Pages upon pages

This is summer.
These books swept me off my feet the past few weeks, and I turned the last page of the Twilight saga and couldn't help but want to be a vampire...
I love the crisp smell of new pages, or the lovable wear from the library.
Sucks me in easier than a dirt-devil vacuum. I've waited to read, read, read! My list keeps growing and my precious moments at school are spent desperately trying to balance life and school and not get smothered by assigned reading. The stories - the endless array of stories just begging me to love them!

And, I've had plenty of time because Colorado apparently missed the memo that it's July and was sympathetic to my shivering in Africa so, logically, shivering in Colorado must mean a smoother transition. It's rained buckets all summer and barely risen about 60 degrees. I huddle under blankets shivering while Seattle nearly melts in a puddle with record-breaking heat. I can't help but grumble through chattering teeth as Seattle continues to swelter.

So, time for another story to take me away from iceland and distract me for a while.

Monday Prayer

"Creator Spirit and Giver of life,

make the dry, bleached bones of our lives live and breathe

and grow again as you did of old.

Pour out your Spirit upon the whole creation.

Come in rushing wind and flashing fire

to turn the sin and sorrow within us into faith, power, and delight.

Amen."

Love this!

So I found this off another friend's blog and love it - my two favorites, together!!

So enjoy this piano and cello medley of Taylor Swift and Coldplay. Love Story Meets Viva La Vida

Moments in Time

The 28 hour journey back to Seattle was, needless to say, long. It is the times of transition, sitting in limbo and having 28 hours to think that are the hardest. Hugging Desmond and Noreen a last time and lugging our weathered backpacks into the airport left a silence in our hearts.

Taking off and leaving African soil felt strange, questions of will I ever return? bounced around as the plane glided out over the ocean. The flight was uneventful, though customs was a new adventure, but we and all our bags, survived.

Seattle was a pleasant stop and I was able to unpack, relax and gather my bearings (trying to stay awake and sleep at the appropriate times is always a challenge, my 3am wake-up calls are a bit of a nuisance). Another plane ride and I'm home in Colorado, on a better sleep schedule and feeling a little more rested, so I thought it was due time for a picture post!! I tried to select a few here and there from each place we went, if you want to see all the hundreds of photos I took just let me know! I'd love to sit down with you, or if you're far away, I'll send you the album online.

Thanks for accompanying me on this journey and I may have a few posts now and then about Africa as I continue to remember.


Also, as part of our course we (the 15 students) compiled pieces of our work on a shared SPU South African Blog. It contains journals, poems, and other pieces from our creative writing class about the trip from different student's perspectives, it's lovely and gives you a better view of our trip so please check it out here! Now sit back, relax and enjoy Africa!

We arrivedat our hostel: The Backpack, with Table Mountain in the background
Nelson Mandela's Cell (#7) on the Robben Island Prison Tour

The whole gang at Cape Point!

Looking out at Cape Point (almost the southern most tip of Africa)

The view on our way up to Table Mountain from the tram

On top Table Mountain (we were in a cloud!)

Enjoying a Coke Light in Stellenbosch (this one's for you Brie!!)

Awesome House 2 gang ready to build

The beginning of Zamulongisa's home

The building commences!

My new friend, Lizaan, and I "bagging" the wall

Last day, putting up the tresses

The house!! Time to celebrate

Zamulongisa, the proud homeowner, and his two new puppies!

The beauty of Plattenberg Bay, that's the Indian Ocean!

Overlooking Grahamstown from Settler's Monument

Addo Elephant Park: Here they come!

Yup, that's a LION!!

He was a beauty! About 10-15 feet away

Our fantastic home while in Addo: Chrislin B&B

Wonderful Desmond and his wife Noreen outside the Lion and Crocodile Park!

Simba!!

We had dinner and then commenced on our night safari...and we found another lion!

Good-bye Africa, I'll miss you.

Fitting Africa in my carry-on

As the last day is quickly disappearing I am trying to grasp every smell and sight I can drink in. I want to remember it all and I want to take it with me.

I want Africa's smell to linger, it's earthy and raw, wild smell! The smell of each place we visited. I want the sights to imprint on the back of my eyelids so whenever I close my eyes I see the sky on fire with orange and pink and yellow exploding as the sun sets. I've never seen sunsets so bright that literally grip you and shake you with its beauty. I want to remember Table Mountain looming over Cape Town, the mist covering the top, covering us. The rolling clouds covering the mountains on either side as we drive the Garden Route, the vineyards, the karoo, the ocean opening up before us and I pinch myself. This is Africa!
The animals, the faces, the noises: exotic birds waking us up with their prolonged calls ringing through the air. The crickets at night singing a different song that the ones outside my window at home. The bustle of the city, the eerie and deep-throated singing that seeps in and stills your soul. The raw songs and dances I've seen and heard, the cultures I've been a part of.

