HP's African Internship Adventure

A Legal Alien.. FINALLY!

2010-02-12T12:59:00.000+02:00

Well folks, it has finally happened. My visa has been approved!!! It has been almost two months since I applied for it. Yikes, I was becoming a little nervous about whether or not it would ever come through. South Africa's Home Affairs office can be a bit of a nightmare. Since my visa has come through, I was able to go back to work at the Sports Science Institute today. :)

I am really excited for the winter Olympics! I hope that I can find someone who has the proper channels so I can watch Team USA kick some butt! I have many friends competing in Vancouver and I wish them all the best of luck. I hope that they are able to take a breather from training and competing to remind themselves of where they are. To be able to compete in the Olympics is an amazing accomplishment, and certainly not something many people can claim to have done. I am very proud of each one of my friends and their accomplishment of qualifying for the Olympic team, no matter how you place, in my mind each of you are gold medalists. I am going to have a fun time trying to explain the rules of all the different winter Olympic sports to people who have never seen a real snowfall in there life. It is going to be an interesting two weeks. Someone still needs to explain the rules of curling to me though.. can you use a regular kitchen broom? Or is there a curling specialty store that sells hybrids? Hmmmm.... I think I want one.

I'm outta here for now. I hope everyone is doing well.. remember to set your TIVO's cuz there's sure to be a lot of action coming out of Canada!

Much love,

HP

All Aboard

2010-01-25T15:42:00.000+02:00

Hello again,

I don't really have a lot of exciting stuff to talk about. But something scary did happen to me on the train this morning. Apparently there are three different class compartments on the train. I normally ride in the first class compartment, but this train did not have one. I accidently ended up riding in the third class compartment. All I can say is whoops, and that will definitely never happen again.The train compartment was packed and I was standing close to the door because my stop was coming up. I had my backpack in front of me and my arm was over the pocket that had my wallet and phone inside of it. As I was getting ready to get off I looked and a giant scary man had opened one of my pockets and had his hand inside of it!!!! Luckily this pocket had nothing valuable in it.. but still I felt very frightened and violated. I pushed his hand away, closed the pocket and got off the train. The entire walk to work I was afraid this man might be following me. I was walking very fast and stuck with a group of people. Tomorrow I will be purchasing pepper spray.

I was looking at photos of all the snow in Lake Tahoe, I also have been reading people's Facebook statuses which have been full of skiing and snowboarding updates. I am currently sitting in my office sweating. I am feeling a bit homesick and reading about my friends powder skiing certainly does not help. So please, out of consideration can you talk about how crappy the snow is and how you did not have a good time on the mountain. Thanks, I appreciate it. If you keep it up, I might just have to talk about how warm it is here, how tan everyone is and how much I enjoy spending time on the beach drinking cocktails. :)

On Friday night I went to a local high school's performance. My friend Mel (an alumni of the high school) was asked to play a few acoustic songs in it. It was awesome! I don't remember having that many talented people all coming from my high school (no offense guys). I really think that they put something in their water. Some of those girls are definitely going to make it big. What made it even better for me was listening to everyone sing broadway songs with a South African accent. Haha.. I think I am the only person in the audience that found the show even better because of it, being that I was probably the only person watching without a South African accent. :)

Here is a travel tip. If you are feeling homesick do not.. I repeat.. DO NOT lie on your bed, in the dark and look at photos of what your friends are doing without you at home. You might find yourself sending soppy "I miss you soooo much" messages. Not that there is anything wrong with that... cough.. for anyone who recieved one.. cough. Instead, look at photos of fun times that you and your friends (and family) have had.

Lots of love,

HP

2010-01-13T10:01:00.000+02:00

Here is the link for the Twitter updated shark attack. The person did not survive, they found the other half of his body in the water. I wont be swimming anytime soon.

http://unscrambled.wordpress.com/2010/01/12/witness-tweets-shark-attack-as-it-happens/

A few more photos of my friends...

2010-01-12T21:19:00.000+02:00

This was taken at my first South African Braai (BBQ)

This was taken at friends birthday party.. even the men were wearing dresses.

Happy New Year!! I hope that your 2010 is filled with love and adventure.

