It's a Culture Thing

Sorry, again,  for the lack of blog posts. It has become more difficult to write about my time here. Everything has become normal, I sometimes forget that it's still foreign for those back home. I'll try my best to capture the details of life in South Africa. I'll pick up from where I left off. Enjoy! Sorry, the internet is no where near good enough for photos.

We arrived back home (Children's Home) on February 13th, after our Garden Route travels. As we were still officialy "on leave" we didn't need to join the flurry of competitive volunteers, running after clues as part of a team building excersize. I recently took part in one of our team buiding days AFTER a very long night shift. It's safe to say I was not in the best of moods, running around, stroppy and exhausted. Well, it was a little bit fun. Pssht. 

On that very day, I met Damson, my new room mate. She's a returnee who was here until August 2013 with Project Trust. It was highly amusing when she bolted into the kitchen screaming "HI, no time for introductions" before bolting back out. 

My old room mate Lisa went home to Germany. I still miss her, we became really good friends and VERY good room mates. I'll definitely pop over to Germany for a visit. The night before Lisa left, we went to Cubana to celebrate her time here. It was lot's of fun. Cubana is the too-fancy-for-my-liking Shisha Bar where the classy Capetonians drink. 

Roanna and Jen, from a project in Malawi , joined us on that same night. They spent almost three days travelling to Cape Town. It was incredible to hear about their Malawian adventures. I couldn't miss taking them to Signal Hill

I was a little worried that Rach and I would become friendless at the loss of Yvi and Lisa. However, with Damson's appearance and Katie's transfer to Durbanville, we are extremely happy! Katie's project in Underburg wasn't going so well so she joined us in February. She fit's invery  well, sharing a room with Rachael. We have become each other's motivation for the local gym. It's very odd being with brittish people, I had become so accustomed to day-dreaming (german german german german german).

One of my (three) partners returned home for personnal reasons. Although she is missed amongst the volunteers, I know she is happy back home.

Shortly after Katie arrived, Peter from Project Trust arrived. He is our PT desk officer, keeping us in check from the tiny Isle Of Coll. I correctly guessed that he would arrive wearing a navy blue "staff" polo shirt and his bag over one shoulder. The visit was really nice, It was good to catch up and talk about our time so far. We were treated to a meal in Mama Africa, Long Street- the bill on Peter. The steak was devine but i'm really not a fan of PAP. Pap, Pap, everywhere Pap. Pap. Google Pap. 

My new room mate Damson plays the violin. There was a cringy moment when I almost cried at her playing. She has been learning some Scottish Ceilidh songs, poking at my heart for home with her bloody bow. Katie and I spent yesterday dancing around Damson while she played the Gay Gordon. Yes.

We recently celebrated St Patricks day. The South Africans are very taken with St Patricks, I don't know why. Our idea of "celebrating" was to paint our faces green and head to the local bar to play pool. The Black Label was GREEN. It was fun.

One of the interesting things about Durbanville are the volunteers.  I'm sure you can imagine the dynamics of forty-odd teenagers living together. It can be fun but there IS drama. To give you an insight, here's an example...

One of the boys decided to wear a Black Morph Suit last night. No reason, he just decided. Unsurprisingly, only he thought it was "funny." Armed response were called on the account of "an unknown black man wandering the grounds." Armed Response as in WE-HAVE-GUNS-WE-WILL-SHOOT-BULLETS-ARMED-RESPONSE. It definitely wasn't funny. One of the girls was terrified and I can't blame her. A man in a body suit, no face, hissing at you like an animal, in South Africa.

We recently had a Sports Day for the children. It was lot's of fun. I took some photo's 

There was recently a memorial service for a staff member who passed away. I didn't consider how emotional it would be to create the video for the service. I had to watch each child say a "good-bye" message. Some of the children were clearly unaware of the actual circumstance.The little ones shouted "By uncle and rest in pleaseeeeee, please." 

Drumming is going great, as usual. It's my favourite thing to do. The circle want to sponsor Damson and I to embark on a facilitation course. This course will give us the skills and knowledge we need to lead our own circle. That is extremely exciting news. It will allow us to run a circle for the children.

