Hillsong

I finally made it to Hillsong Church this weekend and it wasn't a moment too early or too late. God's timing is aways perfect. I was talking with several friends over the weekend and about how I am still trying to find a church that feels like "home." I walk into the church and the screen has a sign that says "welcome home." Is that a sign? The worship was pretty good and the message was on communion. What was a total God thing though was that he referred to Ephesians 2:10 which has been my life verse since AWANA days. My first church service here, and out of all the verses He could reference he brings up that one. Another thing that was funny was that this was the same verse that Pastor Judah spoke on the first time I heard him...really? They were doing this anointing service later in the evening which they only do once a year, so I thought I would go shopping, get my nails done, and then go back. I was a little concerned on making sure I got home before dark, but felt I could make the service and still make it home in time. The 5pm service was off the hook! I guess this is the service that most college kids attend, and it was so fun. The worship was more upbeat and they were dancing all around the auditorium. I thoroughly enjoyed my night there. What is neat about this church is they do have a lot of different ways that they serve the community and I look forward to seeing where I could maybe help out, but for sure have to find a way to get my hands on those adorable little children. They are just so darn cute!

Hillsong Church

Work Wine Tasting

Our HR team was treated to an outing on Friday as a reward for all the hardwork everyone has done for peak. I was so hoping it was wine tasting as that seems to be the thing right now besides sushi. We drove for about 45 minutes and from the moment we hopped on freeway, I knew where we were going, WINE TASTING! We ended up at Hidden Valley Winery and sat there for 3 1/2 hours sipping wine and having a four course meal. It was so delightful!


This is my work roommate Andrew. He is so silly. Jen V you would love him! He is my version of Kevin.

Balcony view of Hidden Valley

Helena on the left and Petronia on the right. They are a riot!

Calamari, YUM!

Chocolate dessert, oh so delicious!

Food coma

Rosemary, Lianne, Helena(doing her ballet,) and Petronia

HR staff

Life in South Africa summed up in this pic

Jeffrey

I have fallen in love with a man named Jeffrey. The first time I met him was on the streets by an overpass and he was selling cards that he makes for R10. It was perfect time as my friends Mary and Joanne bdays were around the corner. I talked with Jeffrey for several minutes as he told me which ones were his favorite and how he came from Zimbabwe and how he makes his living by selling these cards. He is probably in his late 50s, his clothes are pretty dirty, and he has no front teeth top or bottom. I give him credit as there are so many people who sit on the street and beg for money, but here is a man who is trying to make a living using the tools and gifts that God has given him, and for that, Jeffrey I will buy many more cards to come. After I mailed the two cards I first bought from him, I didn't see him in his normal spot for several weeks and was getting quite concerned. I purposely would walk to a different bus stop just in hopes of running into him. I am glad to say that I saw him last week and it was sweet. I saw him and yelled out "Jeffery!!" He comes running from the street to the sidewalk and just looks at me with this facial expression of "you know my name." He then gave me his biggest toothless smile, it was fabulous! He had created some new designs in which I was impressed. He kept calling me "sister" and "thank you my sister." He is one of my highlights for sure in taking the bus every day. I look forward to getting to know him better, and loving on him as Christ so loves him and does know him by name! I am in love with this man, he is wonderful!

Round 2 on the crazy taxi

I decided on Dec. 3rd that I must get furniture into my flat as I was getting sick of the living room having my voice echo whenever I tried skyping with someone and the empty living room is kind of depressing. I have been relying on my co-workers a lot, but also learning how to be independent and know what is considered “safe” for me. Since the taxi wasn’t that bad last time I took it to the Mill, I thought I would try it to the mall which is a further distance. I get to the taxi ramp where everyone is shouting where they are driving to and trying to get more passengers, and I weave my way through trying to find the one that will take me to Canal Walk/Century City. This was also an exciting attempt, because Hillsong is in that area, so if I found it was safe..I could take it in the future to the church! I find a taxi that says that they are going to that area so I get in only to be kicked out and told I must take the taxi at #14. I am staring at the signs…#14…#14…??? WHAT?? All the taxis are parked in every which way…and I didn’t know there was some kind of order…but I found out there is order to their chaos…and found my way to the #14 ramp. I pointed to jump into the cab, but it is packed! They then point to the front seat area and they have made a seat where the middle compartment normally is…nice! I jump in, say a quick prayer and we are on our way. Now it wouldn’t be a crazy taxi ride, without a crazy taxi experience…so…we are driving and the driver is going like 100+km and I notice the rearview mirror is in the glove compartment, really? I kind of chuckle and keep looking around to see the scenery. The driver gets off at the right exit ramp and then parks the taxi on the curb and tells us all to get out! I look around in utter confusion and then see another taxi is parted behind us, and we are to jump on that taxi. So all 15+ of us get out, walk the curb where everyone is driving and exiting the ramp, and jump into the next taxi. The good thing about this taxi is that the rearview mirror is attached!