NEW!!!!!

2010-01-12T21:11:00.000+02:00

Hi Y'all,

Yeah.. it's been a while. I know.. I've been a bad blogger. I apologize.

Sooooo.... where to begin? I have had the last 3 weeks off of work so I have been filling up my days with fun activities such as: lying by the pool, going to the beach, doing touristy things, running, theme parks, boat rides, hunting penguins, etc. I start at the Sports Science Institute again on the 14th. And I can honestly say that I am looking forward to it. I love it there.

I have mastered the train system here since my initial troublesome encounter. I have been told that I no longer sound "American".. so I guess I am picking up the accent. I am finding it difficult to differentiate between a South African and American accent now. Which is strange and slightly embarrassing. I have settled into a wonderful group of friends. They have become my South African family and are constantly looking out for me and making sure that I am having a good time. I really like them. :) I have applied for my yearlong "volunteer visa" and will apply for a work visa once this one goes through. Baby steps.

Merry Christmas (a bit late) This photo was taken at Carols by Candlelight.

My friends have introduced me to the show Little Britain. I am hooked, it is hilarious! If you enjoy British humor, please check it out! There is even a Little Britain USA. Brilliant. I have been quoting the show for the last two weeks.

Cape Town is a beautiful place in the summer! The other day it was 38 degrees celsius! That was unbearably hot. I even considered diving into the ice cold ocean in Hout Bay. Unfortunately this water was contaminated by a local squatter camp's waste, so I didn't go for a swim. Ew.

Another reason why I didn't go swimming... there was a shark attack today in Fishhoek. And if you want to know more about it apparently there was a witness giving Twitter updates shortly after.. and possibly during the incident. Yikes.

I promise to give more blog entries shortly. Thanks for being so patient over the last few months!

Much love,

Hilary

Pull Harder?

2009-11-16T10:16:00.000+02:00

This morning I took the train to work for the first time. This was a bit of a mission because I had to figure out where the train station is and which train I needed to get on.

After I figured that out, I bought my ticket and hopped aboard. It was a nice ride and things were going well.. that is until I got to my stop and tried to get off the train. I couldn't open the doors to get off. I wasn't quick enough and ended up not being able to get off at my stop. I was embarassed, but the people who were on the train helped me out and told me I need to pull extra hard to open the doors. I got off at the next stop and then rode a train back to the station close to where I work. Haha, I am still laughing at myself for not being able to open the doors. I must have looked like a complete moron. Live and learn.

No snow for me

2009-11-13T10:20:00.000+02:00

Hello,

After a few worried text messages from my parents, I have decided to delete my last post. My parent's think thought that it was "unprofessional." I don't want to look bad, I just wanted to be honest about what was happening to me. I think that people can learn from the situation that I was in, it was certainly a learning experience for me.

Other than that hiccup, things are going well. I am very excited because Tish is back in South Africa. She is currently in Johannesburg, but will be in Cape Town in December. I am counting down the days until I can see her! She called me yesterday, it was great to hear a familiar voice. Finally, a friend from "home" that is back in her homeland. If that makes any sense at all... it does to me. Another friend of mine from college, Rhaea, is coming. She will be here in January, she is busy trying to plan a trip for the three of us. She is quite a world traveller.

Time has been flying since I have been here. I can hardly believe that I have been here for two months already. It feels strange to not be packing my ski bags and getting ready to head to Colorado for a Thanksgiving training camp with Olin/Lacasse Ski Racing School and other training camps with Sierra Nevada College. I am missing the snow and skiing already. I knew that I would miss it, I just didn't expect that it would happen so soon. I wish all of my ski racing buddies and the kids that I have coached the best of luck this season. Remember, skiing is supposed to be fun! Sometimes it is easy to get caught up in training and forget why you love the sport. Keep smiling! And take a few runs for me! :-)

Since I cannot ski here, I am trying to find new hobbies. I have been practicing the guitar and I am trying to write my own music. It is a difficult process, and I have a newfound respect for professional musicians. I also just met someone who plays indoor soccer. They need another girl on their team, so I will play with them sometime next week. All of you know how much I love soccer, so there really is no need to go into detail about excited I am to play. Haha. If anyone has any other suggestions on healthy, let me repeat, HEALTHY hobbies, please let me know. I think I will become obsessive about my diet and excercise again. Why not. It is bathing suit (or "costume" as the South African's like to say) season here.

