Compliments

Besides “Happy New Year,” a common phrase to bring in the New Year in South Africa is “Compliments” or the full “Compliments on the new season.” So compliments to everyone! The next time someone says “Compliments!” to me, though, I’ve decided to respond along the lines of “You look dashing in that hat, sir” or “Is that a new pair of blue coveralls?” or “You look just like Beyonce.”



It’s 2011! How did that happen? My December holidays were great. Highlights from my trip with my mom include:

-petting lions and jaguars. One kept on nibbling my arm.
-visiting Robben Island, where Nelson Mandela spent most of his imprisonment.
-getting lost around the Cape of Good Hope only to end up having lunch on the side of a hill with a breathtaking ocean view


Highlights from Christmas at the beach with friends:

-doing
-absolutely
-nothing

That’s a lie. But extreme relaxation did indeed occur.


Highlights from New Years in the city of Durban:

-Bunny Chow: not chopped up bunnies, my friends, but rather delicious curry inside of a 1/3 of a loaf of bread. Delicious.
-Bringing in the new year with friends
-participating in a dolphin show at an aquarium (being the only adult in a group of 9 to do so)



Now it’s back to my village and back to school! But it feels odd this time: I won’t be here for the whole school year. While my service doesn’t end until September, the end seems fast approaching. That’s just weird. But right now, it's time to focus on life here. And at the moment, that means bean tacos thanks to my wonderful brother who sent me black beans. I even splurged and bought cheese. Woohoo!