Anyway, in the last month I've continued to help with Homework Club, and thanks to the package I got in the mail today from Mom&friends I'll be able to better entertain the kids while they wait to be tutored. We also took a weekend trip to Tsitsikamma National Park, where we zip-lined and almost everyone (except for me!) went bungee jumping. (Pictures and other details to come.)
I still absolutely love it here. I do believe that the first month was more or less a "honeymoon" phase, and I think that anyone else who has studied abroad can attest to that. But I think I like the slower pace now; we're all more settled now. We've realized that while we're here to experience new cultures, we have to go to class, too. We're all still left with plenty of free time, (which we're filling with reading the Twilight series and watching Dexter and Weeds,) but it's a completely different experience than that first month or so that we were here.
Speaking of classes, this is the last week of Term 1, so after I turn in a paper on Friday (on some of T.S. Eliot's poetry,) I'll have off until April 14. My plan for the fall break is to go on the International Office's sponsored trip to Cape Town. I had other plans to go more independently (rent a car with friends, stop and go as we pleased,) but I'm happy that I've decided to go with the I.O. The trip is all-inclusive, and it will be much safer since we'll be accompanied by a driver, guide, and someone from the I.O.
I can e-mail the specific itinerary to anyone who wants it, but here are the high points:
Knysna scenic tour, Simola Golf Estate visit, Thesen Island, Mosselbay Dias Museum & Harbor tour, Hermanus walkabout, Cape Town cultural tour-Castle of Good Hope tour and Holocaust museum, Table Mountain Platteklip hike, Township tour, Cape Point funicular tour, and Wine route with a wine tasting and cellar tour
I saved you all the trouble by linking the websites of some of them, so click away. :)
We're leaving on Sunday and will return the following Saturday. Once I get my paper done I'll try to do more updates (before I head out of town,) since I have a lot to catch up on.