I have news. My mum AND my friend are coming to South Africa! My friend, Luke, will visit in May. He is coming for two weeks. I think we will travel along the Garden Route. If we take South Africa's Baz-Bus-for-Backpackers,  we can visit anywhere and everywhere. I'm going to pressure him into the Worlds Highest Bungy. 

I still can't believe my mum is coming to South Africa. It wouldn't be possible without the generosity of my mum's sisters. They are sending her to South Africa as a birthday present, wow! I didn't know how to process the news at first, I had adapted to the idea of not seeing anyone from home for a whole year. However, now that I know she will soon be here, I really can't wait! For once I'm asking time to hurry up a little. I can't wait to share my experiences with her.

During my year, I only actually have twenty-four days of leave. So far I have used nineteen. I won't be taking leave when my mum visits. She will be staying here in Durbanville until I start my short week, we can then stay in Cape Town for five nights. I will use my extra five days leave when Luke arrives, as we won't be staying in the Cape. However, since I have chosen five week-days, I also get both weekends off! I have also volunteered to work extra shifts for extra hours. 

Everything is great at work. I am now a nightshift volunteer, working with the oldest girls. I love my work, I finally feel at ease. The girls are great. They do have their dramas and teenage tantrums but it's mostly all good fun. It's taken a very long time to build relationships with the girls, they were very cold in the beginning.

You might be curious about my title "It's a Culture Thing" ...

In South Africa, everything is a culture thing (it's a culture thing).  It's a Culture Thing  ranks high in my list of "most said phrases." Everytime the volunteers do something silly it's justified as being a culture thing. Every time the kids say something odd it's a culture thing. Every time we eat bizarre food it's a culture thing. The babies dancing with more sass than twice their age is a culture thing. The transport is a culture thing. The languages are a culture thing. Hair is a culture thing. South Africa is just one big culture thing. It's so much of a culture thing that South Africa's comedian Trevor Noah named one of his shows "It's a Culture Thing." It's a culture thing.

To bring this blog to an end - everything is perfect. 

Update

19.12.13 - Here are snippets from my journal, written over the past month! I have just signed up for unlimited internet - my blog posts will hopefully slip back into a regular pattern. The following posts aren't in the correct order.

21.11.13 - I didn't get to say goodbye to Anne-Lucia, she flew home while I was in Durban. Behind her, she left me a note and a bar of chocolate. It was hard not to cry. The last line read "I wish you wonderful days, never lose your smile and don't give up your dreams". It will stay with me forever.

01.12.13 -  This will definitely be a strange December, it's 36 degrees and I'm wearing flip flops. The thought of fluffy socks and snow has stirred up some emotions. I've started the month off to a great start with a great day. Today I went to a party in Mzoli's...in the Gugulethu Township! Gugulethu is in Cape Town, it's a huge township with an unlimited supply of tin shack salons and dusty roads. We got lost on the way but it all became a part of the fun. Every person we rolled our window down to would give us different directions. Go that way and then that way and a wala, em-zo-LEEEEZ! It has been a truly awesome day. I went with Jill and Sandhya. I bumped into Suspect Badman, a very cool musician. I also met some interesting people who live within Gugulethu. I couldn't help but notice they were all extremely fashionable. I discovered they call Gugulethu "The Hood" So, I've met Kanye from The Hood. Someone gave me a Mzoli's Glass for me, I now have two souviners.

10.12.13 -  Tonight was the Volunteer Christmas Party. As a Christmas gift to each other, we were all handed a card with someones name on it. We had to write them an anonymous compliment. The cards were then collected back in and given out to their rightful owners. My card said "Dear my lovely Jasmine, I like to say you a big thank you. You made so wonderful videos and pictures. You have a realy good talent. I also like it, that you are not angry if we don't speak so well English. Have a nice Christmas. Love you." I knew instantly from the spelling that it was a German Volunteer! I love it, It made me smile. There are so many German Volunteers, I have no idea who wrote it. It will remain a mystery. 

08.12.13 - My friend Jill leaves on Tuesday. I'll miss her. I'm sad that she is leaving so soon, I wish I spent more time with her. She is hoping to come back next year. I really hope she does because i'll still be here! Like Anne-Lucia, she left me a very sweet note. The last line reads "You're really crazy and that's what makes you this awesome girl that I met. Thank you for everything, I really love you girly" It put a tear in my eye. 

