Friday, March 15, 2013

Unveiled White Privilege

It has been over two weeks since I have returned from South Africa.  In many regards, I hit the ground running when I got home and have not had the opportunity to really digest my experiences.

One of the biggest realizations has been how privileged I am.  I had thought I unpacked the privileges I had, but as I walked through the townships in Johannesburg I felt the biggest sense of white guilt that I had ever felt.  I didn't know what to do with it, and I didn't know who to talk to about it.  In college I had read White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack, and I had understood in the context of living in America.  Africa provided a completely different perspective.  While I was in South Africa and looking at the furrowed brow of toddlers I didn't know how to articulate it.  But when people ask, before I show them pictures of lions and elephants, I tell them.

I don't know what to do with all of the privileges I have, but I am dedicated to try to use them for equality, equity, and good. There are many things that I can't change.  However, I can be transparent about them...

In Solidarity,
Crys

Wednesday, March 13, 2013

Big Take Aways from JoBurg


Howdy Blog Followers,

I am finally settling back into the swing of things since our trip. I can hardly believe that we left for the adventure almost a month ago. As I reflect on our time in South African I am filled with joy thinking of all of the things we experienced. My first blog entry is from my journal describing my big big takeaways from our time in Joburg:
  1. Think Big - As a person I would describe myself as a big thinker because many of my dreams pushed me far outside the norm of those from my community. However after touring the African Leadership Academy (http://www.africanleadershipacademy.org/), I realized how limiting my dreams had been. The Academy, composed of students representing over 30 countries in Africa was envisioned by one man. That man was committed to empowering Africans from throughout the continent to make changes in their communities. Now after years of spreading the message the founder has alumni from the program attending colleges and universities throughout the world. The thing that truly made an impact for me was the commitment that all alumni make to meet yearly to discuss their work in communities. During this gathering they recommit to the values of the program and together develop new goals/strategies to improve the entire continent of Africa. Speaking of thinking big, just imagine what would happen if we all dared to think big..... 
  2. Community Building - Our visit to Kliptown Youth Program (http://www.kliptownyouthprogram.org.za/) expanded my understanding of community building. As our guide (Thulani) walked us along the road to the building, we stopped at the local watering whole; where he explained that the youth program had recently helped to install water basins for people to wash their clothing. He further explained that the new basins helped to alleviate the wait time for people to access fresh water as well as provide another space for people to meet and learn more about one another. The small addition supported by the youth helped to encourage community building. Which reminded me that we don't have to spend a lot of money to build community; we just have to create spaces for people to come together. 
  3. GBA - While talking to students throughout South Africa I was struck by their love and dedication to America and all things Western. Many talked about how they felt their perspective countries were overly reliant on foreign aid but many expressed fear of not having its support. This always makes me wonder, are the things that we are doing really helping communities? Of course the obvious response is yes, but  what is the cost? I saw and heard students talk about their parents fear of losing their cultures to the call from the global network. It truly makes me wonder what will South Africa look like in 20 years, will there still be 11 languages spoken? 
  4. Mick - Now Mick was a guest at the first hostel where we stayed. He was a retired Fireman from Britain who traveled the world participating in community service projects. He told me a story about his recent travels to Tanzania where he worked with local farmers to build a chicken coop (with a machete, quite impressive, I saw the pics) for an orphan home. He spoke of the dire poverty that exist and the number of children that are denied education due to the cost. I learned that children couldn't enroll in the local schools without two uniforms. The even better schools I learned were the boarding schools which required students to live away from home, pay tuition or receive scholarship, purchase two uniforms and a mattress prior to their acceptance. This information sickened me and I was reminded of the injustice that often occurs to the most vunerable.Needless to say I was inspired by the tales of Mick and was encouraged to plan to continue to travel the world making a difference long into my old age. 
Officially Signing Out of My First Blog,

LB 

Wednesday, February 27, 2013

And the Gratitude keeps on coming

Its evident that traveling changes and humbles your perspective. It's been three days, but I've seen an immediate shift in my dealings with others. I have had an increase to talk with those around me and learn of their lives, who they are, and what their challenges and aspirations are. There is a lack of fear and in its place solidarity and confidence have arisen with respect to engaging in my community. I don't know what particular event propelled me to feel this way, but it happened under the experience of travel, that is for sure. There is something enigmatic that occurs after one comes back form travel- for me, its the explication of humility and solidarity. I hold group travel with the utmost of respect!
Museum at the Cradle of Civilization, where  a 2.5 million year old skull of a predecessor of homo sapiens was found. Also the site of the first recorded use of fire.

Monday, February 25, 2013

Home with a whole lot of hope

Although I was negligent of posting in South Africa, I am glad that I finally have time to sit in my chair at my desk, and reminisce about one of the coolest experience I've partook in- the Foster Youth Exchange in South Africa.
     I want to begin with what lessons Africa brought to my attention, particularly in the case of time. Now, here in America, time is of the essence- our food is promptly served without any hindrances, mostly everyone living in urban areas is infatuated with constantly updating themselves with the current time, down to the minute. Time is more important than food, and for the majority, we all are ruled by father time.
     However, this is not the case in South Africa. First of all, in regards to food service, some would consider it horrible. That's because it takes probably an additional ten minutes for every meal to be served. When the waitress or waiter is taking your order, it is not uncommon for him to become distracted by other happenings around him, and altogether even leave the order. During out in service at Sonke, their staff meeting started fifteen minutes after the hour (I might be a new professional, but I have never been in a professional organization's meeting that started that late- CYC chapter meetings excluded). When we would ask for directions while in the midst of one of many wrong turns, we would be ridiculed for our attempts to 'hurry' the conversation up, and get to the point of actually giving the direction. And of course, there was the x-convict tour guide at Robben Island who was as ignorant of time as I was to Afrikaans, one of the eleven official languages in South Africa.
     In other countries, one must be malleable to cultural constructs. We cannot be ego-centric in a world abundant with variations of cultural norms; for we would truly miss the essence of diversity. South Africa tends to shift their importance on time, and replace it with family as high priority.
     Mostly all of the stores, despite the ones found in tourist areas, were closed down before 7PM. Much traffic hit at rush hour, but by 7pm on our way back from the boxing session at TakeDown Gym, the roads were practically empty. It was as if all of South Africa had gone somewhere, and I would wager my bet as that somewhere being home. There was a sense that our group was treated as family, and although some might say its motivation was driven by tips because of our tourist status, I would claim most all of the people we met greeted us with a true self, void of any end result other than the desire to exchange a bond.
     And whats best about traveling in a big group is that I got to experience what it was like to function as a 'family' unit. All had their parts, as Jamie mentioned in an early blog, and each part was important to the overall welfare of the group including financial, emotional, and physical strengths. Many a day was  I tired, and many a day was my tiredness lessened by exercise, positive affectivity of others, and purpose of our group. To be part of something greater than yourself is humbling and invigorating and surely is something that everyone should experience while young. I've traveled to Asia and Europe prior to this trip, but nothing compares to my experience of group travel. I'm definitely home with a heck of a lot of hope.
     


