Final Remarks

This is likely to be a short entry as I am feeling short on words today and not looking forward to final remarking. 
With about 1 week left, i can't believe my time is almost over.


[extended moment of reflection here]


I have met amazing people in my time here, people i work with, people i live with and people i have met through random circumstances. I have learned a lot about myself and about other people. I have learned that adaptability is key to living with so many people. Also, in living with so many people, the real colors come out pretty quickly and it's easy to really know each other. 


I have tried new things and experienced many cultures. The world looks a little different from here. Sometimes it feels like i'm stuck in a time warp when it comes to how much prejudice there is. It's like living in the 60s, there is so much idealism to work through and prejudice from an older generation that still filtrates through to younger people. Strange to be here and experience it all. I think I have learned a lot, but also realize that I have much to learn still. 


The next week I have plans to rock climb, mountain hike, surf, lay out on the beach and just enjoy my friends and my environment. I'm going to be missing all of that for a long time i think. 


I'll update again when i'm back in the states.. until then, cheers!

Restless

Tonight I am restless.
As defined in the Webster Dictionary:

1. characterized by or showing inability to remain at rest: a restless mood
2. unquiet or uneasy, as a person, the mind, or the heart.
3. never at rest; perpetually agitated or in motion: the restless sea.
4. without rest; without restful sleep: a restless night.

(forward: my thoughts are entirely choppy for this entry, just figured you should have  heads up. As I thought, I wrote and my thoughts are not always congruent)

I have gone to bed over an hour ago, i have laid in my bed, just trying to sleep. I have listened to most of my "sleep" playlist and tonight I just cannot seem to fall asleep. I have searched through my brain trying to figure out what is keeping me up, I have yet to figure it out. Maybe I ate something that kept me up, but i have not eaten anything in a few hours, I did not drink any coffee past 2pm. I came to sit outside, so as I type this i am sitting outside my house, on the porch-ish area. 


i am not really sure what i want to share with everyone. I feel like my time is coming to an end.... i know my time is coming to an end. As much as i look forward to seeing my friends and family, i sure will miss this place. I think i am anxious. 


I am anxious about going home, about leaving, about starting my internship, about going back to work and about figuring out my life. this anxiety i'm defining as: "Desire to do something, typically accompanied by unease" It is not constant or even common, but i think it is possibly what is keeping up tonight. I have been thinking about going home for the past couple days.


It is not perfect here, the government is corrupt, the impoverished people are desperate enough to hurt each other, the racism is widespread and the taxes are high. Despite the negative sides to this place, I love it. I think if i lived here long enough it would feel like home. The mountains are visible everywhere you go, the ocean is accessible by train in several directions, hiking and climbing is abundant and it almost never gets below 50* (during the day), even during the winter. For anyone who enjoys nature and wants the most of their outdoor time, this is the place to be. 


I have learned a lot from my time here. I have learned a lot about myself while being here. I am not sure exactly what I want out of life, but I know I am ready for it. I do not fear the unknown future, I look forward to it and have a desire to pursue whatever God's calling is for my life. 


I guess that is all i have to say for now. 
I hope everyone had a Merry Christmas

Cheers

Happy 21st of December!!

I can't believe it's already almost Christmas. It does not feel like Christmas at all here. I've been playing Christmas music for the past 4 days trying to make it feel more like Christmas, but no such luck. Although i've been making paper snowflakes and decorating the house in preparation, there is no snow outside, i'm wearing dresses instead of sweaters and the closest thing to a Christmas tree in our house at the moment is the decorated empty wine bottle. 

Somehow without the family, wrapping presents with mama, cleaning the house, baking puppy chow and prepping for mocha punch the Christmas spirit is lacking. Don't get me wrong, I am enjoying the warmth of summer time here, but Christmas means cold weather and snow to me. My friend and flat mate, Lisa, and i are  hosting Christmas dinner at our house on Sunday and we are so excited to be planning for it. As much as both of us are missing being home for the Holiday, we are making the most of it and enjoying the friendships we have here. 

To all my family and friends, i'm sad about not being home for Christmas. I did not realize how much Christmas means family to me until this season came around. The good thing is, ill be surrounded by the best people i know in this country.

