Highlights from South Africa

One of the reasons I chose to volunteer with Peace Corps was the opportunity to see the world. Not just visit places - but experience new cultures. Kéméni has fulfilled my every expectation in this aspect - we eat together, I have a village name, I even have a matching complet with the same pagne as everyone else in village.

But I still have that desire to explore every corner of Africa. A continent that has challenged me, surprised me, and captured my heart.

In March, I was able to travel to South Africa. I recently got a letter from a friend and she asked why I hadn't written about the trip. That week coincided with the death of my Grandma. It was a time of extremely mixed emotions. It was the first time since stepping on this soil - the cradle of life - that all I wanted was to be back in Chicago supporting my mom in a long embrace that I had not felt in 6 months. But South Africa also brought the realization of a dream I have had forever, seeing a wild elephant.

I have some amazing friends and they have allowed me to travel to places otherwise monetarily impossible. So last year when I finally got my PC assignment and The Tedders, a family I was nannying for at the time, told me they were planning on visiting some family in Cape Town - I did what I thought Craig and Renee would have done - I invited myself to visit. The Tedders were my family in Olympia. Genevieve and Vivian (and now Luke) are raised in a way I envy and only hope to copy - with a love of travel, the outdoors, books, and good friends. I could not count how many times I was in their house thinking 'this is how I'm gonig to do things with my kids.' Gen and Viv also provided a great escape from my studies. Our days were spent at the playground, going to the bakery, dancing, and making each other laugh.

Seeing them in Cape Town was like the 9 months had not passed since I last saw them. Except that the kids were a bit taller. They seemed to remember everything about our time together. Before I even unpacked Gen said to me, 'You have to bring your elephant purse on safari for good luck!'

I was lucky enough to explore a large part of the Southern Cape in my short visit. The first night was spent in Hermanus, a holiday town on the Indian Ocean with an impressive population of orcas during mating season. The next day we were off to Aquila Private Game Reserve for 2 days of safari. I watched the sunrise alongside a herd of zebras. I sipped champagne at dusk watching a giraffe eat. Most of my PCV friends were jealous about one aspect of South Africa - the food and wine. I ate my weight in cheese that week. I savored desserts and was beside myself at the selection of wines. Aquila had a plentiful buffet at every meal. I mostly spent my time thinking how lucky I was to be receiving Craig and Renee's generousity.

The week also brought a realization for me - that my adventurous travel does not have to end. Craig and Renee showed me that kids don't have to slow you down. We spent the next 2 days driving to vineyards for tours. The landscapes were beautiful and the wine splendid - even for someone faking any knowledge of wine tasting. I sipped the champagne Barack had at his inaugeration. We then headed up the West Coast to Craig's sister's beach house. The house was breathtaking and the hospitality unwarranted. Although it was chilly, I braved the cold water to play in the waves. I even saw pods of dolphins playing in the waves. My final day was spent in Cape Town with unbelievable views of Tabletop Mountain and nonstop talk of the upcoming World Cup. Over coffee on our way to the airport I thought about how I was not ready to go back to Togo. 'When is the next time I'll get a latte, goat cheese, a hot shower??' The idea of the next 21 months in Togo seemed too daunting. I asked Craig and Renee when they were planning on coming back - so I could too.

A Day in the Life...

Want to know what it is like to live in an African village? Here's a glimpse into my life.
5h30 Wake-up. Go to the well twice to collect water for the day.
6h Morning routine; brush teeth, sweep the house, feed my cat, etc.
6h30 Laundry time. I am now an expert at hand-washing clothes.
7h30 Make breakfast.
8h15 Go out into the village to salute people. Go to the school.
9h Relax for a few minutes!
9h30 Visitors! Some women come by my house to discuss what kind of work we can do together. We have a date to build some improved cook stoves next week! Also on the agenda; soap and lotion making.
10h Go back to the school to address all the classes (there are 4). I am going to start a club for the girls. Last week I was discussing with the principal about a 5eme (roughly 7th grade) girl who is pregnant. I told him that I want, or better yet, need to talk to these girls about sex. He then informed me that 'condoms are not for kids, they are for men who want to sleep with a woman besides his wife.'
Since then I have been determined to challenge this Palin-esque mentality. So instead of TM (travail manuel) Tuesday afternoons, about forty 12-16 year old girls are going to come to my house where we'll have class, my way. A class I'm calling 'Parlons du Sexe, bebe.' The teacher who accompanied me to the classes is very supportive of the idea. He said ' these girls, they do not know anything about sex. But they like it very much.'
11h Home again. Bake a cake (just because I can) 12h Make lunch.
Repose. Nap/reading/crossword time.
15h Go to the boutique in village to pick-up some things for dinner.
15h30 Lesson prep/work time
16h30 Bike ride, 12km
17h15 Shower. I bet you're wondering what my showers are like here without running water. Basically I have a bucket of water and I pour water over my body with a cup.
17h30 Make dinner, mangeons!
18h30 Go to my homologue's house to visit his family.
19h30 Time to roll out my mat for another night of sleep under the amazing African night sky.
Do you think you could survive?