Guides through Africa

In addition to the many tour guides we hired while in South Africa, we also had many people who were open and willing to help us get where we needed to go. Watching people opening their lives to us was quite the cultural experience.

Being a point navigator for the trip, which happened by accident, I got the chance to ask people for help and watch them volunteer more help than was ever asked or extend themselves to help a group of strangers (us). Many of our helpers pointed us in the right direction or gave us a point for me to use to locate us on the scarce maps that we had, but we had a guardian watching out for us somewhere... A collective of South African people.

On our last day, the group split up. One car took the GPS and the other group took some directions and a map and headed for the Cradle of Humankind and the caves. Kate, Eli, Leslie, Kevin, and I were in the latter group. After having an inspirational day, we had an hour to get to the airport after emerging from a 60m deep cave. We had no directions, and a map that didn't extend to the airport. With Kate driving, and i navigating we managed to get to the outskirts of Johannesburg but were unsure of how to get to the airport. And then our phone died. Late and I ran into the gas station to ask a worker for directions, but a patron who lived just around the block volunteered the information. As we were pulling out, he stopped us and said that he didn't want us to get lost. He would guide us to the freeway.

Well, this man went 30 mins, an hour round trip, to make sure we got to the airport. It was so kind of him, and absolutely needed. If we hadn't have had his guidance we would have been anxious and may have missed our flight.

So as the journey ends, I want to extend the anonymous guardians we had in South Africa, especially those who opened up without even an exchange of names.

In solidarity,
Crys

A taste of the wild

Whenever I need to be put at ease, or need ample head space to think, I usually find a corner of the world that I can be alone with nature. This doesn't always mean that I am completely alone, because usually I find a bird, insect, or small mammal to observe but it brings solitude. Initially, I was unsure how I would like the safari. Would it be loud and chaotic, or a form of animal exhibition? Well, I was pleasantly surprised by how respectful and knowledgable our guide Adrian was about the bush and it's inhabitants.

When we were driving and slowing down for the turtles crossing the street, the rhinos checking us out, and the elephants that were protecting their own, I felt the awe of nature. It was magical and brought me in. It was a new experience that I was unsure about but was able to embrace. While I was sitting there, I just thought of others people that I would love to share these moments with, because I knew it would touch their hearts. During those moments I felt like a small child excited by how a bunny hops. The animals and the landscape were new and unfamiliar and I wanted to soak it all in.

However, I wasn't very good at spotting animals. Jamie, Dante, and Onikah definitely get the prizes for pin-pointing them. To me, it was like playing where's Waldo when driving.... Not easy.

When I got to the airport, I bought an African Geographic. I read the entire thing cover to cover on the plane ride from Johannesburg to London. It had some great articles on how conservation an be at odds with human development. I never realized that it was such a large issue, but as I was reading I questioned why I had never thought of it before. Africa has some of the most expansive natural compounds, but is working on developing the economy and infrastructure. How do you navigate the too? I'm hoping that I can incorporate more of an ecology minded focus in the social development work that I hope to do...


Wishing that I could post my pictures,
Crys

Sunday, February 24, 2013

Up in the skies, again, between Joberg and Egypt

Up in the skies, again, between Joberg and Egypt

Jamie again...

We all left tonight for far away lands. Talitha and Onikah go to Los Angeles. Eli, Crys and Kevin will go to SFO by Monday afternoon; Kate and Leslie are going to go to SFO by way of New York...and Dante and I? Well, we are headed to Cairo, Egypt, then Frankfurt Germany, then Washington DC then SFO.

Due to problems beyond our control, the business class seats that we bought were not available on two or three of our four flights and so all the miles and taxes I spent to buy a little comfort are lost. Sigh. After such a magnificent trip, it seems foolish to sweat the small stuff, so I am working on it.

Dante and I are trying to make the best of the situation. We are talking about how we are going to get to see the pyramids when we fly over Egypt, and how we will explore the airport in Germany and look for some good chocolate. And how we will just make the best of the 34 hours in flight and try not to trip.

I can hardly believe the trip is over. But I also can hardly believe the trip actually happened. There were 9 of us. Count em, NINE! We fundraised for the youth and we created an action packed trip that included giving and receiving presentations, touring a Soweto township and Youth Center, going to three museums (and for some they also went to a fourth)...experiencing two cities (Joberg and Cape Town), meeting all kinds of people, sharing amazing meals and of course, let's not forget, Kruger National Park! Where we saw so many animals that it was incredible.

I am truly relieved that everyone liked the Kruger experience because I for one really pushed for us to be able to go specifically to Kruger. It was 3-5 hours from Johannseberg, it cost a fair amount of money, and I pushed for it because they have elephants and giraffes!!! There were closer game parks to Joberg, but none that had the Big 5 of Africa: Elephants, lions, rhino, buffalo, leopard. . I wanted to see them all and short of a leopard or a cheetah, we saw it all! including some animals that i didn't even know existed, like the kudu.

Today we broke up into two groups and some went to the Cradle of Humanity Museum and learned all about the early homonids and took a cavern tour with evidence of the origins of human life, etc. Talitha, Onikah and I spent the day in an African Crafts Fair...where they wheeled and dealed some extraordinary things and I bought a few more things to bring home AND got my palm read by a very nice man named Clive. Dante met up with some family and new friends and met us later at the airport.

The strain of travel started to get to me tonight as I had to, for a series of reasons, circle through the damn airport three times before dropping off the rental car. I needed to buy another bag for my new purchases and I needed time to do that. We kept getting in the wrong elevator and our phones were not always connecting, so we were a little in the dark...ultimately, of course, it all worked out, just like Kate always says.

Most of our team has decided to abandon their malaria pills as they heard that there is not much risk of malaria in Africa. I on the other hand, will take mine as directed, as the last thing i need is to come down w a virus.