I hope everyone is doing well. Please keep in touch, I love hearing about what you all are up to.

Much love,

Hilary

Cape Town

2009-10-26T13:19:00.001+02:00

Hello all,

I have now been in Cape Town for two weeks. I really like Cape Town, the pace is a lot slower here than in Johannesburg. CT is definitely more like the West Coast in the US, whereas Joburg feels more like the East Coast.

I haven't really explored the city very much yet, I have been busy at the Sports Science Institute (SSISA). But I have been working on some cool projects for SSISA. One is called the Ithuseng Project, it is for South Africa's professional soccer teams. A lot of soccer players in SA do not have a high school diploma, their highest level of education being secondary school. They have it in their mindset that they are going to be soccer stars and make a lot of money by playing for clubs overseas. In reality, despite a lot of the players having a tremendous amount of talent, only a certain number will make it big. So the players who don't make it are left at the end of their soccer careers without any job skills to fall back on. Even the players who do "make it" have a tendency to blow their money on extravagent things and end up pretty much where they began. Drug and alcohol abuse is a big problem within SA's soccer clubs.

Project Ithuseng teaches the soccer players life skills. They learn about banking, HIV/AIDs, drug and alcohol abuse, media training, nutrition, etc. If the player completes 80% of the course he or she recieves a certificate, it is something that they can put on their CV. I got to go with one of my coworkers to a local soccer team that is affiliated with the Dutch club Ajax. I got to meet the players and kick the ball around with them. It was a lot of fun.

A few days ago I went into a township where SSISA has a programme set up for the children called "Little Champs." This programme helps the children develop coordination. Recently, studies have shown that children growing up in townships are lacking some important motor skills, Little Champs is helping solve this problem by using fun games with the young children as a way to develop these motor skills. The children are adorable! I wanted to adopt every single one of them. I don't know what is wrong with me, but lately I have been feeling very motherly. It is like my internal clock has kicked in and my body is telling me that I am ready for a child of my own. I may be ready physically; but financially, emotionally, etc. I am certainly not ready to take that step. I am suffering from what I like to call "Femotion," it is when a woman is emotional for no apparent reason. If you take femotion and add children to the mix it leads to intense motherly feelings. Kittens are also bad for femotion.

On another, less emotional note, I am hoping to head to the beach this week. I would also like to climb Table Mountain and see if I can beat my previous record of reaching the top in 35 minutes. But I cannot hike Table Mountain alone because I would most likely be mugged for my tennis shoes and camera. It is only safe to go up in groups. This is unfortunate, because I would have already climbed it by now. There are some desperate people in SA who have reverted to violent acts in order to get what they need to survive. I just need to have my wits about me at all times when I am out and about. I never carry more money than what I need, I hardly ever carry a purse, and I will not walk alone at night. But really, no matter where you are in the world, you should be doing the same thing. Street smarts people.. street smarts.

On a final note, I would like to encourage all of you to check out Tegan and Sara's new albulm Sainthood that comes out tomorrow (Tuesday.) It is going to be excellent. They are talented musicians. They are also going on tour, so you should check out if they are going to be in your city! Do it for me.. so I can live vicariously through you. You will walk away a fan.. guaranteed.

Cheers!

Tight, Bright and Lumo

2009-10-25T20:32:00.000+02:00

Dance Skillz...

2009-10-25T20:30:00.002+02:00

What Internet?

2009-10-18T14:26:00.001+02:00

Hi all,

Sorry that it has been so long since my last post. I have been a busy woman!

I am writing this full of frustrations. I just want to clarify right now, before I start to rant, that I do love South Africa. There are many wonderful things about this country. I will get into the good things another time, right now I want to talk about what needs to be changed.

