First Day in Obs

I made it!! But it sure was a long trip. The 15 hours to Johannesburg were pretty rough though I did get to watch The Dark Knight, Mama Mia, and part of Finding Nemo. I guess I slept some but not well (though I was very thankful for the travel pillow, Karen!). I don't know if this is new or if I just never noticed on international flights before, but it was pretty cool how you can track the plane's progress, how many miles you have gone & how many left to go, your altitude, the temperature outside, how many more hours you have left, etc. Otherwise I would have had absolutely no clue of the time the whole trip. Anyways, the layover sucked, I payed someone to show me where/how to check in and all that and it was worth it because there were just lines everywhere and he brought me right up to a desk that said it was closed and checked me in in about 30 sec. Going through security took another 30 seconds, no taking off shoes and I was allowed to bring in open water bottles, etc that are not allowed in the US. (Also, I was surprised to have real silverware on the plane to Jo'burg, including a knife.) I slept most of the flight to Cape Town but woke up to see Table Mountain right at sunset- gorgeous!! and very exciting.

Ursula from AVIVA picked me up with two volunteers (one American, went to JMU, and one Capetonian). We drove to the AVIVA house in Observatory (Obs) which is right at the base of a mountain, and Cape Town is on the other side. They played me a Cape Town welcome song and kinda gave me a tour as we drove, though mostly we were driving past "unofficial settlements" which are basically shacks- it's crazy that there is such poverty right next to Cape Town.

I arrived at the house and Ursula gave me a quick tour- it's nice, there's a wall around the property so you go through one door into the front garden/mostly patio area which is nice, then you go through the front door and there are 3 bedrooms I think with three bunk beds in each, and off of my room there are three separate bathrooms that I think everyone uses (haven't figured out everything). There is a nice living room, kitchen, and backyard, and a room with big locker-type things. So when I got there two girls were there (and I can't remember their names now!) but one is Norwegian (18), has been here for 3 weeks, and will be on my shift at Baps, and one is English (22) and I think has been here for a month or so. And they were really nice! We stayed up talking for a while but all went to bed pretty early, they were kinda sick which is why they were at the house, everyone else had gone out in Cape Town. I was exhausted.

Woke up around 9 this morning and met Kim, the house Mom, who showed me around some more. Also met two other girls- Sophia (18, NYC) & Fredericka? Also nice. There are two other people that are at Baps right now, and two people left this morning. Tomorrow I have my Baps orientation, and I am sooo excited. Last night the girls were saying such good things about it & they can't wait to get back to the babies. On the 27th I will start my first shift, which means the start of 3 days there/three days in Obs.


OBS! Lower Main Street, two blocks from the AVIVA house.

So I guess so far so good, things are kind of strange/take some getting used to right now but I have a feeling that in a week I will be completely adjusted and used to how everything works. I am probably forgetting a hundred things that I wanted to say but right now it looks like it may be clearing up so I am going to look around more and then see what the girls are up to.

I miss EVERYONE!!