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Molweni umhlobos! Nijani???? We are still frolicking along the garden route, and actually now in Port Elizabeth. . . Since my last entry, I have managed to catch my breath (after the ostrich), then lose it again (after the bungee jump)....Yes, I jumped off the tallest bridge in the world (216 meters - i think that's over 700 feet) - anyway, that was REALLY, REALLY scary and I think I reached a point of hysteria before I got pushed off (or jumped, I can't remember - there's video for proof though - we can figure it out together) - pics not included today, sorry!!...That was definitely the highlight of my Tuesday. Let's see, in the past couple of days I also got to play with a baby cheetah, go ziplining in the Tsitsikamma falls, spend the ... read more

What a week this has been.....I have been flooded with emotions and overwhelming amazement at the South Africans I work with from day to day. We have talked a lot this week about apartheid and post-apartheid South Africa. We got to meet a man named Themba who facilitates healing workshops around the community and uses art, music, poetry, etc to get South Africans to talk about apartheid, and then work on forgiveness...That is the part that kills me. This is such a young nation, really (for those who don't know, apartheid only ended in 1994), and I just can't wrap my head around how so many people, especially the black South Africans, have forgiven their former oppressors. I asked one of the mamas this the other day, and she told me "I cannot live with hate ... read more

I spent Sunday frolicking with my CCS buddies around the entire Cape - from Hout Bay, to Chapman's Peak, to Cape of Good Hope and Cape Point, then finally stopping in Boulder's beach to play with the penguins. While on Boulder's beach we saw a HUMONGOUS pod of dolphins (or is it school?) - I'd say there were at least 300 dolphins - maybe more. It was so unexpected that of course none of us got pictures of it. But here are pictures of everything else...Enjoy!... read more

I finished up my weekend with a quick day trip through some of the Winelands here (don't worry Joc, I only sampled one winery in Stellenbosch - we will have plenty to do when you get here!) ... It was a world away from the hustle and bustle of the city, gorgeous, and even entailed a leopard, zebra, and ostrich siting. On to work with my favorite South African kiddos and finally met with the owner and project manager of Sebongile's, who is in the process of having a little playground built on the property...I was pleasantly surprised to find that he was building some items based on suggestions I gave him in regards to how certain equipment can assist in promoting developmental skills in the children. They started building yesterday! Today I had a breakthrough ... read more

Molweni! The past few days have been VERY busy....I've been spending most of my days working at a place called Sebongile's, which is a home for children with cerebral palsy. No one knows exactly how old each child is, but they seem to range from about 1 to 12 years old (although the 12 year old is the size of a 4 year old)...The home is located within the Khayelitsha township and is actually a rather new building, but directly across the street from the homes and stores built from tin. It's quite the contrast. These kids are SO beautiful and the house mother is practically begging for education in regards to CP and promoting development, so I think it's a match made in heaven. The mamas (nannies) feed all the children lying down, which makes ... read more