What I learned about packing for an international trip

by Jamie and Dante (waiting for our connector in Egypt)

Jlee (my new nickname as coined by Leslie) brought about 8 pairs of underwear for 12 days (including flight time) and I knew I would get to a laundry at some point. We had two gym days planned so I knew that would be a 2 undie day and it was great to not run out of underwear.

Jlee - Pack a small amount of laundry detergent if you plan to hand wash anything. I used handsoap to wash a few things by hand and it was okay but not great.

Jlee - when you are re-packing dirty laundry with clean laundry and you don't have enough room to put it in a bag in your luggage, turn the dirty laundry inside out and roll it the same as the other stuff. Because it is inside out you will always know.

JLEE - if you expect to get bitten by mosquitos on a trip, bring not only some kind of bug spray but also bring some kind of "after sting" ointment. I have a couple of homeopathic varieties and always forget it. When I get stung, I think ouch! dang!

Dfit - always bring a small shoulder strap bag to carry things around town. it is like a purse and it is easy to carry valuable stuff, passport, phone and wallet all in the same spot. it is easy to find things quickly and also carry water, food, etc. Make sure to pack it in your luggage empty.

Dfit - important to pack flip flops for showers and relaxation time.

Dfit - bring a back that holds a lot but is not too bulky.

Jlee - pack an extra duffle in case you expect to have more when you leave then when you came (for example, if you have purchased gifts)

Dfit - bring hand sanitizer and a water bottle. saves money and saves the earth to refill the water bottle. South Africans are very proud of how safe their drinking water is and it is good and easy to drink.

Saturday, February 23, 2013

Animal Sightings at Kruger National Park

There is so much to say about the incredible animals we saw at Kruger yesterday, last night and this morning.

Yesterday we got up at 4 am, got to Kruger at 6 am and the animal sightings began!

Here is what we saw:
First sighting was a shy mongoose....and then
a herd of female impalas
vervet monkey
glassy eyed starling
four elephants including a young male w tusks who sorta challenged us
four more elephants w different ages
male impala
woodland kingfisher
3 kudu males
spotted hyena
2 female kudu
African hoopoe (bird)
2 impalas
red billed hornbill
bershel starling
gay loorie (go away bird)
hippos (biggest killers of all african animals)

and then we took a break. got back out at 10:30 am and saw
spur fowl
european roller
2 young female impalas that were quite athletic little antelopes
2 male lions
2 male impalas
large herd of impalas
3 wart hogs
european roller
small herd of buffalo, old men's club of old and big ones
8 wildebeasts
white rhinos
monitor lizard
turpin turtle
large tusked elephant


will enter the night drive later...will also enter the morning drive we took at 4:15 am tomorrow
herd of young wart hogs
lilac breasted roller
white rhino - big one alone
elephant w mud on his back
hella golden orb web spiders (too big)
2 hippos!
hammercop (bird)
impala herd
Cape buffalo
rivet monkey
leopard land tortoise
brown snake eagle
zebras
spotted bushsnake
2 giraffes!

then we had lunch where we saw playing warthogs and baboons

then we went out at 3:30 pm and saw...
impala group
crocodile
five giraffes and a zebra!
2 kudu
vulture
giant kingfisher (bird)
elephant
guinea fowl
black smith black wing bird
3 bandit mongoose
4 elephants and two babies
scorpion

Friday, February 22, 2013

Robben Island

This blog is a little late, but its hard to kept day by day updates on our travel schedule, so here is my belated post about the trip to Robben Island. I find it hard to transcribe all of my thoughts, especially when in a new country with so many profound experiences, so I am going to focus on one aspect of the tour.

Despite being in such a beautiful place, Robben Island and the cells on the island are barren. Unlike the rest of South Africa, the cells are void of color, and its difficult to see the ocean over the dry tree line. From most of the cells it is even difficult to see the sun. What is so amazing is that despite the barren nature on the island, some of the political prisoners remained vibrant a, giving individuals. They were resilient and believed in cause bigger than themselves. One example of this is a story that we were told about the lime quarry.

The lime quarry was where some of the prisoners worked during the day. Long days were spent in the hot sand under direct sunlight. To go tithe restroom the prisoners needed to ask for permission. Although the conditions were hard, prisoners found a way to educate themselves. They wrote lessons in the sand as they worked. Many of the political prisoners were teachers, doctors, and men of high educational attainment and wished to share that with their comrades. One man entered the prison with an education certificate for 8th grade and he left with two colleges degrees.

Furthermore, the prisoners do not only share their skills amongst each other. They taught their wardens too. However, as higher officials heard of this they rotated wardens and even removed wardens from the island that they thought were sympathetic to the prisoners. Yet this did not stop the process of learning.

It's amazing how humans can cultivate the human spirit amongst the conditions of a prison. No man is an island, put if you put a man on an island, he will find a way to connect.

And to top it all off, we had a tour guide that was a former political prisoner there and he said to us, " it's all about introspection....check yourself."

In solidarity,
Crys

Thursday, February 21, 2013

Collaboration and Cooperation on the Foster Youth Exchange

Blogging above the skies again

Jamie again.

The Magnificent 9 are on the move again. We are entering day 6 of our trip and the second part is now on count down.

We left the Scalabrini Hostel, which was on a slightly sketchy downtown one way road in Cape Town, but where we had two nicely appointed 3 bed hostel rooms that the girls shared and a larger dorm that the boys shared. Each of the rooms had their own bathroom, which for the three per person room were amazing. I shared a room w Kate and Crys, and they were great roommates, esp because they each hit the sack earlier than me and did not get bothered by the fact that I was texting or reading or just had the light on all night long.

Privacy is an interesting thing to negotiate on a 9 person trip. When I first booked the tickets I was a little sad that we would only be on tour for 10 days but now as we fill each day to the max, sleep a little less than needed (me at least), try to find restaurants that will make the majority of us happy, navigate airport security, car rentals, getting ourselves and our luggage in and out of vehicles too small to fit us comfortably, cab rides, tour buses, arrivals and baggage unpacking, departures and baggage packing, shopping in groups of 9 (always go for the meet up time at a certain location because people bargain, gaze and wander and interact at really different pacings!)...well now that we are mid way into the trip, my heart remains tremendously full of all the rich activities we have participated in, and well, to be honest, there is a tax one pays for traveling in a large group.

That said, we are all negotiating our own emotional, physical and other needs fairly well. Hardly any blow ups, no one hates anyone else (as far as I can tell) and generally speaking we are super cooperative. There are many many benefits to traveling in a large group too. Here are some examples.