So, for my last month here i've compiled a list of things i wanted to do before i came that i have done and still want to do. 

Things I have done:

• completed a 5 month practicum
• abseiling
• sandboarding
• rock climbing
• skydiving
• hiking
• swim with Penguins
• visit a children's home
• swimming with sharks (originally to go shark cage diving, but bating sharks into the bay is no good)
• made many baked goods
• visit a township
• spent time on all local beaches
• surfing
• kloofing
• Spelunking

Things I have not done yet:

• bungee jumping (probably will not happen this trip)
• shark cage diving (will not do, as it is hazardous to bring sharks into the bay)
• take the cable car to top of Table Mountain (will happen soon)
• gone on safari (may or may not happen)
• visit Robin Island (happens next week)
• scuba diving (happens next week)

So, I’ve been really blessed with everything I’ve done. I feel entirely lucky and wouldn’t have changed one minute of it. The time I spent at the hospital has given me a whole new perspective on life. I’ve seen so many families who are supportive of each other, seek the information they need, and moms who spend every waking minute at their child’s bedside. I’ve seen families who entirely dysfunctional, family members who show up drunk to hospital, moms who leave their child in the hospital then don’t come back and abusive situations that no one does anything about. It’s really eye opening to be in situations like these. I spent much time with a young girl, about 1 ½ years old, her mom brought her to the hospital and then was not seen again until the girl was discharged. Finally, when this child was able to go home, the mom couldn’t be reached and she had to stay in hospital an extra week before she could go home. It was heartbreaking. The experience is something its own. It's hard to put it all into words. There is so much I wish I could share, but I wouldnt know where to start. The hospital gave me plenty of stories to share when i go home. Some beautiful, but many heartbreaking...

Cape Town has been amazing to say the least.

Last week, I went to a beach about an hour away (via the train) and actually swam in the ocean. Despite being freaked out by the kelp and the sea urchins. I jumped off a giant boulder, about 15 feet, into the ocean, swam through kelp and snorkeled above some of the most beautiful scenery. I swam next to a baby pajama shark and a few other fish, found about 10 starfish, several puffer fish and scraped my knee on the muscles that I had to climb over to get out of the water. Earlier today, I swam with penguins and lay on the rocks next to them. The water was warm enough to relax in, which is pretty unusual for Cape Town water.  The experiences have been beyond amazing. I have definitely fallen in love here. I’ll be sad to leave. 

Let's Talk About Work

I had a presentation to give last Tuesday. I'm usually not very good at speeches and presentations, but this time everything went well. I had all my notes in order, i did not have a case of the jitters, my stomach was not doing flip flops and my coffee seemed to kick in on time. Everything seemed just to be calm. I presented for the Pain Team and a few other staff members at the hospital the case for Child Life - the benefits, work and role thereof. The presentation lasted about an hour between myself and the few other people who spoke. But enough about that for now.

The hospital is roller coaster. I have had a few days where everything seems to go well, i like my job, my patients are interactive and positive and I feel i have done my job to the best of my ability. There are other days where I do not want to be in the hospital, my patients do not want to interact, they are frustrated and do not respond to any interventions. These days I try to keep positive, but that is sometimes difficult.

I have worked with one patient for the past 4 months. He is a preteen oncology patient, frustrated by his long-term stay in the hospital and constant battle both physically and emotionally. Nearly every side-effect of  chemotherapy has affected him and so most of the time after treatment he has no energy, feels sick, has a sore mouth and can't talk. He spends several days after chemo simply laying in bed and unwilling to interact. After treatment the other day he was sore, but still wanted to play. His energy was low, but I could tell he was bored. Even tho he was tired and weak he still wanted to do something with his time. The kids on this ward spend so much time stuck in their beds due to their drips.It's like a double punishment - having to be in the hospital for an extended period of time and not allowed to get up and go play. I try to make life as  normal as possible, but sometimes it feels like trying to move mountains.

