Hippos, Rhinos, and Elephants, Oh My!

It may have been expensive. It may have been touristy. It may have even been overdone. But one thing is for sure about today's safari adventure- it was totally, indubitably, and unshakably awesome.

After going to sleep a little late because of my inability to resist Harrison Ford's portrayal of President Marshall in the movie Air Force One, I awoke at about 5:20AM to get ready for my day in the (semi)wild bush. I have to admit- I had my doubts that this whole project would pan out but sure enough, as I finished burning a couple CD's to provide musical accompaniment to the 2 hour drive, Christianne called me to let me know that she was about to arrive. When I got outside to get into the car, I found that there had been two late-notice additions to our party: a young Seattle-inhabiting couple visiting and volunteering with All Nations for two weeks. Joe and Danielle turned out to be quite a blast and I really enjoyed their company. In addition to those two, Christianne and Becka from All Nations came along.

It was still completely dark outside when we left, but as we got closer to the reserve, passing through misty canyons and long sub-mountainous tunnels, the sun rose behind dramatic silhouettes of the landscape. To the melodies of Death Cab for Cutie and Coldplay, the five of us talked about everything from Phoenix (Joe did Teach for America there) to the ethics of swerving to avoid birds while driving (Christianne had proven her "no swerve" stance practically to initiate such a discussion). When the sun has risen sufficiently enough to actually see the area around us, we found that some of the taller mountains were actually covered in snow! Surprising, considering the usual African stereotypes. I guess Cape Town's rain is the interior's snow.

Snow Capped Surprise

We arrived at the Aquila Private Game Reserve at about 8:15, early for the complimentary breakfast. At the sign-in office, however, we were met with a piece of bad news. Due to the downpour that the Western Cape province has been getting over the past week, the river had flooded and thus we wouldn't be able to get quad bikes into the reserve. Crestfallen at first, I soon regained my buoyancy upon the revelation that we would be paying nearly 50% less by going on their 4x4 safari. Without the quads, the adventure wouldn't be as intense, but in retrospect I think it would have been pretty miserable. I'm afraid my hankering for motorized vehicles will have to be limited to Aslan for now. We all paid for our modified safari and left the office, entering the resort area of the reserve.

The resort, which is still undergoing construction, is a grouping of thatched huts of varying sizes. Our escort briefly pointed out the luxurious bungalows and chalets before welcoming us to the dining room, which was a high-ceilinged thatched hut with appropriate decor and atmosphere. The breakfast that was provided, far from being the granola bar and condensed milk I was expecting, was a buffet feast of bacon, eggs, potatoes, fresh fruit, and excellent pastries. The five of us had a great time decompressing from the car ride as we sipped on mysterious bright pink juice and savored the taste of high-class chicken nuggets. Adding to the safari aesthetic were the small birds that flew across the room and occasionally snacked on the granola spread.

The Restaurant

Having finished eating, we huddled around the roaring fireplace and fought off the biting cold, talking with fellow safari members and taking a group picture. Eventually we were led out to the front again, where we were met by Andre, our guide, and his 12-seater open-topped Toyota Landcruiser. After we all piled in and had settled down with our Aquila Reserve embroidered blankets, Andre gave us the lowdown on the reserve rules and his driver took us speeding off into the reserve. To get into it, however, we had to cross the greatly swollen river that gave the truck a run for its money. If I hadn't believed the excuse about the quad bikes before, I was assured after crossing the river. Once through, a 11,000 acre plot of mountainous land awaited, boasting a decent selection of Africa's game animals.

The Group (Christianne, Joe, Danielle, Becka, and I)

Crossing the River

Almost immediately, as we drove beside a large pond, Andre pointed out our first sighting of the day- the reserve's group of five hippos. They were lazily grazing on the banks of the pond, eying the truck and occasionally "yawning" to display their large teeth and demonstrate their dominance. It was amazing to see these huge beasts in an unfenced area, doing as they pleased. We watched the baby hippo standing with its mom as Andre informed us that despite their amicable appearances, hippos kill the most people of any African animal.

Hippos (this one's for you, Claudia!)

We went on the move again, but not for long. The reserve's two elephants quickly found themselves the victims of countless photos as we pulled up next to them. The two male elephants were having a good time munching on vegetation and attempting to stay warm by keeping their ears pressed against their heads. Though they had only joined the reserve about a year ago, they seemed to be quite at home. Despite the elephants' relatively close proximity, I really appreciated the binoculars I had brought, which gave me a very close view of the long-memoried mammals.

Elephants

Next up we ran into three rhinoceroses, a mother, father, and baby. This time they beasts were not afraid to come closer the vehicles, and we got a very good look at their gigantic horns. Luckily for us, the baby was big enough that the mother was not feeling excessively aggressive towards us. Taking copious amounts of photos, we learned that the rhino's horn is not made of bone, the white rhino is less aggressive than the black rhino, and rhinos can't see past 15 meters. Andre was a fantastic guide, and I now feel like I am a responsible and educated visitor to South Africa.

The Standoff

After seeing enough of the rhinos, we drove to a secluded part of the park and had a break, during which we got out of the truck, learned about bushes and snakes, and drank champagne out of stainless steel cups. Disappointed that there aren't any black mamba snakes in this area, I was consoled after learning that the similarly poisonous Cape Cobra do live around Cape Town. Maybe I'll see one before I leave- from a safe distance, of course.

Andre pointing out hippo tracks

On Break

After an enjoyable break of talking and joking, we got back on the truck and headed over a range of hills to get to the relatively small enclosure that houses the king of the jungle. Though most of the animals roam freely, the lions at the reserve are being kept in a small enclosure until they get better acquainted to outdoor life and their large area is fenced up. Understandably, the reserve doesn't want lions roaming free to pick off all of its other animals. Even though the fence was a big downer, I enjoyed getting pretty close to the group of about eight lions. It was especially funny when Andre would get out of the truck and walk around, when all of the lions would simultaneously bob their heads as they followed their potential prey around with their eyes.

The Kings

On the last stretch of driving around the reserve, we got relatively close to a juvenile giraffe, some wildebeest, springbok, and others. I was so surprised to be seeing these huge animals, usually penned up in zoos, roaming around the scenery, sticking out because of their size. Still, they manage a decent amount of camouflage among the bushes and trees. We crossed the rushing river once again and headed to the reserve's rescue area, where they have cheetahs, leopards, and more lions. The reason they are in such small enclosures is because these were animals originally bread to be pets or to be shot in cruel types of hunting. Since they've been tainted by human contact, they can't survive out in the wild, so the people at the reserve are trying to breed them and get their offspring to be free roamers. Our viewing of the leopard was sadly inhibited when our efforts to be quiet for the shy cat were exploded by another group of women talking loudly.

Giraffe

It was time for our second meal and the end of the safari trip. The trip had lasted about 3 hours, which was more than enough time to have the safari experience, proving my friends' advice about safaris in moderation correct. I loved seeing all the animals and driving around the countryside, but there is only so much sitting in a truck and taking photos that a man can do, even if it includes strange and fascinating animals. However, I think Toukam and I will attempt a walking safari when we get to Kruger National Park, the largest of its kind, in August. That way, it will be more of an active experience.

The lunch was just as extravagant as the breakfast, with dozens of epicurean choices, a pleasant atmosphere, and warmer weather. Some of the people in the group were somewhat disappointed with the safaris lack of gigantic herds of water buffalo and other such fancies, but that was mainly because of unrealistically high expectations. I wasn't even sure we would be able to spot any of the animals, so I was thrilled to even see one, let alone a dozen! After a lunch of good food, better people watching, and great conversation, we found ourselves returning to Christianne's VW and heading back on the road to Cape Town.

Overall, it was a fantastic day, and I was happy to get out of Cape Town, hang out with some new people, and go on safari. Also, it got me excited about seeing all the new scenery that Africa has to offer. 20 days until Old School Adventure!

Sandpaper, Straight Edges, and Spreadsheets

In another situation that makes my internship even harder to define, I spent today as an apprentice/helper of the carpenter who is working on the renovation of Africa House for about 7 hours.

Apparently, the contractor had run out of money to hire extra helpers, so Anneri asked me on Wednesday if I could help him out on Friday. Though slightly taken aback, I agreed to and thankfully had a couple days to psych myself up and get in a good attitude. By six o'clock on Friday morning (the time I needed to get up to get to work at 7:30 AM) I was excited to experience this new profession. I was slightly sleepy on the drive to work and it was a cold day, but I felt like it was the right day to take up some tools in my hands and build something.

