Hi everyone! I'm sorry to all those of you who received a garbled message from my hotmail account. This post is what the message said:
Quite a bit has been going on here. After writing a concept note (basically a fancy NGO word for “proposal”) for CGAP (Consultative Group to Assist the Poor) to try to gain funding for projects related to technology and microfinance last week, things are winding down here at Kuyasa for the holidays. In South Africa, most organizations (even private enterprise) typically shut down for at least 2 weeks in December; some for up to a month!
This Friday, the last day before our office closes, we’ll have our staff Christmas party, out at Cape Point Nature reserve, where we’ll have a braai (bbq) and do a Secret Santa gift exchange. From there, I have to head back into the city to catch a 15 hour, overnight bus ride to Lesotho, for a 4 day, 3 night Pony Trek into the Lesotho highlands, at Malealea Lodge – I am excited! I get back to Cape Town on the 23rd, just in time for a day at the beach (yes, i'm rubbing it in!) before James arrives on Christmas morning, on a sleigh full of presents (not)! From there we’ll travel for about 20 days, a few in cape town before moving all along the coast right up to the north of South Africa, including game parks, surfing and scuba diving – we’re both psyched!
I have had a car to myself (borrowed from a friend) for the past week, and have now almost mastered the art of driving on the wrong side of the road, a stick-shift on the left hand side, a choke (yes, like driving a lawn-mower!), and two anti-theft devices. Also, due to the battery being a piece of crap, I also now know how to kick-start the car by rolling down a hill and popping the clutch into 2nd gear. Due to having a car, this past weekend I finally got out surfing, and it was great! The sharks decided to chill for the day although it’s possible they were around; the shark flag noted “limited visibility” in terms of the shark spotters being able to see sharks. I guess I took my chances, haha ;) Caught a few nice waves and managed a couple of turns.
Sunday I hiked Lions Head again (see previous post) for the spectacular views, and finished with a nice beer at the waterfront afterwards. However, the highlight of my weekend was Friday, as I took time off work to attend the Zip Zap Circus, a circus school made up of children from all different racial and socioeconomic backgrounds, initiated in partnership with Cirque du Soleil, a good Canadian export: http://www.zip-zap.co.za/
We were invited by the Canadian Consul General in Cape Town, who was hosting the Governor General of Canada, Michaëlle Jean, on her state visit to South Africa. After the performance, with the audience extremely impressed by the children’s circus performance, the Governor General addressed the children, telling them how amazed she was by them, and that they are not only the future of South Africa, but also the present, and they show great hope for a country in which only 12 years ago, children of different races would not have had the opportunity to work and train together to achieve common goals. We were also able to meet the Governor General, and I spoke with her briefly about Kuyasa and the work our organization was doing in Cape Town. She was very interested, and has a very kind and warm presence. I suppose if Canada must remain a constitutional monarchy with ties to the Queen, then she is a good representation of what Canada is; a multi-lingual immigrant who embraces both Francophone and Anglophone cultures, a visible minority, and a woman. Hooray for Canada!
We were invited by the Canadian Consul General in Cape Town, who was hosting the Governor General of Canada, Michaëlle Jean, on her state visit to South Africa. After the performance, with the audience extremely impressed by the children’s circus performance, the Governor General addressed the children, telling them how amazed she was by them, and that they are not only the future of South Africa, but also the present, and they show great hope for a country in which only 12 years ago, children of different races would not have had the opportunity to work and train together to achieve common goals. We were also able to meet the Governor General, and I spoke with her briefly about Kuyasa and the work our organization was doing in Cape Town. She was very interested, and has a very kind and warm presence. I suppose if Canada must remain a constitutional monarchy with ties to the Queen, then she is a good representation of what Canada is; a multi-lingual immigrant who embraces both Francophone and Anglophone cultures, a visible minority, and a woman. Hooray for Canada!
Attached is a pic of Omo, Meghan, myself and Jean with Michaelle Jean, the GG.
Lots of love and best wishes to all of you for the holidays,
Lena
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