Finding a place to live is proving significantly more difficult that I ever would have imagined. The place I talked about in the last post was taken when I called to say I wanted it…even though they said they’d wait to here from me…not that I’m bitter or anything. Then I went to see another place, which had a kitchen and bathroom smaller than the one at the hostel I’m staying at and the girl I’d be rooming with was really young. Now I have nothing against living with a young person, especially since I know I hated when people discriminated against me when I was 18, but there’s a big difference between being 18 and acting 18. Also, she seemed kinda racist, which didn’t help her case.
I’ve never realized how important having an address is either. To begin, just to get my study permit to come to SA I needed an address…mostly to prevent exactly what is happening to me, but what can you do. I mean, I tried to open a bank account today and needed proof of address and earlier in the week I tried to get a library card, to no avail. How do homeless people do it? I mean once you get to that stage, you can’t get a job ‘cause you usually need to give them your address…if you did get a job they’d have to pay you in cash since you couldn’t do a direct deposit or cash cheques until you had a bank account. That’s really a backward system. It’s very sad.
Friday, February 27, 2009
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Rugby and Flats
They have these massive muffins in the student center on campus that have become the highlight of my life. Also, there are ants in my office (in no relation to the muffins, I swear), which sucks ‘cause now I’m going to have to set up little ant booby traps...any suggestions? I’m thinking we should Rube Goldberg these little buggers!
Anyway, I went to my first ever rugby game last night! Exciting. I even sat in the “president’s box” or whatever it’s called. There were bad cheerleaders and a mascot and guys that had to do pushups every time we scored. We won. They looked tired.
Then we went out for drinks and I bonded with work people.
Oh and I went to see a flat I might move to...it’s in a nice area and the girls living there seem nice, but not like I would hang out with them, but still nice. It’s also a little pricey, but SA pricey...so really. I’m still undecided, but I have to get decided by tonight ‘cause someone else wants it too. So many decisions.
p.s. There are no Tim Horton’s in SA...I asked. In fact, I don’t think I’ve seen a chain coffee place anywhere...very curious.
p.p.s. I think whilst is one of my favourite words, it makes me giggle every time I read it...whilst :)
Anyway, I went to my first ever rugby game last night! Exciting. I even sat in the “president’s box” or whatever it’s called. There were bad cheerleaders and a mascot and guys that had to do pushups every time we scored. We won. They looked tired.
Then we went out for drinks and I bonded with work people.
Oh and I went to see a flat I might move to...it’s in a nice area and the girls living there seem nice, but not like I would hang out with them, but still nice. It’s also a little pricey, but SA pricey...so really. I’m still undecided, but I have to get decided by tonight ‘cause someone else wants it too. So many decisions.
p.s. There are no Tim Horton’s in SA...I asked. In fact, I don’t think I’ve seen a chain coffee place anywhere...very curious.
p.p.s. I think whilst is one of my favourite words, it makes me giggle every time I read it...whilst :)
Saturday, February 21, 2009
Update
February 17th, 2009
I woke up much too early. As I was driving to the airport with my dad, I was sitting there thinking to myself "Sun rises are anti-climactic" and "Cape Town is not in Canada" and "I hope my parents remember to return my library books" (hint hint). Unfortunately when we got to the airport I came to the realisation that, despite popular opinion, Calgary is in Canada... therefore [insert first sentence here]. This resulted in a lonely hour where I was the only person at the boarding gate.
When I get to Calgary I have to find my way from the domestic to international terminal. Instead of following the somewhat clear signage, I chose to ask someone. She directs me down this weird deserted corridor. Finally I get to the end of it and I have 3 options 1. wait outside a gate that isn't mine 2. go back the way I came 3. go down the white hallway with cameras, gates and "Do not stop in this hallway" signs, all the while hoping the closed doors at the other end open. Ha! I don't even know why 1 and 2 are options. I start walking down the hallway, quickly so it's easier to start running if necessary. I get to the end of the hallway and the doors...don't open. SHIT! So now I'm afraid of stopping in the hallway 'cause the sign said not to, so I start walking (quickly) back and as I do an alarm goes off, a camera flashes and the doors open...well, the doors opened so I might as well use them. Needless to say, for the rest of my trek across Calgary's airport I involuntarily hid my face when eer I saw security.
