catch up

Ahhhhhhh catch-up time!!!

Punda Maria

Baking/Birthday Madness!!! I was baking like every day for everyone’s birthdays. It was fun. We did our work for our IP1 (independent project). It was hectic. Laura was super stressed out but it wasn’t so bad. I felt like I kind of had to fight for my right to be helpful but I suppose that’s better than having to do the whole project on my own. People are getting to know each other well enough to start to actually form real opinions about each other. There are these two girls who are just all trouble and drama (aka total shit shows when they get drunk/ are waaaay to …. Hungry) there’s really just one of them that I don’t really like I don’t know how she is friends with her best friend. The best friend (who the other girl is like completely ignoring) is really nice super down to earth and really well adjusted, and the other girl… has vomited 3 times and makes a big production about something every time she gets drunk (I find her behavior particularly off putting). Other than that I am surprised at how well everyone is getting on.  The people who I was dubious about at the beginning, while still more scandalous than I am entirely comfortable are cool and fun to be around.  

I roomed with Claire which was mixed. She went to bed later than I did; I got up earlier than she did. It was nowhere near as estranged a relationship as it was with Ruby (Singapore) but I made me miss what a good relationship I had with Hannah (Burrak). I like Claire a lot as person but she was really stressed and upset about her FFP, and that was understandable but hard to deal with.

Random note: I’m not Singapore sick that much anyone, nor am I still pinning over my Singapore crushes. But now I miss places from home. I want to go to Venice (LA Venice not Italy) really bad!!! I think I miss cities a bit.

Also my water bottle leaks a lot… bleh

Hamakuya:

SOOOOOO PREEEEEETTTTYYYYY! It is criminally gorgeous here. Really one of the most beautiful places I have been in my life!!!! It was supposed to be super hot here but it’s been pretty cold (thank god!!!) There’s this soap in our bathroom it smells so good and manly!!! Kyle came out of different bathroom saying that the soap was so nice right when I walked over saying the same thing. We had a good laugh because my hands smelled like sexy man, and his hands smelled like a pretty lady. Other than that been working hard …. Yeah I have developed this weird art style in my time in Africa… it’s very strange, super simplified and very color oriented… I wonder if it will stay or whether I will revert to normal when I return… I wonder if want to stick with it or if I want to return normal style…. I was also pondering the self aggrandizing nature of a lot of my art, but you know what, my art is an expression of how I feel. Of course it’s me centric!! If I feel like I’m on top of the world (which I do) then I’m going to draw me on top of the world damnit!!! Also on that note I feel sooo happy!!! Sure I have my share of struggles but my life is unbelievably blessed. I feel so fortunate to have the people in my life that I do. That I can feel the love, pride, and support of my family 100% behind while I’m across the world means so much to me. Also that my life had been blessed with so many opportunities is amazing!!!! I have really traveled the world and I’m starting to really appreciate/feel the benefits of that. Not only that but the schools I have gone to, the books that my parents read to me, all the programs and education elsewhere that I’ve had… it’s all truly a blessing. I am so lucky and am over whelmed with a sense of gratitude towards this benevolent world I live in. GAH! So thankful!!!! *does full dogeza of gratitude to the universe* Like really I’m gonna have to slaughter a cow or something when I get back to show my thanks to the universe ahaha

Homestay:

4 of us stayed with a Venda family for 3 nights for our home stay. Kyle, Melissa, Katrina (one of the dramatic trouble duo) and I went with our translator Mulalo and stayed in the village of Fandani. You remember those world traveling benefits I was talking about? This is one of ‘em: People are people everywhere. Manner and societal trapping may be different but kids are kids old ladies are old ladies and as corny/cliché as it is its true we are all the same. There was no real moment of realization just the patterns of behavior (i.e. kids will come to you if you don’t look for them in hide and go seek, and old lady wants to show off to the guest and gets pissed at the kids for taking all the attention act) It was cool and towards the end a little overwhelming. I had kids all over me and that was fun. They all wanted to touch us Makour (white people) and play with us. It was great. They wore me out!!! We ran and jumped and played and held hand and I carried them and played and it was sooo much!

Funny story about my name: Tasha means to touch in Venda, so most people just called me Tasha instead of Natasha (the kids said like batman says “I’m batman” they would “Tashaaa!!!”). When I was introduced to one mother of a household she make a grabbing gesture at the sky and said something, which my guide full of laughter said meant: Natasha one who touches the sky.

I LOVE IT!!!!

That, my friends, is now the official meaning of my name!!! I am the one who touched the sky!!!! It is so perfect!!!! Mya!! So great!!! WHAT IS MY LIFE?! HOW IS SO MUCH AWESOME SQUEEZED IN?! I CANNOT COMPREHEND!!!!

Ahem yeah. I was already pretty close with Melissa; she is really funny and cool. I feel like we have a lot in common but we do but heads over stuff. Basically she’s the one who I had the disagreement over the use of facts and statistics (I talked about that right?) and she also doesn’t like Shakespeare…. I know am an elitist snob… but really?? I just feel like she’s is sometimes a little low-browed/uncultured…. This only makes me more grateful for the Renaissance style upbringing I had. I am glad I am so cultured, and yes I think people should strive to be instead of reveling in not being cultured. Anyway she is still awesome and I enjoy her company.

Katrina turned out to be much better company than I had anticipated. Turns out when you get her away from the other girl she calms down and becomes a sensible person (even if she doesn’t like kids). I can understand sometimes people make you into things you aren’t. So in all in all I came away with a much better opinion of her than I had before (even if she still gets too drunk and makes an embarrassment of herself).

Just realized I must sound very critical and rude. Yes I am judgmental and I know it’s not my place. I still respect these people and I know my faults are many but these things I say are true. I do not think I am a better person than they are, just that my values are different and I am entitled to that. This does not stop me from enjoying their company, and hopefully from them enjoying mine.

OH! And Kyle! We got along super well. Our sleeping bags where right next to each other and as a result we spent a lot of time in each other’s space. Plus we’re both cuddlers so it nice. I gave him lots of head scratches and massages and he gave ‘em back. I love cuddling. There a few time when I think that maybe we could be more than just cuddly friends and I am not opposed to the idea (he’s pretty attractive) but story of my life I’m not that actively interested…. Well we’ll see. I know I should pursue if I want something to happen but I just think “oh it would be nice if it happened” but as per usual I am not enthused… Why am I so not passionate??? Anyway yeah we played like kids (as well as playing with actual kids) and had a good time. I’m happy with things the way they are, though I am determined to get my first kiss before I leave this content (if just by being here it will be a good story, even if there no real passion behind it).

So yeah… now we’re back all finally clean and well fed. Life is good, people are cool, and I am happy, healthy and grateful.