My very lovely trip to South Africa was interrupted by a necessary stay in the hospital; thank goodness it was a short one! My friend's family took wonderful care of me, acting like a surrogate family, and I learned that asking if you're going into "theatre" is inquiring about whether you are having surgery, not going into acting :) I also had some of my South African friends visit me during my short stay in the hospital which meant a lot to me!
My last week in Durban I spent staying with friends, enjoying the sunshine and the company of good people.
My last day in Durban, they took me on an inside tour of the Durban aquarium with a private tour guide (who happens to be my friend's dad), a bunch of super sweet SMS's (text messages) wishing me well, a bunch of funny phone calls to say goodbye (funny because I still couldn't talk, so I was whistling for yes), a hand made teddy bear from my friend's grandma, and the cutest going away card from his family that you've ever seen. Such sweet people! I will miss all the wonderful people I met in Durban, and all the adventures shared there. I can't believe the journey is over! The life lessons I learned, the wonderful memories made, and the fantastic friends I have will always be in my heart! I really wasn't ready to leave, but I am so very glad I went! I come home feeling renewed, well traveled, and enriched in so many ways! As tough as it was to say goodbye, I have many fond hellos to look forward to, and a snowy Christmas (it was very weird to see Christmas trees in really hot weather, and Santa hats on people wearing shorts and tank tops)!
As I tearfully boarded the plane home, my hopes to travel more swelled, my memory soaking in all the wonderful times spent over the last six months, and my friends make me promise to try to come see them in 2010 (when South Africa hosts the world cup!) Such joy, such fun, so many laughs, so many experiences, so many friends, so many smiles and the adventure of a lifetime! While its sad to see it come to an end, I can only wonder what else is in store, and am so incredibly grateful for the opportunities I had in South Africa, and for the opportunity to go in the first place!

Posted by Lauren at 12:07 AM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)

Cape Town was AMAZING! I could live there for sure. Half an hour after our plane touched down we went up to Table Mountain and saw the Cape from a bird's eye view. Wine tours (amazing) and a trip to Boulder's Beach (with African penguins!) and Cape Point (the south western tip of Africa) with friends who were studying at UCT, Robben Island and more. What a trip! It was great to have a holiday in CT with friends. The friends from Cape Town showed us some of the best spots and made the trip really special. On Robben Island we saw Nelson Mandela's cell and had a tour by an ex-political prisoner. It's crazy to think that some of my friends’ parents were even imprisoned there.

Cape Town has a different pulse than Durban, and I loved it. Right on the ocean, you can see the Mountain from everywhere. As we flew out with the sunset to our backs a week later, I kept thinking, “I've gotta come back” because a week was not long enough!

Posted by Lauren at 02:07 PM | Permalink | Comments (3) | TrackBacks (0)

Yesterday I visited South Africa's second largest township (right behind Soweto in Johannesburg), Umlazi, with a friend from there. Its a half an hour from the varsity so I told her I could take a cab, but she said the drivers won't go there; other South African friends were afraid for me to go there but there really is more fear than reason to have it. My friend's mom kindly came and picked me up, and it was so much fun to meet her mom and friends. I got to see her church and all the cute church moms who have matching uniforms (white coats with black ties, hats, and purple pins). Even though the service was all in Zulu I really enjoyed being there. They made me get up in front of the congregation and give a little speech about where I'm from, in front of all two hundred Zulu speaking members of the congregation...Haha. But I was very warmly greeted. Though Umlazi seldom sees a white person, everyone was so sweet. The church was very welcoming (I haven't had that many hugs in one day in a while) but when we went for lunch I was made quite aware of the lack of pigment in my skin. From the kids who stare stare; I love that they stare actually because they have no shame in it and you always know what is innocently on their minds; to the guys yelling "baby girl" "sunshine" and "white girl" at me through car windows. It was such a great experience to see Umlazi though, and more so to be with a friend who calls it home. It will be a treasured memory.

Spent this past week going to goodbye meals and hanging out with friends who I will never forget. I also got to go visit SABC with a friend who is a reporter there. I remember reading Allister Sparks' (a former editor in chief at the South African Broadcasting Company) book before I left home. His book is about the changes in South African media during and after the governmental change, a reciprocal relationship between shifting media and the move to democracy. Being there recalled all the powerful ways media influences the world, and was a reminder to me of how this country has changed. Nelson Mandela said democracy has made the world smaller and in the process been a great tool for the promotion of democracy. It was wonderful to see SABC in person, as a reminder of how it has changed, how the nation has changed, and just as one more thing I have read about that comes to life in such deeper waves when you are actually standing there.

Off to Cape Town tomorrow morning! We are planning to visit Robben Island, Table Mountain, Cape Point and the winelands, and more! I'm so excited, everyone says Cape Town is the Europe of Africa, it sounds beautiful!

Posted by Lauren at 01:53 PM | Permalink | TrackBacks (0)