First off, the internet here sucks. The entire system is ridiculous and unfair. The way you purchase Internet in South Africa is by megabytes or gigabytes. It is very expensive. You have to purchase it through a telephone company. The company I choose to purchase from is called Vodacom, which is a cellular company. I believe that there are only 3, yes 3, different cellular phone companies here. Not much competition. In order to make the internet work, I had to purchase a special USB stick that holds a SIM card. I then had to purchase a SIM card. After I bought a new SIM card I had to buy the amount of megabytes I wanted. Being that I don't have credit in South Africa, I cannot purchase a year contract with monthly plans. This is unfortunate because it would have saved me a tremendous amount of money. If I could purchase the yearly contract, I would have gotten a free USB stick-SIM card holder. Instead I had to buy one for $1,399 Rand which is around $200 US dollars. YIKES! I then purchased one gigabyte of internet access. This cost about $300 rand or $35 US dollars. This gigabyte supposedly was meant to last a month. Let me tell you how long it took me to use it all...... 7 HOURS!!!!!! I am still in shock over this.

I do not understand how companies can charge per gigabyte. It is insane, it doesn't make sense. Why are you only allowed to download a certain amount of things before being penalized? I miss the vast, great, FREE internet access in the US. I mean, it isn't really free. But it certainly isn't restricted. UGH.

The reason why companies are getting away with this is because a lot of people here are uneducated and do not understand how the internet works. They don't understand that they should not be paying per megabyte, but per month for a plan that allows unrestricted access. I am so frustrated by this that I am planning on writing in to local newspapers to make people aware of how they are being manipulated and used by companies. These companies need to change, and it all starts with public awareness to the problem. If my work Visa is denied it is because I went on an internet rampage.. but I don't care. Someone has to be the first to step up and address the problem. Let it be a stereotypical loud-mouthed American.

Profession: Rugby Player

2009-10-08T15:03:00.001+02:00

Last night I practiced with a local women's rugby team. I was under the assumption that this would be a kick-around women's fun league type thing. I have never been more wrong in my life! We were put through intense drills, sprints, etc. There was also a full-on coach. After practice (which was a blast and a great work-out) the coach came up to me and said that he was bummed that I was moving to Cape Town for two months, but that he would be there next week and could bring my paycheck with him. MY PAYCHECK!?!?!?!?! My jaw must have hit the ground. I was, and still am, in shock. Apparently you are paid per practice and per match to play on that team. The team is affiliated to the Lions, which is a men's pro team. I practiced with a women's semi-pro team and was paid for it, as a walk on. Crazy sauce. Does this make me a professional athlete? I think so. :-)

Life is good my friends.. too good.

On the road again..

2009-10-05T16:06:00.001+02:00

Hello friends,

Goeie more (good morning in Afrikaans). I hope everyone had a great weekend. I went to my first professional rugby match on Saturday. It was a blast and I am now addicted. :-) I actually will be practicing with a team on Wednesday. I just can't keep away from sports for too long, they keep me sane. I am a Blue Bulls fan, if anyone is wondering. Also, I recently discovered that the US has a national women's rugby team. Maybe it's not too late to pursue becoming a professional athlete after-all! ........... Just kidding Mom and Dad..... you can breath again.

Lisa, Kate, and I watching the Bulls annihilate the Griquas.

Thanks to Lisa for the awesome tickets!

On Monday I will be moving to Cape Town to work at the Sports Science Institute, I will be there for about 2 months working on a child outreach program. I will drive to Cape Town with Lynray (Ezlyn's brother). It will be a 10-13 hour drive depending on traffic, road construction, and the amount of stops we decide to make. Also, I will be driving on the opposite side of the road than what I am used to. That should be an interesting experience. The car is a manual and being that people drive on the opposite side of the road in SA, the drivers side is also opposite and you shift with your left hand. This is a strange thing to get used to.

Cape Town is a great city and I am looking forward to spending some time there. But I am sad to leave the friends that I have recently made in Johannesburg, I will be back soon though!

For the last few days I have been craving Starbucks coffee like nobodies business. There is not a single Starbucks in South Africa!!! Can you believe that? Damn. Instant coffee is very popular in SA, and it hasn't been quenching my coffee cravings. Tish is going to send me a care package though. She is a life saver! Thanks buddy!

That's all for now.

