Durban

So I returned from Durban early this morning, 4:45am (SA time) to be specific!  The bus ride from Grahamstown to Durban was 12 hours and that was where the adventure began.  The bus ride there alone was enough to warm us of the adventure that lay ahead of us.  The driver was swerving and slamming on the brakes and driving like a maniac.  But we made it, Whew!! We got to our hostel which was a stone's throw from the beach, the beach and nothing else.  The employees were grouchy and very unwelcoming, but then we saw our "room" which we lovingly began to call the tool shed, which was an overstatement becasuse it was actually only half a tool shed! There was a padlock on the outside of the door so we could lock the room while we weren't in it.  Of course the minds of 4 college girls goes automatically to all the horror movies we've seen and that someone could easily lock us into our room!! Needless to say the search for a new hostel began almost immediately, but we had to stay at this first one for the one night we had already booked.  We, surprisingly, made it through the night and survived under the Styrofoam roof (not even an exaggeration!!) So we open the door to find the outdoor bathroom and what is waiting for us but a rather large troop of monkeys!  Hanging from the trees outside the tool shed were monkeys of all shapes and sizes and they jumped from our roof to the trees and back! Terrifying at 8am! We then made it the half hour drive to our second hostel!
Much more chilled and friendly than our first hostel, the second backpacker lodge was much better, no monkeys or chilling horror stories.  This hostel was about 15-20min from the beach but we were also located closer to town, which meant shopping and a grocery store!  One of the days we spent at Ushaka Marine World and we got to snorkel with sharks.  By far one of the coolest things I've ever done! That was definitely the highlight of the week vacation for me.  We hung out at the beach went to the mall and just relaxed.  It was very nice to be away from the very tiny town of Grahamstown and Rhodes.  But by the end of the trip I was ready to get back to my little bed and my lovely home of Grahamstown. The bus trip back last night/this morning was much more uneventful, except for the movies they played which were so old and awful that they were actually funny!  So today starts the first day of the 4th term here at Rhodes, and after finishing my first and only lecture of the day I have decided to take a snooze in my own bed instead of a bus seat!
Oh and the weather is getting very warm now!! It's almost starting to feel like late spring here :) I got a fantastic tan at the beach this week! See everyone soon :)

Long Time No See

So I didn't realize that it had been so long since I updated my blog. Oops!  Things have been busy here and my computer charger broke so I have not been able to get on the internet for more than 5 minutes in about two weeks.  Anyways, Things are going really really great here! We have midterm break in about a week and a half and I am goign with three other Americans to one of our friends houses who lives in Durban!  It's going to be a blast.  There have just been a lot of papers to hand in and assignments to do.  It's almost the end of the first term and long essays always seem to be due at teh same time!  I am looking forward to this nice 10day break coming up before the start of next term.  There has also been quite a bit of socialising as all of you on facebook can see, so there's really no need to worry that I am spending all of my time studying and being a nerd! I am actually finished with assignments for the week and am beginning to plan my weekend activities in order to celebrate being finished with both papers that were due this week! 

The weather has also been warming up quite nicely and it was about 86 degrees today! It was absolutely lovely outside today, so that's where I was ALLLL day! I started reading a new book outside in teh sunshine.  All of you are going to be jealous when I come back with a great tan and you are all pasty white from the snow and teh lack of a sun in Cleveland :) I hope all is well back home I love and miss all of you and will try to keep this thing updated more frequently, but I'm not making any promises!!

Cape Town

Oh My Goodness!! Cape Town was absolutely amazing!  No penguins or shark diving yet, but that will definitely be happening in November!! We stayed in a hostel right in view of Table Mountain, which was a crazy view when you woke up in the morning!  We took a city sightseeing tour around Cape Town and the surrounding beaches and towns.  We went on a wine tasting tour at Groot Constantia and we went to the beach.  There will definitely be pictures put up soon taken on our trip!  But as amazing as Cape Town was, I found myself starting to miss my little Grahamstown.  The fact that a place can actually feel like home after 3 weeks was pretty amazing!  Even though Grahamstown is very very small everyone here is friendly and you recognize most people walking down the street.  Cape Town was not at all like that.  And I like both places for their differences.  I decided that, when comparing the two, Cape Town is a place that you have to visit whereas Grahamstown is a place you can live.  So I find myself feeling completely at home here in Grahamstown and find myself dreading the thought of having to leave it in a little over 3 months.  I have already begun transforming into someone new and I really hope I can find my new groove when I get back “home” to the States, I just hope it still feels like home back there. 