The carpenter's name is Hdaba, which is most closely pronounced as "Uhn-daba". Think of it as saying the short form of "and Daba" - " 'n Daba" and you've got it good enough for him to respond. He's a really easygoing, kind, and wise guy- in fact, he's a pastor of a local church! I think it's pretty cool when a pastor, who is stereotypically not much of manual laborer, has such talent and such a work ethic. I really enjoyed chatting with him as I helped construct shelves all around our new kitchen. As I became more and more comfortable with the process, Hdaba would exclaim, "You've got the vision, Bruddah!" as I handed him the right screw or placed the balancing tool level on top of the shelf to measure. He brings such enthusiasm to his work- each successful step of the job is met with a huge smile and cheer of victory. Even though he's actually a certified welder by trade, he knows a little about carpentering and seems to be doing a fantastic job at Africa House.

One of the more interesting comments he made was about the work ethic of the black population here. There's a widespread attitude among blacks that they can't do anything because they are dependent on whites to get work or make progress. This perceived laziness actually arises from the Apartheid days, when apparently a black worker had to have a white supervisor on the job. As the National Party got more control, they essentially taught the black populations that in order for them to do anything, they need the involvement of a white. That attitude has persisted, much to the misfortune of those black populations.

I enjoyed my brief, 7-hour apprenticeship, which had me using plaster to fill in holes in the walls, holding up shelves at awkward angles, removing and fixing a door, and even a little bit of sandpapering. Though not necessarily grueling, it was more physical work than I usually do, but it was worth it. There's something about making things with your hands using expert knowledge that really gives fulfillment. I still couldn't help laughing at the image of me, a city boy college student majoring in the least practical things possible, taking up a hammer and getting my hands dirty. Being well rounded has its costs. I joked that I was going to quit All Nations and start following Hdaba around learning from him instead...

After washing off all the caked-on plaster from my hands, I had another meeting with Floyd about the website, which was pretty nice. He had some suggestions and I think I'm really going to get into the thick of it next week. These days, an organization's website is one of their most important assets, so hopefully I can make All Nations' acceptable. As I sent Floyd my notes from the meeting, I noticed a devastating news story- Michael Jackson died! It's so sad to see him go, even if he was a creeper. Such talent!

The apartment is now slightly lonelier now that Toukam is stateside. On Thursday I drove him through the rush hour traffic to the airport, where he set off with his two little bags off to the land of the free and the home of the brave. He's actually coming home Monday night, which means he's spending about the same amount of time in the airplane as he is actually on US soil. Oh, the marvels of modern travel. It has been interesting having the apartment to myself, but not devastating. In fact, I even cooked a semi-elaborate dinner for myself last night- successfully. I think cooking my own food this coming year at Columbia won't be too bad after all.

When I got back from the airport I picked up some roadmaps for Namibia, Botswana, and South Africa. Now that I'm only about 20 days away from departure, I'm getting into the practical aspects. Surprisingly, it turns out that Anneri spent her whole childhood in Namibia and offered some suggestions that have drastically changed (and hopefully improved) my route. This trip is going to be awesome.

Turns out that we are actually going to do the quad biking through the game reserve tomorrow! Christy Ann, myself, and Beca from All Nations will be heading out in the early morning tomorrow for the 2 hour ride. It's going to rock! I'll be sure to post pictures after. Hope all is well on your end.

Hail to the Chief

I'm tempted to say that the past couple days have been pretty run-of-the-mill, but I guess I should qualify that by saying they have been AFRICAN run-of-the-mill, which I think better encapsulates the strange mixture of the normal and the exotic that defines my life here.

At work, the return of our director Nelis has meant that I've had an increased flow of projects and errands to run, which thankfully breaks up the monotony of the larger projects I've been working on. Also, the return of Floyd from Taiwan means that all our leadership is home again and ready for action. In fact, I had an hour-long meeting with Floyd on Monday to update him on the All Nations websites as well as the report on Zanzibar that I'm writing for him. It's amazing that he can be in charge of so many people and so many projects and be able to have one-on-one meetings with so many people. I was honored to have received a slot in his schedule and tried my best to be a prepared intern. Thankfully, he left me with more people to contact and more paths to take as I progress.

Toukam is flying back to the states on Thursday until about Tuesday for his friend's wedding in Oklahoma. Besides spelling a harsh lesson in jet lag for my flatmate, it means I'll have the apartment to myself this weekend. Some of my coworkers down at Africa House are continuing their plans for the game reserve quad biking trip, which I'm getting more and more excited about. Apparently the reserve is about 2 hours outside of Cape Town and for just $100 they give you breakfast and lunch and take you out into the reserve on quad bikes for about 4 hours. I was dissappointed to find that they don't have any elephants on the reserve, but they have everything else (lions, zebras, giraffes, leopards). We'll probably go on Friday or Saturday. My imagination is still serving up images of riding my ATV among a running pride of lions...

Our culinary conquests have continued to be successful- Toukam made jerk chicken on Sunday night and then we both made yellowtail fish and meaty pasta yesterday and today, respectively. I'm still learning the "way of the spices" from Toukam. When I think back to the early days (read: two weeks ago) of our cooking, I can't help laughing at our inability to even make rice. I'm glad humans learn so well on the go- but then again, maybe it's just when there's food involved.

As the 17th looms closer and closer, I keep on drifting towards my guide books in spare time. I read last night that as I traverse the great Kalahari desert, I may have to camp near a village. Of course, being Botswana, the guide advises me to "locate the chief of the nearby village and ask him for permission to camp on his land, as well as for advice on where to sleep." How incredible is that? I'm trying not to imagine myself as a Livingston type, but with my guidebooks saying things like that, how can I help it? I think I'm going to return to my hostel from back in May to consult their "African Travel Centre," just to make sure I'm not completely off base with my plans. Maybe I should brush up on my click languages, too...

My application for the OpEd is pretty much complete. I've sent it off to a friend of mine who wrote a conservative column herself this year for her feedback, and once I get it back I think I'll send in the app early, hopefully resulting in extra brownie points for yours truly. I was thinking, if I have a right-leaning column for all of college and get a school year internship with the National Review, I could have a respectable backup career as a pundit. For now, I'll just focus on the campus newspaper.

For the rest of the week, we have a lot of heavy rain and high winds to look forward to, as well as a run to the airport, but the quad-biking is what is getting me through. Is it too much to ask to ride with the lions?

Bacon + Hiking = Unnecessary Risk

Waking with the abbreviated exclamation of "TGIF" on my mind, I started off Friday with a sunny commute down to Noordhoek and some walking errands for the boss. One of them included going to the bank to get change, which exposed me to the high-security world of South African financial work. To get into a bank, you have to enter through a contained cube between two doors- waiting for the first to close before the second opens to let you into the bank. It's the same on the way out so that if a robber were to come, the teller could lock him/her between the doors. Once inside the bank, the tellers are all behind bulletproof glass and the only way to transfer things is by a sliding tray. Additionally, the door between the teller area and the main bank is not only extremely thick, but it opens only enough for one person to walk through from a little compartment. Considering the amount of bank robberies and attempted bank robberies that happen here, I'd say the security is worth it.

The rest of the day was filled with insurance inventorying, website updating, and report writing. I got off early (3:30) and headed home, where I went to the internet cafe and did some work for CTICE. Apparently they have almost 15 summer interns, and I'm looking through their work and making suggestions to make it better. I've got to say that I feel a little honored to be a "senior intern" of sorts. Hopefully I'll live up to such a title, if you can call it that. The office is up to some really cool things, and I'm excited to be a small part of them. CTICE is turning out to be the swiss army knife of departments at Columbia- they do everything from entrepreneurship to green initiatives to community service projects.

For dinner I attempted some curry beef with rice, and although the flavor, rice, and veggies were top-notch, the beef was pretty terrible, being that it was as hard as rock and nearly impossible to chew. I guess there will always be room for improvements in our kitchen...

