Adventures to Kruger Park

I headed out on a train to Johannesburg on Friday, April 27th at 10am with Shob. Trains and arrived in Jo’burg at 1pm on Saturday. I decided to take the train as the scenery was suppose to be spectacular and thought it would be a great start to my first adventure outside of Cape Town. In addition this was my first real train ride. I apparently took a train when I was a couple years old…but that doesn’t count as I can’t remember it! It was long 26 hours, but I would definitely recommend it to anyone who has the time, just make sure it is one way otherwise it could be grueling. I booked a 4 person sleeper cabin and ended up with only one other person. It would have been crammed, so I am glad it was only one. Her name was Dominique and she is originally from Clarksburg which is approximately 4 hours by train away from Jo’burg. She is 20 years old and is studying to be an Estheticians in Cape Town. It was a delight to have here and she was extremely sweet. Two of my top highlights would have to be a place where we entered into the mountains, it was one of those moments where you expect a train to take you and the beauty of it was spectacular! The other memory is us stopping at a little town right after nightfall and these kids begging for food from outside. This town is in the middle of nowhere…and they truly have nothing or anybody. It isn’t like in a big town where they can sit on the street and people will drop money, they are in the middle of nowhere in which that isn’t an option, so begging when trains stop is what they have to do. Dominique and I looked in our cabins and luggage trying to find any food that we could give them. Unfortunately all we had was junk food…so we threw out a bag of sour jellybeans to these 4 little kids and they devoured the sweets within seconds. If I had known, I would have seriously brought a bag of food for them…so for whoever takes a train next, bring healthy food to give away!

When I got to the train station in Jo’burg I had arranged for the hotel to come pick me up…and 2 hours later they still hadn’t arrived. I called every 15 min in which they kept saying “we are coming now” or “we are coming now, now” yet “now, now” still doesn’t mean NOW apparently. I kept asking if it would be safe to walk and they person on the other line said no, wait we will be there, but after 2 hours I was honestly pissed and headed out the door to walk. The hotel was no more than a mile…but when everyone tells you it isn’t safe, you have to trust them. When I got outside a beggar offered to walk with me to the hotel as I refused to spend R100 for a taxi when the hotel was walking distance. So in and out of all the street vendors we went to find my hotel. The whole time I was praying and holding my luggage that was attached to this vendor in few I might get pick pocketed or him running away with my bags. Normally, I am not too concerned with safety as I feel I can protect myself if necessary, but carrying my camera, binoculars, my passport…there were a lot of valuables that were important for my trip. The beggar got me to the hotel safely; THANK YOU JESUS and I had a small scuffle as he wanted more money than the taxi! At this point it is 3pm and I only had one night in the town before the tour company was going to pick me up. Since it was that late, many things were closed or ending so I couldn’t do much. I wanted to go to the Apartheid museum, but the closed at 5 and it wouldn’t have been enough time to really soak up the information. I had tried to book a massage weeks back but the hotel told me that it wouldn’t be a problem getting one the day of…well 3pm apparently is too late and I couldn’t get a massage. The only option that the concierge could give me was to walk down the street to the Carlson Hotel which has an elevator that will take you 50 stories to “Top of Africa” for a scenic view but that I would have to back by 5pm. Thanks! So off I went to find this hotel and a lovely worker named A.V. walked me around the top and pointed out all the lovely things of Jo’burg. When I got back, one of the hotel workers named Steve took me to the township Soweto for a “true” African dinner. The township is about 20-25 min away and tourists would have had to pay him about R200-R300 each way, but the hotel felt bad and gave it to me for free! So Steve took me, I paid for his dinner, saw Nelson Mandela’s house, and met his friend Watu. Memory from that night was eating dinner and then it started pouring rain, amazing!

Happy Birthday to ME!

Here is my idea: My 30th birthday is coming up on August 29th. What I want to do is write a blog everyday in August featuring a story of a friend and me. It could be a story of your first time you met me, one of your favorite memories of me, one of the weirdest things we did together, etc. From the responses I get, I will post what you write and in return write a section on who you are to me or my favorite/ first memory of you, or a story in return. If you are willing to help me with this project please message me privately on FB,  I think it could be amazing to see what formulates...


Reason: Partly because I have a really bad memory and partly because I am 10,198.63 miles (Kilometers: 16,412.65) away from home and can't celebrate this milestone with my friends back in the USA...I thought this could be a great birthday gift for myself. It has been 30 years and there has been so many people who have come and gone, but we have still kept in touch. It is a chance to bless me with memories you have with me, and a way for me to express what your friendship has meant to me and/or how you have formed and changed my life.


Thanks friends!

Youth Day 2012

In South Africa, it commemorates the start of the Soweto riots of 1976, initially sparked by a government edict that all instruction in black schools would be held in the language of Afrikaans. A series of high school student-led protests and an estimated 20,000 students took part in the protests, in which roughly 176 people were killed.

This Youth Day Josh Gen Church was hosting a fun day in the township of Dunoon and was the movie premiere that the church/company had created which was filmed in the township. There were lots of activities including bounce houses, face painting, chalk drawing, soccer, and net ball. It was a wonderful to hang out with these beautiful children and laugh with them.