Another patient I see regularly is just over 3 years and has been in the hospital for nearly a year and a half. Not just in and out of hospital, but actually staying in the hospital for that long. She is in isolation and has not been able to play with other children in far too long. On top of that her family life is complicated, her mom and granny stay with her most of the time at the hospital, but the child/parent relationship is fairly unhealthy. She recently has shown signs of aggression and anger. Although this is an improvement from when I met her and she had anxiety with every person who was in her room. She now interacts freely with nurses, specialists and doctors who see her, but shows hostility when they do something she does not like. She and I spend a lot of time with medical play and trying to get mom to interact more in play. Because her mom has been somewhat distant towards her daughter, it has created an unstable attachment between them. Sometimes the girl wants her mom to be around, but then other times hits her mom to motion her to leave. On top of everything else, mom does not speak or understand any English and my Afrikaans is certainly lacking, so unfortunately, our communication is very little.

For the past 3 weeks, there has been a group of Child Life students from Ohio at the hospital. It has been good to have them around, a new type of work for me also. It has been a good experience to learn how to work along side peers and simultaneously be a "go to" person when questions arise. This week is their last week. The crazy thing is that everyone goes on holiday here at Christmas time.

The hospital does not schedule any surgeries, kids that are well enough to be discharged are and everyone leaves. Both my supervisors will be gone for my last month. It's nothing like at home where life pretty much just stays the same and keeps rolling through the holidays. The good news is that several of my kiddos have been discharged already or will be discharged before Christmas/New Years.

Speaking of New Year... i'm not ready for it. I'm just not ready to leave this beautiful country yet. This next month is going to be amazing. The weather just gets better and i can soak up as much sun as possible before heading to wintery coldness of the midwest next year :)

Life Goes On

Hello!

It has been far too long since i've updated this guy.  So, since I left off from last time:

Two weekends ago, I gave a small speech about Child Life at an anesthetics' conference. This conference included pediatric anesthesiologists from all over the world (only slightly intimidating, right?) There were about 100 professionals and myself. Needless to say, I do not think I could have been over-prepared for it. Unfortunately, I was under-prepared and my speech did not go nearly as well as it should have. I was fine until I held the mic in my hand and looked at the very intense group of people staring at me. It was over in less than 10 minutes, but it was the longest 10 minutes of my life. All i wanted to do was go hide in the garden; luckily for me, my speech was the last before lunch so I went to do just that. 

On a more positive note, the weather is only improving and so i've been spending most of my weekends and afternoons outside. The beach beckons my name, but when i can't get there, at least i have a nice front yard to go chill in. I've been spending a large amount of time rock climbing these past couple weeks. Specifically - bouldering. This is the type of climbing with no ropes an harnesses, but is still generally safe with a crash pad and spotters. I conquered a few routes and it felt so good! It is a tremendous natural high to get to the top of  boulder and look down and think "how on earth did i do that!?" On Saturday, I went to climb in Paarl (http://www.places.co.za/html/paarlmount.html) it was a glorious day, i conquered several new routes and because the rock is made out of granite, i tore up my fingers like crazy!! It was all worth it until i made 1 wrong move and came straight down onto a pointy rock with my pinky toe. (ouch) It's possibly broken, but I mean, really, who needs a pinky toe? To say the least, i did not do any more climbing yesterday and will not be for the rest of the week. Also, no running or excessive amounts as walking, as these activities seem to make my foot swell up :) yeay!

(No worries, mom and dad, this is about as bad of an injury as I could get because i'm being as careful as possible)

Moving on - Work is going well. I have been working on some projects for Child Life as it is becoming an arm of another umbrella. So far, Child Life has been only under the Pain Management Team, meaning that Child Life only works with acute pain children. Currently, there is a plan for a Creative Therapies Team to form. This team would include aromatherapy, music therapy, art therapy, Child Life,  and psycho-social family therapy. The team would take referrals from anyone in the hospital and decide which therapy(ies) would be most beneficial for the child. I am entirely excited for this opportunity for Child Life as it will spread the word and hopefully bring in more credibility. 