Like I mentioned in my last post, I had wanted to do the shark diving thing on Saturday, but the company wasn't doing their cheaper/shorter dive trip, and we didn't want to pay an extra 100 dollars. However, it turns out that a group has signed up for the afternoon/cheap trip on the 4th of July, so it looks like Toukam and I will be celebrating America's independence under the water with what some could call the US' counterparts of the animal world. In other adventure news, some of my coworkers have invited me to go to a game reserve where they let you ride quad bikes around with the animals! I'm imagining driving through the bush encountering elephants and lions, but I'm not sure if that's what's going to happen.

Since the shark diving wasn't on for Saturday, we decided to take advantage of the great weather by conquering a foe that has imposed itself on us for our entire time here- Table Mountain itself. After a delicious breakfast of bacon and eggs, we drove to the base of the mountain and, after consulting a dog-walker, found the right trail to take. Soon after we began our climb up the mountain, I learned a basic lesson in hiking- bacon and hiking don't go well together, especially after inadequate water consumption. However, the consequences weren't severe, and we were on our way again after a water break. It took us about 1 hour and 45 minutes to get to the top, at which time we were completely exhausted and ready to eat our carefully prepared peanut butter and honey sandwiches. The view from the top was amazing- we could see all of Cape Town as well as its suburbs on both sides of the mountain. There were some clouds, but they were either above or below us, which made for great weather on top. We took a bunch of pictures and, after considering taking the cable car down, decided to take the rough road and hike down. Though 45 minutes shorter than the ascent, it was still challenging. However, now I can say that I hiked up and down Table Mountain- a native's feat, I should think.

Toukam at the Top

The Top

The View

The Clouds

A Hiker Victorious

We recuperated back at the apartment and spent the afternoon doing work and, regrettably, watching the Bollywood movie that was playing on television. I must say, Bollywood movies are exceedingly strange. So much dancing, singing, and random english phrasing. I like to think of it as cultural exposure. For tonight, I think we'll try and do something original with the chicken we bought and continue with reading/working while our legs recover from the hike.

Thanks for reading- hope all is well on your end. Have a great Fathers Day!

Curious Case

After returning from the summit of relaxation that was Youth Day, I returned to work on Wednesday. It was an average day, except that we were dealing with a burglary that had happened the weekend before. Apparently during the 30 minutes that a couple guys in Africa House took to run an errand, someone broke into their dorm room and took one of the guys' luggage. Surprisingly, someone called him later that night offering to give him his passport and medication back. Rightfully wary of someone who could offer such a thing, they called the police to escort them to the "meeting." Unfortunately the person had left already and contacted them again later in the evening, when they met him without the police. He gave them back the passport and medication without question, but didn't give them back the clothes, saying that they were "wet after sitting in the rain." Happy to just have that much of their stuff returned, they just left.

Though they got some of their stuff back, the problem of a break in being able to happen without our alarm going off had to be dealt with. The security company guys returned and fiddled around for a bit and left. We thought the ordeal was over with, but lo and behold there was yet another break-in on Wednesday night! Apparently the potential robber somehow unlocked our gate without hurting the lock and disarmed all the alarms, while stealing away with only a remote-controlled panic button for the alarm system. Puzzled as to why the potential thief didn't try and take anything more valuable, we still had all the security people come by once again to make more changes. Hopefully I won't come to work tomorrow to a scene of further criminality.

On Wednesday morning I had the rare chance to talk with someone in real life about our insurance policy, which was much more exciting than it should have been. I had been getting tired of having to call the insurance company multiple times in order to get to talk with one knowledgeable person, so I opted for an insurance broker to handle All Nations' insurance. Though adding a middleman may make the process slower in some respects, it is extremely nice to have someone who will pick up the phone and answer questions, and even come to your workplace for a meeting. Our broker's name is Gerry and he seemed like a good guy, even if he is a salesman... I can tell you that I'm learning a lot about insurance down here.

For dinner on Wednesday night Toukam and I went out to eat, as we were a little tired of cooking every night. After consulting our Cape Town guidebook, we opted for Saigon, a Vietnamese restaurant a short drive away. The restaurant was quite empty when we arrived (a combination of it being a Wednesday night and the middle of winter, assuredly) but it started filling up over time. We consulted the diverse but quality menu and decided to share some calamari as a starter and then move on to some mildly spicy red duck curry and some spicy basil beef. The guidebook didn't let us down and we really liked the food. The only disappointment was when their lack of fresh ginger meant that we could not explore the temptingly named "Ginger Ninja" cocktail. I settled for a margarita, but I still wonder what Asian deliciousness was kept from me...

Having spoiled ourselves with going out, we pursued further culinary know-how on Thursday night when I made the most satisfying meal a man can make. I made, not chicken thighs nor chicken breasts, but an entire chicken on a bed of potatoes. There's something about putting an entire bird into the oven and taking it out 50 minutes later, after the heat and spices have done their jobs, and finding a juicy, saliva-inducing confection that makes a man feel like a man. It was heaven, and I look forward to the next opportunity to make a whole chicken. It was so good, so hearty, and so easy!

For some of you who are news junkies like myself, you will know that this past week Obama named the selection board for the White House Fellows program. This program was started by President LBJ and serves to provide America's best and brightest young minds with the opportunity to work alongside cabinet members for a year. While looking around the website for the fellows, I found the listing of last year's fellows with their bios. What a sight! These 13 people who are finishing up their fellowship have some of the craziest biographies, especially for being under 40! One woman who stands out has been a consultant with McKinsey, board member for multiple large organizations, marathon and bike race participant, author of a book, humor writer with material in the New York Times, two-time patent earner, and volunteer in Calcutta. Oh, and she went to Harvard and then Oxford. How much crazier can you get? I think I may add this fellowship to my list of life goals. There is a downside, though- if I get it I'll have to give up my British citizenship to get the security clearance. Oh well, what's success without sacrifice?

Once again we're hoping for sunny weather on Saturday to attempt shark diving, but don't get your hopes up- the weather has been clear for the past couple days, which spells doom for the coming weekend. Thanks for reading and, as usual, stay classy Reader!

Old School Adventure v.2.0

Here are the most recent plans for our Old School Adventure! You can just look at the picture or click on the link below for a more interactive experience. The blue line is Aslan's path, the red is Toukam's overnight bus, and the marker is where we will rendezvous in Upington. Comments and suggestions are welcome!


LINK TO MAP

Brandishing and Bribes

As is natural with settling in a new city for a relatively long period of time, days become ordinary. On Monday we ran full-tilt on schedule. Leaving by 8:30 AM, doing work all day, and arriving home in time to cook dinner, read, and relax.

Despite the achievement of normality, we are still quite aware of our extraordinary surroundings. Though easy to forget temporarily, the fact that we are living and working in Africa, of all continents, still weighs on our minds. I love being here, exploring this new city and noticing all the subtle differences between here and home. Besides all the obvious changes that I have experienced like driving on the left and the multiplicity of languages, it is the less noticeable ones that are the most interesting and, admittedly, the most humorous. Allow me to list some for you:

Traffic lights, though they operate in the exact same way as in the States, are actually called "Robots". No joke. And that isn't an informal name, either. The streets will be painted with "Robot Ahead 200m" or there will be signs posted warning of an upcoming robot. I still can't help imagining a 20 foot tall mechanical, violent creature in the middle of the road when I'm about to turn a corner after being forewarned of an upcoming robot. When I get home, I look forward to telling people about South Africa's abundant population of traffic-directing robots.

In an effort to manage the 23% unemployment here, the government and various business have thought of creative ways to pay people. On of the most humorous is the job of "flag waver." At the site of almost every construction job along the highway on my way to work, there is always a man or woman standing along the road where the construction is, waving a large neon-orange flag. They will be there even if nobody is working on the site, and each will have a different amount of enthusiasm for their job. Some will provide passers-by with one apathetic wave every couple seconds while others will flourish their flag with passion. In addition to flag twirlers, other occupations include a designated person at the grocery store who will weigh your vegetables for you and gas station attendants who have to be the ones who operate the pump and check your motor oil.

Though perhaps not a specifically South African cultural tidbit, the earliness of stores closing is really bothersome. Honestly, most stores will be closed by 5pm during the week and won't open on Saturday or Sunday. I'm hoping that this is just a winter thing when the tourists are gone, because if this what it is like during the summer then I feel really bad for the population.

