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November 14, 2003 Howzit!! Sorry that it has been so long since I have written, but I have been kind of busy. Most of it was nothing new to write about. I spent the last couple of internet sessions looking at colleges and chatting with mom. The chatting with mom was great but, I still have no idea where I really want to go to school which isn't good since I need to figure it out where to send applications again. The weekends have been really the only time when anything new has happened. Three weekends ago we went to a braai on Friday and had a lot of fun. Natalie came with us. We stayed up till 2:00am and then was up at 5:30am because no one could sleep any more. There were about 20 of us most of whom were exchange student and we all walked to Wimpy's (which is like Denny's) and took over the restaurant. It was a lot of fun. Then the group broke in half and we walked to a place called the Waterfront. Joburg is nowhere near the water so this name is a little misleading. It is a mall or shopping center. There was Thomas, Natalie, Grazi (Brazil), Javi (Ecuador), Chris (Australia), Pierre (his parents are south African and he was born here but when he was three the moved to Connecticut. About 10 months ago they moved back to SA), Shane (South Africa). We all played pool and then when and watched a movie. The movie finished just in time and we all went and sat in a pub and watched South Africa play England in World Cup. We almost won but England is in the top three so we did really good. Rugby is a big sport over here and we don't think SA will win the cup but we are not giving up. Thomas and I then walked with Chris and Javi to there hosts who live quite close to one another. They had a friend who was having an 18th Birthday party and we got invited to come. The girl sadly goes to an all girls’ school so besides Chris, Thomas, Javi and the birthday girl’s brother’s friends, there were no other guys. This house is like a palace. You walk in through these huge double doors and there is a 4-meter high fountain right in the front door. The guest room is huge and I wish that I were an exchange student living there. They have a pool as you look out the back of the house you can see all the lights of Joburg and it was absolutely beautiful. She had a 70's theme so for most of the night they only played 70's music. It was so much fun dancing with the guys and just goofing off. The party went tell 1:00am but Chris and I feel asleep on the coach at about 11:30pm. We then went back to Javi's and slept tell 8:00am when Ian cam and fetched Thomas and I. Ian had tickets for us to go see a show on bushman. There we met Darrel (exchange student from Thailand), Dy (one of the coolest rotary ladies in the world), and her daughter and granddaughters. The people putting on the program had brought 5 bushman in to teach us about there way of life. They sang songs, danced, and showed us tools that they use and how they make fire. At the end we were able to buy arts and crafts that the bushman had made. I bought a little bag made out of hide that I am now using to keep my money and business cards in. After that the group of us went and go breakfast again at Wimpy's. Then Ian left us with Dy and we went to Monte Casino. This place is amazing. You actually feel like you are walking through the streets of Italy. It is all inside but the ceiling is painted so beautifully like the is when you have a perfect sunset. There are restaurants, and shops, that would not normally be found on a small Italian street but the architecture and design is so beautiful. There is also a Cinema in the casino and we went and watched a movie. Thomas, Darrel, and I went and watched the movie "Stander” It is based off of a true South African story of a man who is a good cop turned bank robber. The movie was wonderful and I am going to buy it when it comes out. Afterwards we all went back to Dy's, ordered pizza and watched the last show of idols. Then Dy took us home. The whole weekend it was cold and raining, but we really needed it. The best thing about when it rains here is that there is always thunder and lightning. I like to lie out in the passageway between the cottages where it is covered and just watch the show. It is so relaxing. Two weekends ago we met up with Pierre, Shane, Chris, Javi, and Jo (girl from Arizona) on Saturday. We all went to the Lions rugby game. The Lions are a local team that plays in the Ellis Park Stadium, which is the largest rugby stadium in SA. Students get in free so it is really cool for us that we did not have to pay. There was hardly anyone there because everyone was watching the world cup but we had a great time. The guys all went down and stood in the stands by the goal posts. They were yelling and cheering so much that they got the game dedicated to them. It started to rain on us but we did not care we were having a blast. Afterward we all got to go out on the field and run and play around. We got rugby balls and were throwing them around and tackling each other. After that we all went to another braai. There I remet some of the people from the pervious weekend. It is so funny cuz they all call me "Cali" short for California, since they cant remember my name. I have so many nicknames over here, Cali, California, Kate, Katie, Katie Kaboom, Blondy, American, Sis, Skin and Bones ( which is not true I can hardly fit in the pants that I brought over here), Whitie, and many more. I tried to go to sleep at 12:00 that night but it didn't work cuz the guys were to loud. I think I drifted off around 3:00am. Ian then picked us up early in the morning so that we could be back at the home and ready to work. Last Tuesday Ian took us to a speech competition that was being held by the Stanton Rotary Club, which is our host rotary club. They had started off with 68 kids who entered the competition, and now they were down to 12. They were excellent speakers and I would have loved to enter the competition just for the prizes. There is a trip to Australia, and then they go