First week update

Saturday was a fun day. After writing my last post, I had a nap, and then Ben and Frederico (two coworkers) and their partners Per and Ane, all went out for a night on the town. Went for an awesome meal (eating out here is super cheap--- even the good restaurants), then for drinks (had a weird shot of amarula and mint... ) and then went out dancing in a bar downtown. I think i was one of 4 white faces in the place. I get jolted every once and a while by how segregated this place feels sometimes. Lots of talk about balance and integration, but still many examples of seperateness. But it was a great night, and fun intro to the city! See--- you can be in downtown Joburg at night and not be robbed or killed. :)

Sunday, Ben and I headed over to the hotel to get ready for the workshops that have been going on all week. We are inducting 6 new african countries into the CSI project, so there were several logistical moments with planes and taxis and the like (had people coming in from Senegal, Rwanda, Tanzania, Kenya, Guinea and Botswana--- yeek!), but in the end everyone arrived in one piece, and the workshop has been going really well. Awesome people, and has been a great opportunity to really familiarize myself with the project, while at the same time getting to know my awesome work team. People are great, and I really look forward to working with them all!

So I have been been staying in this lush garden retreat all week.... life is so hard! And i have my own room, which is good since i am up all hours with a stupidly long case of jetlag. I am still only getting about 3-4 hours of sleep a night. Frustrating, but what can I do? Moving into my little cottage place on Friday, and hopefully getting a cell phone soon, as I have no way of being in touch with people otherwise. Will also look into getting a car soon. It is a must, it seems, if one is to get around. And I want to. Am already planning on looking for choirs with Frederico's partner Ane, and have seen many ads for karate dojos--- would love to get back into it. So must get a car. Phone first though... and learning how to drive on the other side of the road.... one step at a time.... :)

will update again this weekend!