I went shopping for over 4 hours but was able to purchase a couch, a dining room table, and a coffee table. When it gets delivered may be another story, but the items are paid. The trip back from the mall wasn’t adventous which I am thankful for as I was tired! The ride home through included a drive through one of the townships which was quite interesting. I haven’t taken pictures up to this point, as I feel wrong taking pics of peoples’ poverty…I am and I am not a tourist. Pictures will come in time, but when it is more appropriate I guess. It is honestly difficult to comprehend, but this specific township is basically across the street from this luxious apartment complex, literally across the street. The houses are built from scrap metal and other items that people think can build their house. There is no electricity or water, and it is basically a one room shack. The sad thing is that, at any point in time, the police can come in and raid the township and destroy it as they shouldn’t legally be there. I hear they normally do this during the winter…how cruel is that? Cape Town has some interesting dynamics along with extreme wealth and extreme poverty that are so close together, it is something I haven’t gotten use to, and honestly hope that I don’t. I don’t want it to be so common and everyday that I become numb to it, I want to be able to look at the bigger pic and see where I can make a difference however small it may be.

Wine Tasting

The last weekend of November I got to go wine tasting with some of my co-workers and it was a blast! What is really neat about wine tasting here is that you actually sit down at a table and they serve you the wine with cheese, chocolate, and crackers. It felt more relaxed and not having to feel like you are in a rush with other wine tasters behind you. The background was magnificent and breathtaking every place we went! We started at Vrede En Lust which is one of the oldest wine farms out here. I ended up buying a bottle of the Red Lady which is merlot and was quite amazing! We then headed down the road to Haute Cabriere for lunch which is suppose to be this really high end restaurant, and the food, WOW! This place has this stair case that led down to a cellar, it was very lovely. Next stop…I think I had to much wine because I forgot to take a pic of the name…but..but they had these musicians playing on the xslophone and drums which was incredible to listen to. Last stop, which I think was the favorite for all of us was Dieu Donne Vineyards. I could definitely see me having a small wedding overlooking the vineyards here, stunning!! The place allowed us to sit on the lawn overlooking everything and sip our wine from there. We had such a blast winding down there and playing several rounds of swing ball (which by the way, I extremely stink at it…never liked playing softball/baseball as a kid.) It was a beautiful day, and a beautiful way to end our day at the vineyards.



View at Vrede En Lust

At Haute Cabriere

unknown winery :)

Dieu Donne Vineyards

Dieu Donne Vineyards backyard view

Thanksgiving in Africa

Africa doesn’t celebrate the American tradition of Thanksgiving, so May had the pleasure of working. I think It worked out better that way or I might have been more depressed than I already was. I can say that I have never really been extremely homesick before in all my locations I have lived, but this time, It was different. I think part of it is that the culture is so different, so thanksgiving to me which includes spending it the last 2 years with my Seattle family means nothing really here in South Africa. Since Amazon is a US company, we did serve turkey to all of the workers and for many it was their first time having turkey which was mind boggling to me. FYI, the turkey we had…was not turkey…not REAL turkey. After work, I didn’t want to go home to my empty flat knowing it was Thanksgiving. When my co-workers asked why I was still at work late, I bursted into tears!! I didn’t realize how sad I was until that moment. I was so sad to not be in Seattle and having turkey with Mary, PJ, Stevey Wonderful, and all the amazing kiddos. I was remembering last year in which it had snowed and the men had to magically get my Jasmine from the bottom of the icy hill, back to the top…and my dear sweet Jasmine…I miss that beautiful car! My co-workers then decided to take me out to Indian food (partly out of obligation and guilt, and partly because South Africans love their wine!) So, I had Indian food on Thanksgiving night with yummy Chocolate Block wine.

Contact Information

Some of you have been asking for my info, so here it is :)

My cell number is: 011 27 848099819
my Skype account is: mayday4252
My physical address(only letters and no valuables:)
May Lindsay
61 Sandringham, Beach Road
Cape Town, South Africa 8005

*If you want to send something that others might consider as valuable, please contact me and I will give you an address that might make it to me more safely.

Love you guys and miss you a lot!

Tourist Weekend!