First off, safety in numbers is huge. We have nearly enough players for a baseball team and when we take to the streets together, which we did often in Cape Town, we are formidable. When we exchange money, we act like a well oiled machine exiting malls and banks. We have eyes on every angle of the person carrying the money. I have usually been that person and I have no interest in being mugged or robbed and because there are so many of us, we are fairly solid.

Walking the streets of Cape Town in a group of maybe 6 last night, I remember thinking well, if anything goes down, Dante is a Muay Thai expert, Eli is small in stature but a bad ass martial artist, I can somewhat hold my own with what I know about boxing and Muay Thai, Talitha is a honey badger straight and plain and Honey badger don't play that, Kate and Crys have de-escalation and negotiation skills that are impressive...the rest were back at the house, but it has made me smile over and over to think about all the collective talents we have on this trip.

Here are some more. Leslie and I and Kate are the three who know how to drive a stick shift and oddly, every single rental car in Cape Town is a stick shift. Therefore, we were the drivers.

Crys is a phenomenal navigator, truly gifted in reading a map and super positive and always ALWAYS willing to help. Crys got us through a few scrapes, including guiding me on the one sticky wicket that stands out about the driving experience, the irritation called Round Abouts. Crys is also really caring and perceptive, always has a compliment to share, is so dang smart that i have rarely ever asked her a question about a word definition or concept that she didn't know, and is creative, in tuned and definitely committed to social justice.

Leslie is a coach by profession and super supportive. I was able to select the "most supportive" people for my car when I finally started driving, and she was one of them. She and I have oddly decided that even though Leslie is younger than me, she should be my "mom," and she is very caring at times. Bought me a special heart cookie today but then gave it away accidentally (lol).

Kevin is a really grounded guy. He takes the time he needs for his homework, he is a strong communicator and an amazingly super positive and grateful guy. Kevin is almost always smiling. He is also strong and fit and so when there is something extra to carry, he volunteers. Kevin alerted us that he can drive a stick once we were in air to Joberg today and so he started the driving journey while I took an hour snooze.

Actually everyone is pretty awesome about sharing the load on this trip. At our last meeting Kevin, Dante, Crys and Eli all took water bottles and tshirts that we shared with Sonke, Kliptown and the African Leadership Academy. I only had to carry a few shirts and water bottles and that meant that not everything was my responsibility. Whenever anyone feels the load is too heavy, we all seem to step up to help carry it literally or figuratively.

Dante is our personal trainer and he has worked us out a few mornings of the trip. He is a very talented trainer and knows lots of ways to stretch us out, warm us up, and leads great little workouts for the team when we want. I can't wait to do Qi Gong w him in Kruger National Park. Additionally, he made sure to buy a converter that he shares, got a phone so that we could have another for use on the team and is always seeming to be on the lookout for when my hands can't handle holding onto my bags, like for example, when we were positioned on the upper deck of the plane from SFO to London where we had to carry our bags up and down a narrow stairway.

Kate is always positive and ready with a re-frame. When something goes wrong or difficult, Kate figures out a way to make it okay. She also doesn't panic and doesn't get annoyed when I do. As long as Kate has a coke nearby when needed, she is one of the most pleasant and easy going people that exist. She also is not lazy and is always willing to jump in and try to solve a problem, figure out directions, identify a new place to stay and negotiate the deal, etc.

Onikah has a sweetness that I don't know how to describe. She is on a world traveling journey and feels to me like she is in her zone. That means that she is at ease with herself and that makes others feel at ease. She is also a pretty direct communicator, is playful and fun. She made us this super fancy breakfast of stuffed tomatoes with eggs, cheese and smoked salmon. Wow.

Eli has been my late night companion and helps me to feel more normal when I am up all hours of the night. He has been so supportive of the fact that I lost my main camera which was my cell phone, and he takes any and all pictures when I ask him to for me. He is also a great masseuse and has gave me a backrub that really helped my back tension yesterday. Eli is also making up for lost time when he was too busy to do enough prep for the trip and so he is volunteering to blog, carry things, organize things, etc. He is also a spider man on a hostel bunk bed and leaps up with such ease that it is entertaining.

Talitha, wow. She is a master barterer, and also an unabashed connector. She talks to people with such ease that wherever we go we make a new friend. Talitha will shake the hands of a vendor, look them in the eye, flirt with them, joke with them, get real with them. It is kinda like watching a major league player go to bat. She has skills and I think negotiated the best deals of any of us on the team at the Green Market Square. I also know that if someone is trying to rip us off we need to put Talitha in the game because she won't let anyone get away w jack. Once we had a situation with a parking attendant who was, well, I'm pretty sure over charging us... and I said, Talitha, can we do something about this? She went up to the guy who was being shady and forcefully asked him to lift up his sunglasses so that she could look him in the eye and he had to look her in the eye when he was lying to her.

And then there was me. Contrary to some people's belief, I did not get paid to organize this trip. I did this trip as a volunteer and I paid for my own trip just like all of the organizers did. What I bring to the trip is the belief that I can make things happen if I really want to... I believe that I can organize a lot of stuff and usually if i put my mind to it, I indeed complete things.

This trip was a dream. And then it was a dreamy trip. The people we have met, the graciousness, the gloriousness, the heaviness, the learning, the heart the resistance and determination and smarts of Africa. Simply amazing. A dream that became real with the hard work of our team. More is to be said but Kate and I, with the help of our hostel keeper Paul, just negotiated a deal to see Kruger with a different tour guide. We get up at 4 am for a 4:45 am departure. Must sleep.

Sending love to all. With gratitude and heart, from Africa. Jamie

Re-purposing the Trash Can

“Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the judgment that something else is more important than fear. The brave may not live forever, but the cautious do not live at all. From now on you'll be traveling the road between who you think you are and who you can be. The key is to allow yourself to make the journey.”- Meg Cabot

When we were walking back to our hostel tonight after some delicious Greek food, I saw a shorter version of this quote on a trash can. Lately, I've been thinking a lot about courage and what it means to be of courageous mind and character. Courage is the ability to recognize that you may have fear about something, but you decide to work through that fear for a bigger purpose. And this message was on a trash can.

Seeing this quote reminded me of a young lady who gave us a tour at the African Leadership Academy. She was from Ghana and someone asked her how she found out about ALA. Timidly, she expressed that she was embarrassed to tell us that she had found the application on a trash can. Finding that application changed the course of her life. If her eyes weren't open to the world around her, even the trash cans, she would have missed it.

