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!!

Day 10

I moved into my new dorm yesterday, and it's super nice.  John Carroll needs to step it up, just saying.  Then we went on a tour of the township, the area surrounding downtown Grahamstown and the poverty was absolutely astounding.  People were living in shacks, if you could even call them that.  There were holes in the roofs, if they had roofs at all.  But the weirdest thing was everyone was happy.  It was unbelieveable, a happier more optomistic bunch you really couldn't find if you searched until the cows came home!  It made me readjust my entire way of thinking.  These people had absolutely nothing, but they were willing to share anythign they did have with the people aroudn them.  They were so excited to see us.  People, children especially, literally ran out of their houses when they saw us coming just to have us take a picture with them or to hug us or to just talk with us.  It was absolutely mind-blowing.  All I could do was stand there in awe of what was going on around me.  Words couldn't even describe the feelings that were going through me.  I didn't know whether to laugh or to cry or to sing or shout, I had no logical reaction for what was going on around me.  There they were in such poverty, with no way to overcome it and they were happier than almost every American I have ever met who has at least 100x more than these people.  It was tough to see but it gave me so much hope to see that they weren't giving up and that I shouldn't either. 
Anyways,  classes start tomorrow morning, and more students are starting to arrive on campus.  Stay happy and stay positive!!

Day 7

Internet is becoming more readily available to us so there will (hopefully) be more blog updates.  It all will depend on what kind of free time I have once classes start.  Speaking of classes, I will be taking African Philosophy, history of South Africa and Marine Biology!  I am very excited to start learning all about the culture and history of where I am!  As those of you who have my mailing address know, I live in Hilltop Hall, which, believe it or not is, actually located at the top of a hill!! The walk is quite a trek in the mornings and evenings but the view from my dorm is AMAZING!  I’m literally waiting to wake up one morning, look out my window, and see a giraffe grazing beyond the fence!  It’s absolutely incredible!  Not to mention that just behind my residence is the coolest bird hangout I’ve ever seen!  Just today I saw a cute little Grey Lourie, an awesome blue and black bird (which I have still been unable to identify), and a Hoopoe Bird.  Seriously, Google Image that last bird.  It may be the coolest most amazing bird I’ve seen in my entire life!  But while I was creeping through shrubbery to get better pictures of these birds, two stray dogs (a mutt and a German Shepherd) spotted me and have been following me around all day!  They are two of the cutest dogs, and they have been making sure I get everywhere safely and they patiently wait outside until I come back!  It’s hysterical.  I may need some protection at night though, so maybe it’s a good thing that they found me hiding out on the bushes!  

Another thing I forgot to mention earlier.  We can’t drink the water here because the government put lower grade chemicals in the water to purify it because they were cheaper.  So it is definitely unsafe to drink and will make you ill.  We do have filtered water readily available to us in the dining halls and bottles of water are very cheap here.  The weather has been cooler the past couple of days, but today it finally warmed up.  Next month is when it is supposed to really start getting noticeably warmer, according to the locals.  We have been going out quite a bit at night to the local pubs and meeting some of the local people who live in Grahamstown as well as some other students studying at Rhodes.  Things are going really well here!  Stay sunny and warm in Ohio!!

Day 6

I am starting to feel much more comfortable on campus and in Grahmstown.  I am starting to pick up on some of the local languages, I have no idea what they are saying but I can identify what language is being spoken.  I am learning all the short-cuts around campus and a South African accent is starting to unintentionally slip out at times!  Everyone here is very friendly and eager to help out.  The weather is starting to get chilly this week, like low to mid-50s, so a jacket and pants are necessary.  However, once late October hits the weather will start to feel much more like a Cleveland summer!  I have met some other American exchange students who are here by themselves or in a small group and we are planning our travels to Capetown and neighboring countries.  Spellcheck is underling “neighboring” because I am not putting a “u” in it!! This is hysterical!  My spelling is going to be awful when I return to the States! 

I got approved to take Marine Biology while I’m here and that includes 3 field trips to the shore! The class is going to be a lot of work and meets 7 times a week, but it will be worth it.  It is absolutely beautiful here but I can’t wait to get back and see all of your lovely faces again!

Grahamstown

I haven't had internet for the past couple days so there have been no updates, but we found a KFC with free WiFi!! I arrived safely to Rhodes and  I am in LOVE with South Africa, it is a million times more awesome than I could have imagined! I register for my classes tomorrow and hopefully I'll get the ones that I want.  I am making American friends for now because we are the only people on campus, they are all great! 


I went to the beach in Port Elizabeth on Friday and it was absolutely amazing!! By far the most beautiful beach I have ever been to.  The water was clear and fantastic! I happened to arrive during low tide and I was able to sea starfish, sea urchins, coral, sponges, and all sorts of other critters! It was absolutely AMAZING!!  The only thing I can't get used to yet is the fact that they drive on the left side of the road.  It makes things difficult when you're trying to cross the street, and I couldn't even imagine trying to drive!  The weather is spectacular, it is very warm during the day (60-70), but the nights can get very cold (low 40s).  It is only going to get warmer as spring gets closer and closer.  I hope all is well in the states!

Day 2: Happy Winter!

DAY 2(It actually feels like an extension of day 1):  I actually made it all the way to South Africa.  After some mishaps at the Cleveland airport, which put all my connecting flights in jeopardy, I actually made it!  It is absolutely beautiful outside, it is almost 60 degrees and there is not a cloud in the sky.  I have met some wonderful people here already and everyone has been very helpful. 

I am currently in Port Elizabeth, which is right on the coast.  Tomorrow afternoon I will make my way to the university campus and to my new dorm room.  If I wake up early enough I plan on taking a 3 minute taxi ride to the beach.  I will be uploading pictures soon so that you can all see what I’m seeing!  Happy Winter!!!!

Day 1

Welcome to DAY 1 of my South African Adventures!!
I will hopefully be able to post something new every week, but access to the internet will be limited!  I'll be arriving in South Africa tomorrow, 7/14/11, at about 9pm, local time (3pm Cleveland time!).  I am currently waiting at the Cleveland Airport because my flight has been delayed, nothing can dampen my day though!  I am so excited to start my adventures and to share my stories with everyone when I return home in December.  Thanks for all the well-wishes and look for another post declaring my safe arrival in South Africa :)
Thank you all for your continued support, none of this would have been possible without all of you, lots of love and good wishes to all of you!
So begins one of the longest days of my trip!!
...and congratulations to my sister Margaret on her new job!!!