I decided that this weekend was going to be a tourist weekend. I really haven’t gone out much lately as I have been flat hunting, then furniture and house supply shopping. I may not still have any furniture in the flat…but I needed to go explore the city and let all that drama wait another week. That is right; my bed hasn’t arrived for the second weekend in a row (South Africa Customer Service ) so I am sleeping on a blow up mattress. I think I could hold the record for fastest person to disconnect the pump and put the plug in, I am that good at it now! Friday night I went to a local restaurant on Long Street (it is a street where a lot of bars and night club action is at) called Mama Africa. They are supposed to have local South African food, so thought this would be a good place to start my weekend. They first delivered the bread bowl with my order of a cosmo…I know it is a girly drink but it’s good. The bread had 3 different types and one of them was like a deep fried donut, Yum! I then ordered a Mama Bobotie as the waitress said that was a traditional South African dish. It is a like a meat loaf…but way better. It is spiced minced meat with raisins and egg topping. It was really delicious. I then sat as they had live music playing and some kind of TV crew blocking my view for a bit, and ended off the night with a Malva pudding dessert. It is like a sponge cake that melts in your mouth with the vanilla ice cream. Some cool things at the restaurant were the decorations that made you feel like you were in Africa…wait I am! They also have a breathalyzer next to the bathroom which I thought was interesting.
On Saturday I wanted to visit the Old Biscuit Mill which many people had recommended to me. The only problem was that it wasn’t walking distance from CBD (central business district) so….I took the white taxi. It is a van that sits about 12 people and many people were telling to never take it because it is the crazy taxi. They shove as many people as they can before they will start driving and it can be unsafe as they seem to have their own traffic rules. What is a woman to do when she needs to get somewhere…GO! I headed up to the taxi terminal area and seriously there were like hundreds of vans, honking and yelling where they were going. I found the van that would take me to Woodstock where this mill was and got into the van with my R5 (like 80 cents.) I sat there for like 3 minutes and looked around to realize there was only 2 other people in the van and it was going to be a while before we could leave, so I got out. Saturday was really hot! It was about 27C which is like 90F and it was HOT! I was not going to sit in that van and be in the middle when they start shoving us in...I will take the window seat thank you. After about 10 minutes they finally have 12 people and I jumped back in. I was very thankful for this driver, as he only filled the van to how many seats there was when we left. I was looking out the window and there were vans over capacity and these people were squatting down and pressed against the windows…thank you Jesus that that was not my behind against the window…that would have been traumatizing, haha. As we started to head down the road, the driver was yelling out the window trying to get more passengers…I looked at the van and was thinking how are we going to fit more…it was an experience…and I probably will do it more often since I want to see things! The driver stopped the vehicle at my area and told me that I needed to walk a couple blocks down. I started walking down the aisle, and I know understood when people told me that Woodstock was “dodgy”=not too safe. It was broad daylight and I could see and feel people on the streets staring at me…as if they were debating if they were going to pursue me...if you get my drift. There was one guy who walked past me and as he did he continued to look at me as he walked away, it was dodgy. The Old Biscuit Mill is like a Pike’s Place Market that is significantly smaller but the does have many booths that serve wine and beer. I walked around for about an hour just looking at the shops, booths, and food and taking the experience in. I do like the atmosphere and it was a lot of fun. I then decided that it was too hot to do another tourist thing, so I headed to the mall at the waterfront. The girls at work say that I am addicted to shopping…not going to deny it…I have an empty apartment! This day though, I promised myself I would be a tourist and bought 2 dresses and some Havana shoes…I was very happy. I went grocery shopping before leaving the mall and took the taxi home. I finally got my refrigerator earlier this week after some things feel through. There is a co-worker who just transferred from the Cork location around the same time I did, and we have called things that don’t work out or seem completely odd as “TIA” which means this is Africa…and you have to also shrug your shoulders as you say it. Customer Service and getting things…don’t happen very well for me…but TIA...and I am learning to just shrug it off and laugh now. On Sunday, I went to a new church down the street from me, I am not sure…so I may try it again and then spent several hours catching up on postcards and people…finally got internet this week also, that was challenging. They didn’t want to give it to me because they wanted 3 months worth of bank statements and wouldn’t count in my US account, but by God’s grace and mercy the guy on the phone felt sorry for me, and as he said “fought Kung Fu” for me so that I could get it. Thank you Brad, my Kung Fu guy!

Tourist Weekend!

I decided that this weekend was going to be a tourist weekend. I really haven’t gone out much lately as I have been flat hunting, then furniture and house supply shopping. I may not still have any furniture in the flat…but I needed to go explore the city and let all that drama wait another week. That is right; my bed hasn’t arrived for the second weekend in a row (South Africa Customer Service ) so I am sleeping on a blow up mattress. I think I could hold the record for fastest person to disconnect the pump and put the plug in, I am that good at it now! Friday night I went to a local restaurant on Long Street (it is a street where a lot of bars and night club action is at) called Mama Africa. They are supposed to have local South African food, so thought this would be a good place to start my weekend. They first delivered the bread bowl with my order of a cosmo…I know it is a girly drink but it’s good. The bread had 3 different types and one of them was like a deep fried donut, Yum! I then ordered a Mama Bobotie as the waitress said that was a traditional South African dish. It is a like a meat loaf…but way better. It is spiced minced meat with raisins and egg topping. It was really delicious. I then sat as they had live music playing and some kind of TV crew blocking my view for a bit, and ended off the night with a Malva pudding dessert. It is like a sponge cake that melts in your mouth with the vanilla ice cream. Some cool things at the restaurant were the decorations that made you feel like you were in Africa…wait I am! They also have a breathalyzer next to the bathroom which I thought was interesting.
On Saturday I wanted to visit the Old Biscuit Mill which many people had recommended to me. The only problem was that it wasn’t walking distance from CBD (central business district) so….I took the white taxi. It is a van that sits about 12 people and many people were telling to never take it because it is the crazy taxi. They shove as many people as they can before they will start driving and it can be unsafe as they seem to have their own traffic rules. What is a woman to do when she needs to get somewhere…GO! I headed up to the taxi terminal area and seriously there were like hundreds of vans, honking and yelling where they were going. I found the van that would take me to Woodstock where this mill was and got into the van with my R5 (like 80 cents.) I sat there for like 3 minutes and looked around to realize there was only 2 other people in the van and it was going to be a while before we could leave, so I got out. Saturday was really hot! It was about 27C which is like 90F and it was HOT! I was not going to sit in that van and be in the middle when they start shoving us in...I will take the window seat thank you. After about 10 minutes they finally have 12 people and I jumped back in. I was very thankful for this driver, as he only filled the van to how many seats there was when we left. I was looking out the window and there were vans over capacity and these people were squatting down and pressed against the windows…thank you Jesus that that was not my behind against the window…that would have been traumatizing, haha. As we started to head down the road, the driver was yelling out the window trying to get more passengers…I looked at the van and was thinking how are we going to fit more…it was an experience…and I probably will do it more often since I want to see things! The driver stopped the vehicle at my area and told me that I needed to walk a couple blocks down. I started walking down the aisle, and I know understood when people told me that Woodstock was “dodgy”=not too safe. It was broad daylight and I could see and feel people on the streets staring at me…as if they were debating if they were going to pursue me...if you get my drift. There was one guy who walked past me and as he did he continued to look at me as he walked away, it was dodgy. The Old Biscuit Mill is like a Pike’s Place Market that is significantly smaller but the does have many booths that serve wine and beer. I walked around for about an hour just looking at the shops, booths, and food and taking the experience in. I do like the atmosphere and it was a lot of fun. I then decided that it was too hot to do another tourist thing, so I headed to the mall at the waterfront. The girls at work say that I am addicted to shopping…not going to deny it…I have an empty apartment! This day though, I promised myself I would be a tourist and bought 2 dresses and some Havana shoes…I was very happy. I went grocery shopping before leaving the mall and took the taxi home. I finally got my refrigerator earlier this week after some things feel through. There is a co-worker who just transferred from the Cork location around the same time I did, and we have called things that don’t work out or seem completely odd as “TIA” which means this is Africa…and you have to also shrug your shoulders as you say it. Customer Service and getting things…don’t happen very well for me…but TIA...and I am learning to just shrug it off and laugh now. On Sunday, I went to a new church down the street from me, I am not sure…so I may try it again and then spent several hours catching up on postcards and people…finally got internet this week also, that was challenging. They didn’t want to give it to me because they wanted 3 months worth of bank statements and wouldn’t count in my US account, but by God’s grace and mercy the guy on the phone felt sorry for me, and as he said “fought Kung Fu” for me so that I could get it. Thank you Brad, my Kung Fu guy!

