and vat vat vat

I am not sure if that is the right spelling, but prounced sounding a bit german, vat vat vat means yeah yeah yeah or and so on and so forth. See now, I am practically african. Those of you who know that I am a language geek can probably see me, wide eyed trying to pick up any word I can.

Sorry again today, no photos, mostly because it is very dark in the house, late for everyone else and I dont want to rummage around with cords.

But here, a story of the day. I was downtown with Bernard this afternoon. He left me in this store to look around because saw it in my eyes as soon as I walked in. (A bead store). He said "ok nicole.. I go do my bike stuff.. I know I can leave you here..". Then about 5 minutes later he came running into the store saying "yeah we have to go right now" as he pointed to the sky. I dont usually believe people when they predict storms.. some say the leaves turn inside out, some mothers will make you hide in the corner of the basement with everything off but a radio...
so I just agreed and took off with him. He dropped me at the home so he could go to the doctors, and there was no one else home. Just then the craziest storm errupted. Really though, huge amounts of hail, raing just pouring down, the troft was a waterfall. It was nuts. It went on for a good half hour. Good thing I was home alone because here is this crazy white girl (again and site to be seen here), running around with her stupid camera trying to capture all of this. I already have close to no skills in photography let alone when I am running around in the dark slipping on every wet tile. Anyways the storm ended, the family came home and told me that is no storm. Of course.


so that was that.. and vat vat vat

tonight I went to bible study with bernard, that was actually good. Not so awkward with the language, many people would speak in english. It was nice, because we split off into boys and girls, everyone ius twenty ish, and yes for your intrest they were all white, but I got to really talk with the girls and it was great conversation. Not just surface level stuff either.

ah yes, also today, the main pastor started with the minstry today. He is just 23 and kind of looks like usher?? Haha, not in that I drool over him, just that is what he looks like ok? So to add to the already unique crew that drives up every morning, we have a gansta (dont tell him I said that) smooth man. O my, I cannot believe I said that. Must be late.


vat vat vat and some more vat

much much love

ps tommorow I must teach a class of about 15, non english speaking toddlers. They are going to laugh their pants off.

First few days...

Well I have finished my first full day here in South Africa, and I wanted to try and fill you all in a bit. I don't have any pictures tonight, but hopefully in the near future.

I can tell you many more details than I could before I came because now I know actually what I am doing and where I am staying and everything. I came with no expectations and that was probably the best idea.

I live in a community, outside of Jo-Berg called Harrismith. Hard to say how many people live here, just the size of a small town, there are shops and everything. It is a mostly white community, with lots of black workers. You could say that driving you dont feel out of place, but I defineately stuck out this morning on my walk as everyone was walking to work. I live in a house, my own room, own bathroom, with the family that runs the ministry. For now it is just me, the couple and their son, more people are coming and going soon.

Then each week day we drive to where the care center (orphanage) is. Again, for now it is just me, Wim, and Bernard. It is about an hours drive right into the mountains. Kind of funny, three people all in the front of a little white truck. This community called QwaQwa could be the most beautiful place I have ever been. It is in valleys, all surrounded by mountains. It kind of reminds me of the hills of tijuana for those of you that have been, just packed with houses, except there isnt pollution burning and dead dogs walking every where.

I have lots of details to share but I do not want to bore you. Just a quick story. First try to imagine working in a village where you are one of the few white people. Where white people can be counted on two hands, among 2 million black people. It isnt scary, I dont feel worried, I just get stared at like crazy and I kind of feel like an idiot. So today, we were at the care center and we got a call from Bernard who was just up the hill to say that the truck had broken. Now my car broke once... the starter broke, I just had to get it towed. When Bernard called to say that the truck had broke, he really meant it. Not moveable, not liftable defineately not able to be towed. Now this community is extremely peaceful, which is nice untill your truck breaks and you need a lift somewhere. So after about 3 hours of the guys working on it, using twigs and ropes really, it started to rain. So I went and sat in this womans house. Just a small house, one room really. Not really awkward, we both understood that we could not understand eachother, but her little girl, maybe three years old, would not stop laughing at me. Seriously, she would look at me and immdieately crack up. That is what I mean by feeling stupid. So after another three hours of work, we were back on the road again and made it home. Quite a long day.

so just at the care center for the rest of the week, I think I will tag along with bernard for a while, he has a bible study tommorow and a bit of a retreat on the weekend.

oh my, and quite a long blog. Those of you who stuck through it, good on you!!

thanks for listenning,

much love