Thursday, March 31st, 2016
I have never felt as conscious in my own mind as I have these past two and a half months here in Africa. Being here has opened my mind to the vastness and complexity of our world. Although I have told myself that I am ready to go back home, I will miss Africa and I feel like there is still so much more here for me to discover. Before this adventure comes full circle and takes me back home, I can’t help but reminisce about my first week here and all the people I had not yet met, and the animals I had never seen, all the bugs I had not encountered (and still wish I could say I haven’t). I have definitely grown here and opened my mind just a little bit more. This whole trip has been so full of new information and images in my head; it has been exhilarating and humbling to have experienced South Africa from so many angles. My friends here have made me an honorary South African and given me the name Busisiwe. Thanks to them, the spirit of South Africa will live on in me forever. I will always remember what it has done for me and I will continue to think of ways that I can give back. This truly has been a life altering experience and I am excited to use the lessons I have learned as I move forward in my life.
3 Comments
I'll quickly take you through my week here in Cape Town. I have done everything I could have possibly wanted to do that the weather has permitted. My shark cage diving, hiking and abseiling got cancelled due to weather but I managed to pull together the Cape Point tour, horseback riding, a tour of Robin Island and a super spur of the moment trip up Table Mountain due to amazing weather four hours before I was due to be at the airport. Priorities.
Check out my video to see it all. Saturday, March 26th, 2016
Straight from the airport to the beach to get our surf on. Okay, so we made a pit stop at the hostel to drop off our luggage and the ride took an hour, but we made it! And if we had waited any longer it would have rained before we finished our session. It felt great standing up on the board for the first time. Maybe next time it'll last longer than three seconds... I think it's safe to say that I'll be a pro by the end of this week ;) Friday, March 25th, 2016 It took me a while to realize that leaving Africa meant leaving the beautiful animals. It was that thought that made this one last game drive so much more important. We have seen the Big Five, and we have seen them in the wild. I feel so blessed to have been able to experience Africa and to share it with you. Thursday, March 24th, 2016
To everybody that I got to know over the past two months, I wish you all the best with your future endeavours. I can see your ambition and I know you will be successful because I know a lot of you are continuously striving to reach your goals. I wish you and all your families well. It is obvious that I am going to miss everyone, but more than that, I am going home with a new love and passion for life. South Africa, and everyone I have met here, has introduced to me a new understanding of our world in so many ways which have helped me grow as a person, and I am so thankful for that. I want to specifically mention a couple of people whom I have gotten close to and I would like to share their stories. Jerry, one of our maintenance men here, is an entrepreneur trying to build a business for himself so that his company can grow and give jobs to and support those who are out of work here in South Africa. He is very artistic and sees the good in everything. He comes to work with a smile and it grows throughout the day. He is able to find a creative way to reuse anything he sees, from old wood branches to seeds he finds on the ground. If you would like to support his business you can send him a message on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mogotsi.masia?fref=ts or send one to me. I am also hoping to get a website set up for him soon. He completely customizes coffee mugs to meet your wants. He puts time and effort into making it exactly the way you want buy consulting with you at every step. He only needs to sell 40 more mugs and he will be able to buy a machine as a new instalment to his growing company. And Sifiso is a father with big dreams. He was excited the yesterday, when I saw him last, because he was on his way home to see his two young boys he hasn't seen since last month. His job here at Zulu Nyala was a great opportunity for him which he used to get his jobless brother work also. He is also a great artist who drew us a picture before he left for his time off. (Thank you!) There are so many others here who's stories can make you cry, laugh until you cry, or captivate you in ways which will change your life. I am so grateful for having had the opportunity to come here and spend my time learning about this area of the world. Tuesday, March 15th, 2016
Chef Patricia is back! When I have a friend in need, I make sure they get taken care of. Today, we have a sick puppy in our litter so I made this delicious plating for her to help her feel better. I gave her some vegetable soup with her favourite feta cheese and crackers. I know, I know, I'm the best friend ever. Monday, March 14th, 2016
I just got back from cat heaven. I can't get enough of these beautiful creatures. This particular sanctuary is a rehabilitation centre for Cheetahs, Serval Cats, African Wildcats and Lynx. Their hopes with this facility focus' on caring for orphaned and injured animals. Breeding is also attempted with the intensions of releasing the offspring into the wild, especially with the endangered animals like the Cheetah's. If you would like more information, check out their website: http://www.emdonenilodge.com/cat-rehabilitation/the-cats/cheetah/ "Today is your day! Your mountain is waiting, so... get on your way!" - Dr. Seuss
