Holiday Programme in Review (Finally)

Remember two months ago when it was the FIFA World Cup? I finally got around to loading some photos of the work we did at St. Leo and at 1000 HCH. MK and Shin did most of the work at Leo’s while Meg and I focused our energies on 1000 Hills:

At Leo’s we had a daily countdown to the Cup. Here is what it looked like:

Leo’s had a two week camp where we divided the kids into teams according to country. MK made sweet bracelets to keep track of the kiddos.

Lusanda, a grade 4 learner, shows his Paper Mache skills.

MK, Shin and Ayanda (the St. Leo’s Computer teacher) had Net Ball tourneys to keep the kids active and entertained.

And the kids decorated soccer kits for whichever team they were (they matched the groovy bracelets that MK made) assigned.

Over the hill, in Inchanga Meg and I kept the kids at the Community Center well entertained…

We did lots of Bafana themed art projects and face paints.

Some of our teachers, Pretty and Dumah, helped decorate the creche’s Bafana poster.

We also had a very successful art gallery to display all of the learners' work.

And an awesome inspirational heroes project. (If you look closely you can see “Spongebob is my hero because he is funny.” And the more sentimental and meaningful “Maduma (Dawn Leppan – founder of 1000 HCH) is my hero because she helped me.”)

A Poem For Alwa

There is an awesome baby at the 1000 Hills Community Center Creche who I have completely fallen for. Her name is Alwande and she has the most phenomenal smile. Our favorite thing about Alwa happens to be her hilarious hair. She comes in every week or so with a new hair style. It usually involves some sort of hair extensions. Keep in mind that Alwa is only 2 years old.

Anyways, this is a picture of Alwa, so that you can visualize her crazy hair.

And here is a poem that Shin wrote for her, which I try to recite to her at least once a week.

Poem for Alwa:
Your hair is so cray-cray
Even though you're just a baybay.

That's all there is for now, but I have faith that Alwa's hair will continue to change in crazy ways and our poetic creativity will grow as well.

Alwa is one of the brightest moments of my day when I work at 1000 HCH.

Visual Aide

After 8 months of being here, I thought I'd provide you with some visual assistance so that everything isn't left up to the imagination:

Below is a picture of our humble cottage, though the property you find it on is a little less so. The bay window opens up to our dining room/living room (which, if you have skyped with me, you will also have seen).

This (below) is the view from our house. I can see the sunrise and set every day. When I look at it, in photograph form and for real, I wonder how the hell I'm supposed to leave it in four months.

Below is a picture of what we like to do on weekends. Usually it involves laughing a lot. Most of the time it happens outside. Sometimes there are giraffes. Always its the four of us. From Left to Right: Me, Sinead, Mary-Kate and Meg.

I wanted to include a photo of Durban during the World Cup. It took me a long time to decide on this one. It doesn't show the actual city, but the colors are a representation of the excitement, joy and diversity that flooded the rainbow nation for a few brief weeks.

More photos coming soon, but I hope you enjoy these in the mean time.

Writer's Block

The chaos involving the wrapping up of the 2010 FIFA World Cup has clogged up my creative flow. I will have some useful material for you soon, but for the time being; let me share with you something that I find inspiration in:

Below is a quote from the book Blue Like Jazz by Donald Miller reflecting on why he chooses to be concerned with social issues. I take these words to heart in a way I wish I could fully convey to you:

“The problem is not a certain type of legislation or even a certain politician; the problem is the same as it always has been.

I am the problem.

I think every conscious person, every person who is awake to the functioning principles within his reality, has a moment when he stops blaming the problems of the world on group think, on humanity and authority, and starts to face himself. I hate this more than anything. This is the hardest principle within Christian spirituality for me to deal with. The problem is not out there; the problem is the needy beast of a thing that lives in my chest.

(…)

More than my questions about efficacy of social action were my questions about my own motives. Do I want social justice for the oppressed, or do I want to be known as a socially active person? “

A Few Funny Moments

1. The Dancing Gogo of A Thousand Hills: After a long day at the crèche and clinic at 1000 HCH, as I was driving home I noticed a lone Gogo thumbin’ it on the side of the road. Begrudgingly, I pulled over to offer her a lift (imagine the rhythmic stylings of Paul Simon with Ladysmith Black Mombazo grooving in the background). She hopped, or more accurately – hobbled, into my car and immediately popped her hands into the air and started swaying and singing to the music. She said “This is nice music, my baby” and continued to dance for the next 15km until I dropped her off in Drummond. And I will never begrudge a Gogo in need of a lift again.