Tuesday was Youth Day, a public holiday that memorializes the slaughter of 80 young people by the police at an Apartheid protest in 1960. As a public holiday, it meant that Toukam and I had the day off. We were hoping to go on top of Table Mountain, but we awoke to sadly cloudy skies. Making the most of what the weather had provided, we slept in and eventually went to a local German-owned bakery, where we got various baked goods and coffee to start our morning off right. Returning to the apartment, I was momentarily at a loss of what to do, mainly because I finished Atlas Shrugged on Monday! It was a great victory- vanquishing all 1200 pages. I am now much more informed about the ways of the Libertarian. Her philosophy is very interesting and doubtlessly unique, but I'm afraid I'll refrain from subscribing to it. There are valuable tidbits, yes, but as a whole it is a very depressing philosophy. Then again, it's better than socialism/communism...

I decided to work on my current occupation- applying for an opinion column in Columbia's daily newspaper, the Spectator. I wrote a piece about Reagan last December, so they approached me with the application. I had thought about getting a regular (bi-monthly) column, but I was motivated anew when they gave me the application. I'm almost done with it, and the article that I'm turning in with the application (it's a requirement to write an original sample) is entitled "Be 'Close-Minded'". I'm still working it out, but if I get the column, you'll be able to see it online as I plan on making it my first piece. After finishing most of the app, Toukam and I thought about potential names for the column, among which are "Right on Time," "Rightly Yours," "Right After This," "Right Time, Right Place," and (in a reference to the great William F Buckley) "Standing Athwart." If I am fortunate enough to get the column, I'll be wanting your input, my dear Reader, for its name.

Wanting to get outside to enjoy what little sunlight the day had to offer, we walked to the convention center to see the Cape Town Book Fair. What was going to be a pleasant browsing of the best books publishers had to offer turned into a full exhibition of South African sketchiness. Upon finding an entrance into the main conference hall, we were stopped by a stout security guard who asked for tickets. Not having any, we asked how much they were and where they were procurable. He asked if we were students, but Toukam was the only one with a student ID, so they wanted me to pay about 10 bucks to get in, which I didn't find worth it. Eventually the security guard, through plenty of hints, indicated that we could just pay him and his friend to get in. Finding that ridiculous and completely not worth it, we turned to walk away. They continued to talk with us, and eventually it seemed like they were going to let us in, so we walked right in and they didn't stop us. After a good 3 minutes of walking around, the security guard intercepted us again and bothered us to "buy a ticket", meaning bribe him. Completely aghast that he thought the book convention was that important to us, we told him that we really didn't care and left the convention. We consoled ourselves by telling to each other that it totally wasn't worth it, and instead we got a 5 dollar lunch at the cafeteria.

We walked back home and spent the afternoon reading, going to the internet cafe, and cooking. Overall, an interesting Youth Day indeed. Hopefully next time we're in the position to bribe someone it will be for something actually important.

Land of Wine

The small chance of rain that I alluded to in my last post actually was a daylong downpour that put a dampen on all of the Cape residents' moods. Despite the grim clouds, though, Toukam and I decided to hope for a clear-up in the skies as the day went on and got in the car, headed to Stellenbosch, the capitol of South African wines. It was about an hour away, and we got to pass by dilapidated expanses of township shacks. It was a really sobering sight to see- poverty of that magnitude so widespread.

As we cruised down the N2 freeway at a cool 120 kph, the rain continued to pour, obstructing our views of the surrounding mountains. We got of the highway and on to the road that took us into the town of Stellenbosch. Though only a small town, it has plenty of restaurants and a well-stocked tourist office for all the foreigners hankering for that nectar that pours from the locally grown grapes. We picked up a map and charted our course to Jordan, the largest wine estate in the area that was highly complimented in our guide book.

Though we had charted our course, we proceeded to drive around for about 30 minutes, hopelessly unaware of our location and its relation to our desired destination. Twice we returned to our starting point and attempted a second attempt. Finally, after developing our ability to read street signs and follow the official wine route signage, we got onto a small, one lane road that took us beyond a couple vineyards and into the empty parking lot of Jordan. Inside in the wine tasting room, we were the only two customers and took the advice of the attractively-accented young woman behind the counter and proceeded to taste each of the wines made by the estate. This being our first wine tasting, she led us through all the necessary steps of swirling, smelling, spreading, gurgling, and even spitting. We learned that when something has hints of asparagus, it isn't that they ferment asparagus alongside the grapes, but rather it is just another word in the elaborate code of a wine connoisseur.

Not wanting to return empty-handed, we decided to buy a bottle of red and white wine- a chardonnay and a red blend. Due to their shockingly high price of nearly 13 dollars (as compared to 4 in the supermarket for everything else), we think we'll save them for special occasions. Because of the frequency of special occasions here, though, I don't think we'll be waiting long.

We took our leave of Jordan and returned to Stellenbosch for lunch. The wine tasting lady had recommended Gino's, a family style Italian place, so we found it and had a lengthy lunch of focaccia, pizza, and pasta. The rain hadn't stopped, but we walked around the town briefly and got back in the car. The next winery was Morgenau, which has been making wine since the 1600's and is based in a 19th century house. The pictures I posted yesterday are of Morgenau. We ended up arriving to the tasting as they were closing, so we could only try three wines- a sparkling white and two reds. Feeling bad for keeping them past closing, we bought a bottle of the red that we tried and, after sneaking a peak at their fermenting cellar, took a brief walk around the estate. It started to rain again, so we got back in the car and realized that trying to see more vineyards and towns would be utterly futile in this weather. Feeling slightly defeated, we headed back to the Mother City. It was a fine day trip and it smacked of adventure yet to come.

On Sunday morning we headed out early to make it to the one year anniversary service for Hillsong. They had combined multiple services, and we were in a much bigger auditorium at the convention center. The service started off well with quality worship music, but it took an unfortunate turn when the guest pastor, who runs the Hillsong church in London, gave the sermon. Let me just say that it was a sermon of highly questionable quality. He spent the first 20 minutes saying the same thing fifty different times in mildly different ways and then the rest of it making a point that was both horribly structured and unfortunately generic. However, it was encouraging to see that there were some church members who seemed to appreciate his effort. Let me just say that I am glad he was just a guest pastor.

Toukam and I are looking forward to the Tuesday of this week, which is Youth Day. We both have a day off of work, and we're hoping it will be sunny so that we can take the cable car up to Table Mountain. If we do, you're in for some great pictures, Reader! That's all I have to say for today- a pleasantly brief post for the weekend. Thank you so much for reading.

Kurdish

On Wednesday evening, I stayed late at work for a pot luck dinner with the long term staff at All Nations. Though at first I hadn't been invited, the secretary, Pat, took pity on me and asked Sally (Floyd's wife and cofounder of All Nations) to ask me to join, since she was the one who organized it. Because of my still-developing cooking skills, I opted to copy Pat and pay Anneri (a former chef, I come to find) to make our share of the food.

At about 5pm the guests started arriving, and I finally got to have some conversations with Sally. She told me all about her friendship with my grandparents. My grandfather was once on the board of a missionary organization that Floyd was a big part in, and they have been friends ever since. As I listened to her stream of complimentary comments about my two grandparents, I felt like I was among old family friends. It was a nice feeling, and I really appreciated spending time chatting with Sally. Hopefully we'll be able to talk again soon. The dinner itself was quite enjoyable. Besides the two people who brought KFC, the food was excellently home-made and there was plenty for all. It was really interesting to talk with some of the people there who I hadn't met. One guy, Ashley, had been born and raised in Cape Town, went to Germany for seminary, and then worked in Holland before returning to his home country after the fall of Apartheid.

After work on Thursday, Toukam and I decided to eat out, despite our lack of cooking on Wednesday night. We chose Mesopotamia, a Kurdish restaurant that lies on the second story of an old building on Long Street- the main restaurant drag in Cape Town. We arrived to a relatively empty establishment, its floor cushions and dark Middle Eastern tones inviting us for a long dinner. Our waitress, who turned out to be from Equatorial Guinea, took us to our table, which was essentially a large brass disk with intricate carvings, held up by crisscrossed ironwork. Though the 175 rand (21 USD) fixed menu seemed a little pricey, we jumped for it since it seemed to promise the most exciting, eclectic, and delicious meal. It was a promise unbroken.

