Nicole Margaret

Signs that it is fall

2011-10-11T07:05:00.004+05:30

Back to blogging, no promises that I will be consistent.
I know it is fall because the school-work is piling up and I have an even greater urge to be busy in the kitchen trying to cook something new.
I know it is fall because my clothes are cozier, the skies are more subtle, and I look forward to going to bed chilly.
I know it is fall because the notion that the year will be a long haul is some days heavier than the peace of what is to come at the end of it.

I read this today and it made me think of two things. The obvious thought, love. The second thought, my cooking.

"It is a risk to love.
What if it doesn't work out?
Ah, but what if it does?"
-Peter McWilliams

Like what I spent time making today, most of my ideas for cooking have a slim chance of turning out as delicious as I have imagined them to be. But after sporadic trips to the grocery store, a mess in the kitchen, hours of successful procrastination, and weeks worth of leftovers, sometimes the dish works out. More than works out, sometimes I have completely succeeded and what lays before me is surprisingly delightful.

First I crafted some Tandoori spiced baked potato chips. Garden grown potatoes courtesy of the lovely Georgina Scott

Then I dove in and slow cooked a carrot coconut curry soup. Blended it to smooth, and added some yogurt.

love from the Woods.

begin again

2010-11-14T02:16:00.003+05:30

I want to start writing again. But what to write about life in Calgary? Life in other countries has always been full of ideas, and so I may just have to dig a little harder around here.
I'm thinking I could write about my thoughts on literature, that seems to be the place in which I spend most of my time.
Or perhaps my thoughts on this city? And why every year I tell myself it is time to live somewhere else, and yet I stay put.

stay tuned
local love.

left and leaving

2009-06-05T13:59:00.005+05:30

This picture came from Nepal. It is the three Servant Team girls turned pirates for a day...

It is Saturday now, and I only have a few days left in Kolkata. I have had my last visits in most places, all that is left to leave is the family. We are flying out of here on Wednesday next week. Everyone is asking about how excited we are to go home, what we will eat first, where we will go. As of late I am most excited to sleep on a bed...

So far this week has been full of special meals and last time visits. On Wednesday we took Gita, ma, and sister for a really nice dinner and it was so great. Gita's mom took great joy in assembling us all in our Sari's and then we ate at the tastiest restaurant in Kolkata. On Thursday we ate a great lunch at SariBari and then spent the day with all the ladies working on our stitching. Last night we went out with all our friends from the community for a traditional Bengali meal. It was so delicous of course. I had my last day at Kalighat today, it was a strange place to leave. There isnt really time there to say good byes, and when you try it just feels a bit strange. I know that there will always be volunteers there, and it will still stand after each of them leaves, but it is still hard to walk away from. I had great lunch at one of my favorite restaurants with a good friend named Tuna. I ate chick peas of course.
Now I am about to go to the house and dive into the task of packing. Bah.
We will be going to a relaxing place for the weekend, to help with the transition out of the city. After that we have one last big meal with the family the night before we leave; we are preparing our stomachs for this feast.

This is sister Gita and I yesterday at SariBari. She is the bag making master.

The heat feels extra hot these days, must be because I know relief is on the way somewhere. It doesn't feel like I am about to leave this place though. I am sure that I won't feel much of anything until we drive away from Gita's home and family.

I am so excited to see everyone at home, but the actual leaving of Kolkata must come first.

lots of love, and see you soon

work it

2009-05-28T10:45:00.007+05:30

hey again,

I have some pictures for you now!

This is all us shining Servant Team girls plus sister Gita and sister Beth.

This is me with a lovely young Nepali friend that I made at an Eco-Village on the outskirts of Kathmandu. Full of smiles.

Here are a few photos from the lake in Nepal.
Kind of beautiful isn't it?

And this is a bit of an old one, but a great one. Sunshine really does only happen when it rains.

thanks as always for following my journey!
I am coming home soon, crazy.

loves from over here

how deep in the valley

2009-05-24T15:32:00.002+05:30

Hello,

I am back now from a glorious trip to Nepal. We got to spend time with the team serving in community there, we ate way too much delicious food, and we took in as much of the beautiful surroundings as possible.
I must also tell you that I got to jump into a lake, take Gita from a spin on a bicycle and eat a bowl of hummus all in one day. How lucky am I.

Of course I missed Kolkata while I was in Nepal, but the transition home to the city was still difficult. Nepal is such a different place and the break was so nice, but we all felt like we were coming back to a home when the hot air and loud streets of Kolkata hit us again. Luckily the girls that stay there were able to show us around the places that they serve and call home, and that helped to understand Nepal from a different view. The tourist industry is massive all over the country, but being with these girls we really were able to enter into their "Kolkata". We were able to see the places that they spend time volunteering, we got to meet the Nepali familes they eat with, and we got to hear lots of stories about how life has been for them in Kathmandu.

(sorry sorry, I left my camera card at the house. I will post pictures in the next couple of days!)

Less than two weeks left in Kolkata. Let's be honest, I am exhausted. I feel like the trip to Nepal was the perfect refreshment; I feel like I have bright eyes and new energy to spend in my last couple of weeks here. I cannot really imagine yet how it will feel to leave my Bengali family, and to leave the places that have been my home for the last four months.

P.S. A cyclone came through Kolkata yesterday. It was nuts. I am ok though.

The way on may be truly to stand in one place
And let the deep of the valley
Fill you will grace

she couldn't help but sing

2009-05-04T08:30:00.013+05:30

Namaskaar, see how great this man looks.

I think it has been so long since I have written, I know there is so much to say.
I was sick all last week; it was a high fever that kept me glued to my bed most days. I feel like I have more energy to start this week, and I must make sure I am well for Nepal.

As you can imagine, I spent the entirety of most days in my lovely nighty, gliding through the day sleeping, reading, and eating toast. Of course I also had plenty of time to think.

What came up most, and what has repeated itself for sometime in Kolkata is that I feel privileged here.
Ironic to say I suppose after spending the past week cursing a city that gives me constant headaches, but I tell you after days that I spend with people here I can only feel lucky having spent that time with them.
I am often asked by people here and home, "how did that make you feel". I usually first try the words sad or good, but then I end up turning to privileged. It made me feel privileged, they made me feel so privileged.

Ill share with you, I think the places that I enter to fill a need, have all become the places that fill something in me.
I feel privileged to live with a true Indian family. True in the Indian sense that they live a special life. Everything takes a bit longer, and everything is just a bit flashier. True in the sense of family as I have discovered from living with them for these months. They function with love and time spent together, but they also dysfunction, as we all do.
I feel privileged to be spending time with people who's lives are so precious and potentially nearing their end. I can sit with them and talk about their day, or just talk about nothing at all. I get to do their laundry, bring them food, and rub their feet.
I feel completely privileged to be able to enter only slightly into a community of women standing strong in Kolkata. Some that I see are still living in deeply woven poverty and they have yet to make the choice to step out of an industry that allows no freedom. I get to visit these women, and sit with them during a regular day of work in their lives.
I also then get to spend time with women who have now been on both sides. Women who know what it is to be bound, and now what it is to be free. I cannot fully comprehend the life changing decisions they have made, but I get to sit an do simple tasks amongst them.

I want to show you a few more pictures. These were the highlights of my week! After all my rest came such great reward.

This is at the very early morning Sari market.
It reminded me of a thrift store or a block-party garage sale.

And here are a couple of photos from the building that we spent one morning cleaning up. It still needs work, but it is a beautiful place. I can tell you that this building will so soon be a new place for women who want a new job, a new life.

And this is me wearing my "nice shirt", which is never actually clean or presentable. On this day it was extra gross from the cleaning in the morning.

I am going to Nepal for a week on Saturday with my team and few others which is so exciting. If you don't hear from me before then, just imagine me in a place that is a few degrees cooler and many mountains more beautiful.

thanks for waiting and then reading,
loves from this steamy city

our beloved's not dead,
but his highness instead has been utterly changed into fire;
so why not be utterly changed into fire?

your girl, she's a renegade

2009-05-01T17:56:00.005+05:30

Namaskaar.

I have a few pictures.
Pictures just from today.

We went for a long exploration today.
We found the bustling flower market, the packed train station, the windy bridge, the quaint ferry, and the tempting river.

This is just a small shot at the massive Howrah station.

Here we are just about to embark down into the chaos that is the flower market.

And here is a shot of the epic Howrah bridge. And one friend standing, thinking.

A few more to come....
loves from over here

slow show for you

2009-04-24T14:00:00.004+05:30

Hello.
no excuses... it is true. I should have updated a few days ago, but I didn't. I will give as much as I can now and then I will return to add some pictures. It is not as though I live in a remote shack with no easy way to find internet; I just often sit down and begin to type feeling like I can do no experience here justice. What I am saying is that upon my safe arrival home in a couple months you will have to take me for tea or eggs and then I can tell all the juicy stories.

Let me tell you it is hot. I am not allowed complain, thats impolite, but I am just acknowledging the fact. I think I can say that last Wednesday was the hottest day of my life so far. The heat here is measured in celius, these days it sits in the 40's. Then 5 or so degrees are added for what is called the "measure of discomfort". I think that means humidity. Sweat is everywhere, but I am not complaining.

On Saturday we went to the Book Bajaar with sister. Imagine my dream stroll. You should be picturing a long long road that is packed on either side with little shops selling used books. All this affordable literature is really starting to pile up on my window sill. It was such a fun day though, a girl after my own heart and weakness, sister was a great help when trying to get a good deal on books. I heard that there is a tiny little nook of a tea house that I missed. It has an ancient reputation for hosting heated debates and mind battles of local college students and memorable philosophers alike.

I am still spending as much time as I can at Kalighat. People are getting sick, new people are coming, and I am getting more attached and woven with the people every day.
I have done a couple of visits into the red light district here. Pretty close to what I expected it would be, I am enjoying the struggle of relationship with these women as I expected I would. It so clearly means entering into friendship for joy and struggle. The time is full of laughing and chatting with beautiful girls, lots of chai and food, and feeling a great bond. Lots to share and lots to process about those visits.