Trash cans are normally utilized merely for the disposal of trash, however in South Africa I've found and heard stories of how they provided opportunity and food for thought. What a great use of a communal space and changing the connotation of a common communal object.

In Solidarity,
Crys

Tuesday, February 19, 2013

Social Organizing

An entry from Crys....


Democracy and the concept of grassroots democracy is often lost on youth in America. Engaging in policy has become more of a passive activity. Now that I work in policy, I experience how long policy implementation and planning can take, but I also see how difficult it is to infuse the voice of real stakeholders in this process, especially the voices of young people. It is a constant and changing struggle. The language used by most policy makers and youth that have stories and ideas for change are often different. Even when the language is not different, it still takes a neutral third party to intervene to say that both are trying to communicate the same point. Additionally, only youth who are given the option of attending these meetings are there, very rarely do you see youth gatherings in the street addressing political agendas/ initiatives.

However, youth organizing in a grassroots fashion still exists. When we were preparing for our in-service with Sonke Gender Justice on Monday, we heard a mass of voices coming down Adderly Street. Hurriedly, we all rushed toward the balcony. On the street was a group of women protesting the importation of poultry. We watched the police guide traffic through them and engage in crowd control tactics, and as they passed out of sight we made our way back inside. An hour later, we heard voices again, this time it was a youth movement protesting high youth unemployment. It was invigorating to hear, and moving to see. When was the last time youth took the streets in mass in the U.S. Capitol city streets to address a specific youth societal issue on a weekday with no particular special event?

We also went to Soweto and saw the grounds of the youth uprising against the mandatory instruction of Afrikaans in schools in 1976. Youth and children were killed standing up for their beliefs. No one was willing to take a hero role, they were a community of youth with one voice asking for large systematic policy change.

South Africa is reminding me of the power of the youth voice and the impact that it can have when exercised in a community. The community can be one the streets, and its louder there...

In solidarity,
Crys

Balance

entry from Crys (because Jamie's the only one currently able to get on our blog!)

The only time I have ever seen a penguin before today was when they were in a zoo. Today, I spotted them and was able to walk up to them in their natural habitat. These penguins may not have been the ones that you see on Happy Feet, especially since they were keen on taking a defensive stance if approached too closely. I was so amazed by the way that they hop from rock to rock.

Amidst all of the social justice work that we have been doing, and having gone to the Slavery Lodge this morning, it was great to appreciate something silly like penguins running at Eli and hopping from place to place. The experiences that I have had here have shown me how vast the world is in terms of experience. In a world that requires such active engagement in social justice, there are also experiences of joy and wonderment for the simple things.

Finding a balance of these things in order to feel energized and stable is key to being an effective agent of change.

In Solidarity,
Crys

Sunday, February 17, 2013

A few good lines from the trip...

"South Africa foster youth exchange: Making America smarter 9 people at a time." - Jamie



"Barracuda is the cheetah of the sea." - Jamie (but you have to know what "cheetah" means in order to get this)

"Now that we're there...(long pause)" - Elias, upon beginning a very edgy conversation that no one agreed that we were anywhere near in the conversation)

"I don't know how we were anywhere close to "there." - Kate

"I just solved allllll my problems, and I solved YOUR ass." - random man on the street to a couple of our team

"You are my first customer of the day. Sister, I need your support." - a random vendor trying to sell Jamie stuff for more than she wanted to pay

In the sky...en route to Capetown

Hello Again, Jamie here.

I am writing from the air, between Johannesburg and Capetown. 9 of us on traveling makes for an interesting experience. We are seated in teams of 3, 3, 2 and 1. Onikah said before we found our seat that she was hoping she would sit next to a stranger to make it an interesting flight. I was thinking I was hoping to sit next to someone on our team... and I was the odd one out. This ended up working out marvelously as I am seated next to a woman named Sylvia who is 84 years old. When the ladies came by with the food cart, I ordered a roiibus tea and asked Sylvia if I could buy her a cup of tea. She accepted and asked for a muffin as well. So I got to share a short conversation and tea and muffin w a Beautiful South African woman. She is short in stature and pretty small. Her skin is magnificently smooth and she is wearing this sweet little beige crocheted cap/hat and a white blouse and blue striped skirt. She told me she lives in Joberg and is visiting Capetown so that she could see a doctor.

She has children and grand children and great grandchildren. She worked as a secretary and was disappointed when she was forced to retire or "go on pension" as they call it, at age 59.

In order to make ends meet she would fly to Capetown and buy shoes from a factory and bring them back to sell. She said this went over well until "those darn Chinese came in and everyone would buy from them!"

I was probably rude when I asked Sylvia how old she was, but I did ask. She replied, "how old do you think i am?" to which i replied 74. I was thinking she was older however, but i guess ageism made me express a lower number. I was delighted when she told me she was 84 because Sylvia is doing quite well. I said "marvelous! congratulations on your wonderful age." She said that the secret was that when she was younger she went to the gym every day and walked the track and that she loves reading. I said, okay, walking and reading are the way to go? she said yes. The reading keeps your mind working and keeps the devil away from your mind. I laughed and said, "we all need that." I was actually thinking of the bit of malaise I am experiencing today and that yeah, I would like to keep the devil out. So instead of reading, I pulled out my ipad and I am writing.

I love writing about trips, it helps me to reflect further, it helps me to re-understand what things mean, it helps me to feel connected to others. It helps me to keep the devil out by sharing what I feel inside. Almost all of my travel blogs are interpersonal in nature, and quite frequently intrapersonal. Always have to walk the line of over exposure, and I do my best. Of course, if you are reading this and anything feels like TMI, you can always skip over and read another blogger :-)


Bob's Bunk House was an interesting Hostel. I think part of my malaise is that one of the owners, Joan, has cancer. She has cancer and her husband is still smoking around her. I wondered if Joan was still smoking too. I must admit that got me down a bit. I recently met a friend who has been struggling with breast cancer recovery and when she was diagnosed w breast cancer it was found out that she also had pretty serious diabetes and also high blood pressure and high cholesterol. She is going in for reconstructive surgery in a couple of weeks. When I think of her, and now when I think of Joan, my heart clutches a little. I wish to reduce their suffering in any way that I can.