Our first course was a plate of 12 or so spreads to dip our naan bread into. Ranging from spicy chicken to cucumber yogurt and hummus to feta cheese, the platter reflected the convergence of cultures that the Kurdish people and their way of life represent. Toukam and I tasted it all differently, as I had garlic and cheese naan and he had olive and cheese naan, but we found common ground in its scrumptiousness. We were given a chance to reflect on the colors, flavors, and textures of the first course while we waited for the main one. The pause was filled with discussions of old friends, future hopes, and yes, even taxation.

The next course arrived accompanied with a needed explanation of its contents. It presented a range of tastes from slow-cooked pork to roasted chicken. Toukam and I stuffed ourselves on the pork chops, rice, and stewed chicken, nearly overwhelmed by the many flavors of the meal. We may not have finished the entire course, but it was not for lack of trying or enjoyment. Rather, our stomachs would not allow it for the sake of what was to come- dessert. That last course - baclava with a side of ice cream - was of a perfect substance and proportion. It was not a last attempt to fill a stomach, but a reserved and confident punctuation mark at the end of a well written sentence. It was closure. Sweet, rich closure.

As we were paying for the great meal, our movement was arrested by the sudden blaring of music on the restaurant's speakers. Moments later, a gyrating blur of blue and green sequins and fabric lit up the darkened restaurant. The bellydancer had arrived. Complete with a headdress of mesh-like cloth that barely covered her face from her eyes down and brass finger symbols that audibly clashed but visually matched with the music, she performed her art up and down the restaurant to an audience either amused or indifferent. Rest assured Toukam and I were well in the amused faction.

In the middle of her second song, she seemed to tire of her solo gig and decided to bid none other than yours truly to join her. She extended her symbol clad hand and bade me join her with her olive colored eyes. Bewitched by her movements but hesitating because of the onlookers, I joined her on the restaurant floor and proceeded to exhibit the worst sample of bellydancing that the restaurant has probably ever seen. Having let down all of the formerly cheering patrons, I took my leave from her with a bow that she so gracefully returned. After sitting down, grateful that no camera of ours had captured the moment, she continued her performance, ensnaring others to join her - all of whom displayed more talent than I. Toukam and I took our leave and walked home on the empty streets below. I wondered aloud whether or not my dancing partner gives private lessons...

At work on Friday I continued with working with insurance. I found out that our policy, though comprehensive, becomes invalid in the event of riots, terrorism, war, martial law, or nuclear attack. I was reassured, though, upon finding that we are insured against "aircraft and any objects falling therefrom." After moving a bed from one room to another at the request of Anneri, I returned to the office where I transitioned to working on the website among intermittent losses of internet and phone service. At about 2 pm I was perhaps unwittingly recruited to drive two of the girls from Africa house to the guesthouse (you'll remember it as the first All Nations building I saw) and help them sort various donated clothing. What it ended up being was an exercise of transporting large bags of carelessly-packed clothing into a house, distinguishing between male and female articles, and discarding the many pieces that were marred by nasty stains or irreparable holes. Though not exactly what I had in mind when leaving for work, it was a good practice in patience and I got to talk with one of the women, who comes from Nigeria and is taking a break from studying at a seminary there.

Now that I'm home, all I can say is TGIF, and unfortunately tomorrow will not include any interactions with the beasts of the deep that I mentioned in my last post. Not enough people signed up for the excursion and it may rain, so we're postponing it for later. Perhaps we'll drive to the winelands. Hope all is well with you!

Views from a Commute and Day Trip

Hello everyone, here are some pictures from my life here in Cape Town. The first three are from a particularly sunny commute, and the last four are from our day trip to the Stellenbosch winelands. I'll tell you all about it tomorrow.

Efficiency

With a newly repaired car and an eager mind, I drove to work yesterday. It ended up being what has become a normal day- Wake up at 7, leave by 8:30, get to work around 9, work until 12, have lunch, and leave around 4, getting home at around 4:40 and spending the remaining time either doing work for CTICE or reading until Toukam returns at 6, then dinner and more reading. I've come to realize that what we are living is the typical commuter workaday lifestyle, and I don't think it's too bad!

Though this may sound trivial, not having homework and just having to do your job from 9-4 every day really opens up your schedule, and since Toukam and I aren't really rooted in family and friends here in Cape Town, we don't have any obligations. We can take time to cook a semi-elaborate dinner, read a lot of books for pleasure, and just enjoy life. I'm not saying I don't enjoy life in the fast-paced demanding life at Columbia, it's more that I'm savoring the slower tempo of this current situation.

That being said, the last couple days haven't seen too much progress in Atlas Shrugged. On Tuesday night we took advantage of the inherent strength in numbers and ventured out into the abandoned streets to use our calling cards to connect back home. It was really nice to talk to a couple of my friends back home. I feel like I'm in some parallel universe- I'm essentially doing what all my friends are doing- hanging out, going to work, and wasting some time, but I'm doing it in this strange new place where everything is just slightly off normal. There are accents, no street signs, people on the wrong side of the road, and hanging out is called "jollying".

At work, I'm continuing to work with the insurance as well as compiling a directory of local restaurants, sights, and other things for visitors to Africa House. I've had enough experience interacting with businesses here to make the following hypothesis- if all of Cape Town's businesses were to be suddenly transported stateside, the majority would fail miserably. I say this because customers seem to have to nag potential suppliers to do their job. An example- All Nations is trying to order 30 Xhosa bibles from the Bible Society, and I have had to call them at least twice to ask them to please send me the invoice for the order so that we can pay for it. What kind of business operates so poorly that customers ask companies to be able to give the companies their money? And it's not an isolated occurrence- the insurance company is just as bad. I'm told things are a lot better in JoBurg, but in Cape Town, it is really stunning.

On Wednesday morning, we had an early start because I had to drive Toukam to the American embassy so that he could get his visa to go back to the US for a friend's wedding. The embassy ended up being right on my commute, so I took him there in time for his 8 AM appointment. The complex that housed the embassy was gigantic! It was just finished in 2005, and it takes up a large chunk of land in a suburb of Cape Town. They must be able to house at least 250 employees there, and I don't think it's the only embassy in this three-capitoled country. I ended up sitting outside the embassy, getting chastised for trying to use my computer and take a picture, while I waited an hour for the officials to sufficiently question Toukam and give him his unnecessarily-long 6 month visa for a weekend trip. I was reminded of how spoiled we Americans are because we can go into almost any country without getting a visa beforehand, while Toukam (a Camaroonian citizen) has to go to an embassy beforehand almost any time he wants to visit another country.

After that brief visit on American soil, I dropped Toukam off at a nearby train station (the train would get him there faster than trying to negotiate through the rush hour traffic) and I went to work. It was a nice way to start the day.

In Old School Adventure news, things are shifting around quickly! As of now, we're pretty sure that I will be getting off work on July 17, and that I will be flying out August 14 and Toukam on August 15. We are unsure of when Toukam will get off work. His contract says July 31, but we may be able to push it back to the Wednesday, the 29th. With that in mind, I'm rolling with the idea of my doing a solo trip before joining up with Toukam. After looking it up, I found that Toukam could take an overnight bus and meet up with me somewhere along the way.

Therefore, this is what I'm thinking. I'll drive up through Namibia, into Botswana, and back down into north-central South Africa, where I'll meet up with Toukam, after which we will continue east through JoBerg, and the rest of South Africa, ending with the Garden Route from Port Elizabeth to Cape Town. It's ambitious, but I think it would be just crazy enough to deserve the title of Old School Adventure. I'll be making a map soon.

Right now, the only problems in the way are: 1) The driving age in Namibia may be 21 (I've heard that from my guidebook, but the people in Drive Africa said that's rubbish and I could totally drive there) 2) We might be pressing it too hard and not allowing for slow-downs 3) The rendezvous in the middle of South Africa may be more difficult than it appears. I'm confident we'll find solutions to these issues, and I'll keep you posted.

For this weekend, I found out that it is probably going to be sunny on Saturday, so I booked Toukam and I for going cage diving with Great White Sharks! It's kind of close to my work, and it's 140 dollars for an afternoon trip, which includes all diving equipment and refreshments, as well as a small group going and lots of time in the cage if you want. It should be awesome! I'll get you more details as it comes closer.

Hope you're all doing well! Thanks for reading!

Breakdown

Today, I got to know the M3 (the highway I take to work) quite well, but more on that later in the post.

