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Trip Start Feb 05, 2007 Previous
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  Barberton, South Africa
Tuesday, February 13, 2007

I will add a little more detail to my trip out to Badplaas this last weekend. The resort itself was really large and connected to a game reserve, where you can rent 4x4 and go on trails or horse back ride. We just went car camping, but there were little circle huts you could rent out, and houses, and then huge houses that overlooked the mountains near by. There were water slides, rides, a supermarket, shopping, restaurants, about four pools that were all warmed from springs. It was large enough that I could disappear on my own, but for awhile I was stuck with the group and listening to what a majority of white Afrikaans listen to which is easily the worst music I have ever heard in my life. They take 70s/80s hits, and then mix them together, and then someone else sings the same or different lyrics from the original songs. It was also the music that Eric, the guy who drove us, featured on the drive to Badplaas, so at least I was a little bit prepared for it to follow me around when I got to the resort. Most of the people that were there were locals from the area near by.

Spending my weekend at the resort isn't really how I want to spend my weekends here, but it was an adventure nonetheless, and I only spent 140 rand, that's 20 dollars. This weekend the house is emptying out again, but I am staying behind and I think I will enjoy the house to myself. 10 people to one shower isn't the best ratio ever.  I am going to go to church with Binki and her family, which sounds a whole lot more enjoyable than last weekend.

I have had a couple requests from family and family friends about my address, which until
April 5th will be:

Anne Conners
P.O. Box 3417
Barberton 1300
Mpumalanga
South Africa

If you are interested in sending the pre-school supplies, anything that could be used to teach basic English or counting would be useful. Arts and crafts tools are always in demand as well. I gather that these creches are funded in part from the government and their parents pays 20 rand a month to send their children there, which is less than 3 American dollars. but 20 rand is a lot of money in South Africa especially for these families.

I have started to really get to know the kids in my class, Singlawo, (I can't say his name at all because there is a click somewhere in the middle) who is one of the older boys gave me the candy out of his lunch today. He is very bright and seems to understand me a little bit more than the other kids. It's strange how that simple gesture made my day. I guess I did come all the way out here in the hopes of making connections with the people that I will be working with on a daily basis. I also distracted Makie, a little girl, with cat's cradle, because she was bickering with another boy. It turns out they have cat's cradle in South Africa already, but they call it Batcha.

I promised a lot of people postcards, and I'm sure you won't believe me but I haven't been able to find any in Barberton. It's a pretty small town and I get the sense they don't get a lot of tourists out here. Whenever I get back to the Nelspruitt airport, I'll be sure to grab a whole bunch.

If you want to send me a message you can also do that directly to my email so you don't have to deal with travelpod. anneconners@gmail.com or conneras@whitman.edu both work.

I would also like to ask everyone that reads this blog not to judge my parents as poor investors for putting me through a private college education because of the poor quality of writing I have produced and posted on the internet.

I hope all is well.

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