South Africa, I've learned so much, I've been so blessed and as I step from African soil to American I will look back with fondness promising never to forget, yet looking ahead eager to see those I love. Those that got me through this adventure and that welcome me home.

"Black Holes"

This is one of the assignments from my Travel Writing class while here in South Africa:

This assignment consisted of choosing an object and writing a creative piece from the point of view of that object. I chose to write from the point of view of the censor pen in the Censor Room we saw in the prison. The Censor Room was where all the mail would come through and the prison wards would read the mail and black out or cut out most of the letter because they had the power to and for the purpose of stopping codes from being transferred in. Our tour guide said that most of the letters were unreadable by the time they got to their cell. Thinking about living in that cold cell and starving for a word from the outside world and then getting a blacked-out or cut up letter would bedevastating.

"Black Holes"

by, Jennifer B.

The clock on the gray wall methodically ticks keeping rhythm in the still air. It's nearly one-o-clock as I wait in anticipation. A few more minutes pass until a sharp click of the door signalssomeones entrance.

The mail bin is nearly full with letters from across the undulating waters. The prison ward dumps the contents spewing paper across the desk, his quick hands assemble them into stacks by prison section.

I anxiously await this ritual to finish: the prison ward sits and begins ripping the letters from their cozy envelopes examining the scribbles within. Finally, the moment arrives when the prison ward's rough hands grasp my smooth surface and pulls my cap off with a satisfying click.

I pour over the endless words scratched on paper - some words full of sorrow, encompassing thick tears of loneliness. I especially love leaving my thick black trail swallowing letters which the prison ward deems as code - as unnecessary words revealing news of home; lives continuing as the recipient shivers or sweats behind iron bars thirsting for these words I feast on. I can see the writer's faces wrinkled in concentration piecing letters together to form hope, comfort and sneaky codes. They think they can pass through unscathed, but the prison ward's eyes and my jet black ink miss nothing.

The squeal of my tip on the smooth paper echoes in the cold room until all the letters lay in piles marked and ripped to the prison ward's approval. Sullenly, my cap is pressed on and I'm laid back on the desk. The letters are complied back in the mail bin and carried out - ready to be distributed by the wards.

Left alone again in the empty censor room, I chew on the thoughts I erased feeling full with satisfaction, full of the lines of communication I severed. An island is not isolated enough for theserousers of chaos - they weave their trails of disorder even from behind iron. "Freedom fighters" they are called, though they are far from free.

Words are free. They can speak them in their cold cells, but the cost of "freedom fighting" means their words die and wither away by the time they reach blank parchment. Their hearing disappears so the words outside the island fall on deaf ears. I am the taker of words, the taker of their freedom, I am the censor pen.

Let the plays begin!

We arrived in Grahamstown safe and sound and was welcomed by the sunshine and warm weather!! I keep bracing myself for the rumored cold, but we are lucky to catch this great weather! We moved all of our belongings into our dorm and got settled. Rhodes University is beautiful and we are excited to be here. We each get our individual dorm rooms (so nice!) which include a desk and sink and lots of space, which is welcomed at this point in the trip - some personal space!! I can't imagine having single rooms back at SPU, such a luxury!

Dr. Segall took us on a walking tour so we could orient ourselves as we are mostly on our own this week. We hiked up to Settler's Monument (denoting the place where I believe the Dutch settlers arrived and set up camp). It's a beautiful center where we will be seeing the film "Crime" tonight. Also gave a splendid view of all Grahamstown with the rolling hills and mountains beyond...lots of pictures! :)

We then meandered downtown and proceeded to pick out places to eat (as we're on our own for dinner...this is the time to try authentic South African foods!) We also made our way through the markets which are packed with rows and rows of people selling anything and everything. As Dr. Segall said, there is a stall here for everyones taste! Clothes, jewelry, trinkets, toys, South African handicrafts, paintings. Our eyes are drinking in the noise of vendors calling out their products offering good prices "Special! Special for you today!" live music and dancing on every corner, colors abound and smells of funnel cakes (they call them "small doughnuts") and kudu on a stick (kudu is a large looking deer-like animal). It reminded me of Territory Days back home with a splash of Ren. Fair except there are rows and rows of beautiful South African treats! Needless to say, we are having fun bartering and picking out souveniers to bring home!