Classes are going well and I, clearly, am starting to settle in and find my niche.  I am making plenty of new friends, even though I cannot remember most of their names because I have just met too many people!  It is also becoming more and more evident that my defining characteristic here is that I am American.  All the quirks I had back home that made me who I was don’t seem to matter here.  (Except when I don’t wear shoes, I still get weird looks for that here too!)  But overall my one defining characteristic is that I am American, that is what makes me different from everyone else in South Africa, not that I climb trees, walk around barefoot, smile a lot, or am just plain goofy.  It’s that fact that I am from America, that is the “coolest” thing about me.  Sometimes the fact that America defines me really bums me out.  The reputation that Americans have around here is either really good or really bad.  Amongst the college students here, being American is one of the coolest things ever, and that’s what they all strive for.  But for some of the towns people Americans are rude, stubborn, and just plain obnoxious.  For example, a group of American Marines were here last week to do some training program with the South African army.  They were so belligerent and rude.  The minute they found out we were American too, they freaked.  They started telling us (quite loudly) how awful it was here and how we needed to get back to the US with them where we all belonged and how the accent here was completely dumb.  I found myself in awe.  Then I realized it’s no wonder Americans aren’t really welcome in some places around here.  I couldn’t believe their behavior and I was embarrassed to be American.  I’m not saying you shouldn’t be proud of your heritage, but you do not go around bashing whatever country you’re visiting, especially when everyone happens to be nothing but friendly.    So I guess that’s my crazy rant for today!  

I've lost track of what day it is...

So it’s been a while since my last post and all the days have been running together.  But everything has been going very well here!  I have been meeting some very wonderful people and classes are going great!  I am taking Marine Biology, African Philosophy, and Art History.  One thing that’s very different from the States is that classes meet every day.  There are no Monday, Wednesday, Friday classes.  And the schedule is always rotating.  So one morning my Bio class will meet at 7:45 and the next day it won’t meet until 10:30.  It’s very confusing to figure out when you have to be in class!  But nevertheless all the classes are going swimmingly! 

On another note, we are planning a trip to Cape Town this weekend because we have a long weekend.  I am so excited to see penguins and sharks!  Hopefully there’ll be giraffe and elephant sightings on the 13 hour bus trip there!  Pictures will be up from the trip whenever I decide to venture back to KFC for their free Wi-Fi!  It’s been absolutely gorgeous outside the past couple days, but it’s raining here today.  I hope things start too cool off a little back home!! 

Shark Rock Pier Port Elizabeth

Day 13

There's only one thing that South Africa is doing wrong.  The mullets!! They're everywhere.  Every time you turn around there's another one.  Some are dyed different colors at the tips some may fade into a mohawk, but nonetheless they are still mullets!  South Africa has the whole, eco-friendly vibe that I'm in love with and the people are so incredibly friendly it's just one little fashion faux pas' that actually isn't so little.  I have just never seen so many mullets all in one place.  Probably because I live north of West Virginia, but it seriously should stop!  Maybe it's the water, but that is one fad that South Africa needs to get rid of ASAP!!




Other Than the unforgivable mullets, everything is going superbly!  The sun finally broke through!  Thanks so much for sending that sun my way, and my classes are done for the day so I can relax and enjoy it!  And one of my friends brought a mongoose into Zoology class this morning!  It got hit by a car and he was nursing it back to health.  The cutest little animal I've ever seen! I definitely want to bring one back with me it was absolutely precious! Anyways, if you thought mullets were coming back into style, rethink that, or move here to South Africa!  Have a mullet-astic day!!

Day 12

Started classes yesterday and they went really well.  History was kind of boring, but I think it'll get better as the semester goes on.  I loved my Marine Biology class, the professor is very nice and I’m going to be starting my research project on Wednesday, can’t wait!  It’s been cold and rainy here the past couple of days.  The rain stopped for about an hour last night, but that’s been it.  So the campus is one giant puddle, but one of the perks to living at the top of an insanely large hill is that all the rain water runs away from your dorm.  Nothing new to report other than the rain and cold, I heard Ohio’s been nice and hot lately, maybe you could send a little bit of sunshine my way!!