This morning we were scheduled to go on a township tour that included a morning service at a gospel church in the area. Due to some communication conflicts we found out last night that we wouldn't be able to go on the tour. I was extremely bummed out because I really wanted to experience what the churches would be like here. There is a such a passion with the people that I can feel each and every day and I can only imagine what they would be like in the presence of God and their church.
One of the new volunteers, Karen, had recently met a man named Angus at Mzoli's in Guguletu. Mzoli's is where CCS holds a braii (bbq) lunch the third Wednesday of every month. I went the first month but was still sick this past week so I didn't go. It's a great experience because it's with all of the local people in the middle of the township but this time around the group had live music, dancing, and traditional face painting (my group last month didn't get to have that experience). Anyways, Karen met Angus who is this big former rugby player. He is a huge sweetheart and they have been out every day since then. His parents grew up in District 6 (which was leveled out during apartheid) and he lived in the townships growing up. He now does outreach work in these areas. Karen told Angus that we were no longer going to church so he arranged for 8 of us to be picked up at our house, taken to his gospel church in the township, and dropped off back at homebase. Angus and his family still attend this church in the township even though they live in a ritzy area near the V & A Waterfront (Green Point) because that is where they came from and they are still reaching out to their old community. We loved the church experience. Don't get me wrong, I'm not converting or anything, but I really enjoyed watching how much these people love their religion. There was clapping and dancing and lots of singing. They were so kind to us and even had us all introduce ourselves, where we from, and what we were doing at our placements. They were very gracious of the Americans and hugged all of us. It was quite emotional for some of the Christian girls who went with.
After lunch, Angus' family invited us over for Sunday lunch. Angus and his father were leading the service and we had also met his mother and sister at the service. They took us back to their home for a traditional home-cooked meal. It was a mix of Cape Malay, African, and other local foods. I was blown away with this chicken and rice dish and of course I ate two servings of custard and strawberries. The mother kept offering us all more food and didn't let us help with a thing. Her mother-in-law and their housekeeper were also taking care of us. I felt so comfortable sitting at the table with this huge group and this family who I barely knew; it was all so pleasant. We had the most intriguing conversations from everything from American politics, South African economy, Sarah Palin, the great speakers of our time (NOT Sarah Palin), 9/11 conspiracies...I learned so much from the people around me yet at the same time I have never laughed so hard. Angus even taught his father how to say "Will you sleep with me tonight?" in French (the line from the Moulin Rouge song). Everyone was in stitches with Angus who is this really charismatic and outgoing guy and his family was just so interesting. Everyone really added something to the discussion, even us Americans. They were actually very interested in what we had to say and our opinions about the state of our country. Oh, and they LOVE Barack, want him to win, and think he will win by a large margin. We hope.
Here is the craziest part about today-Angus' father is Patrick Mckenzie, the Minister of Community Safety for the Western Cape as well as a member of ANC. This man is an extremely influential and powerful political player, and here we were, eight American volunteers sitting in his house for Sunday lunch. No biggie. The elevator is his front door, it takes you straight into his foyer. Their (very large) apartment looks over the ocean. Yet it was nothing too showy or flashy. Pictures of family everywhere, little South African flags hanging out of coffee pots, oversized leather couches. I mean, here is a man who sat on Nelson Mandela's cabinet in 1996. He is a member of Parliament. The pastor of his church.
Nelson Mandela was in his home! I was in his home! What a rush. I'm feeling starstruck and I've never heard of this man until 6 hours ago. We were so lucky. Wait-here's the best part. When we arrived for lunch it was about 11 a.m. We left around 2:30 and would have even stayed later but a member of our group had a conference call she had to attend to. On the car ride home Angus said to us that he and his mom were incredibly surprised that his dad had stayed up that late. Apparently after Sunday lunch he is down for his nap no matter who is in the company of his home. Angus told us that there have been members of Parliament and other political figures at his house for Sunday lunch and that no matter what his father will take his hour-long nap and let his family entertain the guests. It was a huge compliment, Angus told us, that his father had stayed up all afternoon to chat with us. He said it has never happened before and that we must have had a profound impact on him that he would sacrifice his personal time like that on his day of rest. Wow. It's been an amazingly perfect weekend.
Here he is:
http://www.whoswhosa.co.za/Pages/profilefull.aspx?IndID=2302
Yesterday Jordin, Hillary, and I went on safari at a beautiful game reserve called Invedoorn ('Land of Thorns'). We got close up to cheetahs, zebras, white rhinos, giraffes, and so many other amazing creatures. The game reserve is connected to a beautiful lodge. We were served a beautiful spread of French African cuisine for lunch and were able to dip our feet in the cool, clean pool before we left. We had the best seats in the jeep, right behind the driver, who answered all of our questions and had a good laugh with about the differences in our accents. We call them Zee-bras, they call them Zay-bras. Our driver to and from home was very kind and took wonderful care of us. The 2 1/2 hour drive was absolutely gorgeous. It was so green and mountainous as we headed into this semi-arid landscape. We had an adorable 6 month old baby in the van with us as well so it was a treat being around a healthy, rosy child. Her parents are here for 5 weeks from Australia doing work with the Volvo World Boat competition. Nice people, good company on the drive.
All in all, it was a wonderful last full weekend to remember this place. This time next weekend I will be in a hotel packing up my stuff getting ready to leave this place.
While I'm at it I thought I might tell you all of the exciting extra-curricular activities we've been able to take advantage of while we are here. Part of them are built into our 3-week long program orientation and some of them of things we were able to do on our nights and weekends. It's really easy to get around here because Cape Town is relatively small compared to other large cities and public transportation is so inexpensive. Everything here is inexpensive now considering that the rand is trading at 10.07 to the dollar today. It's crept up all the way from 7.42!
-Surfing lessons
-Visiting Long Street (popular destination with shops, bars, market stores, etc.)
-Visiting V & A Waterfront
-Walk through University of Cape Town campus and a hike to the Cecil Rhodes Memorial nearby
-Hike up Table Mountain, cable car down
-Green Market Square (large outdoor craft and local goods market)
-Kirstenbosch National Botanical Gardens
-Day trip to Hermanus for whale watching (worldly renowned) and Cape Agulhas (southernmost tip of Africa)
-Biking & Wining tour
-Slave Lodge museum
-Tour of Bo Kaap, the Cape Malay (Muslim area of Cape Town)
-Beach and sunset dinners at Camps Bay
-Drive up Signal Hill
-Garden Route (southeast coast), 2 1/2 day adventure tour
-Knysna Heads
-Bungee jump off the world's highest bungee bridge, Bloukrans
-Zip-lining at Tsitsikama
-Rode an elephant at an elephant sanctuary
-Lunch at a monkey sanctuary
-Cango Caves
-The Big Tree (largest tree in the southern hemisphere) at midnight
-Stayed at a Backpackers (hostel) on the Indian ocean and another in the middle of the forest
-Day trip to Cape Point, Cape of Good Hope (southwestern most tip of Africa), Boulders Beach (penguins and whale watching), and Seal Island (hundreds and hundreds of seals)
-Professional Rugby Game (Western Province vs. Xerox Free State Lions)
-Robben Island
-Spa day at Elements on Kloof St. for my massage
-Play at the Baxter Theater (Prison Codes)
-Safari at Invedoorn Game Reserve
-Tain along the eastern cost of the peninsula to Simon's Town where the South African naval base is located
-Gospel church in Bonteheuwel and lunch at the Minister of Community Safety's home
Notable dining experiences:
-Stardust (the servers perform for you with singing, dancing, and instrument playing)
-Half price sushi lunch at a gourmet restaurant called Servuga at the Waterfront
-Mama Africa (where I ate crocodile and ostrich and danced on stage with a Marimba band)
-Cafe Sophia for Poetry Delight (I made their promotional DVD!) www.poetrydelight.com
-Lunch in Bo Kaap overlooking the city, tradition Cape Malayan cuisine
-Lunch at Mzoli's, braii in the townships
-Dinners at Camps Bay with the most beautiful sunsets in Cape Town (Paranga and Blues)
A few more great things to add this week but more importantly look for a post about my last days with my children. Sure to be a tear jerker.
Sunday, October 19, 2008
Thursday, October 16, 2008
Is it?
The term 'Is it?' is a favorite among South Africans, no matter where you are and who you're talking to. They love to follow up statements with questions but 'Is it?' has proved to be quite powerful around these parts. For example:
"Nolundi, it is going to be a beautiful day today. I heard the forecast calls for sunshine and a few clouds this evening."
"Is it?"
Not so bad, right? Not exactly the word choice I would use to follow up the first statement but it's not far off. But then it's better:
"I was talking to Wonga earlier and he said he was really sad about all of the new volunteers leaving this weekend."
"Is it?"
No, I believe the proper follow-up term would be "Is he?", as in, "Is he sad they are leaving?" But no, "Is it?" always wins in this case. They love it and I'm considering adding it to my international vocabulary right below "Scusa" and "Non c'e male!". Epic.
I guess I never really told you about the house and living situations here. In the past 2 months I have lived in 3 different rooms with three different sets of roommates. Each one of the 11 rooms in the house is named after one of the 11 official languages of South Africa. On my first day I was placed in Setswana. This room was at the back of the house above the back den and it holds 6 people. Unfortunately it is a loft so it has no door and noise carries into it at all hours of the day. I am an avid fan of the post-lunch nap to rev up engines for the rest of the day and I was never able to do that in Setswana. Nothing personal against the roommates, we even had one extra bed so we had more room to place our stuff. Just couldn't deal with the noise.