I am so fortunate. Lovely girls Jen and Jenna have ventured across the pond and they are spending a couple of weeks in Kolkata. It is so so good to see them, just a little taste of a place called home. I enjoy eating breakfast with them when I can, I really miss that part of my life at home.

The election is coming here. For all of India it takes a couple of months for everyone to vote; the stations go into every village and hill of people. Its really complicated, and not always talked about, but its going to be a big deal. I am learning as much as I can about it, from my understanding there could be a major shift in history and power of this state in the next month or so. It is interesting to be around; there are lots of rallies and flags and mega posters. There is one that Obama's face melted into a candle with a local leader. They really love him here, an automatic connection seems to be made between him and Ghandi.

I must dash, I will gather some photos to share soon.
thanks so much for reading
loves from way yonder

every thought, a thought of you.
a light within my brother's eyes
every look in search of you

the province of the brave

2009-04-14T14:24:00.007+05:30

Hello, and "Shubho Nababarso!"- Today is Bengali New Year.
Maybe I will start you with a couple of photos:

Goodmorning Santospur. This one was taken really early; I love when I get to walk in Kolkata when it is too early to be loud, but not too early for the bustle to begin.

And here is my view as I approach the front steps of Kalighat. A beautfiul building it is.

I should tell you that I love Kolkata. I think I only truly love it because there are so many days that I hate it. I feel myself making a niche here as it is called; and I think just as soon as the niche is so perfectly molded to me, it will be time to pack up and leave.

I should explain that one time last week I got really irrationally upset at a taxi driver. I treated him as though he was every Indian man who had ever done something to irk me. Unfair. He charged us bedeshi girls too much for a taxi ride that we didn't want to take that came at the end of a very misfortunate 3hr transit home to the village.

I should also explain that it feels like the sisters at Kalighat are getting used to having us around and they have started to rely on us a bit. The slight closeness I feel with them is so rewarding and it is lovely just watching the way they work and find their space at Kalighat. Some of the ladies that live at Kalighat too, I think feel our presence is there. I don't know how much stabilty is in their lives as they lay on their beds; we are hoping to be a bit of that for them.

Also though, Kalighat sometimes seems impossible. A small house that is right in the middle of a busy, loud, overcrowded, token endowed road. Inside the house at Kalighat can become shocking and hard to look at, and gross to deal with. I think it has to be like that sometimes.

But I really can't forget, that I probably live with the best Indian family. It may take me a long time to get back to them at night, but I can wind down during the commute, and arrive home to an astonishingly delicious home-cooked meal. I can sit on the floor with my sisters and laugh about all that we've lost.

Same pattern feeling for the past handful of days. Karissa asked me a question this morning that summed it up a little bit. She asked me if I ever feel like I could just burst in this place. I answered, "of course".

thanks for reading,
all my love from way over yonder,

grant me singleness of purpose,
and some strength to lift a part of the burden,

wide eyes

2009-04-06T13:10:00.004+05:30

Good day,
I've got a few pictures to show you.

These first two are from the roof of Kalighat. I think the sun is about to take it's trip down.

And this one, for my Dad, is a beautiful Indian named motorcycle. I finally spotted this one.

bye for now,

these days, a little bit stronger than the last

2009-04-04T13:58:00.004+05:30

Good day,

I am writing you here, Saturday for me, and it is getting hot. I can feel the harsh times coming. I am up to about 4 litres of water a day and a pretty wimpy apetite as I move throughout the city.
By the time I get back to the house though, I begin to anticipate the meal to come. I can hear Ma bustling in the kitchen, sometimes in the dark due to a power out, and I start to feel hungry. These days I am craving her food which is such a lovely feeling. I am always looking forward to the roti piece, the mound of bhat, and the aloo mix. The latest addition to any plate I eat has been an oinon. Whether its a snack or a big meal from Ma, I crave the punch and crunch of a raw onion. These days a strange desire for an onion or a cocnut just cracked and sold from a wrinkly lady on the street are most common.

This week again felt more like I have a place, and a home in Kolkata. Out of neccessity perhaps I am feeling more comfortable as I move about the city and back out to the village. In Kalighat I still don't know everything, but I know what I can do. I am getting close with a few particular women who stay at Kalighat, I am not sure if thats the best idea. For some reason this week was full of laughter at Kalighat. The women love to mock my bedeshi ways, and I love to hear them crack up. My Bengali language is coming along slowly... I increase by a few words a day. I feel like the sisters/didis that work at Kalighat are getting used to having me around. The one sister is always keeping me busy, and once and a while she will offer me an ounce, only a pinch, of affirmation. I think she knows it's what I live for. This week as I was throwing on my dupata scarf to leave Kalighat she studied me for a couple for minutes. I was standing nervously, anticiapting a commment about my uncombed hair or my saggy pants, but after some silence she said "You look Indian. You are wearing a dupata and you look like an India woman". I can tell you that just filled me with joy. I think I have a lot to learn from the sisters. I think this week I will hang around to be with them after we do the afternoon shift.

This coming week brings more new adventures. I am doing my first visit into the red light district. Also, we have visitors from Nepal. Also, as much time as my feet and sweaty face can allow me at Kalighat.

All my love, and a few resignating words I have been humming this week. The Cold War Kids sing this one,
"I've got one friend laying accross from me; I did not choose him, he did not choose me. We've got not chance of recovery, joy and hospital, joy and misery"....It reminds me of the ladies (and men) at Kalighat sometimes. Lots of joy, misery as well, but all in it next to eachother.

oh, sister.

2009-03-27T13:12:00.007+05:30

Hello today.

I hope you are well as you read this, I feel quite healthy this week. This past week Kolkata really felt like a home and like I have some sort of a routine. I have been going to Kalighat house either once or twice a day and I also started going to an Adoration service with all the sisters at the main Mother Theresa house. I really look forward to the service because it consists mostly of sitting in silence. Silence is something that does not come easy in the bustle of Kolkata.

Kalighat can be a very heavy place to be. Walking there we go down a street filled Hindu dedications and idols for the Kali temple. It feels like I am walking through a tight weaving; Kali is often understood as the Hindu goddess of death, and between all the road side sellers and the beggars, the sick people and the flashy colors, Mother's house sometimes feels like a crawl. I think of that most days as I walk into the home that Mother Theresa started as a sanctuary for people who are in their last days of life. I hear stories about the tribulation she faced as a foreigner trying to start the home back in the 1950's.

Usually I do massaging and exercises with ladies in the mornings at Kalighat and then medications and quality time in the afternoons. This is always interjected with trips to the bathroom, cleaning, and some small medical attention. I mentioned to someone that I am lucky there is laundry and dishes to do at Kalighat because if I every feel overloaded or really overwhelmed and I sit and soak my hands or saunter up to the roof to hang some clothes. Also these past couple of weeks every time I am at Kalighat I seem to be rehearsing ancient poetry about certain feelings in my head. It seems soothing to me.

I have a few more pictures to share.

This is Karissa and I with our Bengali Ma. She prepares for us the greatest food and we are always laughing with her as we struggle with our Bengali and she talks slowly for us. She knows now that I love shosha (cucumber), bhat (rice), and aloo (potato) with any meal. She stresses out if I talk to strangers, and she is always willing to attack any bugs that are in our room.

This is Karissa and I with our new lovely friend/sister Gita. We live with her, and apparently we sit in strange positions on her veranda.

And these are a couple more shots from the train. Something I have picked up about India is that there are people everywhere. Even when we were on the train passing by what seemed like untouched countryside I could spot one person squatting or picking a plant.

and This is the way the world ends, not with a bang but with a whimper.
-says T.S. Eliot

on your side

2009-03-19T11:16:00.005+05:30

Good day,

I am back in Kolkata now.

Bangalore was a really great place to be. We went to visit a children's home that seems like it is the model of changed lives and leaders of tomorrow. It is a big family of 45 kids who have been taken off the streets and out of dumpsters and put into schools and covered with love. The kids are unbelievable. Bangalore is such a different city than Kolkata; the skies are blue and the traffic is bearable. It is meant to be a place to retreat or take a breath from the bustle of Kolkata. A breath it was, however I secretly missed being back here. I think that means the attachment and slow growing fondness of this place has really begun.

The train back and forth was really fun. Between sleeping, eating a million Samosas and drinking endless cups of chai, reading piles of books, pooping down a chute that goes right onto the railroad tracks, and sitting at the edge of the door hanging my feet over in the wind, it was a really cool experience. Highlights included being accosted by a monkey with the face of an old man, and having one of the usually relentless beggar kids sit and my leg just to rest for while.

I have a couple of photos here.

This a view from the train of the beautiful South Indian countryside.

This would be a token white lady hanging her head out the train...

Oh yeah... and this is what happened to my face during holi.

This week I switched Mother Houses. I am starting my volunteering at one called "Kalighat" and I will be there for the rest of my time here. Kalighat would be the house that Mother Theresa first started; it's the home for dying. I am still spending time with lots or great ladies who are in the business of freedom, I am loving life in the village with our family, and I am getting closer to being able to communicate to people in Bengali.

Its been a good week or so. We had one day while we were away when we were reflecting as a team about our first month or so in Kolkata.
I think Nic gave the secret for the week. He said faintly "Kolkata is the real deal". I think we all agreed. Kolkata seems capable of holding ever depth of both joy and wretchedness.
Conclusion being... I would rather be here in this city of burden, beauty and revival then in some of the finest places of the world.

thanks so much for reading.
love and love,

2009-03-09T14:13:00.005+05:30

Hello just quickly,

I just received this picture from someone. If you could focus on the great view of Kolkata city and not on my strange face. I think I was saying "Egads!". Perhaps in reaction to the gaggle of people horking their morning loogies on the sidewalk...

thats all for today. I am going to go pack for my time in Bangalore and try to get some more studying done.

loves.
Nitu.

ki kobe

2009-03-05T11:06:00.005+05:30

Hello!

