tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-29652071685889352052024-02-19T09:21:22.320-08:00Unto the Ends of the EarthKeri Geigerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09841730935415670095noreply@blogger.comBlogger63125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2965207168588935205.post-78279873190641394002014-08-12T16:24:00.001-07:002014-08-13T16:13:03.962-07:00I'm better at helloThe funny thing about time is that it kinda just passes. You can wish all you want that it would slow down or speed up or skip or freeze, but that won't<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); "> make a bit of difference. So somehow I have come to the very end of my year here in Africa.</span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); "><br></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); ">It feels to me like this round of goodbyes has been going on for ages. It is taking forever to say goodbye because there are individuals who I saw for the last time several weeks ago, but there are also people who I see every day, up to and including today, my very last day in Hermanus. So I've been forced into this long, strung out, semi-disengaged state of perpetual farewell. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); ">Frankly, that really sucks, and I'm pretty terrible at this. I have a tendency to plan out a lovely thank you and goodbye in my head, and then when it comes time to say it, I just can't do it. Instead I say something like 'see ya!' and then turn my back and walk away. I even do that to people who mean a lot to me (I especially do that to people who mean a lot to me). </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); "> Like Karen Blixon, I'm better at hello.</span></div><div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469);"><br></span></div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); "><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); ">I was looking back at some of my first blog posts the other day, and I ran across this in a post from way back in June 2013:</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); "><br></span></div></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); ">"There will be people in South Africa who I will come to love and who I will miss terribly when it is time to come home."<div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); "><br></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); ">I wrote that two months before I ever set foot on this continent, but I was right. There is so much I will miss about life in SA, and nothing more than the people. I really cannot possibly overstate how wonderful all of my people are. I was incredibly lucky that I was able to get to know a group of South Africans so well, that they allowed me to attach myself to them, let me fall in love with them. Or, as I like to phrase it, I am so lucky that I got found by the right people.</span></div></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469);"><br></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); "><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); ">I read Eat, Pray, Love recently. Elizabeth Gilbert is certainly no Marilynne Robinson, but she does make some good points. My favorite part of the book comes in the Pray section, when Richard from Texas tells Liz, "So you fell in love... I mean, you got zapped, kiddo. But that love you felt, that's just the beginning. You just got a taste of love. That's just limited little rinky-dink mortal love. Wait til you see how much more deeply you can love than that. Heck, you have the capacity to someday love the whole world." In the book, Richard from Texas is talking about Liz's ex boyfriend, and although my situation is very different here (I'm obviously not talking about a guy), that's how I feel about this past year. Africa opened me up. I got to fall in love again, and good Lord did I fall hard. But as much as I love these people and this place, it's nothing compared to the unfathomable, infinite, eternal love that God feels for all of Creation, the entire world. This puny human love that I am so overwhelmed by is not even a drop in the bucket of all that is really out there. But I think anytime we learn to love something new, it brings us closer to God. And that is the real joy of mission work.</span></div></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469);"><br></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); ">During this year, I've seen a lot of rainbows. I saw one the first day I ever came to Hermanus last August and took it as a sign that this year would turn out ok, I saw the one on my way home from Kruger Park in May when I was just beginning to struggle with saying goodbye to Hawston, and </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); ">over the past two weeks in Cape Town and Hermanus, I have seen so many rainbows that I've actually lost count. Maybe it's a little selfish to think that all of these were meant just for me, but that's how I feel. It's almost like God is telling me, "It's ok, everything is just how it should be, and I am here with you." </span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); "><br></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); ">If </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469);">you have received an email from me in the past week or so you may have noticed a new quote in the signature line: "Bewildered as we may be, God is faithful. He lets us wander so we will know what it means to come home." (Take a guess who wrote that</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); ">... I am nothing if not predictable.) But I love this quote because I have spent this past year wandering, in the best possible sense of the word, and in doing so I've become so much more aware of God's presence in the world and of His presence in people. Honestly, I am a bit bewildered right now - how can I leave a place I love so much? what will I do when I get home? will I ever come back? - but that's ok. God is faithful, and at no time are we ever alone. We are surrounded by that infinite love no matter where in the world we happen to be at any particular time. </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); ">So it's ok to be sad to leave, to be bad at goodbyes. Because I'm leaving the people I love in good hands. God is watching out for them, and He's all over the place - in Hermanus, in Richmond, and even unto the ends of the earth.</span></div></div>Keri Geigerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09841730935415670095noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2965207168588935205.post-16037885259785339162014-08-04T00:28:00.000-07:002014-08-04T00:28:59.110-07:00Gonna take some timeHere are some photos of an awesome place in South Africa called the Cederberg, where I just spent a weekend with four of my very favorite people.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPrALuLG9ZaVgzJfuOB-uLcj8bpjP3KqO24cee6C0L4AsISNxrXzS0AnmZkJhqHUDsJ95JMpgYyE_A55204zmvSUULCqDORvVH74ymaM02t9ro9LU7tWgm9iTxb_AncE4PkaEY7038G7V0/s1600/008.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPrALuLG9ZaVgzJfuOB-uLcj8bpjP3KqO24cee6C0L4AsISNxrXzS0AnmZkJhqHUDsJ95JMpgYyE_A55204zmvSUULCqDORvVH74ymaM02t9ro9LU7tWgm9iTxb_AncE4PkaEY7038G7V0/s1600/008.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Cederberg Wilderness Area is about a 2 hour drive north of Cape Town. It has red sandstone mountains with lots of strange stones that stick up. It reminds me a bit of the red rocks in Sedona, Arizona.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz2m4sB5jaxyRsIJJegSBtSilBltF5ncbf9Q2_Vm8zLgvW2613I1cnCcTdmiIAwL0p_w0ZIgDP0EIl0RIB7aXQQks8RgnUNYj3cLqgr0UzpvXcC9XSBlm6E0BR5vMwPELd1iDi-FX5z6wb/s1600/009.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz2m4sB5jaxyRsIJJegSBtSilBltF5ncbf9Q2_Vm8zLgvW2613I1cnCcTdmiIAwL0p_w0ZIgDP0EIl0RIB7aXQQks8RgnUNYj3cLqgr0UzpvXcC9XSBlm6E0BR5vMwPELd1iDi-FX5z6wb/s1600/009.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Group shot before our hike. Too bad my camera did something weird with the sun and you can't see Rod :(</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1LpuHDfqcqnmF8leMS5BHGeZLrxkwtYHZXfMauDVP2ejgtcHqLCDzqGLpBJ6ATRYmgqEHJmCv3QOykT5kuy1l7x-PmcwDCzwn1OJRiuGeW6yvzreEfTtNBFT_rORw76v8cUthNx-mxP5t/s1600/028.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1LpuHDfqcqnmF8leMS5BHGeZLrxkwtYHZXfMauDVP2ejgtcHqLCDzqGLpBJ6ATRYmgqEHJmCv3QOykT5kuy1l7x-PmcwDCzwn1OJRiuGeW6yvzreEfTtNBFT_rORw76v8cUthNx-mxP5t/s1600/028.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">One of the many types of protea I saw</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioYdx7KM6VDQGMO-zj0tBtD2xfXoZZHrh7t_CsT6LGmq3y3noKQtCp7dwSXd3sUcot3wYYzwXbAFm70ljIM_mfxnDvnMiXTMeKe6tc9d2Un4ZxsMFdB_OEE2HFDYmN3tuwJcB82M613eJE/s1600/029.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioYdx7KM6VDQGMO-zj0tBtD2xfXoZZHrh7t_CsT6LGmq3y3noKQtCp7dwSXd3sUcot3wYYzwXbAFm70ljIM_mfxnDvnMiXTMeKe6tc9d2Un4ZxsMFdB_OEE2HFDYmN3tuwJcB82M613eJE/s1600/029.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc1s3Lla4_gmrmOHljWazBUZ8NJaG-Li7F2qZDYjV4myvgzY2nFPS0HfOcHzs7Xz7aazm8lKDWyx3RIq9QQtHg4_gDhm3J47skVwjotBpcmkm7rsFOXOm1JpSH9lXiQW6UNTyMM1ABy10e/s1600/030.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgc1s3Lla4_gmrmOHljWazBUZ8NJaG-Li7F2qZDYjV4myvgzY2nFPS0HfOcHzs7Xz7aazm8lKDWyx3RIq9QQtHg4_gDhm3J47skVwjotBpcmkm7rsFOXOm1JpSH9lXiQW6UNTyMM1ABy10e/s1600/030.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6QDc5J7v29bpiU6NKWxF_u6-dHA0B0PYwRxxZRLiuUhMva8-Xe3IDBotQ5Bj_9gk5LwY6iJTRm8karsRZP3lwnaR6800JOsE7pwkn31Mo2W7QPW26-iSpuB3yJU7AuCEeSpKKlsZ-pBUv/s1600/045.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6QDc5J7v29bpiU6NKWxF_u6-dHA0B0PYwRxxZRLiuUhMva8-Xe3IDBotQ5Bj_9gk5LwY6iJTRm8karsRZP3lwnaR6800JOsE7pwkn31Mo2W7QPW26-iSpuB3yJU7AuCEeSpKKlsZ-pBUv/s1600/045.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIpAwD6BSy88-N7HXqeFN42xumhNHeTuuttsVkKgZqlT0Ywqljn2CxpCFCGSHhHDsMCNClR82v_Xq_UK_-8fyNmPvXtw-OF6yh22BgW5c5JuVIlHcG7fIuz8GTpiUB7llcmrEQk9jpH-_U/s1600/055.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIpAwD6BSy88-N7HXqeFN42xumhNHeTuuttsVkKgZqlT0Ywqljn2CxpCFCGSHhHDsMCNClR82v_Xq_UK_-8fyNmPvXtw-OF6yh22BgW5c5JuVIlHcG7fIuz8GTpiUB7llcmrEQk9jpH-_U/s1600/055.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7Ub4mHxVm4V-01KCfmbK15NPmG6YxKrvx-b00_ebrUbHmLdVbxUqZq8OMdfjCRLmlDeABwComR5OXMVyRzctEZ6qw9NzweDGpj1LO2GGZv2JBuXta6mCvZi1XRZkXDyBMiGbpki7UQh1V/s1600/064.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7Ub4mHxVm4V-01KCfmbK15NPmG6YxKrvx-b00_ebrUbHmLdVbxUqZq8OMdfjCRLmlDeABwComR5OXMVyRzctEZ6qw9NzweDGpj1LO2GGZv2JBuXta6mCvZi1XRZkXDyBMiGbpki7UQh1V/s1600/064.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I don't even know what is going on here</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFEIpKn4LSzVzbLwCLnkbvzj9BX6XNyLlkP8eyr-6n42xgAB9lYmw5pEvuQHkSBtMSBi1HPYy6kNmBkc6s4utxgLAtZa1Bnt_JJNeJi8dCCN1HljoCmfDTr6ykQty7vOXvAqwVTVbEfeUR/s1600/102.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFEIpKn4LSzVzbLwCLnkbvzj9BX6XNyLlkP8eyr-6n42xgAB9lYmw5pEvuQHkSBtMSBi1HPYy6kNmBkc6s4utxgLAtZa1Bnt_JJNeJi8dCCN1HljoCmfDTr6ykQty7vOXvAqwVTVbEfeUR/s1600/102.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This hike was called the Wolfberg Cracks, and you had to climb up all these boulders and some of them were pretty difficult. I don't think Hananja even knows how to help me get up here, other than sit at the top and laugh at my lack of grace.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs-sk8pfb0B3vABdAwJKhMnuraSrfKelS5XVHzD4dPdrANCfMlGK5BB4vkKB8N8xhQn1sU2ZrZvkwCL6ttzm4rKivJr3AEP8KxdI59xT-XGXZ7lVmYQnmmFydVPEyUJFuqZDcH5ck-9iTY/s1600/111.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs-sk8pfb0B3vABdAwJKhMnuraSrfKelS5XVHzD4dPdrANCfMlGK5BB4vkKB8N8xhQn1sU2ZrZvkwCL6ttzm4rKivJr3AEP8KxdI59xT-XGXZ7lVmYQnmmFydVPEyUJFuqZDcH5ck-9iTY/s1600/111.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me and Rod inside one of the cracks. See how pretty it is?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn5Kv6Ssa1cJyulyz74-ZIDR52si1n-R1TEirR91MywSK4FnefaK8Jcd5btVqIDwZwNcKvL_HYwqG9Y7hl8CMBmpEo5JC7EUkAOsmFBLr14ypFFL4pYbOildXPXb2rx0wZT_anbDsSLwV8/s1600/136.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn5Kv6Ssa1cJyulyz74-ZIDR52si1n-R1TEirR91MywSK4FnefaK8Jcd5btVqIDwZwNcKvL_HYwqG9Y7hl8CMBmpEo5JC7EUkAOsmFBLr14ypFFL4pYbOildXPXb2rx0wZT_anbDsSLwV8/s1600/136.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4RDsWqPOpzvONzU3h98WMZej5A82duaOeEVt0EHTOBLlnDSAkbB4tQajz4XVH4ZbxF1F1cKjqag9pai9_BY2MmFrCqX1Xr9qMM7_hWc9VzJ7G85i00O8-slakv4QyV4olPuIXCAvbwKKd/s1600/138.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4RDsWqPOpzvONzU3h98WMZej5A82duaOeEVt0EHTOBLlnDSAkbB4tQajz4XVH4ZbxF1F1cKjqag9pai9_BY2MmFrCqX1Xr9qMM7_hWc9VzJ7G85i00O8-slakv4QyV4olPuIXCAvbwKKd/s1600/138.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLyMVRbUIgn5KxOekWV6XTTULz9_HibeBbsLqOxy4mHDwjR03b5OxSKpJIXusP0MSnYyKCcVeRmqZZ2Ej1ZUsGcsXmWtbb4vSoWV2ER8gOadAsna5hGY2kmEQIZFWX0VEQtSrDj1ShUigE/s1600/139.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLyMVRbUIgn5KxOekWV6XTTULz9_HibeBbsLqOxy4mHDwjR03b5OxSKpJIXusP0MSnYyKCcVeRmqZZ2Ej1ZUsGcsXmWtbb4vSoWV2ER8gOadAsna5hGY2kmEQIZFWX0VEQtSrDj1ShUigE/s1600/139.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBV6-EKaq_YyN63sLhUcS6EF9WmQub7hD174A0G1N_o-tz43q8FRsySPDXzHBeDb1HSsIO6Qvqq9QY7CV6Xq_eJUisUPhJYpjhyphenhyphenJGI0yX6iZEgcRLaTsPidctgE7lMGihVsEFWqfdj3Kay/s1600/155.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBV6-EKaq_YyN63sLhUcS6EF9WmQub7hD174A0G1N_o-tz43q8FRsySPDXzHBeDb1HSsIO6Qvqq9QY7CV6Xq_eJUisUPhJYpjhyphenhyphenJGI0yX6iZEgcRLaTsPidctgE7lMGihVsEFWqfdj3Kay/s1600/155.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGP3Uhs6zOTDLBwaAfmCklFGKSR0RqKGHRU21863moFefYDQOdVh33VuTNvSDzNLgHgBGtfoFVU5MrIsu02Uld2lABEBb_pTMHvT7EuNjWKg79qay-a4VDv9BFmekeyIu0tBmeko01LBx_/s1600/164.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGP3Uhs6zOTDLBwaAfmCklFGKSR0RqKGHRU21863moFefYDQOdVh33VuTNvSDzNLgHgBGtfoFVU5MrIsu02Uld2lABEBb_pTMHvT7EuNjWKg79qay-a4VDv9BFmekeyIu0tBmeko01LBx_/s1600/164.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Stefan did a little celebratory dance at the top. Did I mention he's a rocket scientist? Yeah, I'm friends with a South African rocket scientist. My life really is that awesome.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBys65gUcX2xJD4ht7UIKDdMrzFe94u6n0E8ummOXqdgi0YH7xggWih739ykE_31QAJtrtDK8VnZ2LkZcg42it3j4SW27E9LbopT5Db14-uJOufr3WiF1pBRtafHyupJTDNR-LvHejPiOv/s1600/173.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBys65gUcX2xJD4ht7UIKDdMrzFe94u6n0E8ummOXqdgi0YH7xggWih739ykE_31QAJtrtDK8VnZ2LkZcg42it3j4SW27E9LbopT5Db14-uJOufr3WiF1pBRtafHyupJTDNR-LvHejPiOv/s1600/173.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7pQrLnRPDSm7YeMWpttXbrlR5ihcTfGhh9rGXvzG6k3R5ZxJ1FfhGpkxdIY1JjcZd8gqAXzXrqwmH83-Fu0B4vBU9m0bi-oPhXYFfPoAFJJPGHohUt0q_Q-ExZnopPnAfTFg8Vv4sqziV/s1600/176.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7pQrLnRPDSm7YeMWpttXbrlR5ihcTfGhh9rGXvzG6k3R5ZxJ1FfhGpkxdIY1JjcZd8gqAXzXrqwmH83-Fu0B4vBU9m0bi-oPhXYFfPoAFJJPGHohUt0q_Q-ExZnopPnAfTFg8Vv4sqziV/s1600/176.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">You know another great thing about South Africa? When you finish an incredible hike through one of the most beautiful places you've ever been, you get to go back to your hut and handsome boys braai for you. Do you blame me for wanting to stay here?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTB0rQ9_A4-IkS6PLtEiCs4kX9w5z-KG-5x5DaAZXgFDHv2JkQAfpZHzUJjDdoDoXv7IUx1q4kg4FDWeBxeXdFhEUvItHLfTardtqdilmtDAzUCY9OKkBXn3EwmgT5XECV7z9riftjYaYK/s1600/178.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTB0rQ9_A4-IkS6PLtEiCs4kX9w5z-KG-5x5DaAZXgFDHv2JkQAfpZHzUJjDdoDoXv7IUx1q4kg4FDWeBxeXdFhEUvItHLfTardtqdilmtDAzUCY9OKkBXn3EwmgT5XECV7z9riftjYaYK/s1600/178.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7oggg8u6oSiShHCxpgty2qmMX_oUg0LMnVQjXDj6QGYHWubl34B-4Q1D4p3uPVxbRKyFzNMNAZ-nPNdlWC8XMpnrcCCqf9Gj2fVrqbAJVSJl4DArp0bkY1I8pqr9JMqguMMYGW83kH1sb/s1600/181.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7oggg8u6oSiShHCxpgty2qmMX_oUg0LMnVQjXDj6QGYHWubl34B-4Q1D4p3uPVxbRKyFzNMNAZ-nPNdlWC8XMpnrcCCqf9Gj2fVrqbAJVSJl4DArp0bkY1I8pqr9JMqguMMYGW83kH1sb/s1600/181.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh99caTcnMLHlEpO8SLlxfjWtWs_tY4kf_Ph91a3xCIHRYfJuFhn-d8scG2tsv3eqzHhjo0F81h2UqgL5IObqEc1hnTxIKm4uinw5XZ7-23UL4n5qJMu8GSt36SWWaCsKqwJMvw88coNRTV/s1600/192.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh99caTcnMLHlEpO8SLlxfjWtWs_tY4kf_Ph91a3xCIHRYfJuFhn-d8scG2tsv3eqzHhjo0F81h2UqgL5IObqEc1hnTxIKm4uinw5XZ7-23UL4n5qJMu8GSt36SWWaCsKqwJMvw88coNRTV/s1600/192.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdIzossCVcCdyehh7cudRF6SlGQs29dS7ZXJBw6sInbuLCT8eYXzBCSaaJbHheYhMPcdlepXiAB0W4SScKVfPf-lVORGgePKAVRuB7Lzl7BZS58PmCRtP_-Hn6R3aBoA4M4BEjbYYlZOfo/s1600/202.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdIzossCVcCdyehh7cudRF6SlGQs29dS7ZXJBw6sInbuLCT8eYXzBCSaaJbHheYhMPcdlepXiAB0W4SScKVfPf-lVORGgePKAVRuB7Lzl7BZS58PmCRtP_-Hn6R3aBoA4M4BEjbYYlZOfo/s1600/202.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I love proteas.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6s9nKHPImXvO8v35AyWXQi0zM8LPbckYTTaCe_hzWfhaKnXv_ah-ZlSvUtJQPCrLMXhz4UeJdeq_tg-HE1MSxLc4rOofp4VMb1ved92LcjbCfg38LRMt3yAq8UdYsvchi8wn4sr2su7Mg/s1600/207.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6s9nKHPImXvO8v35AyWXQi0zM8LPbckYTTaCe_hzWfhaKnXv_ah-ZlSvUtJQPCrLMXhz4UeJdeq_tg-HE1MSxLc4rOofp4VMb1ved92LcjbCfg38LRMt3yAq8UdYsvchi8wn4sr2su7Mg/s1600/207.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">These are San (Bushman) cave paintings that are probably about 5,000 years old.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIQlDNBJhg8Wif0B7rY_vjZ6puRlJGTW-J6JMtnAhoE-SQ3iAruwjJij4ZmFucHx3Duin7r_fr1vEcg8KH5FY1x0XL_qB1_3RsnWh_084_RZyal0EF2Mo7KBNUpcij553fJRAFlyk-nz-U/s1600/214.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIQlDNBJhg8Wif0B7rY_vjZ6puRlJGTW-J6JMtnAhoE-SQ3iAruwjJij4ZmFucHx3Duin7r_fr1vEcg8KH5FY1x0XL_qB1_3RsnWh_084_RZyal0EF2Mo7KBNUpcij553fJRAFlyk-nz-U/s1600/214.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC9YIA_9wdBM_wySIpbF-lqi19x_vEXm4kp8Lw6CH8SjhteVFbQWizEaPc91e1LqPbYUj7LBd0vXbMHpYbywbHhQFJpXaHhJ4mNLhZmMvvuprWj_UGXZXLDJ39Is8LDfDaNs1KsSpvR8w8/s1600/217.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC9YIA_9wdBM_wySIpbF-lqi19x_vEXm4kp8Lw6CH8SjhteVFbQWizEaPc91e1LqPbYUj7LBd0vXbMHpYbywbHhQFJpXaHhJ4mNLhZmMvvuprWj_UGXZXLDJ39Is8LDfDaNs1KsSpvR8w8/s1600/217.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Oh hi Cynthia! You're in a hole!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwd-Nc1xupcK8nAEEtClnRlmOvCXV-XN2cyKXoKvP3HmjBge3fmfFgqSDoV5Ke9WOVmJh7fVy9qRuow1ki-CGbu2LgBoalVjIIE-KQMuZ8-2OVLXfVgPFu8f65sbKY7FMx1uswUxNJFGkL/s1600/221.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwd-Nc1xupcK8nAEEtClnRlmOvCXV-XN2cyKXoKvP3HmjBge3fmfFgqSDoV5Ke9WOVmJh7fVy9qRuow1ki-CGbu2LgBoalVjIIE-KQMuZ8-2OVLXfVgPFu8f65sbKY7FMx1uswUxNJFGkL/s1600/221.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifcpxsqr2kX7Nz8VwR1MBGTDL3PkATLgAbTFRM_TqC6PoaGWMf-BQyhMt-o03-lkRbZIMoVDHQlXsQHeCFfetSkSiWJoK7B1InlSQ4vId6Sgk5R0_2bKCww8yPYhBAO7aXViaDGVfmrg4Q/s1600/247.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifcpxsqr2kX7Nz8VwR1MBGTDL3PkATLgAbTFRM_TqC6PoaGWMf-BQyhMt-o03-lkRbZIMoVDHQlXsQHeCFfetSkSiWJoK7B1InlSQ4vId6Sgk5R0_2bKCww8yPYhBAO7aXViaDGVfmrg4Q/s1600/247.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipxVyaEEqc_2xmljK0QfvuTacBO61U_xvRQW4vMbafz2TTuDqE8r3bYDOvinNTvVebMGxKjmut7KYpIh_VY-efS_UKikP65guH0uKMpODe07svQd987Sgq97gIkZp-08WJooDnvE91RMeg/s1600/255.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipxVyaEEqc_2xmljK0QfvuTacBO61U_xvRQW4vMbafz2TTuDqE8r3bYDOvinNTvVebMGxKjmut7KYpIh_VY-efS_UKikP65guH0uKMpODe07svQd987Sgq97gIkZp-08WJooDnvE91RMeg/s1600/255.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX5Dn5BAahdy6SZdHXpeychJekiRgw14ZyklySuB4dIkkkHtmQBdjyk4h_J061_ZpQr5NdLPal3v1GWmzgrX0-vwHv6GZKOCAmca3KOSaVFHLR73syLsFzUfjWTYXl-usXoWguCk4nREvR/s1600/262.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjX5Dn5BAahdy6SZdHXpeychJekiRgw14ZyklySuB4dIkkkHtmQBdjyk4h_J061_ZpQr5NdLPal3v1GWmzgrX0-vwHv6GZKOCAmca3KOSaVFHLR73syLsFzUfjWTYXl-usXoWguCk4nREvR/s1600/262.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIGa7BRoAp7uqNFmFTng0YObdK38-PKTLuhPJZ6fUedcrRzL8u2SB66BInvtokTojZNuGLsEGsb_uXiW_92APrMD675__9ecDJlKSWOKUBRV2LhknrBcyV92LwQxdDH5oCC4aCcuJe2iHw/s1600/276.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIGa7BRoAp7uqNFmFTng0YObdK38-PKTLuhPJZ6fUedcrRzL8u2SB66BInvtokTojZNuGLsEGsb_uXiW_92APrMD675__9ecDJlKSWOKUBRV2LhknrBcyV92LwQxdDH5oCC4aCcuJe2iHw/s1600/276.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is a field of canola (yes, like the oil) that we drove by on the way back to Cape Town.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Keri Geigerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09841730935415670095noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2965207168588935205.post-21530072605888657312014-07-28T00:37:00.001-07:002014-07-28T06:25:27.175-07:0010 things<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(191, 107, 82, 0.496094); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); font-family: inherit; line-height: 24px;">I don't have a lot to share with you this week, so here is a blog post about 10 completely random things I love about South Africa, in no particular order:</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.09375); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(191, 107, 82, 0.496094); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875); line-height: 24px;"></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.09375); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(191, 107, 82, 0.496094); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875); line-height: 24px;"></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.09375); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(191, 107, 82, 0.496094); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875); line-height: 24px;"></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.09375); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(191, 107, 82, 0.496094); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875); line-height: 24px;"><div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><br /></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">1. Mountains: Rugged mountains that extend right up to the coast. Everywhere I look in Cape Town or Hermanus, there are mountains, and I love them all. I love hiking in them, I love sitting and looking at them, I love just knowing they're there when it's too dark at night to see them. As much as I love the rolling green hills of Shenandoah, these craggy fynbos-covered mountains have a special place in my heart too. I decided this yesterday when I was standing at the top of Lion's Head in Cape Town enjoying the panoramic view of the city bowl, Table Bay, and the Atlantic coast beaches. Yeah, not a bad way to spend a Sunday afternoon.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><br /></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">2. Fun to pronounce words: Places around here have names like Rondebosch and Bloubergstrand and Hemel-en-Aarde that are just fun to say. They sort of roll off your tongue, and I feel super sophisticated every time I get to say one of these names. Also, South African English has incorporated some words from other languages that are really fun to use. Example: deurmekaar, from Afrikaans, means confused or messed up or crazy. Doesn't 'deurmekaar' sound much more confusing than 'confused'?</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><br /></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">3. People: South Africans are a friendly bunch. Everywhere I go, as soon as people hear me talk and identify me as American, they want to know what I'm doing here and what I think of their country. South Africans mean it when they say 'welcome' and 'make yourself at home'. They always walk you out to your car at the end of the night, and they take like half an hour to say goodbye, simply because they like each others' company. This is true of every South African I've ever met, regardless of language or color or culture, and it's one of my favorite things about them.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><br /></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">4. Woolworths: Woolies is like South African Target, but even better. It's the grocery store with the freshest produce AND the department store with the cutest (and very reasonably priced!) clothes. Also, they sell really nice jeans for about $18 that happen to fit me great. A trip to Woolies is very dangerous to my bank account, and believe me when I say that my credit card will breathe a sigh of relief when Woolies is no longer in my life.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><br /></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">5. Fynbos: Move over, peonies. Proteas should be the flower of choice for stylish ladies of the Kate Spade toting/farmers market shopping/pencil skirt wearing variety. The national flower of South Africa is huge, comes in a variety of colors, and grows wild all over the place. Every fashionista should keep at least one giant vase of proteas in her house at all times.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><br /></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">6. The Southern Cross: My very favorite constellation, and you have to be in the Southern Hemisphere to see it. </span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><br /></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">7. Ginnea fowl: Ginnea fowl are everywhere here, running down the street in little lines, on the side of the highway, sitting in the front yard. Most of my South African friends think it's weird that I like ginnea fowl so much because they're basically a common pest, sort of like squirrels in the US. But they really are the most beautiful birds - jet black with tiny bright white spots, bright blue necks and a striking red throat. I think they're absolutely gorgeous and no one will convince me otherwise.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><br /></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">8. Funny accents: I've gotten so used to people saying 'ba-nawh-na' for banana and 'to-maahhh-to' for tomato that I've come to like it. Everyone<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);"> sounds so classy!</span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><br /></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">9. Gas station attendants: South Africa, like New Jersey, has gas station attendants who pump your gas for you so you don't have to get out of the car. But unlike New Jersey, these attendants also check your oil and water level and tire pressure, and they clean your windshield. What now, Jersey?</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><br /></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">10. Wine: I will miss paying $5 for a really good bottle of red wine (seriously... good wine really does cost $5!). I'll also miss drinking it out of Hananja's tin cups as we chop to-maahhhh-toes for a salad and chat about grown-up stuff.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><br /></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">OK now go buy a plane ticket and come see this place for yourself!</span></div>
</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><br />Keri Geigerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09841730935415670095noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2965207168588935205.post-67903837782361959382014-07-21T01:30:00.001-07:002014-07-21T01:30:28.506-07:0067 minutesLast Friday would have been Nelson Mandela's 94th birthday. 'Mandela Day' is always a big thing in South Africa, but this year, as it was the first Mandela Day since his death last December, was extra special. South Africans don't celebrate Mandela Day with a public holiday like we tend to do for our leaders in the US. No, instead of sitting around catching up on movies or sleep or something, South Africans encourage one another to spent 67 minutes doing something to make the world a better place. I LOVE this country! (Side note: Why 67 minutes? Because Mandela gave 67 years of his life to public service, so the public is asked to give 67 minutes of their time to honor his legacy.)<br />
<br />
I got back to Cape Town from Lesotho just in time to join HOPE Africa in our 67 minutes. There are lots of options for what 'service' can look like, and all are worthy causes. Some of the other Anglican Church employees visited an NGO that makes sleeping bags for homeless people out of recycled plastic bags. One of my friends in Hermanus picked up trash along the cliff path. The presenters on my favorite Cape Town radio station spent the day at a community food garden. We at HOPE believe that, while giving 67 minutes of your time is great, real lasting change happens when you have an ongoing partnership with the communities in which you work. As such, we chose to visit one of the schools in Khayelitsha that we're already involved with. Friday was also the last day of the winter school holidays, and the holiday program for the kids was coming to a close. We partnered with another local NGO, Abagail House, and a few generous families to serve lunch for the kids and hand out a few supplies and toiltries that would be useful at the start of their new term. We also got to stick around and see what the different students had prepared for their Mandela Day assembly. It was such a great day, and I'm so glad I came back to South Africa in time to participate! I think Tata Mandiba would have been proud of all his children.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqi80XPqddQDrkzHkWVOrIZMSs6W-hm1H4Xlq2OqjWa1ED2xtcydy64mKO3qRVfoCzBP8-KWqXIb-xxKRPL0U3CZ8P5s5auJIjL3FjXGABG4McMSko9KA-brOk9zlN1Sn2qoAkW6zjM5TT/s1600/IMG_6326.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqi80XPqddQDrkzHkWVOrIZMSs6W-hm1H4Xlq2OqjWa1ED2xtcydy64mKO3qRVfoCzBP8-KWqXIb-xxKRPL0U3CZ8P5s5auJIjL3FjXGABG4McMSko9KA-brOk9zlN1Sn2qoAkW6zjM5TT/s1600/IMG_6326.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The HOPE girls show off the packages we made for the kids. They contained a wash cloth, soap, toothbrush, and toothpaste to help the kids look good and stay healthy for their new school term.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1IlOb8KmMerm6L4NwQUCjUGTF6mY9naO1jUxgngsPAvXaiUhdo8lEKTXyecWydOwvyIdpph8ErvWZjmd6IcH7XSihhw5O305H6DcrETww9aBOBu3u1FRhVvyWGUah0jCDnXR0buCc44uQ/s1600/IMG_6331.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1IlOb8KmMerm6L4NwQUCjUGTF6mY9naO1jUxgngsPAvXaiUhdo8lEKTXyecWydOwvyIdpph8ErvWZjmd6IcH7XSihhw5O305H6DcrETww9aBOBu3u1FRhVvyWGUah0jCDnXR0buCc44uQ/s1600/IMG_6331.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Abagail House, an NGO in Khayelitsha where these local ladies are employed sewing garmets. Currently they are sewing new track suit uniforms for the school we visited.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM2M5q6AY_QdvSaqOEG0wBYYYpfRjMDeBD8X5Y8mWzigrlr4inhDkOMlyzDDPd4OKUbSFKCT8WkS4oHvUBi9-x_-wsJgyHjanE4N8CFnbmHeO4rx_6RmSgUn3AwSfXK_-hQUhD6Tj2P6FN/s1600/IMG_6335.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjM2M5q6AY_QdvSaqOEG0wBYYYpfRjMDeBD8X5Y8mWzigrlr4inhDkOMlyzDDPd4OKUbSFKCT8WkS4oHvUBi9-x_-wsJgyHjanE4N8CFnbmHeO4rx_6RmSgUn3AwSfXK_-hQUhD6Tj2P6FN/s1600/IMG_6335.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Thandeka enjoys a cup of tea with the Abagail House ladies.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqPmCJL-A3LdnKs-OlshJeBmOPASZ_JOfQWlp2MZTuR6tcJZzMNQFkQdyIeLp-MvPc8fNpje2zHQWSnNQ7c5h4dzA1GHIZHQb8rNj3HI05IS3Y1SzehPDHxBrE-h-NbwwZm-rtvRU4Q2yY/s1600/IMG_6339.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjqPmCJL-A3LdnKs-OlshJeBmOPASZ_JOfQWlp2MZTuR6tcJZzMNQFkQdyIeLp-MvPc8fNpje2zHQWSnNQ7c5h4dzA1GHIZHQb8rNj3HI05IS3Y1SzehPDHxBrE-h-NbwwZm-rtvRU4Q2yY/s1600/IMG_6339.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Two of the boys enjoy their lunch. The kids really liked having their picture taken, and some of them were hamming it up!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR1fgPIDw-nrZfTIj3wqA91mTQiBe7J3Tzy16uDfxRnZxFiaVowA8h897Z9O1vou_ShX3waBNrGW-q009wUfmOVxTsGcIyGI74RLaMBgT1cPDDCaaHtO8qQaJoQQu7TvtE1A6MwVGrNbP9/s1600/IMG_6338.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiR1fgPIDw-nrZfTIj3wqA91mTQiBe7J3Tzy16uDfxRnZxFiaVowA8h897Z9O1vou_ShX3waBNrGW-q009wUfmOVxTsGcIyGI74RLaMBgT1cPDDCaaHtO8qQaJoQQu7TvtE1A6MwVGrNbP9/s1600/IMG_6338.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB1yCST5q8NCwEE1_Nh4DwU2iXhzLQxzEa56teZePmo6OnHE1I6YQWL63kteDGRQyQLGgLrfiadWhXFi6Mx8lTQYwS8bG9XPL1yytj9AwNOQvMaAdiy2w1_NlmhhWYWkfJIsp8pZ84pkLB/s1600/IMG_6350.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhB1yCST5q8NCwEE1_Nh4DwU2iXhzLQxzEa56teZePmo6OnHE1I6YQWL63kteDGRQyQLGgLrfiadWhXFi6Mx8lTQYwS8bG9XPL1yytj9AwNOQvMaAdiy2w1_NlmhhWYWkfJIsp8pZ84pkLB/s1600/IMG_6350.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">These guys did some magic tricks and made baloon animals for the kids!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLBe833ar-ThDXt8A4UHIgtlFhPU38beRqoH7DQIQBUDXd-ilj04On4hjag7KqO2ydltnl4yCuJWdjMekENYmxxKgnZ18TQHpzYnm7uaHIk1I0Y9ezeC8LQr0jiGGoQf_17vp0vjUlAHbf/s1600/IMG_6371.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLBe833ar-ThDXt8A4UHIgtlFhPU38beRqoH7DQIQBUDXd-ilj04On4hjag7KqO2ydltnl4yCuJWdjMekENYmxxKgnZ18TQHpzYnm7uaHIk1I0Y9ezeC8LQr0jiGGoQf_17vp0vjUlAHbf/s1600/IMG_6371.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">All of the classes assembled for their Mandela Day festivities</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq6L6gRUsMhokq7jitgGvj4F0cwWfpAOoZHyKKkxQXSTmuWzC6d8GyHGqjBVKF-Q5FXDwxoAQwEjHqosJOlEmO3yKonJtk6ZUTdHT6_7dGLV8BAm8zZAk1Jy48PSKQ7RWSa4grbWwTaleC/s1600/IMG_6389.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq6L6gRUsMhokq7jitgGvj4F0cwWfpAOoZHyKKkxQXSTmuWzC6d8GyHGqjBVKF-Q5FXDwxoAQwEjHqosJOlEmO3yKonJtk6ZUTdHT6_7dGLV8BAm8zZAk1Jy48PSKQ7RWSa4grbWwTaleC/s1600/IMG_6389.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Each class had prepared a song and OH MY GOSH could some of these kids sing!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4s1P16j2_-hrRB9Mokf17eWqq06p9XgdYrBAxS8aMKkC0ottAY-ghwuOD8U5Ksg5GUh8WiZYphd2KNSo69Yy1_NsOCmw39yoXQmCJtic2vvf-C1ruRQ8lVAH1HlG-8TNKLDX3bJM5VHvz/s1600/IMG_6410.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4s1P16j2_-hrRB9Mokf17eWqq06p9XgdYrBAxS8aMKkC0ottAY-ghwuOD8U5Ksg5GUh8WiZYphd2KNSo69Yy1_NsOCmw39yoXQmCJtic2vvf-C1ruRQ8lVAH1HlG-8TNKLDX3bJM5VHvz/s1600/IMG_6410.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And check out this eight year old drumming! She was AWESOME!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_hEZK87ew5mXJGWiRFZTbZbD6tdoXSoQ7TFQfoDHGgxc0hLWCluC1wquxHfQ1ja8tPpvg2ROS-gXdikRmUEA_Rga8lQA1WVke4LAbnCVG3cHTwLOUjIsYR3dvY2_tuxslu6NRMmrkiqNC/s1600/IMG_6422.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_hEZK87ew5mXJGWiRFZTbZbD6tdoXSoQ7TFQfoDHGgxc0hLWCluC1wquxHfQ1ja8tPpvg2ROS-gXdikRmUEA_Rga8lQA1WVke4LAbnCVG3cHTwLOUjIsYR3dvY2_tuxslu6NRMmrkiqNC/s1600/IMG_6422.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jenny from HOPE (on the left, gray sweatshirt) joined right in with the oldest class!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSyr9OsUEWK4Aw0OaLfkr2xJfFcN9EbToz0ckwcs4DMJo4tl8LuLwctFI3OOsDaZzyh7OnMG0vwZ22eOB3I41p9qA8_JubI2pbWxoj6gGRp1VB0N7TwZr7JRsPWoLaOZ2vPD0c_SqvXVV0/s1600/IMG_6424.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSyr9OsUEWK4Aw0OaLfkr2xJfFcN9EbToz0ckwcs4DMJo4tl8LuLwctFI3OOsDaZzyh7OnMG0vwZ22eOB3I41p9qA8_JubI2pbWxoj6gGRp1VB0N7TwZr7JRsPWoLaOZ2vPD0c_SqvXVV0/s1600/IMG_6424.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Class photo. I'm actually in this picture! Don't see me? That's because I'm crouched behind the umbrella holding it down as the Cape of Storms was busy earning its name with gale-force winds.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Keri Geigerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09841730935415670095noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2965207168588935205.post-28726105818908199522014-07-12T04:06:00.001-07:002014-07-21T00:23:25.866-07:00Can these bones yet live?<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(191, 107, 82, 0.496094); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 24px;">"The hand of the Lord came upon me, and he brought me out by the spirit of the Lord and set me down in the middle of a valley; it was full of bones. He led me all around them; there were very many lying in the valley, and they were very dry. He said to me, “Mortal, can these bones live?” I answered, “O Lord God, you know.” Then he said to me, “Prophesy to these bones, and say to them: O dry bones, hear the word of the Lord. Thus says the Lord God to these bones: I will cause breath to enter you, and you shall live. I will lay sinews on you, and will cause flesh to come upon you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and you shall live; and you shall know that I am the Lord.” So I prophesied as I had been commanded; and as I prophesied, suddenly there was a noise, a rattling, and the bones came together, bone to its bone. I looked, and there were sinews on them, and flesh had come upon them, and skin had covered them; but there was no breath in them. Then he said to me, “Prophesy to the breath, prophesy, mortal, and say to the breath: Thus says the Lord God: Come from the four winds, O breath, and breathe upon these slain, that they may live.” I prophesied as he commanded me, and the breath came into them, and they lived, and stood on their feet, a vast multitude. Then he said to me, “Mortal, these bones are the whole house of Israel. They say, ‘Our bones are dried up, and our hope is lost; we are cut off completely.’ Therefore prophesy, and say to them, Thus says the Lord God: I am going to open your graves, and bring you up from your graves, O my people; and I will bring you back to the land of Israel. And you shall know that I am the Lord, when I open your graves, and bring you up from your graves, O my people. I will put my spirit within you, and you shall live, and I will place you on your own soil; then you shall know that I, the Lord, have spoken and will act,” says the Lord. - </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.09375); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(191, 107, 82, 0.496094); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 24px;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(191, 107, 82, 0.496094); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 24px;">Ezekiel 37:1-14</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.09375); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(191, 107, 82, 0.496094); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 24px;"></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.09375); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(191, 107, 82, 0.496094); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 24px;"><div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><br /></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">One of my favorite passages in the entire Bible is the valley of the dry bones in Ezekiel. I don't know why I love it so much, but I think it's something about the flow of the words; it's very lyrical. The point of it is so beautiful too - even things that are dried up and decayed can be made new again by the power of the Almighty. In fact, it's not just possible, it's His promise.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><br /></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">The past six weeks that I've been living in Lesotho have been really challenging for me. The reality is that daily life in Mantsonyane is hard. The third world problems like no running water, no heat, iffy electricity, and lack of modern conveniences like a shower or a washing machine or even a flushing toilet take their toll on you. Fresh healthy food is scarce. Most people can't afford to buy meat or chicken or fish regularly. Fresh vegetables don't grow here during the winter (Well, nothing except cabbage. There is lots of cabbage). The staple food in Lesotho is pap, cornmeal porridge that is sort of like grits. That's what most people eat every day, their main (or only) source of nutrition. Many people walk two or three hours to go to their nearest health care facility, and when they get there they often find one overworked nurse and not enough medications to go around. It's a reality for many families that one parent lives and works somewhere besides the village where the family resides, often all the way in South Africa, so far too many families are split up for months at a time. Nearly one in four adults is HIV positive. One in four. That statistic alone would cause a major crisis, even in a country with way more resources than Lesotho. Here it's not just a health care problem, it's absolutely devastating to every aspect of life. Since the beginning of the HIV epidemic, Lesotho has, according to some sources, suffered an 18% population decline solely due to AIDS. 18% of the population just gone. 18%! Can you even wrap your mind around loss like that? </span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><br /></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">When you're looking at all these problems put together, how can you not start to feel that the situation is hopeless? Lesotho can at times seem too far gone, beyond help. I'm not proud of what I'm about to say, but I will be honest. After just six weeks in rural Lesotho, I'm exhausted. There were many moments during my time at St. James that I felt totally bewildered, not even sure where to begin. The stream of patients is never ending, new people are being infected with HIV every day, more and more kids show up sick and malnourished, and nothing seems to improve. What could I possibly offer that would make even the tiniest bit of difference to these people? What on earth am I even doing here? <span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);">I really wish I could say that I came to Lesotho and dove right into work and made a huge impact and wasn't bothered by the conditions at all. But that would be a lie, and it would be incredibly unfair to the people here who do work so hard and so cheerfully and with such little reward.</span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><br /></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Yet, Lesotho isn't a hopeless place at all. St. James Mission Hospital has been providing care for more than fifty years. I wonder how many children have been born here, how many people have been started on ART, how many cases of TB have been cured? I have so much respect for everyone I met at St. James. They all cope way better than I do. They give their time and talents selflessly, often living away from their spouses and children, all to better the lives of their patients. I admire the attitude of the residents of Mantsonyane, too. No one complains about the difficulties they face every day with lack of water or bitterly cold temperatures or no electricity. Well, no one except me anyway. When I go running in the afternoons, local kids see me and come racing up to follow me, sometimes for 15 or 20 minutes, chattering away in Sesotho and so excited just to see me and run around and get out their energy like kids everywhere do. No, Lesotho isn't a hopeless place, and I don't believe that it is too far gone. I don't think Ezekiel would believe that either.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><br /></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">The grace of God is sufficient for any situation. That's a promise, and that's a fact. </span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><br /></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">'"Mortal, can these bones live?” I answered, “O Lord God, you know.” Then he said to me, “Prophesy to these bones, and say to them: O dry bones, hear the word of the Lord. Thus says the Lord God to these bones: I will cause breath to enter you, and you shall live. I will lay sinews on you, and will cause flesh to come upon you, and cover you with skin, and put breath in you, and you shall live; and you shall know that I am the Lord.”' </span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><br /></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">And that happened. Ezekiel commanded the winds to come give breath to the dry bones, and they did. To put it another way (and yes, I'm going to quote Marilynne Robinson AGAIN):</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><br /></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">"It has seemed to me sometimes as though the Lord breathes on this poor gray ember of Creation and it turns to radiance - for a moment or a year or the span of a life. And then it sinks back into itself again, and to look at it no one would know it had anything to do with fire, or light. But the Lord is more constant and far more generous than it seems to imply. Wherever you turn your eyes the world can shine like transfiguration. You don't have to bring a thing to it except a little willingness to see. Only, who could have the courage to see it?" </span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><br /></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">The work that is being done by the many faithful people in Mantsonyane is this breath of creation, turning an ember to fire and restoring life to something dry. The entire staff of St. James has the courage to see. About this I have no doubt. And it is my great privilege to bear witness to these things, to share this story with you, even as I am humbled by my own shortcomings which have become glaringly obvious as I watched those around me give their all while I barely found the strength get out of bed in the morning. My time at St. James has not been easy or fun, but I believe it was one of the most powerful learning experiences I've ever had, and I will look back on these few weeks many times in the coming years of my life and know how blessed I was to have had the opportunity to see.</span></div>
</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><br />Keri Geigerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09841730935415670095noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2965207168588935205.post-86203868603234788762014-07-05T08:45:00.004-07:002014-07-21T00:23:48.780-07:00Workin' it<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">This week I’m going to tell you a little more about the work
that Hananja and I have been doing for St. James.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Let’s talk about Hananja first. Hananja got here last Tuesday, so she was
able to give St. James 8 full days of her time.
