Hillcrest Manor Pt. II

This is a picture of the guesthouse. I had some trouble uploading pictures earlier, but hopefully I'll have better luck in the future!

Things I Miss

I really miss...
-My family and friends: It's good to get emails and phone calls from people I love, but it's just not the same as seeing their faces!

-Daily pictures of Jazmyne: Tiff and Mom have been doing a pretty good job of sending me pictures, but my baby is growing so fast, and I don't want to miss a second!
-Central heat: Luckily I have a space heater in my room, but central heat is a MUST!

-Grapes

-College Football: I've tried to supplement with rugby, soccer (football), and cricket matches; but it's just not the same :o( GO VOLS!!!!

-My babies: Cali and Tink, I miss you! If anyone has any suggestions on how to get tink to poop in the litter box, please let me know! He's been giving my mom a run for her money!

-Digital cable, DVR, and the new seasons of all my shows: I really hope they will keep episodes of all my favorites online so I can watch them when I get back. If not, I hope mom and Chandra are taking notes and will fill me in on everything I've missed!

-Daily chats with Moni: I feel so out of the loop! Love you Moni!!!

-Unlimited Internet: This pay by the MB thing is not really working for me! The Internet at the guest house was extremely expensive, so I ended up getting a modem (similar to mobile broadband in the US). The modem was a bit expensive (R1,8000), but in the end it will be much better than what I was paying for wireless at the house. It will be a long time before I complain about my cable/Internet bill again!

-My Egyptian cotton bath towels

-Free refills

-Foxy (my car): For the most part, I walk to most places. If it's late or too far, we call a cab. But, there's just something about being able to get in the car and go and come as you please.

-Washcloths: Apparently most people here do not use them, but they are a must for me!

-Tap water in restaurants: Here, you purchase bottled water in restaurants (still or sparkling), and they look at you crazy if you ask for tap water.

-Pounds, inches, Fahrenheit, and Eastern Time: All these conversions are starting to make my head hurt!

-Good Morning America

-Cell phone plans: Here, you purchase airtime on a 'pay as you go' system.

This is just a start. I'm sure I'll think of more...

Hillcrest Manor

It's hard to believe I've been in Cape Town for over a month! I haven't been doing a very good job of keeping you up to date, but I'm going to make a conscience effort to do better! I've been keeping a list of things to write about, so some things will be current and others will be a bit dated.
The students and I are staying at Hillcrest Manor Guesthouse in a pretty nice area of the city called Tamboerskloof. The guesthouse is actually just about a 7-9 minute walk to where Eni and I stayed in 2007, so I'm pretty familiar with the area. The neighborhood is a relatively safe place, but I still try to keep walking at night to a minimum and I definitely don't go out alone after dark.
Before coming, I was not quite sure about staying in a house with 15 undergraduate students, but I was assured that I would have my own room and bathroom; and that was enough for me. When I first arrived, I must admit I was not too happy with my room. It's not actually in the house, but out the back door. My first thought was Great! They stuck me in the servant's quarters! Above my room, there is the 'Annex' where three other female students stay which is much nicer than the servant's quarters. My doors open directly to outside, so it gets extremely cold in here at night. After the first few nights, I was so miserable that Professor Lee let me borrow one of the heaters from her flat, and that made all the difference in the world! My room went from feeling like the servant's quarters to my own little oasis!!!! Gerda also came in and fixed my TV, so in addition to the three stations I had been getting (SABC1, SABC2, and SABC3), I now get E! TV and M-net. Who would have thought the DVR queen would be excited to now have 5 TV stations??? And just when I was finally getting comfortable, my twin bed was switched out for a much bigger double bed! If I didn't need food, I may not ever leave my room!!! (just kidding)
Breakfast consisting of cereal, toast, juice, and coffee is provided for us each morning. It's not the greatest, but it's better than nothing. On some Fridays, we get a special breakfast which is usually something like French toast or pancakes! Needless to say, I'm up extra early on Fridays! Dinnertime at the house is usually interesting. Some of the students are pretty good cooks, while others could use a little help. I had a good laugh last night when one of the guys told me about is failed attempt at pasta. He decided that since baked beans were packed in tomato sauce, they would go good with spaghetti noodles…. I think I laughed for a good 5 minutes straight on that one! There is a cute little café called the Daily Deli right down the street. The food is relatively cheap and it's good too!
One of the down sides to Hillcrest is that we don't have access to the washer and dryer at the house. So every couple of weeks I pack up my backpack and grocery bags and walk down to the Laundromat. It's fine for now I suppose, but I'm definitely looking forward to warm and hot water cycles once I get back!

