Friday, September 02, 2005

I've uploaded a couple of pictures onto this page. There's a brief caption below each. I'm sorry that they're not in order.
Here's my host family's home. The host mother really enjoys flowers and tries to keep them growing around her home. The house is still in the process of being built and it still doesn't have ceilings.

Here's the view on my run this morning. There are trails around all of the mountains in the village.
Here are some men working in one of the roadside stands. You can't see it very well, but they're cooking chicken feet, a local delicacy. The other volunteers have been offered chicken heads, feet, cow intestine and stomach. I get out of all of it because I'm vegetarian.


Our group getting on the plane. There were six seats across and we couldn't get off the plane for 18 hours. For some reason the airline wasn't told that there were 10 vegetarians and one person who as allergic to gluten on the flight. I think I slept for about 45 minutes on the plane, but there were plenty of free movies to watch!
Here's the compound. In the morning I would do a loop around the outside of the building. During the day, we would get information on the South African education system, language lessons, culture lessons, medical information, and shots. After classes we would play ultimate frisbee with each other and with a couple of local boys.
Here's my table toasting each other at the dinner with the education minister in our honor. They gave each table two bottles of wine and a bottle of champagne. I'm in the pink shirt, to the right is Andrew, Cat, Sheila, Amanda, Slyvia (a language trainer), Erin, Cort, Hossam, and Sharon (a language trainer). Right after this the tables were cleared and we danced.
Here are all of us waiting to be placed to our host families. The grandmothers/mothers sat facing us and would dance and sing when their names were called to collect us.

4 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

Hi Melissa, great to hear from you. Seeing the pictures allows me to put you in a visual context which is comforting. Your posts are terrific.
Sending our best!

1:46 PM  
Blogger Andrew Eldredge-Martin said...

Wait, so you didn't try the chicken's feet? I would have been all over the chicken's feet.

Ok. Yeah.

Maybe not. :-)

10:28 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Wow - I still can't believe your in South Africa! I'm glad running/vegetarianism is working out for you over there.

Can't wait to hear more about your experiences - include cool words that I can throw into random conversations!

Take care hon!

12:27 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Hey, thanks for the pictures! It looks like you're having a great time. Although I would totally immerse myself in their culture! Like trying all of the delicacies they have there.
O.k. well, maybe not. Thinking of you.
Stay safe, please. Love you MOM

3:26 PM  

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