15.11.13 - Tom and I finally left the pool when Jack - our apparent father figure - insisted we go to our rooms and get dressed.Like children in a strop, we grunted and strolled our separate ways. Half an hour later and ten of us were squeezing into a five man taxi. At this point, I didn't  know who seven of our new friends were. It was so much fun! Five minutes later and we were making our way through the doors of "Cool Runnings". Bob Marley blasted through the walls, dominating the room as everyone danced - or rather bounced. I made my way through the crowd until the tight room opened into a larger bar area. Beautiful woman danced in the centre of fierce drummers, it was the largest drum circle i've ever seen. Jack surprised me by both joining the circle and then dancing in the middle. Tom was humiliated for less than five minutes before he joined in too. My favourite part of "Cool Runnings" wasn't the bar itself but in fact it's over-crowded, art stricken alleyway. Yes, you read that right. I cannot describe the instant inspiration I felt as I stepped into that alleyway. Every single person I set eyes on was a distinct individual. You could almost smell the character. Some people looked shady and secretive, others swayed in a lonely trance to the music that seeped it's way through the walls. I stood with my back against a wall for half an hour, taking in my surroundings with awe and admiration. People danced, people laughed. People whispered, sang, shouted, clinked their foaming bottles of Black Label, lit each other's pipes, appeared and dissapeared - aware and unaware. There was a constant beat in that alleyway. It was the heart to Cool Runnings. Eventually, I joined the others inside to dance a while, before heading back to Tekweni Backpackers. I want to go again, I need to. For now, it's time to sleep.

29.10.13 - Today was a really good day. I slept until 1.30pm, something i've missed with all of the 6am starts. I've been feeling very good today, my minds clear and i'm happy. I visited the gym for an hour, it was a good workout. I've been working on a video recently, of my time here. I finally finished it last night and I showed it to Rachael to see what she thought. Before I knew it, the whole of back kitchen had watched it and it had one of the volunteers reduced to tears. It melted ny heart that it meant so much to the other volunteers. They say it explains everything that's too difficult to put into words. I'm now working on a second video. Later on, Jannis turned up and reminded me that we were going drumming tonight. Instead of our usual Thursday night group within the grounds, we decide to go to belville to try out a different drumming circle. A woman from our Thursday circle drove us there. It was a much smaller group and there were more young people. One of the guys I met once had a Gap Year in Scotland! 

30.10.13 - Iona is no longer going to Durban. I'm sad about it but now i'll be even more excited to see her at christmas. I have my heart set on Durban so I'm still going to go - company or no company! It's a 25 hour coach, I can't wait. Nothing has been booked but I have been approved leave for 6 days!

31/10/13 - Happy Halloween! It's 3am and i'm on nightshift. I'm working in House 5&6 with the older girls. They are all asleep. I'm in the silent, dark corridor with my journal and torch. I've just written a letter to send home to my best friend.I had night shift last night too, I'm enjoying it.

01/11/13 - I can't believe it's november. This time last year I was stressed about organizing my fashion show. It was worth the stress. Today has been a long day but tonight was brilliant. I went to the gym at 7pm with Lisa, Rachael, Jana, Helen and Sandhya. We took too long in the changing rooms so the staff switched off the lights... even though two of us were only just out of the shower! After the gym we played basketball for a while, it was tiring but lot's of fun. Eventually we had to stop because the kids were going to bed and it was too loud. We weren't ready for bed yet so decided to lay a blanket under the stars and do some yoga. It was incredibly relaxing. All of the fitness is paying off, I've lost 16lbs. I'll sleep well tonight.

04/11/13 - It has been a wonderful weekend. Y esterday I drove to Cape Towns waterfront with Rach, Yvi, Lisa and Joanna. The sun was setting behind Lions Head as we arrived, it was beautiful. We listened to an amazing live indie-rock band for free. There's always something happening at the Waterfront. When the sky left twilight we drove to my favourite place - Signal Hill. Cape Town looked as beautiful as ever.

Tonight I visited the new Tapas Bar in Durbanville. It was nice but too expensive. We talked a lot about our work, it was very nice. 

