Descriptive Answers

So, as I have been living my life in South Africa, I have encountered numerous questions ranging from the weather, to the food, to my living conditions.  I will attempt to answer some of these questions as I describe things in this blog.

Weather

Well as many of you know, I am living in the southern hemisphere, which means our weather is opposite that of the United States.  So as many of you are turning to your scarves, sweaters and pea coats, I am turning to more SPF 30 and flops.  It is spring here in South Africa, which isn’t much like the spring I am familiar with at home.  The daily average temperatures here have been in the upper 80s and 90s.  The sun is hot, and bright.  From the start of the day, the sun is strong.  As it reaches mid-day, you feel as if the sun is getting closer to the Earth.  But for as powerful as the sun becomes during the day, it subdues into a calm rest during sunset.  The sunsets here provide a beautiful sight, and a comforting change in temperature.  The day winds down, the soft breeze blows through the trees, and the Guinea Fowl come out to attempt to eat our newly planted corn.  The complete opposite of the calm sunsets are the intensely aggressive storms here.  I’m not sure if it’s the semi-desert topography or the simple fact that everything is more intense in Africa, but there thunderstorms here are unlike any I’ve experienced.  The loud cracks of thunder seem to be continuous during the storms, and the bright flashes of lightning are so incredibly vivid.  I have already experienced three hail storms, which bring a chorus of their own to my tin roofed cottage.  I am truly thankful and blessed to have a comfortable, safe, secure and sheltered place to live while here.  My heart feels for all those without proper shelter that I’ve seen since being in South Africa.

Food

The food I have been eating hasn’t been too crazy.  I have certainly been eating more fruits and vegetables than ever before.  I have also been eating a lot of ‘Pap,’ (pronounced Pop), which is a staple food in South Africa.  It is essentially melie meal which can be made into a variety of ways.  At Lebone they cook it so it has a dry texture and is a bit crumbly.  However the Monamas cook it the way they used to when living in Limpopo, essentially harder on the outside and soft on the inside.  It’s a bit difficult to explain, so I am learning how to make it so I can explain by making it at home!  I have also taken Kristen Konkol’s advice of trying to eat things closer to the ground, which means it’s healthier!  I feel healthier, and even though I am without a scale, I am pretty sure I have lost some weight.  The large grizzly beard I am growing makes it hard to tell though.

Animals

I am only going to touch on the animals I come in contact with while at Lebone and in Bloemfontein.  As I mentioned in previous blogs, I have become accustomed to living besides insects of all shapes, sizes and colors.  I probably only know what 30% of them are when I encounter them.  The spiders here are as intense as the thunderstorms.  There are also a plethora of birds at Lebone, which love the various canopies and treetops they can live in here.  I’m not sure what many of them are called, but I do have a nemesis in the Ibis, or as I call them, the ‘Pterodactyls of the sky.’  (First time I have ever spelled out Pterodactyl and am honestly amazed by the proper spelling.)  They look and sound like prehistoric annoyances that terrorize you early in the morning.  There are also Quail and Guinea Fowl in this area, which bring a lot of entertainment to the kids here as they chase them around the fields. 

Ibis...don't get too close!

My cottage

At Lebone, they have a 3 bedroom cottage for volunteer housing.  They built it a few years ago and have had visitors and volunteers stay here from time to time.  One of the bedrooms has been converted into a study room of sorts, with a table and chairs.  There is a full bathroom and a full kitchen.  There is also a living room space, with a couch, loveseat and chair.  It is quite comfortable living.  And thanks to Morgan Freeman during the ‘Bikers for Mandela’ trip this past summer, the cottage is fully furnished.  As Morgan Freeman and company visited Lebone last July, they came to serve as well as donate some wonderful things.  And thankfully they came with beds and furniture, allowing me to stay in this wonderfully accommodating housing.   

One of my roommates

Hopefully this clears up some imaginative thinking for most of you.  If not, please don’t hesitate to ask me anything about everything.  I am looking forward to sharing more experiences with you soon, as I will be heading to Cape Town in a week to see the USA soccer team play South Africa in the Nelson Mandela challenge!