On Sunday, I slept in until the late hour of 9 AM and decided to make eggs for breakfast, since it was Toukam's 28th birthday! I was grateful to see my scrambled eggs turn out infinitely better than my attempt at a sunny side up egg last week. We had a nice breakfast and headed out on foot to Hillsong Church at the convention center. For those who don't know, Hillsong is a very popular Christian band, with many younger churches using their songs for their congregation to sing. They're originally from Australia, but they have started churches in England and here. It was a quite enjoyable service, though the fog machine and light show during the worship time may be a little over the top.

At the service we ran into the Americans who are working at All Nations with the t-shirt printing business. It was nice to run into them and have a brief chat. They were headed back to Africa House early to go to a celebration marking the successful purchase of a property across the street, where they will be housing the t-shirt shop. Apparently when they first went to Hillsong, it was in the City Hall, which I took pictures of last week. I wish I could have been to that service!

Not wanting to have Toukam's birthday be completely uncelebrated, we went out to lunch at the only place that was open in what seemed like the whole city- the restaurant on the first floor of our apartment building. It's an italian place and we enjoyed the meal. The commute wasn't too bad either.

For the remainder of the day, we went to an internet cafe and then read for a couple hours. I'm proud to say that I am halfway done with Atlas Shrugged (or is it half way to go?) and I'm still feeling that it's engaging. The characters' situation just seems to become more and more desperate in their anti-profit American world. Fascinating.

I went to bed pretty early in anticipation of the 5AM wake up time that I needed to have in order to pick up Floyd (Mr. McClung) from his house and take him to a meeting and then to the airport. I managed that and was on the road, fully dressed and having had breakfast, at 5:30. Despite my judicious preplanning, though, there was something else in store for me. As I cruised out of the city on the empty pre-dawn streets, I rounded a curve and lost - but quickly regained - control of Aslan. Thinking it odd that despite the dry road and my normal speed it had done that, I continued on. However, as I drove I noticed that my car simply wasn't working right. It turned out that I had, of all things, a flat tire!

At this point in the commute I was about 10 minutes out of the city on a main highway called the M3, meaning there weren't any exits nearby. So, I had to just stop the car on the highway as far to the left (remember, it's reverse) and put on my warning lights. Obviously, I was kind of upset- my boss was counting on me to be there and take him to the airport, and now I was stranded. Thankfully, I had my US cellphone with me, and I tried to give him a call, but nobody answered. I then took advantage of what Drive Africa had included in my deal and called AA (their version of AAA) and asked someone to come help, since the jack in the car would not have gotten me out of there within any reasonable amount of time. I waited on the sidewalk for a while, in the cold dark, and hoped the AA guy would come.

The first person to come to my aid was actually a police tow truck. He pulled up and wanted to help, but I told him that I had called AA. He left and I continued my solitary vigil on the roadside. However after about 10 more minutes, I noticed something that only added to my anxieties- my car's lights were getting dimmer, and the drivers coming on the highway were having to put on their brights to see that a car was there. Worried, I rushed into the car and tried to start it- my battery was dead.

Marveling at my extraordinary misfortune, I then reduced myself to using my phone as an illuminated way to direct traffic away from the broken down vehicle. Since it was still completely dark, this had somewhat of an effect, but I still felt like an imbecile, frantically waving a Blackberry on a highway in South Africa at 6 in the morning in office clothes.

Eventually I reached Floyd and the AA truck came- they quickly changed my tire and gave me a jump for my car, and I was once again on my way, though slightly shaken. I had received directions to the publishing house where the meeting was from Floyd and I rendezvoused with him there. He understood my plight and we laughed about how I had got much more "character building" that morning than just waking up early. The meeting itself was extremely interesting. Floyd is almost complete with his 13th book and he's publishing it with a subsidiary of Random House. At the meeting they discussed everything from possible cover designs to how the royalties would work. Though only a quiet observer, I felt like just being there was really great.

I then drove with Floyd to the airport, where he departed to Taiwan for the next couple weeks. I then had the task of taking his rather large Toyota pickup back to his house. (I had left my car at the offices where the meeting took place). I eventually got back to Africa House, asked someone to pick me up from Floyd's house, and dropped the car off. At his house I finally got to meet his wife, Sally, who is a really kind person from what I could tell. Back at the office, I did a couple hours of work before getting a ride to the train station. Since I didn't want my car troubles to haunt me for the coming week, I decided to get it all done with today. The train ride was more than an hour on a definitely African train, but there were great views and it was nice to relax after such a taxing start to the day.

Upon arrival back to Cape Town proper, I walked about 20 minutes back to my car, which thankfully was still there and intact, and drove it straight to Drive Africa. They have a mechanic and he repaired my broken tire and told me that regarding the dying battery, 20 minutes of having the lights on without the engine running would actually run it empty. I was thinking that something was wrong, but apparently Toyota Corollas have tiny batteries. He assured me that it should be recharged quickly, if not already.

Driving back to the apartment, I was really thankful that I had sorted out all the car problems today. It would have been a big hassle to have to go to the mechanics later in the week and elongate the whole issue. I went grocery shopping and sat down with Atlas Shrugged, tearing through page after page as the plot grew more and more engaging. I'm about 2/3 done now, and I'm debating whether or not to take a break from it in between parts to read another book- I may just want to finish it now. However, there are still 400 pages left, and I don't want to be rushing through the end. The options I have for interim books are "Globalized Islam: The Search for a New Ummah" or "Blue Planet in Green Shackles," the book by the Czech president about crazed environmentalism. Any suggestions for this predicament, Reader?

I cooked dinner and we ended up watching "Crash," the 2005 Best Picture Award winner. I bought it before we left because it remains one of my favorite movies. It has such power in the way it was made. I highly suggest it to anyone looking for a movie to watch.

Well, that was my last two days- full of ups and downs and character-building exercises, as unintentional as they were. Cheers!

Picture Update

My life in South Africa, in picture form.

This is the office at Africa House- on the left is Pat the receptionist and at the copier is Anneri

The backyard of Africa House

The pool and a glimpse of the main house

Dinner at the apartment

Be sure to read the written post I just put up- it's directly below this one. Cheers!

Property

Being that all that goes up must come down and all that is deposited must be withdrawn, I started my day on Friday with a late beginning to the commute as I waited for the passport office to open. When they did,I drove over there, found a parking spot (without the help of a "parking marshall," an informal post occupied by poor men who will watch over your car for a small fee), and picked up the McClungs' (my boss' family) passports, newly endowed with permanent residency visas. Then it was off through the rain and wind to the office.

When I arrived I had already missed a call from our insurance agent. Like I mentioned in my last post, I'm heading up the insurance for Africa House, and I was pleased to hear that the agent had called back. Sadly, she was already in a meeting when I called back. No matter, I had been tasked with other projects, including figuring out the best and cheapest on-site storage for the complex, as well as heading up an order of Bibles in the native languages of Zulu and Xhosa (pronounced "Kosa"). I'm quite pleased with what I've been given as work, and the feelings of purposelessness from earlier in the week have subsided. I'm finding that I am indeed integrating into the social system here and being of some help.

In the late morning, an old friend of All Nations dropped in with her older son. I was privileged to have a conversation with her about what she is doing these days. Let me enlighten you, Reader, of her amazing occupation. She is, shockingly, living in Harare, Zimbabwe, working as an intern for Farming God's Way, a nonprofit up there. She told me about how the founders of the organization were recently the most prosperous and wealthy farmers in all of Zimbabwe, but as Mugabi began his property theft campaign, they not only lost the huge amount of land that they were farming, but also ALL of their financial assets. Essentially, they went from being highly successful to having nothing, literally, because the government had decided that whites should not have property rights. Though this is obviously a great reason to curse the government and abandon Zimbabwe to its apparent fate, these men started Farming God's Way.

The organization, so I'm told, trains locals to farm in a significantly more natural way than is common. They don't do any plowing whatsoever and instead cut a plain's grass to a certain level and dig individual holes to plant seeds. When they plant them, they bury them only about one centimeter below the soil's surface which allows the sun to be more effective in their sprouting as well as decrease the amount of time it takes for the crops to sprout. Apparently this method not only speeds up the entire process of growing crops, but it also increases the harvest's yield. The reason this is such an uncommon practice is that it takes a large amount of manpower- they don't use machinery, just basic tools. This way, they can hire more people, providing more employment in tumultuous areas like Zimbabwe. Being an obviously Christian nonprofit, I think they somehow pair the agriculture training with some biblical teaching. I think it's a fantastic idea- any way of helping out the poor in a way that is sustainable and creates jobs instead of giving away money makes me happy.