I hope that as you are reading this you are well. I have heard about crazy weather in Calgary. When I was home in Calgary freezing my butt off I was craving the Kolkata steam, but some days here all I want is to jump into a pile of snow. It's ok though, nobody looks at you funny if you are sweating buckets.
I have been sick most of this week. I guess I am still adjusting to all the new flavors and textures here. Since moving into the village our schedule has changed. It takes longer to get anywhere, and we eat dinner at the traditional Indian time of 10pm. That can make digestion a bit tough, but it is the Indian life.

I have the day off from Mama T's today but Karissa and I are heading to a really neat place for the day. It's a business that we will be spending a lot of time with. They employ Indian and Nepali women who want to be free from the sex trade. Turns out that Kolkata is basically a hub for the entire Indian trade. A lot of women come to Kolkata for some sort of "training" and then they go to different Indian cities to work. I have been told that there are about 10,000 women in Kolkata working in the trade, and about 64,000 customers that go through everyday.
Anyways, this business. The women come in to hand sew blankets out of old Saris. Their blankets are then sold throughout the US and Britain to give the women a solid income. They also get English classes and a lot of fun events. This weekend we are going to some crazy theme park/disco place called Wonder World with them. Last week we had the big picnic with them.

Mama T's was great this week. I am meeting so many international volunteers. I think that some of the Indian women that work at Primdan (the house I work at) are starting to recognize me and so they call on me for lots of jobs. We did so much laundry this week, we gave foot massages, and Karissa and I had to deal with quite the poop catastrophe. The women there love to sing and dance and have their nails painted. I often bring my Bengali notes there to practice with them. I think they enjoy that too. However I seem to only know the most open ended questions like: "tell me how you are feeling today", or "what did you do today".

Us girls still seem to be the talk of the village. Apparently we are so gutsy for taking the early train from the village because it is so packed. The woman that we live with said that she heard some ladies talking about "those Bedeshis (foreign girls) who are always on the 7:20 train". Apparently a lot of the local ladies wish they could talk to us but they don't know any English. Hopefully soon we can say a few words to them, I am learning lots in our language classes.

I have a photo here. Not sure if you can tell, but im on the crazy train. (its empty).

This coming Tuesday we are all heading to Bangalore and Chennai for a week. We are taking a 30 hour train ride (think Slumdog or the Darjeeling Unlimited) to get there. In Bangalore we will be visiting with a young lady named Tammy who has started a home to raise kids with no homes. I have been told all about her life, and apparently her and I are going to bond. ha ha. Also, we will be in Bangalore for Holi. All I know is that people throw colored powder everywhere. It was on the Amazing Race once.

I suppose that is all for now. I am going to embark on a mad search for some diet Pepsi.

A secret this week? Hmm I would say Fish are friends... not food. In fact. If you can consider all living things that are killed then eaten friends, meat is easily avoided. There are bikes with screaming chickens dangling from them, goat heads for sale, flapping fish at the market, and hanging carcasses for sale. I would say stick to the aloo (potato) bhat (rice) roti (bread) and phulcopi (cauliflower).

wish me luck on my train extravaganza!
a whole rickshaw full of love,
Nitu. (oh yeah, that's my Bengali name).

out to the village

2009-02-26T15:07:00.008+05:30

Hello today.

This past week has been very busy. We moved into the village, went to a big fancy party, and kept up our time at Mama T's home.

We moved in with a family in the village. The village is pretty much like a rural suburb of Kolkata. It takes at least an hour to get anywhere, through a combination of auto-rickshaw, bus, local train, and metro. It has been really hard to adjust to a new place again. It seems as though no one in the village has seen white girls before, they have only read about them in textbooks and such. The stares never really stop and they are never hidden. Crowds form, people point, little kids run away, its exhausting. We are living with a great young lady named Gita though and she really stands up for us. She said that people will get used to having us around and then they will all look out for us.
The best village experience so far was taking the local train. Picture the stereotypical Indian train packed to the brim with people in every corner just sweating bullets, and will lots of people hanging on the outside. Us girls took an early morning train to get to Mama T's and it was such an adventure. When the train is nearing all the girls stand on the edge and really give the stare down. Some puff their shoulders, some spit a bit, and some just shoot the stink eye, all to tell other girls that they are going down and that the train has no room for the two of them. As soon as the train arrives all I knew to do was to grab some sort of post or rail and then hope that the mob would just carry me. This is true. We floated right on. So crazy though. I thought it was hysterical, while all the Indian women were screaming at each other.
Gita's mom cooks for us everyday and that takes some getting used to as well. She is a fantastic cook, but she tries to get us to eat so much food. Also, dinner is not served until 10 or 11pm.

This week we went to a huge celebration for the Indian women who have started a business in order to get out of working on the streets. It was their 3rd anniversary this week and so we went out to get decked out in our Sari outfits for the occasion. It was a big morning for Gita, she is obsessed with pink and her mom had such a fun time dressing us. It felt like some sort of prom. We went out with the ladies to this really nice garden and then went for a nice lunch. We all ate with our (right) hand at lunch even though there was fancy silverware, and a lot of the ladies took leftovers home in tins for their children.

I have a couple of pictures here from the garden:

I had such a great time working at Mama T's this week. I feel like some of the ladies that work there are become familiar with having us around and so they rely on us a bit more. This week as I was walking in in the morning, one of the sisters said "Aunti Aunti come come!". I followed her and she threw this old shriveled lady into my arms and we started walking down a dirt path. We walked down this road with about 10 other ladies from the home, some of them had to be carried, some crawled a bit. We arrived at this gigantic ambulance and the sisters asked me if I could come. We ended up going to get the ladies eye's checked at this big community eye checking event... haha. That was such an ordeal. Some of the ladies only have one eye, some of the ladies eyes go in two directions, and some of them refused to even open their eyes. It was good to be there for it though, I am always reminded of how much care and company these people need. Even the littlest tasks could be embarrassing for them or make them feel strange I think.

oh yeah. a secret for the week.
be bold. We have had to be bold when everyone tries to rip us off.
We have had to be bold when a taxi is about to run us over but we slam our hand on the hood of it to stop instead.
We have had to be especially bold when Indian men think we will share an auto rickshaw with them. (haha a you go girl moment for sure).

thats all for now, I am off to language class.
lots of love,

...it's here in the smallest bones

2009-02-19T12:35:00.007+05:30

Hello again.

It has been just over a week now that I have been in the busy Kolkata and I have a few more stories to share.

I had my birthday here this week which was nice. We had green peas for dinner, and Beth gave me a beautiful book to write in. I starting reading some Rabindranath Tagore writing this week and it is so good. I read some really neat short stories of his and I found a book of some of his poetry. Its really great for me here, there seems to be used book stores on every street.

I spent this whole week working in Mother Theresa's home called Primdon, which is a hospice. Here people are not quite destitute, they still have a bit of time to live. Most of the people at the home are mentally ill or severely disfigured. Our days there usually start with laundry, then making beds. After that we give lots and lots of foot rubs, then we serve lunch.
I realized after working there for a couple days how much more it actually is to be there. I starting to look a little closer and see what happens beyond those basic tasks. What I learned is that all the women need to be moved in order to be fed, or have a massage, or go to bed. That is an ordeal, some of them are pushed in their wheelchairs, some of them just need a human crutch, and some of them do this really neat crab walk thing on the ground. One woman that I found who needed to be changed was so tiny and frail that one of the sisters told me to just throw her over my shoulder. Oh man. As I was carrying her to the toilet she was grumbling and moving a bit and I accidentally hit her pea sized head on the wall. She had a bit of a fit. But after getting her into a fresh nightie and giving her a mushy banana she was just fine.
The day after that I went over to feed someone there lunch and I ended up sitting with one woman who was in the corner. I think she was the most disfigured person that I have every seen. She was so peaceful though, and she enjoyed the meal.
I think I will be at this house for a couple of months, and then I may change to a different home for the final two.

This weekend the girls and I are moving into a lady named Gita's home. She lives in the village so it will be a bit of a commute for us to get in everyday. I think it will be lots of fun though, and everyone says that Gita's mom is the best cook in Kolkata.

I have a few pictures here.

This is a photo from the veranda of the flat. It can be so noisy out there, and it is wedding season right now so there are a ton of flashy parades.

This a picture at the Victoria park. We went there on Valentines day and it was hilarious. We went with a few English speaking Indian women and they were laughing the whole time about all the young couples kissing under the trees. (In India, guys and girls cant even stand in the same section of the train). Nic got his head into the picture.

And this would be myself with my other team mates Karissa and Sandi. We found a place where you can quickly snap a picture without getting into trouble. This is just after getting out of a crazy auto-rickshaw.

The secret for this week is to plan out trips to the toilet. I have developed a strategy because toilets are just holes that you squat in, and yes it is true, the left hand becomes the dirtiest part of your body. The trick though is to make friends with people who own restaurants or hotels that may just also have a sink, a few squares of tp, or a flushing squat.

whoa that was long.
thanks for reading.

love and love

Shundor Kolkata

2009-02-13T15:38:00.004+05:30

I am here.
I am here in an Internet cafe in the middle of what is called Sudder street. I just finished eating chicken and naan bread that cost less than two dollars and I think I will go and try and find some sweet yogurt and some pants in just a bit. I am living with 5 other Americans. They are so loving and open minded. Boy Nic says y'all and thinks that my English is pristine. Boy Kyle is a good friend to have around, he knows the city. Girl Beth is our host, she is a stand up white girl who has totally found her place in Kolkata.

