Monday, May 11, 2009
Sunday, May 3, 2009
DONE!
I'm DONE!! just finished my oral presentation, and now I'm done with Junior year...wahoo...see you in 5 days!
Also, I went back to visit my home stay family yesterday, I arrived to my neighbor running down the hill to greet me, then hugs and steam bread from mama, who said she is excited for my mama that she gets to see me soon, but that shes going to miss me. Then I played some stones...i know longer possess the "mad stones skills" that I did when I left Cato Manor, but I held my own, more than I can say for when I first arrived. I ran into several girls in my dance class during my time there, who asked when we were going to have dance class again. I couldn't believe how sad I felt in having tell them there wouldn't be any more dance class, that I was going home.
After saying a final farewell to Cato we made our way to the Victoria street market, and went through the meat and fish market on the way there. How come you cant get cow heads complete with hair in the US? God, Im going to miss this country. The market was great, just good to actually be out in the streets of Durban and not in a classroom. I spent the rest of the night laying low, went to a movie and out to dinner with some friends, and really just trying to live up durban in our final hours.
On monday we head to St. Lucia for a croc and hippo tour and 1 day safari, then back to Jo'berg and home Thursday night...landing Friday morning in JFK around 8. Crazy, just crazy to be leaving here. In standing up there and talking today about my experience with the NGO i worked for, I realize just how much Ive learned, just how much Ive gotten to be a part of life in rural south africa, in so many different forms, and Im incredibly grateful for it all. Corny i know. Like I said before, if there is one more thing I would do before I leave it would be to live in a deeply rural area for a period. So I could hold on to that and remember it as vividly as it all felt when it was happening. Then again, I MORE than happy to be heading home to you all. Ngiyakuthanda!
Also, I went back to visit my home stay family yesterday, I arrived to my neighbor running down the hill to greet me, then hugs and steam bread from mama, who said she is excited for my mama that she gets to see me soon, but that shes going to miss me. Then I played some stones...i know longer possess the "mad stones skills" that I did when I left Cato Manor, but I held my own, more than I can say for when I first arrived. I ran into several girls in my dance class during my time there, who asked when we were going to have dance class again. I couldn't believe how sad I felt in having tell them there wouldn't be any more dance class, that I was going home.
After saying a final farewell to Cato we made our way to the Victoria street market, and went through the meat and fish market on the way there. How come you cant get cow heads complete with hair in the US? God, Im going to miss this country. The market was great, just good to actually be out in the streets of Durban and not in a classroom. I spent the rest of the night laying low, went to a movie and out to dinner with some friends, and really just trying to live up durban in our final hours.
On monday we head to St. Lucia for a croc and hippo tour and 1 day safari, then back to Jo'berg and home Thursday night...landing Friday morning in JFK around 8. Crazy, just crazy to be leaving here. In standing up there and talking today about my experience with the NGO i worked for, I realize just how much Ive learned, just how much Ive gotten to be a part of life in rural south africa, in so many different forms, and Im incredibly grateful for it all. Corny i know. Like I said before, if there is one more thing I would do before I leave it would be to live in a deeply rural area for a period. So I could hold on to that and remember it as vividly as it all felt when it was happening. Then again, I MORE than happy to be heading home to you all. Ngiyakuthanda!
Friday, May 1, 2009
Count Down
I just turned in a 60 page paper on the relationship between NGO management, communities and funders...which means Im DONE!, which means Im coming home! I have an oral presentation on my paper on Sunday, then Monday we head up to St. Lucia, and I will get a second chance at the croc and hippo tour, I will have to choose more carefully who I sit next to this time, and maybe purchase a shot of one of the several varieties of alcohol stocked on the boat if i make an decision in seating. Tuesday we safari it up, Wednesday we travel up to Jo'berg, and the Thursday we peace! I'm gonna miss it here, and making plans for being back in the states feels weird to say the least, But i can't wait to see you all! I'd love to have one mor rural stay, those were the moments i enjoyed most here, and maybe an extra day of safari, but other than that...bring on home, its time to be back with my family. In other news, I have an internship in DC for the summer, working with the global aids alliance, and I should be able to keep doing research on NGO funding, which will be great, and will most likley turn into my thesis. But enough about school, my academic director, when i had my last meeting with him, discusing how difficult certain aspects of my project were offered me this for advice in writing my paper..."Just throw yourself a party when its all over." NOT so helpful when I sat down to tackle my paper...but now that its all over...its sounding like pretty great advice. So my bed and I are going to have a party today...I'm calling it the epic nap. Don't know when or if I'll write again, we'll basically be on the roa from here on out, and then home. I'm so excited to see all of you!
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