She is very generous to spend almost two weeks here on a completely
volunteer basis – she even covered her own travel expenses out of her
pocket. So three cheers for Hananja and
her awesomeness! </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Hananja spent her first day or so here at the hospital
assessing their food-related needs. As a
registered dietician, she is qualified to do all sorts of things like teach
about breastfeeding, develop specialized diets based on specific needs for
particular diseases, calculate energy requirements for individuals and advise
them on how to achieve their goal weight, advise about community food security,
and loads of other things. St. James
doesn’t have a dietician on staff, so there were a lot of work areas for
Hananja to choose from. Due to her
limited time here, I suggested that she pick one or two areas that she felt
would be most beneficial to the hospital, and she chose to work closely with
the domestic supervisor and kitchen staff to update the patient menu. The menu is currently based on what is
available in Mantsonyane year-round, what the kitchen staff knows how to cook,
and what will be most cost effective.
Hananja created an updated menu that allows for a wider variety of
healthy foods while still taking these factors into account. She has spent the past few days working with
the kitchen staff to help them learn how to cook the foods she has suggested in
a way that will retain their nutrients, and she has taught the staff how to
measure foods better as they cook to make sure that patients get enough to eat
without there being lots of leftovers that waste precious resources. All of this is really exciting stuff! Hananja has also been helping me with one of
my projects related to patient education.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">So, what have I been working on for the past five weeks? I’ve had four main projects here at St.
James. The first is just spending time
in the various areas of the hospital and clinics to learn about health care in
Lesotho, especially the areas where I have a lot of nursing knowledge like the
labor ward and the OR. It’s been very
educational – you wouldn’t believe some of the things that nurses are forced to
do here, just because resources are so limited and medical technology is
basically nonexistent, so the staff has to make up for this by being on top of
their game all the time and going way beyond what I would feel comfortable
doing for a patient in the US. There is
just no choice here; if you want to save a baby, that means doing an emergency
c section without an electrocautery or an ECG monitor. I’ve also spent some time travelling to the
satellite clinics and in the outpatient department (OPD) at the hospital. I have an interest in HIV and AIDS care, so I
still want to take one day to shadow in the HIV office here at St. James.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">The two main administrative projects (with a clinical
component) that I’ve been working on here are statistics and patient
education. Currently, the hospital turns
in monthly statistics to the government about the number and types of patients
they see in the outpatient department, but they don’t capture any statistics
for their own use. So, after spending
some time in the OPD to get a feel for how to best capture useful data, I’ve developed
a monthly stat report, and I’ve filled it in with data from as far back as 2012
so the hospital can start to look at trends in illness over time. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Anywhere in the world, patient education is always an
important part of the nursing process.
St. James’s OPD is doing most of their patient education in the morning
while the patients wait for the doctor to finish his rounds of the inpatient
wards. The problem with this system is
that whatever nurse or trained nursing assistant happens to have time in the
morning is the one who does the education for the day. What I’ve been trying to do is standardize
the education topics so that different nurses will make sure they hit all the
important points about a given topic. In
other words, I’m creating a patient education file filled with pre-printed
sheets about a variety of topics, everything from HIV to burns to diarrhoea and
vomiting to oral health. Hananja was
really helpful in reviewing this file for me to make sure I thought of all the
most important points for each topic, and she contributed pages on nutrition
and breastfeeding. Also a big shout out
to my very favourite American dentist for writing a page on oral health. Thanks, Jen!
As part of the patient education work, I’ve also made handouts to give
to patients who are diagnosed with certain conditions that are very common
here. With Hananja’s help, I was able to
make information sheets for TB, diabetes, and hypertension that are simple and
direct and have lots of pictures. Now
all we need is for someone to translate these sheets into Sesotho.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Finally, the other big project I’m working on here is Hands
on Health. I think I explained a bit
about the HoH program before, but it’s a community engagement initiative that
is seeking to empower community members to take charge of their own health
(meaning holistic health – physical, mental, and spiritual). I have sat in on HoH meetings and created a
draft of a guideline for how to participate in the HoH program. This was an exciting week for HoH – the coordination
team has started visiting the local facilitation teams outside of Mantsonyane,
so I’ve been accompanying them on these visits.
Basically we’ve been holding meetings with the local teams and other
stakeholders like the village chiefs to talk about the HoH program and gather
support for the initiative. The meetings
have been going really well, and we have more site visits coming up next week.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><br /></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">All work and no play makes Keri a grumpy girl, so Hananja
and I are in Maseru this weekend before her flight back to Cape Town on
Sunday. Then I’ll return to St. James
for one last week to finish up all these projects. For my last two weeks in Lesotho, I’ll be
doing something a little different. I’ll
be in Maseru for one of the weeks working with the Diocese of Lesotho, and the
final week I’ll spend with Thabiso from HOPE Africa as he makes site visits for
another project that HOPE is involved with here. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;">I hope everyone had a good 4<span style="font-size: small;"><sup>th</sup> of July! I am celebrated by searching for American
food in Maseru. The closest I could get
was a chicken burger, but it was very tasty and accompanied by fabulous South
African wine.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8_MH33CyN_ois11nZA1sxL9TJjlaoJWJEtHUxI6wZQoaFxgIALDvMzBTPtiyK-S72_OjHARFRCA99r-8rxTSyKQ-ms55-ynASPQGnbBe4vLfosB_C_nX_WW1lE8_6mwNlVMsHR05LvESl/s1600/IMG_6235.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8_MH33CyN_ois11nZA1sxL9TJjlaoJWJEtHUxI6wZQoaFxgIALDvMzBTPtiyK-S72_OjHARFRCA99r-8rxTSyKQ-ms55-ynASPQGnbBe4vLfosB_C_nX_WW1lE8_6mwNlVMsHR05LvESl/s1600/IMG_6235.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-ZA; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Hananja
training the kitchen staff on how to measure food. She really got to know the staff pretty well,
considering she was only here for about two weeks. </span></td></tr>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span></tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi56YSaXYd6CnZMZsw5PyqEt04ZOspZqbhoJvcZfQpAlwqNWaASv8NCsR5ZDmyfgdrNo3mK9ksU6MQJxvwnbeBpPlJHUJaUwDFPladakKMoDMNIXUD2ZpzHIu_8yPqKtPxu41kjjQUhbWxs/s1600/IMG_6242.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi56YSaXYd6CnZMZsw5PyqEt04ZOspZqbhoJvcZfQpAlwqNWaASv8NCsR5ZDmyfgdrNo3mK9ksU6MQJxvwnbeBpPlJHUJaUwDFPladakKMoDMNIXUD2ZpzHIu_8yPqKtPxu41kjjQUhbWxs/s1600/IMG_6242.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-ZA; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">At
the HoH visit to Ha-Popa, Mapaseka had everyone trace out the acronym SALT with
their feet so they would remember what it stands for.</span></td></tr>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span></tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD_P1j2A-cdgsbR0KE995zaXXZMMbJ15yK8qGfg33FMcmJRFxj3flQOK_0Pq2RqMNULte7fhPZgXJzFdps109uCxUKGfacuxIRpC5Hue7C_hhe34DwOqZpiuqSfqU9S171wYTDMGPBvIWt/s1600/IMG_6252.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiD_P1j2A-cdgsbR0KE995zaXXZMMbJ15yK8qGfg33FMcmJRFxj3flQOK_0Pq2RqMNULte7fhPZgXJzFdps109uCxUKGfacuxIRpC5Hue7C_hhe34DwOqZpiuqSfqU9S171wYTDMGPBvIWt/s1600/IMG_6252.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-ZA; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Hananja’s
mom donated a bunch of polar fleece fabric, which we cut it into 84 scarves, so
lots of people in Mantsonyane will have warm necks thanks to her!</span></td></tr>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span></tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk97yVsGp2Z6YvXNIcPzNzQyokrtoAcnE73ZeldVceEKTvcooG1TkzjK9Htbh-et8ABwd9OhzN88kzcyFc_6tSanjNlJPpl5z4NomDmn0GMsU0dzHzBhVBabvTeBoAx0Mndqw_hTpuR4fv/s1600/IMG_6254.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjk97yVsGp2Z6YvXNIcPzNzQyokrtoAcnE73ZeldVceEKTvcooG1TkzjK9Htbh-et8ABwd9OhzN88kzcyFc_6tSanjNlJPpl5z4NomDmn0GMsU0dzHzBhVBabvTeBoAx0Mndqw_hTpuR4fv/s1600/IMG_6254.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-ZA; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Yeah,
we rode a minibus taxi to Maseru. It was
actually a lot less scary than I thought it would be, and, lucky for everyone else in this taxi, I consumed a heavy dose of motion
sickness meds before climbing aboard.</span></td></tr>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span></tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi09tYOUgngkh9rA8qW2PT_jO7vkqX9YbRPfIZeIKTNV_SFe7-bnM4JTfzG_IJ84vbi7PEzjhZGdgFHLpr4xAafw5ixBP0-e3G2ur0GQG4YqARIgQqh2ZuiHhW96bhvf61KrtR8imse_pZY/s1600/IMG_6258.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi09tYOUgngkh9rA8qW2PT_jO7vkqX9YbRPfIZeIKTNV_SFe7-bnM4JTfzG_IJ84vbi7PEzjhZGdgFHLpr4xAafw5ixBP0-e3G2ur0GQG4YqARIgQqh2ZuiHhW96bhvf61KrtR8imse_pZY/s1600/IMG_6258.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">Minibus taxis are rather cramped, though.</span></div>
</td></tr>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span></tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><br /></div>
Keri Geigerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09841730935415670095noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2965207168588935205.post-23028799000217039162014-06-29T07:58:00.003-07:002014-06-29T07:58:35.011-07:00Lesotho photos<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
I have some exciting news to share. Remember Hananja, my friend from Hermanus? Of course you do, because I blog about her all the time. Well, she is in Lesotho! Way back in September when I was first getting to know Hananja, she told me that she was interested in missions and in sharing her professional dietitian skills in a place where they're needed. So I said, "Well, there's this hospital in Lesotho..." and thus began a discussion about her maybe coming to St. James for part of the time that I am here. I'll tell you a bit more about the work she's doing in my next post. But for now, not only do I have the pleasure of her company, I also have the use of her laptop! So please enjoy some of the promised photos from Lesotho.</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHFyjxCDLVfmoLYVWNs8uP34oGEidJ74NTJi-YWy9y8BSmYSJH3A6lKseYZw5P-ugoxo3364TTtGSbFlHJFlplHf75RVv7mTfxhYFcQnqUSbDtlJVwNYYJEsPq7Uz1JcyWGwEq4vqwXMUk/s1600/IMG_6001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHFyjxCDLVfmoLYVWNs8uP34oGEidJ74NTJi-YWy9y8BSmYSJH3A6lKseYZw5P-ugoxo3364TTtGSbFlHJFlplHf75RVv7mTfxhYFcQnqUSbDtlJVwNYYJEsPq7Uz1JcyWGwEq4vqwXMUk/s1600/IMG_6001.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">These first few photos are from the Hands on Health meetings we had during my first week here. This is one of the small groups during one of our brainstorming sessions. </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX6Sn5xL4tsvKnje6TiWzgQqMJSWot0gDmkzXKJJ8VlR3Su0l0Ag6gO9GBhANxcmf676WHbGqQiRT-18P9n0Lllapfs8VaB_iQUJDTzI5gu2_8NsVVSMz9dCC6hGsav9FEwS4Zj-Ab3FLY/s1600/IMG_6008.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX6Sn5xL4tsvKnje6TiWzgQqMJSWot0gDmkzXKJJ8VlR3Su0l0Ag6gO9GBhANxcmf676WHbGqQiRT-18P9n0Lllapfs8VaB_iQUJDTzI5gu2_8NsVVSMz9dCC6hGsav9FEwS4Zj-Ab3FLY/s1600/IMG_6008.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I am sharing my group's plans for a guideline tool about HoH</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtWSaCtp8enFaTjtVFF5o61_hF7VDuanYSIiUvxR41EwtSRe6izRGFHr2u3kb-pp5J4UOga4WAABcjIMjzUSa1ZNVTnZUpAZwMyfFLyfzTmbJYSUdrmcrgmUhnyRnAIsOgUSDAHJ-7ACH3/s1600/IMG_6017.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtWSaCtp8enFaTjtVFF5o61_hF7VDuanYSIiUvxR41EwtSRe6izRGFHr2u3kb-pp5J4UOga4WAABcjIMjzUSa1ZNVTnZUpAZwMyfFLyfzTmbJYSUdrmcrgmUhnyRnAIsOgUSDAHJ-7ACH3/s1600/IMG_6017.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Thabiso is VERY excited about HoH!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJz322lx_UUGLfXDmOBjfsEDG-gTJY3k4qn3PKoY4WSyO6fjYSsFGjOpbJtljbDWwjHVtkYG6DUQSAs3LyFtJcrOxNTtpXB7xij1fn9-ZsXjXrZS30ZD__BoS45gZuEzUBDk12M9YTS9L9/s1600/IMG_6026.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJz322lx_UUGLfXDmOBjfsEDG-gTJY3k4qn3PKoY4WSyO6fjYSsFGjOpbJtljbDWwjHVtkYG6DUQSAs3LyFtJcrOxNTtpXB7xij1fn9-ZsXjXrZS30ZD__BoS45gZuEzUBDk12M9YTS9L9/s1600/IMG_6026.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I had only been here a couple of days when we got a dusting of snow! See? I told you it was cold! But the snow was really pretty and I enjoyed seeing it.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihevJ0GmaKlfmmRehRIU7SfLzXYRo3prJb0IG_hs_spM31iQIiQ0GWCYYGO1nKfDkHam726VOjgtg4aN_KUg8zBR-U2KZ73NMmH8PwaO15yJiKZvorEd8fqQ9UARj-o09qSowk_nKhrqer/s1600/IMG_6032.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihevJ0GmaKlfmmRehRIU7SfLzXYRo3prJb0IG_hs_spM31iQIiQ0GWCYYGO1nKfDkHam726VOjgtg4aN_KUg8zBR-U2KZ73NMmH8PwaO15yJiKZvorEd8fqQ9UARj-o09qSowk_nKhrqer/s1600/IMG_6032.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The hospital's garden</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyLsX0JFrLFkipGY2bqzetwy6I2RDH6_OsEcJ8JB3oqrUXbBcyrlG6SRTXNAR_A5yRkuHUlMGRwJMVfkzI8FxTA9aAgr0Z9tTlC9kuOsK42rhaVatAZSJcPtTLeobDIwozX4lTNZkQe7no/s1600/IMG_6041.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyLsX0JFrLFkipGY2bqzetwy6I2RDH6_OsEcJ8JB3oqrUXbBcyrlG6SRTXNAR_A5yRkuHUlMGRwJMVfkzI8FxTA9aAgr0Z9tTlC9kuOsK42rhaVatAZSJcPtTLeobDIwozX4lTNZkQe7no/s1600/IMG_6041.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Just a guy. Riding on a donkey.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyYqWEr8LXuT4n0-rRxMGC1W-t1-aTUgwirImOfTTrnJK2n1Wf0nJIIrmr4tbZWbt2GgeECgeomsu2Ea9fUv80N3SxrpOmmQWgnfFx6XcLrG-u5CWK0iEqngL3otUJXAlAGXHo_T1OZm60/s1600/IMG_6044.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyYqWEr8LXuT4n0-rRxMGC1W-t1-aTUgwirImOfTTrnJK2n1Wf0nJIIrmr4tbZWbt2GgeECgeomsu2Ea9fUv80N3SxrpOmmQWgnfFx6XcLrG-u5CWK0iEqngL3otUJXAlAGXHo_T1OZm60/s1600/IMG_6044.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The hospital complex as seen from the road above. The brick house with the red roof that's right in the middle of the photo is my house!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi14agI8zJt0Zc8PeJupPR9OoOxmnhTKDQEQ8wOQUf4_X75ab4ogUzojlXI5erPE2KkOnULB0QdQ9zt3t7zNDiufr6P5KTA52ul0mm72OH8E4CkAI_loh27_6DjoDz3xwu-k5FfS3LC7Gvl/s1600/IMG_6056.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi14agI8zJt0Zc8PeJupPR9OoOxmnhTKDQEQ8wOQUf4_X75ab4ogUzojlXI5erPE2KkOnULB0QdQ9zt3t7zNDiufr6P5KTA52ul0mm72OH8E4CkAI_loh27_6DjoDz3xwu-k5FfS3LC7Gvl/s1600/IMG_6056.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Patients wait for the outpatient clinic to open in the morning. The big white building is the main part of the hospital.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxlMDiOkEP_GeuP0PYMbUKGcJi75TBLab2QiK2AjkqPXlCCTtpIaYOQ9kUoQ3wSixiASZ-1ILhFPt120wwgfzjO084CYt65pN7fCsJZ1po1xC9W1_cYOH5PvdfTU1x3a-ORc4TQDYX6Otr/s1600/IMG_6077.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxlMDiOkEP_GeuP0PYMbUKGcJi75TBLab2QiK2AjkqPXlCCTtpIaYOQ9kUoQ3wSixiASZ-1ILhFPt120wwgfzjO084CYt65pN7fCsJZ1po1xC9W1_cYOH5PvdfTU1x3a-ORc4TQDYX6Otr/s1600/IMG_6077.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dr. Mack, one of our three physicians, posing outside of the clinic in Ha-Mafa.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7R3hWFNN2WKeO9bc37fG4AUVpi1ArWxaD3gbXX3D14N_93PQrnbuIEmW7hCcVUKm6V1hBKA5vZdFQ7oiRLQ6y1RJbTdKAPA1bQiBAMpgwrzX_76WI8SksotnALxbt9-q08pr0vO0lr-Oo/s1600/IMG_6082.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7R3hWFNN2WKeO9bc37fG4AUVpi1ArWxaD3gbXX3D14N_93PQrnbuIEmW7hCcVUKm6V1hBKA5vZdFQ7oiRLQ6y1RJbTdKAPA1bQiBAMpgwrzX_76WI8SksotnALxbt9-q08pr0vO0lr-Oo/s1600/IMG_6082.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A full moon over a very Lesotho landscape</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA4IYAKht4fbBv3J55jGbBpyc5UBiMvO-BFkDt4DBC_3gUwwvn9ndLoZXtMMJxUcwI8zIbPGk5kxLswirTQ2JmqFda-KaAsCRqmx-ccfhk0pR4O52POyf-dDXzyqKPB-p0ft2XdrNiTA8T/s1600/IMG_6112.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA4IYAKht4fbBv3J55jGbBpyc5UBiMvO-BFkDt4DBC_3gUwwvn9ndLoZXtMMJxUcwI8zIbPGk5kxLswirTQ2JmqFda-KaAsCRqmx-ccfhk0pR4O52POyf-dDXzyqKPB-p0ft2XdrNiTA8T/s1600/IMG_6112.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The 'road' to Ha-Popa. Again, the photo doesn't really capture how bad the road actually is, but I guess you can sort of get the idea.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiltDkmTuX94_c2nGTZwAxeCMcDJ2nBZj8L9N5TYRKjpgio5Qu6RdvutSIe8PHzk03jk8nxSfjQjiF0AkAlpW5cJ4drKnkHTHDaBpsugc2QHmkO7FUmX0O5v1T3CGUZeWRkHsgj4mHPfJpf/s1600/IMG_6132.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiltDkmTuX94_c2nGTZwAxeCMcDJ2nBZj8L9N5TYRKjpgio5Qu6RdvutSIe8PHzk03jk8nxSfjQjiF0AkAlpW5cJ4drKnkHTHDaBpsugc2QHmkO7FUmX0O5v1T3CGUZeWRkHsgj4mHPfJpf/s1600/IMG_6132.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">When I was in South Africa, I sometimes invited friends to my house for Mexican food, which I would make using taco seasoning packets that Jacob brought me from the US. We called these nights 'Mexican Monday' or 'Taco Tuesday'. Well, Hananja and I continued this trend and had a 'Taco Thursday' in Lesotho! And yes, I know I look a bit like a gangster. Remember, the style is 'missionary chic'.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguJL6gW9fYRFWD1k9oJMnU198-FKbSPah1-hV8bt9hF1o5m6-60jNWwbBceyl2Y1-rLiLzVGKnCO1tBOhb1LHN9L4hcZ5b5bkIJsUgCdhC1k71qM3gfXKDzb925MJvPVDyvcwVbPjkwBwc/s1600/IMG_6135.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEguJL6gW9fYRFWD1k9oJMnU198-FKbSPah1-hV8bt9hF1o5m6-60jNWwbBceyl2Y1-rLiLzVGKnCO1tBOhb1LHN9L4hcZ5b5bkIJsUgCdhC1k71qM3gfXKDzb925MJvPVDyvcwVbPjkwBwc/s1600/IMG_6135.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Filling my bucket at the garden tap. The hospital's water issues are really becoming a problem. None of the buildings, including the main hospital where the patients are, have had running water for about two weeks now. This tap in the garden is the most reliable of the outdoor taps. Sometimes it's on all day, but often it only comes on after 5 PM, which means there is no running water available anywhere on the hospital grounds for most of the day. This is bad enough for me, who is used to having running water in my house all the time, but it really is difficult for the hospital. Imagine trying to clean surgical instruments without running water. Yeah, it's a problem.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXI9qKMCGMmB-_bBAwzLuQsB-sHcZMIlc-zUzaAA6ahuui90A5kE7XMVFCN15D72tiLoeyv9PDwws6ZS0CuT2GCb3yNPRl_-Du5_7IL6HaDPWcMrJ35xDVEUiRcz-w-JKDyAAgkGLX5qYW/s1600/IMG_6139.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXI9qKMCGMmB-_bBAwzLuQsB-sHcZMIlc-zUzaAA6ahuui90A5kE7XMVFCN15D72tiLoeyv9PDwws6ZS0CuT2GCb3yNPRl_-Du5_7IL6HaDPWcMrJ35xDVEUiRcz-w-JKDyAAgkGLX5qYW/s1600/IMG_6139.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">These guys saw me taking photos on a walk yesterday and asked me to take one of them. The guy on the right in the front is wearing one of the traditional Basotho blankets that I've mentioned. You can also see the round stone huts with their thatched roofs, which is what most Basotho homes look like.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivrYjGbazyDHv5t0uyF8DnpQuY_Ep507jTdSwSEZnr7zgq15KI0rdKDG5-dG_8AdsVJzrU3Jcl6c6NzoCJbyYFxyYjykRhz6547P7mrYc44uCxrRhVKVc4ZQ1JMYEykQUwl6RLv9JIwWxo/s1600/IMG_6151.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivrYjGbazyDHv5t0uyF8DnpQuY_Ep507jTdSwSEZnr7zgq15KI0rdKDG5-dG_8AdsVJzrU3Jcl6c6NzoCJbyYFxyYjykRhz6547P7mrYc44uCxrRhVKVc4ZQ1JMYEykQUwl6RLv9JIwWxo/s1600/IMG_6151.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lots of times when I run, kids will just kinda follow along behind me. These kids were following us for quite a ways, and Hananja (being Hananja and therefore adorable) obviously had to get them to skip down the road with her.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoWDL8yRMgBLKPv9ya-BaxsBwLmaj4-Olg0HbHj1JQgdnIJiXnzRo2s5_OkRSMO4JqFWsUzt0XqAWJYTMVK58eZHlTIWoNwGsd7-dvTeC1QUBDiU71SDgk1lfu_r0js-WVTQP6ftAoYVcG/s1600/IMG_6152.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoWDL8yRMgBLKPv9ya-BaxsBwLmaj4-Olg0HbHj1JQgdnIJiXnzRo2s5_OkRSMO4JqFWsUzt0XqAWJYTMVK58eZHlTIWoNwGsd7-dvTeC1QUBDiU71SDgk1lfu_r0js-WVTQP6ftAoYVcG/s1600/IMG_6152.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">... and some cows in the river.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
So there you have it. A few photos to give you a bit of a picture of Lesotho.Keri Geigerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09841730935415670095noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2965207168588935205.post-5495823166466567172014-06-21T06:01:00.001-07:002014-07-21T00:24:06.181-07:00Stuff that's different<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(191, 107, 82, 0.496094); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); font-family: inherit; line-height: 24px;">First, let me give a giant shout out to Martin! Martin, in addition to being my very favorite nursing colleague ever, was the only person who commented on my last blog post and asked me a question. And since I promised to answer any questions in my next post, here you go:</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(191, 107, 82, 0.496094); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); line-height: 24px;"></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(191, 107, 82, 0.496094); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); line-height: 24px;"><div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><br /></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Martin asked me how severe is the burden of HIV disease in Lesotho? </span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><br /></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">There are actually several different statistics you could use to measure the prevalence of HIV and how it affects delivery of health services. For my purposes here, I am going to use data I got from the CIA World Factbook, which ranks every country in order of the estimated percentage of people age 15-49 who are HIV positive (known as the adult infection rate). The most recent estimated adult infection rate from 2012 was 23.1%, ranking Lesotho second highest in the world behind only Swaziland. This is a sobering statistic, but I have heard estimates that are even higher, up to 26% (again, it depends on exactly who and how you're counting). The two main goals of the government's anti HIV campaign are to provide free ART to infected individuals and to prevent mother to child transmission. A few years ago, the CD4 cutoff for ART initiation was raised from 200 to 350, and all health centers follow strict guidelines for HIV testing and prevention of transmission during pregnancy, labor, and breastfeeding, including lifelong ART initiation for all pregnant and breastfeeding women (Option B+). So, yes, there is a huge burden placed on the system by the prevalence of HIV, and dealing with this pandemic takes quite a lot of time, money, and manpower.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><br /></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Thanks for the question, Martin!</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><br /></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">I mentioned in a previous post that life in Lesotho is very different from anywhere else I've ever lived. So I will now describe a few day-to-day 'normal' things that are quite different in Lesotho.</span><div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><br /></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">The steps involved in making your bed: My bed at home is made with a fitted sheet, a flat sheet, and a pretty bedspread on top. My bed in Lesotho, on the other hand, has an electric heating pad underneath the fitted sheet, a flat sheet, a wool blanket, the thickest fleece blanket I've ever seen, and a comforter. Also, I sleep in long pants, two pairs of thick wool socks, a long sleeved shirt, and a hooded sweatshirt, and even with all that, I STILL wake up shivering in the middle of the night. </span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><br /></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">What you wear to work: In Lesotho, everyone wears a coat ALL. THE. TIME. Got a pretty shirt you want to show off? Forget it! It is very cold here, even inside the buildings, so most people never take off their coats in winter. It basically looks like we're all wearing the same thing every day because we never take off our outer layer. It's a good thing that people are too busy trying to cope with the hardships placed on them by lack of infrastructure that no one really cares what you look like. I long ago gave up on trying to dress pretty and rather just dress in whatever will keep me warmest, usually about 4 layers of sweaters, so I look a bit like a marshmallow. <span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);">I have dubbed this personal style 'missionary chic'. </span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><br /></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Where people congregate at 5 pm after work: After work, we all go to the Mantsonyane version of a bar, namely, the water tap in the garden. Really the atmosphere is kinda similar to a bar in that there can be some jostling of position as people fight to get their beverage before it runs out, but that's where the similarity ends. We're not here for a cocktail, we're here to fetch enough water to do things like wash the dishes and flush the toilet. Oh, and if you're not me, then yeah, you'll be drinking the water you fetch. Some people call me paranoid for buying bottled water, but I had a discussion just last week with one of the nurses in the outpatient department about how you can tell when the water quality goes down because you see a spike in patients complaining of nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. So yeah, I am happy to wash my dishes with the water from the garden tap, but I'll be sticking with my bottled water from Maseru as much as possible, paranoia or not.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><br /></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">The process of doing laundry: Oh, laundry. Never my favorite task. In the division of household chores at home, Jacob usually does our laundry because he says I fold his socks wrong (OCD much honey?), but here in Lesotho, doing the laundry is particularly unpleasant and time consuming. Forget a washing machine and dryer (Ha! A dryer... what's a dryer? I haven't seen one of those in nearly a year!), here I do my laundry in a bucket. Even worse, I actually had to go through the embarrassing situation of asking someone how to do laundry in a bucket, because I genuinely did not know. Do you soak it first? For how long? How do you know when it's clean enough? Hot water? Cold water? Warm water? Thabiso was gracious about explaining the process of laundry in a bucket to me. He didn't even make any snarky comments about me being a spoiled American girl, and I would have deserved it if he had.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><br /></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">The oven: I have a nice gas oven in my kitchen here. Unfortunately, the way you turn it on is to open the gas valve, turn the dial all the way up, strike a match, and stick your entire arm inside the oven to light the flame which is of course at the very back. Y'all, this is not a good idea for me. I don't have the best track record with flames. I once set a YMCA bus on fire. (If you've never heard me tell that story, then next time you need a good laugh, ask me about it.) But really, I am quite accident prone, and I say a little prayer every time I want to bake something.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><br /></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Transportation: There are two main modes of transportation in Lesotho. They are called right foot and left foot. If you're wealthy and you want the latest in transportation elegance, you don't get a BMW or a Mercedes. No, you get a shiny new donkey.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><br /></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">The meaning of the word 'road': Now, I don't want to be unfair or overly judgmental. There is a beautifully maintained tar road that leads from Maseru to Mantsonyane. Yes, it is very, VERY windy, and yes, I do suffer from horrible, debilitating motion sickness, so my opinion of this road is that it is an evil, tormenting beast, but it is a quality road that that is well-graded and pothole-free. But turn off the main road and head up past the hospital in the direction of our surrounding clinics, and 'road' becomes a term for that pile of rocks you walk on to get from one place to another. Last Wednesday, I again accompanied the medical team on a visit to another of our satellite clinics in Ha-Popa. I had been warned that the 'road' to Popa was 'bad', and indeed it was. It took us over two hours to travel 25 kilometers in a 4 wheel drive vehicle. I tried to take a picture of the road, which I will post whenever I get access to a laptop, but really the photos don't do it justice. You'd have to see this 'road' to believe it.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><br /></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">The perils associated with being a runner: Anywhere in the world, there are always some potential hazards to running on the road. In Lesotho, the likelihood of getting hit by a car is pretty slim, and the possibility of getting mugged for my iPod or something is basically nonexistent. But tripping over one of the sheep that's blocking the road? Very possible. In fact, it might have already happened.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><br /></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">On a more serious note: I know that there are a lot of terrible things happening in the world right now, and in times like this we are asked to spread our compassion so far that it can be stretched thin. There are many truly horrifying situations going on, but I feel I must ask you to please add the kingdom of Lesotho to your prayer list. I am sure this isn't even making the news in the US because 99% of Americans don't even know that Lesotho exists, but the three party coalition formed following the 2012 elections is collapsing, and parliament has been suspended. So far there hasn't been any violence, but as the situation continues to develop, or rather, deteriorate, I ask you to hold Lesotho in your prayers. After just three weeks here, I have developed a deep and abiding respect for the Basotho nation, and I am in awe of what has been accomplished here. In a part of the world with a long history of foreigners taking over and decimating the local culture, the Basotho have managed the impossible and maintained not only their independence, but also their identity. I hate to see this nation struggle like it is now. So please, pray for peace and unity in the Mountain Kingdom.</span></div>
</span><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span><br />Keri Geigerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09841730935415670095noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2965207168588935205.post-57839707843604476082014-06-07T07:10:00.002-07:002014-07-21T00:24:45.781-07:00A different world called Lesotho<span class="Apple-style-span"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(191, 107, 82, 0.496094); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); font-family: inherit; line-height: 24px;">I have a confession. A year and a half ago, I had never heard of the country I'm living in. Honestly, had you ever heard of Lesotho? And would you know how to pronounce it if I didn't tell you (it's Lis-ou-too, by the way)? Even after I learned that I might be placed here and started to do some research, I didn't really believe that a place like this existed. I had read that Lesotho is still a very traditional society and parts of it, particularly the mountainous middle of the country where Mantsonyane is, are still very similar to the way they were 100 years ago, the way they've always been. Yeah, I had read that (thanks Lonely Planet!) but I didn't quite believe it. Well, I'm here to tell you it's true. This is one of the most remote places I've ever been, and it really isn't Westernized at all. Herd boys really do wear their Basoto blankets and walk up and down the mountains after their sheep or cattle. Men ride around on donkeys or Basotho ponies. Women leave their round, thatched roof huts to go to the river to get water. And there are villages on the sides of mountains that have no roads in or out. I can see one on a hill across from the hospital. Let me assure you, places like this DO still exist in 2014, and I get to live here for the next two months! It's like going back in time, like arriving on an alien planet. You really cannot imagine how utterly different life is here. Yet people are still just people, and the Basotho people I've met so far are warm and friendly and wonderful in every possible way.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(191, 107, 82, 0.496094); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); line-height: 24px;"></span></span><br />