Within less than a week this crazy girl Claire left our program (another story for another very long day) and there was a spot open in Maura/Danielle's room. They lived in the carriage house next to side of the big house where I was living. I moved in there as soon as I could and we loved it. The official name was Isi Zulu but men were usually in that room so it became known as the 'Man Cave'. We turned that right around and began to call it the 'Chateau'. I looooved it in there because it kept us out of the craziness in the house when we wanted peace and it had it's own bathroom. We had more than enough counters and shelving and an extra sink because at one time I think there was a kitchen in there. We even had a futon and a bean bag chair to throw our stuff on. Nothing glamorous but it was perfect for us. Our other roommate is this amazing girl from Brooklyn, Nneka. Nneka loves Brooklyn like I love Chicago and she isn't afraid to show it. She's black and it's amazing watching her run around this country because she feels so connected to it and has so much pride. Nneka is a networker and knows everyone here. She has people from Georgetown (her alma mater), her sorority, her Auntie's friends, her Mama's friends, her grandma's friends, her friend's ex-fiance...this list goes on and on. This girl is fearless and I have mad respect for her. She'll go into the townships alone, take the mini-bus taxis, and basically form a friendship with anyone who will talk. It shows in her social life because she is always finding out about crazy things to do here and there, gets great deals on all of these beautiful African dresses she's buying, and she just really has it going on here. I definitely see Nneka moving here within the next year.
Nneka and I were eventually pushed out of the Chateau back into the house when the new group arrived. The boys were put back in their Man Cave (it stinks now, literally) and we were moved into a 4-person bedroom called Sesotho. At least we both have bottom bunks now. Sesotho is a nice sized 4-person room with a lot of natural light. Our two new roommates are Tara and Natalie, both Canadians, both right about 30. Really really sweet and ambitious girls, too bad they're leaving this weekend. Nneka and I will be all alone for our last week here...way to make it even more of a downer than it already is. But at least in this room for my last month I was able to finally hang up all of my incredible cards and letters of encouragement from everyone back home and the few pictures that I brought. Maura and Danielle left me pictures of them before I left so I'm usually stuck falling asleep staring at their faces :-)
Feeling AMAZING today, went to placement. It's so hard going now because the kids have really become attached and have become very comfortable with me now. It's no longer 'Miss this' or 'Mama that'. They call me Jessica and have started saying 'I love you'. It pains my heart every time they do this because they are so clueless that I only have 6 more days with them. I dread next Friday more than anything, it gives me such anxiety to think about that last day.
Tomorrow we're making hats and next week I want to plan another craft before I go. On my last day we're face painting, dancing, and having a massive party. Hillary is going to come back for one last day to do dancing with us and to help me get through what I imagine to be one of the biggest challenges of my trip-letting go. But I'm bringing copious amounts of junk food and soda and juice and letting them go wild. They deserve it.
Going out to dinner for the first time in 13 days (I'm not counting the crying incident at Belthazar).....so pumped for real food.
"Nolundi, it is going to be a beautiful day today. I heard the forecast calls for sunshine and a few clouds this evening."
"Is it?"
Not so bad, right? Not exactly the word choice I would use to follow up the first statement but it's not far off. But then it's better:
"I was talking to Wonga earlier and he said he was really sad about all of the new volunteers leaving this weekend."
"Is it?"
No, I believe the proper follow-up term would be "Is he?", as in, "Is he sad they are leaving?" But no, "Is it?" always wins in this case. They love it and I'm considering adding it to my international vocabulary right below "Scusa" and "Non c'e male!". Epic.
I guess I never really told you about the house and living situations here. In the past 2 months I have lived in 3 different rooms with three different sets of roommates. Each one of the 11 rooms in the house is named after one of the 11 official languages of South Africa. On my first day I was placed in Setswana. This room was at the back of the house above the back den and it holds 6 people. Unfortunately it is a loft so it has no door and noise carries into it at all hours of the day. I am an avid fan of the post-lunch nap to rev up engines for the rest of the day and I was never able to do that in Setswana. Nothing personal against the roommates, we even had one extra bed so we had more room to place our stuff. Just couldn't deal with the noise.
Within less than a week this crazy girl Claire left our program (another story for another very long day) and there was a spot open in Maura/Danielle's room. They lived in the carriage house next to side of the big house where I was living. I moved in there as soon as I could and we loved it. The official name was Isi Zulu but men were usually in that room so it became known as the 'Man Cave'. We turned that right around and began to call it the 'Chateau'. I looooved it in there because it kept us out of the craziness in the house when we wanted peace and it had it's own bathroom. We had more than enough counters and shelving and an extra sink because at one time I think there was a kitchen in there. We even had a futon and a bean bag chair to throw our stuff on. Nothing glamorous but it was perfect for us. Our other roommate is this amazing girl from Brooklyn, Nneka. Nneka loves Brooklyn like I love Chicago and she isn't afraid to show it. She's black and it's amazing watching her run around this country because she feels so connected to it and has so much pride. Nneka is a networker and knows everyone here. She has people from Georgetown (her alma mater), her sorority, her Auntie's friends, her Mama's friends, her grandma's friends, her friend's ex-fiance...this list goes on and on. This girl is fearless and I have mad respect for her. She'll go into the townships alone, take the mini-bus taxis, and basically form a friendship with anyone who will talk. It shows in her social life because she is always finding out about crazy things to do here and there, gets great deals on all of these beautiful African dresses she's buying, and she just really has it going on here. I definitely see Nneka moving here within the next year.
Nneka and I were eventually pushed out of the Chateau back into the house when the new group arrived. The boys were put back in their Man Cave (it stinks now, literally) and we were moved into a 4-person bedroom called Sesotho. At least we both have bottom bunks now. Sesotho is a nice sized 4-person room with a lot of natural light. Our two new roommates are Tara and Natalie, both Canadians, both right about 30. Really really sweet and ambitious girls, too bad they're leaving this weekend. Nneka and I will be all alone for our last week here...way to make it even more of a downer than it already is. But at least in this room for my last month I was able to finally hang up all of my incredible cards and letters of encouragement from everyone back home and the few pictures that I brought. Maura and Danielle left me pictures of them before I left so I'm usually stuck falling asleep staring at their faces :-)
Feeling AMAZING today, went to placement. It's so hard going now because the kids have really become attached and have become very comfortable with me now. It's no longer 'Miss this' or 'Mama that'. They call me Jessica and have started saying 'I love you'. It pains my heart every time they do this because they are so clueless that I only have 6 more days with them. I dread next Friday more than anything, it gives me such anxiety to think about that last day.
Tomorrow we're making hats and next week I want to plan another craft before I go. On my last day we're face painting, dancing, and having a massive party. Hillary is going to come back for one last day to do dancing with us and to help me get through what I imagine to be one of the biggest challenges of my trip-letting go. But I'm bringing copious amounts of junk food and soda and juice and letting them go wild. They deserve it.
Going out to dinner for the first time in 13 days (I'm not counting the crying incident at Belthazar).....so pumped for real food.
Monday, October 13, 2008
Spoiled (or soon to be)
I figured I may as well write this second post now that I have the computer free and before I drug myself up after I get back from the doc. There is so much I miss about home and so much that I have learned throughout my travels that I just can't live without. I'm scared that I'll never be able to remove myself from Chicago and live in my dream cities (Portland, Boston, San Diego) because of everything I'm so attached to back at home. So Mom, Nana, M-Town girls, and anyone else who plans on spending my first week in Mundelein/Chicago with me...this is everything I am going to be needing:
-Deep dish sausage pizza from Gino's
-Loaded dog from Portillo's
-Diet Coke and Dr.Pepper
-Baja chalupas from Taco Bell (Heather)
-CNN and a marathon of the debates I missed. Cannot wait to watch John McCain use the phrase "That one"
-Watching the new season of The Office with my mom, then rewinding each one and watching them all over again
-One solid 24-hour period of not removing myself from my bed (aka The Black Hole)
-A late Target run (may be combined with the aforementioned Taco Bell run)
-Drinking a Hoegaarden beer. While this may be a Belgian beer that can be found all throughout Europe and other areas of the world, South Africa is not one of them and I am missing my favorite beer very much.
-A whole day at the library to utilize the wi-fi that does not exist on Owens Road so I can upload all 900+ of my pictures to the Internet.
-Holding and meeting my little cousin Michael. It will be so nice to be around a healthy baby.
Thank you,
Me
-Deep dish sausage pizza from Gino's
-Loaded dog from Portillo's
-Diet Coke and Dr.Pepper
-Baja chalupas from Taco Bell (Heather)
-CNN and a marathon of the debates I missed. Cannot wait to watch John McCain use the phrase "That one"
-Watching the new season of The Office with my mom, then rewinding each one and watching them all over again
-One solid 24-hour period of not removing myself from my bed (aka The Black Hole)
-A late Target run (may be combined with the aforementioned Taco Bell run)
-Drinking a Hoegaarden beer. While this may be a Belgian beer that can be found all throughout Europe and other areas of the world, South Africa is not one of them and I am missing my favorite beer very much.
-A whole day at the library to utilize the wi-fi that does not exist on Owens Road so I can upload all 900+ of my pictures to the Internet.
-Holding and meeting my little cousin Michael. It will be so nice to be around a healthy baby.
