Vascillating Between Blue Skies and Gray Rains

Still a bit of winter in the air as we move into spring in the Southern Hemisphere and those in the north are cooling down.

I am on the tail-end of a horrible cold from last week (took two days off of work), so not much activity. The Rugby World Cup started last weekend in France and South Africa Springboks are hopefuls to win, so i forewent the National Soccer team (Bafana-Bafana) playing Zambia in an African Cup qualifier down the street to watch the Springbok's opening game against Samoa. Tonight they play England - the title-holders and I am excited that the USA is in the same group and so will play South Africa soon.

I have met with parents to start individual therapy with children and expect to actually meet some children for counseling next week (with only 7 weeks left at my internship).

I have been climbing out of my slump and gathering focus. A sermon at church on Sunday was about Joshua and the crossing of the Jordan River and about transition periods. Some time spent with coworkers this week talking about life in first- and third-world cultures, as well as community and attitudes on race in South Africa. Getting back to working on paperwork, making sure my name is on the roster for the board exam in October (currently can't be found).
Remembering that despite my exhaustion in living life these days, this is where I should be and where I should stay for the time being.

The Last Time I Wore Goth

Thought I would post the pictures referred to in comments of the time my friends witnessed (and participated in dressing up). On the left is Sonya and on the right is Aurora. This was for a Rasputina concert at the House of Blues in Chicago a few years ago. Rasputina is an electric cello trio.

Another View Through The Window

A picture I took through the car window when we stopped at the shop in Hermanus.

Oky, So I do Know How To Work with People

The past month has been filled with workshops and evenings of work. Yesterday, I took over a social skills group of elementary and middle school age students. The two interns that had been leading it were kinda thrown into it and the school in some ways was setting them up to fail. The one intern is traveling for two weeks for training and I am filling in for her, although I will finish the group in order to minimize changes. There were only 3 yesterday (the others having been suspended) and the quietest of the learners as well. These are the children the the teachers have said are naughty and we are going to teach them manners (so you can see their anger at attending this group and reluctance to participate). With those issues in mind, I think it was a good group. We talked about feelings and were one feels them in their body and then we tore up newspapers and spread them all over the room (well one student and I). One learner that didn't respond at all, did for a moment push his chair away and tear up a sheet of paper...I felt like that was a success!

Last night was the last parent workshop and I was doing it by myself. I haven't conducted anything by myself yet. The first week there were 15 parents, then 5 or so, last week 4 and last night 7. We reviewed the previous sessions and talked about helping children understand their feelings and appropriate expressions of feelings. One couple said they had seen a huge difference the one week they had attended. This past week, the dad has stopped yelling and swearing, the daughter brought friends over for the first time and the son wanted to come with his parents last night. I was on such a high last night. And then I rushed from there to the International Trade Fair with some friends. The theme is Indian.

The big thing about yesterday was that it was a good confidence builder as I finally get into some individual therapy (feeling rushed to be able to get it done before my internship ends, but had to wait for a clinical supervisor and then for my car). It has been a while since I have provided therapy, but yesterday showed me that I do still have the skills and training to know what to do. :)

We will be Home

To give you all some idea of Vuyo's size these days. He is about one week shy of 4 months. My housemate Jules is traveling this weekend to pick up his labrador puppy and I am superexcited about that.

And here to announce my return to the States (temporarily hopefully:) )

My plane ticket is purchased for 20 November to 8 January, most of my time will be spent in Maryland with my parents, but I do hope to get out to New Mexico before Christmas. Vuyo will most certainly be coming with me. :)

NATO in the Harbor

The NATO Star
The USS Normandy is to the left and the Toronto to the right
Trent, from Texas, one of our tour guides
"Don't Tread on Me"

I was supposed to make it to the "tip of Africa" this past Saturday - Cape Point (which is not actually the furthest tip of land in Africa. The rain dampened that parade and my friend and I went the the South African museum and then toured the NATO Navy convoy docked at the Waterfront. According to the seaman on the USS Normandy, it was the first time the ship had been opened for public tour. I was able to walk around the USS Normandy (USA), a Canadian (the Toronto) and a Dutch ship (Evereton??). We were too late to board the Portuguese ship and I don't know the nationality of the fifth ship; there was also a German supply vessel. It was interesting to see each ships approach to the tours. The Dutch ship had demarcated the walkway and had a couple people posted around, but we walked around on our own. The American Ship had people wait on the pier (what is the difference between a wharf and a pier?) until tour guides were available, and then guided us around, from there we walked across a gangplank to the Toronto and again toured at will, but they had information and people posted around, but they did open the control? room.

Must Love Rugby

I attended a rugby soccer match the other week. The stadium is within walking distance of my house. :) We watched the South African Springboks play their last home test match before the World Cup in France. They played Namibia and although they beat them soundly, it ended on an exciting note.

At the buzzer, the score was 98-13 and so everyone eagerly cheered on the Springboks to get one more try before the play ended. They did manage to break 100!