Now, overall, I would say Lufthansa is a fantastic airline (granted the only other airlines I have to compare it to are Air Canada and Westjet...), there was only one thing that made me kinda sad. I was sitting in the window seat and there was this overweight guy beside me in the aisle seat. He was super nice and we were chatting and he was laughing at me 'cause the guy in front of me was a jerk who kept slowly crushing me with his chair. Anyway, good times were being had and then the stewardess came and asked him if he wanted to move implying that I am probably uncomfortable sitting beside him. He said he couldn't because the seats where she wanted him to move to were smaller and I said I didn't want to 'cause I like the window and didn't mind sitting beside him. She seemed to think I was lying/being polite and asked him to move anyway. He finally just agrees to move and the whole time I'm thinking about what a horrible situation this is, so I tell him to stay and tell the stewardess that he's good company, which she takes as us having some sort of airplane love affair and gives us a knowing "oooooh" before walking away, thereby making further conversation moderately awkward. Now I'm sure there was just a miscommunication in there somewhere, but it was still pretty horrible.
February 18th, 2009
Ok, so I arrive in Frankfurt, get my bag, go through customs, check my bag, have a mini airport-style shower in the bathroom and as I'm about to figure out how to actually leave the airport I glance over to see some chick waving at me. "That's weird" I think to myself and as I continue to walk away it clicks. That's not some chick at all, it's in fact a friend from school. Of all the random things to happen...think of all the stars, planets and space junk that had to align...blows my mind. Anyway apparently we were on the same flight from Calgary and she's headed to Africa as well. So I spent the day with her and the family friends she was there to visit. They were incredibly nice; invited me into their home, fed me, let me sleep on their sons bed, and were just wonderful all-round. The day was relatively uneventful aside from my friend getting bitten by their hamster and the development of my love for German salad and knowledge of the German school system. Oh and we saw a cathedral, which was pretty.
February 19th, 2009
The flight to Cape Town was relatively uneventful as I spent the majority of it asleep. I found the guy holding the sign for me when I got there and we drove to the university. A different guy took me to the hostel where I left my stuff before returning back the campus to wander around looing lost before asking 5 different people for directions (I only ended up finding half the places I was supossed to). Then I slept for 14 hours.
February 20th, 2009
I met my boss today! He was really nice and introduced me to some of the people I'll be working with/near. Then he told me to go explore the city and he'd see me on Monday...which I did!
TODAY!!!
I have a love/hate relationship with people coming up to me and speaking Afrikans. I hate that I don't know what they're saying and have to ask them to speak English, but I love that they think I speak Afrikans, which is significantly better than the alternative - them thinking I'm American. For example, there were these little kids throwing acorns across the street, so I gave them a "please don't throw acrons at me" smile. Then they asked me a question in Afrikans to which the only thing I could think of doing was smile sheepishly and shrug my shoulders...laughter ensued.
I've come to the conclusion that South Africa has the perfect sized coke cans. They're in between our normal size and those little half-sized ones...fantastic! Also, why have I never been into rugby? It's possibly the most perfect sport for me. There's a moderate amount of violence, constant action, goals scored at interesting intervals of time...it's like everything I look for in sports entertainment!
I woke up much too early. As I was driving to the airport with my dad, I was sitting there thinking to myself "Sun rises are anti-climactic" and "Cape Town is not in Canada" and "I hope my parents remember to return my library books" (hint hint). Unfortunately when we got to the airport I came to the realisation that, despite popular opinion, Calgary is in Canada... therefore [insert first sentence here]. This resulted in a lonely hour where I was the only person at the boarding gate.