Shopping and My Hood!

The night before I moved into my flat, my co-workers and I went on a shopping spree to get all the essentials. I think they had more fun spending money that wasn’t theirs, who wouldn’t! In less than 2 hours, we probably spent R 7000 which is nothing in USD, but a lot in South Africa. I finally stopped converting in realizing that at some point my USD isn’t going to be existent anymore and I am getting paid in Rand. After I moved in, I had to clean my whole apartment. A clean flat in South Africa means nothing apparently, because it was pretty disgusting. I had to mop the floor twice to get all the dirt out. It was gross. I then decided to walk around and see my neighborhood. I seriously didn’t realize where I was and what I luxurious place I am actually at. I feel like I am on a vacation every day. I don’t know how I ended up getting this place, and why I get to live in such a posh place but I do. (See below blog for basic details.) I can’t believe I get the view that I do. I get to see all 3 mountains every day and Table Mountain is spectacular. It was just named one of the new 7 wonders of the World and I can see why. There has not been a single day that the clouds and mountain has been the same. When the clouds are over it, it looks like a water fall as the clouds move, absolutely stunning! Green Point Park is beautiful and the view of the soccer field (especially from 7pm-9pm) is not bad and I know it should get better in the coming HOT months…just kidding…kind of. Haha. The Atlantic Ocean is across the street from my complex…I am in awe that I live here, a little confused on what God is doing but…I get to live here! I walked over to Sea point to see what shops they have and ended up having lunch at Café Sofia. Divine appointment on my first day. I went to take a seat and this guy took all his condiments and placed them on the open table. I asked if the table was free and he said yes, but that I couldn’t have his seat. I looked at him confused and told him that I didn’t want his seat. He said “you know why you can’t have this seat…it has the sun…and you can’t have this seat.” What? I sat down, and was just thinking that I wasn’t going to allow this crazy person to spoil my wonderful first day. After a while, I decided to finally talk to the guy. His name is Brandon and he is a waiter at a restaurant. We talked about everything for the next 45 minutes from Cape Town, jobs, taxis, and ended up talking about church. He told me that he goes to a Charismatic church and I asked him to define that. It got rather interesting after that as I explained the different terminologies that I think US has for charismatic, and as he talked about churches in Cape Town. At the end of the lunch, he had paid for my meal and I walked away in awe of God reminding me that he has me exactly where I am suppose to be, in this posh, safe, amazing area. A funny thing of the day. On the way home, I bought this lime green mop and had to walk it all the way home. Talk about trying to not stand out…I am not only “coloured” and have an American accent, I now have a weapon if you were to attack me…so watch out!