As work gets crazier, so does the house. My house is now completely full. There are 10 people living in much too small of a space. Although we all have our own rooms, the common spaces (kitchen and living room) are not nearly big enough for 10 people. We mostly get along, but bound to butt heads sometimes living so closely. The house stays full for the next month and then 3 people will leave beginning of December. I found a close couple friends here and I do not look forward to leaving them when I do head home. Although there are many more days now that i miss home than at the beginning of my trip. 

With thanksgiving and Christmas coming quickly, I can feel home calling me. I do look forward to seeing all of you in just 2 months. But until then, I am going to thoroughly enjoy the rest of my time here and soak up as much sun as i can before going to freeze at home.

the rock in Paarl that kind of looks like "the bean" at Millennium Park

Sunset driving home :)

Questionable

I'm about half way through my trip now and I feel that it's going much too fast. I can't believe i'll be home already in just about 2 1/2 months. Although that seems like a lot of time, i feel like it is going to to go so fast. October is practically over already and then Thanksgiving will be here! The time is flying.

A couple roommates and I carved pumpkins yesterday in honor of fall (even though it's spring here). It made me miss the leaves changing colors and wearing boots and scarves. I didnt realize how much i miss being home sometimes. In addition, im going to miss halloween, thanksgiving, Christmas aaaaand New Years. What was i thinking?  I'm gonna be craving some spinach quiche and potato casserole. 

I didn't work much last week because I was sick again. Today was a crazy day, but i spent most of my time with 1 patient. She is about 2 years old and is one of my favorites; she has an interesting family dynamic and i'm pretty sure her mom is not all there cognitively. Her granny is the sweetest lady i've met in a while. When I met this little girl she was so scared and traumatized that she wouldnt let anyone near her. She screamed and turned away from anyone other than her mom or granny. That was 3 weeks ago. Today, she approached me first and gave me a hug before I left. Her anxiety is much less and she allowed the nurse to fix her hearing aids without any problems. This turn around is not all my doing, but I know that I had a part in it. It reminds me that helping children is my calling. She is my inspiration at work when I feel like I have no idea what i'm doing. 

As much as I am enjoying my time here, I really hope that I am stepping in the right direction. Eventually I do have to grow up, get a job, find a place to work full time and do whatever else you're supposed to do as an adult. I feel like part of me is still looking for my calling. For me, South Africa is a pretty good place to be right now.

Request for New Blog

Well, i've been requested to update 


I haven't taken the time to update in a while because nothing new and exciting is happening here. However, it is South Africa so, i figure there's always something new to talk about. 


For the past month i've had 2 other interns at the hospital with me, both of them Certified Child Life Specialists. It was so nice to have them around, unfortunately they were only here for a month and so they have left and gone back to the states already. (sad face) They brought with them many new resources, including a ton of bubbles, which was amazing! Sadly, I will not have any more partners until November and then it will be a very large group of students. On the bright side, this means that I have another month to get my stuff together before they come. Hopefully they will each take over a ward and I am crossing my fingers that they will have plenty to keep them busy. It could get quite crowded in our very tiny office with another 12 people. 


The weather is finally starting to get warmer. However, it is Cape Town, so in one day it will go from sunny/beautiful to cloudy/crazy windy/freezing. Even on a sunny day, the wind can be so strong and cold that it's not nice to walk anywhere. I can't complain tho because in about a month when it really starts to get cold back home, it will be nice and warm here (anyone want to come visit?)


Our house is quite full now, we have 9/10 rooms full, with the exception of this week - 2 people being on vacation. Luckily for me, the house is still pretty chill and we all get along for the most part. Of course, with the 9 people living in close quarters, there's bound to be some form of aggravation every now and then. But for now, Ill happily live in peace :)


Today, I am home sick, not sure sick with what. Hoping to recover by tomorrow so I can have a full week. 

That's all I have for now, but I do have 1 photo for the week, i think it's my favorite from last week

Wednesdays are HARD

This will be a short one


If there were ever a time to spew my emotions onto a page, this would be the time. Unfortunately, I have no idea how to write that well. 
Wednesdays are burn dressing change days. Today was a difficult Wednesday, they are always difficult, but today was especially difficult. Each Wednesday I give my best effort to be positive and hope that it rubs off on the kids. Today my efforts were useless. I had only 2 or 3 kids that were [noticeably] positively affected. These few did keep my spirits up for the nearly 4 hours I spent in that room. By the end of the changes I sluggishly walked back to the office feeling about 30 lbs heavier. I slouched into the chair and just couldn't move. I did not see any other patients today. I walked home and sorted through some thoughts. 