Thank you,
Me
Seriously, I came here for THIS?
Another day with the flu, another day stuck in this house without my kids. I've had this thing for 10 days now and it's not showing any signs of retreating. It's one step forward, two steps back.
I was well enough this weekend to go out during the day but by nightfall I'm a mess again. We were fortunate enough to have beautiful weather on Friday so our trip to Robben Island wasn't canceled like so many before us. What an amazing trip! The ferry ride made me quite sea sick, as I already wasn't feeling well, but once we hit land and I began to take it all in I felt much better. At one point I likened it to the concentration camps in Germany. The creepiness and the aura of it all really made the hair on the back of my neck stick up. Our tour guides were both former inmates and had met Nelson Mandela. We are so lucky to have lived so close (in time) to apartheid that we were fortunate enough to have such guides. One day it won't be like that and the experience for future visitors just won't be the same. Turns out, Robben Island the 3rd largest penguin colony in the world so we got a glimpse of more of the little guys and hundreds of rabbits that run around the place. It was really an amazing excursion, one that I will never forget.
After Robben Island our group (about 15 ladies) had made reservations at the nicest restaurant on the V & A Waterfront-Belthazar. It's this lovely steakhouse, very very nice. The sommelier and the butcher both came to our table. And here I am, stuck in the middle of booth, ordering hot tea and the cheapest side dishes I could find since I could taste nothing. At one point everyone just sort of looked at me because I was so miserable and they all started to ask if I was okay and I just burst into tears, right there are the table. I was miserable. Couldn't breathe, couldn't taste, and sinuses were under so much pressure I thought perhaps I was 60,000 ft. up in the air and just didn't know it. Some of the girls took me home early and I was able to go to the pharmacy for more medicine. I've been stuck with this nasty TheraFlu-type tea ever since. Not so bad though considering I can't taste anything...
Back to my kids though. I miss them so much and I want to make the most out of these last 2 weeks, that's why I'm going back to the doctor in an hour and demanding the most powerful drugs God has allowed to be created. This week we're making hats out of half a paper plate and some string. I'm also bribing them with lollipops to sing their songs the best they can so I can get some great videos to bring back to ya'll. Next week I'm creating a HUGE collage with all of our pictures to hang on this wall where all of the old pictures are falling down. And on my last day we're doing nothing but dancing and screaming and singing and I'm bringing in every junk food known to man for a party. And some party favors. It's going to be a riot...I want to make it as happy a day as possible so I can avoid thinking about how awful it's going to be to leave them. I've already shed tears a couple of times (i.e., right now) thinking about that last day. I dread it.
My kids, like all kids here, LOVE digital cameras. They are obsessed with having their picture taken and then they love to check themselves out. To see what they look like right away gives them so much satisfaction. It's becoming a status thing-the more pictures I take of them, the cooler they get.
The Go Bananas! song is still going strong. They still do it every day and I use it when I want to get them quiet. What I love most, however, is watching them do it for other people. No one knows what to expect when we start it and once we get to 'Go Bananas' they are in stitches just watching the kids. In the morning I have trouble getting their attention and getting them all to participate in songs because we do them every day but once an audience walks in (my program director will stop by from time to time, one local policeman visits a few times a week, etc.) the kids turn in to Broadway stars, giving these Tony award winning performances. Once they start singing they don't stop until that person has left. They LOVE and audience!
Now that I've been there for so long I've learned all of their personalities and who I can trust to help me and who I'm going to have to put in a time out every day. I have an older 3-year old who cries all day long and insists she be fed her porridge, even if it's by another child. I have one boy who was quite the misfit when he sat with the diva girls but when we moved him to the big kid table with the smart kids he turned his act around. Now he's one of my favorites and is always attached to my leg, looking for a hug. But what I love to watch the most is their relationships with each other and the way they look after one another. I have a few sets of cousins and siblings and you can always tell who is older and who takes care of whom. I know who is in what clique and who are the not so popular kids. And when one of them gets hurt you can see who their friends are, rushing to their aid and lending them a hand-hold and a kiss. It's incredible to watch these little people develop. Uchk...I can't WAIT to be a mommy.
I witnessed my own little personal miracle this week, something that no one else there will appreciate. The 'autistic' boy I mentioned before? The one who I never witnessed emotion from? Well when I took the big kids outside to play on Friday, the little ones were let loose in the courtyard. I peeked in for a second to check on my baby Lisa and I caught the
little boy RUNNING AROUND AND SMILING. I watched him for a minute or two and shed my own happy tears because I was seeing this child come to life for the first time. It was like watching him being born because before that moment he was so lifeless. But once he caught sight of me watching him he immediately stopped and hid against the wall. I was sad when he stopped but I was so relieved that he had been happy for a moment. So perhaps it's me that fears, the unknown, the new person. And that's fine. I'll steer clear of him if only to watch him run around like that again.
My program director stopped in on Friday for a moment to check out the playground. She delivered the happy news that sometime this week workers would be coming in with bags of sand for the ground and would be mending the broken play set. She said that a group of volunteers from the house would also be asked to come out and paint and clean up the garbage all around it . I was thrilled to hear this news and was so happy that it would be done when I was there so I could say I helped with something before I left. It's hard to say you made an impact when you can't see the results of it but helping with this playground would give me satisfaction that I did contribute to Luthando because I'll be able to watch my kids play on a safe and beautiful playground. I'll let you know how that goes...
For now though, it's back to Dr.Wigens. Hopefully the next time I write I will have once again tasted food and slept without breathing through my mouth. Wretched feeling, eh?
I was well enough this weekend to go out during the day but by nightfall I'm a mess again. We were fortunate enough to have beautiful weather on Friday so our trip to Robben Island wasn't canceled like so many before us. What an amazing trip! The ferry ride made me quite sea sick, as I already wasn't feeling well, but once we hit land and I began to take it all in I felt much better. At one point I likened it to the concentration camps in Germany. The creepiness and the aura of it all really made the hair on the back of my neck stick up. Our tour guides were both former inmates and had met Nelson Mandela. We are so lucky to have lived so close (in time) to apartheid that we were fortunate enough to have such guides. One day it won't be like that and the experience for future visitors just won't be the same. Turns out, Robben Island the 3rd largest penguin colony in the world so we got a glimpse of more of the little guys and hundreds of rabbits that run around the place. It was really an amazing excursion, one that I will never forget.
After Robben Island our group (about 15 ladies) had made reservations at the nicest restaurant on the V & A Waterfront-Belthazar. It's this lovely steakhouse, very very nice. The sommelier and the butcher both came to our table. And here I am, stuck in the middle of booth, ordering hot tea and the cheapest side dishes I could find since I could taste nothing. At one point everyone just sort of looked at me because I was so miserable and they all started to ask if I was okay and I just burst into tears, right there are the table. I was miserable. Couldn't breathe, couldn't taste, and sinuses were under so much pressure I thought perhaps I was 60,000 ft. up in the air and just didn't know it. Some of the girls took me home early and I was able to go to the pharmacy for more medicine. I've been stuck with this nasty TheraFlu-type tea ever since. Not so bad though considering I can't taste anything...
Back to my kids though. I miss them so much and I want to make the most out of these last 2 weeks, that's why I'm going back to the doctor in an hour and demanding the most powerful drugs God has allowed to be created. This week we're making hats out of half a paper plate and some string. I'm also bribing them with lollipops to sing their songs the best they can so I can get some great videos to bring back to ya'll. Next week I'm creating a HUGE collage with all of our pictures to hang on this wall where all of the old pictures are falling down. And on my last day we're doing nothing but dancing and screaming and singing and I'm bringing in every junk food known to man for a party. And some party favors. It's going to be a riot...I want to make it as happy a day as possible so I can avoid thinking about how awful it's going to be to leave them. I've already shed tears a couple of times (i.e., right now) thinking about that last day. I dread it.
My kids, like all kids here, LOVE digital cameras. They are obsessed with having their picture taken and then they love to check themselves out. To see what they look like right away gives them so much satisfaction. It's becoming a status thing-the more pictures I take of them, the cooler they get.
The Go Bananas! song is still going strong. They still do it every day and I use it when I want to get them quiet. What I love most, however, is watching them do it for other people. No one knows what to expect when we start it and once we get to 'Go Bananas' they are in stitches just watching the kids. In the morning I have trouble getting their attention and getting them all to participate in songs because we do them every day but once an audience walks in (my program director will stop by from time to time, one local policeman visits a few times a week, etc.) the kids turn in to Broadway stars, giving these Tony award winning performances. Once they start singing they don't stop until that person has left. They LOVE and audience!
Now that I've been there for so long I've learned all of their personalities and who I can trust to help me and who I'm going to have to put in a time out every day. I have an older 3-year old who cries all day long and insists she be fed her porridge, even if it's by another child. I have one boy who was quite the misfit when he sat with the diva girls but when we moved him to the big kid table with the smart kids he turned his act around. Now he's one of my favorites and is always attached to my leg, looking for a hug. But what I love to watch the most is their relationships with each other and the way they look after one another. I have a few sets of cousins and siblings and you can always tell who is older and who takes care of whom. I know who is in what clique and who are the not so popular kids. And when one of them gets hurt you can see who their friends are, rushing to their aid and lending them a hand-hold and a kiss. It's incredible to watch these little people develop. Uchk...I can't WAIT to be a mommy.