I was with the dying today.
I was with men and women who all seemed to be shrunken and they were dying. I massages hands and feet and scratched backs and did the Indian head bob so they would think I knew what they were talking about. They seemed content though, I mean who doesn't like a solid foot rub. The guys shave the guys, the girls massage the girls. I am excited to spend more time there as I learn more Bengal so that we can talk a bit. The homes are cool because they are full of International volunteers who just showed up. A lot of people show up to volunteer and don't end up leaving for months. Ever heard Mother Theresa say that we will be taken care of just like the lilies are? I feel like a lily. No requirements to help, filled with home made chai tea all day, stay as long as you want.

I am joyful here.
I am joyful in a place that is so colorful and so loud and that is always smiling. A place where I know that terrible things happen, but also where spirits are so high. I am joyful flying around in a rickshaw and I am joyful walking for kilometers on end so that I can be shown the best food in town. I am joyful wearing genie pants and eating spicy food.

I am trying to learn Bangla. That is the best language to learn here.
I have a new phrase-ish.
Kamon Achen - How are you?
Ami balo achi - I am fine.
Kamon Achen? - and how are you?
Ami gete hobe batha pecchap - I have to go painful urine.
Maaf Korne, Ami tomake belobachi - I am sorry, I love you.
Hen. kalka dakka hobe. - yes. see you tomorrow.

so that you know... this place is full of secrets.
I have the first one to share with you today.
It turns out that women's behinds in Kolkata are their best kept secrets. We walk up so many stairs and walk on rubbish roads for miles, yet we are absolutely not allowed to wear anything tight or short, or anything that would even suggest we have a rear.

kalka dakka hobe.

Its about that time.

2009-01-28T06:18:00.003+05:30

I am leaving for Kolkata in less than two weeks.
All the little tasks seem to be coming together. (via the mass effort on my mom's part).

Not excited just yet... I am anticipating actually being settled; no one likes traveling for 30 hours and trying to make a new place home.

I look forward to writing here, I hope you look forward to reading.
Hopefully not too many rants about the current state of our world. I am going to focus on just telling stories.

thank you already.

set it on fire

2007-12-29T12:08:00.000+05:30

This holiday season was unlike any other I have had.... possibly the best I have ever had.

I was in a small car accident on Christmas eve and ended up in the back of a cop car on the way to Canmore.
Rethinking what we are calling Christmas... give this little piece from CS Lewis a thought:

...In the middle of winter when fogs and rains most abound they have a great festival which they call Exmas and for fifty days they prepare for it in the fashion I shall describe. First of all, every citizen is obliged to send to each of his friends and relations a square piece of hard paper stamped with a picture, which in their speech is called an Exmas-card. But the pictures represent birds sitting on branches, or trees with a dark green prickly leaf, or else men in such garments as the Niatirbians believe that their ancestors wore two hundred years ago riding in coaches such as their ancestors used, or houses with snow on their roofs...

...But when the day of the festival comes, then most of the citizens, being exhausted with the Rush, lie in bed till noon. But in the evening they eat five times as much supper as on other days and, crowning themselves with crowns of paper, they become intoxicated. And on the day after Exmas they are very grave, being internally disordered by the supper and the drinking and reckoning how much they have spent on gifts and on the wine. For wine is so dear among the Niatirbians that a man must swallow the worth of a talent before he is well intoxicated...

...But what Hecataeus says, that Exmas and Crissmas are the same, is not credible. For first, the pictures which are stamped on the Exmas-cards have nothing to do with the sacred story which the priests tell about Crissmas. And secondly, the most part of the Niatirbians, not believing the religion of the few, nevertheless send the gifts and cards and participate in the Rush and drink, wearing paper caps. But it is not likely that men, even being barbarians, should suffer so many and great things in honour of a god they do not believe in...

I decided that I didn't need much of anything this Christmas and ended up with some nice surprises.
The best part of it all was working (at the Seed still) on Christmas day. Immense joy and genuine cheer was certainly spread.

Here is lovely Laura and I. I nice picture I would say.

until next year...

blessings.

Heavier Boots.

2007-11-06T12:49:00.000+05:30

The eyes are the groin of the head.

on friendship

2007-10-14T01:36:00.000+05:30

And he answered, saying:
your friend is your needs answered.
He is your field which you sow with love and reap with thanksgiving.
And he is your board and your fireside.
For you come to him with your hunger,
and you seek him for peace.

And when he is silent your heart ceases not to listen to his heart;
For without words, in friendship, all thoughts, all desires,
all expectations are born and shared, with joy that is unacclaimed.
When you part from your friend you grieve not;
For that which you love most in him may be clearer in his absence, as
the mountain to the climber is clearer from the plain.

And let your best be for your friend.
If he must know the ebb of your tide,
let him know its flood also.

you will rise

2007-10-08T08:56:00.000+05:30

Good day

Have you seen this movie yet? I would absolutely recommend it. I knew it would ignite the escapist spirit it me, and perhaps it will find one in you as well. One of the most honest and testing films I have ever seen.

The great Sean Penn making this one.

There is pleasure in the pathless woods,
There is rapture on the lonely shore,
There is a society where none intrudes,
By the deep sea, and the music in its roar;
I love not man the less, but nature more.
-Lord Byron

thanks.

man of the hour

2007-09-11T02:17:00.000+05:30

You will certainly be missed Matt.

what I know of you

2007-09-03T02:34:00.000+05:30

There is a time

...a time for everything, and everything on earth has its special season.
There is a time to be born and a time to die.
There is a time to plant and a time to pull up plants.
There is a time to kill and a time to heal.
There is a time to destroy and a time to build.
There is a time to cry and a time to laugh.
There is a time to be sad and a time to dance.
There is a time to throw away stones and a time to gather them.
There is a time to hug and a time not to hug.
There is a time to look for something and time to stop looking for it.
There is a time to keep things and time to throw things away.
There is a time to tear apart and a time to sew together.
There is a time to be silent and a time to speak.
There is a time to love and time to hate.
There is a time for war and a time for peace.

much love.

ageless beauty

2007-08-07T00:52:00.000+05:30

Hello

Recently it seems as though a lot of people are getting older and reaching some pretty important stages in their life.

Here is the darling Karis. She has gone from quirky grade nine fashionista to the girl who fell in love and is moving to Scotland.

And miss Daniela. She turned the big two zero and I couldnt be prouder of the girl.

Its that season. I'll let you know when I have a milestone to report.
love and love

sow it in

2007-07-27T11:47:00.000+05:30

An Irish Blessing once from Ciara

May the road rise up to meet you.
May the wind always be at your back.
May the sun shine warm upon your face,
and rains fall soft upon your fields.
And until we meet again,
May God hold you in the palm of His hand.

lets just fall in love already

what new mystery is this?

2007-07-12T23:24:00.001+05:30

Here again,

So there is a community in Philadelphia called the Simple Way. I first heard about them when I read the book Irresistible Revolution. Lately the more I look into this community, I see the extent of their work and the mass of people involved. I want to let you in on this book, Irresistible Revolution. Another world is possible. Written by a man named Shane Claiborne, it is all about a revolution of love in this world, first shown to us by Jesus. What we remember about Jesus is his love. He did things that no one else would go near, he touched the people who others gawked at, and he didn't think of his impact. His love for them was not a conscious, I am going to shake the world kind of action, it is just what made the most sense to him. One of the parts that really stuck out to me was Shane's words on one church. To me it goes so deep into the ideas of exclusiveness and having to fit into a box; the fact that we all believe in the same God, yet feel the need to separate ourselves. Shane quotes a pastor saying

“We’ve got to unite ourselves as one body. Because Jesus is coming back, and he’s coming back for a bride not a harem."

If you haven't read it, I really think that you should. I have read books before that leave me feeling like I need to change my actions and world view, but I have never finished a book and understood tangible ways to do so.

Someone to watch who is very connected in the Simple Way community, with great things to say.

stir it up in our hearts

zing

2007-07-03T11:45:00.001+05:30

Hi there,

A lot of people are at camp.. and most people have Facebook. This entry comes from me, in Calgary, on my page that will be viewed no where near as much as Facebook. That is not the point, this is just my little spot.

I had such a good weekend. Just felt refreshing.

I really enjoyed this movie. It's called Once. Have you seen it yet?

I spent time with this one. She shines.

I am listening to and thoroughly enjoying the new Wilco CD 'Sky Blue Sky'. Also, the new Feist has been burrowing nicely in the strings of my heart.

Alright, this too. A prayer by Archbishop Oscar Romero.

It helps, now and then, to step back and take a long view.
The kingdom is not only beyond our efforts, it is even beyond our vision.
We accomplish in our lifetime only a tiny fraction of the magnificent enterprise that is God’s work.
Nothing we do is complete, which is a way of saying that the Kingdom always lies beyond us.
No statement says all that could be said.
No prayer fully expresses our faith.
No confession brings perfection.
No pastoral visit brings wholeness.
No program accomplishes the Church’s mission.
No set of goals and objectives includes everything.
This is what we are about.
We plant the seeds that one day will grow.
We water seeds already planted, knowing that they hold future promise.
We lay foundations that will need further development.
We provide yeast that produces far beyond our capabilities.
We cannot do everything, and there is a sense of liberation in realizing that.
This enables us to do something, and to do it very well.
It may be incomplete, but it is a beginning, a step along the way, an opportunity for the Lord’s grace to enter and do the rest.
We may never see the end results, but that is the difference between the master builder and the worker.
We are workers, not master builders; ministers, not messiahs.
We are prophets of a future not our own.

Uplifting.

back at it

2007-06-20T08:24:00.000+05:30

So I am home.

Home and working. I have started a position at the Mustard Seed. My offical title is Visitors Services Support Worker. I work in the main center where people come in off the streets. I work at the door, in the dining room, and as close as I can with anyone who needs a hand. This is exciting.

I really enjoy this picture, Daniela first showed it to me.

I am currently loving the Rosie Thomas cd "These Friends of Mine"

And I just read that:

One of the ironies of courage and why we prize it so highly, is that we find it easier to be brave for someone else than we do for ourselves alone .

There's no believing in God...We either know God, or we don't.