Unfortunately the woman couldn't stay for long, but I really enjoyed speaking with her. She told me that she had lived in Zimbabwe back when it was still Rhodesia, which I found fascinating. Comparing then and now must be mind blowing. After finishing up the interning program, I believe she will be heading up the organization's expansion into Botswana. I hope they will continue to be successful in uplifting these countries through practical and powerful means.

As the workday came to a close, I continued my aggregation of Zanzibar-related research. Fun fact: though only about 30% of Tanzania is of the Islamic faith, 99% of the population of Zanzibar is Muslim. No wonder there is such a large movement for their independence- their demographics are so different from the mainland's. My research has been greatly improved with the use of all the insane databases that Columbia provides me access to. I used to think Google was the best way to get information, but private databases really do take the cake. As I was looking around what the school offers, I found a database of tens of thousands of letters and diary entries just from women from Britain and Ireland from 1500-1800. How crazy is that?

After dropping one of the house's construction workers off in Masephumalele, I drove back home in the continuing deluge. It was alright, though, because it was Friday! Though it was officially the weekend, I ended up going to an internet cafe after I got home to work a little for the Columbian office back in NYC, CTICE, since I'm supplementing my All Nations income ($0) with 5 hours of paid work a week. For them I'm compiling research regarding virtual business incubators that specialize in green technology. They're thinking of starting one, and rightly so- there are very few in the United States, as far as I can tell. For those who aren't familiar with the term, a business incubator has traditionally been a large office building that houses various small business startups, usually within one genre, and gives them cheap rent as well as access to entrepreneurial experts and resources to help them grow their business. In virtual business incubators, startups have access to the same resources, except they don't physically have offices in the same area, which saves a lot of costs.

For dinner, Toukam and I (successfully!) made a chicken/tomato sauce for some twirl pasta, accompanied with carrots. Toukam, it turns out, knows a little something about cooking, which is probably the reason behind the success. Since I finished Against All Enemies, I've started on the second part of Atlas Shrugged, and it's looking just as good as the first.

On Saturday morning, I woke up early-ish to continue my work for CTICE at the local internet cafe which, though not the most relaxing start to a Saturday, proved educational and productive. To be honest, the more I work for CTICE, the more I learn about all the resources available for entrepreneurial businesses which is beginning to get me thinking about starting a business just for the sake of taking advantage of them!

Toukam and I made some PB&J sandwiches and headed out for a nice walk around the city, since he hadn't really seen it since his arrival. It was a nice day to do so, with the sun showing its face for the first time in a while and the temperature being ideal. We revisited the waterfront, passed by the convention center (where we'll be going to church tomorrow) and explored the Pan African Market. At the market, we were the only customers, which made for awkward shopping as well as a confirmation that winter in Cape Town is hardly the time for hustle and bustle. I'm happy with that, since it just means less tourists and lower prices!

I'm not too sure what the plan is tomorrow, but I plan on making my Sunday relaxing. On Monday, I'll be waking up during the wee hours to drive my boss to a publisher meeting (where I think I'll be sitting in to learn about it) and then to the airport (he's flying to Taiwan for a couple weeks). Week two looks good.

In Old School Adventure news, there was a disappointing revaluation last night. Apparently, Toukam's people have him signed up until July 31! This leaves us two (2!) weeks (14 days!) to do our road trip which we were already thinking had been cut from four weeks to three. I was definitely disappointed, since this means either a significant chunk of the trip cut out or a significant increase in its pace. I'm thinking the latter, since I really want to get to Botswana. My disappointment, though, has been dulled by the new possibilities this opens up. Now I have two weeks between the ending of my internship and the ending of Toukam's. With these two weeks I'm thinking of doing a two week solo trip going north to the Namibian coast. I would have plenty of time and it would allow me to go to Namibia, which I thought was off the table after the trip got cut to 3 weeks. It would be slightly more challenging since I would be on my own, but I'm up for it and Namibia is pretty well developed. One thing's for sure- I'm not gonna sit around in Cape Town for those precious 2 weeks.

Thanks for reading all of you! I am so blessed to have so many readers and friends and family who care enough to keep up with the blog. You're the best!

The Most Dangerous Game

Of the things I've learned in the past 24 hours, I would have to say that the most surprising has been the revelation that crocodile and ostrich carpaccio is delicious.

I came to this realization when Toukam and I went to a restaurant Khaya Nyama, recommended by my guide for its selection of wild African game. It was about a 10 minute walk from our apartment, and when we got there we were greeted with a nearly empty establishment with examples of African taxidermy lining the walls. We started off with a carpaccio sampler, which had the crocodile and ostrich that I mentioned already as well as springbok and another African deer-like creature. That was an interesting experience- the crocodile tasted like turkey and the ostrich looked like red meat. Next up, Toukam got warthog ribs and I got a steak from some sort of African game with a name similar to Eula or something. Both selections were amazing. My steak was incredibly lean and tender. We finished off with a super-sweet South African caramel dessert. We got all of this with drinks for about 24 dollars each, a price unheard of in the City.

Since we only have one bed, Toukam and I have instituted a policy to alternate weeks on the sofa. Because I had enjoyed the comforts of sleeping in the bed for the first couple of nights, I surrendered it to my roomy and took the sofa. Surprisingly, it's nearly just as comfortable sleeping on the sofa in a sleeping bag, at least for me. We'll see what Toukam says, but from my view, our alternation of sleeping areas isn't as much of a compromise as I thought.

Like every other morning here that I have and probably will experience, I got up early (7am), showered, avoided making eggs by instead doing toast, and drove to work. Lately it's been quite rainy, so it was another gloomy ride, though I've started to really enjoy my time listening to 101.3 FM Fine Music Radio, the classical music station that was playing when I got the car. They do a really good job mixing really old classical music with modern movie music without seeming like sellouts. Maybe I'm just going soft...

Upon arrival at work I braced myself for a day of either manual labor or spending my time figuring out what to do. However, my email inbox greeted me with a detailed email from the boss with long term and short term projects. The first was to find and purchase website domain names for his upcoming book and related projects. He actually came to the Africa House today, which was a nice surprise. Making an appreciated effort to talk, he sat me down and explained some of the email in further detailed and asked me how things are going. I worked on the domain names and, after finishing, got tasked with the job of getting building, liability, and contents insurance for the complex. I've never done something like this, but I welcome the challenge and I'm looking forward to doing my best. In the interest of full disclosure, though, I must admit that I had to look up "contents insurance" on Wikipedia, finding that it was insurance for all objects unattached to a building that could be stolen. To effectively get info on that kind of policy, I will have to make runs to other All Nations property and inventory their valuable items. It should be a diverting activity to break up next week.

I grabbed a humble peanut butter and honey sandwich (the affair continues!) for lunch and chatted with one of my coworkers, Hannah, who is a long-term volunteer at Africa House, but had worked with one of the local townships, Masipumalele, while on DTS with Youth With A Mission a couple years ago. She's an American from Washington state, and she has an energizing attitude and a lot of knowledge to share on All Nations' programs. After lunching, I poked my head in to the area where one of the teams is working and asked them about what they are doing. It turns out that the group of about 5 Americans are training a group of about 10 women from the townships how to operate t-shirt design presses and Photoshop, so that they can run a t-shirt printing factory to bring in income and create jobs. I was fascinated not only with their demonstrations of how to make a t-shirt design, but also by the ingenuity of this community development program. The creation jobs entrepreneurial endeavors jives well with my capitalist mentality.

For the remainder of my time at the office, I began preliminary work on a country-specific report for All Nations to use when expanding operations. After talking with the boss, I'm starting with Zanzibar in Tanzania. For the report, I will be summarizing basic and Christianity-related facts about areas as well as providing suggestions for what sort of physical aid we can provide, as in which services and training would best serve the community. It is bound to be an interesting and engaging endeavor, and I'm hoping it will turn out as well as I'm imagining it.