I witnessed my own little personal miracle this week, something that no one else there will appreciate. The 'autistic' boy I mentioned before? The one who I never witnessed emotion from? Well when I took the big kids outside to play on Friday, the little ones were let loose in the courtyard. I peeked in for a second to check on my baby Lisa and I caught the
little boy RUNNING AROUND AND SMILING. I watched him for a minute or two and shed my own happy tears because I was seeing this child come to life for the first time. It was like watching him being born because before that moment he was so lifeless. But once he caught sight of me watching him he immediately stopped and hid against the wall. I was sad when he stopped but I was so relieved that he had been happy for a moment. So perhaps it's me that fears, the unknown, the new person. And that's fine. I'll steer clear of him if only to watch him run around like that again.
My program director stopped in on Friday for a moment to check out the playground. She delivered the happy news that sometime this week workers would be coming in with bags of sand for the ground and would be mending the broken play set. She said that a group of volunteers from the house would also be asked to come out and paint and clean up the garbage all around it . I was thrilled to hear this news and was so happy that it would be done when I was there so I could say I helped with something before I left. It's hard to say you made an impact when you can't see the results of it but helping with this playground would give me satisfaction that I did contribute to Luthando because I'll be able to watch my kids play on a safe and beautiful playground. I'll let you know how that goes...
For now though, it's back to Dr.Wigens. Hopefully the next time I write I will have once again tasted food and slept without breathing through my mouth. Wretched feeling, eh?
Thursday, October 9, 2008
Jess-i-ca! Jess-i-ca! Jess-i-ca!
That's right-they were chanting MY name this morning and it couldn't have come at a better time. When we pulled up and saw my kiddies this morning I could have burst into tears but that would have only confused them. What an amazing day at Luthando.
You see, I came down with the flu. Bad. It all began Saturday morning with a horrible sore throat but to be honest, I thought it was just the post-party body blues from Friday. We went to our first professional rugby game that evening (Vodacom Western Province vs. Xerox Lions - both South African teams. We were cheering for W.P. since we live 10 minutes from their stadium). Our team ended up winning but it was a cold windy night so that didn't help with the sickness. On Sunday I went on a day tour down the peninsula and Cherilyn, one of the moms here, didn't even know I was in the car until the first time we got out because I was quiet. Is it possible? Me, not talking? When you're coming down with the flu, it surely is. I went to placement on Monday with a terribly runny nose and cough but just assumed it was the same nasty virus I came down with two weeks ago. Waaaay wrong. Tuesday was the most miserable day of my life. I went to the doctor only to be given a nose and throat spray (no antibiotic again) and my body ached as if I had been in a car accident and I just didn't know about it. My roommate Natalee said she didn't see my eyeballs once that day because I crawled in bed and practically died in there. Woke up at about 3:30 in the morning unable to sleep anymore and I finally looked up the symptoms for the flu. I was so confused when the staff kept saying, 'You look flu-ish' because when I remember the flu growing up it was a lot of puking and other nasty stomach problems. Apparently the adult flu doesn't work this way and of course I had all of the symptoms that WedMD offered for the flu. It was official. I was dying a slow and painful death in Africa-of the flu. DID I REALLY COME HERE FOR THIS?
Wednesday was a bit better because I could walk and talk but my body was in so much pain. My lower back is beginning to hurt just as bad as it did in high school (junior year UCA Nationals? wheelchair?) so I decided it was time for a massage. Abusing the rand as usual I found a beautiful spa in town that did an hour long aromatherapy massage for less than $40. He really focused on my head and sinus and my back. Worked wonders. I definitely feel like the catty (bit*hy?) ladies in the office were judging me for going to spa when I should have been at placement but they have no idea what was going to make me feel better. To be honest, it was the best treatment I had been given since Saturday and I was well enough to go to placement today. Celebrated finally being able to taste food by ordering in from our favorite nearby Mexican restaurant for dinner last night as well. Quesadillas and guac :-)
So today with the kids was quite a treat when I heard them chant my name. I knew they had missed me. A new volunteer, Ryder, has been working with me since last week and the poor thing was on his own the past 2 days. I feel bad because it's quite overwhelming, all of those rugrats crawling all over you and you trying to give directions with this huge language (and sound) barrier. It's good for him though-I was all alone on my second week and it's how I really learned how to handle them. Ryder is quite shy and young (18 or 19) but he's a soccer player so the boys have really enjoyed being able to play outside with him. It's nice being able to separate the girls and the boys for a bit not only to divvy up the number of kids but so we can each bond with the kids of the same sex. They seem to enjoy it.
Back to chanting: remember when I said they always chanted 'Molo Malinga' every time the van pulled up because Malinga was the driver? Well, they don't quite understand that Wonga is now the driver no matter how many times I explain it to them. Today, however, I finally got them all to chant 'Molo Wonga' when they saw the van. They are starting to realize that Malinga is no longer here and that Wonga is the man. Wonga really is the man though. Such a sweetheart, he really cares about us. He's not much with his words (he has the deepest voice!) but his actions speak loud. I even taught him some of my rocking dance moves for the car (fist pumping galore). I loved the day that I was sick a few weeks ago and he had to take me to the doctor and the pharmacy. I was, of course, miserable and barely coherent and the sweet thing took my hand and held it as we walked across the street so I wouldn't get hit by an oncoming mini taxi bus. And to be honest, it wasn't creepy at all. Paternal, really.
Tricksters: My kids are little devils sometimes. They really crave attention and will do almost anything to get it. I like to walk around with the box of tissues a few times a day to give to the kids with really runny noses. They won't grab one by themselves and they let this green goo just sit there all day long. I'm trying to instill some proper hygiene among them (including how NOT to pick our noses and that hand washing needs to occur at least once during the day) so I find that giving them their own tissue teaches them at least something about cleaning our bodies. The problem is, the kids WITHOUT the runny noses are grabbing for tissues, finding that this is some sort of privilege or game. Once refused a tissue, Ryder and I found today that almost all of these clean kids are purposely blowing snot out of their noses until it's running down their face-all to get a tissue. This is my life?
They also love to repeat after me. Everything that comes out of my mouth is grounds for the repeat game. My favorite is when I ask them to be quiet by using the word 'thulani', all I get back is 'thulani! thulani!' instead of silence. Or if we're playing Simon Says and I just happen to scratch my head or wipe something off my face, they assume that they have to do that too. I laugh when I watch them bend down to scratch an imaginary bed bug bite on their leg (oh YES, I've got bed bugs. All over. Worse than Reber's in Germany for anyone who was there).
Today was a fairly nice day outside so I wore a pair of Nike running shorts. This place is so westernized that the minute I walked in I got shouts of 'Nike!' But of course they pronounced it with a silent 'e' at the end so it made me laugh even harder. They also had a fascination with touching my bare legs. I usually wear crappy old jeans every day since it's been cold out so my skin really hasn't been exposed to them much. I don't know if it's a maternal thing with them but everyone from the the boys to the girls, my biggest kids to my little babies, were rubbing my legs all day today. I don't really see the fascination with the white ladies legs, but maybe that's the mystery of it all. They were also grabbing at my kneecaps-painful. On top of becoming a human jungle gym today was also National Jessica is a Hair Salon Day. Our van was about 45 minutes late today so I eventually was so worn out I plopped down on the concrete floor and immediately was swarmed like flies on a carcass. Someone managed to rip off my headband and hair tie and my disgusting mop of hair (which is in DIRE need of a cut and color) became a breeding ground for whatever is on their stick little hands. At one point me and the baby I was holding were underneath a ring of at least 8 or 10 toddlers. Yet I walked away without one knot or tangle.
What I love about my kids is that even though they don't have a lot they are so happy. When we have to teach a game or a dance it's not always plausible to work with them all at once. Tandeka usually insists that we only take 4 or 5 at a time to do certain things and the other kids seem just fine with sitting there and watching them. And if they don't all get to try something, they don't complain or cry. I am so amazed at how understanding they are at not always getting to do or have something. When they do get something new though, they are sure to show it off to us. I always know when so-and-so has new shoes or such-and-such brought an exciting snack because they are are so so proud to show it off. Even when it's a hand-me-down, they're so excited about their own things. Like their backpacks. I'm sure I've talked about them earlier but I just keel over every time I hand one of my little boys his bright pink Barbie backpack because his eyes just light up when he gets it. Precious.
Speaking of my kids, I thought I would give you some insight into my favorite and most memorable little tots. First and most importantly there is Lisa. Lisa is a big little girl, between 1 and 2. When I first met Lisa she was in the baby room where she belongs and she would just cry BLOODY MURDER the entire day without stop. Eventually someone wised up and put her in the big kid room. She just wanders around all day in there or sits in the corner but is silent as a mouse. Somehow I ended up being the one who feeds her the morning porridge and her yogurt for lunch. And somehow, Tandeka began to call Lisa 'my child'. When she is crying Tandeka will say 'Your child, she is crying. Get her juice.' Lisa and I have a special little bond. I know that in the morning she is super temperamental and doesn't like being touched or picked up. By porridge time she has warmed up to me and by snack time she has latched on. I love to carry her around on my back with the towel tied around me-I've given in that this really is the most efficient and comfortable way to carry around a child. I'd be willing to give a lesson on towel tying for anyone toting around a baby (Tanya....or Kathy....) It's become hard though because she has latched on and I always want to pick her up but she truly too big to carry around all day and I need to quit coddling her every time she cries. It's so hard.