Joan let me use her house phone yesterday and I was so grateful and felt guilty to be on the phone for an hour and invading her personal space. I tried to be as invisible as possible as I waited on hold for Verizon and Apple. I stood instead of sitting and that proved to be challenging when the stress of the phone calls was breaking me down a bit and my feet started hurting too.

While at the Bunkhouse, I was trying to send Joan prayers and love and wishes for her wellness. I did my best. And when we left the house this am, I asked her if I could hug her and she said, "yes, hugs are always helpful," I wanted to show her something. Some kind of physical evidence of my gratitude for her and my empathy and soft heartedness.

The truth is that my heart is wide open right now. Not just because of being in Africa, the motherland; not just because of being humbled and feeling vulnerable because someone took something from me yesterday (my phone). I am trying to be very present and accept all new experiences. I am having to negotiate feelings of fear and a bit of loss of control, with openness, trust and wonder. Sometimes it is tougher than others. I am an emotional person, so I am taking one step at a time.

I was talking w one of the team last night about what it is like to be traveling in such a large group. He was saying it was a challenge to him and that he was used to traveling alone. I was thinking that our group travel provided instant community. Our conversation on the walk home from dinner reminded me that we each have our own style, our own needs, our own narratives and we are introverts and extroverts on this trip. All of us have the ability to self-soothe and manage our individual feelings (so far, heh heh), and we each have our own way of approaching newness, people and joy. What a fascinating micro-experience in such a cool macro experience.

Today we will attempt to drive for the first time in Africa. I was expecting to be able to handle it well...but after Joberg and studying the roads and the turns and the lanes, I must admit that I am less certain about my ability to master driving than I thought. I don't like this feeling. Period the end. So I will either figure it out or I will let go and let the others drive. I don't think of myself as a control freak, but not having control does unsettle me.

I am hoping to see my old friend Dean who started Sonke Gender Justice, while we are in Capetown. I am looking forward to working out at the gym with Gary and hopefully see Dale too. And I hope to see Finch, another trainee of "Man" from when I was in Thailand training in Muay Thai. We shall also tour Robben Island and The History of Slavery Museum. I want to find some interesting crafts to purchase and perhaps some cloth for a friend.

And I hope to stay centered, or keep getting re-centered, when emotion starts to control.

Saturday, February 16, 2013

Leaving Johannesburg...

Hello all Jamie here....




We leave Bob's Bunk House in about 20 minutes, headed to Capetown and our adventures there.

Yesterday was another charmed day for the most part. We met with students at the African Leadership Academy and had an amazing visit. The students were bright, positive, articulate. The school is a boarding school for youth all over Africa. I must admit to my damn ignorance about geography in general and have to keep correcting myself about the fact that Africa is a continent and not a country. I know, I know...and yes I am embarrassed.

We asked the youth about the application process and learned that each year 3,000 youth apply and only 100 get in. Most of the students are on some form of financial aid and the campus is like an Ivy League campus. I had some amazing pictures of signs and posters and cool stuff all over campus but they are lost now because of the whole pick pocket experience. My phone was lifted off me at a stupid mall of all places... I knew it was gone within 5 minutes but it was just gone.... so I am trying to remember all about the ALA and not mourn those pictures too much.

One of the questions on the application for the youth is "what have you done to impact your community?" Another, "What is your vision for Africa?" I have to admit, that gave me great pause.

We have jokingly coined the phrase for our group, "Making America smarter 9 people at a time." We are aware of the arrogance of the U.S. We want to own our privilege and not pretend about it. We want to not be colonizers here. We want to engage from a place of honesty, open curiosity, exchange. The students were so forthcoming. Each of them works in an entrepreneurial leadership program in which they are creating opportunities for income and making a difference in the community. They told us about their work teaching in townships, running little stores on campus (nearly everything sold on campus to students is sold by students)... They even run their own beauty parlors. Amazing.

They take youth run to a whole new level. And their leadership is not only cultivated, but expected from the very beginning of their interaction with the school. We met youth from Tunisia, Mali, Ghana, Tanzania, etc.

The youth were inspiring, intellectually challenging and engaging.

We are lucky Americans. We will pass it on!

Are you serious!!?? It's already been 2 days!

Hello from Johannasberg, I can't believe it's already been two days. Our group has learned so much! We just got back from dinner and we were debriefing on some of the things that we have learned, it was a powerful conversation. Today we visited the African Leadership Academy. For me that was a huge learning experience. The academy is based on teaching youth leadership and entrepreneurship, two things that really hit close to home for me :) speaking with our tour guides, who were youth in the program; shared with us what they have been learning. I was blown away with the conversations that we were having. They were sharing some ideas that they have learned from the book, The 48 Laws of Power. Incredible insights that I will take back with me.

They use the model of B.U.I.L.D -Believe Understand Invent Listen and Deliver. It was really cool because their schedule is based on learning and giving back to the community around them. As I listened to the youth share their stories of how they went out into the community to teach life skills to other youth, wow! It was great to hear the passion behind what they were doing.

Sports is another big thing within the academy. They have practice three days a week. Some of the sports include: basketball, tennis, football, frisbee, and a few others.

Their library within the school consists of books that were donated from colleges in the U.S.

The visit reminded me of the work that I do around youth empowerment and youth leadership. I was challenged by these youth and their stories. Challenged to do more and seek out other ways to equip next generation leaders.






Friday, February 15, 2013

Kliptown Youth Program and our tour of Soweto Townships

Sometimes things just work out.

We planned to get a jump on our cultural exchange and all the dreams came true about these 9 travelers, each and every one, having on time flights and zero to little travel drama.

We landed in succession. Talitha and Onikah came in yesterday. Next was Eli, Kevin and Crystal. Dante and I landed and while in the search for a SIM card or a phone card of some way to call Bob's Bunk House for our pick up, we found the three of them and that was such a great feeling! We had actually been at SFO and Heathrow at the same time but in different terminals, so I was having a strange feeling of missing them since we were so close!

Bob came to pick us up as part of our less than $15 a day charge for the hostel, and he picked all three groups up...Leslie and Kate came right on time and when they showed up at Bob's Bunkhouse this dream really did materialize.

We already had our driver and van ready for our departure for a tour of The Soweto Townships as well as a viewing of the History of Apartheid Museum.

Our tour guides were amazingly fun and friendly Jabu and Musa. They both speak many languages but conversed with us in English and with each other in Zulu.  One was the driver, and wow could he manage that van in Johannesburg traffic! I am planning to be one of our drivers in Capetown and I know that I couldn't make it if I were driving in Joberg.  Too much traffic, too many round abouts, too many secret mini roads, too many people walking on the highways and streets, etc.