05/11/13 - Working with the oldest girls was better than I expected. They have been very nice to me. One girl swore at me but it was nothing personal. She was extremely stroppy! Tonight was a great night. We decided to drive to Table Mountain, a nice change from Signal Hill. Rachael and Lisa sat together with a blanket, so did Jannis and Sandhya. I decided to roll down Table Mountain. It was so much fun. The sky was incredible. I seen two shooting stars. I made two wishes (won't tell you what they are but one has come true already) After an hour or so we drove the car as far along Table Mountain as we could. Next comes one of the funniest moments of my times here. There were night staff working by the Cable Cars. As we drove past, Rachael rolled down her window and asked "Could you possibly tell me where the mountain is?" The reaction on the mans face was priceless but I couldn't help feel a little guilty! The cringy part was the entire conversation that followed.

06/11/13 - Today was another amazing day. I was supposed to go surfing for the first time but it was raining. Instead, I went to Cape Town. Sandhya and I spent an hour looking through some shops on Long Street. Sandhya bought me a beautiful bracelet. I've put it on my ankle with the one from Rach. We realized the time, freaked out, grabbed a very cheap burger and then headed to Cape Towns Planetarium. It was really cool and very educational. Sandhya fell asleep but she had been before so I'll let her off! It was very funny when the lights went back on and everyone's seats stood upright again...except sandhyas. We then looked trugh the museum of South Africa. It was very interesting, one of my favourite museums. When the others decided to drive home, Sandhya and I weren't quite ready. Instead,, we decided to explore public transport. First, we took a train from Cape Town - Belville. We bought 3rd class seats and were very shocked to find out our foam exploding, graffiti covered seats were actually first class. It's beyond me why the train is splt into classes, the times have outgrown such a thing. One half of the train was overflowing with people, the other half was barely full, people sat sparsly and antisocially.  In Belville, we looked around some shops. The whole experience reminded me of Jo'Burg. I was followed by a man pleading "white girl, white girl". The mini-taxi between Belville and Durbanville was short but eventful. We were surrounded by Xhosa clicks and far too many people. I like travelling by the mini-taxi's. They are lot's of fun. It has been a really brilliant day.

17.11.13 - Tonight we went back to "Cool Runnings". There was no sight or sound of the drummers. Instead, we had the opportunity to order food. Oh my. It was the best food i've had in months. I ordered steak and chips and it was the damn best steak and chips i've ever had. Ever. It's also the cheapest Steak and Chips i've ever had. Ever. It cost around R30, the equivalent of £2. I ate my food and happily swayed along to the music. Now and then I dissapeared into the alleyway. It was much quiter but there was still that undeniable hum of life. I had more space to appreciate the art work that dominated the walls, window bars and drainpipes for as far as they stretched. "Our time will come" and "Our Legacy has begun" were two of the quotes closest to me, sprawled vertically on drainpipes. My favourite piece on the whole wall however was a quote that's written backwards, a little sketchy and difficult to read. My instinct was to turn and face the wall opposite me, where a broken shard of mirror clung to the wall. Keeping my eyes on it, I walked until the quote slid into it's frame. "None but ourselves can free our own minds." Beautiful. Back at Tekweni, I went for a lonely swim in the pool, for an hour. It was incredibly relaxing.

25.10.13 - I've just finished reading The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini. I could barely put the book down and my eyes welled up more than once. I would recommend this book to everyone, it's an incredible fast-paced, heart-breaking read. "For you, a thousand times over."

06.12.13 - One of the girls woke up and joined me on the floor. She silent for a few moments before saying "And now, my world will fall apart."She soon went back to bed. It's just after midnight and I'm on night shift. I've just heard the dreaded news that Nelson Mandela has passed away. The country will stand still, it's heart will break and tears will fall. Behind him, he leaves an legacy and a lesson: inspiration, hope and encouragement to the entire world. I only hope that the scars of South Africa's past continue to heal in his image. Madiba can finally rest. May he watch over this beautiful country with pride. 

At the Waterfront 

On the Beach

With Lauren and Tom

In the Backpackers Pool

My Durban Backpackers

Watching the Sun Rise

With Lisa at the Childrens Christmas Party

Tribute to Mandela

On our way to Table Mountain

Bringing Christmas Spirit to the beach

Learning to Surf on Blouberg Beach

A photo update...