Then I have my Princess. I don't even know why I call her Princess. She has this big head, a little fro, and these two huge buck teeth she developed because she ALWAYS has her thumb in her mouth. But her little pierced ears and sweet girly outfits make her very Princess-like and she has become the light of my life when I walk in the baby room.
Oh Dumbo. This little one is probably just barely two and has the ears of a 20 year old elephant. I could fly back home to Chicago on these things. But he always has a grin on his face and some sort of old man sweater. I probably have 100 pictures of the little thing.
My twins remind of what Mary and Nicholas Arzer were NOT LIKE AT ALL. They are the exact opposite of what my favorite twins would have been like. They are little brats but they know that their beautiful faces will melt my heart and let them out of anything. They literally have the same face, just different hairstyles. The girl is a HUGE diva. She walks around dancing all day, shaking those hips in a way no 4 year old should ever shake her hips. She does the best imitations of people in the classroom and I can just tell she is going to be very sarcastic and snooty when she grows up. The boy is much sweeter but he has a lot of energy that often gets tied up in accidental violence. I love to watch him put his arm around his sister's shoulder or grab her hand. I bet they drive their mother NUTS.
The little boy who I thought had burnt fingers? Turns out it's eczema. He hasn't been wrapped in gauze lately so that's a good sign. What a relief that it wasn't something dangerous or abusive. It is a bit gruesome to look at, especially since he sucks on his thumbs all the time but I'm sure it's soothing for him. He's my boy with the Barbie backpack-maybe that's what makes him so gentle.
I'm still worried about my 'autistic' boy. He was in my classroom for a while but got moved in with the babies. He looks between 3 or 4 but he has no social or speaking skills. He has NEVER spoken when I have been around and I have only caught any sign of emotion once or twice (one smirk, one cry). Other than that, he stands there blankly all day with the saddest look on his face. I pick him up all the time to try and show him some affection, to coax SOMETHING out of him but I get nothing. He doesn't really follow directions or participate in anything because he just stands there all day. I have finally gotten him to hold my hand while we march around the room. Even when I hold out my arms to ask him to come to me he doesn't move. Any other kid would maul me and tackle me, so excited to be the one who is getting picked up but this little boy just stands there. I know he's not deaf but I can't even begin to think what exactly is wrong with him. I love the kid so much, I just want to reach out to his parents and get this kid some help.
And then there's Sino and Snazo. Sino is the daughter of Tandeka and Snazo is her niece (therefor Sino and Snazo are cousins). Out of anyone, these two are hands down the littlest most harmless looking 3 year olds you have ever seen but they are my absolute biggest brats. They follow no directions from me and have such ADD I have never seen them sit for longer than 30 seconds. Tandeka really doesn't do much to help me. I've seen her really whack them on her own when they're being naughty to her but they don't really get in trouble when I ask them to quit running around the classroom shaking their bare butts in the air. Yes, this has happened. Snazo rarely wears underwear. I've seen her butt more often than I've seen my own. She's the younger of the two by about 6 months and follows everything her older cousin does. But Snazo, wow, she's a firecracker. I think my favorite thing to do at Luthando is mock her and laugh at her. She knows when I'm doing this is and finds it HILARIOUS, only inciting her to act more ridiculous. She thinks she's queen of the classroom and will stand up in front of everyone during storytime just because she wants to be close to me. She'll just jabber on while I'm talking and start giggling and shaking her butt and I love to just stop story time and stand behind her and repeat everything she's doing. Once she figures it out the whole class has had a good laugh and I've managed to laugh along too (which is hard at the end of a long day). Those two will be the death of me at Luthando. They're quite the dynamic duo, I can only imagine them growing up and going out together.
I'm going to end it here but there are so many more great things I have to tell you about my placement. Until next time...drink lots of fluids and stay under the covers (because Denise says so).
You see, I came down with the flu. Bad. It all began Saturday morning with a horrible sore throat but to be honest, I thought it was just the post-party body blues from Friday. We went to our first professional rugby game that evening (Vodacom Western Province vs. Xerox Lions - both South African teams. We were cheering for W.P. since we live 10 minutes from their stadium). Our team ended up winning but it was a cold windy night so that didn't help with the sickness. On Sunday I went on a day tour down the peninsula and Cherilyn, one of the moms here, didn't even know I was in the car until the first time we got out because I was quiet. Is it possible? Me, not talking? When you're coming down with the flu, it surely is. I went to placement on Monday with a terribly runny nose and cough but just assumed it was the same nasty virus I came down with two weeks ago. Waaaay wrong. Tuesday was the most miserable day of my life. I went to the doctor only to be given a nose and throat spray (no antibiotic again) and my body ached as if I had been in a car accident and I just didn't know about it. My roommate Natalee said she didn't see my eyeballs once that day because I crawled in bed and practically died in there. Woke up at about 3:30 in the morning unable to sleep anymore and I finally looked up the symptoms for the flu. I was so confused when the staff kept saying, 'You look flu-ish' because when I remember the flu growing up it was a lot of puking and other nasty stomach problems. Apparently the adult flu doesn't work this way and of course I had all of the symptoms that WedMD offered for the flu. It was official. I was dying a slow and painful death in Africa-of the flu. DID I REALLY COME HERE FOR THIS?
Wednesday was a bit better because I could walk and talk but my body was in so much pain. My lower back is beginning to hurt just as bad as it did in high school (junior year UCA Nationals? wheelchair?) so I decided it was time for a massage. Abusing the rand as usual I found a beautiful spa in town that did an hour long aromatherapy massage for less than $40. He really focused on my head and sinus and my back. Worked wonders. I definitely feel like the catty (bit*hy?) ladies in the office were judging me for going to spa when I should have been at placement but they have no idea what was going to make me feel better. To be honest, it was the best treatment I had been given since Saturday and I was well enough to go to placement today. Celebrated finally being able to taste food by ordering in from our favorite nearby Mexican restaurant for dinner last night as well. Quesadillas and guac :-)
So today with the kids was quite a treat when I heard them chant my name. I knew they had missed me. A new volunteer, Ryder, has been working with me since last week and the poor thing was on his own the past 2 days. I feel bad because it's quite overwhelming, all of those rugrats crawling all over you and you trying to give directions with this huge language (and sound) barrier. It's good for him though-I was all alone on my second week and it's how I really learned how to handle them. Ryder is quite shy and young (18 or 19) but he's a soccer player so the boys have really enjoyed being able to play outside with him. It's nice being able to separate the girls and the boys for a bit not only to divvy up the number of kids but so we can each bond with the kids of the same sex. They seem to enjoy it.
Back to chanting: remember when I said they always chanted 'Molo Malinga' every time the van pulled up because Malinga was the driver? Well, they don't quite understand that Wonga is now the driver no matter how many times I explain it to them. Today, however, I finally got them all to chant 'Molo Wonga' when they saw the van. They are starting to realize that Malinga is no longer here and that Wonga is the man. Wonga really is the man though. Such a sweetheart, he really cares about us. He's not much with his words (he has the deepest voice!) but his actions speak loud. I even taught him some of my rocking dance moves for the car (fist pumping galore). I loved the day that I was sick a few weeks ago and he had to take me to the doctor and the pharmacy. I was, of course, miserable and barely coherent and the sweet thing took my hand and held it as we walked across the street so I wouldn't get hit by an oncoming mini taxi bus. And to be honest, it wasn't creepy at all. Paternal, really.
Tricksters: My kids are little devils sometimes. They really crave attention and will do almost anything to get it. I like to walk around with the box of tissues a few times a day to give to the kids with really runny noses. They won't grab one by themselves and they let this green goo just sit there all day long. I'm trying to instill some proper hygiene among them (including how NOT to pick our noses and that hand washing needs to occur at least once during the day) so I find that giving them their own tissue teaches them at least something about cleaning our bodies. The problem is, the kids WITHOUT the runny noses are grabbing for tissues, finding that this is some sort of privilege or game. Once refused a tissue, Ryder and I found today that almost all of these clean kids are purposely blowing snot out of their noses until it's running down their face-all to get a tissue. This is my life?
They also love to repeat after me. Everything that comes out of my mouth is grounds for the repeat game. My favorite is when I ask them to be quiet by using the word 'thulani', all I get back is 'thulani! thulani!' instead of silence. Or if we're playing Simon Says and I just happen to scratch my head or wipe something off my face, they assume that they have to do that too. I laugh when I watch them bend down to scratch an imaginary bed bug bite on their leg (oh YES, I've got bed bugs. All over. Worse than Reber's in Germany for anyone who was there).
Today was a fairly nice day outside so I wore a pair of Nike running shorts. This place is so westernized that the minute I walked in I got shouts of 'Nike!' But of course they pronounced it with a silent 'e' at the end so it made me laugh even harder. They also had a fascination with touching my bare legs. I usually wear crappy old jeans every day since it's been cold out so my skin really hasn't been exposed to them much. I don't know if it's a maternal thing with them but everyone from the the boys to the girls, my biggest kids to my little babies, were rubbing my legs all day today. I don't really see the fascination with the white ladies legs, but maybe that's the mystery of it all. They were also grabbing at my kneecaps-painful. On top of becoming a human jungle gym today was also National Jessica is a Hair Salon Day. Our van was about 45 minutes late today so I eventually was so worn out I plopped down on the concrete floor and immediately was swarmed like flies on a carcass. Someone managed to rip off my headband and hair tie and my disgusting mop of hair (which is in DIRE need of a cut and color) became a breeding ground for whatever is on their stick little hands. At one point me and the baby I was holding were underneath a ring of at least 8 or 10 toddlers. Yet I walked away without one knot or tangle.