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(191, 107, 82, 0.496094); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); line-height: 24px;"><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(191, 107, 82, 0.496094); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); font-family: inherit; line-height: 24px;">I have to admit that life in Mantsonyane is challenging. Here are some reasons why:</span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(191, 107, 82, 0.496094); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); line-height: 24px;"><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(191, 107, 82, 0.496094); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); font-family: inherit; line-height: 24px;">There is no hot water. Which means bucket baths are the only possible option. You heat some water in a kettle or urn and use that to wash, which is neither very glamorous or very fun.</span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(191, 107, 82, 0.496094); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); font-family: inherit; line-height: 24px;">Sometimes there is no running water inside the house at all. This seems to happen daily, for anywhere from a couple of hours to most of the day, the water just stops coming out of the taps. I don't know why. Luckily, there is a tap on the hospital grounds that has water even when the water in all the buildings has stopped flowing. So you just go fill your giant bucket at the outside tap. Well, if you're me, you ask someone to help you because that bucket is heavy when it's full!</span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(191, 107, 82, 0.496094); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); font-family: inherit; line-height: 24px;">Obviously you can't drink the tap water, or the water you fetch in your bucket, unless you want to boil it first.</span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(191, 107, 82, 0.496094); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); font-family: inherit; line-height: 24px;">It is VERY cold here at night, well below freezing, and there is a dusting of snow on the ground. I know, y'all were polar vortexing all winter while I was lying on the beach in South Africa, but it's not a fair comparison. You had central heat. I do not have heat. Or hot water.</span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(191, 107, 82, 0.496094); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); line-height: 24px;"><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(191, 107, 82, 0.496094); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); font-family: inherit; line-height: 24px;">And that's life on the hospital grounds, which believe me, is much more modern than the surrounding villages. For example, here are some things I have that the average person living in the next village over does not have:</span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(191, 107, 82, 0.496094); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); line-height: 24px;"><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(191, 107, 82, 0.496094); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); font-family: inherit; line-height: 24px;">The outdoor tap with running water. Many people have to walk to the river to fetch water.</span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(191, 107, 82, 0.496094); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); font-family: inherit; line-height: 24px;">A large house. The hospital really gave me a great place to live! It's a little bigger and similarly furnished to my house in Hawston. There are actually four bedrooms, enough space for 6 people, but I have it all to myself.</span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(191, 107, 82, 0.496094); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); font-family: inherit; line-height: 24px;">Internet access.</span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(191, 107, 82, 0.496094); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); font-family: inherit; line-height: 24px;">A gas oven and stove.</span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(191, 107, 82, 0.496094); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); font-family: inherit; line-height: 24px;">A gas heater, otherwise known as my new BFF. It doesn't heat the whole house, or even the whole room, but it is a big help on these frigid nights.</span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(191, 107, 82, 0.496094); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); font-family: inherit; line-height: 24px;">Access to and money to buy bottled drinking water from Maseru.</span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(191, 107, 82, 0.496094); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); font-family: inherit; line-height: 24px;">A fridge. Not that you really need one, you could just stick your food outside and it would stay quite cold.</span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(191, 107, 82, 0.496094); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); font-family: inherit; line-height: 24px;">A TV that works. My TV in Hawston didn't work, so this is actually an improvement!</span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(191, 107, 82, 0.496094); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); line-height: 24px;"><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(191, 107, 82, 0.496094); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); font-family: inherit; line-height: 24px;">As you can see, I am very lucky. </span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(191, 107, 82, 0.496094); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); line-height: 24px;"><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(191, 107, 82, 0.496094); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); font-family: inherit; line-height: 24px;">What sort of work will I be doing here at St. James? One of my goals is to support for the Hands on Health program. HoH is basically a public health initiative with the goal of getting local communities to be more involved in taking care of their holistic health. Facilitation teams comprised of staff from the hospital, local clinics, the Anglican church, and other interested people conduct visits to community residents and talk about their concerns. It's basically a grassroots way of identifying needs in the community. HoH is still in its early days, so I will be working with the coordinators to develop some written guidelines for how to conduct visits and record information. I will also be spending some time in the hospital learning from the nurses here, particularly in the labor ward, OR, and outpatient department. The hospital has asked me to help evaluate the way they capture and organize their patient care related statistics. Finally, I'm going to help the hospital look at the effectiveness of the health education they provide their patients. I think it will be a busy two months!</span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(191, 107, 82, 0.496094); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); line-height: 24px;"><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(191, 107, 82, 0.496094); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); font-family: inherit; line-height: 24px;">So that is an overview of what is going on in Mantsonyane right now. After I spend some more time in the hospital next week, I can tell you a little more about what it's like. And I promise I am taking lots of photos, but I don't have access to a laptop right now to download them from my camera, so just wait a few weeks, then I'll show you some.</span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(191, 107, 82, 0.496094); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); line-height: 24px;"><br /><span style="font-family: inherit;"></span></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(191, 107, 82, 0.496094); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); font-family: inherit; line-height: 24px;">Until then, stay well!</span></div>
Keri Geigerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09841730935415670095noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2965207168588935205.post-2591263817410242112014-05-27T06:00:00.000-07:002014-05-30T02:53:56.137-07:00Saying goodbye to Hawston<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(191, 107, 82, 0.496094); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: Noteworthy; font-size: 18px; line-height: 24px;"></span><br />
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.294118); font-family: inherit; line-height: 24px;">This is my last blog post from Hawston, and I'm afraid that what I've written seems inadequate. I'm trying to convey something I'm feeling, and I fear that my language is failing me. In the words of Marilynne Robinson, “It all means more than I can tell you. So you must not judge what I know by what I find words for.” And please don't be turned off by my honesty. I think it's important to for you, the people who donated to make my mission possible, the people who have prayed for me, and also for the people in South Africa who have come to mean the whole world to me, to know this.</span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.294118); font-family: inherit; line-height: 24px;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.294118); line-height: 24px;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.294118); line-height: 24px;">If I have to sum up what my time in Hawston has been like, I would say I fell in love. I never expected that to happen. When I first got to Hawston last August, I have to admit I was a little freaked out. I had just spent a week and a half in Cape Town, and who doesn't love Cape Town? It's an awesome city, and I was lucky enough to fit right in to the HOPE Africa offices and Anhouse. I had a surprisingly easy transition to South Africa; I kinda just dove in and never looked back. But then I had to move. I arrived in Hawston on a Friday afternoon and found myself very alone for what turned out to be a long, cold, rainy weekend. I didn't know a single person in town, and I couldn't even get the hot water turned on in my house. I'm sure you can imagine that I wanted more than anything to go back to Cape Town (or even, at my very lowest moment, back to Richmond). Thankfully, that weekend ended, I started work at the care centre and began to meet people in Hawston and Hermanus, and by the end of the first work week, my outlook had changed from 'Oh God what am I DOING here?' to 'I can totally do this, and it's going to be great!'</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.294118); line-height: 24px;"></span></span><br />
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.294118); font-family: inherit; line-height: 24px;"><br /></span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.294118); line-height: 24px;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">
</span><div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">Still, at the end of that first week, even at the end of the first month, when I would say I was pretty settled, pretty happy, I didn't expect THIS. I didn't expect to love my job so much, to be accepted into a group of friends so completely, to feel rooted to this place so irreversibly. I really feel at home here. And that surprised me. Yeah, the Western Cape is a beautiful place, and I think anyone who visits would love it here. But it is so much more than that to me. On my way home from my trip to Kruger with Jacob, on a foggy and drizzly day (just like the day I first came to Hawston in August), when I drove over the last mountain pass and the view of the coastline opened up in front of me, the sun chose just that moment to poke through the clouds, and, believe it or not, there was a rainbow right over Hawston. I started crying. Now, I'm not much of a crier. The last time I cried was when I said goodbye to Goldielocks. But that day I almost had to pull off the road because I was suddenly sobbing. I don't mean like a pretty little tear on my cheek, I mean like red eyes, runny nose, hiccups and all <i>sobbing</i> because it was the last time I would truly come home to Hawston. I have come to feel that this is MY Hawston, MY Hermanus. But after this week, it won't be my Hawston anymore. That is to say, I know that I will never come back to South Africa. I don't mean I'll never visit, I certainly expect that I will at some point. In fact, I have plans to come back to Hermanus for a few days after Lesotho and before I fly home for good. What I mean is that, even if I visit, I will never really come <i>back</i> here, in any significant sense of the word. There is a big difference between visiting somewhere, even if it's somewhere you know and love, and living there. It's like going to a college reunion. Awesome, but not the same as being a student in college. If my life is a book, then the chapter about living in South Africa ends now, not in August. </span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">There are things I'm excited about. I'm totally psyched about going to Lesotho. This is a great opportunity, and I can't wait to get started. I get to go to two countries this year, make an impact in two places. How amazing is that? And I'm excited to go home in August. I miss my family, my dog, my house, my city, my friends, my car, Mexican food, craft beer, trees, porches, sports I understand, TV shows, fast and reliable internet, and a host of other things. <span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);">I really miss my<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);"> very patient and understanding husband. Not only was he willing to allow his wife to leave him for a year, but he also listens to me complain about how I don't want to go home to him. A lesser man would find that insulting, but not Jacob. Jacob tries his best to understand what I'm feeling and support me any way he can, even if he doesn't like it. I wish every woman in the world could find a guy as amazing as my husband. </span></span></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;">So it comes down to this: I feel at home in two very different places, on two very different continents, with two different groups of people, with a different job, a different lifestyle. And if I love Virginia <i>and</i> South Africa, then I am doomed to always miss one or the other because I cannot be in two places at once. But I have decided that this is a great gift. Not only did I have an awesome life in Richmond with a loving family and great friends and a good job, but now I have a second place where I feel like I belong. Lots of people would kill to have one place like that. And I get two. Yeah, I fell in love with Hawston. And yeah, it sucks to leave, and it sucks even more to leave early. But it is actually a privilege to be so sad about leaving, because it means that I was so happy here. In the end, even if I never come back, even if I'm leaving a part of myself behind, I get to have a second home, and that makes me one of the luckiest people I know.</span></div>
</span></span>Keri Geigerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09841730935415670095noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2965207168588935205.post-56014061635433434302014-05-20T05:14:00.000-07:002014-05-20T05:14:00.226-07:00The last few weeks<span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 24px;">Here is an update about what I've been up to since returning from my safari vacay. Basically, it's been work like normal at the care centre and hanging out with all the usual suspects on the weekends. But a few special things have happened recently, so let's talk about them now.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(191, 107, 82, 0.496094); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: Noteworthy; font-size: 18px; line-height: 24px;"></span><br />
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.294118); font-family: inherit; line-height: 24px;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.294118); font-family: inherit; line-height: 24px;">Voting Day:</span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.294118); font-family: inherit; line-height: 24px;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.294118); font-family: inherit; line-height: 24px;">South Africa held its fourth general election on May 7. I sure picked a good news year to be in South Africa... a general election, the Oskar Pistorius trial, Mandela's death, all that happened while I was here! Election day in SA is a little different from election day in the US. It's actually a public holiday here. Yay! Perhaps that explains the higher voter turn out (77% in the Overstrand municipality)? In South Africa, voters vote for a party rather than a candidate. The head of the winning party becomes the president. Parties do have to announce who their head is before the election, so yes, you do know who you're actually voting for. Presidents are elected by straight popular vote and serve a five year term. There are lots of political parties in South Africa. I counted at least 15. (Random question: What exactly is the purpose of an electoral college? I was trying to explain our election process in America, and I know HOW the electoral college works, but I could not come up with a single reason WHY we have one. Could some political science major please explain this to me? Thanks!)</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.294118); font-family: inherit; line-height: 24px;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="line-height: 24px;">
I tagged along with two of my friends when they went to vote. Dewald voted at the municipal building in Hermanus. Besides for the fact that political parties are allowed to set up promotional tables right beside the polling place, the atmosphere here wasn't that different from the last time I voted at Main Street Station in Richmond. Lots of white people queued quietly outside the building. Once inside, an official from the Independent Electoral Commission checked the voters' IDs and gave them a paper ballot that was ripped out of a big pad. Voters go behind a little screen, tick off their ballots and place them in a cardboard box. Actually, Dewald let me put his ballot in the box for him. So yes, I cast a vote in South Africa! I guess this also explains why it took three days to get the election results. Someone had to count all those paper ballots in all those boxes by hand! I don't think I would want that job.</div>
<div style="line-height: 24px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 24px;">
I also went with Hananja to vote. Hananja is registered at her permanent home address in Cape Town, but in South Africa you can vote at any polling station as long as it is in the same province where you are registered. Hananja chose to go to Zwelihle, the black township outside of Hermanus, just because we thought it might be a more interesting experience. The atmosphere here was a little different. Adults and kids alike were just hanging out in the street by the town hall, watching the goings-on. In Zwelihle, instead of an all-white crowd, we were the only two white people in sight. But no one seemed to care. In fact, the guy working at Democratic Alliance table was quite happy to see us there, and he ushered us straight into the hall. I thought it was a little funny that, first of all, the DA had a presence at all in the township, and also that this guy saw a white person and assumed that since she was white, she was obviously voting DA. But anyway, it was nice to feel so welcomed even in a place where we stood out. Another difference between Zwelihle and Hermanus was that there were armed police guards outside the polling place in Zwelihle. They must have just been a precaution, because everyone was quite in order, and once inside the hall, the process was exactly the same as in town. Again, isn't it interesting that, in South Africa, it's just assumed that the township will require an armed patrol in order to vote, but the wealthy white area is obviously fine? Like I've said, sometimes I really don't understand this country at all.</div>
<div style="line-height: 24px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="line-height: 24px;">
So yes, that was election day. I spent the rest of my day off helping Hananja shop for some new winter clothes and going to a braai that night. I like this whole day off to vote thing. Let's do that next year in the US! Who is with me?</div>
<div style="line-height: 24px;">
</div>
<br />
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 24px; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;">
<div style="margin: 0px;">
Just FYI, in case like me you don't follow the news at all, the election results were just as expected. The ANC won the presidency and all but one of the provinces, so Jacob Zuma was reelected. The DA held the Western Cape. And the EFF is now the third party nationally. I've heard some people express misgivings about the EFF's gains. But it was a fair election that went off with almost no incidents, so there you go.</div>
</div>
<span style="line-height: 24px;"><br /></span>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZVjn-1ikm9DSnrf7c4Xx3ztsnY9wbQnTJiuMIcpV8S3PaCCr8Hz9I6uWNynay9u5u01QQlQUEebphfDY1mHONZ4OCLt7MqMCjMBHLjOmBCjpNCJrutSZpkwVkTKqD-DvitEmRj7tCNJAf/s1600/688.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZVjn-1ikm9DSnrf7c4Xx3ztsnY9wbQnTJiuMIcpV8S3PaCCr8Hz9I6uWNynay9u5u01QQlQUEebphfDY1mHONZ4OCLt7MqMCjMBHLjOmBCjpNCJrutSZpkwVkTKqD-DvitEmRj7tCNJAf/s1600/688.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">The DA table outside of the polling place in Hermanus</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6yAkD_qYYPmMLS9MzB4y22xi7po6LabjIlhxYrYQP_0vUWgmIGFrL3GuWDw3Np1eSGHrylGjXZKIQFP7K7k7oWIRYeSqQygao_8t476EMHH1wbSGUhyN5JQhlh30kxEDvi85YcAlH1u6b/s1600/690.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6yAkD_qYYPmMLS9MzB4y22xi7po6LabjIlhxYrYQP_0vUWgmIGFrL3GuWDw3Np1eSGHrylGjXZKIQFP7K7k7oWIRYeSqQygao_8t476EMHH1wbSGUhyN5JQhlh30kxEDvi85YcAlH1u6b/s1600/690.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">The queue to vote in Hermanus</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvAGAwesduTX-iwHDHCksTQzPNIvOmsidxopBwus0LdVD3ML3tKxkIY5oSRV4CsaaiiiiGev-IUFaefFqoRtLUEm3jtXB2x4uuaKH2k6iqfD_P86QdF_EtFL9Z1lazb_Aos8oW_2bA_ytV/s1600/692.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvAGAwesduTX-iwHDHCksTQzPNIvOmsidxopBwus0LdVD3ML3tKxkIY5oSRV4CsaaiiiiGev-IUFaefFqoRtLUEm3jtXB2x4uuaKH2k6iqfD_P86QdF_EtFL9Z1lazb_Aos8oW_2bA_ytV/s1600/692.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">ANC, EFF, and DA tables in Zwelhile</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7gfW1gMNl6_sNfFTc3Ktfb4uBnlqYzmIW6qFsSjH76t8ERh66qqfu6sOeIBKxOFTnMKtpsWC2AdU1L3BWwKO1JYeIozazFwe4SvvCrLmypPW2g4v8hcCKSe_fY9GyTQbmT8Slu_ACKssm/s1600/696.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7gfW1gMNl6_sNfFTc3Ktfb4uBnlqYzmIW6qFsSjH76t8ERh66qqfu6sOeIBKxOFTnMKtpsWC2AdU1L3BWwKO1JYeIozazFwe4SvvCrLmypPW2g4v8hcCKSe_fY9GyTQbmT8Slu_ACKssm/s1600/696.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">The police outside the polling place in Zwelhile</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9fR4Rl1Vaj7BrkPh7y9vZD0G79Ic-RmTL3hPiq81CLMdDDXwsAkrUb6iHGF66vSoo6INFYuqu3UMvOwYDKERFkLGOLF1XtwyZmEKxdZOOrtuiQVpzc88YSyzH-q7saMFbG6qD6EhVj5Nb/s1600/697.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9fR4Rl1Vaj7BrkPh7y9vZD0G79Ic-RmTL3hPiq81CLMdDDXwsAkrUb6iHGF66vSoo6INFYuqu3UMvOwYDKERFkLGOLF1XtwyZmEKxdZOOrtuiQVpzc88YSyzH-q7saMFbG6qD6EhVj5Nb/s1600/697.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">Some ANC supporters in Zwel</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.294118); font-family: inherit; line-height: 24px;">Wheelchairs everywhere:</span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.294118); font-family: inherit; line-height: 24px;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.294118); font-family: inherit; line-height: 24px;"> I got to see some wheelchair basketball a few weeks ago. The Hawston team was having a training day, where they were practicing and running drills against a more experienced team from Worcester, and one of the most experienced wheelchair basketball coaches was there on site to give them some pointers. A lot of the players on the Hawston team are patients I've seen before, either in the centre or as home care patients. It was so fun to see these guys play! They were pretty impressive... those chairs fly up and down the court, and the nets are at the same height as usual, so imagine trying to shoot from a chair and not being able to jump to grab a rebound and stuff. It must be very difficult. I can rarely make a basket myself, and I have four working limbs (although admittedly no hand eye coordination or athletic ability in general).</span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.294118); font-family: inherit; line-height: 24px;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.294118); font-family: inherit; line-height: 24px;">The next weekend, I saw a bunch of these guys again. Hermanus's annual Wheels and Runners race is put on by the Whalers, the club I run with. So of course I had to participate. There were lots of categories (21 km for sport wheelchairs only, 10km for wheelchairs of any type and for runners, 5 km for wheelchairs and runners, 7 km for electric wheelchairs, and 1.3 km for non-sport wheelchairs only). I ran the 10 km, and it was actually really cool to be running right alongside the wheelchairs. I think this race is totally awesome. It really gives the runners a sense of gratitude for the ability we have to actually BE runners. I think a lot of people forget how blessed we are every day. Like I will think, 'Ugh I HAVE to go for a run now' or 'I'm really not up to running today, but I SHOULD run, so I'll just go struggle through', but really I should be saying to myself, 'How great is it that I GET TO run today?' (Side note: Shout out to Dewald and Rod for running with me! Well, ahead of me. You two are fast.)</span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.294118); font-family: inherit; line-height: 24px;"><br /></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9E-k0mcmi7Pj-8qASgZUrLa0ao8ODEgnendtB8VARVjczpVGsXBi1LBD2YZOKs-T2UhVO5MuO3yaytu7tdQYu-Uee9AVoMkizh7baHyoOKyKWkyXvDdSIjx598CAJCSPz2fFJY-Ge51MR/s1600/701.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9E-k0mcmi7Pj-8qASgZUrLa0ao8ODEgnendtB8VARVjczpVGsXBi1LBD2YZOKs-T2UhVO5MuO3yaytu7tdQYu-Uee9AVoMkizh7baHyoOKyKWkyXvDdSIjx598CAJCSPz2fFJY-Ge51MR/s1600/701.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">Wheelchair basketball action!</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHxrIo2mRkXctIeJpajQEHh4r4pjTucDZhBsnJJmskuH-n_4UKoU07ut_mm2vr3UPUxHcdGoTCexhK_Ipw3P68H-4a4n-PlYbV8owZI37_PeBaSa-5ZHOgM1wXfg0HYzPrFizFYP94dQ7Q/s1600/702.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHxrIo2mRkXctIeJpajQEHh4r4pjTucDZhBsnJJmskuH-n_4UKoU07ut_mm2vr3UPUxHcdGoTCexhK_Ipw3P68H-4a4n-PlYbV8owZI37_PeBaSa-5ZHOgM1wXfg0HYzPrFizFYP94dQ7Q/s1600/702.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">Some members of the community enjoying the basketball</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6gcRyp3O1YzYKnKfmofxOFOCftRDyaLaschNkHw903x3-zhsc86BUKBkVxiGji9YT36O1xrNg7BPtNIsc124o1iJSPWNFA67y66iFL_dVFGk38OQ88vi-7LKFI8A40QnTj3ongZbow7H7/s1600/706.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6gcRyp3O1YzYKnKfmofxOFOCftRDyaLaschNkHw903x3-zhsc86BUKBkVxiGji9YT36O1xrNg7BPtNIsc124o1iJSPWNFA67y66iFL_dVFGk38OQ88vi-7LKFI8A40QnTj3ongZbow7H7/s1600/706.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">The scrimmage was fast-paced, and the guys were really good!</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.294118); font-family: inherit; line-height: 24px;"></span>
<div>
<span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 24px;">Clinic and hospital visits: </span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.294118); font-family: inherit; line-height: 24px;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.294118); font-family: inherit; line-height: 24px;">Martin and I decided that it is silly how we work with all the local clinics, sharing patients, sharing files, sharing services, but we never actually meet our colleagues outside of Hawston. Ditto with the doctors at the Hermanus Hospital. So I've been rectifying that. I took a little field trip to the hospital last week and to several of the local clinics, just to meet in person some of the people we speak to on the phone and also to remind them of our services and answer any questions they have about the care centre. It was fun to put faces to names and also just to see what types of facilities are available in the wider Overstrand area.</span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.294118); font-family: inherit; line-height: 24px;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.294118); font-family: inherit; line-height: 24px;">I think I mentioned in my last post that I spent a morning at the Hawston clinic during the weekly prenatal visits. That was totally awesome! I learned a lot about how prenatal care is handled here. When a woman finds out she's pregnant, she makes an appointment at the clinic, and a nursing sister sees her. The sister does an initial evaluation that focuses on finding any risk factors, like previous miscarriages or stillbirths, high blood pressure, diabetes, drug use, etc. If it's a normal low-risk pregnancy, then all the prenatal visits can be done at the local clinic by the nursing sister. So that means that if you're normal, you might NEVER see a doctor during your pregnancy. Wow. That is different. But really, the type of questions the sister was asking the patient, the screenings she did, the focus of her physical exam, it's all the stuff I would have done to one of my patients in the US. So it's nice to know that even if the details are different, nursing really is the same everywhere.</span></div>
<div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRTWgXU56jBHxI2Ow31FEuP_HBmlkO2GJj-glei5wlVWbdAD2pvrjOJ2E_Lra14jjqB8g4Lmi_8kbth37y4Hl5DIqNyZ1q5LzEaFyjTyLpcfSempuhXIgu3F9PXbFH0uO1XoPaxTWPZldp/s1600/IMG_5869%5B1%5D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRTWgXU56jBHxI2Ow31FEuP_HBmlkO2GJj-glei5wlVWbdAD2pvrjOJ2E_Lra14jjqB8g4Lmi_8kbth37y4Hl5DIqNyZ1q5LzEaFyjTyLpcfSempuhXIgu3F9PXbFH0uO1XoPaxTWPZldp/s1600/IMG_5869%5B1%5D.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">An exam room at the Zwelihle clinic</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRONm1oYUAJnBtkOCZNQi9gKa75cP9aH859yjN7wVBSvx-oUWvf4q5OKQzSv4eOrZfjfQyireorEU_LEDvtFdgH1su_HGBOcxnroUMfaIjcKfwgaBepRB9VF-b_-8yufon4wamkZlTPIhD/s1600/IMG_5870%5B1%5D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRONm1oYUAJnBtkOCZNQi9gKa75cP9aH859yjN7wVBSvx-oUWvf4q5OKQzSv4eOrZfjfQyireorEU_LEDvtFdgH1su_HGBOcxnroUMfaIjcKfwgaBepRB9VF-b_-8yufon4wamkZlTPIhD/s1600/IMG_5870%5B1%5D.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The waiting room at Zwelihle</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.294118); font-family: inherit; line-height: 24px;">Now I'm in my last week of work in the Care Centre. The timing is actually really good. Martin had exams last week and this week, so he is able to take some time off to study while I can still be in charge and the centre won't be left nurse-less. Then next week I'm off to Cape Town for a few days in the office before I go up to Lesotho. I'm both excited and sad about making this transition, but more on that later. For now I am going to enjoy my last few days in Hawston!</span></div>
Keri Geigerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09841730935415670095noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2965207168588935205.post-26539992727602813692014-05-14T05:55:00.001-07:002014-05-14T05:59:35.917-07:00Photo safari!Please enjoy the below photos from my vacation with Jacob.<br />
<br />
Unlike when Jacob visited in December and met me in Cape Town, this time we both flew into Johannesburg. We arrived early on Easter morning.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmqh5zi6YDvwSusU5ZiXNPNUI2gfIlXbzd6Eg89KWGm2WWp4FLk70c7EMiJTLJhoAIQPqzWuv-qaVmlAfgB3Hz17pxYIJllddFpbQaQMFbRibtAZIG9SFcjTHfrI8IRB-DtqR8BU5RGj1M/s1600/054.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmqh5zi6YDvwSusU5ZiXNPNUI2gfIlXbzd6Eg89KWGm2WWp4FLk70c7EMiJTLJhoAIQPqzWuv-qaVmlAfgB3Hz17pxYIJllddFpbQaQMFbRibtAZIG9SFcjTHfrI8IRB-DtqR8BU5RGj1M/s1600/054.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We only had one day in Jo'berg at the beginning of the trip, and we were both tired. We visited the Apartheid Museum, which was a very moving experience. I learned a lot of new things about South Africa's past from this museum trip, and that helps me better understand the country I live in now. Every time I think I'm beginning to understand South Africa, something like the Apartheid Museum comes along and reminds me how little I really know about this country and how, even after eight months, I really don't understand its people at all.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1DyDuAbOOnQ-uNBCYyQKjpg59otoZHm6Of-PQVWQ6cLr83w0lXUmhUroh753UNNw9eTYDOvn4EoR2y8kkZHZZebhQL3bukKSghB40I55ClpDJ5Ge0vl7iGByEZ11jSQsWomgj-DJBVHQk/s1600/055.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1DyDuAbOOnQ-uNBCYyQKjpg59otoZHm6Of-PQVWQ6cLr83w0lXUmhUroh753UNNw9eTYDOvn4EoR2y8kkZHZZebhQL3bukKSghB40I55ClpDJ5Ge0vl7iGByEZ11jSQsWomgj-DJBVHQk/s1600/055.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Jo'burg skyline, as seen from the museum.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The next day, we headed out to the Blyde River Canyon for some hiking.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb6461joT6HSmn83Wt9BzfvrdGYYRdIFgmaFGUfPxkS3Rul6mqd4VHUOiDZdEEYw_Xr_kX5jEz3sHZbVuNbI-noVLBg0HHt2YU5lQFbzkEf_c0YTaFOj-rxvZhd6Qses1XCUgJWQzODsjU/s1600/066.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb6461joT6HSmn83Wt9BzfvrdGYYRdIFgmaFGUfPxkS3Rul6mqd4VHUOiDZdEEYw_Xr_kX5jEz3sHZbVuNbI-noVLBg0HHt2YU5lQFbzkEf_c0YTaFOj-rxvZhd6Qses1XCUgJWQzODsjU/s1600/066.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Look! It's my hubby!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaiooqdEm7U7PAsTP_EjQ1oNeiYyqQfyG03cyaZ-ZIUolErkDnjKQTHamafY-6fR9PtibqwQ9SUP0OodDHbDNcyHEoZ7Bk0tGHXFOm3seY3nG1XBNUKpPXX07L25xBQPoCEJ5lauUHas1a/s1600/067.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaiooqdEm7U7PAsTP_EjQ1oNeiYyqQfyG03cyaZ-ZIUolErkDnjKQTHamafY-6fR9PtibqwQ9SUP0OodDHbDNcyHEoZ7Bk0tGHXFOm3seY3nG1XBNUKpPXX07L25xBQPoCEJ5lauUHas1a/s1600/067.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Blyde River is like the Grand Canyon of South Africa.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2olyaPADVXBwWYGuFFCf9v7xGZtZJEi9enu-RZ85H0i1QKdtVH7QRto6pFbuQrB3-HOhoNSxwk_oVYVI9IrLJT2Ur0gQULqLpw5xC8UxEkBm-CBVJmeQUvv6Nup92Geve348TbIPhKs4T/s1600/074.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2olyaPADVXBwWYGuFFCf9v7xGZtZJEi9enu-RZ85H0i1QKdtVH7QRto6pFbuQrB3-HOhoNSxwk_oVYVI9IrLJT2Ur0gQULqLpw5xC8UxEkBm-CBVJmeQUvv6Nup92Geve348TbIPhKs4T/s1600/074.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieO4gp2bN15Tz5YUr-C5qQOevzSkpArNg_nlFtC4dGsENKEVKwLBGEJWVIL0l_-uhEaR4QMejWw_zNCST116zrHvws7zOO3XGgqP4p2gOMnjhL_FfllFpDojWJejmaB7iNOySSMRRx1i9U/s1600/079.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieO4gp2bN15Tz5YUr-C5qQOevzSkpArNg_nlFtC4dGsENKEVKwLBGEJWVIL0l_-uhEaR4QMejWw_zNCST116zrHvws7zOO3XGgqP4p2gOMnjhL_FfllFpDojWJejmaB7iNOySSMRRx1i9U/s1600/079.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Apparently there were crocs in the river, but we didn't see any that day. Don't worry. Lots of croc sightings happened later...</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipOUyw14eJeX8uHUjtwBgkoXaRSbfcH2ayS1SzeY6sywg8OjIXYKMVf40NncDh8RZf3Ey2DDtinhOrMagQLuU7kbMcrdix5kfPwtJgUiS-WUB5A3dSXo727YcVrspy8P0O4sucyasBBCOY/s1600/099.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipOUyw14eJeX8uHUjtwBgkoXaRSbfcH2ayS1SzeY6sywg8OjIXYKMVf40NncDh8RZf3Ey2DDtinhOrMagQLuU7kbMcrdix5kfPwtJgUiS-WUB5A3dSXo727YcVrspy8P0O4sucyasBBCOY/s1600/099.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is the Pinnacle, a random plug of hard rock that sticks up from the valley here.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKE-2Ra7EGI4PXkhgI08ONG1xyU3jTtnE5kLNRRXX-BhL3dYML8JVn-IgxFlr-XRHW4DnHcS93qvQifkPOdrww90CXJs2xHZL7RlQI2e5GeNgYcuuh-d_hyphenhyphenj68TBtP0bpeEs7HyPSb1IQo/s1600/125.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKE-2Ra7EGI4PXkhgI08ONG1xyU3jTtnE5kLNRRXX-BhL3dYML8JVn-IgxFlr-XRHW4DnHcS93qvQifkPOdrww90CXJs2xHZL7RlQI2e5GeNgYcuuh-d_hyphenhyphenj68TBtP0bpeEs7HyPSb1IQo/s1600/125.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is a photo of the potholes. The potholes are the start of the Blyde River Canyon, where two rivers come together to make the Blyde. For very technical geologic reasons, the water has carved these round 'holes' in the rock here. This was absolutely one of the coolest places I've been in South Africa. It was gorgeous, and totally unlike anywhere else I've ever seen.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZbkdc03JExK7SZzJ1ub0YWk_Gs5Ia75k2QzISS2U1yFdmLKVe_I__B5p1v7x5U83YFIun3Rb4yClXvnFmSbE3VUF_MReuN9T-S-vQcczC79t55vRbeeImCbsf-qnq2ibrkcabD-2M3rvZ/s1600/128.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZbkdc03JExK7SZzJ1ub0YWk_Gs5Ia75k2QzISS2U1yFdmLKVe_I__B5p1v7x5U83YFIun3Rb4yClXvnFmSbE3VUF_MReuN9T-S-vQcczC79t55vRbeeImCbsf-qnq2ibrkcabD-2M3rvZ/s1600/128.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Looking into the canyon from the potholes.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNdu8QT-qfwroj7T8Z2_NoOVulZntPjDzbyaP5-m01ggzMwZQDdECFb6_Aa12X2-InU4F_FRE6rn6IRyUlGlpYKvEYUB_mKq6mQg80i9iuhysRiTG9ZUoX0T45HOQZOAkY1kbYM5IUCqKc/s1600/142.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNdu8QT-qfwroj7T8Z2_NoOVulZntPjDzbyaP5-m01ggzMwZQDdECFb6_Aa12X2-InU4F_FRE6rn6IRyUlGlpYKvEYUB_mKq6mQg80i9iuhysRiTG9ZUoX0T45HOQZOAkY1kbYM5IUCqKc/s1600/142.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dipping my feet in a pothole.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQKC_lfCGhPcIC9KFtYhYzLPA2OxFWFi3rPNcLLTdLTzV0Sj6pUE2fqlTTUVS89TOfZFGeqyYKly37UGZ1wjXtGLXjPkq758kV1QkXqJylW5eT1ZwZk5WKWjRolBsRO0D2NKTerXYZD-iB/s1600/158.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQKC_lfCGhPcIC9KFtYhYzLPA2OxFWFi3rPNcLLTdLTzV0Sj6pUE2fqlTTUVS89TOfZFGeqyYKly37UGZ1wjXtGLXjPkq758kV1QkXqJylW5eT1ZwZk5WKWjRolBsRO0D2NKTerXYZD-iB/s1600/158.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Driving north from the potholes, a view into the canyon.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