These are the days I remind myself that I do make a difference, even when i don't feel like it.


To say the least, i was feeling rather melancholy for a while. To remedy this, I went climbing. Climbing is my solution all my life's problems. :)


love you all and miss you all 

Perspectives

Upon arrival in Cape Town, I had the most optimistic look on my environment. Despite the poverty and political climate, I felt that I would be in a relatively safe area and surrounded by co-workers and housemates. I’ve had no reason to worry or be skeptical of walking to and from the market. Although I heeded warnings of walking by myself and going out at night, I did not let that hinder me from my everyday outings. Yesterday made me re-think all of that.
My housemate and I were walking to a shop on Lower Main, a road just about 1/4 mile away. We usually take the same route whenever going to this street, so it was a walk like normal. Yesterday’s weather was a bit damp and gray, perhaps that should have been a sign to wait, but we wanted to get some air and see a shop. Just down the street and around the corner, we walked half way down the street and were rapidly approached by 2 men. The first man approached my housemate and told her he had a gun, when she did not respond (as we were both confused) he grabbed her shoulders and started pushing her away, when i turned my attention to her another man approached me and pushed me into a fence, so I could not get away. He told me to give him my money (and being the awfully natural instinct) I said no and held my purse tighter. He pushed me again and grabbed the strap of the purse, ripping it off of me. Meanwhile, my housemate had been pushed down the ground and was fighting off the other thief. When they both got they wanted, they showed us their pocket knives, as to deter us from following them. They ran away and we stood there, stunned.
We ran home and banged on the door until another housemate finally let us in. It is a blur, the incident, their faces, everything. The good news is that, we are okay. We both have some minor bruises and she has some scratches from falling. The things we lost are not nearly as important as the feeling of security we lost. We were simply in the wrong place at the wrong time. Last night and today has been spent going over the story with housemates, police, security teams, and supervisors. My brain has been spinning and, in turn, left my head hurting.
I will not let this become the only story I tell from this trip. It will not hold me back or hold me down. It has taken away a day from me and I know that i will be more fearful the next few times I leave the house. However, God has not given me a spirit of fear, but of power, love and a sound mind. With that in mind, I will remember that all your prayers are with me and the love of Jesus is with me. It could have been worse and I thank God that it wasn’t.

On a more upbeat note, i’ve added some photos to this blog of my house and what i see in and around work

my room, small but it does its job 

snow white's kitchen 

living room 

hallway of 6/10 rooms 

VW are everywhere, especially old ones 

all the gates have spikes on them 

Red Cross Children's Memorial Children's Hospital

stairway :) 

our office

hospital work

Soooo, about the kiddies I work with. I spend my mornings on the burn unit, helping out with dressing changes. I have learned much more than I ever wanted to about how to treat burns (at least in South Africa) and seen children’s faces marred beyond recognition.  The kids are usually so afraid of it hurting that they are in tears before the changing even starts. Most of the nursing staff and even parents frown upon the children crying or showing their pain. This does make my job very difficult, because we generally encourage children to talk about what they are feeling and to tell someone if something hurts. I do my best to keep in good spirits around the children who are in pain and let them know that it is okay to be nervous. I think it is easy for some to brush off children’s pain, especially after working in the burn unit for so long, because it would just break you down to see so many children that way.

The rest of the day, I spend on different wards. I spend some time in oncology, where I currently have 1 patient (the second was able to go home last Friday, yay!!). He is my most difficult patient because he is up and alert but refuses to talk to talk to me. He will nod his head to “yes” and “no” questions and will point to things he needs, but will not speak (he is 8yrs old, so is able to speak). I have a few other patients, some with TB, HIV+, pneumonia, bone cancer or some other disease of which I am not yet aware. A few have all these diseases together.