While I was quietly working in the office, I overheard and quickly joined in on a conversation originating over the case of one of the young men in the townships, but seems to be a common problem. He has become a Christian recently, and he is coming up to the age of manhood or initiation (maybe 17). His father, a member of a South African tribe, has told him that his time for initiation into manhood is coming quickly. What this is is a time when young men of his age go into the wilderness and perform rituals of ancestral worship, coming of age, and sacrifice while drinking and smoking native substances. Obviously, the ancestral spirit worship and animal sacrifices clashes with many of the basic (not Western) tenants of Christianity. However, to decline this coming of age ritual would be definite disownment by his family and some of the community. As incredibly difficult as this decision is, the young man had decided to stick to Christ and forgo the ritual. He will almost certainly pay dearly for that decision.

The people in the office were talking about the tragedy of this situation, and one of them started talking about the possibility of starting to do those initiation rituals but slightly modified. They could talk with some of the older Christian men in the communities who could conduct these rituals, but they would be changed to adhere to Christian theology. This way, there would be a difference in spirituality but not a break from the native culture. It is a problem that has followed Christians since its inception in the Middle East when the Greeks started to become Christians and wondered what role the Jewish cultural background had in the faith. If All Nations wants to pursue such a project, I really really want to be a part of it, even if I'm just shadowing at the meetings. Its a times like this that my inner anthropologist comes out.

With that intriguing conversation I left back to Cape Town, pitying the poor commuters on the other side of the highway in bumper to bumper traffic. Back at the apartment I grabbed a snack and continued reading Against All Enemies, which has grown into less of a personal history of terrorism and more into a scathing review of the failures of the Bush administration. When Toukam arrived, we cooked a dinner of steak, salad, and bread after the rice we attempted separated itself from all definitions of edibleness. It was nice, but I'm just hoping that my culinary skills improve as we do this more and more.

In the post-dinner hours I not only did my laundry but also read the final pages of Against All Enemies, and you know what that means- more Ayn Rand as I delve into part two of Atlas Shrugged! I'll be sure to tell you all about it. I hope things are pleasant on your side of the world- stay classy!

Manual

A thousand apologies for not keeping my daily posting streak- I'm afraid other events, like the arrival of Toukam, managed to take precedence.

Where to begin... Tuesday. The commute, now perfected by the addition of the mountainous highway, was quite manageable and I almost got it down to half an hour. Upon arrival, I was informed that the director, Nelis, would be staying at home to take care of his ill son. Because of this unfortunate circumstance, I was placed in the charge of Annerie, the groundskeeper of Africa House.

Annerie apparently worked for or ran a restaurant in the past, and runs the Africa House with the same amount of vigor and intensity that a functioning restaurant would require. Realizing that she has an extra pair of hands and feet to utilize, I was swiftly put into use measuring the dimensions of two dilapidated showers in the boys and girls restrooms for a future renovation with tiling. Though at first a little surprised by the discrepancy between what I had imagined an internship would look like and the task brought in front of me, I proceeded to get to know the metric system in detail. After an elementary school-worthy slip-up, I presented her with the needed square meterage of tile. Up next and for the next three hours, I had a list of tasks including scrubbing cement from a plastic chair, rinsing other plastic chairs, and moving large furniture around the complex. By the minute I was asking myself and the good Lord what purpose I had there and if I would be doing this for the next seven weeks.

Salvation came in the form of Mr. Floyd McClung himself, the boss and the man I had been contacting since February. He walked into the compound and when I saw him, I quickly went up and introduced myself. Mr. McClung, it turns out, is a fascinating character from first glance. First of all, he's tall- about 3 or 4 inches taller than I am. Beyond that, he was wearing Crocs, typing texts on his iPhone, and keenly inspecting the surrounding area and the people interacting with him. His friendliness was apparent from the first sentence he spoke and after some brief small talk, he asked me if I could go get some coffee with him. Thrilled at the idea of getting to know this man, the author of more than 12 books, a visitor in more than 125 countries, and speaker at more than 100 colleges, I was also pretty happy to escape the manual labor.

We walked across the street to a shopping mall with a Pick 'n Pay and a nice cafe, where we sat down and drank some hot beverages. During the thoroughly enjoyable conversation, we discussed everything from US policy in Afghanistan to his newest book, my relatives to Sarah Palin, and world travels to world ministry. From just that short conversation, I not only realized how interesting my new boss is, but also got to talk with him about a subject that had proven to be ambiguous- my purpose at All Nations. Thankfully, he seems to want to get me on more intellectual projects and other more demanding duties. He also voiced an openness to my shadowing his daily work routine, ready to field my questions and explain how he runs such an organization. From that conversation, I'm quite sure I won't be doing manual labor the whole time I'm on this Columbia-funded internship.

Mr. McClung and I quickly grabbed sandwiches and got into his car. He ended up taking me to two of the "communities" (former townships) that All Nations is active in- Oceanside and Massapumalele. These areas are of the saddest I've seen- shacks line the streets while poor families and children meander around, passing by the gaudy walls and gates of the local drug dealer. It became clear to me that All Nations is serving some of the world's most desperate people in life-changing ways. As he drove, Mr. McClung told me about the desperation of the people, the government's attempts to help them, and the political infighting that has hindered even the most kindhearted attempts to help the people there. It was heartbreaking to see such suffering, but encouraging to know that there are so many people doing there best to help those in the community.

Though the time with Mr. McClung was enjoyable and eye-opening, all good things come to an end and I was once again dropped off at All Nations where I continued moving shelves and cabinets. I ended up leaving at about 3:30 when there was little else to do and once again got very close to a half-hour commute. It was raining, but I decided to run a couple errands anyway, in order to have the apartment ready for my roommate to arrive. For the next couple hours I continued reading my new book, which I am reading between parts 1 and 2 of Atlas Shrugged, called Against All Enemies: Inside America's War on Terror, by former CIA head guy Richard Clarke. I had read an excerpt from it in my Intro to International Politics class last semester, and found it intriguing. I'm about halfway through and I'm really enjoying it. I didn't really know about America's history in regard to terrorism before 9/11, so this book is great about informing me of how previous presidents dealt with and thought about terrorism. He's very harsh on the W Bush administration, but who isn't?

At about 6:30, Toukam finally arrived! It turned out that the ticket that his company had acquired for him included a 24 HOUR layover in Atlanta, so he was forced to find a hostel there and make himself comfortable. He apparently met a lot of really interesting people along the way, but he was definitely glad to have found his new home base. We cooked up a simple dinner with chicken and beef and more veggies from Pick 'n Pay, as well as a bottle of sparkling wine, to initiate the good times to come. After dinner, we had a great conversation- one of many to come, I am sure. We finished the night and went to bed- him on the real bed and myself on the sofa in a sleeping bag, which proved to be a lot more comfortable than it sounds or looked.

Getting up bright and early at 7, I got ready for day 3 of work and attempted, with an utterly failed result, to make eggs for breakfast. I guess you could call it a learning experience... But then I was on my way in the rainy air, back on highway M3 to the middle of the Cape Peninsula. Because of the rain, my commute was about 40 minutes, but I didn't mind. Once again, Nelis was out of the office, so I began my day perfecting my gardening to-do list. However, diversion arrived when Pat, the secretary, told me that Mr. McClung wanted to talk to me. I called him and found out that I had been charged with the task of returning his passports back to an agency in the city. I drove over there, experiencing the most frightful moment in driving thus far (I'll spare the details on the blog). I returned to the office, where I began figuring out what I could do to improve the All Nations website, partially because I want All Nations to have as good of a site as possible, and also to prevent any future international interns from having to go through the traumatic process of finding the office without any good directions online.

For the rest of the day, I did random odd jobs and began to wonder, once again, what I would be doing there for the next month and a half. I now realize that I may just have to initiate projects on my own and pursue those. If no big steps forward are made this week, I may just do that. I left the office early again because of a lack of projects as well as the passport errand that I needed to do. On the way home I also stopped by Drive Africa to obtain some final documentation to bring Aslan into other countries. With that uplifting reminder of the adventure yet to come, I made my way home. Exhausted and hungry, I started a scandalous affair with a peanut butter and honey sandwich that ended in my utter fulfillment. Coincidentally, I also found out why you don't refrigerate honey.

Those were my last couple days- filled with emotion, new people, and exciting events. Let it be known that I have hope for the coming weeks with All Nations and that I know I'm still settling in. Thank you, Reader, for your prolonged attention, and I promise to have more pictures up for you soon enough. Until then, may your strides be lengthy and your burdens light.