Challenges of living in South Africa

There have been several things that have been quite difficult for me in South Africa. The first thing probably has to be the bank. When I first got here, the bank refused to give me a bank account because they wanted proof of address (the 1 month stay at the hotel wasn’t sufficient) and a paycheck (which in South Africa they don’t do live checks, it is all direct deposit, so explain how I am suppose to get money!) After 2 attempts and bringing a South African with me, I was able to open an account. The next hurdle was when pay day came and passed. I tried to use my card and it said that there were insufficient funds and then it locked my account after I tried several times and maybe entered the incorrect # at some point. In order to unlock my account, I had to go back to the bank which is only open from 9am-3pm…prime time when I am suppose to be working and don’t have a car. I called the bank and they said that it could take 3 days for my money to be active since it is a new bank account but guarantee it would be in there. I went in to activate the pin number, waited 3 days and still no money. At this point, I hadn’t gotten paid from the US since the beginning of October and I was flat hunting and expected to hand over first, last, and maybe a deposit. I called the bank at 4pm after the 3rd day, and they passed me around different departments for 30 minutes to then tell me that the dept I needed to finally talk to closed at 4:30 and I would have to go to my branch where I opened the account to unlock the funds, really? Really? REALLY? I have tried to have patience and be nice up to this point, but everyone was telling me that I was being too nice…is that why you won’t help the poor (literally) American? Haha. I arrived at work the next morning late in order to stop by the bank to sort out this mess. They were able to unlock my account and said that since it was new, they had to lock it. I asked why the heck they couldn’t have told me this 5 days ago and when I opened the account so that I could schedule time off to accommodate their lovely hours that they are open to serve their customers. I was not the nicest to the person at the bank, and I do feel bad…but the customer service was just awful, they took no ownership, and didn’t care…oh man I sound like I may have been working for Amazon too long. HA HA!
The second challenge has been trying to find a flat. I originally wanted to find a furnished place so that if I leave in 2 years, I won’t have to worry about selling or getting rid of things. Most of the furnished flats were either cheap but disgusting furniture, cheap but in a bad area, or expensive and expensive! There were 2 places that I was interested in and they both fell through. There was one that had a side view of the Atlantic Ocean but I was placed on a waiting list. The man said that the person who looked at it the day before had priority. So not how the US functions. If I have the money to put into your hand right now, you won’t accept it? I guess that is a courtesy thing in Cape Town, but to me it sounds stupid. What if that person doesn’t take it, and then you call the most recent person and that person already had to look at other flats and found one better. Now you are out of luck! Well, the other person took the place so I continued my hunt. The 2nd place I found was in CBD (central business district) and close to work. This one was furnished and everything was brand new. The only thing that I didn’t like was that the only window in the flat was looking into the side walk and had bars on it. It was doable though as I was running out of time and had to place my name on that list. I had a feeling that I wasn’t going to get this place as there was this other person who stayed after me...and was basically kissing ass….I found out later that person got the place, not meant to be, but now my stress level was rising! After the cancer walk, my co-worker took me to a place in Mouille Point. This place is close to Sea Point and by the ocean. Other than that, I didn’t really know too much about the area besides everyone said that it was a safe area. I walked in and thought it was suppose to be furnished, but I was wrong. I had started to look at both furnished and unfurnished out of desperation. So the down falls of this place was that it was unfurnished and no appliances like an oven and refrigerator. In South Africa, unfurnished means UNFURNISHED. Other than that, I liked the lighting of the place and the view from the living room…is well…pretty spectacular with the Soccer Stadium and 3 mountains. I asked if I could have first dibs on it but to let me think it over as it was unfurnished. He said he would and off we went to debate. In the end, the place was nice and if I took a furnished place I would be paying at least R2000 more a month which comes to almost R50,000 in two years which is a lot in South Africa. Would I spend R50K on furniture? The answer was no, so I decided to take the furnished place. Here is the view from my living room and the last one is from outside of my complex. From the left is the 2010 World Soccer Cup Stadium and in the middle are a soccer field, a golf course, Green Point Park, and a horse barn. In the background where the clouds are is Table Mountain, Signal Hill is in the middle, and then there is Lion’s Head to the right. Pretty blessed I must say!

End of October Adventure

So much to update... I haven’t had access to much internet the last few weeks, and that will be saved for another blog entry  The last week of October, I went out with some Irish girls that are from the Amazon Cork location. We went out to dinner on the waterfront at a Mediterranean restaurant that handed out pink blankets if you were cold. The meal was quite enjoyable until we had to pay the bill. I will start by saying that it completely was our fault and we may have had a little too much wine but what happened still was shocking. We paid the bill and in our minds had included tip. The waitress comes out to collect the bill and counts the money in front of us…IN FRONT of us and then says, “You didn’t pay the whole bill.” We told her yes we did and this is how much we paid, and she says, “how about the tip.” We all looked at each other dumbfounded, and said we would look at it again. We tipped her like 5% by mistake instead of the normal 10%, but she asked for tip and counted the money! We paid the 10% and left, but it did leave a bad taste in our mouth for the rather good time we had. Sunday the HR team had planned a team bonding event by doing a 10K Cancer walk. Normally it probably would have been a pleasant walk on the beach, but it rained the whole time! We came back so soaked from head to toe and freezing our butts off! Note for the future….team bonding in May’s eyes includes a manicure and massage…doesn’t that sound so much better?

Pictures!

Internet has been extremely limited and downloading pics takes a lot of GBs so downloading them is difficult. Here are some pics I finally got posted.