One of my patients is an older child and I have no idea what her diagnosis is, other than diabetes.  Ironically, I am working closest with this patient. At this point, it is less important for me to know what her diagnosis is and more important to get to know her and the procedures she needs. She goes into surgery tomorrow to drain some cysts in her pancreas, I have no idea why they are there, but all I need to know is how the doctor’s are going to remove them. So far, so good. She had to transfer hospitals today, which was extremely stressful for her, so I sat with her and mum in the new room for nearly 2 hours and tried to distract her, answer questions and do a couple art projects.

I’ve been getting in the hang of things at work. At least I know how to get around and who I need to see. My biggest challenge is lack of experience. Sometimes I have no idea what to do with or for a patient and that is a terrible feeling. Also, sometimes I feel like there’s more I should be doing, but I don’t know what it is. I guess that will take some more experience too.

Anyway, for now that’s all I’ve got. Keep you all updated on new experiences J

Love from Cape Town.

I've Been Here for How Long?

• After nearly 2 weeks, I am feeling confident about my surroundings, I feel like I can get myself to pretty much anywhere at least in the surrounding Cape Town area.
• With one week of work accomplished, i know the hospital environment fairly well.
• On that note, I have seen many dressing changes on burn victims, and i'm not sure if i'll ever become used to it. However, by the end of the week, I went through rounds alone and i think I did well. I only have about 5 in-patients and a few out-patients.
• I've been able to check some things off my to-do list and even added a few more. Thus far, i've been sand boarding, whale watching along the cliffs, abseiling and today i'll go skydiving. 

Yes, it's true, today i'll be up in the air and jumping out of an airplane!! I've actually been more afraid to tell my family than I am afraid of the jump. :) To skydive here is so much less expensive and why not? I was actually supposed to go last Monday when I went sand boarding, for some reason it came in a package to do both in one day. Unfortunately the weather did not hold out long enough to permit skydiving, so we re-scheduled for today! I'll let you know how it goes, i'm pretty certain that i'm going to love it.


On other notes, i've realized I did not take into account the travel expenses here while budgeting for my trip. So far, i've spent more money of minibus taxis, buses and other transport than i've spent on anything else. It costs me R16 to get to and from Red Cross everyday, and that certainly adds up after a while (it's just over $2 a day). When it gets warmer out i'll be able to walk there and back, which will be nice. At this point, i'm to wimpy to get up and walk in the morning freezing weather. 
Yesterday, we went to Hermanus, a fishing town along the southern west coast and saw whales. It was incredible! There were a few people who went sea Kayaking and then a couple of us went walking along the cliff instead. It was absolutely stunning to see these animals!! They are beautiful and huge. Even from far away you can see their enormousness. Right before lunch, we saw several of them really close to the shore, coming up to breathe. It was an experience of a lifetime. This is where I went abseiling for the first time, which was also amazing. The abseil was quite short, but quite fun!! The guide let me do it twice, being wicked cool! The drive back from Hermanus was beautiful. We went along the coast and it was amazing to look out one window and see cliffs and mountains go straight up and the look down and see the ocean, rocks and beaches. I loved it. 


I'm loving Cape Town so far and I can't wait to do more and learn more.

1 Week, post travel start date

So, the weekend and beginning of the week goes something like this:

Saturday was beautiful, as I already wrote about I went on the Sisanda Fundaytion trip with the kids from the townships. Sunday was cold and rainy, it was not entirely enjoyable.
Sunday I was supposed to go to the Waterfront with a friend, but she cancelled last minute due to the weather so I was cooped up inside with very little to do. However, I did go out to see South Africa vs New Zealand Rugby game, it was very good and SA won!
Yesterday I went sand-boarding with some of my housemates and it was fantastic! (other than the walks back up the sand dunes) It's much like snowboarding, but you have walk back up the dune and when you fall, er do a cartwheel and land on your face, it doesn't hurt nearly as much :) I boarded all morning and then in the afternoon went to a restaurant called Moyo where they paint your face as part of the tradition.

