Oh to be young agin...

Remember when you were a kid and on the weekends all you had to do was wake up and the biggest decision you faced was whether to play basketball or video games? Yea those were the good ‘ol days and thanks to Pearnel, our awesome driver who takes us everywhere, I was reminded of such good memories. Ironically, this joy was not discovered on the beach or in the car but rather in an environment where struggle and oppression are its foundation: District 6 museum. Here you will find artifacts, documents, pictures and appliances that symbolize the lives of colored and black people during the years of apartheid. In short, District 6 was a very lively and friendly black and colored community and during apartheid people were forced out of their homes and relocated in order to make room for more white people as well as allow the government to make money off of the land. Pearnel was 7 years old when he and his family were forced out of their home and left everything behind; his friends, his neighbored, his life as he knew it.

Watching him explain how he and his siblings used to cut up newspaper to make a table runner for the kitchen cabinet or showing us how his family used an old fashioned stove pot hit me hard; although I’ve only known this man for only a week now, I saw more passion in his stories and expressions than I have from people I have known for years. Not only was he alive during such a dark time for this country but he experienced it. He, and everyone like him, was oppressed and yet here he was, sharing inspiring stories with a bunch of white kids with no sign of hostility or resentment. My favorite part was watching him demonstrate what games he used to play as a child and trust me, there was nothing like a gameboy or television available. Rocks, sticks, bricks and chalk were a child’s best friend. It made me realize how “needy” I am at 21 years old. I find myself saying I need the internet, I need to bring my camera everywhere, I need to do this or that when in truth I don’t “need” any of that. Back then, all I actually needed was an open mind, a joyful spirit, a willingness to fall down and learn from my mistakes, God's mercy and grace, and a yearning to love. Fourteen years later, that’s still all I need. 

This is what the LORD has commanded: ‘Everyone is to gather as much as they need. Take an omer for each person you have in your tent.And when they measured it by the omer, the one who gathered much did not have too much, and the one who gathered little did not have too little. Everyone had gathered just as much as they needed.

Exodus 16:16-18

Simply yours,

Janelle

Mmmm mmmm tasty...

Over the past 2 days my taste buds have been on quite the exotic roller coaster. I have eaten and/or tried: Springbok, Lamb ‘n Ostrich burger, Minced lamb, Pap ‘n Veg, Kudo, Ox Tail, butternut squash, and last but not least…tripe. Google that last one and you’ll be surprised – I know I was when our program director told us to take just one bite of it but refused to tell us what it was until after we did so. I understand why. Although it was all cooked very well and full of exotic spices, I wasn’t exactly nuts about the meats. Most people liked the ox tail, which is like  sweetened and spicy pot roast but it wasn’t really my thing. If anything I enjoyed ostrich the most. Who knew?

Needless to say, dinner was great, and was definitely a welcomed activity after having to sit through UWC’s (University of Western Cape) international student orientation from 9 am to 2:30 and then wait in line to register (old-school style – yup, no online registration…grrr) till 6 pm. While it was definitely frustrating trying to get signed up for classes working with a restricted schedule (we have to have 2 full days open for service learning and our MU classes are on Fridays so we have limited choices as to what we can take), it wasn’t all that bad and if this is the most frustrating thing I experience then it’s going to be a breeze.

Another activity that made the day better was putting up all my pictures in my room. I have about 60 on the wall at the head and next to my bed. I love them. Vicky (one of my housemates) helped me put them up and we had a Girl’s Night In, listening to relaxation music and painting our nails. Solid choice. Don’t get me wrong, I would have loved to go out with the rest of the house but I was just too tired and I think the jet lag is finally catching up with me.

Anyway, short entry today. Have to wake up in 5 hours to go to the museums tomorrow so I’m off to bed. 

I finally made it!!!

***To clarify: this post was written on Jan 23 but since I did not have internet until today it was uploaded on the 24th***

Oh. My. Word. I’m living in a dream…I expect to wake up any minute now because it all seems too good to be true: the beautiful blue skies, the warm 80 degree heat, the 12 hours of sunlight, the mountain that greets you when you walk out the front door, only having to walk 2 minutes to get to the grocery store, being able to buy $25 worth of food for only $10 (thank you exchange rate!), the great group dynamics, everything…I am floored. Needless to say my anxiety has definitely been diluted down and pushed to the back of my mind while being replaced with oodles of…how shall I put this? Hmmm…ah yes - ecstasy! Yup. Totally high on life right now and loving it.