Gesondheid! (Cheers)

Hilary

Art of Living

2009-10-01T11:20:00.001+02:00

This to me is what we should all be trying to achieve in life. It is posted on one of my coworkers walls.

The Master in the art of living makes little distinction between his work and his play, his labor and his leisure, his mind and his body, his education and his recreation, his love and his religion. He hardly knows which is which. He simply pursues his vision of excellence in whatever he does, leaving others to decide whether he is working or playing. To him he is always doing both.

-- Zen Buddhist Text

Photos

2009-09-30T11:45:00.002+02:00

The World Cup is less than a year away! I'm jumping for joy on our hike in Pietermaritzburg.

This is what's left of a waffle covered in ice cream, bar one chocolate sauce, and various syrups. Mmmmm! I could get used to this!

A little bit of fun on the beach between meals.

The DAD Fund and Tour de Vino

2009-09-28T15:00:00.002+02:00

For info on what I am working on click on this link. http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=142887812047 This is a new organization that was started by Lyndon Barends and his daughter Ezlyn. We are in the process of organizing everything.

I am also working on the Tour de Vino. It is a bike race that hosts 4,000 competitors, both professional and amateur. There is a mountain bike race and a road race. I am in the process of contacting companies who may want to donate their products to be in the competitor's goody bags. Hopefully I can get some good stuff for the athletes!

Food and Fun in the Sun

2009-09-28T14:53:00.000+02:00

Hello,

I made it back from Durban in one piece. It was a great long weekend. The highlight for me was going to the Prawn Shack, which is about an hour and a half outside of Durban. It is literally a two story shack on the beach. The first level is a bar and the second level is where you sit and get food. You arrive around 11:30am and have a 7 course meal that is spread throughout the day. In between courses you can go downstairs to the bar or take a walk to the beach. The food was delicious and atmosphere was laid-back. They have a shot of tequila in which they put in a small live prawn. We had to have one because it is a right of passage at this place. My shot had 5 prawns in it and one that was giant. It was awful! I can't believe I was convinced to do it. There were swings next to the bar instead of stools. They were a lot of fun until they became painful. No, they do not work like normal swings, my scrapped up and bruised knee is proof.

Yesterday we spent some time at the beach. I attempted to go surfing for a little while. I did catch a few waves on my stomach, but I was not able to stand up this time. The waves were a little tricky. We also ate a traditional African restaurant. I had an ostrich burger, it was really good. Ostrich meat is similar to beef, but it is healthier. We then had waffles and ice cream for desert. The theme of our weekend was definitely food.

Last night I found out that the Sports Science Institute would like me to come work for them from October 12 through December 12. They are based in Cape Town, so I will be moving there a little sooner than expected. I will be working on a child outreach program on top of the projects that I am currently working on. At the moment I am working on a cycling race called Tour de Vino and an organization called the DAD Fund. I am going to be pretty busy for a while!

I will post videos (yes, videos!!) and photos later today.

Sun, Surf and Sand

2009-09-23T14:56:00.000+02:00

I am currently sitting in the Matchworld office surrounded by signed jerseys, sports posters, and Coke bottles. There is a TV that is playing a soccer match and there are people walking around in rugby jerseys. I am in sports heaven. :-) One of the projects that I am currently working on is called Tour de Vino. It is a bike race through wine country. It is both a road race and a mountain bike race, there will be 4,000 participants! I will have another entry explaining more about what I am doing work-wise another time.

Tomorrow morning, bright and early, Ezlyn and I are off to Durban. It is a sub-tropical city that sits on the Indian Ocean. It is known for good surfing and lots of fun in the sun. Tomorrow (Thursday) is a public holiday in South Africa. It is Heritage Day and national Braai (BBQ) day. People are really into Braais here. They even have a website dedicated to Braai. Here is the website: http://braai4heritage.co.za/ I am currently downloading the Braai song, which was recorded by a collaboration of famous musicians in SA. It's catchy.

Ezlyn and I will be meeting up with one of her friends that is doing her residency in Durban. I am excited to jump on a surfboard again, it has been a while. The ocean that I will be in is known for having a high population of sharks, so if you don't hear from me for a while it means that Jaws won. Just kidding Mom..