Those come from a book set in India called Shantaram.

Keep well, and feel free to drop by the Seed. Bring yourself, or a bag of old clothes, or some willing working hands.

Kgotso.

one by one hidden up my sleeve

2007-06-10T16:55:00.000+05:30

Good day.

Nicole and Ciara here!

I won't write much because I can't post many pictures and I don't want anyone falling asleep whilst reading my blog. I will just tell you that we are very safe and having way to much fun. We have seen the London sites, we went to an amazing play called The Woman in Black, and we found the best pub last night. We have explored markets of all kind, yesterday we went to the biggest market I have ever seen in my life. We have experienced hostel life and tomorrow morning we are flying to Ireland.

I am home home on the 23rd, and miss Ciara arrives on the 26th.

This one... Ciara and I went to a modern art museum. Really cool place, but as you can see.. very modern. I totally get this picture.. but it is probably way over your heads.

This one... Ciara and I went to a massive market yesterday and we wanted to stop and eat some cherries. We sat on this wagon. Then some guys, you can see them in the back ground, thought it would be funny to wheel us over to the pub where they were sitting. They were strange and old so we left. But at the time, as we were coasting over, hilarious.

Ok and this one.. Me and Ciara are really good at taking pictures of just our heads. We try to make sure your really have no idea where we are, we avoid all possible scenery. But I have heard that some of you just like to see the faces.. to know that the loved ones are ok.

love and thanks

we miss you like we miss you

open window

2007-06-02T02:12:00.000+05:30

Hello,

Today was my last day in Africa. I can't really believe it. There have been times here where it felt so very long, but today I didn't feel like four months had passed. I am very glad because today just felt like an ordinary day and the younger kids didn't know that we were leaving.

Here are some pictures from the week.

Haha. This is me with Rachel and Meagan in some traditional wear. Ladies in red.

Here I am with the lovely Tankiso.

This is me with Louis and Gaelyns family. They are the wonderful fruit market pair.

And this is Regina and I with our matching cheeks.

Today we were the honorary guests at a school concert and if I could thank you all the way they have thanked us you would be in awe. We listenned to beautiful choirs, saw some really fun dancing and ate a traditional meal.

I do want to thank all of you who have been reading! Your emails and comments and ears to listen mean so much to me, and really keep me going.

I fly out of Johannesburg tommorow night and then I am meeting up with Ciara in London on June 6th. You will probably hear from me before I am home on the 23rd, but we are spending a few weeks around London and Ireland. I am so excited to see that girl.

I must go and finish packing and vat vat.

much love, for the last time from South Africa!
kgotso.

beautiful are the feet...

2007-05-29T01:31:00.000+05:30

Dumela

I just wanted to ask you,

This is Rachel. She is one of the girls I am living with right now. Last week she visited a man in the village and prayed with him. He went completely blind a few months ago and we are doing what we can (praying) to change that. Please if you read this, take a minute and help us out.

Kgotso.

ignite your bones

2007-05-28T00:32:00.000+05:30

Good evening on my end,

I decided it was time to write in here. I am actually procrastinating at the moment, so this is the perfect spot to spend some time.

It is really very cold here right now and it has been for a few weeks now. We have seen snow on the mountains. I spent my week up there completely bundled in blankets, and head scarfs.. I fit right in with the village ladies.

Let me just show you a few things

Here is a picture of my Kindergarten and Grade one class. This shot was during a game of Head and Shoulders.

This is me with a lot of the village ladies. We had a big gathering and then they all had quite the time dressing me up as a Lesotho woman.

Here is my preschool class! I am standing in the back with the three ladies that work with us, and then Meagan and Rachel.

On Friday of last week we traveled to another school in Qwa Qwa to do a presentation on AIDS. Can you spot the white girl?

And here I am with Taryn during our latest experiments with henna.

It is my last week here in South Africa. We are going up the mountain daily, and working at the school as well. I am excited for a few special dinner plans I have this week, and then Saturday is my full day in Jo-berg before I fly out. I am not the greatest at formal, deep hearted goodbyes, mostly because I don't want to show my emotions. I have no idea what will happen on the day I have to leave all of these kids.

For now I need to go so I can plan the primary school activities for this week, or maybe I will jump straight into my multi-layered bed. Thank you for reading.

Love and Love
Kgotso

namaste

2007-05-19T17:50:00.000+05:30

Hello Again,

I am back from the mountain for this weekend and then I am off on Monday to live up there again for the week. First of all I must share with you my baking escapades. (Assuming you already know that usually I am no where near successful with my creations). Last week I baked some simple chocolate chip cookies, expecting them to be a flop. But they really weren't and I was able to give them to a family helps with the Ministry. Then I went back to visit them a few days later, and the cookies had been completely devoured. I promise this is rare. Then the mother asked me if I could bake her some more. She insisted on paying me, but I told her I would make her three times as many as before, and she just needs to pay in fruit. (They run a fruit market). So this morning I baked about 70 cookies for this family, and I promise you it is such a pleasure.

Moving on... these past two weeks on the mountain. Again I am so happy to have these Canadian girls visiting, they make for such a great last couple of weeks here. The weather has been less than great, the wind blows like crazy at night, and the temperature is dropping. I am going to whip up as many toques as I can this week to give through-out the village. The stars are in abundance though, lots of kids are coming to the care center, and teaching at the school is still so much fun. The power goes out every once and a while though and we had a flush your own (pour water through) toilet for most of our stay.

Some Highlights,

I know some of you have been awaiting a shot of Bernard, so here we are. I look a little cheesy and he looks a little queasy?

This picture is taken outside of our Hall at the care center. We had a village gathering where about 40 families picked up food parcels with lots of soup, spices, veggies and other non-perishables.

This is a photo of all of us girls when we went on a hike down a gorge. Beside me is Rachel then Meagan then Taryn. Behind us you can see some of the city Qwa Qwa.

This Tankiso in his One-Piece Red Suit, with me, wishing I had mine!

Here I am with the lovely Sito,(who we have totally potty trained!)We are doing our daily dance training.

And here I am reading to some of the kids in the village.
They go to the primary school we teach at, but I absolutely love hanging out with these ones. They totally remind me of the kids from Hook, or the island kids from Lord of the Flies. I was watching a village soccer game this week and all of a sudden the 6 and 7 year old girls came out of this little grass cave with fish tins and broken glass pieces filled with cheesy poofs. They threw me a surprise birthday party. I really could not stop laughing.

I should go, I have tons of phone calls to make, errands to run. That's a joke. But I will go find my place in the kitchen.
Only two weeks left here. Kind of crazy I think.

thank you for reading
mounds of love

Live and let live.

2007-05-05T21:34:00.000+05:30

Hello

Today is such a beautiful day, I have walked and walked and walked and completely procrastinated anything of importance. Kind of nice.

Two sisters from Steinbach have come to join us for this month and they are such a blast. I am really looking forward to this time with them, it is a treat to have some fellow Canadians along.

We are leaving to live on the mountain tomorrow, for about three weeks. This is going to be great. What a way to finish off my time here. I will be able to use Internet in two weeks or so, and then at the end of this month I am off. I need to really milk these next few weeks. You know, become even closer with everyone on the mountain, pour out way more love than I thought I had in me... then pack up and take off. Scary.

This picture is with the lovely Enny. She lives on the mountain and volunteers as a main caregiver for us. On this day the ladies showed me how to make all the foods we feed the kids. My new favorite food is pumpkin!

And on this day we all became cats. A very good activity with the kids, some even went so far to lick our legs??

I must go mail and pack and bake and pack. Thank you again and again for reading and for the support that keeps me going.

Speak with you now

love and love and love

a mountain like you said to be

2007-05-04T03:06:00.000+05:30

'Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you' I have chosen you for one another...Friendship is not a reward for our discrimination and good taste in finding one another out. It is the instrument by which God reveals to each the beauties of all others. They are no greater than the beauties of a thousand other men; by Friendship God opens our eyes to them. They are, like all beauties, derived from Him, and then, in a good Friendship, increased by Him through the Friendship itself, so that it is His instrument for creating as well as revealing.
-CS Lewis

'Those who have nothing can share nothing; those who are going nowhere can have no fellow travelers.'

Kgotso

so dam lucky...

2007-04-27T20:57:00.000+05:30

yeah...

pinch me later for the horrible pun. The other day we visited a dam. Dams here are like lakes, not huge structures for water to pass through.

(I needed to put rocks in my pockets)

A fairly empty house today; some people are at the airport, and some are busy being soul mates. So Hylein and I watched Love Actually. Perfect Actually. Laurie has gone home and two Canadian girls will arrive tomorrow. This week we studied reptiles and discussed emotions at the primary school.

Here is Tshidiso with his fish puppet.

If you think to think of it, I am staying over in Lesotho tomorrow night. It needs to run smoothly. We are staying for the night so that when we cross back over into South Africa my visa will be extended.

love you, but my book is calling me.

never in the wrong time or place

2007-04-21T21:03:00.000+05:30

Greetings,

I am back from the mountain, and I have managed to get the sniffles. People tell me that I get sick fast, but I must say that this is the first time in three months of being in Africa. Not so bad. This trip to the mountain was quite different than the last; the weather was cold and rainy for the most part, but I absolutely have some experiences to share. Laurie, the women who completely fits my vision of an All-American mom was with us. And she was totally that, a lively mother figure.

This is me and her on the game-drive. (I know it is a very cheesy picture with the wind blowing and what not)

We are still busy working at the primary school in the village, and it is still so much fun for me. This week we did lessons of families.

This picture shows me with some of the kids in the classroom. It is fairly mandatory that they wear their uniforms, with some exception.

And this one is during one of our crafts with them.

I set my frog free last week and so this week I found a new class pet. I heard him about a kilometre away and could not ignore the noise. Some kids were treating him horribly, like nothing I have seen before and I wanted to go and snatch him from them. I found him hidden behind a bush, shaking and in rough shape. I brought him back to the care centre, bathed him, fed him, and tried to get him to some health before I would loose him.