Today was the first day of work. It was entirely overwhelmed and I woke up 10 mins late so I was NOT prepared when my supervisor came to pick me up. The hospital is big and a bit busy, but I think i'll do okay.I was very nervous this morning, but felt like I could handle it by the time I left. My biggest concern is getting in the wrong mini-bus taxi and them not getting me to work on time. I only had a half day today, but in a half day, i met  at least 20 people, went to a meeting, shadowed on 4 wards, had some terrible coffee (OH and big update here, I found a coffee maker!! :)), found the Child Life office and viewed all the activities I can use. All in 4 hours.

So, tomorrow I must figure out how to get to the hospital, it's not too far from where I live, so i figure I can walk when it's nicer weather out. The rest of the week will be full days (7:30 to 3) and i'm certain I will be exhausted by the end of the day tomorrow. However, this weekend should be fantastic!! but i'll write more about that the next time i'm here.

I miss everyone back home. I even found myself missing work today. If you guys think it's crazy at CLC then you should visit this hospital for a day, it's easy to be grateful. But even with the getting used to things and the huuuuge differences, I still am enjoying myself and making the most out of every moment. I have a long time to go here still and i'm looking forward to it.

love always,
christy

good day, good friends

Today was a day of firsts.

I had my first experience in a Cape township, first time seeing the southern Atlantic ocean, first time interacting with children in South Africa.
I volunteered with a group called Sisanda Fundaytion. They basically take under-privileged kids out for a day to do something fun. Today we went on a mini boat tour at the Waterfront. So, we went past Camps Bay, which is a beach where the beautiful lay out during the summer (which it is not here, in case you forgot). We then took the kids mini-putting and then to a playground not too far away. We were each assigned 2 or 3 kids, i had one girl and one boy. they were both very sweet, but both very sneaky. It was hard to keep track of them because they always wanted to do different things and go different ways all the time. Overall, it was very fun. I loved it so much , i signed up for another expedition in October :) So, The kids were super fun although sometimes difficult to understand. I met a lot of really neat people on the trip, including a couple women that i intend to meet up with sometime next week for more volunteer experiences.

On a more general trip note. I love it, besides the ridiculously cold weather (it's 50 right now). I mean, I realize it's winter here.. but come on! this isn't the Midwest, it's South Africa! I figured i'd at least be warm during the day... nope. I'm getting used to how it works already and i love that when i look outside my yard there is a mountain a mile away. Other than the beggars and mini-bus yellers, everyone is friendly. People have been warning me constantly about the crime, but no one i've met has had any trouble thus far. My roommates are cool, although most of them are leaving in a week, so hopefully i'll get some new cool ones. Other than that, i'm looking forward to starting work on Tuesday, today made me really appreciate being here and having what i have back home. I also realized how hard it is for me just to sit still and not have to something or think about doing something. Today, i was grateful to have something to do.

I miss home and I miss family and work, I almost miss school, at least the idea of knowing where to go and when. I miss knowing how to walk home in the dark and not worrying about anything. I'm sure the longer i'm here, the more fantastic it will be, but for now, i miss home quite a bit.

love you all,
Christy

The Journey to Cape Town

A full 2 days ago I was in the airport in Chicago waiting to get on an airplane that would take me to Washington, Dulles, USA then another to Johannesburg, SA (with a pit-stop at Senegal) and then finally to Cape Town, SA. 