Saying goodbye to my family was definitely difficult, especially knowing that I won’t be able to be with them for 5 full months, but I was glad that I got to be with them before they sent me on my way. Besides, it is never goodbye – it’s just a “see you later” kind of thing.




On the other hand, the plane ride over here was nowhere near as bad as I was anticipating. In fact it was kind of enjoyable. Plenty of time to journal and relax. Not to mention the mini-personal TVs we had with free movies, TV shows, music and games definitely helped and I managed to squeeze roughly 3 hours of sleep out of the 19 that we were in the air. Once we arrived we were taken to the van with a huge trailer for our luggage only to discover both trailer tires virtually had no air in them. Thankfully, Dan saved the day with his bike bump and we all made it to Kimberly House safe and sound at 1 am. Although we were all exhausted the rush of excitement had everyone up till about 3 or 4 – whoo hoo!

Today was absolutely outstanding! Woke up, wandered around Observatory (the suburb we now live in, which is fondly nicknamed Obz for short), got some groceries, went for a run (it was hot), did some hardcore, six pack abs (oh yeaaaaa), ate surprisingly tasty pizza with the group for lunch, showered (sooooooo amazing), got locked in the bathroom (no surprise there), took the train to the beach for 2 hours, showered again and did not get locked in this time (there is hope for me), went out for dinner with a small part of the group and ended the day by hitting up a bar called Stones where I got to sit outside on the ledge of the balcony (totally safe, I promise – I know you’re freaking out as you’re reading this mom) :)

The beach was phenomenal. Ohhh my goodness. I took pictures, of course (which will be uploaded once I can get to an internet café because it will need more megabytes than updating my blog) but they do not do any of the ocean or Table Mountain (the mountain that can be seen anywhere in Cape Town) justice. My jaw dropped and my heart raced for a good few minutes as we approached the magnificent beach that overlooked such a vast ocean. After conquering the monstrous waves by diving right in and getting tossed around for 15 minutes, my mini group and I decided to go down a little path and it was on this path that I had the prime opportunity to slowly absorb my surroundings. Seeing such beauty humbled me for I was reminded that God created all of this with pure beauty. I was beside myself and now that I am sitting here at 2:15 AM, SA time (though I won’t have access to post this until tomorrow afternoon or late tomorrow night, hence the date of the 24th or 25th of the post even though I’m blogging about the 23rd. Confusing, I know) I could not have asked for a better day. Yes I know, I know it won’t always be like this. In fact, I read on my friend’s blog that there are 4 stages of homestickness: the honey-moon phase, frustration, depression and acceptance. Needless to say, I’m in the honeymoon phase and I am going to soak it up as much as I possibly can. Mmmmm…South Africa :D

Well, seeing how I do have to get up in 5 hours to begin a long week full of registration and group activities, I am off to bed. Watch for updates with pictures – and for those of who don’t believe that I will keep up my picture/blog resolution – just watch me and be pleasantly surprised :) This is Janelle, signing off. Over and out.

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.
Philippians 4:8

Much love to all,
Janelle

New blog? New layout?

Before I dive into the abyss of my mind I have a question for those of you that are following my blog (and if you're reading this I assume that you are): Do you find yourself wanting to comment on one of my posts but are deterred by the fact you have to have a google account to do so? If so, I may have found a solution. I've been toying with the idea of changing over to wordpress.com, another blogging site, where anyone can comment without having any kind of account. My frustration is that I can't customize the colors and such to match this one (I'm quite fond of the brown color scheme and globe background) but in the end having feedback from people is more important. That said, could you please vote in my new poll with your opinion? Thank you in advance :)

Now, I suppose I should start describing the sea of emotions I have been and am currently swimming through with 4 days left before my departure. At the forefront is anxiety; anxiety over packing (which I finally started and feels like will never end), anxiety over having everything done on time, whether or not I'll be able ot visit Milwaukee one final time due to the inconvenient "wintry mix" of weather, spending as much time with my family as possible, packing, forgetting essential items, adapting to South African culture, and did I mention packing? I know I'll be okay once I get there and the excitement will override everything else but right now it's just a matter of taking it a day at a time, even an hour at a time...

Apart from anxiety I'm kind of at an emotional standstill. I feel numb...I'm living a façade, not realizing that in less than 4 days my normal everyday routine is going to evaporate and be transformed into a completely different kind of "normal" over the next 5 months. I will encounter a plethora of new sights, tastes, smells, sounds, experiences but right now it's difficult to comprehend. Perhaps it's because I have 2 empty suitcases sitting across the room from me, staring me down...I should go fix that. 

