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Published: December 20th 2008
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Well, we are on our way back to Canada tomorrow and over the past few days we have been able to reflect on our year here in South Africa.
As a kid, on most nights at the supper table, my parents would ask me "So what did you learn at school today?" I hated that question, because although I was learning new things every day, I never really noticed and I hated having to think about it and come up with a clever answer each day.
A few people have asked me, "So how has it been in Africa this year?" and I have really had a hard time answering that. It's not because we have had a bad time here, but actually the opposite. But the difficult part is trying to put into words what an incredible, life-changing experience this has been for both Shauna and I. I've started to answer simply,"I've learned a lot."
For some people that answer is enough, but others dig deeper and ask, "Oh really, what have you learned?" That dreaded question from my childhood doesn't make me panic anymore because this time I've actually been paying attention to what I have
learned (or at least some of it).
So, this one is for you Mom and Dad. Here's my list from the past year.
I've learned to drive on the left side of the road
To read books and enjoy it
To sing with everything in me
To hold a baby
I've learned to cry; in sorrow, in joy, and in absolute desperation
To pray like I have never prayed before
To build a mud house
To realize that I’m not always right
I've learned to say no
To grow facial hair
To appreciate home
To work with my wife
I've learned what true friends are
What true character is
What a rip-tide is
What it means to stand up to someone, even when I’m really scared
I've learned to appreciate nature
To speak to a crowd of hundreds at a moments notice
To slow down
To play rugby
I've learned that God does hear my prayers
That sometimes it doesn’t matter what others think
That the easiest thing is not always the right thing
That sometimes the people with the least are the ones with the most
I've learned that you
can still buy milk in a bag in some parts of the world
That poverty is more of a mindset than an income description
That some people still discriminate
That HIV does not discriminate
I've learned to body surf
To appreciate an uncorruptable police system
To teach
To learn
I've learned that although I dislike the cold Canadian weather, it gets rid of a lot of creepy bugs
That sometimes it’s nice to get a letter in the mail, the old fashioned way
That bed bugs bite
That people who don't have adequate food or shelter, tend not to complain about petty things
I've learned where the rest of the world sent all their asbestos
Why zebras have stripes
How to send a text message
I've learned that kids are basically the same all around the world
That I’m not as young as I used to be
That God has a plan for everyone, even if we don't have a plan for ourselves
That Canada hurt a lot of people during the Boer War in South Africa
I've learned that just because I bought a skateboard doesn’t mean that I’m cool
That most people want
to help, they just don’t know how
That goats are extremely stubborn
I've learned to listen...
I've learned to divide every price by 8
To hug
To build almost anything out of almost nothing
To say sorry
I've learned what true gratitude is
What it feels like to have your heart break
What relative humidity means
I've learned that sometimes the thought of overcoming my fears is scarier than actually overcoming them
That I'm the one with the accent
That my wife is the best person I could have ever married
That just because you have a name tag, doesn’t mean that you know anything
I've learned what it feels like to enter a disaster situation and not have a clue what to do or where to start
Who I am
What it's like to be a minority
How hot authentic Indian food is
I've learned that we all have the same needs
That things change
That sometimes you need to 'talk' and sometimes you need to 'do'
That my perspective is only my perspective
I've learned that smiling needs no translation, and neither does crying
That some Rhinos are friendly, and some
are not
That 220V isn’t as scary as I thought it was
That I can’t always relate
I've learned that it's not about me
That Afrikaans and Zulu are really tough languages to learn
That sometimes when you don't know what to say, you can sing instead
That small things add up to big things
I've learned to live without a paycheque for a whole year
To trust that God will supply what I need
To appreciate the small things
I've learned that seatbelts save lives (actually I already knew that, but it certainly has been reinforced)
That life should hurt sometimes
That miracles do actually happen
That cricket doesn’t make sense, even when you understand the rules
I've learned that life is not always fair
That going for a ride on the train never gets old
That cockroaches can fly
That Air Zimbabwe can’t
I've learned that HIV is killing my friends
That the world is pretty big, and at the same time, pretty small
That sometimes we need to do silly things, just to prove to ourselves that we can
That even a child in Canada can make a difference to a child
A Close Encounterr
Who knew a lion could open the car door with its mouth! Thank goodness for power locks! in Africa
I've learned to set goals
To appreciate education
To climb mountains
To never again complain about "having" to go to the dentist
I've learned that the media is more biased than I thought (Canadian, American and South African)
That sometimes life gets dirty
That pedestrians do not have the right of way, but cows, goats and chickens do
That I shouldn't feed the monkeys
I've learned to live through a tornado
To appreciate school uniforms
To lock the car doors when around lions
But most importantly,.....
I've learned that I have a lot more to learn.
There are more photos below as well as a second page of photos if you scroll down and click "NEXT>>".
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Kathy Latcock
non-member comment
thank you
Dear Scott and Shauna, I'm a friend of Dana's and we've met at her house... the day you guys were putting up the kids new trampoline. I wanted to say thank you so much for blogging your time in South Africa. It's been amazing to see and read about your many adventures and lessons. You have impacted me a number of times from so far away with your words. More than once you've posted a new update that has directly related to where I was at that day and reminded me to be thankful for where I live and to pull my head out of my backside : ) You both have an amazing way with words and I am so grateful to have been able to share in your amazing time in South Africa in a very small way. I hope you have a safe and uneventful trip back to Canada and that the weather lifts before you land : ) Kathy Laycock