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150371274234183.374953.719764182&type=1&l=76349c77e7

A typical shuttle experience through May’s eyes

Right now I do not have a car so there are shuttles that the company offers to the employees and they come pick me up. It is quite interesting and entertaining…It is one of my top highlights about going to work every day. They drive aggressively and swerve every which way, like a carnival ride  Earlier this week, my shuttle was suppose to pick me up at 7:30am and it never came. So I left the curb at 7:50am to get coffee and was back at a little after 8am to wait for the next shuttle at 8:30am. When it picked me up, I told him that he forgot about me. His response was “I didn’t forget, I was there at 7:35am and there was a car in front of me so I couldn’t stop and I didn’t see you so I left.” There was no way he could have not seen me, I was sitting in plain sight…but the comment about the car in front and him not being able to stop, was hilarious! Another trip was driving home one night and the shuttle driver was giving me phrases to say in Afrikaans and I was repeating them. He asked I knew what they meant and I said probably pick up lines or asking for sex….and everyone in the shuttle started busting up laughing. He asked how I knew…and I just gave him that look that said “I know how you men think.” Yes, the shuttle rides are fantastic!

Weekend

Friday night I went out to dinner with a bunch of co workers. The restaurant was right across from work and had really good sushi. I don’t think I have ever ordered that many bottles of wine, but by the end of the night we had ordered 6 bottles and drank it all! Food is cheaper here and that is WONDERFUL! One thing that was different than normal was that in our group we discovered that we had an Olympic gold medalist. This person was in the 1988 Olympics and won 2 gold and 1 bronze. Work people keep getting more interesting by the day! I am loving that. We then headed to the Roxy Bar and where many kept partying and I enjoyed the entertainment and random men coming up and singing karaoke. The ceiling at this bar had these art pieces that glowed in the dark and were just a neat accent to the place.
Saturday I walked to the Greenmarket Square where there are a lot of arts and crafts items made from the locals. It challenging to look at all this stuff and trying to decide to buy it knowing I would have to somehow bring it back 2 years later…haha. Around that area was also this homeless lady who was blind but was sitting on the corner singing songs about Jesus. It was really sweet to listen and watch and people weren’t mocking her or offended as some people might have been in the US. I then walked to the Central Train Station and Golden Acre area where they sells lots of cheap junk made from China but they had these cute kids dancing on the street. They were from some local community group but were dancing for money and I could have watched them dancing all day long. I ended my evening with pizza that people from my shuttle recommended. I think Zeeks is better in Seattle, but I am sure I will find a place somewhere here

Altoids

As most of you know, I have a deep love for Altoids. Before leaving the states, I loaded up and ended up packing over 60 boxes in my suitcases  Some things may have been left behind because I couldn’t fit them in the suitcases, but eliminating the Altoid boxes wasn’t an option. Thanks to some amazing girls from my Ladies Bible Study, I was able to bring a variety of types and today I decided to share my love with my co-workers. There are several that really love the mints, and there was one lady who fell in love with my peppermint type. She told me later today that she went into my office and saw the box but was disappointed to see that there were no mints left…so what did she do….she told me she dumped the crumbs that were left into her hands and licked it…I created an addict with one box of altoids. Oh my I was laughing so hard! I feel like I could already have finished my time in Cape Town because I introduced them and got them addicted to these wonderful mints!

Words I am learning

S.A lingo/ US Lingo
Braai = BBQ
Robot= light
To Let = To Rent
Flat = apt./house
Self cleaning = hotel w/ a kitchen
Cheers = goodbye
Ya = Yes
“Zed”= Z
Energy = calorie
Air con = air conditioner

Me: I learned some new South African words this weekend
co-workers: what?
Me: Shag
Co-workers: sex
Me: in the US that means to go catch a ball, and hooter
... Co-workers: means horn
Me: In the US mean Boobs
Co-workers: What do you call hooters in the US
Me: Horn or Honk
Co-workers: That is no good either sounds like Bonkers...and Bonkers mean "to get your bonkers on.."

Oh my so much to learn :)

Work

I survived my first week at work and the group is pretty great so far. I think that I will be able to contribute a lot and also learn a tremendous amount from them. Saturday night a bunch of the HR team took me to an African restaurant called Ocean Basket in which it has cheap but good seafood. I told one of the girls that everyone in the states would probably get to know her as awesome. She is engaged and her fiancé is a pirate hunter…no joke!! He is in the military and right now is hunting pirates, can you say AWESOME!!! Not only that, this girl really is amazing. She is trained in Opera, has the cutest dimples, and just hilarious! Sunday I got the amazing opportunity to work and interview candidates all day, can you say LOVED IT! (Can you hear the sarcasm?) Sunday night I got to meet up with a wonderful woman who I was introduced through from an amazing lady from Seattle. She took me to her church and just has been a blessing in helping me during this transition. It has been a good first week...stay tuned for whats next...might include some wine and cheetah petting!

Drive around the coast

My boss called me up a couple of Sundays ago and asked if I wanted to see the coast…of course I said yes! We started the Coast drive in Muizenberg where I got to see some whales! We got out of the car and just stared at them for like 15 minutes. It was pretty neat to see them so close to the shore and just basking in the sun. This town is also where there are the colorful huts that you may have seen on postcards. We then drove through Fish Hoek (has the warmest water to swim in) and Simons Town (cute town that also has some kind of dog statue in memory of a dog that apparently was loyal to the military so when the dog died it was given a military funeral!) We then stopped at Boulders Bay and got to see penguins and a dundi (brown animal that is somehow related to the elephant...) I am looking forward to going back to that beach because you can also go swimming and the penguins will swim around you all in the wild. We then drove through the front entrance of the Table Mountain National Park in hopes of seeing some wild baboons…but no luck. We continued to Noordhoek (best surfing,) Houts Bay, and the last area which included Camps Bay, Clifton Bay, and Sea Point. I can definitely see myself living there at some point as it was absolutely spectacular! The beaches are so blue and beautiful. We were so lucky to get to see as many animals as we did and the weather was perfect. This drive for sure made me fall in love with Cape Town!!