These next few days consist of class, assignments and seeing plays and films! Our first play was last night, "The Return" which was about a South African returning to his home after living in exile in America with his wife - an African American - and the meeting of cultures when they visit his parents. It was great and I thought well-done. This is the National Theater Festival so Grahamstown is bubbling with excitement and people from all over coming to see these plays. It's an experience I'll soon not forget! Next week we will finish our time in Grahamstown and head to the game parks so the Lion Sanctuary and Safari before making our long journey back to Cape Town. It's fascinating and each new place brings out a piece of South Africa and there are so many pieces still unturned...after all this is a rather large country (Desmond said it is equivalent to 9 states...not really sure what states we're talking about, but you get the picture!) It's beautiful and full of energy and I can't even contain my excitement for this part of the trip - though we are lonely for our Stellenbosch friends! I hope to continue to update my journey, but these next few days are packed so stay tuned! :)

Plettenberg Bay in the sunshine!

Let's see, it's been a few days so I'll start with Monday - our last build day! We headed out to Mfuleni for the last time and arrived on site bubbling with excitement to work on the roof! We gathered in our circle and chanted our morning "war cry" 'Dugga dugga dugga' 'hoi hoi hoi' and set to work hoisting the tresses up to those stationed on the roof. We then began the task of setting them up straight and square while the builders nailed them into place. We worked efficiently and finished that part before tea time (which included more of the delicious bread and jam!) Next we laid out the weather proofing and nailed it into place, no longer will Zamulingisa wake up wet from all the leaks and dew seeping through the thin tin shack. He can rest assured that he'll be warm and dry - so exciting!! We assembled a tile line (which are much lighter to hoist than the bricks!) and moved all of the red tiles to the roof where the rest of our team fastened them into place.

Unfortunately, because of the lost time due to rain, we weren't completely done when the day was over. The internal walls still need to be put in along with the doors, but all in all it's quite amazing what we were able to accomplish in three days! (I promise I'll post pictures when I get back!!) We held the dedication ceremony and shared what am amazing experience it's been and how happy we are for Zamulingisa and his soon-to-be wife! It was bittersweet to leave, we were so happy and proud of our house and Zamulingisa's new beginning, but sad to leave Mfuleni and everyone for the last time.

That evening was a bry (sp?) which is a fancy word for a BBQ (but shhhh, don't tell the South Africans that!!! They are quite proud of their brys :) It was a blast and definitely delicious. Afterwards was the ending ceremony where awards were given out and gifts of appreciation to our amazing leaders! And all week the houses competed for points (by stealing each others flags, participating in the activities, etc etc) so they announced the winning house...ours!! I was so excited and feel so bonded with our crew! We won a vovozella (an amazing South African word for those horns used at football and soccer games) and a keychain! Speaking of amazing Afrikaans lingo I am planning on taking back these words: zap (what they say when someone flips you off...hopefully I won't have to use that much in the US, but still how much better is "Someone zapped me on the interstate" than "someone flipped me off..."?!), lip ice instead of chapstik, sirviettes for napkins and tekkies: for sneakers! It's been so fun learning about each other and trading words, I know a random smattering of Afrikaans words. We ended the ceremony by lighting candles and talking about how six families were living in the dark and we've been able to share our light and bring brightness to their lives. How the Bible tells us not to hide our light under a bushel, but share it with the world. So many friends and great times in Stellenbosch - sad to leave it!

We left early Tuesday morning and started our long drive to Plettenberg Bay by way of the Garden Route. It was six hours of beautiful scenery, mountains and plains - the morning mist rolling in and casting an eerie shadow on the scattered trees. Winding through one of the mountain passes we spotted baboons right of the side of the road!! So crazy to see a baboon just outside your window!! We curved around and when we were out of the mountains the ocean came into view, the beautiful African coast stretching before us. It's sort of like South Africa's version of Hwy 101. So breathtaking!

We arrived in Plet. Bay in time for pizza (which South Africans use bananas as a topping!) then time for more studying and finally bed. Today a few of us are hanging around the town and heading down to the beach for some lazy time in the sun, letting our muscles have a rest after heaving bricks last week! The other half of the group went bungee jumping off of the world's tallest bridge (seeing as how I hyperventilate in line for a roller coaster, the beach sounded much more appealing!)

Another phase of our trip is beginning as we head off to Grahamstown by the end of the week - the theater festival will be wonderful and I know we're going to learn so much and get to see and experience South African theater. Off to enjoy the sunshine as we've been warmed that Grahamstown is FREEZING!