Some-ary

This has been on the to-do list for as long as I can think back right now. Which is until just before lunch today, in case you were wondering. So it's been a long time coming.

It's been a crazy few months. It really has. I don't remember ever being this busy for such an extended period of time. Almost every part of the busyness was doing stuff that I enjoyed, so that's always a plus. I guess I'll give you a summary of what this blogless portion of my life has been like:

1. I started a new blog. For my media class. It's called www.africonvoluted.wordpress.com. You should check it out. In fact, my most recent post was one I wanted to post on here, but I had a certain number of posts I had to do on that one, so this one was neglected - http://africonvoluted.wordpress.com/2013/05/14/how-to-speak-south-african/. Consider it evidence of my expertise on South African culture.

2. I went to Canada over the holiday. I stayed with a family friend. I couldn't find a job, because I arrived just after the Christmas hiring season, so that was disappointing. But I got to see many a friend, and eat many a delicious meal, and see many a movie, and have many a merry day. My family was all together for about two weeks, which was very exciting.
It's one of the weirdest feelings to return to places you haven't been to in a while. That sounds like such an obvious statement, but I can't get over it. Going to my church, stepping into my highschool, walking by our old house, even stepping into a Chapters or a Shoppers Drug Mart - so weird. Everything is so familiar and thick with memories, but things aren't the same. They just aren't. Time is such a funny thing.
I realised over this trip how much I love Canada, and how it really will never be replaced in my mind. I don't know if I've been trying to do that, but I know now that I can't. Your homeland is your homeland, no matter what you do.

3. I moved into a new place. I'm living in a residence now, called Groote Schuur Flats (pronounced HH-roet-e Sk-ooo-r... Kind of. Ask me sometime and I'll say it for you.) I live in a flat with another girl. Apparently it's really rare for youngsters like me to get into this res, so I'm very grateful. Because it's amazing! I have a HUGE room, living room, kitchen, and bathroom. I'm extremely close to campus. I am a 20 second walk from at least 10 fast food places, two coffee shops, two grocery stores, two pharmacies, and a book store. And it's a lot safer for me to be outside at night, because it's on the Main Road and is a busy area. Wooo.

4. The first semester of my second year at the University of Cape Town has come and (almost) gone. I took four classes, even though I only need to take three. But hey, might as well do this university thing with conviction.
Writing and Editing in the Media, Religion and Society, Applied Ethics (a philosophy course) and Italian.
I enjoyed all of them. The religion one was a little dry, the media lectures were at 8am, and Italian was 7 times a week. But I enjoyed them all. I've finished all but the religion exam on Thursday. And don't worry, considering I did the other three subjects' exams all within two days, doing one exam seems like a piece of cake now :).

5. I've learned a lot about responsibility this semester. Namely that I'm not very responsible by nature. Growing up is tiring and stretching.

6. Friends are incredible. I have an awesome group of friends here, which sucks during exam period - every evening is an awkward, trying to be helpful to each other but really wanting to not study but knowing that breaks are important but thinking you're probably just using that as an excuse to procrastinate, moment. But I love it. It's not really an issue to complain about.

7. I'm the Secretary for the Student Y campus ministry I'm a part of. Being on the committee has been a challenge at times, but such a joy all the time. I've learned a lot about myself, about working on a team, and I've sort of solidified a lot of self-knowledge of which I'd been in denial (dislike of organising things, fear of criticism, etc.).
I also lead a Bible study with my friend Netéske in my flat every week, which is amazing. We have been going through the book of Mark and learning many things. The Bible is so much deeper than I ever could have imagined. Mind-blowing.

8. I've finished five jars of peanut butter so far, I believe.

9. I haven't been buying meat to cook at home at all this semester. I eat it at other people's houses, and sometimes at restaurants, but on average I'd say I eat meat about once every 2 days? Just trying to be a bit more sustainable. And learn how to cook more creatively.

10. I still have no idea what I want to do once my degree is finished. I'm halfway through now, and I'm feeling an urge to travel to some new exciting place. Don't ask me where that is though, or what I would do there. We'll let the pages turn when we finish reading them.


That's all that comes to mind right now. I'm disappointed the Sens didn't make it further in the playoffs. I'm going to Tanzania for this 5-week holiday between semesters, which is fortunate, since winter just hit here like an unwelcome in-law. I'm reading Dostoevsky for fun. I still like writing poetry more than doing most other things.

I'm 20 years old, and I'm grateful, content, and excited about life.

So Here's the Deal 2.0

I'm leaving in a week. Didn't see that one coming, did ya?

Really, though. One week from today, I'll be on a plane on my way to Heathrow. So, I thought it was time to give a bit of a practical update to everyone who cares. Here's what's going on in my life for the next little while...

I'm working and frantically packing and wrapping presents and tying up loose ends here in Calgary for the next week. Seeing everyone I need to see, buying stuff I need to buy, throwing out stuff I need to get rid of... Sleeping might take a back seat in the priority bus. Story of my life.

Then, on Wednesday, December 21st, at 20:55, I should be flying off in a 9-ish hour flight to London Heathrow. I have a six hour layover, and then another 9-ish hour flight to Dar es Salaam in Tanzania, where my parents are residing. By the time I get there it'll be about 7:30am their time on the 23rd of December. Just in time for my Mom's birthday. Considering I'm not usually able to sleep on planes, I'm planning on reading through at least one book, finishing whatever I'm knitting, and really, really messing up my body's schedule. (For all of you attending the IB reunion party thing, it'll be about 11:30pm when my plane lands... So if try really hard I can probably be on Skype with you within an hour and some of that. HOPEFULLY the flights will all be on schedule. Cross your fingers.)

And then I'll be in Tanzania. Living it up. Not climbing Kilimanjaro, sorry to disappoint.

Now, after that is still quite the situation. I still have this conditional acceptance to Cape Town. I think I've fulfilled most of the conditions. A letter was mailed to me almost a month ago, and I haven't received it yet. So it's hard to say what's going on, really. I've reached the point now that I'm just going to dive head-first into this thing, and see what happens. UCT wants me as a student. They're just bad at making that happen. So I figure if I keep emailing them and sending them random documents they'll eventually just let me in for sheer determination. That's my plan. I won't even tell you what the back-up plan is. I don't care what the back-up plan is. Sometimes you just have to think about Plan A.
I don't know if God wants me in Cape Town. But He hasn't let me know that that's where He doesn't want me, and since that's where I want to be, that's where I'm heading. I hope that if He ever does direct me elsewhere that I'll have the humility to go that direction and give up on what I think would be sweet. We'll cross that bridge and clear that hurdle and brave that storm if and when it comes.

In the meantime, I have stuff to do. And by stuff I mean lots of stuff. Getting to Tanzania means several things to me. Firstly, I get to see my family. Awesome. Secondly, I'll be in Africa. Awesome again. Thirdly, it'll be Christmas. Awesome to the max. Fourthly, I won't have to go to work or any such place. Oh, sweet relief. Fifthly, it'll be the end of this phase and the beginning of a new one, and it's always an adventure when that's the case.

Anyways, more reflections will come later. That's enough for now. That's your summary of my life for the near future. Hope you're having a wonderful Christmastime. Jesus always has the best birthday parties.