Adventures of the last few days

Wednesday
• Stayed at The Strand for one night before transferring to another hotel. The view on the 14th floor was spectacular! I could see Table Mountain and Lions Head from my window, absolutely amazing!
• All the stores and banks close around 5pm…sad times. Dinner was nuts I bought at NYC
Thursday
• To get Internet you have to buy MB or GB…which is different and at first a little frustrating. Most coffee shops don’t have free access as in the US. This makes it difficult to post pics, but I will be able to do that once I start at Amazon
• Most people use cell phones as prepaid. They do not go by minutes but by “A time” which is
airtime, but no one can tell you how much time that allows you.
• Woolworths and KFC is popular here….I haven’t seen a Woolworth store since elementary days and these ones has clothing and food!
• My new place for the next 31 days is pretty sweet. It is a hotel that has all cooking amenities or as they say “self catering” suites.
Friday
• Went grocery shopping! They don’t have turkey but the fruit is unbelievably cheap!
• Everyone knows that I am from the “States” before I even talk…look forward to blending in at some point.
• Getting lots of whistling and “pretty lady” comments…pretty entertaining!
• Everyone says “Cheers” when saying goodbye…but every time they say it all I can think about is having a mug with good beer in it and clanking glasses 
• Went to the Waterfront and although there are a lot of tourists, the water is beautiful.
Saturday
• Had trouble finding the items I needed to get at just one store, had to go to several places to get what I needed. Guess this is common and I will learn the ropes of what to buy where.
• Went to the movies today…and you have to select your seats when you buy the ticket rather than first come first serve in seating. Also, you have to buy butter packets when you get popcorn, but they also have caramel packets!

Trip to South Africa

Packing and selling was extremely stressful and if it weren’t for friends, I would have had more meltdowns than I did. Kari might be a million miles away, but she was available for a call and to calm me down and help me think of what I could do when things seemed to not be working out. Tracey was my voice of reason when I thought my suitcases could expand and fit more than it really could. Deniz and Stevey were there to help me ship the items and dear Andrea was willing to accept my 127lb box for storage  Tasha and Kasea (with a K), thank you for handling my crying moments. Nikki, I cannot thank you enough for your help in packing the night before I left…people if you had seen my house you probably would have freaked out with the amount I still had..sigh. Thank you everyone that played a part in making this happen! Lastly, although you may not consider it a person, she was to me…Jasmine, my sweet, amazing car, I will love you forever. You were so good to be in SB and Seattle, and I am sorry I had to sell you.
It was such a blessing to have a quick layover in NYC on my way to Africa. It allowed me to process the transition between the stress leading up to leaving and the worry and concern about the unknown ahead. Getting to see Jen Velasquez, Lisa Kim, and Diana Mao was amazing! Lobster rolls, prayer, and carts with wheels was exactly what I needed. Thank you! As I left NYC the realization of what I was doing hit me. I started doubting this whole thing and although I couldn’t turn back, I kind of wanted to. In my freak out session, God continued to remind me that He is and will always provide. I got the whole 3 seats to myself on the 12 hour flight to Dubai. What a wonderful blessing to get to stretch out and sleep on such a long flight. Then…the the 9 hour flight to Cape Town, I was upgraded to Business Class and got unlimited glasses of Champagne, can I say FAVOR?! The last couple hours of the flight I played video games with the guy next to me…and lets just say we were not the quietest  It was such a relaxing trip, unreal to be honest.
I cannot believe I am in Cape Town, and cannot believe I get this opportunity. I am in awe of this whole adventure and what lies ahead. WOW!

