2/18/2014

Hello everyone!

Sorry I haven't posted since 'Nam. I totally suck at this blogging thing. So much has been going on I've been completely zonked by the end of the day. All I can say is that it is going great on my side of the world. I've been learning all sorts of new things including some words in Afrikaans, none of which I remember or am actually saying correctly. I've become trained in for belaying, first aid, and life coaching which is all pretty sweet. We've also been doing a lot of mountain hikes, archery, tomahawking (old school hatchet throwing), african drumming, and a whole bunch of swimming. 

We. Eat. So. Much. Chicken. 

We've had a run in with baboons coming into camp trying to snag some grub. One managed to run off with a head of lettuce... Must be watching his figure. Later when we were talking with the baboon monitors I learned the dieting baboon was named Merlin, he's 16 years old, has lost most of his teeth, and he is the alpha in the troop. Those guys are huge though for real! It was pretty cool to experience. While Merlin and his monkey friend were busy raiding camp you could see the rest of the troop up on the mountain watching. A few were chillen on a big rock not too far up from camp and you could see a baby baboon walking around and having his hair cleaned, he was super tiny so he was adorable. 

During first aid training we learned about all the obvious first aid stuff, but we also had to learn about all the creepy crawleys that you can find around camp including some crazy venomous snakes like the puff adder and the cape cobra. One bite from one of those guys and you'll be a goner in about an hour.... So that's reassuring.

That one is the cape cobra

,

This guy is a puff adder

Pretty nasty, eh?

I should be getting my camera cord pretty soon so I'll be able to upload some legit pictures for you all to gawk over. In the meantime here are some low quality pictures from my iPad for you to see...

 It has been HOT lately, especially when there is no wind, I've been loading on the SPF in hopes to defend my ginger skin from the killer rays, unfortunately it hasn't worked so well in my favor. I've sprouted more freckles than I can count and my hair is beginning to turn white in some places. I have complete faith that once I'm home I'll bounce right back to my pale self in no time, but for that short amount of time I will be tanner than all of you Minnesotans and I will be sure to let you know every chance I get. 

Some bad news though......... I've started picking up their slang. I CAN'T HELP IT! I haven't started sounding funny or anything, but I've started using phrases that I've heard nonstop since I've been over here. For example.... This is so embarrassing... 

Instead of saying "the truck" it is now comfortably called "the bakke" (pronounced bucky)

A BBQ  is no longer a BBQ but rather a "braai" 

Instead of replying to something with a phrase like "oh really?!" I now say "is it?!"

And instead of saying "that sucks" or "that's too bad" or "bummer" it's perfectly normal to just say "shame"

Don't worry though I've gotten my revenge as my roommates now use the word "like" a lot. Which is enough for me! 

Thanks to modern technology I've been able to Skype and FaceTime with my friends and family almost daily. It's really helpful otherwise I would be tragically homesick and feel like I was totally on another planet. The good news that I haven't been homesick and cried yet.. So that's cool because it's totally got me shocked. I'm a big baby. Strangely enough after two months I already feel at home. My roommates feel like siblings and it's fun having them to laugh and banter with. 

I miss my dog Fargo though. Like a lot. More than most people... No offense guys. If you have a dog you understand. So I can't wait to see him most of all. 

I still miss all of you and can't wait to see you all in 10 1/2 more months! Time flies, hey? 

Xo.

Skype me if you feel like it! KronkMcSpanky