2. Gogo Gloria’s Advice for the week:

- Never travel alone. It is not nice. Especially when you are flying. You will see couples travelling together and it will make you feel very sad.

- It’s okay if I don’t marry until I’m 50. You have to wait for the right man. And sometimes you don’t find him until you are 50.

3. Loud Noises: In the silence of grade 4 hard at work on a worksheet about the 5 senses, a child let out the loudest fart I have ever heard in my entire life (even louder than yours, Campanelli).

4. He Who Must Not Be Named: I got to spend over 5 hours reading Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince aloud to Siya. My life is awesome. Also – the enraptured look on Siyabonga’s face was worth every minute of reading. AND he now is reading them on his own. Hell Yeah.

Ayoba, South Africa, Ayoba!

Just in case you wanted to be tuned into the things filling my mind and radio in the empty moments:

Waka Waka by Shakira featuring Freshly Ground

(Just a heads up to all you peeps not livin’ in RSA right now… Freshly Ground is this kick ass band fromSouth Africa that I have fallen in love with. Check them out here.) Some other things you should know about this awesome song... I learned the dance for it at the fan park last weekend. Also, Sphelele and Sphesihle, two Grade 3 boys at St. Leo, graced Shin and I with the privelege of hearing them sing and dance the entire thing. What a treat. Annnnd... I can't listen to this song without tearing up about how awesome a thing it has been for me to live here and be a part of this. So, thanks Shakira, for inducing tears constantly, since it's pretty much all I hear on the radio these days.



SHOUT for a safer South Africa

This song hasn't gotten as much publicity as the other two, but it is an awesome cover by South Africa artists to promote safety and decrease violence during the World Cup. Check out the cause here.



Wave Your Flag by K'Naan

This song, which I am sure you have all heard, is the Official Anthem of the 2010 World Cup. K'Naan is awesome and was actually in Durbs performing at the Fan Park for the Semi-Final match last week. When we went to the Fan Park to watch a game, it was a safe bet that we would hear this song at least 10 times (I promise that is not an exaggeration. really.) I will always think of dancing in the sand with people from all over the world at the beginning, middle, and end of each game we watched at the fan park. And even though I feel frustration and resentment about this song and about the damage the World Cup may have caused and about vuvuzelas being really fucking loud and annoying, this song makes me heart fill up with joy anyways.



And that's that. Please enjoy.

Three Little Birds

I’ve been listening to this Bob Marley song quite frequently recently. This month went by without even a blink. I really don’t know where it went, but my body feels its lingering presence. I think all of our exhaustion is at a pretty low point. So instead of waiting for rejuvenation, we create it for ourselves.

My own way has been to constantly continue the “Why I love…” list. So here are so more jewels for you (or for me):

1. I love good beer. I love when the Shongweni man gives us a free one for being such frequent and regular customers. I love when we go to the Market and see old men drinking them before 10am because, well, who the hell cares.
2. I love my roommates’ cooking talents and the development of my own. This week I made cauliflower fritters with my very own homemade tatziki sauce and an awesome greek salad. Sinead is currently cooking up a fabulous onion soup recipe courtesy of Jamie Oliver.
3. I love the way the air smells like winter (even when the smell really might just be the burning rubbish. I don’t mind.)
4. I love the awesome gift of being able to share this experience with visitors (such as Sam, Shin’s family, Cat and Chrissy, Meg’s friends and all visitors to come). As many of you know, it is quite impossible to explain an inexplicable experience to anyone who has not seen it with their own eyes. So I am thankful for having a few people see for themselves what our lives are here and what the work we do is.
5. I really love the new Durban Waterfront
6. I love Woolworth’s picnics on the beach.
7. I love going to breakfast with people I love after a long, long night out.
8. I love finding my roommates amidst the crowds when we hearing the fateful opening beats of Toto’s “Africa” at a bar.
9. I have never appreciated cheese so much in my entire life.
10. I love face painting and I love paper mache.