We are lucky! We may be overwhelmed by the new move and the chaos of it all, but we know we are lucky.
Here is some of the chaos we are finding particularly challenging:
- our HUGE school, which is going through an array of development transitions, is so big we don't know who to talk to about what. That, and the changes it's going through, makes the answer to nearly every question, "Well, it used to be..."
- new colleagues, new rules, new curriculum, new students, new parents, and a TON of new names!
- buying a new-to-us car
- commuting 20-30 minutes to work (when, for the last 5 years, we've usually just been a short walk away!)
- waiting [sometimes not so patiently] over 8 weeks to get internet, satellite, and working phone service
- organizing essential tasks (like making dinner, doing homework, and organizing lunches) around our crazy schedules that has the four of us leaving the house by 6:00 am and getting home around 5:30 pm--we have had it really effortless for quite some time!
- sharing the road with ridiculous taxis (which you may remember as matatus from the Kenya days) who abide by no road rules and stop in front of you without warning
- trying to find a semblance of patience when the robots (or traffic lights) are out and the already terrible traffic jam becomes a near stand-still 4-way stop
- the awareness that this is NOT Kenya and so our idea of, "The settling in process will be easier..." had to be laid aside
- making new friends (a comment from the kids)
- and the list can go on and on and on...
But all that noted, we are also quite amazed by the great things that bring us joy:
- our school is physically lovely. Additionally, they have a brilliant vision and mission to give back to the country of South Africa, specifically to our local community of Diepsloot . They do this in a variety of ways, but I am most proud to work at a school that offers scholarships to 5-7 local township kids in 7th grade and pays their tuition (as well as room and board) through to their high school graduation!
- how quickly our dog gained back weight and confidence once arriving here in our new home (though if her crazy wacky ways return, we have also made friends with a dog trainer!)
- making new friends
- having a pool at our house
- the kids have their own rooms (though the current décor has left a lot to be desired)
- the lightening storms are brilliant
- variety! After spending 3 years in Indonesia we are amazed at the variety you can find here. Everything you can imagine is available (at a price). From breads, wines, and cheeses to game meats, pool equipment, and animal skins--most things can be purchased just minutes from our house (and even from the convenience of our own car!)
- and the list can go on and on and on...
All those great things, though, cannot undo the number of unforeseen (and noteworthy) challenges we've faced. Getting internet, satellite, and a car proved far more complicated than we had anticipated. The satellite saga was so funny, I shared it with my students as way of modelling how to write a story in which the problem gets worse before it gets better. And internet. Ugh! Though we have it now, we're still waiting for a refund from a company who said they could offer the service but couldn't once they came to the house. But now that we have internet at home it has lessened some of the work strain and helped us reconnect with all of you loved ones!
But nothing was quite as challenging as the Friday we came home from school to a nanny who left early, the furniture company delivering our new bookshelves, a son with a high-fever, and a busted stop-valve in our master bathroom. Having never dealt with this in any of the homes we've lived in before, I must say, Rob and I did surprisingly well. After figuring out how to turn off our water main, we then we used the ever-popular "stomp-and-collect" method of soaking up water (think about Lucy and Ethell when they are stomping grapes and it should give you a visual of our cleaning method) and then twisting out towels in the bathtub. It was quite a feat (especially trying to get water out of the carpet), but also something we laughed about instantly (with a glass of wine in our hands!).
Over our holiday break we also made a pledge to do (virtually) no work. In lieu of work we lazed about, read books, made Halloween costumes and went on a short trip to Pilanesberg National Park. One of only 3 alkaline volcanoes in the world, Pilanesberg was formed over 2,000 million years ago when a huge volcano (even taller than Mt. Kilimanjaro) began erupting. The amazing geological aftermath is pretty staggering for those interested in geology. For those of us more interested in animals, visiting Pilanesberg is fascinating because its concentric rings and hills have created a number of different vegetation which, in turn, provides safe haven for a variety of animals. On our first-ever self-drive safari we were able to see giraffe, kudu, duiker, impala, springbok and klipspringer antelopes, zebra, wildebeest, warthog, baboon, a herd of elephants with two babies, two cheetah with a kill, and the elusive jackal. To top it all off, we camped--like real camping! After 13 years of marriage, we have never really camped. Yeah, we've done the tented camp thing on safari in Kenya, but with heated water bottles at the foot of the bed and running water that's more like the the Shangri-La of camping. In Pilanesberg, it was real camping--tents, sleeping bags, annoying toads that belched all night, and RAIN! We (as well as our sanity, our marriage, and our children's lives) survived. And we're already planning the next camping adventure.
Now, with just hours before bed and the start of another crazy week at AISJ, I will sign-off. I promise my next blog will be sooner and it should include some nice reminiscing details about adventures of our time with grandma and grandpa!