After the Blyde River Canyon, it was off to Kruger Park to see some critters!<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAI6bRqZsWrKkTuG32oVzYQxDabWhfbDuh-157a6Z2zD9WhvvgFlMpTiiDZOWEcGDizuIiSrQnngU6kxg8JRhW9aFUuxtfdr6l3lYnt0TawqKO8UKT2kbm2Y7hYu6tkGjpBYZM423hdduW/s1600/167.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAI6bRqZsWrKkTuG32oVzYQxDabWhfbDuh-157a6Z2zD9WhvvgFlMpTiiDZOWEcGDizuIiSrQnngU6kxg8JRhW9aFUuxtfdr6l3lYnt0TawqKO8UKT2kbm2Y7hYu6tkGjpBYZM423hdduW/s1600/167.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Orpen Gate to Kruger </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXmISb_XUIvBKXgAoObv0jy4nRkmvEYh2dyq950aOm2Sg2frN9VDzC151cRm9uVASC6xmFOfJq6DJdgUIIOLBRedfA2ir1fht4EgfV19f6mSDn7FUNyAfbAC7OuXH5zLXNyUsGAhg8aIwr/s1600/177.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXmISb_XUIvBKXgAoObv0jy4nRkmvEYh2dyq950aOm2Sg2frN9VDzC151cRm9uVASC6xmFOfJq6DJdgUIIOLBRedfA2ir1fht4EgfV19f6mSDn7FUNyAfbAC7OuXH5zLXNyUsGAhg8aIwr/s1600/177.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A ground hornbill</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8dgl6kjksUtMx2QGyZlyM4Maa-TVcFfQd_Qbm64FATA6FOm259FP2Zc5r8no6halbtasuH9d0gbn3CJSOkb1yWBul2tI8PA3zX3UZf2h66IN8Q64ps5SeXnAAJc2bDcF0xjyudvpwpX7w/s1600/180.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8dgl6kjksUtMx2QGyZlyM4Maa-TVcFfQd_Qbm64FATA6FOm259FP2Zc5r8no6halbtasuH9d0gbn3CJSOkb1yWBul2tI8PA3zX3UZf2h66IN8Q64ps5SeXnAAJc2bDcF0xjyudvpwpX7w/s1600/180.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Look! It's a donkey in pajamas!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgraY6OugOACCxUIW1s4QYi-NXHP4Et3XSHUCd-GGn2fVcD4_jwJyPM1hStL3BA5sAYFxYsHE736M7yzSe4ZRtZREQVIxVQwd-4BS1g-Z4TDopmHIn-d3thpu67gPE3y364LnCP-m0AvMKn/s1600/184.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgraY6OugOACCxUIW1s4QYi-NXHP4Et3XSHUCd-GGn2fVcD4_jwJyPM1hStL3BA5sAYFxYsHE736M7yzSe4ZRtZREQVIxVQwd-4BS1g-Z4TDopmHIn-d3thpu67gPE3y364LnCP-m0AvMKn/s1600/184.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hippos in the river!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg69YJcQOPUyRYn89N1t1PMykiNFgvI4pAeqnSNr4Smau4DD8EP7wk9Fn009V_BnhdloVarjHl1cPpquHrCKl_f-HP0Jr_9LupxKu4xUb0Re2F8QvkoYMdhf6DrRHI0kA8FzSx87raX7OmL/s1600/200.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg69YJcQOPUyRYn89N1t1PMykiNFgvI4pAeqnSNr4Smau4DD8EP7wk9Fn009V_BnhdloVarjHl1cPpquHrCKl_f-HP0Jr_9LupxKu4xUb0Re2F8QvkoYMdhf6DrRHI0kA8FzSx87raX7OmL/s1600/200.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me and our trusty safari steed. It was WAY too nice and new of a car to be driving around Kruger. I had actually forgotten how quiet and smooth a car can be, after driving around in my little Ford for eight months (I'm amazed that thing is still running).</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFAljfJ8oKKu6ezWUdtnKm6pFWYfJe8YPteUEaE0nq3JGgm3kYJ0R0O40UQwvBp3zRS3MsXtCJNygXX3MkKRV0lDqpckc6X4JfpAO_SvM8pZ6Kg51qc3kxYFEOSXKFbUxOjwjOXnE1QKuB/s1600/201.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFAljfJ8oKKu6ezWUdtnKm6pFWYfJe8YPteUEaE0nq3JGgm3kYJ0R0O40UQwvBp3zRS3MsXtCJNygXX3MkKRV0lDqpckc6X4JfpAO_SvM8pZ6Kg51qc3kxYFEOSXKFbUxOjwjOXnE1QKuB/s1600/201.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Olifants rest camp</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhCLRA2E2Rvc62XEg09iGuu-oUHHmY-C2K9MakIqx6wQcQENnNbbD6LSIFHEOt1yz2rHUihrPcSegd0fqBWqHXTpuwHQ4335PnnYSGApNPT-exruapcIde5QYXUayNOsx4934yJzAcVMYi/s1600/208.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhCLRA2E2Rvc62XEg09iGuu-oUHHmY-C2K9MakIqx6wQcQENnNbbD6LSIFHEOt1yz2rHUihrPcSegd0fqBWqHXTpuwHQ4335PnnYSGApNPT-exruapcIde5QYXUayNOsx4934yJzAcVMYi/s1600/208.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Impala. Impala are to Kruger as tortoises are to the Galapagos and cathedrals are to Europe. That is, when you see your first impala/tortoise/cathedral, you're like 'OMG! Amazing!' Then you see like a million impala/tortoises/cathedrals and you're like 'Ugh, it's <i>another </i>one of those!'</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvJeTqyCufPt7GIKQ0NDo77AZihuPJntwEuursSC2gWZ2AFTRizk4a3e1KnT6APvvTb9b_ZQYXmPxTJ4LKzwd4k5sYfz51kwosgcYDW_XYhO_eXEHGyMOeJ7sOTC8jA0ZdV9gTvSr2fEMW/s1600/209.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvJeTqyCufPt7GIKQ0NDo77AZihuPJntwEuursSC2gWZ2AFTRizk4a3e1KnT6APvvTb9b_ZQYXmPxTJ4LKzwd4k5sYfz51kwosgcYDW_XYhO_eXEHGyMOeJ7sOTC8jA0ZdV9gTvSr2fEMW/s1600/209.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Giraffe! Like RIGHT THERE!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY3lvQWLmXqe6EnYlipX3uRdds2opiFpuf3BNgPfr7ncsYPVtx6O03N9F_pLqnZIwgcW-n_jw4OFBq6k-JR0A-2ihqiBOMCuYNmI58zIZUNk0U4DpV0Tp8esW7ccz6_NWWyH2y9hIIgoZH/s1600/215.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY3lvQWLmXqe6EnYlipX3uRdds2opiFpuf3BNgPfr7ncsYPVtx6O03N9F_pLqnZIwgcW-n_jw4OFBq6k-JR0A-2ihqiBOMCuYNmI58zIZUNk0U4DpV0Tp8esW7ccz6_NWWyH2y9hIIgoZH/s1600/215.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small; text-align: start;">Why did the elephant cross to road? To eat the stuff on the other side.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf4XTS1KKEQuUFybnbA3vML5IQav4y_412m9srwtfi6hLO4SafKD_Hxbe1LgiRSmA0QaqDCnq79luJZqwD0bwIFughWJzpBUfpGnyfxz7YFwXdD39Ph7eiBW_ihAtxWj8KeNfxfxM78IjD/s1600/217.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgf4XTS1KKEQuUFybnbA3vML5IQav4y_412m9srwtfi6hLO4SafKD_Hxbe1LgiRSmA0QaqDCnq79luJZqwD0bwIFughWJzpBUfpGnyfxz7YFwXdD39Ph7eiBW_ihAtxWj8KeNfxfxM78IjD/s1600/217.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hippos look kinda awkward out of water. BIG body, little tiny legs.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3qwQIhtUBCZYWg4aadTEL3jVyulnfMdyXAL7FmYdn2PvSXhkAD705OZwAqGz4Zy5qoM-tbZcZTDyHNGqdN7kuVpWILyA1fr33qd3DyrO-NMG9Dz8N8Dz0miWz9ir9OBPcV50zMUDtTFmi/s1600/223.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3qwQIhtUBCZYWg4aadTEL3jVyulnfMdyXAL7FmYdn2PvSXhkAD705OZwAqGz4Zy5qoM-tbZcZTDyHNGqdN7kuVpWILyA1fr33qd3DyrO-NMG9Dz8N8Dz0miWz9ir9OBPcV50zMUDtTFmi/s1600/223.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small; text-align: start;">We watched a heard (troupe? pod? gaggle?) of elephants come to the river to drink.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3755HiHZBJ8ffrqZktsADJkcJBkjjdF3mgL24amYJgw12y5y193BkzvxR5cT0kiCQdywt7BB9M6-mMgDwSknmWfkhFHKMGNbAwUHpS7SQMcBw1uTblECzyZ5OD-tBHMbY4RooU2TWUvTw/s1600/225.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3755HiHZBJ8ffrqZktsADJkcJBkjjdF3mgL24amYJgw12y5y193BkzvxR5cT0kiCQdywt7BB9M6-mMgDwSknmWfkhFHKMGNbAwUHpS7SQMcBw1uTblECzyZ5OD-tBHMbY4RooU2TWUvTw/s1600/225.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The elephants chased away this buffalo.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkOimimgrDpL86btavSi4zkvWLeGKmC4OcN2YhYulM2REchK-GbLxXSzZa2uRKYCBVWUshAuddWhbmKZZJt5-8aDz-Jxftd_C1G47M9ue60UAnIRHM1O8vHdh0Ks23OEOy7zqisVGlentn/s1600/230.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkOimimgrDpL86btavSi4zkvWLeGKmC4OcN2YhYulM2REchK-GbLxXSzZa2uRKYCBVWUshAuddWhbmKZZJt5-8aDz-Jxftd_C1G47M9ue60UAnIRHM1O8vHdh0Ks23OEOy7zqisVGlentn/s1600/230.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small; text-align: start;">Holy eye shine! That, my friends, is a leopard. My favorite (and the rarest) of the Big Five.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqaKIbDsmhgXXgQ8nF4UHlM1-aGRxyuKMH4KNo_H_UtKsLpls000qBuQlHwmAPuzMQpZPfJ9OeJTZjZXT_TX1TmHvEYhQ0OSo8Q0gkKUNWVyVa9kQUvwn_duFWPJAph0hh1-83z-1v9Gdv/s1600/240.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqaKIbDsmhgXXgQ8nF4UHlM1-aGRxyuKMH4KNo_H_UtKsLpls000qBuQlHwmAPuzMQpZPfJ9OeJTZjZXT_TX1TmHvEYhQ0OSo8Q0gkKUNWVyVa9kQUvwn_duFWPJAph0hh1-83z-1v9Gdv/s1600/240.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small; text-align: start;">The giant spider and I weren't exactly friends.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoEOKnOau_pFGGHbukebBFYhZ33c3V9KVFg6w3wwChna9mmkIv63M_EnRLTxxjlatBT1X7B73b1R59wBTvtJLAqSgwBukXD3hBcX4LEvUNxmcmaJWnShlXQ38f0bRBlI6gp3v4HMjjZn4X/s1600/241.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoEOKnOau_pFGGHbukebBFYhZ33c3V9KVFg6w3wwChna9mmkIv63M_EnRLTxxjlatBT1X7B73b1R59wBTvtJLAqSgwBukXD3hBcX4LEvUNxmcmaJWnShlXQ38f0bRBlI6gp3v4HMjjZn4X/s1600/241.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">O<span style="font-size: small; text-align: start;">ne morning we went on a bush walk. These two rangers with guns went with us. You know, in case the elephants charge or something. Apparently it happens.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzCUQ1aXQaXT-EN8qxKJ2-uRtlfc2isJpeliNSowunzSiaSkJEl3KiYS1mcDIkfCN2deVDJsBJxuieSHbgcnskOgooBK8OyLyVFwiIouC34-IL7Vkt9_wfEEzleD0LZkyarK5e3PqbOCVD/s1600/243.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzCUQ1aXQaXT-EN8qxKJ2-uRtlfc2isJpeliNSowunzSiaSkJEl3KiYS1mcDIkfCN2deVDJsBJxuieSHbgcnskOgooBK8OyLyVFwiIouC34-IL7Vkt9_wfEEzleD0LZkyarK5e3PqbOCVD/s1600/243.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The hubbs on the bush walk.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1YB-7ztcj3hAV5AT92C_tTCR51JeRdkykVOq44LjrA3M2yICAyIZzdvk42C5jCBsb6H8pYZcKDZ6DM1bs4jX5XaLdwjgok5sCgPEayTUkmlmvcUfhBTR_V4Xb3SutiUG6erM6SoT4KtkU/s1600/247.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1YB-7ztcj3hAV5AT92C_tTCR51JeRdkykVOq44LjrA3M2yICAyIZzdvk42C5jCBsb6H8pYZcKDZ6DM1bs4jX5XaLdwjgok5sCgPEayTUkmlmvcUfhBTR_V4Xb3SutiUG6erM6SoT4KtkU/s1600/247.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small; text-align: start;">Walking around the bush with big guns... very Out of Africa, don't you think? Just call me Karen Blixon.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgteYqS7JaWD6p9St6ayPW9d49ZS5wSFjbWs7ptuJgxPyialEAYPB7W6sWxrE8JLVi0gO438A34h5AzTS8Lp_3umVKvtUODj0zpdRFaLfbEdtBwwcsCQe6aeV_FPSLKJiQOh-jkX1tXEwaj/s1600/249.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgteYqS7JaWD6p9St6ayPW9d49ZS5wSFjbWs7ptuJgxPyialEAYPB7W6sWxrE8JLVi0gO438A34h5AzTS8Lp_3umVKvtUODj0zpdRFaLfbEdtBwwcsCQe6aeV_FPSLKJiQOh-jkX1tXEwaj/s1600/249.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="text-align: start;">This is the rondeval we stayed in at one of the rest camps.</span></div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh907n2GzxaiXyHMfZbynXY5Z5o1jV-QpO-fUSgpQOyWqgJubwGtOweQYkJMgGb1ctf5acdG1mSXC_-h3oq2wkpdjnq7gMokGsYX_HK_4Zg1pl54TlaEj90cakGbVBnN7x0bYX5C3WFydPU/s1600/259.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh907n2GzxaiXyHMfZbynXY5Z5o1jV-QpO-fUSgpQOyWqgJubwGtOweQYkJMgGb1ctf5acdG1mSXC_-h3oq2wkpdjnq7gMokGsYX_HK_4Zg1pl54TlaEj90cakGbVBnN7x0bYX5C3WFydPU/s1600/259.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small; text-align: start;">The Olifants River at sunrise.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhZN5OkVqDcGrwgpLJdMFuFio694BLJSkibZ-rgCqteb6ZpXnl09s3bEMVSSYAeFflMg2UcGQSh2d9j-1baCJJym6KuPyYlxxpPvvEos9W2fNgMevdRExgrAvQNkte8NyA_TB5gtcdeeSb/s1600/265.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhZN5OkVqDcGrwgpLJdMFuFio694BLJSkibZ-rgCqteb6ZpXnl09s3bEMVSSYAeFflMg2UcGQSh2d9j-1baCJJym6KuPyYlxxpPvvEos9W2fNgMevdRExgrAvQNkte8NyA_TB5gtcdeeSb/s1600/265.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small; text-align: start;">"Let's go swimming in this river in Kruger Park!" said nobody ever.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3MUYM4xCGYrzowx52KDOY9kW3x9Uw7fUVMdi63XYp2dwULTG8FCOeM6NLHMORzxjDBGI2W6HqKIJ4zPkzIwbz4pgOpQCP4UqF31kyio6E5o52UP8hpEFDz9J7C3uGAXMdO5E2VSsqoARg/s1600/268.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3MUYM4xCGYrzowx52KDOY9kW3x9Uw7fUVMdi63XYp2dwULTG8FCOeM6NLHMORzxjDBGI2W6HqKIJ4zPkzIwbz4pgOpQCP4UqF31kyio6E5o52UP8hpEFDz9J7C3uGAXMdO5E2VSsqoARg/s1600/268.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">BABY HYENA!!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuRMPrvbBGolG5CHBR-iARzNHzCUOB3D5Mya4v3IYDVn1MvGfSlzXHtVetb15juDXsQf1epKf7q2EZcGuEml9ugUBgMM8bmDH_fW-9h_qVGF_sGCOmLdL2ZztnZkNtcbAx_gQgF1OWDgJE/s1600/269.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuRMPrvbBGolG5CHBR-iARzNHzCUOB3D5Mya4v3IYDVn1MvGfSlzXHtVetb15juDXsQf1epKf7q2EZcGuEml9ugUBgMM8bmDH_fW-9h_qVGF_sGCOmLdL2ZztnZkNtcbAx_gQgF1OWDgJE/s1600/269.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">He was sooooo cute, and he came right up to our car. I think he was trying to ask us for sandwiches.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjePc0DyshyDW0h7m790I6s0lSRauRvOUFbuxtjEyIeeIqz8iigQn_c0l77c4iym3nh6tbqs6KIl5jyAi35O9_lV-IzY1KyNRsk6DZb_v5votcgTk0aCU17B5ND264GdlMG_jBI_MKlxlnY/s1600/298.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjePc0DyshyDW0h7m790I6s0lSRauRvOUFbuxtjEyIeeIqz8iigQn_c0l77c4iym3nh6tbqs6KIl5jyAi35O9_lV-IzY1KyNRsk6DZb_v5votcgTk0aCU17B5ND264GdlMG_jBI_MKlxlnY/s1600/298.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our first rhino sighting. There are white and black rhinos in Kruger. I wanted to see a black rhino because they are one of the most endangered species in the whole world right now, but sadly we only saw white rhinos like this one.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje8_NM0rQoFtQt9Z_cx61WR49NPNiO3afn9ZkcInwVc40Z2QHf5Wn7ZP3DZ765sNTKq9p3c-H6t_HzZByJTCIZXdyxM9Hhql5QqzWNjU42olZ475-HTWNIVJ3W8GyR3NUA20Ld4GlAZ-Go/s1600/316.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEje8_NM0rQoFtQt9Z_cx61WR49NPNiO3afn9ZkcInwVc40Z2QHf5Wn7ZP3DZ765sNTKq9p3c-H6t_HzZByJTCIZXdyxM9Hhql5QqzWNjU42olZ475-HTWNIVJ3W8GyR3NUA20Ld4GlAZ-Go/s1600/316.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small; text-align: start;">A pair of lions. These two were busy getting busy, and they didn't care if they did it right by the road for everyone to see. (Is that too racy for a missionary's blog? I'm sorry, that's nature.)</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN_MjlzNPg5KaIKGUZQIUevkyg8hJkX9ozcISVfmYyxV0Vq8zo6RpGR8BrXl2rO0pGdEjFCIRdjOmVg5MuknXuHXCBZ_AmyRN0BXqSf1EhyQt60K7YD9tdLe_ngCerZAlNfwDYMQD-4hcK/s1600/357.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN_MjlzNPg5KaIKGUZQIUevkyg8hJkX9ozcISVfmYyxV0Vq8zo6RpGR8BrXl2rO0pGdEjFCIRdjOmVg5MuknXuHXCBZ_AmyRN0BXqSf1EhyQt60K7YD9tdLe_ngCerZAlNfwDYMQD-4hcK/s1600/357.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jacob watches the lions.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnVVKqqyvRqRW3-NTo9O-_Usd5zevo64P-fVvM-n9W2io2VWfvtJLzpJwHXEkGRcbyiydTo0BejbdlXbfPisNpJsol6xXXBTs0_FVJfCcH8HLpVYuhFEwFKWKNtDlNaj3n2fpomSpaPAuU/s1600/393.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnVVKqqyvRqRW3-NTo9O-_Usd5zevo64P-fVvM-n9W2io2VWfvtJLzpJwHXEkGRcbyiydTo0BejbdlXbfPisNpJsol6xXXBTs0_FVJfCcH8HLpVYuhFEwFKWKNtDlNaj3n2fpomSpaPAuU/s1600/393.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is my very favorite zebra photo.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpo-Q1q9rgjNIfz3qFjelU0TPnld1lvMufAnF82A4FDk5WSOvrZeM9JldT2hPL1TjO74GzWtkcT3OP_9r2wmzfXj5b3H63i8DUKlie9BSBN1QXf9l8sgU878iWXOew-HnQl6N1lkYp9D7A/s1600/397.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpo-Q1q9rgjNIfz3qFjelU0TPnld1lvMufAnF82A4FDk5WSOvrZeM9JldT2hPL1TjO74GzWtkcT3OP_9r2wmzfXj5b3H63i8DUKlie9BSBN1QXf9l8sgU878iWXOew-HnQl6N1lkYp9D7A/s1600/397.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small; text-align: start;">Jacob the braaimaster. Watch out, South Africans, we're taking over your traditions!</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoGP2Nl3Zb0BNdKxG7uA4PGPVF5fhhdUKRA4W109JHQv6fwTjKZNGjGZBFoahIdfzjrIyVHJ_E9NmsLYndIsIq9JyKY_qY964Cih0bHY098s_xxxOrI49MMgietW3RTqxG3Hr8x9_Jsarh/s1600/402.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoGP2Nl3Zb0BNdKxG7uA4PGPVF5fhhdUKRA4W109JHQv6fwTjKZNGjGZBFoahIdfzjrIyVHJ_E9NmsLYndIsIq9JyKY_qY964Cih0bHY098s_xxxOrI49MMgietW3RTqxG3Hr8x9_Jsarh/s1600/402.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lekker braai.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgElFUQhVsG3Etqe2KSnN4c9h94Mk-0RxnkWXTC-LIZhL9FjnXcbjDoISPuUodhmkMekyk3Hl754it5uwGpnxWBpZf1kUSrPZYn6BO2jLvsq0fPZGPvPBfE2nRWqSbex0Z1BHejoZitpbtu/s1600/412.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgElFUQhVsG3Etqe2KSnN4c9h94Mk-0RxnkWXTC-LIZhL9FjnXcbjDoISPuUodhmkMekyk3Hl754it5uwGpnxWBpZf1kUSrPZYn6BO2jLvsq0fPZGPvPBfE2nRWqSbex0Z1BHejoZitpbtu/s1600/412.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Handsome lion in the morning light.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIZANspgvnsaHDO3UxYUIiF_ZHrDWVVkI-fCsjqCLlceAT4qcRbM72uIKWpxYUwpAalujKgjmQk3HWxEZkkblc4umg6uzRgB8f4IlooDaf_WZS-VyFLH64HSWB7kgKVywh3nzGyLb1di2T/s1600/414.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIZANspgvnsaHDO3UxYUIiF_ZHrDWVVkI-fCsjqCLlceAT4qcRbM72uIKWpxYUwpAalujKgjmQk3HWxEZkkblc4umg6uzRgB8f4IlooDaf_WZS-VyFLH64HSWB7kgKVywh3nzGyLb1di2T/s1600/414.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 13px;"><span style="font-size: small; text-align: start;">Jacob was a little concerned about how close he got to the car. I told him not to worry, lions only eat Europeans.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPp0cEHL4jslfmxDxATSLSfp-BX0XEyBaGwB-ddVjajz8wlQtisU4f0zAfUbAokmSBrljOmYDmiNbQlvw8Ny_HXeWk4JcaaQ7IHbXUzuVWOc7sZbFOyW2XMCIUK2Y78P2iVXlujQRhfKRq/s1600/428.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPp0cEHL4jslfmxDxATSLSfp-BX0XEyBaGwB-ddVjajz8wlQtisU4f0zAfUbAokmSBrljOmYDmiNbQlvw8Ny_HXeWk4JcaaQ7IHbXUzuVWOc7sZbFOyW2XMCIUK2Y78P2iVXlujQRhfKRq/s1600/428.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A nice one of a big bull elephant.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuysJfrGxjUVbTjKMasxJKghHCIu0bXva0mMhEGk73liHHnQJ7d4rw-Vj6Avuu_KReFb_Qm1SufoQ_KZo-mVCzt8VrZ5uY_BpzuRaVEJiDH-Y02zcLhKZXzGn649eTtnys_-XPlW1kradi/s1600/466.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuysJfrGxjUVbTjKMasxJKghHCIu0bXva0mMhEGk73liHHnQJ7d4rw-Vj6Avuu_KReFb_Qm1SufoQ_KZo-mVCzt8VrZ5uY_BpzuRaVEJiDH-Y02zcLhKZXzGn649eTtnys_-XPlW1kradi/s1600/466.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jacob sees what he can see from the bird hide.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpyfb5nX_jjeZ3xQuB99BkcZEGCA68ttml-qTjM3Y8L7azXPTcjuE1yU_MkXlKbBKQT4EBXvAOa5wLhD2P1XL3Nwzd1pdjwuUT1541DQtfM-O-N0X-FwqpTMCX6J37q4pjLXIR-eocElUW/s1600/508.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpyfb5nX_jjeZ3xQuB99BkcZEGCA68ttml-qTjM3Y8L7azXPTcjuE1yU_MkXlKbBKQT4EBXvAOa5wLhD2P1XL3Nwzd1pdjwuUT1541DQtfM-O-N0X-FwqpTMCX6J37q4pjLXIR-eocElUW/s1600/508.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Drinking wine on the porch of your rondeval is the perfect end to a day of game viewing!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEird0mGZFW4UR5LX61pnqeRHGuMOV8JPdsLv9zrfkJBqCP9hryzsZOVJJ1JEEbWBkxuw-bKjoOaZ2GXhb4SNAW1ITwSDdh2cQIpWSPcS5MQiq9zZGAojTf8RPAlpvx2rSkKL55dI4nxrAOH/s1600/517.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEird0mGZFW4UR5LX61pnqeRHGuMOV8JPdsLv9zrfkJBqCP9hryzsZOVJJ1JEEbWBkxuw-bKjoOaZ2GXhb4SNAW1ITwSDdh2cQIpWSPcS5MQiq9zZGAojTf8RPAlpvx2rSkKL55dI4nxrAOH/s1600/517.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sunrise on the savannah.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3cyecylFB5pv9aPOC7iX06fRL6s_KwSdHM7zJyHGjzNppu_aTqODjaJZNggB7741-UoGAIjhJ8MLXNSgiXxDHA4B5gcXC6_bqawSmLK5XH9SnFeSrFckezE0JmKhA-0GRxS6p5UNpa7N3/s1600/518.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3cyecylFB5pv9aPOC7iX06fRL6s_KwSdHM7zJyHGjzNppu_aTqODjaJZNggB7741-UoGAIjhJ8MLXNSgiXxDHA4B5gcXC6_bqawSmLK5XH9SnFeSrFckezE0JmKhA-0GRxS6p5UNpa7N3/s1600/518.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rhinos have the right of way.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK6BmCZ8z7cIkrCI3wUJOf1lg63baDkMNkvR7Yam1X523qjsCYR89LLB6QA8EC0Z-QT6EJrajSh9tICM91mxZYMtArizTspUyXpyO6f_RZ4RCq-hkrvfUv7CqueYZSe_6sC-n_0ClXPXl_/s1600/527.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK6BmCZ8z7cIkrCI3wUJOf1lg63baDkMNkvR7Yam1X523qjsCYR89LLB6QA8EC0Z-QT6EJrajSh9tICM91mxZYMtArizTspUyXpyO6f_RZ4RCq-hkrvfUv7CqueYZSe_6sC-n_0ClXPXl_/s1600/527.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">So do elephants. This car was pushing its luck, in my opinion.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
After our Kruger safari, we headed back to Jo'berg for one last night, but we took a side trip to Pretoria so that we could see the capital of South Africa.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl8eFvKg_TvOetsfW8-dOfh9cyG2LhcwEHk645AojCtRrhel2FZzsWO2u30o5t1T-vzUZdRV9FsCPfw9xmFvFFwoFqQtJBF7GIX-ld0i-_3pvjUIOqFTkH5ycMylRyfUgdE6i4TAdGgMu8/s1600/557.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl8eFvKg_TvOetsfW8-dOfh9cyG2LhcwEHk645AojCtRrhel2FZzsWO2u30o5t1T-vzUZdRV9FsCPfw9xmFvFFwoFqQtJBF7GIX-ld0i-_3pvjUIOqFTkH5ycMylRyfUgdE6i4TAdGgMu8/s1600/557.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Union Buildings in Pretoria.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtWFMIQmhYQkQK0B0ECzVQNZ0uQJ4SsEFIjWOT5ODqwF_1P8LsC-4M6E-t-i9YvwWP2HIWqSwbnhDsxo_O5ZDE1c1BCjoC9l5fkKtFTQEh7Je3XfhUC-PVOZBYFWFzTYcrgTBASaL8a_PF/s1600/558.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtWFMIQmhYQkQK0B0ECzVQNZ0uQJ4SsEFIjWOT5ODqwF_1P8LsC-4M6E-t-i9YvwWP2HIWqSwbnhDsxo_O5ZDE1c1BCjoC9l5fkKtFTQEh7Je3XfhUC-PVOZBYFWFzTYcrgTBASaL8a_PF/s1600/558.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nelson, larger than life as always.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH-gZeZWwH4bduhiV7re6e6hiqCwpT_07ULEBCIaXWCMrUTNW5dpzF8WMUHCvOH6OXlrhtpcBXbiRh1zEN3kyMpvTBWf40Leg0knPIprEe-uMHgaWPzTq0dWH2kt15JG8wtcvbpYGRUu6b/s1600/581.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH-gZeZWwH4bduhiV7re6e6hiqCwpT_07ULEBCIaXWCMrUTNW5dpzF8WMUHCvOH6OXlrhtpcBXbiRh1zEN3kyMpvTBWf40Leg0knPIprEe-uMHgaWPzTq0dWH2kt15JG8wtcvbpYGRUu6b/s1600/581.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Vortrekker Monument in Pretoria.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLpK03GBG9tGlJ6Z8C1a5Z_LEqgsKgQ9466lnusExtfzPTfUdS97_YNb5GCIZz3AXfseyDj7Uj6T0_K73BXmBgU8UHdhhk0Fpaj06z7AIsLIUrdq6LpziCuyQWlWWgPlEjjDV0e29sJDNi/s1600/613.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLpK03GBG9tGlJ6Z8C1a5Z_LEqgsKgQ9466lnusExtfzPTfUdS97_YNb5GCIZz3AXfseyDj7Uj6T0_K73BXmBgU8UHdhhk0Fpaj06z7AIsLIUrdq6LpziCuyQWlWWgPlEjjDV0e29sJDNi/s1600/613.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The view of Pretoria from the top of the Vortrekker Monument. Also the only photo from the entire trip of me and Jacob together.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The last day of vacation, Jacob and I were back in Jo'berg and did a tour of Soweto.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaBBRYgm06KSbOnQJAquP8x_TUVQOnGX2dh3GYBkS5eN35v8BxfYGlldR4kWrpMkC_FFnaNCP6ZmBwZx7CGiKbEtSrSFELvaA68cwJQ_u1W3exxvxKalGaqBYvwMJDBfwoNZsbACv5puys/s1600/621.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaBBRYgm06KSbOnQJAquP8x_TUVQOnGX2dh3GYBkS5eN35v8BxfYGlldR4kWrpMkC_FFnaNCP6ZmBwZx7CGiKbEtSrSFELvaA68cwJQ_u1W3exxvxKalGaqBYvwMJDBfwoNZsbACv5puys/s1600/621.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The house where Nelson Mandela was living just before he died. His third wife still lives there.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6f5J-niAHej0EYI7I4N-AFhWqwbJZKPbV9R50Oi8KYBbnaiw2OXBuYzfRxezTQ4ES758NA8KyQnl7E21Hv3apEma_rXqj916RX0MUR8wPcBPW5AMw0ZIZcoTweMVzaf-oGXd7Bki6cFsb/s1600/632.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6f5J-niAHej0EYI7I4N-AFhWqwbJZKPbV9R50Oi8KYBbnaiw2OXBuYzfRxezTQ4ES758NA8KyQnl7E21Hv3apEma_rXqj916RX0MUR8wPcBPW5AMw0ZIZcoTweMVzaf-oGXd7Bki6cFsb/s1600/632.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Soweto is an acronym for South West Township, because it is south west of Jo'berg.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRObNMI3fYufT7mjo3WRcK79qC49Dl7ZvreAEcLC7Pth58jfuNQk6JgP9DZOm6t42orZl-on6oikPtRe2rRhekIfWpjh_tAVruHTIW4l7-y-Cjz1cpbb-Epg92b_tt3139xpBTY77ykFmF/s1600/639.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRObNMI3fYufT7mjo3WRcK79qC49Dl7ZvreAEcLC7Pth58jfuNQk6JgP9DZOm6t42orZl-on6oikPtRe2rRhekIfWpjh_tAVruHTIW4l7-y-Cjz1cpbb-Epg92b_tt3139xpBTY77ykFmF/s1600/639.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Soweto is huge. These were the worst looking houses in Soweto. They look like the township shacks I'm used to seeing in places like Zwelihle near Hermanus and Khayelitsha outside of Cape Town. But really these shacks were just one small portion of Soweto. I was surprised by this... given what I know about townships, I expected the whole thing to look more like this.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWNeL27lVbeHordbs6gKBp3-rgdmaeIruAYdoElaLDM_5eJP9xvTXfH92it4BEOb0Qjq58jEaFojfMSriszHmTnkzIjjLc2cf34wl7r56QLKEQN87KZgtOC5kVNUY2kVgaL52u04Y_vQ1p/s1600/644.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWNeL27lVbeHordbs6gKBp3-rgdmaeIruAYdoElaLDM_5eJP9xvTXfH92it4BEOb0Qjq58jEaFojfMSriszHmTnkzIjjLc2cf34wl7r56QLKEQN87KZgtOC5kVNUY2kVgaL52u04Y_vQ1p/s1600/644.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Most of Soweto was made up of houses like this. Honestly, it looks like Hawston.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIKs2kCkZvooIJM4wuK100Giz1RcXT9mqVzX0vI-mllUULuIJZkywwV2-yUzCFsIYcp6ARaJGRqI1c_BG7dJYIdKDYF4L6oUMhsTgzCSbim2xOo5x26LBtNj-rd-0KqLxVz33CkboPkdUF/s1600/648.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIKs2kCkZvooIJM4wuK100Giz1RcXT9mqVzX0vI-mllUULuIJZkywwV2-yUzCFsIYcp6ARaJGRqI1c_BG7dJYIdKDYF4L6oUMhsTgzCSbim2xOo5x26LBtNj-rd-0KqLxVz33CkboPkdUF/s1600/648.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nelson Mandela's house in Soweto.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9F0EbiX3tAcQvz3DThgjoo7aLwwyTte1O9v-OVDUhOk_sCWInhiE9X_ngONmB59-l9ygiAtrC8rvtjcU0d8T_DymIwW4WmoUyRBMKfgrwrOuup9uHi3bXInOEhNuYFOWL-gGk22xTQPK9/s1600/662.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9F0EbiX3tAcQvz3DThgjoo7aLwwyTte1O9v-OVDUhOk_sCWInhiE9X_ngONmB59-l9ygiAtrC8rvtjcU0d8T_DymIwW4WmoUyRBMKfgrwrOuup9uHi3bXInOEhNuYFOWL-gGk22xTQPK9/s1600/662.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me inside the Mandela house.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI46M7C03pjb18l_tulxO19LtINV4nfvVtYewtKJlHNV9hcQwB0UrGBhUfuJ3slkpKPO7PhGnI4sTBTG0O-d4KKtMOJeFNhPSJpK7gKyHXmrBpI4FLC6qyqUVxTNrkoN580QNiEh_Ej3u0/s1600/667.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI46M7C03pjb18l_tulxO19LtINV4nfvVtYewtKJlHNV9hcQwB0UrGBhUfuJ3slkpKPO7PhGnI4sTBTG0O-d4KKtMOJeFNhPSJpK7gKyHXmrBpI4FLC6qyqUVxTNrkoN580QNiEh_Ej3u0/s1600/667.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Arguably the most famous address in South Africa.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1gH0FfUIp0dvDHQ_nQIWZTPknhd5ZuPwia4Hm1qWqtWEHa7GOcKQByie2JN_-Y9tJi6Ga_bMM4V-l-8tujcJwVtVz6_tNjqCa0QcetQibiFu_zbLoX2S9AGgcC1TtThoIJD_YUxRGIbbW/s1600/669.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1gH0FfUIp0dvDHQ_nQIWZTPknhd5ZuPwia4Hm1qWqtWEHa7GOcKQByie2JN_-Y9tJi6Ga_bMM4V-l-8tujcJwVtVz6_tNjqCa0QcetQibiFu_zbLoX2S9AGgcC1TtThoIJD_YUxRGIbbW/s1600/669.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our tour guide, who grew up in Soweto, outside of the Hector Pieterson museum.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHtQA8xNCfW6pFxQ-O0gulwPG0mk-JfBRIwHeOOw-B3kOU_4SUYXa2ASsMY8MQwVOqxYwdL21RoYsmcqQ2BzEyk38qZw_cV7we8Hobzzi4K06yEq6X2l9g_MfLKP5pOKQFNHgABJ_IS5Y8/s1600/670.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHtQA8xNCfW6pFxQ-O0gulwPG0mk-JfBRIwHeOOw-B3kOU_4SUYXa2ASsMY8MQwVOqxYwdL21RoYsmcqQ2BzEyk38qZw_cV7we8Hobzzi4K06yEq6X2l9g_MfLKP5pOKQFNHgABJ_IS5Y8/s1600/670.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The very famous photo of Mbuyisa Makhubo carrying Hector to the clinic, with his sister following behind.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjeuA8dbM-caiWYEUt1FNjGpOCBkPlIfhMT9kzb1JFZtnoYz8Kw0i9cEM6QgIB2BNtOrSXDLhfLVOZJYQyFdWxvumgVeEzBLRBh41YVGePiEI-DuUzHP04S7SOoj2LPPbkrs_TFtyYmu4O/s1600/683.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjeuA8dbM-caiWYEUt1FNjGpOCBkPlIfhMT9kzb1JFZtnoYz8Kw0i9cEM6QgIB2BNtOrSXDLhfLVOZJYQyFdWxvumgVeEzBLRBh41YVGePiEI-DuUzHP04S7SOoj2LPPbkrs_TFtyYmu4O/s1600/683.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jacob in front of Soccer City in Soweto.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
What have I been up to since I've been back in Hawston? A lot! Election Day was May 7, and I went with two of my friends as they voted, so stay tuned for a post about that coming soon. I'm also busy preparing for my move to Lesotho. Today I shadowed the nurses at the Hawston clinic during their weekly antenatal visits, just to brush up on my maternity nursing skills. It felt so nice to get back to the type of nursing I do in the US! So I'm very excited for my work with St. James Hospital. Meanwhile, as autumn comes to the Cape, I'm trying to wrap my head around the fact that I only have 7 more days of work at the care centre! So crazy! But I'm determined to make my last two weeks in Hawston as awesome as the first eight months have been.Keri Geigerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09841730935415670095noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2965207168588935205.post-77286428238183207932014-04-19T02:51:00.001-07:002014-04-19T02:51:27.754-07:00I'll be lion aroundMy apologies for not being able to resist a very corny joke. Don't judge me. But this is just to tell you that I am going on vacation for two weeks. My husband Jacob is returning to South Africa. We are meeting in Johannesburg and traveling to the Blyde River Canyon and Kruger Park (hence the lion joke). I promise to post lots of photos of us and all the animals we see when I return to Hawston on May 4. Until then, happy Easter!Keri Geigerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09841730935415670095noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2965207168588935205.post-64643219804474159842014-04-16T05:35:00.001-07:002014-07-07T05:27:30.901-07:00nom nom nom<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.294118); line-height: 24px;"><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.294118); line-height: 24px;">An alternate title for this post is:"I been around the world, don't speak the language, but bobotie don't need explaining'"</span></span></div><div><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.294118); line-height: 24px;"><br></span></span></div>Y'all, it's time to talk about one of my very favorite topics. Food</span>!</span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.294118); font-family: inherit; line-height: 24px;"><br></span></div><div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.294118); font-family: inherit; line-height: 24px;">I've often been asked what food is like in South Africa and what I eat here. These are two very different questions, so I'm going to answer them separately.</span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.294118); font-family: inherit; line-height: 24px;"><br></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.294118); font-family: inherit; line-height: 24px;">Let's start by talking about traditional South African food. I will first offer the disclaimer that, like everything else in this incredibly diverse country, what you eat depends on what area you are from and what culture you're talking about. Here are some traditional foods eaten in my area of the Western Cape:</span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.294118); font-family: inherit; line-height: 24px;"><br></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.294118); font-family: inherit; line-height: 24px;">Boerewors: sausages, usually cooked on a braai and served on a roll like a hot dog with butter and tomato sauce (which is less salty catsup). Very tasty.</span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghEI5smZGHnl5fQtewIx9t0Wh2cPhNeP1AiCHcAA0oEjurjmEUVXeDkYnwasPyR3b8VQ6_eXXtFVhiQqATBIObiZ2sAHVFDiv_RLWyscwXDFp25Of2kTWKlI9qYnfV7ddIGcEklIA3achG/s640/blogger-image--1071661605.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" height="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghEI5smZGHnl5fQtewIx9t0Wh2cPhNeP1AiCHcAA0oEjurjmEUVXeDkYnwasPyR3b8VQ6_eXXtFVhiQqATBIObiZ2sAHVFDiv_RLWyscwXDFp25Of2kTWKlI9qYnfV7ddIGcEklIA3achG/s320/blogger-image--1071661605.jpg" width="320"></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">Boerewors on the braai</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.294118); font-family: inherit; line-height: 24px;">Biltong: South African jerky. Could be made from beef or any of the game animals around. It's not too bad, considering I don't much like jerky.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.294118); line-height: 24px;"></span><br></span>
<br>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDSNlZQsmywOufQKq9t1sQDl8vvM8NLmH0etJ1CPWOJSKPjXWA88_97rM-51PeeL5PiARIcNkyd2TFyDXPAHCjJpszspWqv37K7IeSI5SFUSodKf6yFPhyphenhyphenkjaL4xB8yO1UziS-4jUINq6L/s640/blogger-image--1621807824.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDSNlZQsmywOufQKq9t1sQDl8vvM8NLmH0etJ1CPWOJSKPjXWA88_97rM-51PeeL5PiARIcNkyd2TFyDXPAHCjJpszspWqv37K7IeSI5SFUSodKf6yFPhyphenhyphenkjaL4xB8yO1UziS-4jUINq6L/s320/blogger-image--1621807824.jpg" width="260"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Biltong, which I like way more than I thought I would.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.294118); font-family: inherit; line-height: 24px;"></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 24px;">Curry: typical of Cape Malay cuisine. Malay curries are more similar to Indian curries than Thai curries, but they are usually less spicy and might be a bit sweet. They might even have fruit like raisins in them. Could be made with ground beef (mince), seafood, vegetables, chicken, or pretty much anything you can think of.</span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.294118); font-family: inherit; line-height: 24px;"><br></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.294118); font-family: inherit; line-height: 24px;">Fish: remember I live in a fishing community, so obviously we eat a lot of fish. Common local fish are snoek (not my favorite - it's very bony), hake (a firmer fleshed white fish, way fewer bones), and kingklip (also a white fish with few bones). Depending on where you are, you could have fish cooked in any one of a thousand ways, but I would say fish and chips is probably the most widely available.</span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.294118); font-family: inherit; line-height: 24px;"><br></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.294118); font-family: inherit; line-height: 24px;">Crayfish: very different from the crayfish in America. Much more like a lobster except they don't have the big scary pincers. The tails are the best part. Crayfish could be served in a curry, cooked on a braai, or just boiled. They're good any way you prepare them.</span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.294118); font-family: inherit; line-height: 24px;"><br></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.294118); font-family: inherit; line-height: 24px;">Abalone: called perlemoen in Afrikaans. A type of shellfish that is native to these waters. It is not very easy to cook - you have to know what you're doing or else it will turn out very tough. But it's kinda fun to make because you have to tenderize it, which involves beating it with a heavy mallet. I have only eaten abalone once, the time I helped cook it (I did the beating). It was cut into slices and fried, and it was very tasty.</span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.294118); font-family: inherit; line-height: 24px;"><br></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.294118); font-family: inherit; line-height: 24px;">Koeksisters: like doughnuts, but shaped differently and dipped in a sticky sweet topping.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.294118); line-height: 24px;"></span><br></span>
<br>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs0-yWn1hMNWvEBCq_FVrs7vlLg0Qvl-qfne7OedRxGUDKsRZi7EbR4IomNtst8rAcRpzSzMXnqQRMr1uSJwrxzcf6U5ssJXKk18pI2sU7GkOXwWrzUKfVgWIG_hiQOG-TopkHbV7FcZt9/s640/blogger-image-922252158.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="236" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhs0-yWn1hMNWvEBCq_FVrs7vlLg0Qvl-qfne7OedRxGUDKsRZi7EbR4IomNtst8rAcRpzSzMXnqQRMr1uSJwrxzcf6U5ssJXKk18pI2sU7GkOXwWrzUKfVgWIG_hiQOG-TopkHbV7FcZt9/s320/blogger-image-922252158.jpg" width="320"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Koeksisters... am I spelling that right?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.294118); font-family: inherit; line-height: 24px;"></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 24px;">Bobotie: another Cape Malay dish. Some type of curry topped with baked egg.</span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.294118); font-family: inherit; line-height: 24px;"><br></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.294118); font-family: inherit; line-height: 24px;">Pap: a porridge made from cornmeal, a very Afrikaans dish. Usually eaten at a braai as a side dish and often with some sort of sauce, possibly a tomato and onion sauce. Pap reminds me very much of grits, and I like it. </span></div>
<div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1o9lWvH3WKP7tB68O1w6A4_sJ0mdGifkIML6Aws1HjpEYlAkFt0-XrWt81KgKxQf5gdnc3wBNElQ-E-BWVjFkEH8xiZZ2-gxE74Ip2FxptvUncQ-njNoZFfkDzS8slh4zpwpKEW-YXWUl/s640/blogger-image--682048472.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1o9lWvH3WKP7tB68O1w6A4_sJ0mdGifkIML6Aws1HjpEYlAkFt0-XrWt81KgKxQf5gdnc3wBNElQ-E-BWVjFkEH8xiZZ2-gxE74Ip2FxptvUncQ-njNoZFfkDzS8slh4zpwpKEW-YXWUl/s320/blogger-image--682048472.jpg" width="320"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pap, which is like grits.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.294118); font-family: inherit; line-height: 24px;"></span></div>
<span style="font-family: inherit; line-height: 24px;">Malva pudding: not a pudding, but eaten for pudding (dessert). It's a baked desert that is sort of bread or cake like, with a caramelized sugar topping. Usually eaten with vanilla ice cream or custard. I'm not describing this well, but I assure you it is very tasty.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(191, 107, 82, 0.496094); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 24px;"></span><br></span>
