Wednesday, February 3, 2010
I'm Back!
Recently, (actually about 30 minutes ago) my friend Elizabeth sent me a link to her blog that she did over the summer from a sleepaway camp. She used blogspot for hers as well, this reminded me of my blog, so I then proceeded to go to my blog and read every entry that I ever posted before, during, and after South Africa. I then got to thinking: I know I made this blog strictly for SA but I want to keep going. Afterall, I don't have to be in Africa to be the change. So, keep following! I'm going to find some great stuff to write about, I already have a million ideas of things I did last semester that I should have included in this.
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
Home!
I'm home and officially reachable by cell phone. Pictures are up on facebook too, check them out!
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
Last Post from S. Africa
This is my last post from S. Africa. I can't believe the trip is over already. It went by sooo fast but I'm also feeling ready to go home.
The soccer tournament this weekend went soooo well. It's a huge weight off my shoulders and I couldn't be more happy with the job that all of us did. I was really worried that something was going to go wrong. We had 30 jerseys borrowed from Shiviti to keep track of as well as 200 plates. Luckily everything came back and both days of the tournament were great.
The speakers from Tinswalo Hospital did a great job with the health day, DJ Bravo was the entertainment for the first day and the huge coke truck the second day. Young Stars from Utah won the Men's Championship and a hluvukani team won the women's championship.
This week is just good bye parties and tying up loose ends. Last night we went to Robert's house for a party. Today we have to make bookshelves for the Shiviti Library.
We will be leaving the communities Friday morning for Joburg and then I land in Dulles at 3:40 on Sunday. I can't wait to talk to everyone!
P.S. Happy Birthday Emily and Micaela!
The soccer tournament this weekend went soooo well. It's a huge weight off my shoulders and I couldn't be more happy with the job that all of us did. I was really worried that something was going to go wrong. We had 30 jerseys borrowed from Shiviti to keep track of as well as 200 plates. Luckily everything came back and both days of the tournament were great.
The speakers from Tinswalo Hospital did a great job with the health day, DJ Bravo was the entertainment for the first day and the huge coke truck the second day. Young Stars from Utah won the Men's Championship and a hluvukani team won the women's championship.
This week is just good bye parties and tying up loose ends. Last night we went to Robert's house for a party. Today we have to make bookshelves for the Shiviti Library.
We will be leaving the communities Friday morning for Joburg and then I land in Dulles at 3:40 on Sunday. I can't wait to talk to everyone!
P.S. Happy Birthday Emily and Micaela!
Saturday, July 25, 2009
It's the Final Countdown
Okay so sorry I haven't posted in a while. One night this week the security gaurd at Manyangana has thieves break in with guns and steal the computers from the lab by breaking the windows and pulling the metal bars out so we haven't had internet all week. The security gaurd went and got Elvis, the principal and Elvis chased them in his car. When the thieves noticed they were being followed they ditched the truck w. all the CPUs in the back and took off into the bush. So, Elvis stayed with the computers and the police followed the men into the bush and caught them. Craziness right!??! Elvis is like the batman of Utah.
Besides that excitement we went to the Zipline in Hazyview at the beginning of the week which was soooo much fun. It's the longest zipline in all of Africa, 1.2 km. That's pretty far but not nearly as far as the 12 km that Nowell and I have been running to the Gowrie Gate of Sabi Sand this week. It's by far the biggest achievement of the trip haha. I've also been teaching computers at the primary school and English class to the 8th graders at Manyangana.
The soccer tournament is coming together sooo well. The community memebers on the coordinating committee are awesome and get like all the work done. Angie(my recruit from Utah) might be my favorite person in the whole world, she always tells me exactly what she thinks about absolutely anything; so her own woman. Coke is coming out for the second day of the tournament so that was a major sponsorship score. They are bringing this huge truck that rolls out into a dance floor and has a huge sound system.
The Final Countdown: 14 days!
Besides that excitement we went to the Zipline in Hazyview at the beginning of the week which was soooo much fun. It's the longest zipline in all of Africa, 1.2 km. That's pretty far but not nearly as far as the 12 km that Nowell and I have been running to the Gowrie Gate of Sabi Sand this week. It's by far the biggest achievement of the trip haha. I've also been teaching computers at the primary school and English class to the 8th graders at Manyangana.