Goodbyes are never fun

Leaving Seattle was more difficult than leaving SB…I think because there were some major people that were a huge part of my life the last two years in which I invested and they invested in my life and the season that I was in. Never would I have thought that I would end up in counseling but I would not have changed that time for anything. It was painful, but so worth it in the end. I will write more about that some other time, but T is a person that I will miss dearly. There are so many people that I consider dear to my heart, but there are several people that have changed me more than they will ever know or words can express. I had to say goodbye to a two wonderful women early Mary and PJ as they were heading to Uganda for a mission trip. Mary was the first person that I met at the City Church and has walked with me throughout the last two years, encouraging me, challenging me, and spurring me on. She is a treasure from Heaven and has the biggest heart for the Church and kids. I know that kids love me…but I can’t compete with Mary’s cookies that she gives the kids  I am going to miss Mary and her love for Nordstrom. PJ knows her calling that God has placed on her life and walks in that anointing and purpose. I have seen other women in ministry but she just has something special that makes me so excited and my Spirit say “YES” and “AMEN” for the calling that God has for His daughters. Worship will be different without hearing PJ in the background and getting “to hug her neck” as she always would say. My bible study ladies were such a blessing last year. It was such an honor to lead with Erin and was such a blessing to have them be a part of my life and that they would let us be a part of theirs. The time with them in and outside of church are sweet memories of Seattle and I cannot thank them enough for their open arms and hearts. There were also three other ladies that have brought me so much laughter in my life,Tracy, Stevey and Deniz. The time spent with you…oh my goodness I think you guys may have held the world’s record for making May cry…the good kind of crying from laughing so hard! Thank you for the memories chicas, heart you! Another person…who I will remain nameless but you know who you are... has changed my life forever! The walks at Greenlake, the laughs, and sweet, sweet conversations are something that I will treasure forever. You are someone that makes God smile from ear to ear, and melts my heart with you and your family. You have taught me so much about Jesus, contending for all that God has for you, and walking in the destiny that God has. I love you from the bottom of my heart and know that the best are yet ahead. You better keep me updated on your life or I will have to come beat you up ! All of these people, thank you for teaching me transparency and a greater love of Christ that I would not have gotten to know without you. Thank you for opening your arms and embracing me…all of me…including my crazy side! I love you guys so much and know that there will always be a place to stay if you make it to Cape Town.

In His Grips
May

Africa..my homeland

There is so much to update for everyone. I guess I will start with the question that most people are still wondering…What, huh, what, how are you going to Africa! It actually started in May when an HR person I was working with in Cape Town told me that there was an open position available. I told her to not tempt me, and the next 10 minutes went from there is an opening to “we would be willing to consider getting you a work permit if you are serious.” I was stunned and told them that I would need some time to think about…and pray. I had thought that it might be a possibility, but was thinking it would be years down the road if I stayed with Amazon. Thinking about the opportunity seemed like a no brainer. I would get the chance to see Africa, a chance to be promoted in Amazon, and have international experience under my belt. After taking some time to pray, think, and seek advice from some dear people, I decided to open the door and see where it would take me. For those of you that have been with me since college days, there was a time that I was attempting to go to China and everything fell through. So I knew that if God didn’t want me to go, He would close the door somehow. Two months later, I was finally offered the job and the work permit was requested. I was going to AFRICA! Throughout the process, I kept asking God for more confirmation even though I knew I was suppose to go…but by His grace and goodness He always came through. Some examples include going to a bible study and we were discussing “risks” and this friend said “that everyone’s thought of risk is different and for you going to Africa probably wouldn’t be a risk.” I asked why Africa and not Asia or Australia and the response was I just see you in Africa. I hadn’t discussed the job offer at this bible study yet. Overwhelming support from friends that I thought would object to this idea, the support of co-workers and bosses were another. When I told my Dad, his response was “well, you have always wanted to go to Africa. Ever since you were a kid.” Really? I don’t remember that. Working out the details of selling all my stuff and little money details like Verizon not charging me the fee for dropping service early and my landlord telling me that I didn’t have to clean my place! What? Really? Sweet! Even on the plane over to Africa this week was another confirmation. I started freaking out on the plane and doubting if this was really happening and if I was supposed to be doing this…what happens?...I had all three seats from New York to Dubai for myself and was upgraded to Business class from Dubai to Cape Town…Really?? It was just the Lord reminding me…calm down, I have prepared your comings and goings…chill. I will take care of you. Back in Santa Barbara, there is this Uganda Children’s choir that came to the church every year. There is a song that has stuck in my head all these years and I would see it now and then not realizing what it really meant.. “Africa…my homeland….Uganda…” and I don’t know the rest, haha.

Hearting City Church more and more

I work with the children ministry a least a couple times a month, and they truly have been a blessing in my life and teaching so much in this time. There is one adorable kid who I could literally squeeze all day long because that smile on this kid's face makes me melt! I asked this kid if I could get a hug and he runs over and lays a juicy kiss right on my lips and steps back and has the biggest smile, oh my! Each kid has such different personality and it just puts me in awe of God. We have been learning how "Jesus is our friend" and have been building off of a storyboard the last month or so. In one story it talks about Mark 5 where Jesus heals a little girl. We then did this activity where the kids lay down and then will sit up and say "I'm not sick, I'm feeling fine, Jesus is a friend of mine." When I read the activity I thought it was quite silly but went ahead and did it, to my surprise the kids loved it and wanted to do it multiple times over. I was shocked...and the weeks following when we would review that story, the kids would repeat the line from the activity. I have never had that many 2-5 year olds remember a story like that....guess that teaches me that the silliest things can actually be the most meaningful in kids.
I have been helping lead a table at our Ladies Bible Studies that happen on Wednesday nights. Each week I get to spend with them is such a blessing and I leave so stoked and excited to hear all that God has and is doing in their lives. Their testimonies, honestly, vulnerability, and openness has been ministering me so much in the season that I am in. I am honored that God has allowed me to stand with them and see them run this race being able to shout from the side lines and sometimes with them that they can and are able to finish this race, to pray and intercede, to love and spend time with them. So thankful and cherish all the random times we all can get together whether it is on Wed. nights or a fun nights with dessert and a girly movie. Jesus my heart is overflowing with what you have given me in this time in Seattle. Not only for letting me pour into this kids and women, but how you are changing me more than I could have imagined.