What I love about my kids is that even though they don't have a lot they are so happy. When we have to teach a game or a dance it's not always plausible to work with them all at once. Tandeka usually insists that we only take 4 or 5 at a time to do certain things and the other kids seem just fine with sitting there and watching them. And if they don't all get to try something, they don't complain or cry. I am so amazed at how understanding they are at not always getting to do or have something. When they do get something new though, they are sure to show it off to us. I always know when so-and-so has new shoes or such-and-such brought an exciting snack because they are are so so proud to show it off. Even when it's a hand-me-down, they're so excited about their own things. Like their backpacks. I'm sure I've talked about them earlier but I just keel over every time I hand one of my little boys his bright pink Barbie backpack because his eyes just light up when he gets it. Precious.
Speaking of my kids, I thought I would give you some insight into my favorite and most memorable little tots. First and most importantly there is Lisa. Lisa is a big little girl, between 1 and 2. When I first met Lisa she was in the baby room where she belongs and she would just cry BLOODY MURDER the entire day without stop. Eventually someone wised up and put her in the big kid room. She just wanders around all day in there or sits in the corner but is silent as a mouse. Somehow I ended up being the one who feeds her the morning porridge and her yogurt for lunch. And somehow, Tandeka began to call Lisa 'my child'. When she is crying Tandeka will say 'Your child, she is crying. Get her juice.' Lisa and I have a special little bond. I know that in the morning she is super temperamental and doesn't like being touched or picked up. By porridge time she has warmed up to me and by snack time she has latched on. I love to carry her around on my back with the towel tied around me-I've given in that this really is the most efficient and comfortable way to carry around a child. I'd be willing to give a lesson on towel tying for anyone toting around a baby (Tanya....or Kathy....) It's become hard though because she has latched on and I always want to pick her up but she truly too big to carry around all day and I need to quit coddling her every time she cries. It's so hard.
Then I have my Princess. I don't even know why I call her Princess. She has this big head, a little fro, and these two huge buck teeth she developed because she ALWAYS has her thumb in her mouth. But her little pierced ears and sweet girly outfits make her very Princess-like and she has become the light of my life when I walk in the baby room.
Oh Dumbo. This little one is probably just barely two and has the ears of a 20 year old elephant. I could fly back home to Chicago on these things. But he always has a grin on his face and some sort of old man sweater. I probably have 100 pictures of the little thing.
My twins remind of what Mary and Nicholas Arzer were NOT LIKE AT ALL. They are the exact opposite of what my favorite twins would have been like. They are little brats but they know that their beautiful faces will melt my heart and let them out of anything. They literally have the same face, just different hairstyles. The girl is a HUGE diva. She walks around dancing all day, shaking those hips in a way no 4 year old should ever shake her hips. She does the best imitations of people in the classroom and I can just tell she is going to be very sarcastic and snooty when she grows up. The boy is much sweeter but he has a lot of energy that often gets tied up in accidental violence. I love to watch him put his arm around his sister's shoulder or grab her hand. I bet they drive their mother NUTS.
The little boy who I thought had burnt fingers? Turns out it's eczema. He hasn't been wrapped in gauze lately so that's a good sign. What a relief that it wasn't something dangerous or abusive. It is a bit gruesome to look at, especially since he sucks on his thumbs all the time but I'm sure it's soothing for him. He's my boy with the Barbie backpack-maybe that's what makes him so gentle.
I'm still worried about my 'autistic' boy. He was in my classroom for a while but got moved in with the babies. He looks between 3 or 4 but he has no social or speaking skills. He has NEVER spoken when I have been around and I have only caught any sign of emotion once or twice (one smirk, one cry). Other than that, he stands there blankly all day with the saddest look on his face. I pick him up all the time to try and show him some affection, to coax SOMETHING out of him but I get nothing. He doesn't really follow directions or participate in anything because he just stands there all day. I have finally gotten him to hold my hand while we march around the room. Even when I hold out my arms to ask him to come to me he doesn't move. Any other kid would maul me and tackle me, so excited to be the one who is getting picked up but this little boy just stands there. I know he's not deaf but I can't even begin to think what exactly is wrong with him. I love the kid so much, I just want to reach out to his parents and get this kid some help.
And then there's Sino and Snazo. Sino is the daughter of Tandeka and Snazo is her niece (therefor Sino and Snazo are cousins). Out of anyone, these two are hands down the littlest most harmless looking 3 year olds you have ever seen but they are my absolute biggest brats. They follow no directions from me and have such ADD I have never seen them sit for longer than 30 seconds. Tandeka really doesn't do much to help me. I've seen her really whack them on her own when they're being naughty to her but they don't really get in trouble when I ask them to quit running around the classroom shaking their bare butts in the air. Yes, this has happened. Snazo rarely wears underwear. I've seen her butt more often than I've seen my own. She's the younger of the two by about 6 months and follows everything her older cousin does. But Snazo, wow, she's a firecracker. I think my favorite thing to do at Luthando is mock her and laugh at her. She knows when I'm doing this is and finds it HILARIOUS, only inciting her to act more ridiculous. She thinks she's queen of the classroom and will stand up in front of everyone during storytime just because she wants to be close to me. She'll just jabber on while I'm talking and start giggling and shaking her butt and I love to just stop story time and stand behind her and repeat everything she's doing. Once she figures it out the whole class has had a good laugh and I've managed to laugh along too (which is hard at the end of a long day). Those two will be the death of me at Luthando. They're quite the dynamic duo, I can only imagine them growing up and going out together.
I'm going to end it here but there are so many more great things I have to tell you about my placement. Until next time...drink lots of fluids and stay under the covers (because Denise says so).
Sunday, October 5, 2008
A basketcase of emotions
Apologies apologies for not writing lately. I have good reason. Very good reason. But it feels good right now to just sit down at the computer and finally get out all of what I've been holding in this past week. So many emotions and so few people to talk with about them. Uchk, I miss home right now. A lot.
It all begins a week ago from today. Maura and Danielle (Chicago girls) had finished their last week of their program and had moved in to a B & B about a 15 min. walk away from the CCS house. They extended their flight to stay for an extra week in order to finally get around to doing so many things we hadn't done during the previous month. Sunday morning the girls and I were supposed to be picked up for a one-day safari at 5:15 in the morning. The van had not come by 6:15 so we called it off for the day and I told them to stay at the B & B. The van eventually showed up at 7:00 a.m. but by that time there was no way we were going. Eventually we reconvened and the three of us along with our friend Jordin (from California) hiked the 1 hour 45 minutes up Table Mountain. Holy crap. When I'm at school I work out on a fairly regular basis. By the time I left for SA I was running about 2 miles a day so I didn't think hiking up this mountain would be too hard. WRONG. I didn't realize what a completely different workout it is to climb UPWARDS into a high altitude. We were stopping every 1-2 minutes to catch our breath so we were shocked when we made it in under 2 hours because we were told it would take between 2-2 1/2 hours. The entire time I wanted to cry and nearly did when I reached the top because I was so so happy and proud of myself. The mountain is 3,600 ft. tall and we started the hiking route at 1,200 ft. The view was breathtaking and I felt as if I finally began to challenge myself here. By the end of our day we were exhausted and Maura and Danielle returned to their B & B and Jordin and I returned to homebase.
Around 7 pm we made plans with all of the new volunteers (who had arrived the day earlier) to go out to nearby bar called Roots. It's a ten minute taxi ride away and we planned on leaving once Maura and Danielle arrived at the house around 8:15. Right about that time our house alarm went off but we assumed someone had tripped it up on accident. However, one member of our program came running in yelling that the people outside were being held at gunpoint. Not knowing what to do, nearly 20 of us locked ourself in the biggest bathroom while listening to someone pound on the outside door which we had locked. We were all frantically dialing people in our phones such as staff members, previous staff members, and whoever we could think of to help us. Eventually someone opened the door and unlocked the front door to discover Maura and Danielle in hysterics.
The girls had decided to walk to the house because it was such a close walk. The sun had set just an hour earlier and by this time in our program we had been feeling very safe in our neighborhood. They were wearing jeans, jackets, baseball caps and gym shoes. They carried with them their purses and right at the corner of our street, literally 30 SECONDS from our house, three men held them at gunpoint and took their purses. They stood their frozen and men turned around only to come back again to frisk their pockets looking for more and stealing Maura's hat and Danielle's fake 30 cent diamond ring from the party store. The girls ran to the house and the guard let them in and tripped off the alarm to call ADT to the house.
ADT and the police arrived shortly and the girls went through all of the necessary procedures. I went to the B & B with a staff member to collect their expensive belongings and the girls and I spent the night at the Westin hotel downtown. They needed to escape from our neighborhood to a quiet place where they could call their parents and make all of the important phone calls to their credit card companies and banks. None of us got much sleep that night but at least they had a hot shower and a late night dinner. It's a shame we went there under those circumstances because the Westin is probably the nicest chain hotel in Cape Town. It has a gym, full breakfast buffet, a shower AND bathtub, a flat screen tv (with CNN!) and of course, down pillows and comforters.
