Showing posts with label travel. Show all posts
Showing posts with label travel. Show all posts

Friday, January 28, 2011

Postcards from South Africa: 01.22.11

Amazingness alert, amazingness alert! We were invited to visit the home of an Afrikaner farming family waaay out in the middle of the African plains -- hours from anything. This family is close friends with our roommate, Dierk, and welcomed us with open arms (fresh roses in our farmhouse bedroom, a Rooibos tea break every few hours and wonderful food). The next few postcards will feature images from our weekend with them.

A few fun facts:
1. Their house was built in 1902 by adventurous Afrikaner farmers. It is made of mud covered in plaster. The home smells earthy inside but the mud material keeps it very cool during the hot summer days.

2. They are primarily cattle and crop farmers (corn, sorghum, soy) and own 1000 cattle. They describe all their animals (farm dogs, cattle, sheep, etc.) as born again Christians and read scripture to them -- especially Psalms -- on a regular basis. We have never before known people who cherish their animals this much!

3. Sunday brought dramatic thunder storms to the farm. Drew went out on an evening jeep ride into the riverous mud roads and describes this adventure as a very memorable experience.

4. "Braai" is the South African term for BBQ -- and let me tell you, they know how to Braai! The farmers' family came over to welcome us our first night on the farm and brought out the wheelbarrows and other Braai equipment, all full of charcoal and covered with grates. They loaded them up with fresh meat from the farm and Drew made them proud with his carniverous appetite.

I'll get us started here with two photos from the Braai. (1) Drew holding his new little buddy ("Freek" -- pronounced "Free-ek") and sitting with Dierk, our flatmate. (2) The Braai, warming up for the meat. EAT UP!

(1) (Forgive the funny coloring; this photo was taken in the dark so I had to play around with it for it to be somewhat decent! Remember, I'm no photographer...)


(2)

Wednesday, January 19, 2011

Postcards from South Africa.

Well, we have arrived to Pretoria, safe and sound (though certainly jet lagged). Our arrival followed on the heels of a pretty crazy few weeks. We packed up our apartment (again) and moved out in order to make room for our subletter, spent 10 fabulous days in the Big Apple (yes, we were there for the 26" record snowfall, during which we made midnight snow angels on Madison Ave) and then I returned to stay with a dear friend in Chicago while Drew went on to South Africa to begin his program. I joined him yesterday and am getting acclimated quickly. We have so very much to be thankful for!

My days are full with work, much of which involves writing, so I cannot commit to thorough blog updates. What I would like to commit to, however, is keeping a pictoral journal and publishing the photos here as I go. I am no photographer but I think this will be a unique opportunity for me to express our experience here in pictures. So? Thus begins my three month "Daily Photo: Postcards from South Africa" adventure!

Our hosts are beautiful people, our roommate is a blast and our lodgings are "just right." Kentucky Fried Chickens are everywhere, so I know I'm abroad!

xoxo.

Monday, June 28, 2010

Not much is better than a Mainer. Except a family of Mainers!

Maine.

What do you think of when you hear "Maine"? I don't know I would have thought much before my BFF Charity moved there with her hubby Alan. I probably would have thought "it's close to Anne of Green Gables, right" (i.e., Prince Edward Island...). Maine? So maybe I hadn't thought much about it before, but now I'm in love! Gardens! Enviroconscious living! Chill! GREEN! Perhaps... I love it because it reminds me of Washington?? No. Close, but that's not it. I love it because I love the friends of mine who dwell there. Charity, Alan and babies, I miss you already!

I had the lovely opportunity to visit my BFF a few weeks ago and it was nothing short of delight. Charity just had her 4th baby (I've been living vicariously through her since her first) and it was pure joy to get to know baby Cami, play with the 3 other gorgeous kiddos and get quality time with Charity (the infamous BFF) and Alan (a.k.a. my Senior year Homecoming date--it's true!).

Here are some snapshots of my delightful days in Maine...

We had a great, relaxing day playing at a local lake and rocking the "big toys":





Charity, Cami and I were able to sneak away to Portland for a day (FUN city!!):



We got to kiss a moose (Charity had to use a booster to reach him...):


Kiddos, I miss you already!