<br>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjiwA4sqAE8Sx0P61yntKt4ADMIOQqKe3yDInTkyEQlD94KCCFnJtDIPkka0IPcrqKCQZFBRNo2X_8ASWVla-6KE2TbiO-F_9wy5sCHd7zAgDJOhGHsl5llwb9vguwhN1N3Aftc6RlW3gi/s640/blogger-image-961653787.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjiwA4sqAE8Sx0P61yntKt4ADMIOQqKe3yDInTkyEQlD94KCCFnJtDIPkka0IPcrqKCQZFBRNo2X_8ASWVla-6KE2TbiO-F_9wy5sCHd7zAgDJOhGHsl5llwb9vguwhN1N3Aftc6RlW3gi/s320/blogger-image-961653787.jpg" width="320"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mmm malva pudding with custard!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.294118); font-family: inherit; line-height: 24px;">Ok so those are some traditional foods for this area. I've tried all of the above things, and I like most of them. But that's not what I eat on a daily basis. Why not? Because this is the Western Cape, and there are real grocery stores that sell any type of food you could possibly want (except Mexican food, which does not exist here unless I am making it with taco seasoning that I brought from home). Also, I have some weird food preferences. Before I came to South Africa, I had been a vegetarian for about 3 years. Needless to say, I don't really fit in all that well in this meat-loving culture. It's a little like visiting my in-laws in Kansas.</span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.294118); font-family: inherit; line-height: 24px;"><br></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.294118); font-family: inherit; line-height: 24px;">So what do I eat here? When I'm at my house and cooking for myself, I tend to eat the same foods all the time because I'm lazy and I like them. Breakfast is plain yogurt (my very favorite food, and readily available here. Fair Cape Bulgarian yogurt is absolutely the best!) and muesli, or plain yogurt topped with almonds and drizzled with local honey. Lunch is usually a salad and some sort of sandwich. Grilled cheese is my favorite, and it's easy to make ever since I stole Hananja's sandwich press. Most of the large grocery stores here sell fresh bread made in their bakeries for about $1 USD. The best bread is the home made seed loaf from Peregrine farm stall, which is on the side of the road in between Cape Town and Hawston. I make a point to stop there every time I travel through. </span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzVOOEndaa3walXMfPmfA9r6IPtWgK51BH256u7M4H6i-ZNq9jXYlzhPIoZ4Zf1ivJC6Zf2RdGglnajaaBrytGHatxsVik0HoYqKoiC_66u6r-hdepAgmxplbtzScku0MG05CkK7GXAMhQ/s1600/021.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzVOOEndaa3walXMfPmfA9r6IPtWgK51BH256u7M4H6i-ZNq9jXYlzhPIoZ4Zf1ivJC6Zf2RdGglnajaaBrytGHatxsVik0HoYqKoiC_66u6r-hdepAgmxplbtzScku0MG05CkK7GXAMhQ/s1600/021.JPG" height="320" style="max-width: 90%;" width="240"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is why I don't cook complicated things very often. See the problem?</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.294118); font-family: inherit; line-height: 24px;">I cook myself dinner at my house probably about 3-4 times per week. The other nights I'm eating with friends or having dinner out because I'm super popular like that. By far my most common dinner at home is roasted vegetables with chickpeas, topped with feta cheese. I used to be a vegetarian, remember? Common veggies around here are butternut squash, pumpkin, zucchini (called baby marrow), bell peppers, eggplant (called aubergine), mushrooms, and cherry tomatoes. My second most common dinner that I cook myself is pasta, usually with bottled tomato sauce and some sort of veggie like zucchini or eggplant, again topped with feta cheese. Feta cheese in South Africa is a bit different from our feta cheese. It is a milder cheese here and it is not as salty. I don't much like American feta, but clearly I like it here.</span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.294118); font-family: inherit; line-height: 24px;"><br></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.294118); font-family: inherit; line-height: 24px;">Other food staples in my South African diet are:</span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.294118); font-family: inherit; line-height: 24px;"><br></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.294118); font-family: inherit; line-height: 24px;">Crackers - there is a type of cracker called cracker bread that I really like.</span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.294118); font-family: inherit; line-height: 24px;">Cottage cheese - TOTALLY DIFFERENT from what we call cottage cheese. It's more like cream cheese, except low in fat and high in protein. I absolutely despise American cottage cheese, but I like it here.</span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.294118); font-family: inherit; line-height: 24px;">Dried fruit and nuts - dried peaches and pears and almonds and cashews are my most common. You can also get something called 'guava slices' which are fabulous. I'm pretty sure they're made by crushing up the guava and drying it flat then cutting it into slices, a bit like fruit leather.</span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.294118); font-family: inherit; line-height: 24px;">Tea - rooibos and honeybush are my favorites. Both of these are fynbos plants that are made into herbal teas.</span><br>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv3jY4BzfZmvZsMqFEQXAAVlD6ZBfLq_wVOyL5yBeED-uLl9TsxNgFVXbE70x8X8i_If1O_O-MPhGXZA6JSAwMVTjqi-ckWBaj-6PjnKMRywwo3gGDu2V7G1Fh3ttbmyH3rZ5v-iZzMyvX/s1600/031.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv3jY4BzfZmvZsMqFEQXAAVlD6ZBfLq_wVOyL5yBeED-uLl9TsxNgFVXbE70x8X8i_If1O_O-MPhGXZA6JSAwMVTjqi-ckWBaj-6PjnKMRywwo3gGDu2V7G1Fh3ttbmyH3rZ5v-iZzMyvX/s1600/031.JPG" height="320" width="240"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My current tea selection, with my super cute tea box. The bottom of the box says, 'Take a second to think about how scared the tea bags must be when a hand reaches in.' Indeed!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.294118); font-family: inherit; line-height: 24px;">Coffee - obviously coffee. Only whole beans, freshly ground and made in my french press. I take it black. Many South Africans drink Nescafé or other instant coffee, and all of them put milk and sugar in it. I'm sorry, but that is not coffee.</span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.294118); font-family: inherit; line-height: 24px;">Cheese - cheddar, Gouda, feta, mozzarella... You name it, the grocery store has it. The cheese section is always good in every store I've been in.</span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.294118); font-family: inherit; line-height: 24px;">Cookies - I have discovered the best cookies in the world. Actually, it was Hananja who introduced me to them, and (darn her!) I would probably weigh several pounds less if these cookies had never made my acquaintance. The brand is Cape Cookie Company, and they make an oat and coconut cookie that is sandwiched together by chocolate. It's like a Samoa without the caramel. </span></div>
<div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMWSBCn_PaL6XJPOqLH_FpLlRyyiLfbS_DgPx9PrMSfjQwGK1yJMCXVR7PDlux94yJr8x90QvDOVb6X3bWWz2M2bThw7XqueBPQ95LIl52Pnldz7uwoydI-u7k6_gyZ3zWSwnY4Oktnt-H/s1600/028.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMWSBCn_PaL6XJPOqLH_FpLlRyyiLfbS_DgPx9PrMSfjQwGK1yJMCXVR7PDlux94yJr8x90QvDOVb6X3bWWz2M2bThw7XqueBPQ95LIl52Pnldz7uwoydI-u7k6_gyZ3zWSwnY4Oktnt-H/s1600/028.JPG" height="320" style="max-width: 90%;" width="240"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is the Checkers in Hermanus, a typical grocery store. Grocery shopping takes me much longer than it should. The stores are big enough that you need to look at the aisle signs to find stuff, but I can't read the aisle signs, so I end up wandering in circles until I find what I need.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.294118); font-family: inherit; line-height: 24px;">I mentioned that I often go out for dinner. Hermanus has lots of good restaurants. The most common types of restaurants I go to are seafood (again, not shocking considering I live by the ocean) or pizza. Pizza in South Africa is always thin crust, like thinner than a tortilla. It may not have tomato sauce, but it will always have cheese and other toppings. I have had some fabulous pizzas here, with everything from butternut, rocket, and pumpkin seeds to bacon, fig, and blue cheese. With so many different types of pizzas, I guess it's no wonder I eat pizza a lot. I've also had good sushi, Indian, bakery sandwiches, tapas, Italian, falafel, and Thai at various restaurants in Hermanus and Cape Town. Basically, you name it, I can find it at a restaurant in one of these cities (except Mexican food).</span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgamUmZgMiBuYU8yLTADX7W_xrMQFgs8ZaOBEYF-w03kmrvr8atG1PgaAiiqQrP1vxQTacndfM6PCmlVOlKx1Eu1HUlDMkbc3ZVfpjX2mG4jFDO0QuRSUsMSsJhjnIAPeQowpiu7xXv5Wl3/s1600/029.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgamUmZgMiBuYU8yLTADX7W_xrMQFgs8ZaOBEYF-w03kmrvr8atG1PgaAiiqQrP1vxQTacndfM6PCmlVOlKx1Eu1HUlDMkbc3ZVfpjX2mG4jFDO0QuRSUsMSsJhjnIAPeQowpiu7xXv5Wl3/s1600/029.JPG" height="320" style="max-width: 90%;" width="240"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A typical lunch I might order at a restaurant... a salad with smoked salmon and fresh baked bread. And a local craft beer, of course.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</div>
<div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKSVndIR0_WevYkM5plOvKFb9zVsB42LojRRHXDVhrf-V3zPgTrRUe_jYGTuJxN_rZxLpVo7V1WkVeRdL_DPbnye8dzbS7ipyD8klJJXd1mJ0t3ZHzKztKVFSviKp7WOk7mrhKqVdoq1R_/s1600/213.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKSVndIR0_WevYkM5plOvKFb9zVsB42LojRRHXDVhrf-V3zPgTrRUe_jYGTuJxN_rZxLpVo7V1WkVeRdL_DPbnye8dzbS7ipyD8klJJXd1mJ0t3ZHzKztKVFSviKp7WOk7mrhKqVdoq1R_/s1600/213.JPG" height="320" style="max-width: 90%;" width="240"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This was at the Old Biscuit Mill market in Cape Town, where this lovely gentleman was making me a fabulous market sandwich for brunch.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.294118); font-family: inherit; line-height: 24px;">When I eat at other people's houses, nine times out of ten it's a braai. I've discussed a braai before. Basically it's just a barbecue, but a braai is more of a <i>thing </i>here. It always uses wood. Gas or charcoal would not be a 'real' braai. The type of meat you cook could be anything, but the people I braai with usually cook lamb, pork, or boerewors. Usually everyone brings their own meats, and we share side dishes like salad. </span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhStCiSp6kUHCUCGTEEwOVQfTjsm03n3vQBwzXMyaT9ezF3u1neLGSZRrFi0ixF3NFrdITPMKwwSrUrZq4BqCnTx40LaNgb8lZJF9knzjs7bB23s0Fs4KzOdHmwAlLZYy-5xmW9X_dCG9ne/s1600/027.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhStCiSp6kUHCUCGTEEwOVQfTjsm03n3vQBwzXMyaT9ezF3u1neLGSZRrFi0ixF3NFrdITPMKwwSrUrZq4BqCnTx40LaNgb8lZJF9knzjs7bB23s0Fs4KzOdHmwAlLZYy-5xmW9X_dCG9ne/s1600/027.JPG" height="240" style="max-width: 90%;" width="320"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Two boys and a braai... I don't know for sure what they were saying because they were speaking Afrikaans, but I think Dewald was telling Stefan, "Dude, if you touch my braai again I will hit you with this plate."</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.294118); font-family: inherit; line-height: 24px;">Of course no discussion of South African food would be complete without mentioning South African drink, namely wine. There are like a dozen wine farms within a 20 minute drive from my house. Wine here is usually very nice and very affordable. If I spend $8 USD on a bottle, then I'm buying the good stuff and it must be a special occasion! The most common varieties of white wine in this area are Sauvignon Blanc and Chardonnay. However, I seem to have finally acquired a taste for red wines! Pinotage is my favorite. It's a very South African varietal, and you can find a good pinotage at most vineyards around here and in pretty much any shop.</span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.294118); font-family: inherit; line-height: 24px;"><br></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.294118); font-family: inherit; line-height: 24px;">OK now all this food talk has made me hungry. Good thing I have some cookies in my pantry.</span></div>
</div>
Keri Geigerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09841730935415670095noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2965207168588935205.post-41005420650064492672014-04-04T03:29:00.001-07:002014-04-04T03:29:15.004-07:00Totsiens and DumelaRemember way way back last spring when I was waiting and waiting to see where in the world I would be placed for my YASC year? And how I almost ended up in Lesotho instead of South Africa? Well guess what? I'm going to make it to Lesotho after all!<div><br></div><div>HOPE Africa, who partially sponsors the care centre here in Hawston, also works with St. James Mission Hospital in Mantsonyane, Lesotho. St. James does a lot of maternity care, and since my nursing experience is mostly in labor and delivery, we all decided it would be great for me to spend some time there. I am so excited for this opportunity to learn from the doctors and midwives at St. James, and I'm frankly very curious to see what labor looks like over here! I think it is going to be a totally different experience. Mantsonyane is VERY rural. There is no NICU for premature babies. Epidurals aren't an option. They do cesarean sections at St. James, but only as truly a last resort, when all other options have been exhausted. In the US, my entire life (or so it felt like at the time) as a labor nurse revolved around the fetal heart rate monitor strip. At my hospital in Richmond, computers showed us our patients' strips from every room and from the nurses' station. If I went to the bathroom during my shift, I would ask one of my colleagues to watch my strips until I got back. That is the way we roll in America. I will have to tell you more when I actually get there and experience a labor, but I am quite sure this will not be the case in Lesotho. In fact, I'm not sure they will have electronic monitoring equipment at all, and now I'm really wishing I had gotten Carolyn to teach me to use a fetoscope.</div><div><br></div><div>St. James also works with satellite clinics around the Mantsonyane area, because as rural as the hospital is, there are villages in the surrounding mountains that are even more isolated! I've absolutely loved the community based nursing I've been practicing in South Africa, and I hope I get to experience some of the satellite clinics in Lesotho also.</div><div><br></div><div>To learn more about St. James and its work, check out their website! (Side note: I'm pretty sure that former YASCer Jared's fingerprints are all over this website.) http://www.hospital.tacosa.org/About%20Us/about-st-james.html</div><div><br></div><div>In the midst of my excitement about going to another country in southern Africa and experiencing my nursing specialty in a very different environment, I have to admit I'm having some conflicting emotions about this change of plans. Mostly because it means saying goodbye to Hawston two and half months early. Suddenly I'm down to my last 5 weeks working at Overstrand Care Centre, I am running out of time to check off my must-do list, and I am really starting to freak out about leaving the people that I've spent the past seven and a half months falling in love with. I know Lesotho is going to be awesome too and I can't wait to get started there. But before I can do that I have to come to terms with the fact that my time here is actually ending, and I really am leaving quite soon. </div><div><br></div><div>Until then, I'm going to keep enjoying the work I'm doing right now (Martin is back after his much deserved long vacation, and I have never ever in my entire life been more excited to see someone than I was to see him!) and growing the relationships I've made here. This weekend I plan to soak up what might be the last of the real summer weather in the Western Cape. Look out beach, I'm not done with you yet!</div>Keri Geigerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09841730935415670095noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2965207168588935205.post-10216933158832102872014-03-27T05:33:00.000-07:002014-03-27T10:23:49.407-07:00Lots of photosMy apologies that it has been nearly two weeks since my last post. I have been very busy. Martin has been on his yearly vacation since the first week of March, so I've been in charge at the care centre. Yikes! In the midst of trying to run an 8 bed inpatient facility by myself, I've also had some visitors! My mom and sister were here in South Africa for the past 10 days. It was great to see them, but unfortunately it was a working holiday, in that I worked and they were on holiday. I just dropped them at Cape Town International this morning, and I'm currently waiting for my friend Jenny to arrive here this evening! Jenny is one of my best friends from college, and she studies zebras in Kenya, so she is coming down to see me before she heads back to the US. In the meantime, I am spending the afternoon hanging out in the HOPE Africa offices in Cape Town, and that's the perfect opportunity to show you a bunch of the pictures I've been snapping over the past few weeks. Enjoy!<br>
<br>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMVJzCGwOKSladNN1tNBcI249T29Xao8dlUzy47UEzmfuo2Y5gKJvaXCmK6rs1NBsKudY_fHYpqvNJD0mYwaF7YfI6WZYx022WNCCNTdzY_geFqdg0fKY4tUXwQTC0hoBmj805g4QC6DU-/s1600/IMG_4764%5B1%5D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMVJzCGwOKSladNN1tNBcI249T29Xao8dlUzy47UEzmfuo2Y5gKJvaXCmK6rs1NBsKudY_fHYpqvNJD0mYwaF7YfI6WZYx022WNCCNTdzY_geFqdg0fKY4tUXwQTC0hoBmj805g4QC6DU-/s1600/IMG_4764%5B1%5D.JPG" height="320" width="240"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Recently at work, we've been having fundraisers on Friday. Wendy is displaying her excitement about our koeksisters, which are like doughnuts soaked in syrup. YUM.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinqT7dzHT3FbdKLm8bW1DJVSnYlSFGuIUAgQGvllG3XDjBLjGGeBR16wfSGgW9fI-N52211zO-ZgKanHwPUd9IrC5R2NrO3VFnEdFdzQuldhL4h9638hCjQPwne5kGpXDQC2ndTc2uD0-G/s1600/IMG_4767%5B1%5D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinqT7dzHT3FbdKLm8bW1DJVSnYlSFGuIUAgQGvllG3XDjBLjGGeBR16wfSGgW9fI-N52211zO-ZgKanHwPUd9IrC5R2NrO3VFnEdFdzQuldhL4h9638hCjQPwne5kGpXDQC2ndTc2uD0-G/s1600/IMG_4767%5B1%5D.JPG" height="240" width="320"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A beautiful late summer day at Overstrand Care Centre!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_41zl45fbl7U_ox8sdk764AttysHf0oCxM9YAmCI5Pg89ZQPhF1KuiuR9d3KAKFXvAGmwE7ze8UKuNJgTI2R8Ohaf66YrMlR4sFs74isLd6S00YLLCp4R3P2EsqDf7GacoR6m6iXbE52s/s1600/IMG_4776%5B1%5D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_41zl45fbl7U_ox8sdk764AttysHf0oCxM9YAmCI5Pg89ZQPhF1KuiuR9d3KAKFXvAGmwE7ze8UKuNJgTI2R8Ohaf66YrMlR4sFs74isLd6S00YLLCp4R3P2EsqDf7GacoR6m6iXbE52s/s1600/IMG_4776%5B1%5D.JPG" height="240" width="320"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Stellenbosh, where Hananja and I recently spent a lazy Sunday afternoon.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKAahi_uSKYG8l0XbIEms2vGGW9oJOa0FpJuMLup7dJVA8qXzIFogkcS9n9NXo9wQBnlgADmhQtQiGNKXmxVL2jPCbN4ZclheNSczSdCz7tkvm0eBqL2iEiH4AZ4tHx7B_-UkS6amiKeWS/s1600/IMG_4777%5B1%5D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKAahi_uSKYG8l0XbIEms2vGGW9oJOa0FpJuMLup7dJVA8qXzIFogkcS9n9NXo9wQBnlgADmhQtQiGNKXmxVL2jPCbN4ZclheNSczSdCz7tkvm0eBqL2iEiH4AZ4tHx7B_-UkS6amiKeWS/s1600/IMG_4777%5B1%5D.JPG" height="240" width="320"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Buttercup, my furry home invader.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA8ftr979CKaWv2LkpCcaPJyBsYzh0EuZeVBbzViRY5p69TQ3lipsazeS_HY-UznA6qVvyn9tbdpqD44BH5PCn2iul64lYZDySDtLQDadWedDAiI-uOaL9pjPMAPD8-C-4RKSrIThwOwjB/s1600/IMG_4783%5B1%5D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA8ftr979CKaWv2LkpCcaPJyBsYzh0EuZeVBbzViRY5p69TQ3lipsazeS_HY-UznA6qVvyn9tbdpqD44BH5PCn2iul64lYZDySDtLQDadWedDAiI-uOaL9pjPMAPD8-C-4RKSrIThwOwjB/s1600/IMG_4783%5B1%5D.JPG" height="240" width="320"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This little doggie followed me around work for an entire day recently! I named him Squirt.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbJml3HAODAG65tm5yXTzCwPeU0RjiNQbmJC_pp9MQX06fFSgCQ3DLEcOcHngmeOOgDM-yJSyZ6le6LY5DsAZNkgQPAJcyNeX1vLooMxFQYVRV-qsB7vKtuJri1XrYZVwXWbFy_hqn76kL/s1600/IMG_4787%5B1%5D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbJml3HAODAG65tm5yXTzCwPeU0RjiNQbmJC_pp9MQX06fFSgCQ3DLEcOcHngmeOOgDM-yJSyZ6le6LY5DsAZNkgQPAJcyNeX1vLooMxFQYVRV-qsB7vKtuJri1XrYZVwXWbFy_hqn76kL/s1600/IMG_4787%5B1%5D.JPG" height="240" width="320"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fish and her two orange kittens, Clementine and Cheeto.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge_xTFQAivLXaTWSx99FYVWHIaj25xqJDtjTRQiCpxJaFsJZEFL5ciGd0a-OcQReeSmaG2wOP2GEjjZc9WE8L5j2K4VG7Na68JXcjnpmVYVv-PGpPn0q574LMilEyn6GLQUXi-MyvhnAsH/s1600/IMG_4794%5B1%5D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEge_xTFQAivLXaTWSx99FYVWHIaj25xqJDtjTRQiCpxJaFsJZEFL5ciGd0a-OcQReeSmaG2wOP2GEjjZc9WE8L5j2K4VG7Na68JXcjnpmVYVv-PGpPn0q574LMilEyn6GLQUXi-MyvhnAsH/s1600/IMG_4794%5B1%5D.JPG" height="240" width="320"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Ash Wednesday service at St. Andrew's Anglican Church in Hawston, where the service was in Afrikaans and it was about 105 F inside the worship space. I deeply regretted my decision to wear a sweater.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4MkDtOYuehB5R2wdw6WtsBdu_PKBaaaTk3EnEJn9m9myHYK80Me230FCYUHC2-fQXdMtxaNkmDDduG9Bmyb6jbhorSJjUJCQ8rN9SUrSENNpPWyan-TInFAuRPGuM1JTzYgZdY9exPR-8/s1600/IMG_4803%5B1%5D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4MkDtOYuehB5R2wdw6WtsBdu_PKBaaaTk3EnEJn9m9myHYK80Me230FCYUHC2-fQXdMtxaNkmDDduG9Bmyb6jbhorSJjUJCQ8rN9SUrSENNpPWyan-TInFAuRPGuM1JTzYgZdY9exPR-8/s1600/IMG_4803%5B1%5D.JPG" height="240" width="320"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me and my friend Rod on a recent visit to one of the wineries in the Hemel en Aarde valley.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0N8Wo0DSOtFHy8HGoV0WgLjSNtPWtHbX9pMI1xIrQ-TDL9wXWO1xcfrIZ0D_d92VmJCN_g8KtPvGLGwnj3ZLtzwRUjnrQ9RUMKaha2oJIU3XUNR6q6touyCs-M1bOb8lzv9XOawb0wX3C/s1600/IMG_4805%5B1%5D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0N8Wo0DSOtFHy8HGoV0WgLjSNtPWtHbX9pMI1xIrQ-TDL9wXWO1xcfrIZ0D_d92VmJCN_g8KtPvGLGwnj3ZLtzwRUjnrQ9RUMKaha2oJIU3XUNR6q6touyCs-M1bOb8lzv9XOawb0wX3C/s1600/IMG_4805%5B1%5D.JPG" height="240" width="320"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hananja contemplates the wine list.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL0R_m59wQoi9CRKICPGLvjkz7pxaM31g1tQjSPluZg7vNgXsu3WcLig33_cbuOPOohkrr-QDWk_PTcY8GCOTs6G4aigaRp_fWmyYKc8boVJ1Pg3ZeEGJbaOYQ9aKanNpN8hVSxxOQTHBk/s1600/IMG_4833%5B1%5D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL0R_m59wQoi9CRKICPGLvjkz7pxaM31g1tQjSPluZg7vNgXsu3WcLig33_cbuOPOohkrr-QDWk_PTcY8GCOTs6G4aigaRp_fWmyYKc8boVJ1Pg3ZeEGJbaOYQ9aKanNpN8hVSxxOQTHBk/s1600/IMG_4833%5B1%5D.JPG" height="240" width="320"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yeah, that's my yard. I know you're jealous.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSX1Y0w8f7zBOJJEQRheg54pDBQ5xUSpc7NBpxdyy94A9ocGkyP-DVDpYvAQjqx5VfKUyelA8XK3-p8XfOMOuSxgEa0Sc6nxeL5Bam_2ebhJdcKEYVxdw93VC0gayGjmYOq5P71F8Oqb4G/s1600/IMG_4838%5B1%5D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgSX1Y0w8f7zBOJJEQRheg54pDBQ5xUSpc7NBpxdyy94A9ocGkyP-DVDpYvAQjqx5VfKUyelA8XK3-p8XfOMOuSxgEa0Sc6nxeL5Bam_2ebhJdcKEYVxdw93VC0gayGjmYOq5P71F8Oqb4G/s1600/IMG_4838%5B1%5D.JPG" height="240" width="320"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bishop Margaret of False Bay, the first female bishop in the Anglican Church of Southern Africa, visited us at the care centre a few weeks ago!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja8OohCBdi2cZkabYjqXp_VmrjaD7glCGFDj5MLpLn191qEViv755crOa_dwFr9lG-sFCEzo682bLDLXN-ltU_7to1e2vAiz36xtvhjW_D4POx-TofhvvlXt5DU257xQKrb-8e60D_RlDW/s1600/IMG_4842%5B1%5D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja8OohCBdi2cZkabYjqXp_VmrjaD7glCGFDj5MLpLn191qEViv755crOa_dwFr9lG-sFCEzo682bLDLXN-ltU_7to1e2vAiz36xtvhjW_D4POx-TofhvvlXt5DU257xQKrb-8e60D_RlDW/s1600/IMG_4842%5B1%5D.JPG" height="240" width="320"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Just me chillin with the Bishop.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB7aEDTeYIs7Fg6Smq541SHM8etyuOoVTBvg5kgufdhKcKGaQqW8kCJWySqP_Wws-ajB_yNc-pZOA7rBwwZ8MC_8UazCRMoWlQTXPvd2vzUHxYb6NYTWKxYdyhnA8NvaOWTRFGRx5KXI1y/s1600/IMG_4856%5B1%5D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB7aEDTeYIs7Fg6Smq541SHM8etyuOoVTBvg5kgufdhKcKGaQqW8kCJWySqP_Wws-ajB_yNc-pZOA7rBwwZ8MC_8UazCRMoWlQTXPvd2vzUHxYb6NYTWKxYdyhnA8NvaOWTRFGRx5KXI1y/s1600/IMG_4856%5B1%5D.JPG" height="240" width="320"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Robben Island</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-lnINf70aobjKGUPGyZpzdBDpsNs5ZBFZH5rEN6s_Vl9UeNLSqxCU79BrWhVoGxt2Mc-eL3ujeRgRQwc_4gY5-zoDHmZ1Ckdq0lRWlYrDGajj8e7cm68ojY2Ckiuu48gzsB5nXxB5syya/s1600/IMG_4868%5B1%5D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-lnINf70aobjKGUPGyZpzdBDpsNs5ZBFZH5rEN6s_Vl9UeNLSqxCU79BrWhVoGxt2Mc-eL3ujeRgRQwc_4gY5-zoDHmZ1Ckdq0lRWlYrDGajj8e7cm68ojY2Ckiuu48gzsB5nXxB5syya/s1600/IMG_4868%5B1%5D.JPG" height="320" width="240"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Yes, that is Nelson Mandela's jail cell.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha2VcYxDmKGJfG1EdBKREjJac7pAwx5aA3ESLZiJRCnMlMLNaTAsREV1OthtfTXXIIdg-OzD0ZHQHSokHKi_Q9UEtuzqmGTiNirWZdhN8sn3fpeIsQhhKBtDDhD6NQly_Hfn0AgU0Tcyfi/s1600/IMG_4870%5B1%5D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha2VcYxDmKGJfG1EdBKREjJac7pAwx5aA3ESLZiJRCnMlMLNaTAsREV1OthtfTXXIIdg-OzD0ZHQHSokHKi_Q9UEtuzqmGTiNirWZdhN8sn3fpeIsQhhKBtDDhD6NQly_Hfn0AgU0Tcyfi/s1600/IMG_4870%5B1%5D.JPG" height="240" width="320"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me and my sister and our Robben Island tour guide, a former political prisoner who now lives and works as a free man on Robben Island.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihvo6Ibf5B8wplGDW-fJ8h2pPyfgtDLRcCItN5dBMBDZcbkmP9p1cwIny-3fTXs4oaY9LGJ2dPSl4FdlJg_GNAbUIMODzHQeeUSKz-wWEGRvLEmYMEsZn939kT-wt0m8QFjXg2CAScwVfQ/s1600/IMG_4876%5B1%5D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihvo6Ibf5B8wplGDW-fJ8h2pPyfgtDLRcCItN5dBMBDZcbkmP9p1cwIny-3fTXs4oaY9LGJ2dPSl4FdlJg_GNAbUIMODzHQeeUSKz-wWEGRvLEmYMEsZn939kT-wt0m8QFjXg2CAScwVfQ/s1600/IMG_4876%5B1%5D.JPG" height="240" width="320"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Table Mountain as viewed from Robben Island.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbwfXvOBTDs3jhgarVuLPcxDvU1nNl7r_9Q5ctUYi7cXUN3caLm8uBg-b-iL_X5zXRgg26UCRKYIWjhSIFidRY3lB_hrxdmItM4JWiGcaWBa_XacX5QEPOZilGH4UZ1Q-hkkILKnlDqjXs/s1600/IMG_4880%5B1%5D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbwfXvOBTDs3jhgarVuLPcxDvU1nNl7r_9Q5ctUYi7cXUN3caLm8uBg-b-iL_X5zXRgg26UCRKYIWjhSIFidRY3lB_hrxdmItM4JWiGcaWBa_XacX5QEPOZilGH4UZ1Q-hkkILKnlDqjXs/s1600/IMG_4880%5B1%5D.JPG" height="240" width="320"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The limestone quarry on the island, where prisoners were forced to labor.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5kKW1fisHQRzb9a_59gmGU-a3-I6ijEFR50TiEI3UnGyc8KUhl7aGqeUamc0wJnLqfZHXmhJlQKdY-vinhVFOHTexhuSwure8hxp35VBEErvWjn8hpRr1IHtl_RaucEXhRg_X7y73GzU2/s1600/IMG_4885%5B1%5D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5kKW1fisHQRzb9a_59gmGU-a3-I6ijEFR50TiEI3UnGyc8KUhl7aGqeUamc0wJnLqfZHXmhJlQKdY-vinhVFOHTexhuSwure8hxp35VBEErvWjn8hpRr1IHtl_RaucEXhRg_X7y73GzU2/s1600/IMG_4885%5B1%5D.JPG" height="320" width="240"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">From Nobel Square at the V&A Waterfront. Desmond Tutu has a seagull on his head.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl_8Z1kz3fUI6uhKgIZfV76zAV8Z-qcdLKE6Z25zE8uAZ3rl5KlFvBcK19fiiTjGG15EcT5f2yzhzdYCFjKMljfA4JP6IB9jYi2J5vsgfzkfcljaeUod7glJ_mfhO7XlvBwTNnQAO01GRV/s1600/IMG_4890%5B1%5D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl_8Z1kz3fUI6uhKgIZfV76zAV8Z-qcdLKE6Z25zE8uAZ3rl5KlFvBcK19fiiTjGG15EcT5f2yzhzdYCFjKMljfA4JP6IB9jYi2J5vsgfzkfcljaeUod7glJ_mfhO7XlvBwTNnQAO01GRV/s1600/IMG_4890%5B1%5D.JPG" height="240" width="320"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Table Mountain cable car!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim0G4EA__Hubibk7RPgf4H0cgE-0_ULICZ7Wyi8LZYvLBpBdhtJHpndnbVY7Zc_1qn718cgZRfnvCWPhvOyHHMgHpig3xpMkHPjkFkuLWx1296bcbUVAjOlFkzWx8UyWwU5RhnLTW-LcX-/s1600/IMG_4899%5B1%5D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim0G4EA__Hubibk7RPgf4H0cgE-0_ULICZ7Wyi8LZYvLBpBdhtJHpndnbVY7Zc_1qn718cgZRfnvCWPhvOyHHMgHpig3xpMkHPjkFkuLWx1296bcbUVAjOlFkzWx8UyWwU5RhnLTW-LcX-/s1600/IMG_4899%5B1%5D.JPG" height="240" width="320"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is what Cape Town looks like from inside the cable car.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><br>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdJwXw_-55oq7ncdPTa1fKAjBiMaMe6zZ9Hgltm3R6CXA8k-snw2ng-BlKtUI2MuVjuIZdap5TWuCCxZsA4f9cOx3d0_0NiWpByWhuzTukrhk5IcTYd_wukDJBm6t9pBl0lP4gWYLstsHX/s1600/IMG_4901%5B1%5D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdJwXw_-55oq7ncdPTa1fKAjBiMaMe6zZ9Hgltm3R6CXA8k-snw2ng-BlKtUI2MuVjuIZdap5TWuCCxZsA4f9cOx3d0_0NiWpByWhuzTukrhk5IcTYd_wukDJBm6t9pBl0lP4gWYLstsHX/s1600/IMG_4901%5B1%5D.JPG" height="240" width="320"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My sister Amy at the top of Table Mountain</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBqbgny4QIZhqOXSrgtYqyf4VN6g2WUrD6YEQz-zbUUMt3zVpGW3bT351bMsxT3l2hNljyNb1cy3XWIFg7rBN1s17oUMIDba2wc73aKto-otEiJ0S_hEcV-ata8VKXwijbZ9O5kZrSVqGv/s1600/IMG_4903%5B1%5D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBqbgny4QIZhqOXSrgtYqyf4VN6g2WUrD6YEQz-zbUUMt3zVpGW3bT351bMsxT3l2hNljyNb1cy3XWIFg7rBN1s17oUMIDba2wc73aKto-otEiJ0S_hEcV-ata8VKXwijbZ9O5kZrSVqGv/s1600/IMG_4903%5B1%5D.JPG" height="240" width="320"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me at the top of Table</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTXwMs87yt-aZAYD-9OlQxGo_zt43Yp1AXmF4s30qsC1PfhR6Chg7Ga5G7O5GXt6ORTQaIGroLaC6vB_eNCpwy5q73ZbYyKirJAAE6pRBPyToeKKZpHm7nQEWbKbUNuQLYmXaE9aPepIqJ/s1600/IMG_4906%5B1%5D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTXwMs87yt-aZAYD-9OlQxGo_zt43Yp1AXmF4s30qsC1PfhR6Chg7Ga5G7O5GXt6ORTQaIGroLaC6vB_eNCpwy5q73ZbYyKirJAAE6pRBPyToeKKZpHm7nQEWbKbUNuQLYmXaE9aPepIqJ/s1600/IMG_4906%5B1%5D.JPG" height="320" width="240"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Beautiful view, I know. Of course I'm talking about the lady in the photo, not the scenery.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs7oPXOmRlzl5kw2j9_rbRFHckhMkEfdi5YZI-euOkeMnpDp43uCY4gIG3JkYcfT1QFFSMOrU2AnnKAKjjso1D-Xb1F21ldP9_scDd79wiBf2nNm2wdK464_rPuC63yfOIQHp4Wt0OoHf0/s1600/IMG_4926%5B1%5D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs7oPXOmRlzl5kw2j9_rbRFHckhMkEfdi5YZI-euOkeMnpDp43uCY4gIG3JkYcfT1QFFSMOrU2AnnKAKjjso1D-Xb1F21ldP9_scDd79wiBf2nNm2wdK464_rPuC63yfOIQHp4Wt0OoHf0/s1600/IMG_4926%5B1%5D.JPG" height="240" width="320"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Table Mountain as seen from the V&A Waterfront.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirlg2C_0Ml_GU2SB8az2EE5Rs8KkkfiXB09w-SJpIrXgg42G0bLAAMy5OIN7acHhW7AAgvbgjG50mz-yFQgBzDb9cIs_K2A0jIkq7jAoBg1F6eUKXNS6g0eLFg7UBHKVFaYk757UvQwFZE/s1600/IMG_4933%5B1%5D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirlg2C_0Ml_GU2SB8az2EE5Rs8KkkfiXB09w-SJpIrXgg42G0bLAAMy5OIN7acHhW7AAgvbgjG50mz-yFQgBzDb9cIs_K2A0jIkq7jAoBg1F6eUKXNS6g0eLFg7UBHKVFaYk757UvQwFZE/s1600/IMG_4933%5B1%5D.JPG" height="240" width="320"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hout Bay, still one of my favorite spots in Cape Town.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhITRi8Jqn3_eFmL41WJS11EQhCknzDczKle4ysAKKcJu6T8mQBc1JNvcYSKuYBTb8cDW3-92QVsXLaH-OHVK2hVfZzVakZX7mA7eHfi6XqqHfpiLHd7mA0zuNdQEUYZldbni1vYNH7u2UA/s1600/IMG_4947%5B1%5D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhITRi8Jqn3_eFmL41WJS11EQhCknzDczKle4ysAKKcJu6T8mQBc1JNvcYSKuYBTb8cDW3-92QVsXLaH-OHVK2hVfZzVakZX7mA7eHfi6XqqHfpiLHd7mA0zuNdQEUYZldbni1vYNH7u2UA/s1600/IMG_4947%5B1%5D.JPG" height="240" width="320"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me and my mom at one of the lookouts on Chapman's Peak drive.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJwju8JWdIMw-0XkaSJfDDb5BrHeIDD9g1pUf0V0gVWkasFbvnFlPTU2DBVas85Z3JqpJUmKE32QZ5_0Bhml-7P9Z6oRg54CNdht7Ymr4gKmZpkMv30HeP9oL875pX5tQsXqpjuFmY6BNJ/s1600/IMG_4969%5B1%5D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJwju8JWdIMw-0XkaSJfDDb5BrHeIDD9g1pUf0V0gVWkasFbvnFlPTU2DBVas85Z3JqpJUmKE32QZ5_0Bhml-7P9Z6oRg54CNdht7Ymr4gKmZpkMv30HeP9oL875pX5tQsXqpjuFmY6BNJ/s1600/IMG_4969%5B1%5D.JPG" height="240" width="320"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">More cuddly penguins at Boulders Beach.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieD1t8ysZhXwHUvVARXc5QIoGGeagT-qoRMxO8QJUhKkLZsye3uW3oGHKHIJe-VUTS6sDPQwWRa_fL2ogpP53h0xGLCfO26ETBY0e6KSeEHhaMVNdS19CZyeSePZnE7K0663PBfAo7NbuT/s1600/IMG_4990%5B1%5D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieD1t8ysZhXwHUvVARXc5QIoGGeagT-qoRMxO8QJUhKkLZsye3uW3oGHKHIJe-VUTS6sDPQwWRa_fL2ogpP53h0xGLCfO26ETBY0e6KSeEHhaMVNdS19CZyeSePZnE7K0663PBfAo7NbuT/s1600/IMG_4990%5B1%5D.JPG" height="240" width="320"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Table Mountain and Lion's Head from the top of Signal Hill.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2oxg7BB1LUIys7CF6eVdzje5Cu-LKjCtrqI4qddqh89eWTVmCs9TJPoLLttdUR2iqkHEWjnD9QbscM127C1kCmDR8Ue1i-l79RJq8Lo7AL4Aal2a6Y_piqi8BSptYuxutPWA-jQzN1zbo/s1600/IMG_5001%5B1%5D.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2oxg7BB1LUIys7CF6eVdzje5Cu-LKjCtrqI4qddqh89eWTVmCs9TJPoLLttdUR2iqkHEWjnD9QbscM127C1kCmDR8Ue1i-l79RJq8Lo7AL4Aal2a6Y_piqi8BSptYuxutPWA-jQzN1zbo/s1600/IMG_5001%5B1%5D.JPG" height="320" width="240"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">... and a house in Cape Town with a GREAT paint job!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
Keri Geigerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09841730935415670095noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2965207168588935205.post-37763539318061326782014-03-14T03:14:00.000-07:002014-03-14T03:14:43.309-07:00One day, ENS came to visit me... and this is what happened! ENS is the Episcopal News Service, which brings stories of interest to Episcopalians everywhere. Guess what? My work in Hawston is of interest!<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
It was a pleasure getting this visit from Matt of ENS. I really enjoyed showing him around the care centre, and he did a fabulous job of capturing the realities of life in Hawston, and what my work is really like. This is the real thing, folks, the reason I'm here.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
If a picture is worth a thousand words, what is a five and half minute video worth? Probably more than my whole blog! I hope you enjoy this glimpse into the real Overstrand Care Centre.</div>
<div>
<br />
<br />
<a href="http://episcopaldigitalnetwork.com/ens/2014/03/13/video-one-young-adult-and-a-south-african-clinic/" target="_blank">One young adult...and a South African clinic</a></div>