03/11/2013
Here are some photographs from the past month or two!

On top of Table Mountain

Table Mountain

With Lisa and Yvi

Rachael, me, Lisa and Yvi at the Waterfront

On Signal Hill

Our Christmas Tree on the beach

First time surfing

Table Mountain!

Riding in the Bakkie

In Durban with Tom and Lauren

Durban, yay!

In the Backpackers Pool, Durban

Very cool Backpackers

Making our mark

Party on the beach for Lisa's Birthday

Watching the sunrise

With Lisa at the Childrens Christmas Party

On the day of Mandela's Passing

A memorial in Cape Town

Watching the Sun Set

Sunny December

Surfing Pro's...almost

Surfing

Warning

12/12/13
I haven't posted in over a month but don't worry, there's a whole load coming your way.

I have been writing regularly, I just don't have the internet to upload blog posts! 

A huge update...

Blog part one - When Children Bite

I've spent the past weekend working in Stepping Stones. My shifts were 7am-9pm Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Stepping Stones is a sort of "middle house" where the kids go when they are too old for Happy Feet but not ready for the older houses. There are both girls and boys. It's probably one of the toughest, yet most fun houses to work in. I've been covered in spiders and snot, I've been bitten and scratched, I've had my hair pulled out and I've said "put that middle finger down" more than twice. The children are all extremely energetic. 

We were all sitting in the dark, watching a movie in silence. I was very relaxed, sipping on a cup of tea as the kids were peacefully mesmerized with the movie. 10 minutes later, I'm locked outside the house, one kid is hitting me with a china mug and the other is laughing "na na, na na na" from the inside. "You can't come in auntie, go AWAY!" 

A few hours later and it's outside time. One of my kids has a bow. It's arrow is pointed between Rachael's eyes, he looks at her like the devil. She repeats "I'm warning you, if you hit me, I'll take it off you." The arrow flies and she takes it off him. He throws a tantrum and screams in protest. 

A few minutes later, he grabs Rachaels neck from behind and starts rattling her head back and forth. Someone has to pull him off her and she is left breathless. This happens three times before he finally pushes it too far and is taken away.

Earlier that day, I was slapped in the face and scratched by another kid. She claims "it's just a game auntie" and thumps me in the chest. Five minutes later "you look tasty auntie" as she takes a bite out of my shoulder.

These two kids are deliberately violent, they are always looking for a reaction. Some other kids however, hurt you with no intention. For instance, one boy thinks it's fantastic to run and jump on you no matter where you are and who you are talking to. Suddenly, your on the ground and he's sitting on your chest, pinning you to the ground and shouting "HELLO AUNTIE" while you sooth the pain on the back of your head.

Blog part two - church time, is that real wine?

If your shift falls on a Sunday, you usually take the children to Church. The church is very modern, more so than those back home. It's a short walk away from the home, some of the kids walk bare-foot. I went this Sunday, with the children from Stepping Stones. 

All of the children from the children's home sit together, in the back-left corner. I'm not sure if it's compulsory or not - we always sit there. Altogether, we are a group of more than fifty, mainly black children. The rest of the church is packed with a sea of white faces, local families from Durbanville. As we entered, there was a man playing the piano accompanied by a younger man playing an African Drum, it was a relaxing piece of music.

The services are always in Afrikaans. Although it makes it difficult to understand, It's quite interesting. However, I understood that this Sunday, there was a celebration of families. Either that or a celebration to celebrate an upcoming celebration of families. Everyone in the room was given a cube of bread. There was a shot of wine - real wine - for the adults. The children had a shot of water.

Suddenly, the minister starts to recite a prayer. People all around the room begin to huddle with their family. They hold hands, hug each other, pull each other close. Suddenly, our back-left corner feels like a dark pit of isolation. All of our kids are looking around, watching as the rest of the church is no longer a sea of individuals but a collection of loving, unbroken families. It seems, they are praying in thanks. I watch one woman as her lips move fast in prayer, brushing the head of her child.

I felt a shot of pain in my chest. It was so unfair, that our children had to sit and watch. At first I was angry. I didn't know how to feel, until one of the kids melted my heart so much my emotions flipped around and I could have cried happy tears.