But aside from me thinking that Jabu was driving in the left hand front seat and me feeling freaked out when I would notice him looking down or looking in the back of the van...and then realizing that he was not the driver and never would be because in SA the driving happens on the other side of the road and the driver sits in the upper right seat!...Aside from all that, it was just a miraculous day.

The biggest cool coincidence came when Jabu passed us onto a young tour guide named Tulani.  Tulani came upon us in a town square area that had a few large sculptures dedicated to the principles of the SA constitution. There was a fantastic art display based on a few principles like, "the land shall be shared among those who work it." "the doors of learning and culture shall be open," "there shall be peace and friendship," and "the people shall govern," among others. I spotted his tshirt immediately and asked him if I could take a picture of it.  I told him a little about YTP and CYC and then realized he would be leading the tour for us straight away. Amazing.

Tulani walked us into the Kliptown neighborhood of the Soweto townships, he was 27 and had been woking with the Kliptown Youth Program for a few years. He was bright, open, respectful, connected and willing to engage with us in any way possible. While we were waiting to get the tour started, he asked Kate and I "so how is America?" We laughed and said that was a really large question and he laughed saying that everyone asks "how is it going in Africa?"

Thulani led us up and over a colorful bridge and then introduced us to the Kliptown township from above. I was looking down at the corrogated iron walls, some of the roofs held down with rocks, some had doors, some were boarded with wood. Unauthorized (and what Tulani called illegal) electricity cords running throughout. Some of the small places held one family, some held up to 12 families within. These houses were smaller than a studio apartment in SF. As we started our way down into the neighborhood I had a profound sense of guilt run through me. I said to one of my colleagues that I if I were these people who lived here I would hate me/us right now as we were about to "take a tour." As we entered though, and perhaps because we were led by a guide, the feeling lessened. Everyone called out to our guide, greetings, hellos, conversations. Children came out of their homes, ages 3 to 12, waving at us with big smiles. We were warned in advance that we might be hit up for money while we were going through the township and indeed a couple of people did seem to want to ask us for something, but mostly people were just pretty friendly looking, sometimes smiling, sometimes saying hello.

We walked through the dirt roads, seeing chickens and the above ground sewer lines that had water snaking its way through the community. In some ways it seemed like we were walking through terrible poverty and other times it just seemed like people making strong community and living with what is. There were some areas that the community created where people could wash themselves, gather water, do laundry and dishes. There was a lot of trash around though not impossibly dirty. People lived very close to one another and some houses had satellite dishes outside their homes. Some places also had gardens. There was diversity and sameness all together.

The amazing Kliptown Youth Program had a computer lab where youth could learn to make CV's, basic Microsoft Office programs including powerpoint and some youth were creating and engaging on Facebook pages. There was a meeting of women in a meeting space. There was the smell of amazing chicken coming from the kitchen. Each day the kitchen prepared sandwiches for the kids before they go to school and each day there is a hot meal prepared for the youth after they go to school. They had a giant plastic bin of fried chicken cooking and Talitha asked for a taste. Once I figure out how to post pictures on a blog I will put some of those up.

There was a small office area we saw and we let the group know that we wanted to make a donation to them. In our fundraising efforts for this trip we budgeted $1000 to be able to donate to non profit groups we meet with and we are definitely going to donate to Kliptown. The tour ended with a peek into a room that had a solar driven flat screen tv with DVD player, etc. Some youth were watching a movie called "Sniper" that Dante recognized. The courtyard had an encased little green room with wonderful looking greens growing. The grow them and then use them in the meals.

We continued out of the program and we move through to the other side of Kliptown where Jabu and Musa were waiting for us. As I predicted, I was already changed by this one hour in this township. The poverty was deep and the sense of community was beautiful. I asked how the community handled it when people didn't get along and I learned that people identified as community leaders were called upon to handle conflicts. There were no police in the area as opposed to general Johannesburg areas where police were plentiful and sometimes very undercover looking like Caltrans workers.

We left Kliptown to see what Jabu called "Beverly Hills" where Winnie Mandela's house is and Desmond Tutu's and Nelson Mandela's place as well. We ate at a great restaurant called Sakhumzi. Though it seemed like a tourist trap, this little place that had a buffet had some outstanding and excellent local food. We ate Pap (ground white cornmeal kinda like polenta), hominy and beans, salad, a juicy beet salad, some tomato gravy, roasted chicken, mini acorn squash with cream corn and cheese on it (hmmm), tripe stew (I normally like tripe but I didn't try it this time), sausage (i also didn't eat that), greek salad, a very spicy carrot salad, homemade bread that tasted like a combo between regular white bread and Ethiopian engira. Lunch was finished with a dessert buffet of self scooped ice cream, jello, custard and some kind of cake.

Lunch was 130 Rand or $14.63 American. Our food budget is $30 per day total so it was a little more money than I wanted to pay but the food was delicious, healthy and authentic. There were entertainers in African costumes doing amazing dances and singing...and apparently there was someone singing la bamba while i was inside.

We left lunch and went to the site of the Soweto Uprising Memorial. We took a picture in front of one of the sections of the memorial and paid a man 100 Rand for 5 postcards that he printed from a tiny machine right in front of our eyes!

More from others about the Museum of Apartheid. We leave in a half hour for Honeydew where we will exchange with the African Leadership Academy. We are hiring Jabu and Musa to take us again...an unexpected expense is the $120 cab ride to get to and from the site. Excited and grateful. Thanks for reading. Jamie



Thursday, February 14, 2013

Pit Stop in London

Happy Valentine's day from London!

Nothing crazy to report from our first flight except a surprise visit from Scooby Doo and the Honey Monster. British humor for the win.

Wednesday, February 13, 2013

And the journey has begun.

Despite all the preparation, our trip hasn't began to feel real until this moment.
This is the plane that Kevin, Eli, and I will board to London on the first leg of the journey! I feel the butterflies!

Tuesday, February 12, 2013

Packing List

When I first began traveling, I was the person who begged for toothpaste from my travel partner or found a random group of people with the map so I could tag along.  I never brought sunscreen, let alone think why I would need to bring a first aid kit.  However, aging and mor extensive traveling has taught me that it every group needs at least one person to be overly prepared and organized.  I am done to be the annoying mom carrying around 5 copies and the first aid kit.  I am down for adventure, but I know the best adventures that I have had always became humorous stories instead of regrets, because someone was prepared. And yes, I may only be sharing this information so that you will not judge me as I post my packing list....