Keri Geigerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09841730935415670095noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2965207168588935205.post-78550769920840311452014-03-10T04:04:00.001-07:002014-03-10T05:09:35.017-07:00More than you ever wanted to know about HIV<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(191, 107, 82, 0.496094); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: Noteworthy; font-size: 18px; line-height: 24px;"></span><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(191, 107, 82, 0.496094); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: inherit; line-height: 24px;">Before you read any further, let me apologize in advance for how technical and possibly boring this post may seem to lay people. I am writing it because, first of all, I'm<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);"> just interested in HIV. As a disease process, it is simply fascinating, and the way we manage it medically is, in my humble opinion, one of the greatest scientific triumphs of the past 25 years. I will readily admit that I'm a giant geek and I just want to talk about a topic I find interesting. The second reason I'm writing about HIV is that I deal with it pretty much daily here. That's just life in health care, and it is not specific to South Africa. There are plenty of HIV positive patients in America, too. Finally, I think most people (especially lay people, and especially Americans) have strong feelings about HIV, and many have an unwarranted fear of the disease. I have always believed that the more you know about something, the less frightening it is. If I am wrong you actually already know most of what I'm talking about (or, at the other end of the spectrum, if this is too technical for you), please leave me a comment and tell me. I'm interested to know what you think!</span></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(191, 107, 82, 0.496094); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 24px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); font-family: inherit;"><br></span></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(191, 107, 82, 0.496094); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 24px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); font-family: inherit;">I will also offer the disclaimer that I am making some assumptions on what is and is not common knowledge based upon what I feel that most educated but medically illiterate Americans know. I fully realize that many South Africans have a better understanding of HIV basics than most Americans do.</span></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(191, 107, 82, 0.496094); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 24px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); font-family: inherit;"><br></span></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(191, 107, 82, 0.496094); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 24px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); font-family: inherit;">Let's start by defining HIV. When I was a kid and this disease was still pretty new, it seems to me that everyone called it AIDS. There has been a shift within the last 10 years or so, and now people usually say HIV. What is the difference? Well, it's a big one! Human Immunodeficiency Virus, when untreated, causes Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome. The relatively recent change in terminology is reflective of the fact that, with modern treatment protocols, being HIV positive does not mean that you will necessarily get AIDS.</span></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(191, 107, 82, 0.496094); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 24px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); font-family: inherit;"><br></span></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(191, 107, 82, 0.496094); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 24px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); font-family: inherit;">But I'm getting ahead of myself. Let's back up here. HIV is a virus. Viruses on their own are not living. They are just DNA or RNA surrounded by a protein shell. Since they aren't alive, viruses depend on a host to reproduce. There are two basic types of viruses. In one type, the virus attacks a host cell and confiscates its resources to copy its own genes and protein shell, basically making lots of baby viruses. When it has used up all the cell's resources, it destroys the cell, and all the new copies of the virus are released. It's kind of a fast and furious cycle. The other type of virus works a little bit differently. When it attacks a host cell, it does it with stealth, by inserting its viral genetic material into the host cell's own genome. Then, every time the host cell (which may for all intents and purposes look healthy) makes a protein from that region of its own DNA, it is making viral proteins, too. When the host cell reproduces, the viral DNA is copied along with the host DNA. So a virus of this type can stay inside a host for years, slowly causing progressively more damage over time, rather than rapidly wiping out the host like the fast and furious virus does. You can probably guess which type of virus HIV is. Yeah, it's the stealthy kind.</span></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(191, 107, 82, 0.496094); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 24px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); font-family: inherit;"><br></span></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(191, 107, 82, 0.496094); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 24px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); font-family: inherit;">HIV is particularly interesting because it belongs to a class of stealthy viruses called retroviruses. These viruses use RNA as their genetic material, which means that they must go through an extra step (reverse transcription) to change their single-stranded RNA into double stranded DNA so it can be inserted into the host cell genome. The enzyme that accomplishes this process is reverse transcriptase. This is important because human cells don't normally do this process or have this enzyme, as far as we know (although I just now found an article about an enzyme called telomerase reverse transcriptase that seems to be present in normal cells and has something to do with slowing the aging process... I must do some reading about this). So you can see why HIV can be so destructive. The viral RNA, which a patient's body might be able to identify as foreign and destroy, is changed to DNA and incorporated into the host, so even if the original virus is destroyed, its genetic material is still being copied and transcribed by the host cell, which thinks it is just copying its own genome! That clever little booger! Do you see why this is so fascinating to me?</span></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(191, 107, 82, 0.496094); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 24px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); font-family: inherit;"><br></span></span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(191, 107, 82, 0.496094); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 24px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);">All viruses have a specific type of cell they like to target, a host they prefer (just like I prefer curling up on a couch to sitting on a hard chair). HIV's favorite host cell is a type of white blood cell called a helper T cell, specifically CD4. These cells are really important in your immune system because they help other immune cells mature. (I admit that I know very little about the immune system on the cellular level. It is one of the most complicated topics in cellular biology, and I always dreaded that chapter in my bio courses!) So if you don't have enough CD4 cells, you are also unlikely to have enough of the other types of white blood cells that identify and destroy foreign invaders in your body. If your CD4 count drops, you're not just losing one fighter in the war against infection, it's like every class of weapon in your whole arsenal is diminished. This is why HIV causes such a catastrophic decline in a patient's ability to fight infections. Infections that would normally be glaringly obvious to your immune system will pass unnoticed, and you could get very sick from something that you normally wouldn't even know had infected you. Also, you're more likely to get cancer, because your immune system won't be able to identify and destroy the cancer. (Did you know that your immune system destroys cancer? In fact, most people will develop cancer five to six times during their lifetime, but your immune system will normally identify and destroy the cancer cells. You only get diagnosed with cancer if the immune system misses it.)</span><div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);"><br></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);">So now that we've looked at the way the HIV virus operates, let's talk about what that means for an affected patient. We all know that HIV is spread through contact with an infected person's bodily fluids. Currently the most common (by a landslide... no other way is even close) mode of transmission is unprotected sexual intercourse. HIV could also be spread by getting stuck with used needle (although that is actually relatively unlikely; for infection to occur, the needle would have to be very bloody and the HIV positive person would have to have a pretty high viral load), receiving a blood transfusion donated by an HIV positive donor (again, really unlikely because blood is tested for HIV before it is transfused), and of course it can be passed from mother to child in utero (although taking ARVs during pregnancy greatly reduces the risk of passing the virus to the fetus). So, if you contract HIV, you would initially show flu-like symptoms that would go away in a few days or weeks. Then you enter the dormant phase, when you look and feel pretty normal. This is essentially when the virus is doing its stealth thing and hiding, but it is also slowly reducing the number of CD4 cells in your immune system. Eventually, if HIV is untreated, it destroys enough of your CD4 cells that your immune system isn't able to function right. For someone to be diagnosed with AIDS, they must be HIV positive, have a CD4 count that is below a certain threshold, and have at least two AIDS specific conditions (infections or certain types of cancer that appear only in immunocompromised patients). </span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);"><br></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);">Medical practitioners use two main blood tests to monitor the progress of HIV in a patient's body. One is the CD4 count, which tells us how many CD4 cells are left. You want this number to be high. The other test is the viral load, essentially how many copies of the HIV virus are floating around in the patient's blood stream. You want this one to be low. With modern treatment, many HIV positive people have an undetectable viral load, meaning there are so few free copies of the virus that we can't find them at all.</span></div>
<div>
<br></div>
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(191, 107, 82, 0.496094); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 24px;"><div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);">So, recall that I said we have won the war on AIDS. How did we do this? With antiretroviral drugs. ARVs disrupt the HIV life cycle. They work really, really well, but they are not perfect. They do not actually kill off the HIV virus that already exists in the patient's body (remember, the virus is not 'alive' so it can't really be 'killed' either). Thus, ARVs do not 'cure' HIV, just like insulin doesn't 'cure' diabetes</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);">. And remember, HIV is a stealthy little beast. If you only take one kind of ARV, the HIV virus tends to become immune to the drug you're taking. So modern HIV treatment protocols call for three different types of HIV medication from at least two different drug classes (the 'cocktail'). One of the classes is likely to be a reverse transcriptase inhibitor, which works by preventing the HIV virus from changing its RNA into DNA. (There are two subclasses of reverse transcriptase inhibitors, one of which binds to the enzyme and inactivates it, while the other is a faulty nucleoside or nucleotide that causes reverse transcriptase to fall off the RNA chain.) The other types of medications interrupt different parts of the HIV life cycle. Some of these drugs prevent the virus from entering the host cell, some block the insertion of the viral DNA into the host cell genome after it has been reverse transcribed, and some prevent the splicing of viral amino acid chains which prevents the assembly of new viruses. Using three different drugs from at least two different classes prevents the problem of the virus becoming immune to one type of medication. There are even combination ARVs that combine the three different medications into one pill that the patient can take once per day.</span></div>
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(191, 107, 82, 0.496094); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 24px;"><div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);"><br></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);">ARVs must be taken every single day, preferably at the same time of day, or else that clever little virus might become immune to the cocktail. Unfortunately, this causes us in the medical field huge problems. There are any number of reasons why someone would default on their ARVs. They might not be able to get to the clinic for a refill. They may not understand the importance of taking their ARVs every day, especially once the ARVs are working and the patient feels healthy. They may not want to display their HIV positive status so they hide their ARVs from their family, making it difficult to remember to take them at the same time every day. The side effects (common ones are dizziness, depression, nausea, etc) could make a patient feel worse than they did before they started taking the drugs (this is especially common when beginning therapy). Once a patient defaults their ARVs, we have to switch them to a different ARV cocktail since that patient's virus might now be immune to the previous ARV combination.</span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);"><br></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);">Despite their problems, ARVs are a medical miracle. I touched on this in my six month blog post. I can't say enough about the science behind these drugs. If you think of all the resources devoted to finding a cure for AIDS when it was first identified, it's incredible how our understanding of this disease has progressed, and how we've used that to develop an effective weapon. If only we could do the same thing with global warming!</span></div>
<div>
<br></div>
</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(191, 107, 82, 0.496094); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 24px;">So, with all our modern medicine and knowledge about how to prevent transmission, why is HIV so prevalent in sub-Saharan Africa? I hear a lot of political and sociological explanations for this (some are valid and some are not), but I'm not going to go into them here. I am a scientist by nature, and there is a very simple scientific answer to this question. Sub-Saharan Africa is where the original outbreak of the disease occurred. In any global pandemic, the epicenter of the outbreak will always be the worst hit. Period. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(191, 107, 82, 0.496094); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 24px;">(If you're interested, here is how the original outbreak happened: A very similar virus (SIV) affects chimpanzees that are hunted by humans. SIV was transmitted from recently killed chimps to their hunters by contact with the chimp's blood, and through blind luck and mutation, became HIV. This likely occurred in 1908, so HIV is actually several decades older than most people think. At least according to this podcast: <a href="http://www.upworthy.com/aids-has-killed-almost-36-million-people-but-i-bet-youve-never-heard-the-real-origin-story-2" x-apple-data-detectors-result="0" x-apple-data-detectors="true">http://www.upworthy.com/aids-has-killed-almost-36-million-people-but-i-bet-youve-never-heard-the-real-origin-story-2</a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(191, 107, 82, 0.496094); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 24px;">. I will validate that the part about how the 'spillover' occurred is correct, but that podcast does have a lot of speculation in it also.) </span></span></span><br>
<div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(191, 107, 82, 0.496094); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 24px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); font-family: inherit;"><br></span></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(191, 107, 82, 0.496094); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 24px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); font-family: inherit;">I have no doubt that our understanding of HIV will continue to grow, and as it does, we will develop even more effective treatments, and possibly even a vaccine. But in the meantime, we must combat ignorance about this disease. I said at the beginning of this post that fear comes from a lack of knowledge. If we are to eradicate HIV, we have to get over the stigma and stereotypes that are associated with being HIV positive. The vast majority of HIV positive people aren't illegal IV drug users, homosexual, or risky with their health. They're just people who happen to have this chronic medical condition, which is highly treatable and almost impossible to spread to others through normal day-to-day contact. So why is there such a stigma attached to being HIV positive? We can all commit to fighting the war on AIDS by sharing our knowledge and destigmatizing HIV. Let's work on that, ok?</span></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(191, 107, 82, 0.496094); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 24px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); font-family: inherit;"><br></span></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(191, 107, 82, 0.496094); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: inherit; line-height: 24px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);">Note: I did not cite sources for any of this information for two reasons. First, I don't feel like citing sources, and since this isn't an academic paper, I don't have to. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);">Second, I wrote this mostly from my own personal database of useless trivia, which was obtained from lots of sources over a long period of time (nursing school, my undergraduate work in biology and genetics, four plus years of patient care as a nursing aid and a nurse, and a personal interest in the topic that has led me to do a lot of googling over the years. Yeah, yeah, I know, I'm a big geek.)</span></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(191, 107, 82, 0.496094); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 24px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); font-family: inherit;"><br></span></span></div>
<div style="font-weight: bold;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(191, 107, 82, 0.496094); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: Noteworthy; font-size: 18px; line-height: 24px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);"><br></span></span></div>
</div>
Keri Geigerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09841730935415670095noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2965207168588935205.post-30565328499968864192014-03-04T06:29:00.000-08:002014-03-04T06:29:46.176-08:00Now or never<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.09375); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(191, 107, 82, 0.496094); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: Noteworthy; font-size: 18px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 24px;"></span><br />
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(191, 107, 82, 0.496094); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: inherit; line-height: 24px;">I have had an amazing time in South Africa so far. I've made an effort to fully immerse myself in this experience, but now that I'm past the half way mark of my time here, and I need to get serious about checking off some of the stuff that's left on my 'I must do this in South Africa' list. Sure, I still have several months to accomplish this stuff, but time flies, I get busy, and some of these things require a bit of planning. So it's now or never! </span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(191, 107, 82, 0.496094); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: inherit; line-height: 24px;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(191, 107, 82, 0.496094); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: inherit; line-height: 24px;"> I am asking for your help. What do I still need to see and do in South Africa? What will I regret for the rest of my life if I pass up a chance to do it while I'm here? What would it be a travesty for me to miss? Please leave your suggestions in the form of a comment on this post. Or email me, and I will update the list.</span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(191, 107, 82, 0.496094); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: inherit; line-height: 24px;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(191, 107, 82, 0.496094); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: inherit; line-height: 24px;">To get you started, here is a list of things I wanted to do before I came here and have already done:</span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(191, 107, 82, 0.496094); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: inherit; line-height: 24px;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(191, 107, 82, 0.496094); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: inherit; line-height: 24px;">See the Hermanus whales</span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(191, 107, 82, 0.496094); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: inherit; line-height: 24px;">Hit all the Cape Town tourist attractions (V&A Waterfront, Company Gardens, Table Mountain, Hout Bay, Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens, Chapmans Peak Drive, Blaauwbergstrand, Grand Parade, District Six Museum, etc)</span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(191, 107, 82, 0.496094); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: inherit; line-height: 24px;">Learn to cook abalone</span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(191, 107, 82, 0.496094); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: inherit; line-height: 24px;">Hike up Table Mountain</span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(191, 107, 82, 0.496094); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: inherit; line-height: 24px;">Go to a braai</span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(191, 107, 82, 0.496094); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: inherit; line-height: 24px;">Check out the clubs on Long Street</span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(191, 107, 82, 0.496094); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: inherit; line-height: 24px;">See African penguins</span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(191, 107, 82, 0.496094); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: inherit; line-height: 24px;">Visit the Cape of Good Hope</span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(191, 107, 82, 0.496094); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: inherit; line-height: 24px;">Stand on the southernmost tip of Africa (Cape Argulus)</span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(191, 107, 82, 0.496094); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: inherit; line-height: 24px;">Run a half marathon</span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(191, 107, 82, 0.496094); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: inherit; line-height: 24px;">Visit the wine country</span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(191, 107, 82, 0.496094); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: inherit; line-height: 24px;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(191, 107, 82, 0.496094); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: inherit; line-height: 24px;">And here is the list of things I want to/will do but haven't done yet:</span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(191, 107, 82, 0.496094); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: inherit; line-height: 24px;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(191, 107, 82, 0.496094); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: inherit; line-height: 24px;">Go shark cage diving (I WILL do this, I'm just waiting for June or July, which is the best time of year to see the great white sharks breaching)</span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(191, 107, 82, 0.496094); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: inherit; line-height: 24px;">Go to Kruger National Park (Jacob and I are going to Kruger in April!)</span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(191, 107, 82, 0.496094); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: inherit; line-height: 24px;">Visit Robbin Island (it's a little pathetic that I haven't done this yet, but it got really busy for a while there with Mandela's death, and it was really hard to get tickets. This is definitely going to happen the very next time im in Cape Town)</span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(191, 107, 82, 0.496094); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: inherit; line-height: 24px;">Visit Maurice and Paul in Grahamstown (likely in July)</span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(191, 107, 82, 0.496094); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: inherit; line-height: 24px;">Drive part of the Garden Route (possibly all the way to Grahamstown when I visit the boys? The problem is that I would need a driving buddy because I'm not comfortable making such a big trip by myself. So... road trip, anyone?)</span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(191, 107, 82, 0.496094); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: inherit; line-height: 24px;">Go to Joberg (Jacob and I are going to spend two nights there on the way to Kruger in April)</span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(191, 107, 82, 0.496094); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: inherit; line-height: 24px;">Take a surfing lesson</span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(191, 107, 82, 0.496094); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: inherit; line-height: 24px;">Hike part of the trail that runs from the Table Mountain cable station to Cape Point</span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(191, 107, 82, 0.496094); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: inherit; line-height: 24px;">Go hiking in the Cederberg</span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(191, 107, 82, 0.496094); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: inherit; line-height: 24px;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(191, 107, 82, 0.496094); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: inherit; line-height: 24px;">What else do I need to add? Help me out!</span></div>
Keri Geigerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09841730935415670095noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2965207168588935205.post-30442486050014437672014-02-26T01:36:00.001-08:002014-02-26T05:13:39.661-08:00Stuff we say<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(191, 107, 82, 0.496094); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 24px;">Live around people long enough, and you start to pick up their phrases. I have recently caught myself repeating some uniquely South African sayings. I guess it's a sign of how long I've been here. Some of these words and phrases are things I like to hear, and I will hopefully continue the habit of using them when I get home. Other sayings don't really make sense to me, and I am trying my best to stop repeating them! But let's talk about some of the stuff South Africans say:</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(191, 107, 82, 0.496094); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 24px;"></span></span><br />
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(191, 107, 82, 0.496094); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: inherit; line-height: 24px;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(191, 107, 82, 0.496094); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: inherit; line-height: 24px;">It's a pleasure - In Afrikaans, the response to 'thank you' is 'is 'n plesier'. When Afrikaners speak English, they usually still say 'it's a pleasure', or just 'pleasure'. I think this is a lovely thing to say, so much more genteel than 'you're welcome'. I try to remind myself to say 'it's a pleasure' when someone thanks me.</span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(191, 107, 82, 0.496094); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: inherit; line-height: 24px;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(191, 107, 82, 0.496094); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: inherit; line-height: 24px;">Lekker - Means awesome, sweet, nifty, cool, clutch, super, great, lovely, etc. Pronounced 'lack-uh'. This is Afrikaans slang, often used with baie (very), so you say 'Is baie lekker.' I like this word and so I have added it to my vocabulary.</span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(191, 107, 82, 0.496094); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: inherit; line-height: 24px;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(191, 107, 82, 0.496094); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: inherit; line-height: 24px;">Finished and klaar - Klaar means finished in Afrikaans, so this is literally 'finished and finished' but I take it to mean 'over and done' or 'we're through' or 'you're beating a dead horse'.<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);"> </span></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(191, 107, 82, 0.496094); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 24px;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(191, 107, 82, 0.496094); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; line-height: 24px;">'Now now' or 'Just now' - Does not mean 'now' AT ALL. Means 'sometime within the next few hours/days/weeks' or 'whenever I feel like it'.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(191, 107, 82, 0.496094); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: inherit; line-height: 24px;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(191, 107, 82, 0.496094); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: inherit; line-height: 24px;">Oma and Oupa - Granny and Grandpa. I hear these two words A LOT, as I work in a hospice. Our carers refer to our patients as 'that Oma' or 'Oupa John', and we often call them that to their faces. It's considered a respectful way of addressing one's elders.</span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(191, 107, 82, 0.496094); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: inherit; line-height: 24px;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(191, 107, 82, 0.496094); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: inherit; line-height: 24px;">Boot - The car's trunk. That one is British English.</span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(191, 107, 82, 0.496094); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: inherit; line-height: 24px;"><br /></span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(191, 107, 82, 0.496094); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: inherit; line-height: 24px;">Biscuit - British English for cookie. Afrikaans is koekie, which is pronounced just like cookie. On a side note, for all the South Africans to whom I have tried (and failed miserably) to describe what Americans mean when we say biscuit, here is a picture of a biscuit:</span><br />
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(191, 107, 82, 0.496094); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: inherit; line-height: 24px;"><br /></span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(191, 107, 82, 0.496094); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: inherit; line-height: 24px;">
</span>
<br />
<div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(191, 107, 82, 0.496094); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: inherit; line-height: 24px;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlJPFi7oE1xZQAPsTgSbJwng3bsW-u3_L6NY_XYhKKeomQsPw03jWadWxLxKYTE6vITuAp9uJEvQaYP4zMfC6bbvX9lmQSBHEy_sC9SEsv-hz0N6vNO-jc6QfOAXRmxkK4-3tLnbVJ5OPv/s640/blogger-image-1052138253.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlJPFi7oE1xZQAPsTgSbJwng3bsW-u3_L6NY_XYhKKeomQsPw03jWadWxLxKYTE6vITuAp9uJEvQaYP4zMfC6bbvX9lmQSBHEy_sC9SEsv-hz0N6vNO-jc6QfOAXRmxkK4-3tLnbVJ5OPv/s640/blogger-image-1052138253.jpg" /></a></span></div>
</div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(191, 107, 82, 0.496094); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: inherit; line-height: 24px;">
</span>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(191, 107, 82, 0.496094); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: inherit; line-height: 24px;"><br /></span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(191, 107, 82, 0.496094); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: inherit; line-height: 24px;">
<div>
It tastes a bit like a croissant, but the texture is different.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Crisps - Chips</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Chips - Fries</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Robot - Stoplight</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Pudding - Dessert; any type of dessert. The conversation usually goes like this:</div>
<div>
Hananja: 'What are you having for pudding?' </div>
<div>
Me: 'I'm having cookies for pudding.'</div>
<div>
This might really be more of a Hananja thing than a South African thing, but I've picked up the habit somehow.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Mos - A very Hawston word. I'm still not exactly sure what 'mos' means, but I'm pretty sure it's Afrikaans for 'you know'. Used in conversation like 'You know mos, that Oma, she didn't eat her dinner' or 'I was here mos, at that meeting'. This word, or at least the frequency with which it's used, seems to be unique to Hawston. I've never heard my friends from Cape Town or Hermanus say 'mos'.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Hokkie - Another good Hawston word that it took me forever to figure out the meaning of. Usually the conversation went like this:</div>
<div>
Carer: 'I'm looking for the keys to the hokkie.'</div>
<div>
Me: 'You're looking for the keys to the what?'</div>
<div>
Carer: 'The hokkie.'</div>
<div>
Me: (blank look) 'Uhhhhh...'</div>
<div>
Eventually I figured out through the process of elimination that hokkie means shed, but could also be used for closet.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Hectic - Same meaning in America. I mention hectic because South Africans say hectic a lot more than Americans say hectic. They use it like we use 'busy' and 'difficult' and 'no way!':</div>
<div>
'This restaurant is so hectic!' (busy)</div>
<div>
'This trail is hectic.' (difficult)</div>
<div>
'My family is going on a trip to America.' 'Hectic!' (no way!)</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Is it? - Definitely the most annoying phrase on the planet. South Africans say 'Is it?' like we would say 'really?' or 'oh yeah?' Often it will be grammatically incorrect:</div>
<div>
Me: 'I saw you in the shop yesterday.'</div>
<div>
South African: 'Is it?'</div>
<div>
Something about the way this phrase is used absolutely drives me crazy. I think probably it's the grammatical error that annoys me. But I have caught myself saying it, and I'm really trying to stop. Recently, when other people ask me 'Is it?' I have started answering, 'Yes! It is!'</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
By you/by me: Means with you/with me, or maybe at your place/at my place. Like<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);"> 'Would you like to have dinner by me?' or </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);">'Let's go for a run by you.'</span></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
The suffix -kie or -ie: Afrikaans for small. 'Where is the boxie?' or 'Have you seen that bottlekie? You know mos, the one for the hand wash?' Sort of like how we would say puppy or kitty, except Afrikaners use this suffix A LOT and often for inanimate objects. Somebody once told me (jokingly... I think) that they use it so frequently because Afrikaner men are so big and strong that everything else around them seems little in comparison. (Side note: The actual word for little in Afrikaans is klein, just like in German. For those of you who know me well, you know my maiden name was Klein, so I am Keri Little Geiger. Also, Keri sounds like the Afrikaans word kerrie, which is a type of curry dish. So I guess if you want me, you can ask for a little curry.)</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Umm umm umm umm umm - Another uniquely Hawston thing. This means that the Afrikaans speaker is trying to think of the English word for what they want to say. People here in Hawston are usually really outgoing and extroverted. That's just the culture. So I guess it isn't surprising that they fill silences when they're talking by repeating 'umm'. Martin also does this even though he isn't an Afrikaans speaker, and I assume he picked it up from the people we work with. My other friends here who aren't from Hawston are really unlikely to repeat 'umm' in the middle of a sentence. If they're trying to think of a word, they just stop talking for a second or two until it comes to them.</div>
<div>
<div>
<br /></div>
</div>
<div>
(silence) - Silence is the general response to someone sneezing. Martin and I are the only people who routinely say 'bless you', and neither of us are South African.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
On a related note, I was in a shop a couple of weeks ago, and I conducted an entire transaction without giving away that I'm American! How did I do this, you wonder? The trick is to say as little as possible, because as soon as I open my mouth it's all over. My accent gives me away immediately. So I let the clerk greet me in Afrikaans, and then I just smiled. When he told me the total I owed, I looked at the cash register screen so I wouldn't have to ask him to repeat the numbers in English. ('Two' in Afrikaans is 'twee', which sounds almost exactly like 'three' and can be the source of much confusion.) Then I said 'dankie!' and left the shop. Successfully fooled that guy! Look at me! I'm culturally assimilated!</div>
