Hello All!
I know that I haven't been very good at keeping up with my blog, and a lot of time has passed since my last post. But I hope to catch you up on most of the major events of the last few months in this entry...
Finishing up the semester in May and June was a bit hectic, but everything ended quite well. My grades turned out quite nicely, and my thesis proposal is finally ready to be sent to the readers. I am certainly glad to have that out of my hands for a bit! My thesis is titled A Case Study of World Vision International: The Role of a Transnational Religious NGO in the World of Development in Post-Apartheid South Africa. More or less, I will be looking at how religious non-governmental organizations use their religious nature to positively effect the success of their programs in South Africa. I have been told that my research is quite unique within my field, and - if I complete the project well - I may be able to publish it. That would certainly be rewarding! There is a lot of work to attend to before any of that, however.
My parents, Tim and Cristie, came to South Africa for a visit for about two and a half weeks at the end of June. It was so nice having them here! We went on a sort of whirlwind trip through much of the country, seeing Kruger National Park, Durban, Cape Town, and Johannesburg. We drove to Kruger through some gorgeous countryside, and spent several days in the warm province of Mpumalanga. We saw lots of animals, including some very rare sightings: wild dogs (endangered), secretary birds, and a leopard eating an impala in a tree! Of course, we saw a lot of other more common animals, such as elephant, lion, buffalo, hippo, rhino, and crocodile as well. It was definitely a successful few days of game driving.
After Kruger, we went to Durban for a little relaxation by the Indian Ocean. It was a very peaceful part of our trip. From Durban we went to Cape Town and did a great amount of exploring. Every day was filled with adventure. Not only did we see much of Cape Town, but we also took a lovely drive through adorable coastal towns to arrive at Cape Point (the southernmost tip of Africa where the two oceans collide) and the Cape of Good Hope. The colonies of African penguins along the way were absolutely wonderful. But the best part for me was the scenic view of the ocean and the mountains the entire way. We also visited the wine country just outside of Cape Town for a day. It, too, is beautiful and mountainous. The draw to this area is not only wine for the wine-lovers, but also the fact that it is the culinary capital of South Africa. So much good food! We quite enjoyed the small shops and the delightful food. Every day in Cape Town was completely clear and sunny, a rare occurrence for Cape Town in winter; we felt very fortunate.
Of course we were able to spend some time in my city of Johannesburg, as well. My favorite thing that we did was take a bicycle tour of Soweto (South Africa's largest township, created during apartheid). We had a wonderful time biking through the town and seeing the diversity of the area. We saw extreme poverty, historic landmarks, and the homes of Nelson Mandela and Desmond Tutu. We even ate a "Soweto Burger," which was a chunk of bread filled with fries and a hot dog. Our guide was spectacular, and, though we were tired by the end of the day, it was worth it.
This week, class is beginning again for the new semester. I will soon be engrossed in class work and thesis writing, but hopefully I will find more time to write to you all about my latest adventures, including the Rotary service project that us scholars are planning!