The girls came back to homebase the next day and were put up for free by the program until their flight Saturday. By Tuesday however the girls had finally decided that it was time to catch an earlier flight home. They no longer felt comfortable leaving the house and truly, what good would it do them to sit inside the house all day while we were at placement? What would they do at night? Despite the fact that they would not be going on a safari or be able to see Robben Island on this trip, going back home to Chicago was the best decision for the girls. I'm glad they made it because it's the only place in the world that would have comforted them and made them feel safe. The poor things-they paid $200 (apiece) to change their flight the first time to extend for a week and then they paid another $200 to change it back after getting mugged. You'd THINK the airlines would show some sympathy. Yeah, what optimism that is.
You may be asking yourself, why were these two girls walking from one place to another in the dark? Before blame in placed on them you have to think about comfortable we all are in our home surroundings. We were forced to adapt so quickly to this house and this neighborhood that it felt like we lived here forever. We had heard about all of this crime in Cape Town but in our own little neighborhood next to college town, at the corner by our house, it just didn't seem possible. Perhaps they should have taken a cab. But I cannot say I wouldn't have made the same choice to walk because it's very likely that had I been with them, I would have walked as well.
Here is where the situation gets very complex. Apparently the previous Friday evening two men were caught jumping our back fence into the yard. The security guard shooed them away and the situation turned out to be harmless. HOWEVER, we were never notified about this by the program. They claim that because the situation was handled there was no reason to notify us. The alarm had been tripped off but only one member of the house heard it and saw the police when they came. The alarm apparently was not very loud (until ADT increased the volume this week) and no one woke up by Jill, who is in her late 50s. She was told not to scare the new volunteers coming in and that she should not talk about it. Now, perhaps if we had been warned about this Maura and Danielle would have never walked knowing that men were prowling around our house. Or maybe they still would have walked. We never know and I'm not placing blame on anyone except for the three schmucks who held my friends at gunpoint. No one to blame but them.
By Monday morning the girls were feeling a tad better and they returned to the house. An all-house meeting regarding security took place at lunchtime and that is when things exploded here. Some of the new volunteers (who, mind you, had only been here for 48 hours) were questioning why people walk around at night. Essentially, RIGHT IN FRONT OF THEM, these people were placing blame on Maura and Danielle. Veteran volunteers who had been here for 2 months brought up a plethora of issues they had begun to notice including some conspiracies about employee dissent and the large lack of safety regarding fire drills and lock down drills should there be in intruder (like what we had originally thought was happening). It was a firestorm of placing blame, yelling, attitudes, and if you ask me, one too many wives in the kitchen trying to put their two cents in. It only made Maura and Danielle feel worse and more anxious about being in this house. Things were brought up that I never thought about and I began to realize how unsafe this environment may be.
Since then new procedures have been put in order. We now have 2 security guards at night to keep an eye on the front AND back gate. Everyone now has the police # stored in their cell phone (if they have one), the electric gate in back is getting electrified (had it not been? was it broken?), ADT increased the volume of the alarm, and motion lights are supposedly being installed. At first it really seemed that the staff was not taking our concerns seriously but by Tuesday we were informed of all of the changes being made. I guess a lot of phone calls had been placed by parents to the CCS headquarters in NY. People were very very nervous. Five other girls had also booked rooms at the Westin that evening because they did not feel comfortable in their own home. Shame.
Things have improved now and I sleep easier knowing that my closest friends here are at home with their families and friends, eating hot dogs and watching American football. I just asked of them that they not remember Cape Town for what happened to them but for what it was as a whole. I mean, these are two tough south side Irish Catholic girls. They're bartenders and have to walk to their car every night after 2 a.m. when their shift is done. This could have happened here, or when they vacationed in Mexico, or at 3 in the afternoon when no one was around. Getting held at gunpoint can occur no matter what you do to prevent it. Unless you walk around with a police escort 24/7 there is no way to stop criminals like these 3 men. But what Maura and Danielle have promised me is that they will take the lesson from this experience and remember their trip for how much they affected the people they worked for in the townships and for all of the exciting and adventurous trips we took. It's hard to sleep at night knowing that your friends had to go through so much pain and fear. I only wish it had happened to me, that I had been the one to deal with these consequences because it was so traumatizing just to watch see how anguish they were in. Yes, we must all be more aware from now on, but no, we cannot live in fear for the rest of our lives. I'll never question taking a taxi ever again but I will not fear living in Africa.
I guess what I'm most fortunate for is that even though this didn't happen to me directly, it affected me in a deep way. From every misfortune and tragedy there is a lesson to be learned, and as we all know my family learned that early on. I'm still learning what exactly God's plans are for me but this is only one more experience that is shaping what I will do with my life and how I will construct who I am.
I'm also so fortunate that my parents were so amazing through all of this. I called the house immediately to tell them where I would be that night and how they could get a hold of me. Nana was very calm and mommy called me soon after. At one point I was having doubts about staying here, that perhaps I needed to come home and get away from this disaster. She assured me that I did not need to come home and that I still had so much to accomplish here. She and my dad helped Danielle and Maura's parents wire transfer money here and of course Denise suggested room service to make us all feel better. I saw another side of my dad during those few days. He was more compassionate, gentle, and kind than I'm used to seeing Sandy. At one point Danielle answered my cell phone and he told her how sorry he was about her situation and that it should never have happened to them. He went back and forth with their parents assisting them with the banks and found out a way for me to get some emergency cash from the credit card since I was the only one out of the three of us with any access to money. Let me remind you-my parents have never met Maura or Danielle. They just know them as the two Chicago girls who are my close friends here. It's not like it's Eliza or Chase or Mary or Liz or Beth or the girls from home who they know and love. These are total strangers to my parents, yet they did everything in their power to help them through such a difficult time. I am eternally grateful and so lucky to have them.
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New topic: What the heck is going on now here
So, this new group came in and we have a FULL house. We have four very nice boys and about 20 girls. They range from 18-67 and come from England, Canada, Boston, Hawaii, Chicago, Arkansas, all over. It's very different being with all of these new people because you really develop the closest relationships with the people in your own group who arrived the same day as you. There are still about 7 of us from my group and 2 from the group before us but other than that, we're outnumbered. It's fun to watch them come in and scramble to do everything and go to all the big sights because I've already done and now I'm just chillin'. We still have to hit up Robben Island but one of the newbies booked that for next Friday. I miss the old group and I just wish they would come back here so things seem normal again. It's not as if I don't like the new people, they are actually really really amazing but there are just SO MANY of them. I have to wait in line for lunch, the showers, the computers, and of course the vans are packed for placement and that's the last thing I want to deal with after wrangling my kids all morning.
This week the schools were on holiday so Ryder (my new Luthando volunteer) and I had help from Hillary (my previous other partner who is now teaching dance at a school permanently) and another volunteer named William who will be working at a school for the rest of his three months here. A lot of the children stayed at home this week because of the holiday and we also had help from some 10-13 year olds who came to Luthando during the day because their little brothers/sisters are there and they have nowhere to go while their parents are at work. To have four people with my kids was AMAZING. I left each and every day feeling as if we had really given them all of the attention they deserve. They loved to play with the boys bears and climb all over them since they're huge. They loved having Hillary back because she brings the iPod and the dance music. And it was nice not feeling overwhelmed and frazzled at the end of day because I knew that we gave the kids the best care they could get. Until the end of the month it will just be Ryder and I but two are better than one. I'm starting to work this week on getting donations from the stores in the community for toys and such. It's part of my long term goal to increase their resources so the children will have something to play with even if there are no volunteers there to work with them. Anyone interested in sending anything please e-mail me and we can try to work something out. I know I'm not supposed to donate to them myself but what can I do if an anonymous donation gets sent to them? Oh well.... :-)
So much more to write so I'll end it now and start again on Tuesday or Thursday.
Miss you all a lot. Especially now that the girls are gone I'm getting homesick again. 23 more days!
It all begins a week ago from today. Maura and Danielle (Chicago girls) had finished their last week of their program and had moved in to a B & B about a 15 min. walk away from the CCS house. They extended their flight to stay for an extra week in order to finally get around to doing so many things we hadn't done during the previous month. Sunday morning the girls and I were supposed to be picked up for a one-day safari at 5:15 in the morning. The van had not come by 6:15 so we called it off for the day and I told them to stay at the B & B. The van eventually showed up at 7:00 a.m. but by that time there was no way we were going. Eventually we reconvened and the three of us along with our friend Jordin (from California) hiked the 1 hour 45 minutes up Table Mountain. Holy crap. When I'm at school I work out on a fairly regular basis. By the time I left for SA I was running about 2 miles a day so I didn't think hiking up this mountain would be too hard. WRONG. I didn't realize what a completely different workout it is to climb UPWARDS into a high altitude. We were stopping every 1-2 minutes to catch our breath so we were shocked when we made it in under 2 hours because we were told it would take between 2-2 1/2 hours. The entire time I wanted to cry and nearly did when I reached the top because I was so so happy and proud of myself. The mountain is 3,600 ft. tall and we started the hiking route at 1,200 ft. The view was breathtaking and I felt as if I finally began to challenge myself here. By the end of our day we were exhausted and Maura and Danielle returned to their B & B and Jordin and I returned to homebase.