This is Patata. I named him that, after sweet potatoes. He is a very small puppy, who loves to eat tuna and pasta. I only had him for a few days but I tried in those days to nurse him back to some state of wellness. A very cute and loyal pup he is.

We were able to go back to the Shack church in town. As always, it was such a moving experience. The voices are something that cannot be forgotten. I will try and get some video up. Something to note though: I have found here that there are certain things that I cannot capture on camera or in film. I was thinking today that Africa is like that in many ways. The pictures I can get are things that you can picture; the skies, the singing and some of the people though, you seriously just have to be there. (Sorry).

This is Laurie and I with Stompy, the pastor of the Shack church.

At the care-center this week our theme was dinosaurs. One day we made costumes with them, turned out quite well.

This is the adorable Tshidiso.

Today was the first funeral I have ever been to. It is strange that my first one is in Africa, where funerals are a celebratory event, not a time for mourning. There was a girl in the village that died last week, so this Friday the parties began. What happens is her family needs to throw a large party. People do not come with food to comfort them; they come expecting food and drink. The family needs to pay to have a grave prepared, rental of a huge tent, and then the food. They need to sacrifice a cow so the skin can go in the grave; they need to kill a sheep for the gravediggers to eat, and then provide enough food for all the guests. Keep in mind this extremely costly event is a responsibility for what can be an extremely poor family. What we saw today was the parade of about 50 people singing and hiking down to the grave site.

This picture shows the house of the family, with the large tent for the party goers to stay over in.

Also this week, I had another terrifying bug experience, I sorted through over 500 cans of non-perishables, and one of the ladies we work with gave me some beautiful fabrics. The bug experience was last night, this time it was a huge, green, half spider half grasshopper with wings, that was lurking over my bed. I couldn't’t handle it so I moved my mattress into Laurie’s room. The cans I sorted were donations that we received and will distribute in the village. The best part though, I managed to salvage a few cans of creamed corn to indulge in! And the fabric, Martha was wearing a green looking head wrap and I asked her where she bought it. The next day she gave it to me with a matching skirt!

And one more photo. This is one of the only ways to capture the feeling in these surroundings.

love Nicole

because you shine

2007-04-13T02:17:00.000+05:30

Demela,

I wanted to write today.
Some news: A wonderful lady from the States has joined us for a couple of weeks. Again, an American that represents the country in a such a positive, super hard to criticize way. Also, we started working at the school in the village every day and I am having such a great time doing it. To actually stand in front of a class, write on a board, pre-make lesson plans, I know I could do it for the rest of my life. One more thing, we are going to stay on the mountain for a week or so starting this weekend so I thought I would write a little something before another secluded adventure.

But here are some recent photos for you your viewing pleasure.

yes yes, I know I am not looking, but this one is good shot of the kids at their desks.

and this one... maybe you can imagine how much I loved standing at this chalkboard, with a classroom full of kids.

ah, and here, my wonderful little ones staying warm for the winter.

After Sunday here I will be off the Internet for a bit, so email before then if you need, otherwise I will speak with you now. (saying 'now' in South Africa means that I will speak with you any time between 2 minutes from now to 2 months)

love and love and love

2007-04-07T20:35:00.000+05:30

Happy Easter!

It has been a while since I have filled you all in, but I thought I would wait until today so I could mention the week. I ventured into a new country, treated myself with tea, and we celebrated Easter all week with kids on the mountain. I got to do tons of crafts, and even play gym teacher!

Let's let the photos do the talking.

We went into Lesotho this week for a bbq inside of a cave. Lesotho is a very small country that is surrounded by South Africa. It is completely third world, very traditional villages inside. There were huge caves to see, a wall of purple rock, and the most intricate, beautiful trees.

The older kids that live in the village are on Holidays this week so we ran a program with them. Each day we did some stories, some music, some physical exercise and then crafts. On Thursday we decorated eggs with everyone. The ladies thought I was crazy, first off for coloring food when it could be eaten, and then for blowing the yokes through a small hole?

My kids are still doing well, they are learning lots. This week we are starting a unit on musical instruments and a lady from the US is coming. Here are the wee ones with their evil teacher making them write N n hundreds of times.

In other news, my favorite accessory in the house, a great shot of some kids outside, and I warned you... I treated everything with tea. No shame.

I hope you still love me after that last one...

Now go, and enjoy the eggs, the hams, and the Jesus.

much love

wherever you will go

2007-03-30T23:49:00.000+05:30

Oh hearts.

Today is Friday, and this week has been a funny one. Sorry, but if you are expecting funny like... A fought off a lion.. or that I ran into Luke Wilson and had to turn him down... or that someone threw a pie in my face.. maybe stop reading, maybe that is next week.

It has been funny because I think I have found another calling. A spinster.. you know, those ladies that have 1000 cats and crochet everything they wear? But don't despair, I have come to terms with it.

Let me just elaborate on my past few days here. I am now on a diet of a good three cups a tea a day, which I absolutely love. I go through books like I never have before, well never have had the time to before. Again, so refreshing. Also, everyone knows the aged look that crocheting can give a person. So in addition to those, I now sit across from the lovely Taryn. She is Bernard's girlfriend from the US, who came back to South Africa to be with him. (romantic I know). So of course I have heard all about her, counting down to her arriving, until today, when he had her room filled with wildflowers ready for her. And then, to top it off, last night me and Hylein watch three very romantic, movies. The kind that make you bitter.. then put hope in you...then make you sad.. then put hope in you again.

But I am not bitter. With all of this time in comes self actualization.. respect.. new wisdom and so on, and hey I painted.

Haha, but wait, now that I think of it. Men have been drawn to me... This week I had an oldish man with Golden Teeth tell me that it is a fine for not smiling on the street. He must of been charming because I ended up giving him 100 rand? And then, not a day later, an Indian man came up to me and put jewels all over me. I tried to tell him that I prefer string bracelets, not gold ones, but he insisted that I try them on. When he found out my name, he made sure to tell me that his ex-girlfriends name was also Nicole.. (apparently that is a pickup line) HaHa.

In other news, I learned how to change a tire, and put some new pizazz into our classroom.

Oh hearts.

-Nicole, the temptress spinster.

funny, I left two months ago today.

2007-03-27T00:37:00.000+05:30

Hello Hello

Bono once told me over tea, that he doesn't know which way the wind will blow. I couldn't agree more.
Winter is coming here, you can really feel it in the mornings. I still really like it though, I have always loved waking up and being able to smell moisture and freshness everywhere. It is quite comparable to Vancouver weather right now

This picture shows the beginning of my winter project. Some how these hats have turned out much better, less bowl like, then ones I have made before! 8 down... 1 999 992 to go!

On the weekend we went to a place called Kwa-Zulu weavers. South Africa is divided into provinces, we live in the Free State where black people are mostly Sutu, but in the Netal province the people are Zulu, and that is where we were. It was quite a neat shop, just on the side of the road. They had all sorts of hand woven rugs and then crafted candles and things.

This sign was hanging over the shop. In Zulu it means 'Go well'. To say that in Sutu it would be Sala-hantle.

Here is me again trying to bribe the kids with candies to count.

And then, our class pet. The ladies are not too pleased that I made a home for the frog that they had a horrible time discovering inside of some cabbage... but I have high hopes that he can become part of the family. He doesn't have a name yet, I struggle enough to say his Sutu name. Sin-nthan-nthan.

Let me leave you with some new Sutu words that I now use.. I have only really picked up basic commands to help me teach. Caution, the spelling is not even close, but it should help you with pronouncing them. Again.. language geek.

Ja...Eat (I tell them that from across the room during lunch, sometimes I repeat it to a nice tune over and over)
Qui-ma... Who is that? (When we say good morning Nicole, good morning Martha, and so on I ask them who that person is. The kids now call me something that sounds like may-knee-ole-eh)
Di-kai...How many (they answer fooh, or die, or oot, and I usually give in and pretend they got it right)
Bana... children (boo-ya bana! is come here children!)
tati/mem... sir/mam (de-mela tati is good morning sir)
E-Fey-deal-eh...finished (They are never hesitant to say that one after I have made them count to 10 over and over.)
Robala...sleep (We have a scheduled nap time where Bernard puts on 'soothing music' and shuts the blinds. I really can't take it seriously.)
Hantle...well (you can attach this one in so many places, onto sleep-well, go-well, listen-well)

So maybe you can decipher this sentence.. Ah De-mela tanti, sheyba! poola! muya metsi!... Ish-wenya bana, booya, du-la-fatsi, ja, ja ja ja. E-Fey-deal-a?? Ok, ro-bala, ro-bala hantle! (If you know anyone who knows Sutu, do not show them that embarrassing effort to the language!)

Enjoy yourselves, take care of each other and thank you for reading about me.
love love love

both sides now

2007-03-22T23:53:00.000+05:30

Demela.

Some photos to spark you.

I have begun making winter wear for our kids. Can you believe it snows here?

I will apologize in advance if you are completely sick of seeing this little one. This is a good one of her when I first arrived.

From that to this.
A piece that has been sitting in my head for a long time and I am going to try my hardest to post this without it ending up as a rant.

Thinking about organizations, foundations, and groups that offer aid to people in Africa. Where does the money that people give go? How far is it dispersed among employees and expenses before it reaches a child?

I only bring this up because before coming here I really had no idea where my $1 a day or whatever I give ends up. I think that the shocking statistics that people can provide stop my brain from thinking further and I just feel that I need to help. Also, while being here I have been able to sort through a year's worth of this ministries receipts and I know where they spend their money. I know that the money I brought over, and that people sent me with goes into bricks for a building, teaching supplies, gas, and food for example.