</span>Keri Geigerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09841730935415670095noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2965207168588935205.post-41353947564309154022014-02-19T06:43:00.000-08:002014-02-19T06:50:04.139-08:00Ses Maande<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.294118); font-family: inherit; line-height: 24px;">Six months ago today, a 747 landed at Cape Town International Airport, and one of the people who got off it was me. I cleared customs and walked out to the international arrivals lobby and straight into the welcoming hugs of about half the HOPE Africa staff and most of the Anhouse students. Of course, I can't claim that this huge reception was for me - they had all come because last year's YASCer, Holly, flew away on the same plane that I had just come in on, which was a happy coincidence. I can hardly believe that happened half a year ago! These have been the most challenging, inspiring, extraordinary six months of my life. This post is about six things that South Africa has taught me so far.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.294118); line-height: 24px;"></span><br /></span>
<br />
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.294118); font-family: inherit; line-height: 24px;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.294118); font-family: inherit; line-height: 24px;">1. Adam was right.</span></div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.294118); font-family: inherit; line-height: 24px;">I recall a conversation I had with my friend Adam a few weeks before I left Richmond. Adam spent more than a year in South Africa a while back, and he was really helpful as I was preparing to move here. But in this particular conversation, I was telling another of our friends about how excited I was to learn to speak Afrikaans. Adam said, "You're not going to learn any Afrikaans." I don't remember what I said in reply, but I'm pretty sure it was something along the lines of, "Shut up. Of course I'm going to learn Afrikaans!" Well, I owe you an apology, Adam, because you were right. In the past six months, I have learned a grand total of 10 phrases in Afrikaans. I had this vision in my head that, since I was going to be living in an Afrikaans-speaking community, I would obviously become fluid in the language. But that hasn't happened at all. Yes, Hawston is indeed an Afrikaans-speaking place, and there is even a little bit more of a language barrier than I originally anticipated. I assumed that everyone would speak at least some English, but several of my patients have known about as much English as I know Spanish, which is to say they mostly know food words. But I still haven't learned any Afrikaans, simply because when I am around, people make an effort to speak English for me, so it hasn't been necessary. </span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.294118); font-family: inherit; line-height: 24px;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.294118); font-family: inherit; line-height: 24px;">The is just one of many examples of how my preconceived notions of what South Africa would be like have been proved very wrong. In fact, I think my most glaringly incorrect preconceived idea was that South Africa could be defined as being one certain way. This is the most diverse country in the world! Within a 10 mile radius of where I live, you have Hawston, a poor colored Afrikaans-speaking community, Zwelihle, the black township where Xhosa is the main language and people are even poorer, and Onrus and Vermont, in which wealthy white people like to buy houses when they retire. And that's just one tiny little part of the Western Cape, which is the most affluent and developed province of the country! If I went to the Northern Cape or Eastern Cape or KZN, I would find places that are nothing like any of those parts of the Hawston/Hermanus area! So yeah, some of my preconceived ideas were right, and some were very wrong. But it all depends on exactly what and where we're talking about, because South Africa just can't be put in a box.</span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.294118); font-family: inherit; line-height: 24px;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.294118); font-family: inherit; line-height: 24px;">2. I don't have an emergency contact person.</span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.294118); font-family: inherit; line-height: 24px;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.294118); font-family: inherit; line-height: 24px;">If you're a runner, then you know that when you enter a race you have to put the name and phone number of an emergency contact person on the form. Every time I enter a race here, I get just a little bit sad. I don't have an emergency contact person! At home, my person would be my husband Jacob. Before Jacob, it was my mom. If neither of them is available, I could use my sister or my grandmother or any one of my close friends. But here? If I have a heart attack during a race, who could the paramedics really call for me?</span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.294118); font-family: inherit; line-height: 24px;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.294118); font-family: inherit; line-height: 24px;">I have some good friends here, but I will never be on level ground with any of them. I will always need them more than they need me. Everyone I know here has a family and friends they've known for longer than six months. I don't. I only have them. At first this was a little weird for me, but I've come to realize that it is actually quite normal, given the situation. That's just the nature of expat life! I think I feel it more than some of my YASC colleagues who are in places with other Americans around, because countrymen tend to kind of band together and become each other's go-to person. But there are no other Americans here. I'm the only one, and while that's given me a sort of novelty factor, it also means I'm always going to be a bit of an outsider. It's unfair of me to expect anything else. Please don't misunderstand me here. This no longer bothers me at all. It's just something I had to realize and go along with. </span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.294118); font-family: inherit; line-height: 24px;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.294118); font-family: inherit; line-height: 24px;">3. I will never understand cricket. </span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.294118); font-family: inherit; line-height: 24px;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.294118); font-family: inherit; line-height: 24px;">I say this at the risk of alienating one of my best friends here, but cricket is absolutely impossible. Forgive me, Dewald, for I know not how to appreciate your sports. But seriously, I do not understand this game at all, and it's not for lack of trying. It doesn't help that both teams wear the same color so you can't tell who you're rooting for, or that there are multiple forms of the game and it may last anywhere from about an hour to five days. Honestly this is the most incomprehensible sport ever invented. I am totally bewildered, and I give up.</span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.294118); font-family: inherit; line-height: 24px;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.294118); font-family: inherit; line-height: 24px;">The same applies to other things besides cricket. There are some cultural differences between me and the people whose country I live in. Sometimes these are subtle or funny, but sometimes they're kinda big things, like the meaning of 'urgent' in a medical situation or how one relates to one's work colleagues and superiors. At times I find the South African government health care system really confusing and counterintuitive. But in the end, these things are just differences of opinion, and as the outsider, it is my responsibility to function within the system I'm given. Just because my way is what I'm used to doesn't mean I'm right. It has been really good for me to learn to set aside that 'my way or the highway' attitude that I think all Americans are born with.</span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.294118); font-family: inherit; line-height: 24px;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.294118); font-family: inherit; line-height: 24px;">4. You've got to ask for what you want. </span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.294118); font-family: inherit; line-height: 24px;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.294118); font-family: inherit; line-height: 24px;">I learned a lot of life lessons from James Dick, the director of the Washington and Lee Outing Club. I learned them despite, or perhaps because of, the fact that James had this habit of spouting off some really deep and profound piece of wisdom in the middle of a very normal conversation about something completely mundane like ice cream. Anyway, one of my favorite 'Jamesisms' is that you have to ask for what you want. (James also taught me other things like how to safely and respectfully enjoy the wilderness, and he introduced me to my husband. Good man.)</span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.294118); font-family: inherit; line-height: 24px;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.294118); font-family: inherit; line-height: 24px;">When you go on a year long mission to another country by yourself, you are forced to rely on God because your normal support system just isn't available. Since I have been in South Africa, I have found myself asking God for things that I want, even when they aren't things that are normal 'prayer material'. For example, I have asked God 'oh please let the internet work well tonight' or 'help me to find a shop that sells a super warm blanket'. And guess what? Every time I have asked for something like this, God has given me what I needed. He may have also given me what I needed if I hadn't asked, but what I'm saying is that I've learned it's OK to talk to God about whatever is on my mind, even if it isn't particularly profound.</span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.294118); font-family: inherit; line-height: 24px;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.294118); font-family: inherit; line-height: 24px;">Same thing goes for asking other people for what you want. For some reason people, and I would argue women in particular, are bad at just coming out and asking for what they want. We expect others to magically know what we need and give it to us, but that isn't fair. If you don't ask for what you want, how is someone else supposed to know that you want it? When I first got here, I was uncomfortable asking for what I really wanted, which was company. I guess it made me feel too vulnerable. But once I remembered James's wisdom, I started asking, and no one has let me down yet. Maybe it's just because I am surrounded by awesome people who allow me to take over their TV to watch the Olympics, are willing to meet me for dinner when I'm feeling a bit lonely, will run with me when I want a jog and don't want to go alone. But seriously. Try asking the people around you for what you really want from them. Try praying about everything, big or small. Just try it and see what happens.</span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.294118); font-family: inherit; line-height: 24px;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.294118); font-family: inherit; line-height: 24px;">5. Miracles happen. </span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.294118); font-family: inherit; line-height: 24px;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.294118); font-family: inherit; line-height: 24px;">I often hear people ask about miracles. The Bible is full of them. So where are our modern miracles? As a nurse, it is my privilege to witness miracles all the time.</span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.294118); font-family: inherit; line-height: 24px;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.294118); font-family: inherit; line-height: 24px;">The war on AIDS is over. We've won. Antiretroviral drugs work. HIV is no longer a death sentence. It is a chronic condition that is manageable, like diabetes. The war on AIDS is now a war on the stereotypes and prejudice that people with HIV suffer under. But medically? We've got this covered, guys. And that is every bit as miraculous as the parting of the Red Sea.</span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.294118); font-family: inherit; line-height: 24px;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.294118); font-family: inherit; line-height: 24px;">Here at the care centre, I get a front row seat to see some pretty miraculous healing<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);">. We have a patient right now who will be discharged at the end of the week. When she came to us in December, she was so weak that she was bed bound, so confused that she didn't know what city she was in. This same patient will walk out of here on Friday completely healthy. That's a miracle, and it's quite typical of the type of work my colleagues do every day. I'll say it again: it is my privilege to witness these things.</span></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.294118); font-family: inherit; line-height: 24px;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.294118); font-family: inherit; line-height: 24px;">6. I'm helping to build the Cathedral. </span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.294118); font-family: inherit; line-height: 24px;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.294118); font-family: inherit; line-height: 24px;">We had a guest preacher At St. Peter's in Hermanus a few weeks ago. He is a retired priest from England, and he gave a really exceptional sermon about what Church is (I use the capital C because I mean Church, the house of God on Earth, not church like a building or a denomination). He based his definition of Church on a sculpture by Rodin called the Cathedral, which depicts two right hands touching. He talked about how this is a powerful metaphor for the Church, in that these two hands belong to two different people (obviously, since they're both right hands). Church is about reaching out to someone else with a loving touch, a healing touch, a comforting touch. The Church will walk beside you, even in the darkest, scariest, most painful times of your life. </span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.294118); line-height: 24px;"><br /></span>
</span><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://cdn3.volusion.com/eug3b.7rzsp/v/vspfiles/photos/RO17-4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><img border="0" src="http://cdn3.volusion.com/eug3b.7rzsp/v/vspfiles/photos/RO17-4.jpg" height="320" width="232" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: inherit; font-size: small;">Rodin's Cathedral</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.294118); font-family: inherit; line-height: 24px;">My day to day work in South Africa is a bit different from what the other YASCers are doing in their placements. I am working in what is essentially a secular nursing role. I have very little to do with the Anglican church here, other than I go to one on Sundays. At first, that bothered me a little bit. After all, I'm a missionary, so shouldn't I be doing something a little more... churchy? Over the past six months, I've come to realize that my work at the Overstrand Care Centre is actually part of the central mission of the Church. Every day I am directly involved in healing. Even when I'm writing a report in the office, I'm doing that so Martin won't have to and he can rather spend more of his time with our patients. So in every way I am working towards the healing of God's people. Yes, it's physical healing I'm talking about, but that too is what the Church does. Check the gospels. Christ Himself spent quite a bit of His time on earth healing physical bodies. So my nursing work is definitely worthy of the title 'mission'.</span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.294118); font-family: inherit; line-height: 24px;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.294118); font-family: inherit; line-height: 24px;">There is another point I need to make here, and this is something that has become abundantly clear to me during the past six months. There is nothing at all special about me. I'm still a new nurse, I've never worked in hospice or rehab before, and I certainly don't understand the ins and outs of the South African health care system. Somebody else could do this job a lot better than me. But this is so NOT about me. Maybe I'm not the most qualified person for this job, but I'm the one who is here, and if I don't do it, who will? I promise you that God is using me as a channel of His healing, even though I am lacking in knowledge and I get frustrated when things aren't done the way I'd like. God is using my far from perfect, very ordinary self to do some amazing work for His people here in Hawston. And that is totally awesome.</span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.294118); font-family: inherit; line-height: 24px;"><br /></span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.294118); font-family: inherit; line-height: 24px;">This experience has not been easy. I've had some low moments over the past six months, especially towards the beginning. But I never expected it to be easy, and honestly those low moments have not been as frequent or as low as I had prepared myself for. Over the past week or so, I've been thinking a lot about my experience so far. And I can't imagine having lived my whole life and never come here. I can't imagine having not lived in this beautiful corner of the world, having never met Hananja and Martin and Dewald, having not hiked Table Mountain and eaten abalone and visited The Cape of Good Hope and touched the Indian Ocean. My life suddenly seems like it would be incomplete without all these things. I can't even IMAGINE it! How crazy is that? So I guess what I'm saying is thank you, to everyone who has helped get me to where I am right now.</span></div>
Keri Geigerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09841730935415670095noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2965207168588935205.post-77718279046570946492014-02-13T10:41:00.000-08:002014-02-14T00:59:33.164-08:00More weekend fun<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
This week I am going to show you lots of pictures of what I've been up to recently in my spare time, when I'm not busily attending to patient and staff needs at the care centre. Why am I showing you all this on a blog about my missionary experience? Two reasons. First of all (if you haven't noticed this already, you certainly will when you see the photos below), the Western Cape is just stunning. I don't know how it's possible to look at these vistas I'm about to show you and not think of God. So in a way, my 'playtime' has been very much linked to my spiritual growth this year. Secondly, the main reason I'm here, besides for filling a nursing role where it is crucially needed, is to make relationships, to <i>be</i> with people. There is no better way to do that than having fun together! </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX2aIvfeKpEN7u_NPprRvmmGXXw37gNivsjK0_tJwAuPYwEOTgD2Y5yRfnpea3YkUZuDNlYBkyx7fEv-UYDxUlKeZ6dcSJ9x-wNJqy_gd6q8sacmXHQMfrrrcnpQOjiK_VLiDbw0h65oMq/s1600/Keri+277.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgX2aIvfeKpEN7u_NPprRvmmGXXw37gNivsjK0_tJwAuPYwEOTgD2Y5yRfnpea3YkUZuDNlYBkyx7fEv-UYDxUlKeZ6dcSJ9x-wNJqy_gd6q8sacmXHQMfrrrcnpQOjiK_VLiDbw0h65oMq/s1600/Keri+277.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">These first few pictures are actually from an overnight hike I did with some friends back in November. In this photo, Hananja is wondering which trail we're supposed to take. This was at the very beginning of the hike, but it was a situation we found ourselves in repeatedly over the next two days. It was a really confusing trail.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkCiR2qcfnv9ZueR-fq6hUQNkdPu0TXwEzlWCayRseMPplxK_fvtWfaPi8_PUw1610GS5DRZsAZISmPzhhyphenhyphenHQj4O4fMm90GKp_uDLkiRT5NQDDuZN8ouFGprkArPzNdqFndIKVG2afHzg1/s1600/Keri+278.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkCiR2qcfnv9ZueR-fq6hUQNkdPu0TXwEzlWCayRseMPplxK_fvtWfaPi8_PUw1610GS5DRZsAZISmPzhhyphenhyphenHQj4O4fMm90GKp_uDLkiRT5NQDDuZN8ouFGprkArPzNdqFndIKVG2afHzg1/s1600/Keri+278.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We got some good views, though. It was awfully dry and hot that weekend.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdIUNS-w1dqSfKa4UqPo0NJvDpJx8G-3GK4GC6nKojZMj1XrvOUbjT-EbPcGZj7SOxk5Um00KcztCXTTqp9gIHn7aoxJKvoVRdyTCRsuDqHPEgcNGzufb6qVOMSArPopTqxflxx0Asq00L/s1600/Keri+282.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdIUNS-w1dqSfKa4UqPo0NJvDpJx8G-3GK4GC6nKojZMj1XrvOUbjT-EbPcGZj7SOxk5Um00KcztCXTTqp9gIHn7aoxJKvoVRdyTCRsuDqHPEgcNGzufb6qVOMSArPopTqxflxx0Asq00L/s1600/Keri+282.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This was near Grabouw, which is about a 45 minute drive inland from Hawston, on the way back towards Cape Town.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNr7vFktdGi2YW74bPnnkFV0UyiQ8w9NoD8fFp9D3VlM-hSlkq4OGxRNXkAt7jUt3gsbpecGjfQ99_61KmIKKIYnapzNk-F6iiBLS-R5I0J5zyypJsimmjQ52G6wPgTXkupBMC9J1GBpA-/s1600/Keri+295.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNr7vFktdGi2YW74bPnnkFV0UyiQ8w9NoD8fFp9D3VlM-hSlkq4OGxRNXkAt7jUt3gsbpecGjfQ99_61KmIKKIYnapzNk-F6iiBLS-R5I0J5zyypJsimmjQ52G6wPgTXkupBMC9J1GBpA-/s1600/Keri+295.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hananja and I went hiking in the Fernkloof Nature Reserve one Saturday in January. Here you're looking down towards Hermanus from the mountains behind town.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWxrj8_r09HMSdulr8v0fKYmnIMF4Cdd-YoStEV1Xqp0wYH-0Q4Qofj4i05YHUpFu_p0XDxQbt8Wi3ByCW-SyvLMnWXxLX8VuhEjVCt5pKW3aA5MfDBUR6wKT1ZTrlgf3Nj6V2baX-P5EI/s1600/Keri+299.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWxrj8_r09HMSdulr8v0fKYmnIMF4Cdd-YoStEV1Xqp0wYH-0Q4Qofj4i05YHUpFu_p0XDxQbt8Wi3ByCW-SyvLMnWXxLX8VuhEjVCt5pKW3aA5MfDBUR6wKT1ZTrlgf3Nj6V2baX-P5EI/s1600/Keri+299.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hananja is contemplating what a lovely area she lives in.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjruDxJW-2HVjUb2-ajlNeyujjvhVxYDBTDtihDyJb8KxwkS84lVy_TrwCeEw1Z6zkK15a6zF09MwL4A-V60D4X_U75bIWcsVy7Mww9vmqbU8oI0_77JWMx0mizQUsCjgFl5OzdiH8WgyuW/s1600/Keri+301.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjruDxJW-2HVjUb2-ajlNeyujjvhVxYDBTDtihDyJb8KxwkS84lVy_TrwCeEw1Z6zkK15a6zF09MwL4A-V60D4X_U75bIWcsVy7Mww9vmqbU8oI0_77JWMx0mizQUsCjgFl5OzdiH8WgyuW/s1600/Keri+301.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Here I am, posing for the camera.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl2SZUHltmkQElBQVtZUJIsYyxgBOTNj-061rXFOp6CUSL7LnowlzkzpIxQosG_h4ZWolfVErNYC9fBYH97tKPtIhNGTcHMfK2gF5ap7eWHBKMRB2CuYKqUArl32EPWc9bVrtqc-AOiHAD/s1600/Keri+296.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl2SZUHltmkQElBQVtZUJIsYyxgBOTNj-061rXFOp6CUSL7LnowlzkzpIxQosG_h4ZWolfVErNYC9fBYH97tKPtIhNGTcHMfK2gF5ap7eWHBKMRB2CuYKqUArl32EPWc9bVrtqc-AOiHAD/s1600/Keri+296.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fernkloof has the advantage of a reservoir you can hike to, so after our walk we cooled off in this water. Sadly, this wasn't quite as enjoyable as it sounds. The water, like all the surface water around here, was that weird tea-colored brown that means you can't see anything. The opacity of the water, combined with the steep cliff walls that you can see in this photo and the depth of the lake, made for a sketchy swim. I had to actively tell myself that there were no sea creatures in that lake and that yes, the sides are steep, but they are climbable and I wouldn't be trapped in the lake forever. At one point Hananja was swimming beside me and her arm accidentally brushed mine, and I think I might have damaged her eardrums with how loudly I screamed. I thought she was an eel.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi4RX4Gk_mkCrFCi_ESxy2-lCwhBBPLwisWSco8ZK_vo0rGLOe9K22YGTDhe5dErR_-rECjWLDfEQULsa8ma94JhtFiIAASAraLMnkK-d5ymWexxXZUmRB71xRKaOZ1WiPymSedFd3TSme/s1600/Keri+303.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi4RX4Gk_mkCrFCi_ESxy2-lCwhBBPLwisWSco8ZK_vo0rGLOe9K22YGTDhe5dErR_-rECjWLDfEQULsa8ma94JhtFiIAASAraLMnkK-d5ymWexxXZUmRB71xRKaOZ1WiPymSedFd3TSme/s1600/Keri+303.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Best part of the dam? There was a puppy there! He had taken his people for a hike, but he took a break and came over to visit with me.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyEc-iMEbtNbZqRjFq54-z4PjSYLA3dazikmM3AjsQfUJIl7OjPbqsJ-WSP3AU4keWbVHNIm5Yjq-vc2x0W5cgX8zuaUOhXx1aiAGCJXT1QdM3-b9Q_8i6a_mKbNYweACNfBePSiiGZB2B/s1600/Keri+305.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyEc-iMEbtNbZqRjFq54-z4PjSYLA3dazikmM3AjsQfUJIl7OjPbqsJ-WSP3AU4keWbVHNIm5Yjq-vc2x0W5cgX8zuaUOhXx1aiAGCJXT1QdM3-b9Q_8i6a_mKbNYweACNfBePSiiGZB2B/s1600/Keri+305.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">On the way back from the dam, we passed this guy. He's a pretty big tortoise. I've seen bigger, of course, but only because I've been to the Galapagos, the home of the giant tortoises of Darwinian fame. I use the word 'fame' loosely. Darwin's giant tortoises are famous if you were a biology major.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjcHHRdsAINPHtgc7DJiHNyw_b3mPmZYXZckRhNoTWBPThU_v59-6L_Y6q1G3mzkMJL-xQRM7_QYIACLqpm5ZMFOIsnU_ar8z3SO_1Pw849lx1pSdQOqAEcRNuxB_kLyH_o_521qUg-llF/s1600/Keri+309.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjcHHRdsAINPHtgc7DJiHNyw_b3mPmZYXZckRhNoTWBPThU_v59-6L_Y6q1G3mzkMJL-xQRM7_QYIACLqpm5ZMFOIsnU_ar8z3SO_1Pw849lx1pSdQOqAEcRNuxB_kLyH_o_521qUg-llF/s1600/Keri+309.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hananja really enjoyed meeting our tortoise friend. I really enjoyed watching her try to get the perfect shot of him.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyr72y_vG-SuvH74i6OpWe7fWlvgCwpfOMXdV2loM4r2LDjyHevmhesMTeZjDq6HkAc6csfO7VbxMlDWJPn73pkRcQhNfb5cHhdNFgpcFAfH9MDaAW_Jdovc-PrvYmy53S0QFz84Vt389m/s1600/Keri+447.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyr72y_vG-SuvH74i6OpWe7fWlvgCwpfOMXdV2loM4r2LDjyHevmhesMTeZjDq6HkAc6csfO7VbxMlDWJPn73pkRcQhNfb5cHhdNFgpcFAfH9MDaAW_Jdovc-PrvYmy53S0QFz84Vt389m/s1600/Keri+447.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is the De Bos dam. It is up in the Hemel en Aarde valley (where the wine farms are), and it is one of my favorite places to go on a random weeknight (or Sunday afternoon, as it was when I took this photo), to jog and swim. You can park at the edge of the reservoir and there are some great running routes right there. You can even run through a vineyard! Then when you're nice and hot and sweaty, you go cool off with a swim. This dam is much better because it lacks the steep sides and you don't feel like you're trapped in the lake.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg14T4yJNN1ifmyhs_wwNs8DFBiI6ehcQGbk1FzKOniLA3NBLDhr9O4DW4g1EzcbsdoXxp5a2y_R1Tza82_YXIBz0L1On8se5B2uLILlr_sROn-NoOysN07TRmPhzKaPwZf6Guw8jI6siEZ/s1600/Keri+407.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg14T4yJNN1ifmyhs_wwNs8DFBiI6ehcQGbk1FzKOniLA3NBLDhr9O4DW4g1EzcbsdoXxp5a2y_R1Tza82_YXIBz0L1On8se5B2uLILlr_sROn-NoOysN07TRmPhzKaPwZf6Guw8jI6siEZ/s1600/Keri+407.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This was a hike of Babilonstoring, the biggest mountain in the group that forms the back side of the Hemel en Aarde valley. I might should have warned my friends who hiked this mountain with me that they would end up on my blog, but I'm pretty sure none of them read it anyway, so I guess what they don't know can't hurt them!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzdhKnAmb0yDmDvqhpMtn095q8ijxno4576UUK5_ikwnT18AWJZCtaC2y6jtcRb98axlgOiUDt10sOclpFMcVlyDg-1cuFXj8ZcH4HmrBM_g2fz__ChP0KxzbdNhlSeRq-300dkjChIFIs/s1600/Keri+408.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzdhKnAmb0yDmDvqhpMtn095q8ijxno4576UUK5_ikwnT18AWJZCtaC2y6jtcRb98axlgOiUDt10sOclpFMcVlyDg-1cuFXj8ZcH4HmrBM_g2fz__ChP0KxzbdNhlSeRq-300dkjChIFIs/s1600/Keri+408.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This might be my favorite hike I've done. Well, besides for hiking up Table Mountain. And Lion's Head. But Lion's Head had beer at the top, so that's not really a fair comparison.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5NCORw7Ic-rYnx8eiqcBQoMdqUupN4Uxy_p_oV0_4snNqoNFW0f4PGyBmztPD2vbEAYLb8lioTbU3bCSQaYRhDqEKV3YLrhyphenhyphenPsvyCJLD75eVnRhzeh-AfE3KeQsZLRfyUQOMkzud3sfmf/s1600/Keri+412.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5NCORw7Ic-rYnx8eiqcBQoMdqUupN4Uxy_p_oV0_4snNqoNFW0f4PGyBmztPD2vbEAYLb8lioTbU3bCSQaYRhDqEKV3YLrhyphenhyphenPsvyCJLD75eVnRhzeh-AfE3KeQsZLRfyUQOMkzud3sfmf/s1600/Keri+412.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dewald apparently agrees. He looks pretty enthralled with the view.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6egGi3Ym0KpAaeEvh7knweCXj2jSnbpk42JOpCHV5m9OV9OM2p4K9877zf-x1Gr7iJXRaIM60wQv2cJYGuWlcdGpngF_jGC23Bk1hAhCZ0VKAu_Mq2ytQ1uDk1pYS9SHDKEdrJ-wipJin/s1600/Keri+414.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6egGi3Ym0KpAaeEvh7knweCXj2jSnbpk42JOpCHV5m9OV9OM2p4K9877zf-x1Gr7iJXRaIM60wQv2cJYGuWlcdGpngF_jGC23Bk1hAhCZ0VKAu_Mq2ytQ1uDk1pYS9SHDKEdrJ-wipJin/s1600/Keri+414.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I see these flowers all over the place here, pretty much on every hike I've ever done in the area. They look and feel like they're made of paper. Actually I'm pretty sure their name means paper flower.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkA7W1Zqb0pgaU_KGRxDTyeSS-u7XDXbEI7rXmCGTx6Qx0jz4ZIBm74X_NcrdiU-Hsc52Yvz7zfEcRyt1U8MUU1BfuCcFqoOfG9T0XJfyBLyrx_uxF_jMy5OtpxGo9DFXdeUZA4ghpO_YP/s1600/Keri+417.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkA7W1Zqb0pgaU_KGRxDTyeSS-u7XDXbEI7rXmCGTx6Qx0jz4ZIBm74X_NcrdiU-Hsc52Yvz7zfEcRyt1U8MUU1BfuCcFqoOfG9T0XJfyBLyrx_uxF_jMy5OtpxGo9DFXdeUZA4ghpO_YP/s1600/Keri+417.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">You can't help but smile when you're surrounded by such great scenery!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqnMj6QDJqYQsGQFyj7T-XeelGU8a7QhJE69UCFHzBozxst6_ILqtdotJDFHTx5GKODkxEBu8WwA73DOJT8mWyMrqTLlx_U4GeUl2lSMQuycTMLhBifbCtcA2663zK39PcdjzMKEg-2pbX/s1600/Keri+419.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqnMj6QDJqYQsGQFyj7T-XeelGU8a7QhJE69UCFHzBozxst6_ILqtdotJDFHTx5GKODkxEBu8WwA73DOJT8mWyMrqTLlx_U4GeUl2lSMQuycTMLhBifbCtcA2663zK39PcdjzMKEg-2pbX/s1600/Keri+419.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Looking down over the Hemel en Aarde vineyards.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhIYle-75WLmHy2IAdqydlabBkys6ToFW4EBO06f7EE66OtHBpTjSwDrhKbX6PDn2x_C-C4OsITWxAdHLcBWrZbfDf26Z1GDfpCObN7yjgx0o1crwOj7rUnIugGwQ69v2f6AferBpVjdyW/s1600/Keri+428.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhIYle-75WLmHy2IAdqydlabBkys6ToFW4EBO06f7EE66OtHBpTjSwDrhKbX6PDn2x_C-C4OsITWxAdHLcBWrZbfDf26Z1GDfpCObN7yjgx0o1crwOj7rUnIugGwQ69v2f6AferBpVjdyW/s1600/Keri+428.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">From the top of Babylonstoring you can see the ocean!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV6LOdbg90SrnJWeXMBjh9nTVJbpuqTmHbaKBNdXVPCpDccky75qmTv6XoIsFOm4UuIrQxHncB7kqkzejuFBBuuheimSJCmKGL9gPo5ccju1674IIY8MiqLgZ_tN2Mqe6GCAjesPIR3UAS/s1600/Keri+435.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV6LOdbg90SrnJWeXMBjh9nTVJbpuqTmHbaKBNdXVPCpDccky75qmTv6XoIsFOm4UuIrQxHncB7kqkzejuFBBuuheimSJCmKGL9gPo5ccju1674IIY8MiqLgZ_tN2Mqe6GCAjesPIR3UAS/s1600/Keri+435.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rod celebrates victory over the mountain.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd_cG4nzCaBAiHuUGgklXeBBFozyfJXULiAc3QsnlmHEG8wzYQ5UmN_5E2KpUgsXeklnLBbQJdiTraMprrftJNMP6l4qxUQIUnAicJ089WQkvLJ4wVoAiKn-dRBTQb84Q3RTcdCnXcDYsE/s1600/Keri+438.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjd_cG4nzCaBAiHuUGgklXeBBFozyfJXULiAc3QsnlmHEG8wzYQ5UmN_5E2KpUgsXeklnLBbQJdiTraMprrftJNMP6l4qxUQIUnAicJ089WQkvLJ4wVoAiKn-dRBTQb84Q3RTcdCnXcDYsE/s1600/Keri+438.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This concrete pillar is South Africa's ghetto answer to a USGS marker. But hey, it makes a great place to stand for a photo!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQJRsD4i4S1m59CnXNHCIn-x6IRSaNnry02NFCfFG28GRMgnn5MysvpPVJcO4_83_fuJifgnjQceTaBo-yR3nQRDTN7uTasPNKQrGJv-KJZPyalBITXxDHvKdcoMS-MjBRvbXZOSCrJPGg/s1600/Keri+441.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQJRsD4i4S1m59CnXNHCIn-x6IRSaNnry02NFCfFG28GRMgnn5MysvpPVJcO4_83_fuJifgnjQceTaBo-yR3nQRDTN7uTasPNKQrGJv-KJZPyalBITXxDHvKdcoMS-MjBRvbXZOSCrJPGg/s1600/Keri+441.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Megan on top of the marker.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9FBPhtXvz2XgVkZnm3NOLLkfyKyKPa1Z3dw9xU4aFVPsozAfiMs7CDykK9x5fHhQ7VxuOEpYF0HyzUnFnSIQncYEa6wIWto-dYgst3vqpv6iVxDqK7hdalplP3VT05qc3OEFLv-C7VUyc/s1600/Keri+455.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9FBPhtXvz2XgVkZnm3NOLLkfyKyKPa1Z3dw9xU4aFVPsozAfiMs7CDykK9x5fHhQ7VxuOEpYF0HyzUnFnSIQncYEa6wIWto-dYgst3vqpv6iVxDqK7hdalplP3VT05qc3OEFLv-C7VUyc/s1600/Keri+455.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A few weeks ago, I took a drive with my new friend Emy. Emy is from Vancouver, but she was on an extended winter holiday in South Africa. We took a road trip down to Cape Argulus, the southernmost tip of Africa, about a 2 hour drive away. This is the Argulus lighthouse.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFQKOqD5rQ72enQDxT2VEZE7w1eh3qHGjirgytqM9QcCFTX-K7AHC07yx6VZa5X1fuxUs1C5HjqizHohtXYfRwjM4kMzz6v-L0Vh9SL412Q6sJB8Xdjj1Ne2c1yOGRir8dOFXQiW_NxJ2A/s1600/Keri+456.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFQKOqD5rQ72enQDxT2VEZE7w1eh3qHGjirgytqM9QcCFTX-K7AHC07yx6VZa5X1fuxUs1C5HjqizHohtXYfRwjM4kMzz6v-L0Vh9SL412Q6sJB8Xdjj1Ne2c1yOGRir8dOFXQiW_NxJ2A/s1600/Keri+456.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Since Argulus is the southernmost point, it is where the Atlantic and Indian oceans meet! I was about 750 m east of the actual point here, so that, my friends, is the Indian Ocean!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY79z1jfGHPfHb3UecYwL9Ed_jaXgrokxCcrwYVdzKZf-2iUNHYYSXw306Zb_mkDX9pTKbWirJP4GtDBzP2IjDcXbAHAYYR7ejJVeghxgrvKiJtTvq1EaSI_WTmca08gQVBkb1xNEHHE_e/s1600/Keri+461.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY79z1jfGHPfHb3UecYwL9Ed_jaXgrokxCcrwYVdzKZf-2iUNHYYSXw306Zb_mkDX9pTKbWirJP4GtDBzP2IjDcXbAHAYYR7ejJVeghxgrvKiJtTvq1EaSI_WTmca08gQVBkb1xNEHHE_e/s1600/Keri+461.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I am standing in the Indian Ocean! OMG! It's amazing how much warmer the water is here than in Hermanus, even though it's only about 60 miles east.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg20W1j31ehCYFo3vo87t8aS7a5WLEeTi5eaticNLPiUjFZcC2wb-pv3XfhTIK1Ra3nCW6zXMBGGxxKzIbjKOJOw-cOEwVCPvHQS4wf_KeNoZ74yzgX_ZoM4NFlXTdPSbVa8KBRjNJKF_gH/s1600/Keri+462.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg20W1j31ehCYFo3vo87t8aS7a5WLEeTi5eaticNLPiUjFZcC2wb-pv3XfhTIK1Ra3nCW6zXMBGGxxKzIbjKOJOw-cOEwVCPvHQS4wf_KeNoZ74yzgX_ZoM4NFlXTdPSbVa8KBRjNJKF_gH/s1600/Keri+462.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Where two oceans meet. That doesn't happen anywhere in the US!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3Slc2_cdiO9_p038hwpBdF0tMk-Jia_w6kt4HGe1psDaoyY6HVY-sB-Z1ml2fBNuQeQsC0GhWShkGjLzSMj2pSGZDEREPAKiaouVOdm8o_EmkH7L7GbNyaeM2Flp0tHYGEGeckyN_JRqi/s1600/Keri+465.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3Slc2_cdiO9_p038hwpBdF0tMk-Jia_w6kt4HGe1psDaoyY6HVY-sB-Z1ml2fBNuQeQsC0GhWShkGjLzSMj2pSGZDEREPAKiaouVOdm8o_EmkH7L7GbNyaeM2Flp0tHYGEGeckyN_JRqi/s1600/Keri+465.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I'm standing at the tip of the continent! Ever wonder why I named my blog 'Unto the Ends of the Earth'? It's because of this! When you look out across the ocean from here (or from Cape Town or from Hawston), you're looking at Antarctica (several thousand miles away). There's nothing there except penguins. The Western Cape is literally the END of the earth!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