There was a younger boy beside him, looking dough-eyed around the room. The older boy pulled him closer, took his hand. They sat like that for the whole prayer, hugging into each other. 

They might not have a parent to hold onto, but they have each other. The beautiful thing was the boy understanding that. 

Blog part three - Inspired in South Africa

Lot's of things have inspired me recently. South African films, music, art, people, landscapes, events, accidents and incidents. I've been writing and drawing almost every night. 

A few days ago, I was sitting outside and writing in my journal. It's a nice little spot, on a concrete bench that sits under a huge floppy tree. 

Tree Photo

Bench Photo

Suddenly, little flakes of grey were landing on me. I lifted my head from my journal to find the air thick with smoke. Flakes of ash were heavily drifting from the sky. I hadn't even noticed the smell before then - the air was so thick with it. It definitely wasn't the neighbours having a braii. As it turned out, the local nature reserve had gone up in flames. It's very sad, how something so beautiful can catch fire and burn out. Anyway I managed to write a poem before I darted inside. The nature reserve was beautiful before it went up in flames,  it's last moments were also beautiful - as it fell from the sky. I was trying to put the situation into words for my blog but I  couldn't do it any justice - so thought why not stick a ryhme to it.

On the concrete bench, under my tree,

The sun shines bright, I struggle to breathe, 

Like a winters snow, ash falls down,

It drifts from the sky like  a broken cloud.

Blog part four - Living without money

It's difficult, not impossible. Every month I recieve R900 (about £60) from Project Trust. This is not a wage but rather pocket money - something to live on. Some people have another grand or two in the bank from personal savings but unfortunately that's not the case for me. I did save extra money before leaving the UK and it WAS spent wisely - it just wasn't enough to last.

It's especially difficult being in a town like Durbanville. Every day, volunteers are going shopping or out for lunch or to the beach. I can't do any of that. I can't even go to the beach because I have no money for petrol (about £1.50 at the most). It's not the easiest situation but I really don't mind.

I can go for walks and see Durbanville and read books and paint pictures and write in my journal and of course, write letters and blogs (although I can't upload them until I have money to go to the internet cafe). It's been nice. Although I AM looking forward to going on little day trips again. I hope to go surfing and to Robben Island soon.

Everyday we are given a plate of food, it's your choice what to do with it and when to eat it. I usually save my plate for dinner time. At breakfast, I'll eat weet-bix or toast - food we are supplied with. I eat eggs at lunch time, another food we are supplied with. It's possible to live here without buying food, just a little frustrating sometimes. Everyone has cravings. There are more than three food markets. Imagine craving chocolate when all you have is a banana.

When I do get money, I'm going to save it for travelling. That's what I've done so far and it's working well! After a weekend of experiencing a part of South Africa, there's no space in my mind for complaining. The thought of my next adventure keeps me going. I. Will. Survive. Chocolate or no chocolate. Although, if you would like to send me a food parcel, it's - Jasmine Bennett, Durbanville Kinderhuis, Kerkstraat 1, Durbanville, Cape Town 7550, Western Cape, South Africa. You will get a post card in return...

Now, I have every intention of going to Durban mid - November. Right now, I have no money for it and my Project Trust pocket money will not be enough to cover it. However, where there's a will, there's a way. I'll be going. If not i'll delete this paragraph... I'm 99% sure I'll be going. Just wait and see. In Durban i'll be meeting Lauren, a Project Trust volunteer working in Clouds of Hope - A children's home in Underburg. Other volunteers from my organisation will be there but I'm not sure who yet. I plan to visit Zululand and do the worlds highest Stadium Swing. You wait and see!

Part five - A live blog

30/10/2013

I'm currently sitting in the upstairs corridor of house 5&6. It's pitch black and silent. I'll be sitting here until 7am. Welcome to night shift!

My presence is necessary in case one of the girls wake up, be it they are unwell or simply can't sleep. I'm enjoying it so far but it's only been an hour, I won't count my chickens. Already two of the girls have woken up. They both sat with me for 10 minutes before going back to bed.

I've brought my duvet, blanket and pillow with me. I've borrowed a mattress from an empty bed. I'm very comfy. It's really cold but i'm managing to keep warm under my blanket.