to the Rotary conference and give their speech there. The topic was on Lending a Hand and Today, Tomorrow, Together. Each of the contestants gave wonderful speeches. The guy who won was absolutely wonderful. Most of us did not like who the two runners up were but as long as the right person won we were happy. They had the winner from last year give a speech as well and you can tell why he won. Thomas and I got to talk to him during the night and he is such an open person and very light hearted. The last two weeks I have spent a lot of time in the hospital. One of the girls at the home is pregnant and last week I had to take her to get a check up. We got there at 6:00 am and she finally got into the doctor at 11:00am who then told her that she needed to see a doctor in a different building, so we had to come back the next day, same time. We were there again same time but different place but at least this time she saw the right doctor. It is really boring for me though cuz all you do is just sit there and read magazines for 6 hours. I had to take another girl to the hospital on Monday this week because she was sick. Normally we would not take a kid to the hospital, but she was not able to keep anything down and she does not get sick very often. We got there at 10:00am and did not leave until 5:00pm. At least this time I had a book but I finished it halfway through the day. Auntie Vivien left the home on Friday so Thomas and I will not be having very many more late nights just staying up talking to her. She was one person who Thomas and I could talk to about anything and she would give us advice. We would sit in her cottages kitchen drinking coffee and eating toast till who knows what hour, talking about all of the children. She had been at the home for two years and knows most of what went on here. We found a lot of things out from her that has helped us deal with the children, which is something that is hard to do. There is no disciplinary system at the home. The children can do what they want, and there is nothing you can do. You cannot hit them of course, and if you tell them to do something many times they will just walk away from you. This is the older child who are mine and Thomas's age. The younger ones are mostly okay they do get rude with you but they also want a hug and when you wont give it they know that they have disrespected us. The only way that we can get even with the older children is not give them something that they want. If the girls have been rude to me then I don't let them use my curing iron or blow dryer, if they give me respect then I let them use my things. I imagine that you are saying well say something to the director of the home, but to be frank the children here are not scared of her in the least. She has never laid down the law, things get reported to her about the children and there actions but she does nothing about them. Also the children here see that they can just stay at the home as long as they want. They don't want to finish school and they don't want to get jobs. They have dreams of going somewhere and being rich but they don't get it that they need more then 8th grade in school to have a decent job. It is sad to say that most of them will probably never get to America like they all want to. This last weekend Ian picked Thomas and I up and dropped us off at the Stanton Shopping Center. Stanton is one of the nicest parts of Joburg, people who are rich live there basically. We walked around and did some Christmas shopping for our families, in the African shops. Then we went and saw the movies "Pirates of the Caribbean." It was a great movie and another one that I want to buy. Thomas and I were laughing the whole time. That night we went to The Barnyard, which is a theater that puts on different performances. There are wood scraps on the floor and tables and chairs that you sit. The funny thing is that you bring in your own food. It can be pizza, sandwiches, or gourmet, whatever you like. Their only request is that you buy your drinks there (always a hitch). This show was called "Glory Days. Music from the 80's" Dy had reserved us a table, and so there was her daughter and granddaughter, Mother, Sister, Thomas, Darrel, myself and some family friends. I was able to sing to most of the songs and laughed a lot it was such a fun night. We spent the night at Dy's and slept in late. I spent the morning painting my toenails, and watching rugby. At 12:00pm I helped make our picnic supper for latter on. It is Guy Fawlks Day and we went to Johannesburg Country Club, with the rest of the Stanton Rotary club. We spread out blankets, and sat around and talked until 7:00pm. It cloudy but the rain waited until after the fireworks to come. They were beautiful, all you had to do was lay on your back and look up. It is amazing how quickly 5,000 people can get quite and all experience the same thing. Ian then took us home and we went to bed and slept like a rock. This last week has been busy. Went out with Chris, Thomas, and Lance to Waterfront again on the weekend, & spent the night at Chris’s. The Homes AGM Meeting is next week so we have been scrambling to get everything ready. I have been typing for Gail and Thomas Painting the hall where the meeting is to be held. We went to Sandton Rotary Club on Tuesday and raised R2000 for the kids to go on outings over the holidays. We will be going around to more clubs this next week. I am going to a concert with Chris and friends tomorrow. Thomas is going to see the Matrix with Lance. We both need to get away from the home with everything being so hectic. Next week is not going to be fun at all. The weather here is between warm and cool. Warm when the sun is out cool when it is raining since it is there rainy season. I was so sad to hear about the snow both Thomas and I miss it a lot. The last time it snowed here was over 18 years ago so none of the kids have ever seen snow. They are very unlucky in my opinion. Better go this is long. I miss you all lots and take care. Cheers,
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