My fun and safe travel pack for South Africa includes:

X  Backpack 
X  Water Bottle
X  Passport
X  Copies of Important Documents
X  Eye Mask/ Ear buds
X  Digital Camera
X  Jeans (2)
Long Socks (2)  whoops, forgot those, will need to buy some
X  Light Jacket
X  Socks (3)
X  Underwear
X  Sports Bras (3)
X  Cloth Shorts (2)
X  Khaki Shorts
X  Tank Tops (3)
X  T-Shirts (2)
X  Long Sleeve Shirt
X  Mosquito Repellent
X  Malaria Pills
X  Sunglasses
X  Wrist-Watch
X  Sneakers
X  Bathing Suit
Flip-flops forgot these too....
X  Inhaler
X  Medications 
X  Shampoo/Conditioner
X  Razor
X  Toothbrush/tooth paste/floss 
X  Mouth Guard
X  Deodorant 
X First Aid Kit 
X Cash

I am so excited to depart with the team tomorrow.  It will be my first time on the continent of Africa, let alone the first time in South Africa. Tomorrow, I will walk into the airport with my beanie, jeans, smile, and overpacked backpack prepared for a great adventure!

Monday, February 11, 2013

Nelson Mandela

Today is the Anniversary of Nelson Mandela's release from prison on Feb. 11th, 1990 after 27 years of imprisonment.  We will be honoring your movements to end Apartheid in a few days!


Sunday, February 10, 2013

Just a couple days away!

Greetings from Sacramento, CA. We are just a couple days out from boarding the plane that will take us into new adventures and experiences. Our team is so excited and we just can't hide it, that is why we are blogging to share our experiences with you :)

I have traveled all around the United States and learned so much from my travels, it allowed me to see the world, or my world much differently. My perspectives have changed and that, in return has helped me tremendously in the work that I do around advocacy and empowerment. With that said, this is my FIRST international travel. I received my passport and I'm ready for that stamp lol. I am excited to explore and learn much with the a team of passionate people who are going to receive and pass it to others on our return.

Reflecting on my travels, I would encourage others to travel whenever the opportunity presents itself. It defiantly shapes perspectives and expands ones thinking.

If you look at the previous post, you'll see our schedule. I am looking forward to meet with other groups in South Africa and exchange stories, knowledge, practices ect.

Thank you for taking the time to check out our blog :)

Eli

Final Planning Meeting

Yesterday we had our final planning meeting for the trip, because we leave this Wednesday for our exchange in South Africa.  One part of the team will arrive on Thursday and the rest of us will arrive in Johannesburg on Friday morning.

Along with last minute details we went over our final agenda.  Our tentative schedule looks a little something like this:


Foster Youth Cultural Exchange 2013 Schedule

Wednesday 2/13/2013 (USA)
  • Depart for South Africa

Thursday 2/14/2013 (In the Sky)
  • In-Flight - In the sky
  • Happy Valentine's Day!

Friday 2/15/2012 (Johannesburg)

Saturday 2/16/2012 (Johannesburg)

Sunday 2/17/2012 (Johannesburg-Cape Town)
  • Fly to Cape Town
  • Explore Capetown

Monday 2/18/2012 (Cape Town)

Tuesday 2/19/2012 (Cape Town)

Wednesday 2/20/2012 (Cape Town)

Thursday 2/21/2012 (Cape Town-Johannesburg)
  • Flight leaving Cape Town to Johannesberg
  • Explore Johannesburg

Friday 2/22/2012 (Kruger)

Saturday 2/23/2012 (Kruger)

Sunday 2/24/2012 (Johannesburg)
  • Final Goodbyes
  • Fly out of Johannesburg
                                                                    •  
Monday 2/25/2012 (Home)
  • Arrive Home


We will be blogging and updating you as we go along!

Monday, February 4, 2013

It's all getting real

There are many things to consider when you are traveling outside of the United States.  I have done so little of it I am learning new things everyday.

My privilege as an American is surely to become clear as I cross oceans and borders and visit the continent of Africa.  I am trying not to worry too much about whether or not my technology will work (thank goodness I am not beholdant to a curling iron or a blow dryer :-) and focusing more on how I can keep my body safe and comfortable, how I can stay emotionally open to all the new experiences, sights, sounds, tastes, voices, weather, etc.

I started taking my typhoid pills today and realized that I started a few days late.  Not bueno.  Score one for someone other than this novice traveler and cross fingers that the pills that require one to take them one week before potential exposure will manage with 4.5 days before potential exposure.

I am also hoping to pick up my malaria pills soon or I suppose they are anti-malaria pills...hmmmm.... I hope those aren't needed to be taken starting last week too.

There are 9 of us traveling.  Two of us will have to learn to drive on the "wrong" side of the street.  Oh boy.  I did that on a motorbike in Thailand and I had to say out loud each time I entered the highway, "stay on the left Jamie."  I'm sure my traveling companions will pay great attention and advise me if I stray.

I can hardly believe that 9 days from now I will be on a plane heading to a place where I have never been, about to see a country of people who have only recently overthrown Apartheid...a country suffering from HIV and AIDS and lack of support.  A country with a growing population of foster youth and orphans.  I know that when I meet people I will be able to open my heart and truly care about them.  Ellen Lerner taught me that with her self published book called "Big Love."  And the many YTP youth have taught me that each time we read the book together and ponder what it means to open your heart as wide as can be and allow love to flow in and out.

I know that the first time I see an elephant or giraffe in the wild I will want to reach and hold the hand of my most dear and I will miss them not being with me.

I asked Crystal to tell me to look up at the sky a lot when I am in Africa.  I will be looking up at the same sky as those in Oakland, or Thailand or everywhere...  I am already in awe of the experience and it hasn't even happened yet.

Sunday, February 3, 2013

10 DAYS!!!

Our in-service planning and trip planning in in full gear and we are putting the final touches on our agenda. Because we leave for Johannesburg next Wednesday!!!!

Friday, January 18, 2013

Immunizations

Crystal, here!

This morning, I finished getting the immunizations that I needed for the trip.  The travel clinic that I went to made me a great traveler's resource!
Despite having a slight headache from the Hep. A shot, all went well.  AND, I was so excited to be able to take photos when traveling as I was sitting in the waiting room and was browsing the photo albums.
We are getting so close now!!!