On a lighter and totally unrelated note, I saved $500 shopping at Kohl's today! What originally started as a mission to find a white T-shirt expanded into a whole shopping extravaganza. It was awesome! If any of you need winter boots for next year they are having an incredible sale where I got 3 pairs of $80 boots for $30 each. Sorry, the savvy shopper in me was very satisfied and I felt compelled to share :P Speaking of savvy shopper, I experience this money-saving-excitement whenever I shop at my favorite store, "Your Best Friend's Closet." Definitely worth checking out if you're in the Chicago-land area. A little shout out to my favorite ladies there!  ♥

All in all, I have faith in God and myself that everything will be just fine. Besides, every great journey begins with a single step. 

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.

Philippians 4:6

Now where did I put those pink socks...?

Janelle

Holy moly...10 days

It's starting...the nerves are definitely starting to kick in. My adventure ahead has shifted from appearing surreal to nerve-wracking. Don't get me wrong, I'm still excited but if I had to choose being nervous and excited, currently I'd choose the former. And that may change tomorrow, or the day after or next week, who knows...I do know, however, that everything happens for a reason and Cape Town is going to shape me in ways I have yet to comprehend. 

I started my part-time job this past week and things have been going very well. In spite of working, I am fortunate to still be able to have final farewell-get-togethers with friends and form memories to take with me to Cape Town. As the time of my departure draws nearer, I'd like to make a shout out to all my friends and family: thank you. Thank you for all the laughter, the tears, trials, support, encouragement, craziness, and love you have shared with me. Whether we just met or have been friends for 13 years, I am grateful for the many bonds I have formed for I know that they have shaped me into who I am today. 

Now that I'm off of my soap box, I've realized I've been running non-stop this whole break without taking the time to rest. Let's not even talk about my sleep schedule :P It's funny because most of my friends are bored out of their skulls right before going back to school but truthfully I'm in la-la land where it's hard to tell the day of the week anymore. My point is that if I haven't stopped going full speed while on break, I'm definitely going to crash and burn in South Africa if I don't take care of myself. Therefore, while these next 10 days may be stressful with last-minute packing stuff, I'm going to do everything I can do rest up and at least get 8 hours of sleep a night. Hey, at least I'm trying, right? 

For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.

Jeremiah 29:11

Peacefully yours,

Janelle

Farewell 2010...hellooo 2011!

Wow...just like that 2010 has come and gone. Looking back it was a decent year: the former half had it's challenges but the summer was filled with great experiences and the kick-off to junior year at Marquette was incredible. I had a wonderful fall semester and it was definitely my best yet. Although I've made some mistakes this past year, I have no regrets from 2010. In fact, that's one of my new year's resolutions: embracing my mistakes as learning opportunities instead of seeing them as failures. A majority of my life I have feared making mistakes and have developed this idea that I need to be as perfect as humanly possible, which is pretty ridiculous and darn stressful if you ask me. I've learned over the past year that mistakes are not only normal, but they're healthy and an essential part of life in order to keep growing. If you don't make mistakes, you don't learn and you don't grow. And I definitely don't want to live a stagnant life. 


Don't get wrong, I'm not going to start seeking opportunities to make mistakes; rather, if mistakes happen I'm simply not going to beat myself up over them. I'm trying to adapt this philosophy as much as possible before I leave for overseas because being in a foreign country for the first time I'm bound to make mistakes. I'm excited to learn and grow and see how South Africa shapes me over the next 5 months. Granted, I'm aware it won't be all roses and daisies by any means, but can you blame a girl for being excited? 


My other resolutions for 2011 are: updating this blog once a week, updating my facebook with pictures within 2 weeks of an event, and talking less in conversations by listening more. The first 2 are self explanatory but the last one might need some explaining. To clarify, it was actually my mom's resolution and I decided to join her in it but I really do like the idea. To take it a step further, there is so much in life to absorb and observe but often we are too involved in talking or rushing to our next destination to listen to the world around us. When was the last time I just sat and listened to the wind? To appreciate it's beautiful melody as it echoes in the trees. Or to sit and watch children play on the playground? To capture their innocence and re-instill it within myself. It's been too long and so I am going to take 5 minutes each day to sit and "be."


I once read a poem that was titled "Slow Dance" and the main verse was "You better slow down. Don't dance so fast. Time is short. The music won't last." As I spend these last 3 weeks at home, I will strive to dance slowly and fully to life's music. 


Don't brashly announce what you're going to do tomorrow; you don't know the first thing about tomorrow.
Proverbs 27:1 


With an open ear and mind,
Janelle