T.I.A. (This Is Africa)

TIA is a phrase we say a lot here. It's the perfect answer for everything. Whenever something goes wrong, something takes longer than it should, something seems out of the ordinary, or something happens that can "only happen in Africa" we say, "TIA."

Today we went to the Bird's of Prey Sanctuary. Apparently SA has 81 species of Birds of Prey and North America only has 31 (or was it 23? I can't remember). I took pictures of many of the birds, but only posted a few of my favorites. We went to a "bird show" and we were taught about the various types of birds so that we can identify them in the air. I don't know how well I'll be able to do that, but it was a fun show nonetheless.

Hello Mr. Vulture

These birds were enormous...

...and sooo creepy/scary. They reminded me of The Jungle Book

The girls living in my chalet!

Nicole, Stephanie, Katie, Rebekah, Amanda, and Ashley

Standin' tall and proud

My favorite owl. hahaha.

After the birds, we went on a tour of Pietermaritzburg. It was fun to walk downtown and look at the various shops and buildings. We saw the train station where Ghandi was kicked off the train for the color of his skin. That act started his entire mission. We also drove to this spot that overlooks the entire city. The clouds had started to gather, so it was quite gloomy. It was still a beautiful view.

I had to take a picture of this billboard! "YOU WILL DIE." This would be so much more effective than the warnings we use in the States for drunk driving. Look at the picture! He is in a body cast sipping from a straw! Hahahaha!

The view from my car window. This entire country is gorgeous!

Elections are coming up. The man who will probably win, Zuma (in yellow), has 70 something counts against him, dealing with corruption, fraud, and tax evasion. Yikes.

The Parliament building

The building on the left is the old post office :)

I saw at least four of these in the few blocks we walked

The City Hall- the largest red-brick building in the southern hemisphere!

Ghandi

My pathetic Gandhi impression

People sell everything from food to clothing to art on the streets

Afterwards, Reg took us all out to the Mug and Bean (a delicious coffee and food place) for tea time. I had a latte and a scone, which hit the spot after a long day. The mall where Mug and Bean is located was extremely crowded. I learned that people here get paid once a month, so at the end of the month (pay day) everybody goes shopping. Most people live month to month, so when they receive their paychecks they need all their groceries, clothes, etc.

We had lamb curry for dinner tonight. At least that's what I think it was. It wasn't chicken, fish, or beef... and it had a TON of bones in it. If it wasn't lamb, I have no idea what kind of meat it was. It tasted a little bit like my mom's beef curry, which is nice. The food here always tastes great, but it ALWAYS scares me to death before I try it. At each meal, I wait in line starving until I get my first glimpse of the food. Suddenly I find myself questioning that hunger and praying that my bowels will be able to handle whatever I attempt to digest. Before I know it, the cooks are piling the food on my plate and I am suddenly mute and unable to say "no thank you!!!" I walk terrified to a table, sit down, take a bite, and am relieved that it at least tastes great. Eating is an adventure here. You never know what you're going to get, and most things are beyond recognition. I miss Italian food so much! I was prepared to miss Mexican food, but I forgot how much I looooove Italian food until I came here. I would kiss a monkey for a good piece of garlic bread and a plate of spaghetti.

Last night nearly the entire group played a game called fugitive. 5 people had flashlights and their goal was to catch the 25 (?) of us who had to get from the top of the property to the gate. It was a LONG way... and very dark... and very full of various creatures and their noises. I don't think I would follow that trail in the daylight, but I guess the competition came over me because before I knew it, I was crawling through the thick grass and hiding behind rocks and trees. I don't think I got bit by anything... which is a miracle. There are so many things out there- including snakes. I don't know WHAT we were thinking! haha! I stepped in monkey poop... it was an adventure.

I tried to upload a video of the vultures eating lunch, but it quit working after AN HOUR! Oh well, TIA. The country shares a specific amount of bandwidth, and we are allotted a specific amount here. Since most of the APU students are on skype right now, I think things are going a lot slower on the web. It would probably be fast at 3am here, but I am not that dedicated! (This is how my posts get so long... I type while I wait for pictures to upload. It takes about 10 minutes for 5 photos). I will try again in a different blog! I have more pictures to post as well, but I am tired and want to go to sleep now!

Hope all is well with you who read this! Thanks for your thoughts and prayers.

xoxoxox