Here is your random South African fact for the day:

When people say something will be done "just now" what they really mean is it will be done later on. When they say that something will be done "now" it means that it will happen in a little while. When they say something will be done "now now" it will be done at that moment. Don't make the mistake of standing around when someone promises you something "just now", you run the risk of looking like an idiot. Not that I know this from personal experience or anything. :)

Have a good weekend! I know I will!

Ok, maybe the one with the lizard is a bit of an exaggeration.

2009-09-22T16:02:00.000+02:00

A Not So Welcome Visitor

2009-09-22T15:59:00.000+02:00

Hello friends.

Last night as we were settling in, I was in my room and I heard Ezlyn scream and run out of her room. So naturally I got up and asked her what was going on. She said that there was a giant spider in her room. I am not a fan of spiders, not even a little bit. But, I was curious as to how big a "giant" spider is in SA. Well, it was as big as my hand. No joke. I have NEVER seen a spider that big other than on TV and in a zoo. I didn't see it at first because it was on her closet door, right in front of my face!!! As soon as I saw it I had a mini heart attack. We got her mom and she grabbed some bug killing spray. I had a shoe in my hand and Ezlyn had a broom. I honestly don't know how we would have gotten it out of the house without killing it. I also grabbed my camera. Estee attacked the giant spider with the spray, and I took a picture of it when it was curled into a ball. I thought it was dead at this point, I was very wrong. As I was taking a picture of it, it uncurled from the ball and ran at me. HOLY CRAP!!! Did I ever scream like a little girl, Estee and Ezlyn were yelling for me to hit it with the shoe. I did just that, the shoe didn't even cover the entire body of the spider. I then took a picture of the squashed spider.

After this traumatic experience it was very difficult to fall asleep. We think the giant man-eating spider got in because the windows are open in the house. My windows are shut, and will now remain shut for the rest of my time here. I do not want to wake up to a crawly, huge, visitor. Every time something tickled me last night I was convinced that there was a spider in my bed. Yuck. But it's ok though, because apparently only the small spiders are poisonous. :-O Ironically enough, I think I was the most brave out of everyone last night. I mean, I did get close to it to take a picture. Ezlyn and I both got up early for work this morning. Neither of us got much sleep last night, we both had the creepy crawlies. I will post my photos later.

Poor Giraffe..

2009-09-20T14:28:00.000+02:00

New friends.

2009-09-20T14:22:00.000+02:00

House Music

2009-09-20T13:03:00.000+02:00

Dear diary,

Last night/this morning I went to my first rave. It was pretty sweet, but crazy. It is everything I ever imagined a rave to be like. I have found that house music is very popular here. In fact, it is pretty much all that I have listened to while in the car with Ezlyn and her friends. It was also the only thing being played at the club. I have to say that it grows on you for a while, and then it all just begins to sound the same. But I may change my opinion of it as time goes on and more house music is forced into my ears. ;) It is just different than what I am used to I suppose.

After not sleeping a wink last night, I am a bit tired this morning. But I still managed to make scrambled eggs and pancakes for everyone this morning for brunch. People in SA like to put ice cream on their pancakes, did I mention that I really like it here? Ice cream is a favorite food of mine. And since I am talking about food, everything I have eaten here has been wonderful. Estee (Mrs. Barends) is a very good cook and I certainly wont be going hungry anytime soon. Maybe it is time to once again pull my running shoes out of retirement.

Ezlyn's friends are an awesome bunch. I met a lot of them yesterday and I look forward to spending some more time with them. Maybe next time I can introduce them to some "real" music, like Tegan and Sara.

Keeping it real in Johannesburg,

Hilary

Chilis Coaster.. Dubai

2009-09-18T17:20:00.000+02:00

Traffic in Dubai... Madness

2009-09-18T17:18:00.000+02:00

Hello South Africa!

2009-09-16T23:39:00.000+02:00

Well, after a very long trip I made it to Johannesburg. My trip started with a 3.5 hour drive from Wausau, WI to the Minneapolis/St. Paul Airport. I then flew from MSP to New York. I spent an entire day in NYC. I had a blast and met some really cool people. I was in NYC on the same day as the MTV Video Music Awards. I saw their outdoor stage/red carpet and I saw a lot of the stars driving in. The amount of people gathering in that area was crazy! I am disappointed to say that I barely missed Taylor Swift's Subway performance. I got on the train just a bit before she did. Bummer.