Sunday, March 13th, 2016 A man stands, picking peas for dinner, silently thinking about what he wants his life to be, knowing that this is not it. I should be on break, but then again, so should he. As I help him, we talk to pass the time. I ask him questions of his life here - is his goal to become a chef? He told me that it will take him another two years before he can apply for that position. He has already been done school and working here for three years. He does dishes most of the day, and does prep work for the chef the rest. When he is finally able to apply for a Chef position, he will have to find a job. But finding and applying for jobs in "the Bush" here in South Africa is not easy. Going to interviews means driving into town, and without a car, that too is not easy. Getting a job here requires a lot of motivation and resources. But I think he will attain what he wants in life because he has the passion and motivation to work towards his goals. There are always going to be struggles in your life, barriers that you are going to have to break down, and mountains to climb. You will never feel such joy as when you summit that mountain and look back at all that you have accomplished, and all the hurdles you have overcome. Don't let anything come between you and your dreams, because you will never be truly happy until you have reached your summit and looked back upon your life knowing that every struggle had its purpose. Friday, March 11th, 2016 Check out this video to see a Mozambique Spitting Cobra being transferred into a smaller container for transport. It isn't safe to keep on the hotel grounds so they have to catch them and move them to a safer area. They are usually relocated to a location in the game reserve far enough away to hopefully not come back. These snakes are highly venomous and are capable of spitting their venom as well as injecting it through a bite. Only trained professionals are allowed to handle these guys. In the background of this video, you can hear a man screaming because he is afraid of the snake. Wednesday, March 9th, 2016
Yawn, time for a nap. Hippopotamuses are pretty lazy and tame here in South Africa, but, according to our guide, they are more energetic and dangerous further North. To me that just means I'm less likely to get eaten, which is good. I guess humans are boring to these hippos. Luckily for us, yawning hippos make for good pictures. Check out my gallery to see more pictures from our excursion today. Tuesday, March 8th, 2016
Since we had our first rainfall I decided to take some time and welcome you into my current, humble abode. As the sun rises, every morning starts with the songs of all the local birds waking up, the sun shining in through the corner of the window that is not covered by the blinds, and the smell of breakfast and the sound of chattering from the restaurant as all the guests get their morning energy boost. Lunch is often quiet as all the guests are out enjoying the nearby activities, all of the employees are busy doing their chores for the day, and all the animals are quietly basking under the sun or in the shade hiding from the heat. The zebras are usually grazing. Dinner is crowded, all of the tables are full of people sharing stories about all fun of the day and they begin to unwind before bed. The last meal of the day is followed by the beating of drums, the calls of the wild, and a duet of a male and female voice expressing their culture as Zulu peoples. They dress in their traditional costume of animal skins and bones as they move to the sound of the music. Sometimes they are completely still except for the drummer beating the flesh of his drum. Sometimes the drum is silent and all you hear are the calls of the people in harmony. When they are finished, the only sound to be heard is that of the crickets in the grass telling everyone it is night time. It is at this time that we return to our rooms and the creatures of the night come out until the sun brings rise to a new day. Sunday, March 6th, 2016
I enjoy designing and creating anything I can come up with in my head; I enjoy learning how things work and applying knowledge of fixing things instead of having someone fix them for me. Today I got to work in hotel maintenance as a part of my placement. After a morning of introductions to the whole team, the manager and I set out to find something that needed fixing, which, if you have ever worked at a hotel, you would know, is not hard to do. In a matter of minutes we were taking apart lamps, stripping wires, and replacing parts. And now, at the end of the day, I am opening my business as an eccentric lamp designer. I will take anything you like and turn it into a lamp for you, and I'll make sure you get good value for your money. I will also be fixing any broken lamps for those of you who are not yet ready to part with your beloved, broken, bedside table lamps. Thank you for your support. ;P On a serious note, I am very proud of myself... as usual. Saturday, March 5th, 2016
Today, I stood to witness the magical moment when the bride and groom enjoyed a personal, private dance before making their grand entrance as newlyweds. I listened as they shared stories of love and laughter from their lives before their nuptials. I got to watch as the father and daughter shared their first dance after letting her go to spend the rest if her life in the care of another man whom he believed would take good care of her and keep her happy. By the end of the night, I had been so privileged as to look into the lives of two families as they joined together because of a bond so strong that it made two people commit their lives to eachother, and everyone was happy to be a witness to such a joyous occasion. Thought of the week:
Maybe its the activist in me thinking, but all this talk about water has got me concerned. The water crisis here is South Africa is increasingly getting worse. I have noticed it constantly since my arrival, sometimes subtly because I have not been here long enough to see the 'before' comparison, but when I open my eyes, it is not hard to see. You can go to the beach and climb sand hills so high that being at the top gives you views of all the exposed coral that was once deep under the sea. There are now ponds where the water use to connect to the ocean. The water holes for local animals are hardly deep enough for hippos to submerge themselves. I know that animals drink a lot of water, I know that humans waste a lot of water, I also know that we can do so much more to help this situation. Zulu Nyala, the hotel at which I am doing the second half of my placement, has bought and is currently building a contraption which is going to help them filter and reuse water at the hotel. However, there are not many businesses which are fortunate enough to be able to afford such a system. We take for granted every shower, clean glass of water, ice cube, waterfall, pond, lake and chlorine filled pool. The truth is that some places here can't even provide clean water all day for their residents because they have so little, all that would come out of the tap would be red soil. Conserving water is currently one of the most important things you can do for the lives of your children. Being vegan is actually one of the best ways to conserve water according to the documentary, "Cowspiracy". There is of course a lot, more current research you can find to see the statistics but in the end, the result is the same; if you care about the environment or the future of this planet, there is a lot of value in understanding what eating meat does to the Earth. Thursday, March 3rd, 2016
Three statuesque elephants walk toward me, each a different height and age. I don't think I have ever seen anything so mesmerizing. They command attention, yet, if you couldn't see them you would never even know they were coming. They look like dinosaurs and walk like ballerinas. They walk freely toward the crowd of people standing in awe, excitement running through all our veins, elephants included. These elephants are not here to work, they are not forced into a cage and locked up against their will, they are not forced to interact with humans in exchange for petty treats. These endearing animals come because they crave human interactions and they want to build relationships with anyone who treats them with the kindness and respect the deserve. They are not happy unless they get the attention they desire from us. They enjoy playfully throwing dirt at whomever has their food when they have none left, going for long walks during the day with their caretakers, and rubbing up against trees to scratch their backs or behind their ears. They cry, hold on to memories, and love just like the rest of us. They have two noses, big floppy ears in the shape of Africa, dry wrinkly skin, and short, prickly hairs all over. They can drink a bathtub of water faster than I can finish a cup, and then they could drink a couple more. They weigh 80 times what I do, yet they can walk without making a sound and with leaving only two sets of footprints. While they are a part of the Big Five, you only need fear these animals if you approach them with the wrong intentions. They are truthfully one of the greatest animals to roam our planet. ...That is why I have decided to move to Africa and live with the elephants. They will protect me from predators and bad weather and they will be my best friends. We will take long walks together every day, and we will relax in the shade to take naps along the way. :) Okay, maybe I haven't made that decision yet, but it is a possibility. Tuesday, March 1st, 2016
This is just a quick update on my current mental state: Anyone who knows me knows how terrified of spiders I have been in the past. That is the old me. I have seen so many spiders here, I just shrug and walk away like they aren't going to spin me into a silky cocoon and liquefy me. You can all be relieved, no more screaming and crying for me. Sunday, February 28th, 2016
We set out on these game drives to find animals and to see them in their natural habitat. What we don't expect is that sometimes, when we are looking for them, they are looking at us. On this particular game drive, we set out to find elephants. While we were looking for elephants, a rhino found us. Something I learned about rhinos is that they are just short round bundles of curiousness. Today, I had the great fortune of being part of a small group of people subject to a rhino's curiosity. Not only did we get to see a rare black rhino, but we got to see him come closer to us than he seemingly ever has to other groups, an experience the ranger said "only a handful of people have ever had". We could hear him sniffing us in the truck, as we probably looked like one gigantic animal to him. He came so close that the ranger had to scare him so that he wouldn't touch the truck. Even with the roaring of the engine, the rhino still wanted to come closer. After several minutes of sniffing us, the rhino went on his way, looking back at us to see what we were up to. Unfortunately, not many more people will even have the opportunity to see these beautiful animals because of the cruel and unnecessary act of poaching. If you are at all interested in ever being able to see a rhino, or any African animal, inform yourself of this cause. Rhino fund These creatures deserve their own right to walk this earth, but they are being poached into extinction for their horns which have no medicinal value. If you would like to learn more about rhinos in South Africa follow the link below: .http://www.zulunyalagroup.com/Rhino-Conservation.html Saturday, February 27th, 2016
What do you do during a 12 hour bus ride? Play games, eat snacks, watch cartoons on your laptop, and sleep. I could do it again especially with the breathtaking view. Friday, February 26th, 2016