Around 7 pm we made plans with all of the new volunteers (who had arrived the day earlier) to go out to nearby bar called Roots. It's a ten minute taxi ride away and we planned on leaving once Maura and Danielle arrived at the house around 8:15. Right about that time our house alarm went off but we assumed someone had tripped it up on accident. However, one member of our program came running in yelling that the people outside were being held at gunpoint. Not knowing what to do, nearly 20 of us locked ourself in the biggest bathroom while listening to someone pound on the outside door which we had locked. We were all frantically dialing people in our phones such as staff members, previous staff members, and whoever we could think of to help us. Eventually someone opened the door and unlocked the front door to discover Maura and Danielle in hysterics.
The girls had decided to walk to the house because it was such a close walk. The sun had set just an hour earlier and by this time in our program we had been feeling very safe in our neighborhood. They were wearing jeans, jackets, baseball caps and gym shoes. They carried with them their purses and right at the corner of our street, literally 30 SECONDS from our house, three men held them at gunpoint and took their purses. They stood their frozen and men turned around only to come back again to frisk their pockets looking for more and stealing Maura's hat and Danielle's fake 30 cent diamond ring from the party store. The girls ran to the house and the guard let them in and tripped off the alarm to call ADT to the house.
ADT and the police arrived shortly and the girls went through all of the necessary procedures. I went to the B & B with a staff member to collect their expensive belongings and the girls and I spent the night at the Westin hotel downtown. They needed to escape from our neighborhood to a quiet place where they could call their parents and make all of the important phone calls to their credit card companies and banks. None of us got much sleep that night but at least they had a hot shower and a late night dinner. It's a shame we went there under those circumstances because the Westin is probably the nicest chain hotel in Cape Town. It has a gym, full breakfast buffet, a shower AND bathtub, a flat screen tv (with CNN!) and of course, down pillows and comforters.
The girls came back to homebase the next day and were put up for free by the program until their flight Saturday. By Tuesday however the girls had finally decided that it was time to catch an earlier flight home. They no longer felt comfortable leaving the house and truly, what good would it do them to sit inside the house all day while we were at placement? What would they do at night? Despite the fact that they would not be going on a safari or be able to see Robben Island on this trip, going back home to Chicago was the best decision for the girls. I'm glad they made it because it's the only place in the world that would have comforted them and made them feel safe. The poor things-they paid $200 (apiece) to change their flight the first time to extend for a week and then they paid another $200 to change it back after getting mugged. You'd THINK the airlines would show some sympathy. Yeah, what optimism that is.
You may be asking yourself, why were these two girls walking from one place to another in the dark? Before blame in placed on them you have to think about comfortable we all are in our home surroundings. We were forced to adapt so quickly to this house and this neighborhood that it felt like we lived here forever. We had heard about all of this crime in Cape Town but in our own little neighborhood next to college town, at the corner by our house, it just didn't seem possible. Perhaps they should have taken a cab. But I cannot say I wouldn't have made the same choice to walk because it's very likely that had I been with them, I would have walked as well.
Here is where the situation gets very complex. Apparently the previous Friday evening two men were caught jumping our back fence into the yard. The security guard shooed them away and the situation turned out to be harmless. HOWEVER, we were never notified about this by the program. They claim that because the situation was handled there was no reason to notify us. The alarm had been tripped off but only one member of the house heard it and saw the police when they came. The alarm apparently was not very loud (until ADT increased the volume this week) and no one woke up by Jill, who is in her late 50s. She was told not to scare the new volunteers coming in and that she should not talk about it. Now, perhaps if we had been warned about this Maura and Danielle would have never walked knowing that men were prowling around our house. Or maybe they still would have walked. We never know and I'm not placing blame on anyone except for the three schmucks who held my friends at gunpoint. No one to blame but them.
By Monday morning the girls were feeling a tad better and they returned to the house. An all-house meeting regarding security took place at lunchtime and that is when things exploded here. Some of the new volunteers (who, mind you, had only been here for 48 hours) were questioning why people walk around at night. Essentially, RIGHT IN FRONT OF THEM, these people were placing blame on Maura and Danielle. Veteran volunteers who had been here for 2 months brought up a plethora of issues they had begun to notice including some conspiracies about employee dissent and the large lack of safety regarding fire drills and lock down drills should there be in intruder (like what we had originally thought was happening). It was a firestorm of placing blame, yelling, attitudes, and if you ask me, one too many wives in the kitchen trying to put their two cents in. It only made Maura and Danielle feel worse and more anxious about being in this house. Things were brought up that I never thought about and I began to realize how unsafe this environment may be.
Since then new procedures have been put in order. We now have 2 security guards at night to keep an eye on the front AND back gate. Everyone now has the police # stored in their cell phone (if they have one), the electric gate in back is getting electrified (had it not been? was it broken?), ADT increased the volume of the alarm, and motion lights are supposedly being installed. At first it really seemed that the staff was not taking our concerns seriously but by Tuesday we were informed of all of the changes being made. I guess a lot of phone calls had been placed by parents to the CCS headquarters in NY. People were very very nervous. Five other girls had also booked rooms at the Westin that evening because they did not feel comfortable in their own home. Shame.
Things have improved now and I sleep easier knowing that my closest friends here are at home with their families and friends, eating hot dogs and watching American football. I just asked of them that they not remember Cape Town for what happened to them but for what it was as a whole. I mean, these are two tough south side Irish Catholic girls. They're bartenders and have to walk to their car every night after 2 a.m. when their shift is done. This could have happened here, or when they vacationed in Mexico, or at 3 in the afternoon when no one was around. Getting held at gunpoint can occur no matter what you do to prevent it. Unless you walk around with a police escort 24/7 there is no way to stop criminals like these 3 men. But what Maura and Danielle have promised me is that they will take the lesson from this experience and remember their trip for how much they affected the people they worked for in the townships and for all of the exciting and adventurous trips we took. It's hard to sleep at night knowing that your friends had to go through so much pain and fear. I only wish it had happened to me, that I had been the one to deal with these consequences because it was so traumatizing just to watch see how anguish they were in. Yes, we must all be more aware from now on, but no, we cannot live in fear for the rest of our lives. I'll never question taking a taxi ever again but I will not fear living in Africa.
I guess what I'm most fortunate for is that even though this didn't happen to me directly, it affected me in a deep way. From every misfortune and tragedy there is a lesson to be learned, and as we all know my family learned that early on. I'm still learning what exactly God's plans are for me but this is only one more experience that is shaping what I will do with my life and how I will construct who I am.
I'm also so fortunate that my parents were so amazing through all of this. I called the house immediately to tell them where I would be that night and how they could get a hold of me. Nana was very calm and mommy called me soon after. At one point I was having doubts about staying here, that perhaps I needed to come home and get away from this disaster. She assured me that I did not need to come home and that I still had so much to accomplish here. She and my dad helped Danielle and Maura's parents wire transfer money here and of course Denise suggested room service to make us all feel better. I saw another side of my dad during those few days. He was more compassionate, gentle, and kind than I'm used to seeing Sandy. At one point Danielle answered my cell phone and he told her how sorry he was about her situation and that it should never have happened to them. He went back and forth with their parents assisting them with the banks and found out a way for me to get some emergency cash from the credit card since I was the only one out of the three of us with any access to money. Let me remind you-my parents have never met Maura or Danielle. They just know them as the two Chicago girls who are my close friends here. It's not like it's Eliza or Chase or Mary or Liz or Beth or the girls from home who they know and love. These are total strangers to my parents, yet they did everything in their power to help them through such a difficult time. I am eternally grateful and so lucky to have them.
********************************************************************
New topic: What the heck is going on now here
So, this new group came in and we have a FULL house. We have four very nice boys and about 20 girls. They range from 18-67 and come from England, Canada, Boston, Hawaii, Chicago, Arkansas, all over. It's very different being with all of these new people because you really develop the closest relationships with the people in your own group who arrived the same day as you. There are still about 7 of us from my group and 2 from the group before us but other than that, we're outnumbered. It's fun to watch them come in and scramble to do everything and go to all the big sights because I've already done and now I'm just chillin'. We still have to hit up Robben Island but one of the newbies booked that for next Friday. I miss the old group and I just wish they would come back here so things seem normal again. It's not as if I don't like the new people, they are actually really really amazing but there are just SO MANY of them. I have to wait in line for lunch, the showers, the computers, and of course the vans are packed for placement and that's the last thing I want to deal with after wrangling my kids all morning.
This week the schools were on holiday so Ryder (my new Luthando volunteer) and I had help from Hillary (my previous other partner who is now teaching dance at a school permanently) and another volunteer named William who will be working at a school for the rest of his three months here. A lot of the children stayed at home this week because of the holiday and we also had help from some 10-13 year olds who came to Luthando during the day because their little brothers/sisters are there and they have nowhere to go while their parents are at work. To have four people with my kids was AMAZING. I left each and every day feeling as if we had really given them all of the attention they deserve. They loved to play with the boys bears and climb all over them since they're huge. They loved having Hillary back because she brings the iPod and the dance music. And it was nice not feeling overwhelmed and frazzled at the end of day because I knew that we gave the kids the best care they could get. Until the end of the month it will just be Ryder and I but two are better than one. I'm starting to work this week on getting donations from the stores in the community for toys and such. It's part of my long term goal to increase their resources so the children will have something to play with even if there are no volunteers there to work with them. Anyone interested in sending anything please e-mail me and we can try to work something out. I know I'm not supposed to donate to them myself but what can I do if an anonymous donation gets sent to them? Oh well.... :-)
So much more to write so I'll end it now and start again on Tuesday or Thursday.
Miss you all a lot. Especially now that the girls are gone I'm getting homesick again. 23 more days!
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