The soccer tournament is coming together sooo well. The community memebers on the coordinating committee are awesome and get like all the work done. Angie(my recruit from Utah) might be my favorite person in the whole world, she always tells me exactly what she thinks about absolutely anything; so her own woman. Coke is coming out for the second day of the tournament so that was a major sponsorship score. They are bringing this huge truck that rolls out into a dance floor and has a huge sound system.
The Final Countdown: 14 days!
Friday, July 17, 2009
The Turning Point
In the last 24hrs Team Utah has managed to rebound from what was a really bad beginning of the week. We struggled to get members of the community to show up for meetings and just got blown off entirely for some. It's frustrating because you are trying to understand the best way to go about things through cultural norms; like the fact that everyone runs on Africa time-at least 30 mins late for anything. Global Development is a slow process to begin with and I think we all know that I am not a patient person, it's just one of the many things I am learning this summer.
As of yesterday meetings started going better, our host sisters came home from their grandmothers and they are completely comfortable with us now so they asked all sorts of questions and I helped Melbourne read a book and write her numbers out to 100. It's so nice to have some noise in the house again.
Dear Dad,
I do my own laundry! I actually did it this morning and almost rubbed my hands raw in the process. It's actually kind of suprising how clean you can get things.
As of yesterday meetings started going better, our host sisters came home from their grandmothers and they are completely comfortable with us now so they asked all sorts of questions and I helped Melbourne read a book and write her numbers out to 100. It's so nice to have some noise in the house again.
Dear Dad,
I do my own laundry! I actually did it this morning and almost rubbed my hands raw in the process. It's actually kind of suprising how clean you can get things.
The Turning Point
In the last 24hrs Team Utah has managed to rebound from what was a really bad beginning of the week. We struggled to get members of the community to show up for meetings and just got blown off entirely for some. It's frustrating because you are trying to understand the best way to go about things through cultural norms; like the fact that everyone runs on Africa time-at least 30 mins late for anything. Global Development is a slow process to begin with and I think we all know that I am not a patient person, it's just one of the many things I am learning this summer.
As of yesterday meetings started going better, our host sisters came home from their grandmothers and they are completely comfortable with us now so they asked all sorts of questions and I helped Melbourne read a book and write her numbers out to 100. It's so nice to have some noise in the house again.
Dear Dad,
I do my own laundry! I actually did it this morning and almost rubbed my hands raw in the process. It's actually kind of suprising how clean you can get things.
As of yesterday meetings started going better, our host sisters came home from their grandmothers and they are completely comfortable with us now so they asked all sorts of questions and I helped Melbourne read a book and write her numbers out to 100. It's so nice to have some noise in the house again.
Dear Dad,
I do my own laundry! I actually did it this morning and almost rubbed my hands raw in the process. It's actually kind of suprising how clean you can get things.
Monday, July 13, 2009
4 weeks in
It's been 4 weeks since I left the U.S., it doesn't seem like that long at all right? We are making more progress on the soccer tournament. It's looking like we will definitely have soccer balls, food, water, and teams are already signing up. Thanks to Robert AKA DJ Bravo we are also going to have a couple performers.
Last night a group of us went to dinner at Sidney's private lodge. His mom, wife, and two daughters were there are they were all so nice. His staff and his family made the best dinner for us. The main dish was sausage, beef sausage and wild game sausage, which I tried and actually liked. Everything was awesome, we saw and elephant while we were eating dinner.
Today we have some evaluating meetings with the Manyangana soccer team and KD. Xitsonga lessons are tonight and we are breaking up for the first time into faster and slower paced class, I'm thinking I'm going to do the faster paced class but I'm not really looking forward to the homework that goes along with it.
I hope everyone is doing well!
Last night a group of us went to dinner at Sidney's private lodge. His mom, wife, and two daughters were there are they were all so nice. His staff and his family made the best dinner for us. The main dish was sausage, beef sausage and wild game sausage, which I tried and actually liked. Everything was awesome, we saw and elephant while we were eating dinner.
Today we have some evaluating meetings with the Manyangana soccer team and KD. Xitsonga lessons are tonight and we are breaking up for the first time into faster and slower paced class, I'm thinking I'm going to do the faster paced class but I'm not really looking forward to the homework that goes along with it.
I hope everyone is doing well!
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