In just one short month, I have met so many kind people who welcomed me into their lives. It feels as though I have been here for months. We have had so much time to bond as we have lived so close together. Living with them has given us a lot of opportunity to quickly break down walls and get to know one another. I know mostly everyone's goals and I truly wish everyone the best in achieving them. Even though it is sad to leave knowing I will most likely never see anyone here in person again, I do feel happy knowing we can keep in touch via social media. Also, knowing that they are all more motivated than ever to go out and make their dreams come true makes saying goodbye feel more like good luck. "There are no foreign lands. It is the traveller only who is foreign." - Roberts Louis Stevenson2/25/2016 Thursday, February 25th, 2016
Adapting to life in a new country, especially one so far away from home, has its challenges. Water can be a big issue here due to the drought; going outside of the city can mean having less access to fresh water. This means buying bottled water and using it for everything from drinking to bathing. The heat here can be enough to make you faint if you do not stay properly hydrated and fed, but other times, especially so close to the coast, the breeze and rain is enough to stay cool. The culture can sometimes be a shock. Everyone can speak English, but that doesn’t mean they like to. Xhosa is, what I have found to be, the most commonly spoken language for black South Africans in East London. It sounds more like Khlosa but the “k” is actually a click. White South Africans commonly speak Afrikaans which is made up of mainly Dutch. When I move to the Durban area, Zulu will be more common even though there are some Zulu speaking people here. Aside from language, the traditions are quite different from what I know in Canada. It is very old fashioned in the sense that women are the homemakers. Some of the men do not understand my independence and wanting to do even laborious work by myself; standing up for yourself and showing them that you can do more than they believe you can is a good way to not get pushed around. They often do not like women who do not submit to them. That said, I have never had a problem with them being rude to me because I stand up for myself, we all still get along. No matter what differences we may have, we have all managed to find common grounds so we can work together. I believe that I have made many friends here. Once you are open to understanding their culture, it becomes easy to get along even if you do not agree about everything. There has never been a day since arriving here that I have gone outside and not thought, "Wow, I'm in South Africa". There has never been a moment I have experienced here which has made me feel like this is a normal life for me. Sometimes I find myself getting used to my surroundings, and then I see a giraffe standing in front of me and I just smile and remember to take in every second of this experience because before I know it I’ll be gone. I have never been to a place that has made me wake up every day and think that I have to push every day to its limit and experience as much as I can. There have been moments of stress and sadness when I had to remind myself to live in each moment to get the full experience I can from here. I need to be present for every moment and leave problems in the past. I have great support from my family. My dad has had a great way of bringing me back to the fantasy which I am experiencing here. Whenever I am having a bad moment, he tells me that I have to just look outside and watch the animals and reminds me to enjoy it while it lasts. He knows that cheers me up. It reminds me every day how unimportant some things are in the grand scheme of things and how much I need to really step back and embrace my life and where it has brought me. Wednesday, February 24th, 2016
Authentic handmade South African pizza. I got to watch it all happen without getting to taste any of it. The sauce was made with orange tomatoes and the dough is whole wheat and vegan so I am getting the recipe. When I return to Canada, you can all come to my pizzeria to taste it. :) Monday, February 22nd, 2016
I just wanted to say thank you to everyone who has sent me their support. I have had so much response to my blog that I feel like I want to include you all in it. So, if you have any questions, suggestions, or anything you would like me to write about or take pictures of just comment below or send me a message and I will try to accommodate as many requests as I can. I will be leaving this hotel and moving to the next one on Friday, so prepare yourself for the elephant pictures! Also, feel free to share my blog with anyone you think will be interested :) <3 Patricia Sunday, February 21st, 2016
Are they up for adoption? Seriously. I just wanted to take them home with me. The ring-tailed lemurs here are kept in a sanctuary and raised from infancy along with other primates. When they are babies, they spend most of their day in a large cage, they spend 3 hours a day in the cage that I was in with them where they can play and spend time with their caretaker, and then they sleep in a nursery. While I was in the cage, there were several types of monkeys but I fell in love with the lemurs. Their hair is so soft, they are fluffy and they are hyper. They seemed to enjoy being pet and climbing on me which of course made me very happy. I am now considering moving here so that I can buy a farm and have lemurs... SO FLUFFY! Saturday, February 20th, 2016
I just can't get enough of these animals. Check out my gallery to see more photos. If you live in Canada and you are reading this, I must just say, these animals do not roam free. If they did, they would probably be hunted. Instead, they stay in protected areas of hundreds or thousands of hectares. Some animals stay in smaller fenced in areas depending on their survivability or threat to the rest of the wildlife. To my knowledge, the only places that do not separate animals are national parks, though the fences are still important to keep out poachers. Also, I am not cheating on my wife, Anabel. She knows I love her. I was just saying hi to her friends for her. :) |