Sunday Night Dinner

After church on Sunday, Zandi and I decided to go out for dinner at a restaurant that was near to her house. When we got there, it was looked pretty busy but there were a couple tables that seemed open. Zandi walked into the main area and asked for a table and the lady said that they were fully booked. Here in Cape Town, you can easily walk into a deserted place and they will tell you that it is full because everyone will have reservations at 8pm. Zandi walked out and said that it was full. I said but there is a free table here and I pointed to an area by the door. I said “Maybe if they hear my American voice, they will let us have that table!” I have found here…even though I think it is SO WRONG that once people hear my AmeriCAN voice, I seem to get what I want…I consider it a perk at times, so use what you have right? I walked back to the waitress and asked again if there wasn’t any room just for 2 people and I said how about the table outside, in which she said yes we could have it. I walked backed outside to tell Zandi that we got a table! She looked at me…and just gave me this look…and walked in and sat down. I was like “see American has it’s perk” and she said it wasn’t because I was American…it was because I am white. I looked at her and was like, no I am yellow! Haha. I sat there and realized what had happened…it was because she is black that she was declined the table…I was and am utterly shocked as I hadn’t encountered this before or at least noticed it. I have heard stories after stories of things like this and it is apparently common in Cape Town…but I was and am so angry about it! I asked if she wanted to leave and she said no…we are here so lets eat.  I am thankful that I was raised to not see color…and Cape Town you are behind by 10 years, but come on! I just want to apologize over and over to her and everyone who has and is treated like that…they are 100% human as anyone else and to be treated like you is so disgusting and WRONG! This  is something that rings in my heart. You know my heart is about justice and if there is injustice my loud Asian voice will come out and this is one of those topics that I can’t comprehend how and why people would think they are better….It opened my eyes, but next time it happens there may be a fist fight or a rebuking revival in the restaurant!

Friends come and go, and God always provides

In a span of 2 weeks in the month of May, 2 friends moved who I had come to know well in Cape Town.

I had to say goodbye to was Emily Woo. Emily is from Seattle and our paths crossed through The City Church. We were in the same ladies bible study and roughly around the same time were both thinking of moving to Cape Town. I ended up coming about 3 months before her…but she was right behind. Emily volunteered for http://reciprocity.co.za/ where they are creating businesses in the townships. She was originally suppose to only stay for 4 months but extended it to 5 because she loved Cape Town so much (I still believe that the real reason was she loved me as her roommate!) Emily moved into my flat after 2 months and stayed with me until the end. She was a trooper as she slept on a blue inflatable mattress and/or my couch the WHOLE time and never once complained about it or stole my bed (although now that I think of it…why didn’t she ever cuddle in bed with me?!) Emily fell in love with Cape Town the moment she stepped off that plane and raved about it every chance that she got. She knows and has seen more of Cape Town in the first 2 months than I have to date…crazy girl. I hadn’t had a roommate in years and it was such a joy and relief at times to come home and know that she would be home when I got off work and would always have a smile asking how my day was. She even at times were prepared with a mint magnum ice cream bar in hand  We shared some great memories and I appreciated her passion and love for Cape Town and life, our comparisons of Cape Town and the US, her outgoing spirit, Godly wisdom, our crazy talks, and how she enjoyed my view from my living room as much as I do (so what if she liked the mountains and I liked the shirtless men playing soccer…same view..right?) Dropping her off at the airport and walking into my empty and silent apartment was definitely weird….but her short stay is something I will treasure. Emily Woo…I don’t know what lies ahead for you but I do trust God in knowing that He will lead you. I am thankful that he placed you in my life when He did and getting to share this experience with you is priceless. Thank you for supporting me and always encouraging and listening to me. I know that our experiences have been on separate spectrums and I hope and thank God that my trials didn’t effect the season that He brought you here for. I love you and miss you! Onward to more adventures!

Nadja, is a friend who I got to know through work and grew close to over the months. She is originally from Germany but got a job in Cape Town with Amazon and moved down. I remember the first time that we got to hang out together and God truly orchestrated the whole event without any of us having a clue. I had packed some games in my suitcase in the US and had trucked them all the way to Cape Town. I wanted to have things that could make me feel like I was “home” and a way to invite people and get to know them. It had been several months since I had moved into my flat and I had not hosted a game night yet…so on this Friday night in February, I invited a couple friends over after work including Nadja. During our girls’ night, she openedly shared some things that were going on in her life and the Lord was able to use me to minister to the circumstance but more importantly support her and we instantly became friends through sharing life together. We have gotten to share many laughs and tears during multiple game nights and several delicious meals and walks together. In May she had decided she needed to head back to Germany and my heart did skip a beat as I had fondly fallen in love with this amazing girl…even though she is German  We both know that it was the right decision for her, but it is never easy. So the last shindig we did was have a Sunday jazz brunch at the Winchester Mansion Hotels in Seapoint. With Zandi (who I will rave about later and indulge on this crazy black chic) and Nadja, we got all dolled up and headed to this fancy place for seriously one of the best times I have had in Cape Town. We ended up in the room where the live band was playing, vs. the other room where it was playing over the speakers…and we were right up front. They served us with champagne and the newspaper and we spent the next 3 hours devouring every item on the buffet table. It was such an extraordinary time of music, food, laughter, and sweet memories with these girls. It has been about a month since Nadja has left and I do miss her, but I am so dang proud of her. I am proud of the decisions that she has made and I look forward to seeing how God unfolds her story in this next season. Nadja, although it was a short time, you are such an important part of my story and season here in Cape Town and I thank you for sharing it with me. I thank you for loving me and letting me be part of your life and opening your heart to me. God does have so many good things in store for you and I know that God will truly honor you in the decisions that you have had to make in the last few months and although hard, God will bless you abundantly for your obedience and listening to His calling and heart.