When I get to Calgary I have to find my way from the domestic to international terminal. Instead of following the somewhat clear signage, I chose to ask someone. She directs me down this weird deserted corridor. Finally I get to the end of it and I have 3 options 1. wait outside a gate that isn't mine 2. go back the way I came 3. go down the white hallway with cameras, gates and "Do not stop in this hallway" signs, all the while hoping the closed doors at the other end open. Ha! I don't even know why 1 and 2 are options. I start walking down the hallway, quickly so it's easier to start running if necessary. I get to the end of the hallway and the doors...don't open. SHIT! So now I'm afraid of stopping in the hallway 'cause the sign said not to, so I start walking (quickly) back and as I do an alarm goes off, a camera flashes and the doors open...well, the doors opened so I might as well use them. Needless to say, for the rest of my trek across Calgary's airport I involuntarily hid my face when eer I saw security.
Now, overall, I would say Lufthansa is a fantastic airline (granted the only other airlines I have to compare it to are Air Canada and Westjet...), there was only one thing that made me kinda sad. I was sitting in the window seat and there was this overweight guy beside me in the aisle seat. He was super nice and we were chatting and he was laughing at me 'cause the guy in front of me was a jerk who kept slowly crushing me with his chair. Anyway, good times were being had and then the stewardess came and asked him if he wanted to move implying that I am probably uncomfortable sitting beside him. He said he couldn't because the seats where she wanted him to move to were smaller and I said I didn't want to 'cause I like the window and didn't mind sitting beside him. She seemed to think I was lying/being polite and asked him to move anyway. He finally just agrees to move and the whole time I'm thinking about what a horrible situation this is, so I tell him to stay and tell the stewardess that he's good company, which she takes as us having some sort of airplane love affair and gives us a knowing "oooooh" before walking away, thereby making further conversation moderately awkward. Now I'm sure there was just a miscommunication in there somewhere, but it was still pretty horrible.
February 18th, 2009
Ok, so I arrive in Frankfurt, get my bag, go through customs, check my bag, have a mini airport-style shower in the bathroom and as I'm about to figure out how to actually leave the airport I glance over to see some chick waving at me. "That's weird" I think to myself and as I continue to walk away it clicks. That's not some chick at all, it's in fact a friend from school. Of all the random things to happen...think of all the stars, planets and space junk that had to align...blows my mind. Anyway apparently we were on the same flight from Calgary and she's headed to Africa as well. So I spent the day with her and the family friends she was there to visit. They were incredibly nice; invited me into their home, fed me, let me sleep on their sons bed, and were just wonderful all-round. The day was relatively uneventful aside from my friend getting bitten by their hamster and the development of my love for German salad and knowledge of the German school system. Oh and we saw a cathedral, which was pretty.
February 19th, 2009
The flight to Cape Town was relatively uneventful as I spent the majority of it asleep. I found the guy holding the sign for me when I got there and we drove to the university. A different guy took me to the hostel where I left my stuff before returning back the campus to wander around looing lost before asking 5 different people for directions (I only ended up finding half the places I was supossed to). Then I slept for 14 hours.
February 20th, 2009
I met my boss today! He was really nice and introduced me to some of the people I'll be working with/near. Then he told me to go explore the city and he'd see me on Monday...which I did!
TODAY!!!
I have a love/hate relationship with people coming up to me and speaking Afrikans. I hate that I don't know what they're saying and have to ask them to speak English, but I love that they think I speak Afrikans, which is significantly better than the alternative - them thinking I'm American. For example, there were these little kids throwing acorns across the street, so I gave them a "please don't throw acrons at me" smile. Then they asked me a question in Afrikans to which the only thing I could think of doing was smile sheepishly and shrug my shoulders...laughter ensued.
I've come to the conclusion that South Africa has the perfect sized coke cans. They're in between our normal size and those little half-sized ones...fantastic! Also, why have I never been into rugby? It's possibly the most perfect sport for me. There's a moderate amount of violence, constant action, goals scored at interesting intervals of time...it's like everything I look for in sports entertainment!