Happy Birthday To Me!!!!

Thank you all so very much for the birthday wishes! I hate that I didn't actually get to talk to most of you, but the birthday messages and emails really made me feel special! When I first arrived and was unpacking, I found two cards that read "Do not open until your birthday!" and two small boxes. As tempted as I was to peek, I did what I was told and left the boxes and cards in my suitcase. On Friday, at breakfast, I was even more surprised to get a package handed to me! Everyone wanted to know what it was, but I put it in my suitcase with the other items and waited until Saturday to open them all (see mom….I do still listen!). First thing Saturday morning I opened the cards, boxes, and package! The cards were really sweet (yes, I did shed some tears…but not too many). The two little boxes contained a necklace and bracelet from my mom (which I wear everyday) and the package was a R350 ($50 USD) gift certificate to any restaurant in Cape Town!!!! I want to send a HUGE THANK YOU to the BEST parents in the world! My Daddy and Judy also sent me cards, which was another pleasant surprise! Even though he doesn't do computers or the Internet, I wanted to give him a shout out as well! And finally, it would not have been a birthday without Ahinee's birthday rap! THANKS MONI!!!!!

Now, most of you know I'm not really the partying type (…anymore); but since it was my birthday weekend (yes, I celebrated for a whole weekend), I told the group I would go out with them. We started out on Friday night at the club called Zula. I told the guy at the door that it was my birthday, and he let me in free! Good thing too because the spot just wasn't happening! We only spent about 20 mins there before everyone was ready to leave. We walked about a block and came to another club called Jo'burg! This one was right up my alley! The atmosphere was good, and the dj was great! I danced and sang more than I have in quite a while! The group even gave me a shout out at the stroke of midnight to usher in my birthday!

I started out the next morning with a hike up Table Mountain (see previous post for more details). After becoming one with nature, the whole group went over to Professor Lee's flat (or the mansion on the mountain as some of us like to call it) to celebrate my birthday. She had some snacks and drinks for us and the students all chipped in and bought me a double chocolate cheesecake from Charlys (the best bakery around)! Professor Lee even had red and white decorations for me :o) Vernon also came by and brought me his brother's gospel CD!

Later that evening, we all went a spot called Ragazzi. Tabo, a friend of Vernon's son Tiro, was celebrating his birthday (9/13) and the opening of his new club. Ragazzi was a nice, laid back venue. Thomas kept referring to it as a young professional's club! The dj played a nice mix of house, R&B, and Hip-Hop; I also learned that Cape Town is supposedly one of the top places for house music. As the night went on, I noticed a group of guys in the corner dancing. I remember saying to Alexis "All I need is for Single Ladies to come on so they can show out!" Less than 2 minutes later, the song came on and Alfred (or should I say Beyonce) worked it out!!! Oh, what a night! I felt so loved! We all had a really good time, and I want all the students to know how much I appreciate them!

1 Hour and 20 Minutes

1 hour and 20 minutes… that's how long it took me to climb to the top of Table Mountain. Now, yall know I'm not the 'one with nature' type, but Kaitlin convinced me that it would be the perfect start for my 27th birthday. Now, Kaitlin almost made it to the top of Mt. Kilimanjaro, so I'm still trying to figure out what I was thinking when I agreed to go with her. So, Saturday morning, Kaitlin, Sarah and I set off for what turned out to be an extremely fun and rewarding experience. I should have known that it was going to be hard when painted on a rock at the beginning of the trail was 'R U Sure? IF NOT YOU CAN GO BACK NOW!' That right there should have triggered something that made me turn around! I can honestly say that climbing that mountain was one of the hardest things I've done in a long time. I was pretty much miserable most of the way up, but Kaitlin and Sarah were so positive and kept me going. I definitely would not have made it without them. I felt bad for slowing Kaitlin down because I'm sure she would have made it up in under an hour if I had not been there winded and saying 'Kaitlin, I think I need a break!' To say I was struggling would be an under statement! Kaitlin was singing and dancing, and I was barely able to keep my breath! Once I made it to the top, (and took a second to catch my breath)I was so proud of myself that I forgot all about the fact that my legs felt like jello and my heart was pounding so hard that I felt it was going to jump out of my chest. The view from the top was just as beautiful as I remembered it, but the sense of pride and accomplishment I felt made the experience even more memorable. On the way up Kaitlin suggested I think of it in terms of a step for everyday of my life, and year 27 was waiting for me at the top! I feel truly blessed to have made it to 27, and I can't wait to see what this year has in store! I can say 100%, without a doubt that I will not be climbing Table Mountain again. I may try Lion's Head in the near future, but that's still up for debate...