From NYC I flew to Dubai. It was a 12 hour flight. Can I just say that Emirates Airlines is FABULOUS! Everyone has their own TV screen with hundreds of movies, TV shows (entire series) and music available electronically. They had hundreds of artist's CD's to choose from, they also had video games. Since I was distracted by how great the entertainment system was I did not sleep as much as I had hoped (only about an hour.) The food was really yummy and the flight staff were very nice and welcoming. I have never had such a great all-around flight experience. I will most definitely continue to fly on Emirates.

I was hoping to spend some time checking out the city of Dubai. But when I arrived I was exhausted. I ended up getting a hotel room and crashing for about 6 hours. The hotel that I stayed in had a shuttle from the airport. I have never been so scared riding in a car in my life. There are no apparent traffic laws, so the roads are a free-for-all. The driver was practically connected the bumper of the car in front of us. There were cars everywhere.

It is currently Ramadan so restaurants are not open until after 6:30pm at night, and stores are not allowed to sell any food or drinks. No one is allowed to serve alcohol and clubs are not allowed to play music. Also, people are not allowed to be seen eating, drinking, or chewing gum in public. I found this out while reading a brochure with a piece of gum in my mouth. Whoops! When I finally did venture out of my hotel room I was starving. It was odd looking at what was around the hotel, I was completely surrounded by American restaurants. There was a Pizza Hut that looked like a 4-star restaurant. I went to a mall and wandered around aimlessly for a while waiting for the restaurants to open. I was too hungry to be adventurous with my food, and instead of tasting local cuisine I ended up eating at a Chilis (lame, I know.)

Hopefully I can come back to Dubai one day and spend some more time actually seeing what UAE has to offer.

I flew from Dubai to Johannesburg (an 8 hour flight). My flight left at 4:40am, so I left my hotel around 2:45am. I slept most of this flight, which was good. I am now sitting in Johannesburg with Ezlyn. She has some fun things in store for us. Next weekend we are going to Durban for a mini-vacation. She has a friend that lives there whom we will meet up with. I am excited to go to the beach!

The Barends are very nice for taking me into their home, they are making me feel very welcome. For those of you who are worried, I am staying in a very safe neighborhood.

I apologize for such a long entry, but I had a lot to talk about after my trip. I am off to get some much needed rest. Later skaters.

Longest Travel EVER!

2009-09-04T17:49:00.000+02:00

With just over one week before I begin my trek to SA I have a laundry list of things that I need to get done. Packing is still on the list.. I hate packing! In the past, I used to enjoy packing because it meant that I was traveling somewhere. When I would go to training camps in Mt Hood Oregon I would pack a month ahead of time. No joke. I was a packing nerd. After a few years, the excitement wore off. Now packing = stress.

Here is why I am dreading packing:

1. It is for a year!!!!!!
2. International airline weight restrictions are very different than domestic weight restrictions. (Guess who has to deal with both.. on three different days!)
3. My room is a disaster.
4. I am going to have a million carry-ons, including a guitar!

My travel plans have been finalized (almost) as of today. This will be quite a long journey, but I will be able to experience a lot of new places.

On Sunday the 13th I fly out of Minneapolis at 7am, it is a 3.5 hour drive from where I am currently living to the airport. I arrive in New York City at 10:45am. I will spend the entire day and night in NYC, a first for me! I fly out of JFK Monday the 14th at 11am. I land in Dubai on Tuesday morning. I will spend the day in Dubai, another first! My flight leaves Dubai at 4:40am on Wednesday the 16th. I land in Johannesburg around 10:30am on Wednesday the 16th. Do not be deceived by the timing of the flight from Dubai to Johannesburg, it is still a 10 hour flight, it is the time difference that tricks you.

If I look a little weary stepping off the plane in Johannesburg, I think my 3-4 day trip is a solid excuse. Not to forget the fact that I plan on doing fun things in-between flights. Rowena might meet up with me in NYC! That would be terrific! :)

Remember, you have to take the time to make opportunities for yourself. Do not be afraid to travel alone, you might meet some very interesting people and have wonderful, growing, experiences. Never shy away from a chance to experience something new and different. Change equals growth.