I say in the title that God always provides that in the time that I had to say goodbye to Nadja and Emily, I met two sweet girls from Josh Gen Church. Candi and Zandi…how can you go wrong with those names?! You will hear more about them in the coming months, as they are a hoot (not south African terminology of a car horn…but the American terminology of hilarious and amazing!)

Dunoon and some mayisms

I can't leave this blog in such a depressing state...so let me tell you about the township and end with something I am sure will make you all laugh AT me.
This past Sunday I finally got to go to a township church! I have been attending Josh Gen Church here in the city the lasst few months and they have a church in a township called Dunoon. http://www.milnerton.info/nearbySuburbs/DuNoon/DuNoon.html
When the service started, my heart was beating in hearing them sing about Jesu...it was beautiful. I then looked outside and all the kids were downstairs, outside playing. I don't know if it was just a 1 day thing...or if they don't have a children ministry set up, but it didn't really matter...cause if you know me...you know where this story is going! I walked outside to the balcony and watched 3 little girls...who were probably watching me too as they talked in Xhosa and giggled. I talked to you them for a few minutes, they taught me how I should be dancing :) and I later ended up downstairs with them as they sat playing with rocks. It was a beautiful scene of kids just running around...just beautiful. I took the rocks that they were piling together and taught them how to play hopscotch, followed by duck duck goose in which the boys now joined us, to relay races and red light green light. Games are universal...they may not understood my english with my american accent...but we all can talk games! It was a wonderful 2 hours with these kids and them showing me "spinning" aka cartwheels and clapping games about "momma in the kitchen cooking (and you whip your hands like you are stirring,) daddy is the bedroom, sleeping...." For sure going back again and hopefully more equipped with games, sweets, and a kids bible.

Need a laugh...imagine this!
 I got thrown in last minute at work to handle flu vaccinations. My company ordered flu vaccines but not everyone took them; since it is late in the season, we can't return the flu shots, so it is use it or lose it...My company would still have to pay the cost...so desperate times = desperate measures! I started by advertising "shots, shots, amazon is offering free shots, they may be flu shots, but they are still shots :)" Later in the evening, I went even further and bribed people to get the shot! So not HR appropriate....but I am in Africa! haha. I walked around with a candy bar in my hand promoting a free sweet for a flu shot! I can say it was a success as we didn't have many left over! SCORE for the amazing, creative, American!

MISS AND LOVE YOU GUYS SO MUCH!

On my mind

I know that it has been such a long time since I have updated you guys...and I promise that I will get to Kruger Park eventually....but since I am up tonight, this has been on my mind lately and I thought I would give an insight into me with where I am at now... It has been 8 months since I moved from Seattle and the last few months I have trying to push into the fact that "there is more God...There is so much more here" yet my heart is beating for familiarity, simplicity, and the sense of NOT having to fight. Many of you knew my struggles when I first moved to Cape Town and how it felt like I had to fight tooth and nail to get a place, a bed, furniture, and on and on it seemed. Today as I was reflecting while sitting in homegroup....it still feels that way..fighting. Fighting to find my place here in Cape Town both personally and professionally. I have contacted numerous orphanges and no one has emailed me back...my heart for kids! There will be a story coming soon about a township I got to visit...stay tuned to hear how I entertained 20 kids with only rocks, yes I am pretty amazing! Buster my car was busted into about a month ago, friends leaving who have made the season wa more memorable, and grappling with who I thought I was, who I am, who my family wants me to be, who God sees me, and knowing that there is MORE. I know this is such a loaded question but it really has been my life lately. There is so many good things happening here in Cape Town and I really do mean to share them with you...just not today I guess :) I have been going to a church that reminds me so much of SB days....and in some way it feels like I am pedaling backwards...which I know I am so not. So much has happened from SB to Seattle to Africa (I know you Capetonians, I know....I am in SOUTH AFRICA....but we can have a discussion about that later!)God seems to be getting my feet wet into things that I haven't done or seen in quite a long time...and it feels like he is just asking me "do you remember...do you remember who you are?" Seattle was such a time of healing for me and that season I had stepped away from things that had been so familiar to me...and now it is coming full circle and I am not the same person. I rejoice in seeing this...and yet timid for some odd reason. Today I feel like He is saying "can you fight a little longer for what is in store for you...can you push into Me a little harder." So although I am exhausted, today, I feel a little nudge, a little push, and some faith and grace that has been breath back into me. Thank you Jesus :)