To keep me occupied for the next nine hours i've brought my netbook, my journal, my sketchbook and some pens. I've also brought a bottle of water and an orange. I have no internet ( this will be uploaded late ) but do have some movies and programs on my netbook. I'm also hoping to plan activities for my Durban trip. I have so much time and nothing better to do! 

I would like to do night shift for a long period of time. Sometimes I think I would be better suited at it over day shift. I have no idea what shifts the future holds for me but i'm sure i'll do that at some point.

I only hope I don't see the sillhouette of a cockroach scurrying along the corridor, I get enough of them in flat 2!

31/10/2013

Happy Halloween! The Childrens Home doesn't celebrate Halloween but the Children all know what it is... well most believe it's an evening to worship Satan. I've been asked "Do you believe in God?" and "Why would you celebrate halloween? Halloween is bad" multiple times.

I'm spending my halloween on nightshift. Yes, back in the dark, silent corridor until 7am. It's maybe not the best way to endure halloween...alone. 

I've been very productive tonight. It's 3am and i've written two letters, I'll re-read them in the morning to see how awful they are. I'm using torchlight!

Black Widows and Blood, Dayshift and Drumming...

16/10/13

Work has been very complicated and unpredictable recently, that's why I haven't spoken of it. It has been difficult to collect my thoughts when work itself is scattered.

The first few weeks of work are unpredictable for everyone. No one has a proper routine and the main priority is that the work is covered; not who is covering it. 

Eventually, things tighten and shift plans are organised.

Everyone was given a structured shift plan for the following eight weeks, a specific house to work in and a great opportunity to build relationships with the children under their care in that house. Everyone that is, except me, Rachael and Anna. Our fourth partner, Niamh, is on night shift for the next eight weeks, a tough but interesting area of work.

I have mixed feelings about not having a structured shift plan. Here are the negative's and positive's:

Negative

- It's difficult to build a relationship with the children and child care workers when you are constantly changing shifts.

- It's unpredictable work - sometime's I don't know i'm working until two hourse before hand.

- The latter comes with it's own problems. The intitial problem is difficulty arranging dayshifts, it's imporssible if I don't know i'm working.

Positive

- Constantly changing areas of work has a l\silver lining. I am privileged to experience so many areas. It broaden my horizons on the constant effort and with that, the pressure that goes into running the home.

- Flexibility. I enjoy the range of work and varied hours, it keeps things interesting.

- I've worked in almost every house. Although I may not know the children closely yet, it's nice that they recognize me as their friend and their "Auntie".

Today I finally received a plan. It may be a little complicated and literally all over the place...but it's a plan! I can finally relax and enjoy knowing when I need to work and when I can chill out. I know where I will be working until the end of October. I will be doing a lot of work for the fundraising department - helping to organize and/or work at events. I will also be working in Stepping Stones, a house for the younger boys. At the end of the month I will work nightshift.

The past week I have worked in House 11 with 9-14 year old boys and House 5, where the teenage girls live. There was a moment in House 11 yesterday that I will certainly never forget...the moment I first set eyes on a Black Widow Spider.

It was asleep underneath the outside table, happy in it's web-nest with it's two unborn babies by it's side...until the boys started poking at the web with sticks.

Oblivious to my constant leave it alone pleads, they proded and poked until the spider fell down, leaving it's babies behind it. At this point I welled up but contained myself. Besides the facts - Spider, Black Widow, Spider, Death, Spider - it was still a mother going through trauma without her babies.

It ran around in a panic for a few minutes and then thankfully dodged the stomping feet and hid in the crack of a wall. I've been thinking about it all day.

I really hope it finds it's way back to it's babies and the kids forget it exists. Good luck spidey.

Sometimes the kids behaviour towaeds animals can be shocking. I know the projection of violence could have a thousand reasons of encouragement so I try to handle every situation carefully. One of the boys I was working with had been taken to school that morning but didn't make it to the classroom door. Instead, him and his friends decided to patrol the grounds to seek out snakes, which they would then murder and burn out.

I am extremely careful with animals. I literally couldn't hurt a fly. In fact, I couldn't count the amount of times i've saved a fly from the paddling pool or a fly trap. As scared as I may be of spiders, I also couldn't kill one. I even flicked a top-sided cockroach over yesterday so it cold scurry away and live happily. Last week a butterfly was struggling on it's back, I helped turn it over and it sat on my arm for a few minutes before flying away.

