Good life

There has not been too much stuff going on here since I last posted. Last weekend I stayed here on Saturday and did some work. We had report cards due but then had technical problems and teachers out sick so they got pushed back to this week. On Sunday I went to the surfer church, which is where I go most weekends and is my favorite. After church we went to the beach area. A few of us brought our laptops because we had seen a café with free wifii, it took be an hour and like 20 min to download 1 song. Had I known I would just get one I would have picked better but what eve. Then we just hung out on the beach and read and played cards. This last school week had been a little stressful because of using a new computer program for reports and just not really being sure how we were meant to do them. But we made it through the week and it was fine. Report cards are still not done but hopefully today after our staff meeting we will get some final clarification.
This weekend was fun. On Friday I was so over the week and just wanted to take a nap, but then I saw that I had mail and it made my day sooooooo much better. So thanks mom and Nat!! Friday night we had a Brai a South African BBQ. Those are always fun. We all eat EVERY meal together but it is like we all have assigned seats for the most part. I pretty much eat my meals with the same people every day, but when we have Brai’s outside we all just sit on the steps and it is a bit more mixed up. We also had an Academy camp out Friday night. I did not have to stay out on the field I just got to enjoy the smores. The campfire was made so much better because in the package mom sent where glow in the dark hair bands! Who new there was such a thing! So a few of us had those in and it just kind of made everything funnier. Of course because of smores there was a lot of Sandlot quotes going on exclusively by the “ adults” and the kids had no idea what was going on. It was great! A lot of the kids had never had smores before because well they live on a ship that does not like fire and or are not American. So it was funny to see them trying to make a smore, well not really a smore because it was will biscuits/ cookies not graham crackers but almost. On Friday nights now we have been having movie nights. There is normally a kids movie at 6 and an adult-ish movie at 8. There is not loads going on so that is our Friday night activity!
On Saturday a group of us went wine tasting. So we, the girls decided to get dressed up, which makes everything classier. We first stopped at a cute shopping area that was nice and had an amazing chocolate store. I had a chi latte chocolate that was really good. Some other ones where curry flavored or chocolate covered bill tongue which is south African jerky. The wine tasting was fun and really relaxing. It was just nice to be away from the compound, screaming children and to have wine!
On Sunday we went to church, as soon as we got there the power went out. It was a good service and nice to feel settled by going to the same church every weekend. We went to the mall after the service in hopes of a nice brunch/ lunch. But, the power was out there as well. We went to the market which had generators and got snacky food and ate on the sidewalk since there are zero benches and it was one of the few places under cover from the rain. We got a lot of looks and I am sure everyone was thinking strange Americans. But it was food and dry! When we got back here I took a nap/ watched movies. Then the thunder and lighting started. Our power was surging every once in a while and then finally just went out. We were with out power for about an hour and it was right before dinner. We are so trained to eat that if it is 5:01 you are hungry. So we ate cereal and sandwich meets, the power came on about 10 minuets latter. So the galley team got back to us and we had our hot dinner of fish and chips at 6, or chips if you are me and hate fish.

I know that this all sounds very trivial and not very exciting and well that’s cause it is. Sometimes I lose focus and start to wonder what and the hell I am doing here. I am volunteering in South Africa to teach. To be honest I teach 1 student most times. I love the people who are here and I love teaching. But I just think sometimes what is the purpose. But then I think about when we go to Sierra Leone in February. How there is so much need and so much that we can do. I will not be directly affecting the lives of Sierra Leon ions( Sp?) I will not be removing tumors, or helping VVF women who so badly need it. I will not be removing teeth that are rotting. So how am I helping? I am here so that the parents of my students can be here. I am here so these students can have a somewhat normal childhood where they can serve along with there parents and families can stay together. I have to remind myself of this sometimes cause it just seems strange. It is a weird time right now, we are not on the ship. But we are a hospital ship. We are meant to bring “hope and healing” to West Africa, but we are in South Africa and are only running the dental and eye teams. It is hard to keep the focus of what we are here for. I have found it really hard because I have never seen the hospital running. I got to the ship two days before we sailed, the hospital was closed and already packed for the sail. I can imagine what it is like with patients on the ship and being in a port where you are the hope for a healthy future. But I lose sight of that. It makes me so excited sometimes that I consider extending, the rumor is that the next outreach is going to be the Congo and well I want to go. I have not extended mom and have not committed to anything but I have to admit it can be tempting. This past weekend when we were driving back from the market a song called “ Good Life” by OneRebublic came on my iPod.

Woke up in London yesterday
Found myself in the city near Piccadilly
Don't really know how I got here
I got some pictures on my phone

New names and numbers that I don't know
Address to places like Abbey Road
Day turns to night, night turns to whatever we want
We're young enough to say

Oh this has gotta be the good life
This has gotta be the good life
This could really be a good life, good life

Say oh, got this feeling that you can't fight
Like this city is on fire tonight
This could really be a good life
A good, good life

To my friends in New York, I say hello
My friends in L.A. they don't know
Where I've been for the past few years or so
Paris to China to Col-or-ado

Sometimes there's airplanes I can' t jump out
Sometimes there's bullshit that don't work now
We are god of stories but please tell me-e-e-e
What there is to complain about


When you're happy like a fool
Let it take you over
When everything is out
You gotta take it in

Hopelessly
I feel like there might be something that I'll miss
Hopelessly
I feel like the window closes oh so quick
Hopelessly
I'm taking a mental picture of you now
'Cuz hopelessly
The hope is we have so much to feel good about

I love this song and it makes me want to live a large life, doing what I love and seeing the world.