What I am saying is that I think that is important to check up on the money you put into organizations. I am starting to think that the bigger the organization, the less money goes into the lives of the people it helps. The bigger the organization, the more salaries to pay, the more cars to drive. Here is an example: There is a foundation here called the Nelson Mandela Children's Foundation. Now if I was in Canada, all I may know is that Nelson Mandela is a good person, and so I would feel comfortable giving to this fund. But what I know now, which has nothing to do with Nelson Mandela himself is that millions from this fund were given to a faulty orphanage in South Africa. This is what I mean by donations being lost. They gave this lady millions and millions to run an orphanage, the majority of which she pocketed. This left a horrible living situation, I am talking rats eating children, at the orphanage. Something else that has had me thinking. Making really appealing t-shirts in order to raise money for Africa. How much money is spent creating those t-shirts, paying those GAP employees, and on advertisement? Would you agree that is is bit unfortunate that in order to get money over to Africa, we need to appeal to materialism? Another evil?

I am just suggesting spending time researching a place where you know that your money goes directly into the land, into the people. Knowing that when you give $50, $50 makes it through and is invested in the right people and projects. What about knowing that your money is actively being used to help people, not lost in transition of salaries and promotions?

I am saying all of this because I can see where money can be lost and I just don't understand why the millions raised around the world are not invested more directly into this continent. I have no real solution, mostly because it seems that the most powerful people here are the most corrupt, and the need would be no less if the biggest organizations were shut down.

just a start, lets open our eyes even wider now.

Questions? Comments? Feelings of raging injustice?

Still tons of love,
speak with you now...

the way I see it

2007-03-18T21:35:00.000+05:30

Hello,

For my wonderful Grandparents. I am safer than safe, these pictures are recent I promise. Also for you Ms. Welch, you can look into how I do things in the classroom with my little ones. It sounds like our kids are about the same ages.

This is how we do our daily attendance.

And this was my most recent project. I made a birthday tree with little birds to show the birthdays of each kids. You may able to imagine how much I loved crafting this..

Today I went to church with Bernard. It was completely in Africanse except for maybe two songs. It was still a good experience, nice to have a something to dress up for, and I just read during the sermon. The main man that was singing had a voice comparable to Mr. Robert Gulay, but it wasn't funny for some reason; it was actually a bit charming.

happy day-after-saint-patty's to you all. I hope you didn't wake up with a leprechaun in your kitchen and a four-leaf clover ta too on your lower back after way to much green substance.

fields of love

when people lead

2007-03-15T21:40:00.000+05:30

Dee-mel-a!

I hope this reading finds you all healthy and happy. I am not sure of the current weather where you stay, but the days are still quite hot here. It makes for a very tired young lady, with about 4 different colors of skin now due to tan/burn lines.

Here you can see me with, you guessed it, the wee-one who does not escape a photo of mine... miss mongshwesh.

1-une-way, 2-pay-dee, 3-ta-hoe, 4-nn-nay, 5-hha-new! And here, I was doing some very effective counting with them.. with the wonderful aid of Jelly-babies.

My delicious pasta awaits me, but first I must share with you that Hylein (the mother in the family I am staying with), has shown me her secret recipe for Chai Tea. Made from complete scratch, it is a traditional Indian method. I cannot tell anyone of you how to make it so you will just have to join me when I get home for a cup!

peace, love, macaroni and cheese

all at once

2007-03-12T15:51:00.000+05:30

In the last few days...

We went to a huge huge mall in Durban. But what is more interesting than that is the way people live in South Africa. I noticed it more in Durban than anywhere else so far. But just the irony in how the communities are set up. Durban is a huge city, filled with hotels, rich people, white people, malls, and then people that work for all the rich people. Driving in Durban you see normal houses in it all,but before you are even 20 minutes outside the city.. it is back to shacks and complete poverty. I just wonder the mind set of the 'haves' in the city. Do they do what they can to help? Do then think ignoring it and living normally is all they can do? Do they have any idea??

And then for a couple of days at the home I have been helping Wim work on the website and get some other organizational things done. Have I found my calling as a secretary?

Some of my new favorite things, the store Mr. Price. Seriously, $3 Canadian for a shirt, and Rooibus tea lotion??
The TV show, 7 de laan.
Making 3-D art.
South African pancakes. (You would swear they are crepes. Just don't tell them that)
and learning how to cook from the ladies on the mountain.

Picture of the day..
Note their (painful) fascination with the hair of a white person, and how one some of the black kids may have an odd resemblance to someone you know. I swear it happens.

Did you know that there is no 'Day Light Savings' in Africa?? How wild is that.
Well my little pancakes, I am only 8 hours away from most of you now.

find joy today,

In the sun

2007-03-07T18:52:00.000+05:30

Good day,

Just a little post today, I get to go to Durban tomorrow for the day, which is quite nice. Nothing too new on the mountain here, we are going through a water unit, and today was brought to us by the letter C!!

This a photo of the daily teeth brushing routine. (Toothbrushes supplied by the wonderful Kram family). Mamoshweshwe shown here.

And this is Miss Rejina, who we call cabbage-patch. The two of us together make quite the set of Cheeks to be reckoned with!

speak with you soon,
much love

snakes, spiders, and singing seniors

2007-03-03T13:35:00.001+05:30

I forgot to mention!

My bravery has been forced to a new level. First, there was a spitting cobra in one of our houses at the mountain. But get this, the 86 year old man that works with us beat its brains through its mouth with a stick! And then, I got bit by a spider in my sleep. Two little marks sit on my arm, they get itchy. They really arnt bad though, they swell a bit, then go down. But then... a couple of nights later... he came back for seconds! No joke, it was pitch black in my room, I was laying down with my head lamp on and I turned the light onto my arm. There was a spider, the kind with a big butt and little head crawling towards the holes. It was quite dodgey.

But you see, because of these instances, I am instantly more brave. Pit of piranas, here I come!

This is a short snip-it of the shack church we were at.

enjoy.

Ja-boo-lani Africa

2007-03-02T10:36:00.000+05:30

Ah, demela.

It has been a couple of weeks now, I was able to spend them up on mountain top. A couple from California came to stay with us. They were so much fun to have around, I learned a lot from the guy, he reminded me of Andrew Clark. And the wife and I were always laughing, she actually reminded me of Miss Lauren Jung.

I dont want to carry on about every last detail, so I will give you some highlights, and then let you in on my absolute best day.

I was able to see the milky way, and a constellation called 'three sisters' very clearly each night.

I braided an entire head of cornrows.

I visited a cultural village and sipped beer with the chief.

I went on what was probably the hardest hike of my life. Hard in got my heart going, but also, just sketchy. I found a bright green grasshopper about two inches long, in my shorts! We walked through tight tight bushes, and lots of unknown water. It was all to reach some natural pools though, where Mary and I got gutsy and took a bath.

We went to a Lion park and went on a Safari drive. There we got to eat incredible burgers right beside the lions, and go on a neat jeep tour.

Another highlight was the time I got to spend with the ladies I work with. I remember when I was in Mexico, how great it was to cook, even though I was horrible, with the ladies we were building for. Usually I sit and have tea with them, but when we were on the mountain, I got to do a whole bunch of laundry with them.

My favorite place that visited during those two weeks was a shack church in Qwa
Qwa. It is a church of about 50 people held in a little tin shack. The pastors name was Stumpy and he was the kind that shouts AMEN! (with everyone saying it after). They sang with the most beautiful voices I have ever heard. I moved to stand beside this lady who just belted it out. She shook her bum and clapped her hands, she was incredible to stand beside. (I am going to try and post some video later). We had a little contest back at the orphanage and picked 5 kids to come with us and we preformed some songs. One song, is called Jaboolani Africa. It means, sing for joy Africa... It is so fun to dance to.

Ok, and now the full day to mention. It started out about 5:45am with a wonderful sunrise.

We hiked to cliff called Pride Rock that oversees most of the town to read for a while. Then we came back, had a regular day at the Care Center, and then older kids started coming around 3 or 4. We saw a bit of an afternoon storm coming on so we invited a couple of them in. Now earlier this day, I had almost burnt my face off. I really don't know how I avoided it, but I poured cold water into boiling oil, thinking it would cool it down. Huge explosion. So to make up for my severe lack in cooking skills, I hosted a tea party for some people. I loved it. We were able to sit with this guys and really get to know them. At one point though, we found out that the two of them had each lost both of their parents. The girl started crying and the boy just became quiet. I could not believe this from them, every day that I see them they have the biggest smiles on out of any person on the mountain. It was sad to see them like this, but we were able to cheer them up and play some cards. That night, the storm was terrifying. I slept in my own room, with a tin roof, and the hail and thunder kept me completely, wide eyed awake. Very scary.

And then, the child that has become like my daughter as I have never heard of or seen a single member of her family. She is like a cat to me. She will sit with me for hours and I could talk and talk and talk. She just takes it all in, sometimes lets a little noise out. One of her fingernails was pulled back completely, just hanging on, and it was rotting underneath. I had no idea until she hurt it playing. We decided to pull it off because it would have come off in such an unpleasant way otherwise. That made me so sick, she didn't cry, she just cringed and them squirmed a bit. Her name is shweshe, or mongshwesh.

And lastly, here is a picture of the craft we did yesterday. We are studying the ten plagues of Egypt with the kids, and we made DARKNESS glasses with them.

thank you for reading,
I hope you are all healthy and happy,
love Nicole

leave it at this

2007-02-17T00:35:00.000+05:30

Hello and Hello,

I am 19 today. A fairly laid back day, thank you all who sent me some love.

I bought myself a new skirt and made myself a necklace for my birthday. Bernard surprised me with a bit of a surprise party, quite nice of him. Nothing too different today, we went up to the care center. The kids all helped to make me a card, and the people at the fruit market gave me some delicious grapes and mangos. This evenning Wim and the family took me out for cold drinks, then we just ate dinner here.