On the way back from Cape Argulus, Emy and I got a little lost. Mostly because I decided we should take the 'scenic route', and due to lack of signage and road work, we ended up driving down a dirt road in the middle of nowhere with no cell phone reception for about an hour and a half. It was quite a trip, and while I don't recommend anyone else try that (if we had blown a tire or something we might have been in real trouble), I have to say I rather enjoyed the experience of getting a little lost in Africa. And in the end we made it back to town in time for dinner, so it's all good!<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIK73H_Xke0U2PrEj7ZQTEavg3BvzFYSDjR6adHs7gQo-cST5YNh1TYC0LEnAV9hnzzMzG3vgj42f3LKgJrkV8ESLhque7LqykQ5-LjR1qzzBaiGKi5hvDN6X8KUrVirNSYNA2o9uPa70g/s1600/Keri+480.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIK73H_Xke0U2PrEj7ZQTEavg3BvzFYSDjR6adHs7gQo-cST5YNh1TYC0LEnAV9hnzzMzG3vgj42f3LKgJrkV8ESLhque7LqykQ5-LjR1qzzBaiGKi5hvDN6X8KUrVirNSYNA2o9uPa70g/s1600/Keri+480.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is from one of the wine farms in Hemel en Aarde. Amelia and I had a girls' afternoon of wine tasting recently.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU9tNTeP-1x4jq2W-tfugX6P4NyiU8cP-0sSmDhdcVp2ezqC09u7_4SMXIo6fvjY6O9Hy0GeEYI5JvqE2BYe_KWId-1BiW8CsArznx0IhNwVLPgJ2hZxBG7nnZ3yuznphJRDfiRUQVWNkY/s1600/Keri+486.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjU9tNTeP-1x4jq2W-tfugX6P4NyiU8cP-0sSmDhdcVp2ezqC09u7_4SMXIo6fvjY6O9Hy0GeEYI5JvqE2BYe_KWId-1BiW8CsArznx0IhNwVLPgJ2hZxBG7nnZ3yuznphJRDfiRUQVWNkY/s1600/Keri+486.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Then we went back to Hermanus and watched the sunset.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0IKGu1_12HXeO5HrLET9FphE7X8d0N3edqpwNL7we9YcYDF3t5J6BBBC37X1ScOuNqswn4A5wFGxMiof3T_5AAtxV7IRJpOvqrSVP_XSGQVzLDaagLzHn_wc-gqvCDhfYYn6p7O14_XU1/s1600/Keri+515.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0IKGu1_12HXeO5HrLET9FphE7X8d0N3edqpwNL7we9YcYDF3t5J6BBBC37X1ScOuNqswn4A5wFGxMiof3T_5AAtxV7IRJpOvqrSVP_XSGQVzLDaagLzHn_wc-gqvCDhfYYn6p7O14_XU1/s1600/Keri+515.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtBOTl2cweLVp6j25WHz2hk5qpk3qTOXgk4zyYqbXYQGMZTZa8rhYK7gZKn_YInDodgyyauddJqeZ7YcSYLSVBU4iKxZxSUbbAEi5xXBMqJKOLZjR-uRv2_AZOQ02KmDhXNWKyISp7MdUA/s1600/Keri+543.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhtBOTl2cweLVp6j25WHz2hk5qpk3qTOXgk4zyYqbXYQGMZTZa8rhYK7gZKn_YInDodgyyauddJqeZ7YcSYLSVBU4iKxZxSUbbAEi5xXBMqJKOLZjR-uRv2_AZOQ02KmDhXNWKyISp7MdUA/s1600/Keri+543.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This sunset photo is actually from Hawston, but so colorful! I just had to share.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Humm. There seems to be a theme to my weekend activities. Apparently I hike a lot. But I think Everett Ruess summed up the strange pull of the mountains when he said:<br />
<div>
<br />
<div>
"I prefer the saddle to the streetcar and the star-spangled sky to a roof, the obscure and difficult trail, leading into the unknown, to any paved highway. Do you blame me then for staying here, where I feel that I belong and am one with the world around me? It is enough that I am surrounded with beauty."</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
No, I don't think you can blame me at all.<br />
<br /></div>
</div>
Keri Geigerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09841730935415670095noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2965207168588935205.post-67319722092421714802014-02-07T06:53:00.002-08:002014-02-14T01:00:01.919-08:00My cast of characters<span style="font-family: Noteworthy; font-size: 18px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 24px;">I think it's time I formally introduce you to my cast of characters, the people in South Africa who mean the most to me. They're the ones I see every day, the people I work with, run with, have fun with. Basically they're the reason that, when you ask me if I'm lonely over here, I say no! I think I've mentioned all of them in previous blog posts at some point, but they each deserve a little special attention. So meet:</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.09375); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(191, 107, 82, 0.496094); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: Noteworthy; font-size: 18px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 24px;"></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.09375); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(191, 107, 82, 0.496094); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: Noteworthy; font-size: 18px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 24px;"></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.09375); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(191, 107, 82, 0.496094); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: Noteworthy; font-size: 18px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 24px;"></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.09375); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(191, 107, 82, 0.496094); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: Noteworthy; font-size: 18px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 24px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);"></span></span>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.09375); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(191, 107, 82, 0.496094); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: Noteworthy; font-size: 18px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 24px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);"><br /></span></span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.09375); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(191, 107, 82, 0.496094); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: Noteworthy; font-size: 18px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 24px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);">
</span><div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);">Martin - Martin is not South African. He is originally from Zimbabwe, but he has been living in South Africa for a while and he has worked at Hawston Hospice for about five years. He is a professional nurse, trained in Zim but fully licensed in SA. (Side note: nurses are called 'sisters' in South Africa. Even Martin, who is a man.) Right now, Martin is working towards a graduate degree in health care management, and I'm awed at his ability to put so much time into his studies at night, even after a long day of work. He is a bit of a work a holic, rarely taking time off. Martin lives in Vermont, the next town over from Hawston. He does have a satellite TV in his house, so when Martin and I see each other outside of work, you can usually find us on his couch catching up on our shows or the latest movie. Martin is a big reason why my work life is so happy. He is a great nurse, very passionate about providing the best service to our patients. He's really a joy to work with, and I am learning a lot from him. </span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsvy96vME9F04AZ7r6z43HZQhZxAn0lmjuiGFZK_scJ9NAGQoYP_E0J_XehCKDUosCsjMG0XAuCIc0Ts251ZNao9yxOKRYdbWRBZVKXbWUfApejPjevZuURExZ-m82j2QL6VUWCrdCy30b/s1600/Keri+548.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsvy96vME9F04AZ7r6z43HZQhZxAn0lmjuiGFZK_scJ9NAGQoYP_E0J_XehCKDUosCsjMG0XAuCIc0Ts251ZNao9yxOKRYdbWRBZVKXbWUfApejPjevZuURExZ-m82j2QL6VUWCrdCy30b/s1600/Keri+548.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a> </td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Martin is hard at work. He says he's not photogenic, but I don't think that's true.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</span><div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);">Mari and Ari - Mari and her husband Ari aren't South African either. Actually, they're not even African. They are Finnish. Mari first moved to SA to work as an au paire, then stayed to get a degree in social work from University of Cape Town. Since graduating, Mari has been working at Hope Africa. While she was still finishing her graduate degree, Mari met Ari, who had already been living in SA for a while for his work. When they fell in love and got married, they decided to stay here. These two are probably my favorite people to spend time with in Cape Town, which is lucky, because about half the time I'm in town, I'm staying in their flat! They are really a lovely couple, and being around them helps me remember what a good marriage looks like. They joke with each other and tease each other constantly, but you can tell how much they really love each other.</span></div>
<div>
</div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG24abqcQPzZsUYVeY-VI4tfkveH1TfaEqLuP9fcGE1fxJwCFtuke16Cg8wvjjqh8zLLwaYDUjRSkTDWvJlfbAeS0KkI_r4oIzUyZ0RJT3dnz1lq56I-fvRmrPQ2_nGdqsqPABZlktQhhi/s1600/Keri+348.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG24abqcQPzZsUYVeY-VI4tfkveH1TfaEqLuP9fcGE1fxJwCFtuke16Cg8wvjjqh8zLLwaYDUjRSkTDWvJlfbAeS0KkI_r4oIzUyZ0RJT3dnz1lq56I-fvRmrPQ2_nGdqsqPABZlktQhhi/s1600/Keri+348.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I don't have any pictures of Mari and Ari together, so you will have to settle for this picture of Mari (and Melanie) making a poster on the HOPE Africa retreat.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /> </span>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);">Hananja - Hananja is my best friend in South Africa. She is from Cape Town and went to Stellenbosch University. Now she works for Stellenbosch as a clinical instructor in the dietician program. We met through work because she brings students to the care centre as one of their rotations. When I had been in Hawston a few weeks, Hananja called me and invited me to have dinner with her one night. Our relationship just sort of grew from there, once we realized that we love all the same things like hiking, running, roasted vegetables with feta cheese, cookies, driving around and exploring a new area, swimming in dams, and silly animated movies. Hananja might be one of the nicest people I know, here or at home. She's just a genuinely sweet person who really loves everyone she meets. I can't say enough good things about her. She introduced me to lots of people in Hermanus who have also become my friends, so she is a major reason why I'm enjoying my time here so much. Of all the people I know and love in South Africa, Hananja is the one who I will miss the most. If you met her, you'd understand, because she is such a beautiful person that it is impossible not to fall in love with her. </span></div>
<div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaTpQ3ndsgg7IAqyj01K0XGhlSHOX48DOuU2NeNgL9iKhQJzdzOgmwsHvDlOsTQVXRSN5xsHX7Qkjt_2UvrkoPIQJ28RLda_t0I3Z2D3DJyFXlEOaoS0_ftPwg7iZSRH5im-VLNvetidpy/s1600/hananja.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaTpQ3ndsgg7IAqyj01K0XGhlSHOX48DOuU2NeNgL9iKhQJzdzOgmwsHvDlOsTQVXRSN5xsHX7Qkjt_2UvrkoPIQJ28RLda_t0I3Z2D3DJyFXlEOaoS0_ftPwg7iZSRH5im-VLNvetidpy/s1600/hananja.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hananja at the top of Lion's Head in Cape Town, on the sunset hike we did over Christmas.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
</div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);">Dewald - Dewald is one of the people that Hananja introduced me to. His name is a little difficult to pronounce (sounds more like Dee-vauld) but he usually forgives me when I get it wrong. Dewald has been living in the Western Cape for about a decade, but he is originally from Pretoria and still harbors a love of their sports teams (especially cricket). Dewald is very athletic and has therefore become my go-to running partner. I'm lucky to live near a guy who knows all the best places to run and is willing to go run there with me. Dewald has been really welcoming to me and has gone out of his way to make sure I have plenty of fun things to do in my free time (and a fun person to do them with). That's just the kind of guy he is - friendly and inclusive and fun to be around.</span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);"></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitAjGiHw0-7pOit_0eijulxgEqsuzTOiRkYUmUSl-4W0YfBgME4UNhJfGIXJ1FOUSAIZSV319-1XkgdvxwRO6h9bOxIX1sNihOdAvSDkhBc00oRYNJXDEytGe1KT7mA7IbTME5qWEPLd9H/s1600/Keri+437.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitAjGiHw0-7pOit_0eijulxgEqsuzTOiRkYUmUSl-4W0YfBgME4UNhJfGIXJ1FOUSAIZSV319-1XkgdvxwRO6h9bOxIX1sNihOdAvSDkhBc00oRYNJXDEytGe1KT7mA7IbTME5qWEPLd9H/s1600/Keri+437.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Dewald celebrates getting to the top of a very tough hike up Babilonstoring.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);">
</span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);">Amelia - There must be something about dietitians in South Africa, because Amelia is also a dietician, and she is another of my best friends here. Amelia is from Cape Town, but she lives in Hermanus and works for the government health system. We met because she visits patients at the care centre. On one of my first weekends in Hawston, Amelia and I drove over to Stanford to check out a brewpub over there. Hanging out with Amelia that day felt just like spending an afternoon with one of my friends from home, and I think that was the day I began to believe that I really would make friends in South Africa! Amelia is a lot of fun to spend time with because she has a really positive outlook on life, which is my very favorite thing about her.</span></div>
<div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNCNYpGoOSqPf4NbqTm3Shg-xQwJkTTK_Ja7VW525Qb5bzsXp9PziIKXIAe7QQLzUghSPMcHLYyY_H9GLF1QYSjFJc68Afv5SDj1Mad34wRr1zHkAx-ifu9tQDlhKuCkpuTRRrPQrBVUPI/s1600/Keri+496.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNCNYpGoOSqPf4NbqTm3Shg-xQwJkTTK_Ja7VW525Qb5bzsXp9PziIKXIAe7QQLzUghSPMcHLYyY_H9GLF1QYSjFJc68Afv5SDj1Mad34wRr1zHkAx-ifu9tQDlhKuCkpuTRRrPQrBVUPI/s1600/Keri+496.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Amelia is even prettier than a Hermanus sunset.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);"></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);">
</span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);">The critters - OK, so they aren't people, but you also need to meet the animals who live next door to me, because I have started to think of them as MY pets. Since I don't know what their names are (and they are certainly Afrikaans names anyway), I have given them new names that I think fit them well.</span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);"></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);"></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);">Niblett is my neighbor Mary's dog, but since the gate between Mary's yard and my yard is usually open, I often find Niblett waiting on my front porch. He is called Niblett because he has spots that look like cocoa nibs. He is well behaved, so he is allowed to come inside with me sometimes. He also gets to eat some of my leftovers. Lucky Niblett. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKpAnSQ-JCqg42JVeNbyNCWfrG6UPhSqbndOU1I_RvHhX3oON-olwl_2Yuz4kbSR7syZgfC7E0HX41Zh2V4JvhYjaObF9zLZqSkKuE68OQtC3qkZnVK6nS_OpUbhtC2YN4CKvwOmS2RZiH/s1600/niblett.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKpAnSQ-JCqg42JVeNbyNCWfrG6UPhSqbndOU1I_RvHhX3oON-olwl_2Yuz4kbSR7syZgfC7E0HX41Zh2V4JvhYjaObF9zLZqSkKuE68OQtC3qkZnVK6nS_OpUbhtC2YN4CKvwOmS2RZiH/s1600/niblett.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Niblett enjoys his invasion of my house.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);"></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);"></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);">Buttercup is the orange cat who hangs out around my house. He has a perpetually grumpy face (which is why he is named Buttercup, after the grumpy orange cat in the Hunger Games series). When Emily visited in September, she started calling him 'Butt Butt' and that name has really stuck. It is not at all unusual for me to come home and find that Butt Butt has snuck in my open window and is taking a nap on my kitchen table. He also scared the living daylight out of me one time when he was hiding under my bed. I could sense that something else was breathing in the room, and I have to admit that I had nearly had a heart attack until I realized it was just the cat. </span></div>
<div>
</div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb3mGviC8Qbh8Bgl4js6ZJBsmQZufn6kcUFmMv4X3ywf6uHx_Vqc37vqXeVO7j3zs3_2zIEJO2hxDtAkVDS8M5Ah9qfexjWoDw4xrzBfnG2aQMD10DFcBEvAuvwzwTKUp5JHlDNqAQWcAn/s1600/Keri+544.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb3mGviC8Qbh8Bgl4js6ZJBsmQZufn6kcUFmMv4X3ywf6uHx_Vqc37vqXeVO7j3zs3_2zIEJO2hxDtAkVDS8M5Ah9qfexjWoDw4xrzBfnG2aQMD10DFcBEvAuvwzwTKUp5JHlDNqAQWcAn/s1600/Keri+544.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Butt Butt lounges on the bed. Typical cat.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</span>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);">There are also two cats who look a lot alike. I can't even tell them apart unless they're sitting next to each other. Thus their names are Fish and Chips. In early December, I noticed a miniature version of Fish and Chips, who has been named Tartar Sauce, or Saucy for short. None of these cats are super friendly. They're happy to eat any tuna I want to give them, but they don't let me get closer than a couple of feet away. But even if I can't pet them, they're cute to look at.</span></div>
<div>
</div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVImUfYPsP-BgoQ_eE0EpVhJgynd-enta1JOjXUNoJ_-hEtlZhliNXCGFbMnXswfXeC2HGepNJsrpFuYmpc3ibLGg8ShdShuTLizijwTzwffp_BYyg0DI56NniFRi62nNIA5Jsw5CkwWD2/s1600/Keri+290.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVImUfYPsP-BgoQ_eE0EpVhJgynd-enta1JOjXUNoJ_-hEtlZhliNXCGFbMnXswfXeC2HGepNJsrpFuYmpc3ibLGg8ShdShuTLizijwTzwffp_BYyg0DI56NniFRi62nNIA5Jsw5CkwWD2/s1600/Keri+290.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Tartar Sauce on the right and Fish (I think it's Fish?) on the left.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</span>
<div>
One of my biggest fears in coming here was that I would feel isolated and lonely. I am an extrovert, and I hate being alone. To be perfectly honest, there are occasional times when I do feel a little lonely. But thanks to these awesome people (and critters) those times are few and far between. I'm so happy that I have good friends here who have made South Africa feel more like a home than I thought possible.</div>
</span>Keri Geigerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09841730935415670095noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2965207168588935205.post-13180121818077499952014-01-29T11:39:00.001-08:002014-01-30T07:13:52.762-08:00Oggendgebed<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.0898438); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(191, 107, 82, 0.496094); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: Noteworthy; font-size: 18px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 24px;">"Well, but how deeply I regret any sadness you have suffered and how grateful I am in anticipation of any good you have enjoyed. That is to say, I pray for you." -Marilynne Robinson, <i>Gilead</i></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.09375); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(191, 107, 82, 0.496094); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: Noteworthy; font-size: 18px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 24px;"></span><br />
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.09375); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(191, 107, 82, 0.496094); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: Noteworthy; font-size: 18px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 24px;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.09375); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(191, 107, 82, 0.496094); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: Noteworthy; font-size: 18px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 24px;">We've been doing something pretty cool at work recently: morning prayer! Any opportunity for our patients to participate in worship is cool, but our morning prayer is extra cool. Why? Because it is led by a rector on another continent, and the service is conducted in three languages!</span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.09375); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(191, 107, 82, 0.496094); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: Noteworthy; font-size: 18px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 24px;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.09375); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(191, 107, 82, 0.496094); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: Noteworthy; font-size: 18px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 24px;">The story of how this awesome service came about is worth telling. When I had been in South Africa for a couple of months, I started to really miss my home parish, St. John's. I emailed my rector, Laura, and told her that while I'm very happy here and have found a great local church in Hermanus, I still miss St. John's and the Episcopal services I'm used to. The Anglican service is very similar, but a few small thing are different (like we use the modern version of the Lord's Prayer here, and I find myself missing the thee's and thou's). Laura came up with the idea of doing the morning prayer service over Skype. The thing kinda grew from there, with Laura suggesting that we open it up to the rest of the St. John's parish family, and then it occurred to me to invite my coworkers and patients. See, many of our patients are fairly religious, but they aren't able to attend services at their churches when they're in the care centre because of their medical conditions. So I think it's great to give them an opportunity to come to a formal prayer time right here in the centre.</span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.09375); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(191, 107, 82, 0.496094); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: Noteworthy; font-size: 18px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 24px;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.09375); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(191, 107, 82, 0.496094); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: Noteworthy; font-size: 18px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 24px;">Remember, most of our patients are Afrikaans speakers, but some speak Xhosa as a first language. I don't speak either Afrikaans or Xhosa, and neither does Laura. Luckily, I was browsing through one of the bookshops in Hermanus one day and I came across the Anglican version of the Book of Common Prayer in both Afrikaans and Xhosa! I bought them, and now I have access to the service in all three languages. So that's how our morning prayer came to be in three languages.</span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.09375); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(191, 107, 82, 0.496094); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: Noteworthy; font-size: 18px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 24px;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.09375); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(191, 107, 82, 0.496094); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: Noteworthy; font-size: 18px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 24px;">We had our first multi-continent, multi-lingual morning prayer in December. Originally, Laura and I had just planned to have it be a temporary thing during advent, but we have been enjoying it and it is so good for the patients that we have extended it and are now meeting via Skype every week. There have been a few hiccups, of course, like Skype not wanting to work properly, me not being able to find the right prayers in the Anglican prayer book (remember, it is in a different order from the Episcopal one, and I don't even know enough Afrikaans or Xhosa to find the right page number), and of course 'morning' in the US is actually late afternoon in South Africa. But all that is small potatoes when you consider that a group of people has gathered across an ocean for the mutual purpose of worshipping the one true God. To me, that is Chruch (with a capital C).</span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.09375); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(191, 107, 82, 0.496094); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: Noteworthy; font-size: 18px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 24px;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.09375); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(191, 107, 82, 0.496094); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: Noteworthy; font-size: 18px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 24px;">If you're one of my readers in Richmond, please consider joining us! Morning prayer is at St. John's parish house, 2319 East Broad Street, every Tuesday at 9.15 AM. If you happen to be reading this and you live in Hawston or Hermanus, you can also join us! It's at 4.15 PM our time, at the Care Centre building. (Still on Tuesdays. We're on the same side of the international date line as America.) Ask me for directions to the centre if you need them.</span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.09375); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(191, 107, 82, 0.496094); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: Noteworthy; font-size: 18px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 24px;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.09375); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(191, 107, 82, 0.496094); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-family: Noteworthy; font-size: 18px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 24px;">I look forward to praying with you soon!</span></div>
Keri Geigerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09841730935415670095noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2965207168588935205.post-9719182984995724292014-01-23T03:54:00.003-08:002014-01-24T07:03:25.643-08:00A Beautiful Detour<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Noteworthy; font-size: 18px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 24px; -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(130, 98, 83, 0.09375); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(191, 107, 82, 0.496094); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875); -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; ">Last week I had the privilege of attending the HOPE Africa staff retreat. The best part of the week was reconnecting with the staff members from the HOPE offices in Cape Town. I hadn't seen most of them since Thanksgiving, and even then it was only for a few hours and I was terribly stressed about cooking the turkeys properly, so getting a whole four days with them was awesome! We all drove up to Paternoster, which is about two hours north of Cape Town on the west coast, for our retreat.<div><br></div><div>The first thing you need to know about Paternoster is that it is gorgeous. I mean yeah, everywhere in South Africa is gorgeous, and you probably get sick of me saying that, but it's true! The area surrounding the town is quite dry and sort of desolate. Actually, it looks a lot like New Mexico. </div><div><br></div><div>The second thing you need to know about Paternoster is that it is a fishing community. So is Hawston, but Paternoster has a very different feel. I imagine life there is the same now as it has been for a hundred years. In the morning, people wake up early and go catch crayfish in their wooden boats. Crayfish are delicious, by the way. They are not the same as the crayfish in American rivers. These are as large as and look very similar to a lobster, but they don't have the big pincers. (Side note: I have been crayfish diving in Hermanus. It is fun. And no, I didn't actually catch any crayfish, but I did hold one that my friend caught. They are fast little buggers!)</div><div><br></div><div>Our retreat programming was led by Diana, an Anglican priest from Uganda. Diana has been involved in with HOPE Africa for many years, and it was nice to have her back here with the HOPE family. </div><div><br></div><div>The programming that Diana prepared for us was powerful stuff. The session that stands out in my mind was the one where we discussed detours. We talked about detours in our work life and our personal lives. I think this theme resonated with me so much because my life has been full of detours recently. My work at the care centre certainly provides lots of them! In a typical day, most of my time is spent dealing with issues that crop up. Medical issues that the patients have, or staffing issues, or not having the right medications, or our equipment breaking, or any number of frustrations. That's the way I tend to think of detours, as frustrations. A detour is IN MY WAY, and I don't like things in my way. It makes me very upset. </div><div><br></div><div>But then, sometimes a detour can take you in a new direction. It can change the way you get from point A to point B. It can be enjoyable. It might even be beautiful. This staff retreat was a bit of a detour from my usual work in Hawston, but it was lovely. I can't imagine I will soon forget standing by the Atlantic ocean at 6.30 in the morning singing hymns with my coworkers (we sang in at least seven languages. I actually lost count of how many different languages used) and seeing dolphins swimming right off shore. What an incredible experience! </div><div><br></div><div>You could argue that my entire year here in South Africa is a detour. My life in Richmond was pretty settled. I am married. I have a house and a dog and a cat. I had a steady job as a labor and delivery nurse. I had my friends and my family and my hobbies and my plans for the future. Yet here I am on another continent, surrounded by unfamiliar people, hearing another language, living in a former safe house, working in an unfamiliar area of nursing. And you know what? It works! I am soaking up this experience of working somewhere that I am really needed, trying new things, enjoying the alien (but stunning) landscape, and most of all getting to know the awesome people here. Yes, this is a detour, but it is certainly a beautiful one, and I am not nearly ready for it to end. </div><div><br></div><div>Speaking of that, I have now been in South Africa for more than five months. I would say 'where does the time go?' except that I remember reading a quote somewhere that said 'Time doesn't GO anywhere. Time just IS'. I like that. You can't slow time down or speed it up, no matter how much you want to. You just have to be in the moment and enjoy every second. And I am going to soak up every last frustrating, challenging, surprising, invigorating second of this beautiful detour.</div></span><br><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1TSpYtkpJKqkiiostVsUT4O_y4fr44W3wGuVQDCP7AZOZRlrVmlw1ZFxv8aGmxwBVm_P7eDTjQiOOx8BwsKb7CmO4_sv4MVlUMkauaOk0aldQE6DgVL5qcTZMipGSRbf2RpMgfGQ4nHYh/s1600/Keri+320.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1TSpYtkpJKqkiiostVsUT4O_y4fr44W3wGuVQDCP7AZOZRlrVmlw1ZFxv8aGmxwBVm_P7eDTjQiOOx8BwsKb7CmO4_sv4MVlUMkauaOk0aldQE6DgVL5qcTZMipGSRbf2RpMgfGQ4nHYh/s1600/Keri+320.jpg" height="240" width="320"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I could live in South Africa for a thousand years and never get sick of looking at it.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); font-size: medium; "><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuMVNf1FCusQ8sKu3JT7IcLK_2Y8Ws0eYr6U3kA6n_x8xWIvijfY0Y5K2ubJrz4AhmJjEwQf7hCDQt0rAj0mma897RX08nLyOYWGCp9h4CSBBV9WWG8gOFQfA2LPJV-KoOn8Aa8tSwTO2-/s1600/Keri+364.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; "><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuMVNf1FCusQ8sKu3JT7IcLK_2Y8Ws0eYr6U3kA6n_x8xWIvijfY0Y5K2ubJrz4AhmJjEwQf7hCDQt0rAj0mma897RX08nLyOYWGCp9h4CSBBV9WWG8gOFQfA2LPJV-KoOn8Aa8tSwTO2-/s1600/Keri+364.jpg" height="240" width="320" style="max-width: 90%; "></a></span><div><font class="Apple-style-span" size="3"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469);">Looks like New Mexico, except there was an ocean right behind me when I took this photo.<br></span></font><br><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjskMgwyZrabAWhaMMO4Dj4yd5V1f9yOePKa_WQNoRvPGuhNTA7TIeHdStuTIAAD_yxta7CwxHNZ387y-qzkhijY3oqVyYXi3aY9OwIxF2W8fWsA5_Y-HN87T10VVBcGwiLLE6Gk3h4Q_9I/s1600/Keri+359.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjskMgwyZrabAWhaMMO4Dj4yd5V1f9yOePKa_WQNoRvPGuhNTA7TIeHdStuTIAAD_yxta7CwxHNZ387y-qzkhijY3oqVyYXi3aY9OwIxF2W8fWsA5_Y-HN87T10VVBcGwiLLE6Gk3h4Q_9I/s1600/Keri+359.jpg" height="240" width="320"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">During our last session, we broke into pairs and did something creative to summarize the discussions we had had over the past few days. Here are Thaboso and Thandeka singing their HOPE Africa song (which was in 3 languages).</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcTkj3IGu84gfijNq4i10iyf_DsJMj4iOJtixWu0OaC5hFH4wakJ94f6rvimdp_Ukc0jGUfBah-QhP40A9OsZ8wMGzFxefDeOgVV1bCSVTG0ZePJR0VQrJj4HumWDbqWLHACcD6iSMd8SL/s1600/Keri+360.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcTkj3IGu84gfijNq4i10iyf_DsJMj4iOJtixWu0OaC5hFH4wakJ94f6rvimdp_Ukc0jGUfBah-QhP40A9OsZ8wMGzFxefDeOgVV1bCSVTG0ZePJR0VQrJj4HumWDbqWLHACcD6iSMd8SL/s1600/Keri+360.jpg" height="320" width="240"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Iggy and Jenny read their prayer for HOPE Africa and the people we serve.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><br><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwpAQuFEGdOHlC3VuP7t7dxPX62M9hdJszMvkUcuPBKJDh_OV2ByaQPnmI3K_kZ3lL_T1WKBDe5raP3WvGkrLcmRkU_wmwdjS6NU9qfvofqsTw0-5PlPlMcvOFBUCvoFYAeXzkFc6-uD5d/s1600/Keri+361.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwpAQuFEGdOHlC3VuP7t7dxPX62M9hdJszMvkUcuPBKJDh_OV2ByaQPnmI3K_kZ3lL_T1WKBDe5raP3WvGkrLcmRkU_wmwdjS6NU9qfvofqsTw0-5PlPlMcvOFBUCvoFYAeXzkFc6-uD5d/s1600/Keri+361.jpg" height="240" width="320"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Delene and Patrina recite the Psalm 151, the HOPE Africa psalm. What? Your Bible doesn't have a Psalm 151? That's weird.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><br><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRSmsGXyKP0QWrWCVVDst_UGX-wS1bj77mDwY0jvaYMjaT0TQE5fvWtGok58-8jx6hmWug_-HxVtDF26nIlkyKKkHPI1vOTOif86DIo_bZ8DUk2TTpTjszRuPJsBEOXTlOGYVaRGJZXQS-/s1600/Keri+363.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRSmsGXyKP0QWrWCVVDst_UGX-wS1bj77mDwY0jvaYMjaT0TQE5fvWtGok58-8jx6hmWug_-HxVtDF26nIlkyKKkHPI1vOTOif86DIo_bZ8DUk2TTpTjszRuPJsBEOXTlOGYVaRGJZXQS-/s1600/Keri+363.jpg" height="240" width="320"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Melanie and Mari display their depiction of personal and organizational wellness.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><br><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEf__QI0uVQoNB7JviuZJEbfQNXaUZt3MeWoq0MuZ9VXqo2bW5gFIFnOwfv4xX4_yN3RXiP96i1pB8FRVVLU0884nGT_5FZtMUz13xBoUIz0f_rrDkArgY_gWKPMz89MUFJlYTi5ANhyphenhypheniP/s1600/Keri+378.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEf__QI0uVQoNB7JviuZJEbfQNXaUZt3MeWoq0MuZ9VXqo2bW5gFIFnOwfv4xX4_yN3RXiP96i1pB8FRVVLU0884nGT_5FZtMUz13xBoUIz0f_rrDkArgY_gWKPMz89MUFJlYTi5ANhyphenhypheniP/s1600/Keri+378.jpg" height="240" width="320"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rev. Diana celebrates the closing Eucharist.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: center;"><br></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWJS98pKI1fmP-Huv0cEkuDDpH1Mmas1FknSW_jFBm2X7QxgkI6Zw6_YzIbgm92e464D95SZ2D7dogftQcVihuSAeVfL3bpEz5kmOtCO6sqsBeu7RrbiulZCCHz5t4-j-JXBP_o8bEjKeq/s1600/Keri+343.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWJS98pKI1fmP-Huv0cEkuDDpH1Mmas1FknSW_jFBm2X7QxgkI6Zw6_YzIbgm92e464D95SZ2D7dogftQcVihuSAeVfL3bpEz5kmOtCO6sqsBeu7RrbiulZCCHz5t4-j-JXBP_o8bEjKeq/s1600/Keri+343.jpg" height="240" width="320"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mari is teaching us a song in Finnish. It's about elephants.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUPyEkJW2gTfXRH0Tz98KW6pGx4CyOw_TjOUH5tBZg38lyAYcIKWKEkow3okgntU4dlk1MdppGJ0QYXo4usnhsJ_LbgEOkAUBKPUE5raWYtUObhNynuRMRh-rF4fF1eeD1tWegnz6G-oNN/s1600/Keri+365.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUPyEkJW2gTfXRH0Tz98KW6pGx4CyOw_TjOUH5tBZg38lyAYcIKWKEkow3okgntU4dlk1MdppGJ0QYXo4usnhsJ_LbgEOkAUBKPUE5raWYtUObhNynuRMRh-rF4fF1eeD1tWegnz6G-oNN/s1600/Keri+365.jpg" height="240" width="320"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">HOPE Africa explores the less affluent areas of Paternoster.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioQcQYPu5AAfW8Px_Cq3GiP3VCao8KYN2DUg_7KlpBilnd6VVSaZdcgNYz4YSfBzE_Lh-L-OkVJsgZVvQqcvtjqk82kl6ln5e8JQJnCG1SIlubetAWokKWeUcgTKMB2MAyqeOhtw8YzOmQ/s1600/Keri+383.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioQcQYPu5AAfW8Px_Cq3GiP3VCao8KYN2DUg_7KlpBilnd6VVSaZdcgNYz4YSfBzE_Lh-L-OkVJsgZVvQqcvtjqk82kl6ln5e8JQJnCG1SIlubetAWokKWeUcgTKMB2MAyqeOhtw8YzOmQ/s1600/Keri+383.jpg" height="240" width="320"></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The team: Thandeka, Jenny, Melanie, Thabiso, Delene, Kholiwe, Mari, Patrina, me, and Ignatius in the front (possibly proposing to Jenny? Sorry Iggy, she's already married.)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875); -webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); font-size: medium; "><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUqEyaBwvy51B5tSQwwqqFlRzCX7tkaCGzNFN-HOIztxibb1SeyfwvQlZws0KuZ7RjV34xfrTRB7LUPGOBNwpyWKUecWp4F0tMjKdke50fGQ3nAzuHugIWADBjPcPS7XWzLizgGNj7sDeX/s1600/Keri+384.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; "><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUqEyaBwvy51B5tSQwwqqFlRzCX7tkaCGzNFN-HOIztxibb1SeyfwvQlZws0KuZ7RjV34xfrTRB7LUPGOBNwpyWKUecWp4F0tMjKdke50fGQ3nAzuHugIWADBjPcPS7XWzLizgGNj7sDeX/s1600/Keri+384.jpg" height="240" width="320" style="max-width: 90%; "></a></span>
</div><div>And, just because I'm super excited that I've found a way to post pictures again, here is your customary sunset photo. This one is from Hermanus, where I was having a lovely dinner with the charming Hananja upon my return from the retreat.</div>Keri Geigerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09841730935415670095noreply@blogger.com0