Officially Official

2009-08-24T19:43:00.000+02:00

Alright, it's official. My flight is booked. Now all I have to do is pack and finish the preparation. Right now I am most excited about the 12 hour flight to Dubai so I can hopefully get some good rest. How sad is that, I am excited to get on a plane to sleep. Over the last few years I have become very good at sleeping on planes. It doesn't matter what seat I have, I can easily fall asleep before takeoff. I can thank ski racing for that talent. :) Although, my Swedish teammates have mastered the art of sleeping in any position, anywhere. I am not quite there yet. If you ever need sleeping advice talk to Caroline Bergstrom... seriously.

I will be spending a day in Dubai on my way to Johannesburg. I will for sure go skiing. I might even go to a water park, they have the world's largest waterslide. You get up to 80KMH (about 50mph) on it!! Now that sounds like my kind of waterslide! What a perfect way to kill time during a long layover!

After my Dubai adventure I will have an 8 hour flight to Johannesburg. After a long day of activities I am sure I will sleep on this flight just fine as well.

Remember, no matter where you are in the world, you should always follow the fun.

2009-08-19T19:14:00.000+02:00

I forgot to mention that SkiDubai is in the middle of a mall. They should add a ski area to the Mall of America! It could be the size of Buck Hill!

2009-08-19T18:59:00.000+02:00

So it is beginning to feel real. Either today or tomorrow I will book my flight. I will most likely fly through Dubai. I will have one day in Dubai to explore. They have an indoor ski area called SkiDubai. I think I will check it out! I will either do that or go check into one of their amazing hotels and lounge by a massive pool all day. Either one works for me. :) Above is a picture of SkiDubai. Kinda funny looking if you have actually been skiing in the mountains before. But I am up for a new experience, and with global warming I think that indoor skiing will become very popular in the future.

2009-08-18T23:05:00.000+02:00

This is Andrea and me 2 years ago at the Southernmost tip of Africa. It is where the Indian Ocean and the Atlantic Ocean meet.

This is in Kruger National Park. Giraffes are beautiful animals. It was surreal to see one so close somewhere other than a zoo. I am not sure if I will make it to Kruger this year. I hope so, I want to go find some big kitties. :)

Packing

2009-08-02T23:53:00.000+02:00

I am currently in the process of sorting through my things and organizing what I will bring with me to Africa. Packing for a year is going to be quite a challenge. I am writing this to reach out for suggestions on what/how I should pack.

In a perfect world airlines wouldn't have luggage weight restrictions.

The Start of it All

2009-08-02T19:05:00.000+02:00

I have decided to start a blog after receiving many request to do so. For those of you who don't know, I am going to South Africa for a yearlong internship. I will be shadowing some of the best sports psychologists in the field. I will mainly be working for a company called MatchWorld as they prepare for the upcoming World Cup. But I will also be working with SA's (South Africa) Olympic Committee, the South African Sports Science Institute, SA's figure skating and ice hockey team, and with their triathlon federation. Needless to say, I am very excited about this opportunity and will make the best out of my time in SA.
One of the wonderful things about this opportunity is the doors that it will open for me in regards to sports psychology. I am planning on going to grad school after this internship adventure and the experience that I will gain over the next year will certainly help to prepare me for it. I am also stoked because I will be at the World Cup, both as a fan and an employee. For those of you who know me, you know how passionate I am about my soccer. Being in South Africa for a year, I will be able to witness firsthand the buildup to the World Cup and the excitement and buzz during the event. This is cool stuff!
It is my goal to keep my blog posts as interesting as possible. I have had the pleasure of following a few of my friend's blogs and they have done a fabulous job. It is fun to see photos and videos. My friend Rowena has done a great job with her blog and I enjoy seeing her new pictures, videos and blurbs. If at any point my blog becomes redundant and boring please don't hesitate to tell me. I will do my best to fix it. Maybe I will add videos of baboons chasing me.. that is always quite a site!

Thank you for taking the time to read this!