Tonight I realized a new something that I love about being here. I absolutely know that at home in Calgary I enjoy sitting and having tea with people, and spending time crafting, or being outside, but in the last bit of time before leaving, I had no time to really do any of that. It is tough to adjust at first, makes you stress, with your mind insisting that must be some place you need to be. What a break though, to go from an 18 hour day of go go go, to a 12 hour day where you wonder if you need to move at all that day. To go from a day where you find your tea cold at the end of the night, to a day when you can sit for 2 or three fresh cups. And my most joyfull: Going from a day that you have to walk past laundry that has sat for weeks, to a day that you can stand outside, pin up t-shirts on the line, and listen to the trees.

Thats a good birthday present... a fresh smell, and a big breath out.

I suggest you try it, even if all you can do is a day, go take that breath.

Some news, I am going up to Qwa Qwa to stay on the mountain for a couple of weeks. We leave on Sunday, and I will not have access to anything in the internet family for a couple of weeks. I am excited to spend two weeks in that village, I do believe I will have some experiences to share when I return.

This our craft of the day, showing the kids rain.

Some pant-less, some with mush on their face, who else's class could they be?

do take care of yourselves, and eachother

because I love you.

2007-02-14T23:04:00.000+05:30

Dee-mel-ah!

Happy Valentines day everyone!! I hope this entry finds you with a smile today. It has been a good one for me. (Daniela if you are reading this I must warn you.. I am not wearing shoes in a single picture here)

This picture was taken last night at bible study. One of the guys brought us all flowers, that was a really nice surprise.

I spent most of today and yesterday in a house at the care center. I had about 10 big carboard boxes, and 10 big garbage bags full of clothes to go through. I sorted them into male and female, then it was adults, teenagers, primary school, and toddlers. After that each stack was sorted into sizes.

These pictures were taken when we got to give our kids first dibs on all the clothes.

This one should show a lot of what was sorted

I did enjoy doing that. That was all in preparation for today, when we held an Indaba. Indaba means a meeting of people, or news. All the familes in our village within QwaQwa came to the care center for a gathering. We talked to them for a while, told them about the soccer team, and the bible studies we are having and then began to give them all some gifts. Each woman that came got a 10kg bag of rice, (about 40 of them), which they then proceeded to plop on their heads.

This is a picture of everyone that filled the hall to hear our announcements.

After that, in a fairly organized chaos, the chief directed about 4 women at a time into the house that I was setting up. He told them, and struggled with them, to take only a few pieces of each type of clothing, and we got all 40 or so women through within a couple of hours.

This is big chief, trying to direct people around my 'shop'

After that we had a few piles left and so we brought them into the main hall. People starting crowding around these piles and their eyes got really really wide. Then all of a sudden, the Cheif said go, and it was the wildest thing. Ladies started screaming, and just dove right in. Grabbing for anything they could get. Then, no more than 2 seconds later, it was all gone, the boxes were torn to shreads, and there were many people left with one shoe in hand, trying to bargain for its match.

so first this photo shows the people inching their way towards the leftovers.

and then they are off!

That was quite the site. But it was really nice to see all those people at the care center at once, I got to see the moms and dads of a lot of the kids I am with everyday.

ah yes. This is me and Wim with the outfits we managed to tear away.

enjoy yourselves,

cali-boo-ha

the space between

2007-02-13T00:54:00.000+05:30

Why Hello,

Just a quick post, a few things to say today.

I have learnt some more words. In Sutu, a-when-a means Hey you!, shay-ba means listen, kali-boha means thankyou, and boo-ya means come here (I thought you might like that last one dad)

I am having quite a nice time with Ilene here. She is the lady that I stay with. We rent movies to watch together and last night we watched Sweet November. It was very sweet, sappy and such, but necessary. Today I got to have my favorite meal that she makes, pasta with a simple meat sauce, Also she always makes me a coffee at what seems to be the exact time I need it. She is so great to talk to, she reminds me of sitting with one of you girls in my kitchen. (lindsay like when you sit on the stool), I just sit on a chair while she prepares dinner or we do dishes and we really can just talk forever, about anything. I usually go with her as well when she needs to drive somewhere.

I think I told some of you about the strange boy that takes half an hour to ask me if I like tennis?? Ilene is laughing at me because she thinks he has a big question stored up for valentines day. I really hope not. Today though, the man that is kind of working as our pastor type told me I could be his girlfriend. Haha, he didnt ask me, he just said I could be, and that mom you could visit only on christmas, never any other time. That got awkward so I laughed and started coloring haha.

sorry, no pictures today, I am on the wrong computer for that.

But the reason I posted today haha was just to let you all know that I love the emails I have been getting. Often times they are so unexpected and they really brighten my day. Also, if any of you would like to speak to me, because I would love to hear from you, please please contact my mom. We have a free service set up in my house and she is welcoming you in if you would like to set up a time for me to call there.

you can call her at home,
or email her, pamritchie@shaw.ca

(I just realized, if you are reading this and you are some sort of internet wierdo... please do not contact my mom.)

just a thought

valleys of love,

good monsters

2007-02-09T01:19:00.000+05:30

Hello!

Three things today.

1) I am looking forward to tommorow. haha. Fridays are nice here, feels like a different attitude in QwaQwa, people are preparing for the weekend. And as I told you sister, I get to visit some nice fruit factory workers as well. Also I get to eat my favorite food. Meesely (granola) mixed with yogurt and fruit slices. my my.

Oh!! Also. There is a big rugby deal going on right now. It is like a football fix for me. It is called the super 14, it is spanned over pretty much the exact timing that I am here. It involves only austraila, new zealand and south africa. Each of those countries has some teams, for a grand total of 14 teams. Each week, usually on a saturday, our local team, the cheetahs, play. It is so fun, everyone that you watch with yells and jumps like folks do at home about hockey and such.

2) take a look at this picture. I described Kokobela to some of you. He is the boy standing in this picture. He gets kind of cross like this when I leave. The girl in the picture though, oh my. I have tried to describe her before. Her name is Moleboheng, and seriously she walks like a duck, or an old old spanish lady. She is the one who (no longer) hates white people.

3) And three. I will try and phrase this as closely to how I felt today. Imagine yourself, the song Beautiful Day by U2 has just come on. Now you are driving through the village of a place that you have wanted to be for close to ten years. Is it possible, that some how, in that moment, you realize the great importance of a few things, and you loose the value in worrying about a few others?

These two pictures are of some of the less crowded hills in Qwa Qwa.

bia bia dankie,

and dont forget, I would love to hear from you about all of your lives!!

handshakes, hugs and kisses.

some photos for you croutons

2007-02-07T19:07:00.000+05:30

Hello again,

So far I have learned roy which is red, dankie which is thankyou and lekker which is nice. Everyone here uses lekker so very often, kind of like I use 'like' or 'interesting'. I also learnt, kind of the hard way, that you cannot use lekker to describe a man or a woman. Appparently in that sense it means delicious.

Just an quick explanation of a typical day for me. I get up, using no alarm, usually its a rooster, around 7. Then I eat some miesely, kind of like granola. I usually read for a while, then head up the mountain with bernard just after eight. Sometimes we stop for something called Maquena. Really nice, just fried balls of doe for about 25 cents canadian each. We get there around the time that the kids are being fed breakfast. Then we brush their teeth and start with the school day. I go through numbers and alphabet stuff with them for about an hour. It is quite nice, I point to a sparkly eight and they all say ooote, but still I am teaching them. We have some play times, some outdoor times, some art times, and then it is lunch. We wash all the kids hands then they usually eat pap. It is a staple here, to me it tastes like cous cous, but it is really just crushed up mais.. corn. Then it is nap time, and usually I read to them for a bit. They are picked up after one and then we head back down the mountain. Some times we stop in town on the way home and vat vat vat, then yes, evennings are always different, but I always eat dinner at home here, then most of the time read some more and watch a movie with the family.

ok now are some photos

This is me and winnie on the weekend. We rode in the back of that truck for a few hours on the way home.

This is a view just down the road from our house.

This is our backyard during a nutso storm

I believe I am trying to have them say Feb-ru-ary. Ha

This is me with a girl, her name is pronounced mong-shwesh. She is exactly what I picture when I think of orphan, her nose is always running, her clothes never fit.

This is me with my class and the two ladies I get to work with.

Here is me showing the kids how to color.

And here I am marking the lovely toothbrushes ryan sent with me.

thanks for reading

have a really good day

you know.. its multisexual

2007-02-03T00:07:00.000+05:30

Not too too much to say today, there should be a couple of photos posted. This one right above is inside the care center, me trying to read to the little ones. The little girl focused in the picture, she is terrified of white people and starts crying whenever she hears the truck coming. I am really working on her though, sometimes she plays ball with me or holds my hand.

The color one, above, that is not my favorite haha by any means. It is just a good scenary shot.

I suppose I should explain the tittle of this blog. Last night I was at a tea party slash birthday party with bernard and I was talking with this man rudey that I have seen a few times before. He was raving about this store in the UK and being ever so polite to speak in english to me. I couldnt help but laugh however, when he said it was a multisexual store. I had to correct him and say umm I think it is unisex.

Today was another big big storm. I was downtown with Ilene this time, (the woman I stay with) and we were jumping from shop to shop in about a foot of water. Pretty crazy. It was nice though, we sat down in the coffee shop she used to own. That made me want to really run away and just work there. But dont worry mom, I wont. Also mom, you should know that I saw a whole stack of wicker baskets today, all for about 50 cents. Isnt that crazy.

The past few days have shown me even more what it means to be a white person here, white female for that matter. I get told a few times a day now that it is just not ok to walk alone anywhere at any time of day.

Tommorow I am going on an overnight hike/camping type deal with bernard and his friends. These are the same ones from the bible study, multisexual man included.

bye for now

love and love and love

and dankie (thankyou)

and vat vat vat

2007-01-31T01:46:00.000+05:30

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

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

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

so that was that.. and vat vat vat

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

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

vat vat vat and some more vat

much much love

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

First few days...

2007-01-30T01:04:00.000+05:30

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

thanks for listenning,

much love