Thursday, February 19, 2009
No time for bloggage
So I'm choosing to email my parents with notice of my being alive and I'm just going to taunt you with this fake entry
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Airporting
I don't actually have anything to say, I just needed someone to complain to and my neighbour left. Feel free to stop reading riiiiiiiight NOW!
AAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGG
BEEEEEEEEEEEEEELLLLLLLLEEEEEEEEBBBBLLLLLLLLLAAAAAAA
...Why are airports so boring?
Also, I don't know why this didn't occur to me before, but I don't think there are Tim Horton's in South Africa...this realization makes me sad.
AAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGG
BEEEEEEEEEEEEEELLLLLLLLEEEEEEEEBBBBLLLLLLLLLAAAAAAA
...Why are airports so boring?
Also, I don't know why this didn't occur to me before, but I don't think there are Tim Horton's in South Africa...this realization makes me sad.
Sunday, February 15, 2009
Belated Valentine's Facts
I went to rent a family movie with my mom last night, but Rogers didn't have in any of the movies we wanted to see...tsk tsk. So being the grumpy people that we are we started complaining to the chick (not at her...she didn't seem offended at least) that was helping us find a replacement film. So apparently, Valentine's day is their busiest day of the year. I find this shockingly depressing. People can't think of anything better to do on a day of love then sit with their loved one(s) and stare face forward at a little black box.
This made me look up other Valentine's day facts and Belated Valentine's Fact is a lame title for a blog entry à mon avis. Fact #1 Teachers receive the most Valentine's day cards of any group of people, which is just incredibly sweet and makes me want to be a teacher. Fact #2 Verona receives about 1,000 letters every year sent to Juliet on Valentine's Day, which is weird and kinda creepy. Fact #3 The website I'm getting these from thinks Venus is both a Roman god and goddess. Fact #4 Cupid's flying cars are powered by love.
This made me look up other Valentine's day facts and Belated Valentine's Fact is a lame title for a blog entry à mon avis. Fact #1 Teachers receive the most Valentine's day cards of any group of people, which is just incredibly sweet and makes me want to be a teacher. Fact #2 Verona receives about 1,000 letters every year sent to Juliet on Valentine's Day, which is weird and kinda creepy. Fact #3 The website I'm getting these from thinks Venus is both a Roman god and goddess. Fact #4 Cupid's flying cars are powered by love.
Thursday, February 12, 2009
Friday, February 6, 2009
Dr. Quinn M.D.
I just finished watching Dr. Quinn Medicine Woman because I have no life and daytime TV sucks. It was the most beautiful thing I watched since, well yesterday (Gran Torino was fantastic!). The little black boy wanted to go to the white people school 'cause he was too smart for the freeman school, but the townspeople wouldn't let him, so the little white boy stopped going to school, too and then they all went to the school so the angry townspeople couldn't stop them and the little black boy got hit by a cart saving the evil white man's son and then he was unconscious and everybody felt bad and the little white boy wrote an article about how unfair it was that the little black boy didn't get to go to school, but then the little black boy regained consciousness and they let him go to the school. I'm not going to lie, there may have been tears...
Thursday, February 5, 2009
Random Facts
I thought I'd cheat and put this here, too!
1) Whenever I'm quiet I'm having a conversation with myself in my head...or listening intently to you.
2) The only book I never read through was The Diary of Anne Frank.
3) At least once a week I'll try to remember everyone I've ever met and it makes me smile!
4) There's so much stuff I wish I knew more about, but am too lazy to look up.
5) I have a terrible memory. I won't remember anything I haven't talked to someone about.
6) I can't handle extremes in temperature.
7) I'm terrified of being recorded on camera.
8) My dream would be to travel around the world and learn all different dances.
9) I love cooking for people.
10) When something happens to me (no matter how minor) I need to share it with someone.