The first airplane ride was the fastest 2 hours of my life. I sat next to a grumpy old man (one comparable to the grumpy old man in the move "Up") He was not very comforting. But when the plane landed I had just enough time to scoot my booty over to the next terminal where I had to get my passport and boarding pass checked before being rushed onto the airplane, which i spent the next 19 hours of my life on. 
On this plane I met Joseph, originally from Zambia - now lives in New York and is flying to Johannesburg to see his son and wife. He was pleasant to sit next to, although he slept most of the flight. I watched Rio (finally! and mom you really should watch it before you give it back to Erika, it is super cute), did some drawing and writing and attempted to sleep before landing in Senegal. We were there for an hour but were not allowed to leave the plane, so everyone was standing up and walking around (doing lots of complaining). It was funny to me that I  noticed a difference between  Americans and just about everyone else I saw. For example, there were 3 rows in front of me, 2 rows were couples in their mid-fiftiesish and the third row was 1 man all of them American. These three rows complained almost the entire time about sitting for so long and being bored and wanting to get up and walk around. When they weren't discussing movement the single guy was talking about his investments and how he made his money... I thought "who cares?" I certainly didn't, I was just grateful that the family kiddy-corner from me was finally getting off the plane which meant her kids weren't going to be keeping me awake anymore. 
Alas! the plane took off again we spent another 10 hours up in the air. I got about 2hours of sleep total. Apparently I do not sleep well on airplanes.... (sidetracked.. wow the mango here is awesome!!!!).. okay back on track, so finally landed in Johannesburg and it was SO confusing! I was grateful to have 2 hours in-between planes because I took the first hour to find out where I was going. Not only were things not marked like they are in the states, but some things weren't marked at all. So, the first place I went to re-check my bags was closed and then no other places were marked, I was told go up a level and then go down.. and then just take a right and look for the signs.... I was entirely confused, but I was not alone at least, so i had a friend going to east london and we figured it out together. Once she had her stuff re-checked she booked it to the terminal because she was late. 
When I finally found my terminal (which sent up a level and then down 2 levels)I had about a half hour of waiting still. The take-off was delayed because we had to take bus trips out to where the plane was waiting for us. While waiting, I met a woman named Choiling and we will be going shopping tomorrow at the Waterfront :) So, the good news is I made a friend, the bad news is she will only be in town for about 2 weeks. 
So, ending my trip I landed in Cape Town, where I met Sly (the driver for VAC, who I am living with but not volunteering with). He drove me to my house and we got there sometime after 10pm. It was a looooong day, literally, since I had not actually slept since 10am (well 5pm local time) the day before. 
My room in the house is the very first room next to the front door and I have 5 roommates so far. 2 of them are leaving next week and 1 more is moving in sometime in September. I started unpacking last night, but was too exhausted to do much good. I had to wake up at 9:30, but my new phone was not set correctly and I did not wake up until my supervisor called me. 
She met me this morning and gave me a VERY brief low-down of what i'll be doing and how i should get around. At this point, I at least know how to get to the internet cafe and a grocery store. So far, so good. I start work on Tuesday (which leaves the next 2 days open... to do... ummm yea i don't know how to get anywhere.. so i might just be chilling at the house)

So, now i'll head back home and continue unpacking. Oh and things I have forgotten thus far: a towel (which made my after shower experience quite interesting this morning), my electrical adapter and my hairdryer. I had to buy a new adapter which cost 50 Rand or just under $9. 
for today, at least it's sunny, even though it is still quite chilly, I am glad to have brought my long pants and jackets. 


Christy
p.s. there is NO service down with my verizon phone so there will be no calls that way, I am thinking i might be able to buy some minutes on my new phone and we'll see about international calling :)
love you all
p.p.s. The Mountain is right outside. I can see it from my yard!!! oh joy!!!!! 

The beginning

Where to start?


To all my friends and family, this will hopefully allow you a glimpse into my life across the globe. As I will be leaving in just 3 days, I figured i should let you know how to find this blogspot and make sure everyone can see it without any trouble. 
As for now, this is the plan for the first couple days: Tuesday, 8/16 I leave from Chicago at 1:10pm and arrive in Washington around 4pm local time then leave to Johannesburg at 5:40pm and land there around 5:20pm on Wednesday (that is an entire day later, but it's not actually a 24 hour flight, thank the Lord). Then one more flight from Johannesburg to Cape Town, which will get me there around 9:30pm local time. I'll have a short night's sleep and begin the adventure bright and early the next day with my orientation to the city. Hopefully, this will allow me to gain a better understanding of how the public transport system works and how often i'll be able to use it. 
I believe the day after (that being Friday) i'll have orientation to the hospital. Saturday, i've requested to go on a trip that takes "disadvantaged kids" on a 1 day vacation each month. Hopefully that will work out and i'll get my feet wet right away!


so, for now that's all I know. I'll let everyone know how i'm doing and how everything is going as soon as I can. 
thanks for all your prayers and support!


love always,
C