It is so important that children learn to be kid to animals, it teaches them gentle kindness and how to care for a soul other than their own.

I feel so privileged to help with the therapeutic horse riding every week, seeing the bond between the children and horses first hand is amazing. At the beginning, the girls would squeel and hide behind my back if a horse approached us. By the end, they would freely and gently stroke the horses neck, letting it sniff them without a second thought.

Helping with the horse riding is incredible for other reasons, including the journey to the farm. The drive passes Klipheuwel, the township that I will soon have the opportunity to work in. The farm itself is stunning. The tin shack stables and dusty orange roads feel very beautifully typical for an African farm.

My second out of work activity is drumming. Not drumming where you can create a beat from the numerous sounds a drum kit offers you...creating a beat from the numerous sounds YOU can offer a single drum. A huge, beautiful, magical African drum. I'm going to buy my own when I can afford one. I feel like I have found my place within the drumming group, it's incredible. The group memebers are from Durbanville and beyond. Some have the experience of 20 years thrown into their passion. 

Sometimes when we are playing - thirty drums beating at the same time - it is so easy to start day dreaming. The amazing thing is, your hands keep moving. It's like you are in some wild trance.

I'm also going to start helping with the drum circle for the children.

Thank you for reading this far, I'm very lucky the internet cafe is so close but it's a little expensive and I'm working a lot, so it's nice to update you on everything all at once - when I have the chance.

Now for the much shorter, second half of this blog...

HIKING TABLE MOUNTAIN!

The heat was absolutely ridiculous. It was SO HOT! South Africans would "pfft" and say "this is cool, wait until we reach summer" to which we would complain. The hike itself was nice but I'm not going to lie, me and Rachael got half way and turned back. BAD IDEA! The time consuming, difficult walk back to the bottom proved we might as well have continued in the right direction. We got the cable cart to the top, where the views were simply wonderful. We WILL hike table mountain to the top, when the cooler temperatures come around next year. Here are some photo's from the trip, enjoy!

Upcoming adventures...

09/10/2013
I will upload my Culture Day Blog when I'm at the internet cafe, my internet at the home is too slow to upload the photographs.

I wanted to do a little post on my upcoming adventures. Both to give you an insight into my travel plans and to encourage myself that they will happen. I've become very determined in South  Africa. Whenever I get an idea, I manipulate it until it's a plan. I'm sure my room mate has questioned the sheets of paper plastered all over my bedroom door with the likes of "Where there's a will, there's a way" and "do NOT spend ANY of your MONEY!" It might seem excessive but it works. I didn't think my trip to Plettenburg bay would actually happen until the day before, when I booked the coach. That however, made things extremely tight and rushed. I will definitely book things further in advance this time.

DURBAN
Depending on the route you take, Durban is 13-16 hours away from Cape Town. It is on the coast, in the KwaZulu-Natal, a province of South Africa. The route I will take goes along the -beautiful, can't wait to see it again - coast, out of the Western Cape, all the way through the Eastern Cape and finally, into the KwaZulu Natal. Durban is known as the Surf Capitol of South Africa, I'll definitely need to give that a go.

I plan to arrive on November 14th and stay four nights until November 18th. I will be meeting Project Trust volunteers again, there will be 5 or 6 of us. We are going to stay in a recommended backpackers, right in the centre of Durban's highlights - Tekweni Backpackers.

GARDEN ROUTE SAFARI
In February for my partners birthday (Rachael), we are planning an epic 10-day road trip. Lisa and Yvonne, two of the lovely German volunteers will also be with us. They can both drive so we will hire a car for the whole trip. Our furthest destination will be Port Elizabeth. We will spend some nights on the Garden route on the way to Oudtshoorn. Our Safari be in Oudtshoorn. We will spend one night there and spend  the day riding elephants and going on a game drive. I'm very excited to see South Africa's wild side. On the way back from PE we will spend two nights in Plettenburg Bay. I'm really excited to go back. Rachael is going to do the Worlds Highest Bungy Jump. I've also decided to do it again...backwards!

I will update this tomorrow, my internet is going to run out. Look forward to the colourful photo's from Culture Day!