11) I think I'll make a better mom than wife.
12) In my dreams people close to me usually die and I can't save them.
13) I'd rather have tons of random jobs than a career.
14) I've been in the hospital 3 times in my life.
15) I never liked coffee until second year in university.
16) I used to practice Wicca and still like the idea.
17) Whenever I unlock my bike, I'm paranoid someone will come and accuse me of stealing it.
18) I would like to be a teacher if it weren't for all the parents.
19) I do everything better with music on.
20) I often worry life will be boring when I'm done with school.
21) After I turn my light out I have to jump into bed in case some unknown being under the bed grabs my ankles.
22) I'm happy I'm Canadian and sad few people seem to think of themselves as Canadian.
23) I meticulously go through all my emails and sort them into folders.
24) Bargaining makes me feel guilty.
25) When it's really windy out I pretend I can fly.
1) Whenever I'm quiet I'm having a conversation with myself in my head...or listening intently to you.
2) The only book I never read through was The Diary of Anne Frank.
3) At least once a week I'll try to remember everyone I've ever met and it makes me smile!
4) There's so much stuff I wish I knew more about, but am too lazy to look up.
5) I have a terrible memory. I won't remember anything I haven't talked to someone about.
6) I can't handle extremes in temperature.
7) I'm terrified of being recorded on camera.
8) My dream would be to travel around the world and learn all different dances.
9) I love cooking for people.
10) When something happens to me (no matter how minor) I need to share it with someone.
11) I think I'll make a better mom than wife.
12) In my dreams people close to me usually die and I can't save them.
13) I'd rather have tons of random jobs than a career.
14) I've been in the hospital 3 times in my life.
15) I never liked coffee until second year in university.
16) I used to practice Wicca and still like the idea.
17) Whenever I unlock my bike, I'm paranoid someone will come and accuse me of stealing it.
18) I would like to be a teacher if it weren't for all the parents.
19) I do everything better with music on.
20) I often worry life will be boring when I'm done with school.
21) After I turn my light out I have to jump into bed in case some unknown being under the bed grabs my ankles.
22) I'm happy I'm Canadian and sad few people seem to think of themselves as Canadian.
23) I meticulously go through all my emails and sort them into folders.
24) Bargaining makes me feel guilty.
25) When it's really windy out I pretend I can fly.
Monday, February 2, 2009
Bittersweet testage
I passed my driver's test!!! I have no idea why. It went horribly. But I passed. It just goes to show how being polite and nice to people gets you further in life. All right boys and girls now it's story time.
After I barely passed the test, I went grocery shopping with my mom and aunt. We were walking down this one aisle and there was this old lady standing at the bottom of it with her arms full of Kleenex boxes, smiling away at me. Thinking that she was waiting for us to stop blocking the aisle, I smile back and mini run/hop out of her way. As I'm walking past her (still smiling) she says "I like the way you move your feet" I'm so confused and creeped out by this statement, I give her this dirty how-dare-you-talk-to-me-back-off-creep look. It was too late before I realized that she was probably referring to my practicing the c-walk while my mom and aunt argued about the pros and cons of generic chicken broth. I'm such a horrible person, who gives nice old ladies a look like that. I even tried to find her afterward to explain but to no avail...
After I barely passed the test, I went grocery shopping with my mom and aunt. We were walking down this one aisle and there was this old lady standing at the bottom of it with her arms full of Kleenex boxes, smiling away at me. Thinking that she was waiting for us to stop blocking the aisle, I smile back and mini run/hop out of her way. As I'm walking past her (still smiling) she says "I like the way you move your feet" I'm so confused and creeped out by this statement, I give her this dirty how-dare-you-talk-to-me-back-off-creep look. It was too late before I realized that she was probably referring to my practicing the c-walk while my mom and aunt argued about the pros and cons of generic chicken broth. I'm such a horrible person, who gives nice old ladies a look like that. I even tried to find her afterward to explain but to no avail...
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