I have found a fantastic retreat, right within my grasp and a few short hours away from my village. Tonight, I found myself wandering rooms where beautiful paintings by an English artist hung proudly but where they most certainly were not appreciated daily. As I drank my glass of red wine, I studied each one, drank in the detail and the strangeness portrayed. I walked amidst bookcases filled with books spanning all different genres; browsed authors from Barbara Kingslover to Bryce Courtney to Jane Eyre. Relics from different African countries sat on perfectly spotless granite end tables while the music from a classical symphony drifted through the air. I had this museum all to myself, reading, studying, drinking at my leisure, and yet so many walk right by and don't have the time to appreciate it every day. As an American, I longed to escape the fast paced lifestyle but am now acutely aware that it's a plague that affects so many beyond my original home borders and I can't simply run away from it. I realized just tonight, how easy it is to be swept right back into it. I've been to Johannesburg a handful of times before this trip and never once took the time to notice the paintings hanging in the house I stay at. There is something that happens the moment I step out of the car in the city and all the simple-ness of the village is immediately forgotten. It's so easy to be swept up in outings to the mall and shopping for a cute new pair of shoes or going to see a movie (don't get me wrong, I do enjoy those things, immensely).
In the village things are different. I like the uncomplicated daily routine; wake up without using an alarm, go to work, come home, go for a run, cook dinner, take a bath, read or write a letter, go to bed when I feel sleepy. I find myself fascinated by the comical habits of chickens or dizzy from dancing ring-around-the-rosy countless times or just content to sit and talk with my host mother Anna.
I am afraid of being lost amidst all the insanity again. Losing myself to all the modern conveniences and forgetting how nice it is to actually have time for hobbies or sitting and chatting with neighbors. Is it possible to marry the lifestyles when I go back? I can strive for it but the more my age dictates my adultness, the more hectic life becomes. I see it in all those who have forged the path ahead of me. Grad school, a family, work, all these things will eventually demand things of me, pull me in a million different directions. Maybe when that time comes, I will be ready. Maybe I won't and one day I will stumble upon a new retreat, stop and realize there is more fantastic art that I am glazing over. Then I'll really see it and appreciate it for what it is, a stolen moment of time that I shouldn't neglect or regret taking the time to truly enjoy where I are at that exact moment.
So here I am, sitting in my room in Johannesburg. Last week I felt the irritation that Peace Corps can so easily instill in their volunteers by attending a work shop on Life Skills Training. While a great excuse to meet up with my far away volunteer friends, it was poorly planned and in my opinion an utter waste of government money. The handbook I received is the best resource but they could have just mailed it. Besides that part, the past month and a half have been good. For National Condom Distribution Week, held during the week of Valentine's Day, I collaborated with some other volunteers and came up with a workshop for my orphans, which turned out to be a huge success. The kids were amazing. During each of the discussions, I was blown away with how willing they were to ask questions and talk about the myths they've heard about HIV/AIDS. By no means were these discussions perfectly run and I'm sure questions were left unasked but it was a start. I've had a hard time kick starting myself and actually doing more than just administrative things. I was afraid that whatever I would try wouldn't be perfect and that stopped me from actually moving forward. But I saw that it doesn't have to be perfect, if I wait too long for that perfection then I will suddenly be looking back on a wasted two years. Now I have a lot of things in the works and I'm excited to get more programs up and running at the centers. These are the moments when two years seem like it won't be enough time to do everything I want to do.
Along with work, I've been out and about for some local site-seeing. I got to meet the world famous hippo named Jessica! Not only did I get to meet her, I actually got to pet her, feed her sweet potatoes and coffee and plant a big wet kiss on her snout. It was amazing and definitely a rare opportunity.
I also went to Kruger National Park and camped for a night with a few friends. The animals I saw were amazing. Wild dogs are rare to see but we saw a small pack of them chasing an Impala. It was too far away for any pictures but through the binoculars you could see that they have huge ears that stick up. I haven't seen rhinos or lions yet but I'm sure there will be more trips to the park in the coming months. In case you were worried about the whole camera situation, I was able to get my camera fixed after the baboon incident. If you have a moment to appreciate some "art", you can check out my latest pictures on my Picasa website
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| Kruger National Park Feb 2007 |
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| Post baboon vacation pictures |
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