I sincerely apologize for not updating you for the past month or so. Life has been very chaotic. I have been planning to craft up a blog here for a while, but I am really really struggling. Many of my posts thus far have been expressing my frustrations, or my adventures, or what I found different to my Minny life. But, here I have found myself, a year in, and cant distinguish as eloquently as I once could what is different or interesting, because I am just so acculturated at this point.
So I decided to go the easy route and offer you a handful visuals from the last month:
I've gotten involved with a group of older ladies from the township community and we have been making beaded angels to sell. Its a really cool program because it offers some of the unemployed community something productive to do. I try to teach them a skill, that hopefully they enjoy, and that generates a bit of income for them. The difficulty that I am finding is that they are very dependent on me. They cant get the supplies with out me. They cant sign in the attendance register with out me. They cant sell the goods with out me. The don't have any concept of the profit margin, or expense of the raw materials. And finally, they will NOT stray from the expmples that I give them. If I have one blue bead and then two silver beads, they will replicate it exactly. If we run out of blue beads, they struggle to get crafty on their own. Its a fun project, but I wish there was a way to make it more of their own.
I turned 23, and was spoiled by my boyfriend. I mentioned a while ago that I met somebody special. We have decided that we would like to continue perusing a relationship despite the ocean that will soon separate us. Its scary, but I've landed a good one. :)
Here is one of the Christmas ornament creations that I designed. We have now made about 60 of them to sell.
A friend from church had a baby!! I went to visit baby Jeshurun in the hospital and a few times since. It has been 9 years since I have had a baby in my life, and man is it stress relieving to hold a little baby. (as long as I can give him back when I feel like it)
A new fad at school: melting down plastic bracelets and needle them into skin for a permanent tattoo. Pictured above is one of my favorite students who, despite my pleadings and several conversations, has a handful of homemade tattoos in some indelicate places. I worry that this is a slippery slope.
Dhiren took me to Hogsback for my birthday. We hiked through the mountains for hours and hours and had to race against the sky to make it back to safety before the sun set on us. It was truely one of the most naturally beautiful places I have ever witnessed.
Here we are attempting to take a selfie at the Madonna and Child waterfall.
I went to support Dhiren and his colegues as they participated in the corporate Ironman event. He swam the leg and the other two guys cycled and ran. It was a gloomy day overall, as Dhiren competed last year in the full (or as he calls it the real) Iron man which is 10x longer of an event to be completed by a single athlete. However we were able to cheer on some of our friends as they competed in the "real" event on the following day. How absolutely incredible to see those machines operate.
Here is the swimmers entering the chilly Indian ocean.
Here is a handful of my teens taking getting involved in the liturgy. Its really sweet that I have developed and sustained these relationships with these guys, and its even sweeter that I got them to take an active role in celebrating Mass. Here, the parish venerated the Cross on Holy Thursday.
Dhiren and I went to a friend of his' 21st birthday party. Not often do South Africans have themed parties, so I was extatic when we got the invite to dress as famous couples. THIS IS MY JAM. I love crafting up costume. We went as Danny and Sandy from Grease. There was one other couple dressed as the same characters, but I must say, we pulled it off much better thanks to the wig :)
Alexander Rhode High, a high school where several of my teens from the church attend, held a drama competition last week. A group of us went to cheer on Lisa (left) who took home the gold! I also had a teen working behind the scenes!
The ceiling fell out of place from when the thieves tried to break in through the roof. I have decided to leave it like that to remind the kids that some people want to see harm to their school. We need to stick together and do a better job of not throwing our chip packets on the ground, and have more respect for our school. I have had very little effect in this initiative, but it still makes me feel better to tell kids to pick up after themselves.
Ben Sinuka, a primary school that Masinyusane has a hand in, got a "nurses office" last week! I just thing this is so great and hilarious at the same time! :) While there is no nurse to heal the sick, there is now a place to go if a child is feeling under the weather. The sick bed shares a room with the social worker, who is there to gage if the students needs are being met, and the old library. It is a busy, busy place.
Back at my school, all of the silverware has mysteriously disappeared. The school has now said that until the spoons make their way back to the kitchen, the school will only offer this dish: sour milk and porridge. Hungry learners scarf down their "African Salad" with whatever tools they can find. Here, this learner is using his cellphone cover, but others resort to using rulers, their hands, and leaves.
A few friends graduated from university this month, so we were able to celebrate with them. Pictured here is a big group of Americans from CSBSJU who have also made friends with my graduating friends. Its nice to see that they are making deeper connections to PE than I did when I was here before.
Again, very sorry for the lack of posts. I vow to make a conscious effort to craft up some more venting sessions for your perusal.
