PLETT!

Ah I'm so excited because I am writing from Plettenberg Bay! We arrived here about a week ago and the beach is just beautiful. We have a house right on the beach. Its perfect because all you have to do is step outside if you want to be on the beach. I still have another 2 weeks here too so thats awesome. My sister and mom and cousin are all coming here also, I'm so happy for that. They are arriving in 6 days exactly which I cannot wait for. Lately I've just been laying on the beach and trying to catch a tan. I love it here cause I'm meeting lots of new people. But unfortunately I have less than a month until I have to come home. I'm quite sad because I have met so many great friends and people. So I have mixed feelings about coming home. But until then I'm off to the beach!

12/2/10

Ah! What an awesome last few days it has been. Over the weeked me and about five of my friends went to this big dam called the vaal. They had a house on the dam so it was really nice. We mostly just laid out by the pool and we went tubing a little. It was a lot of fun though! These past few days people having lots of braai's because we are about to go on a holiday. Tonight is the only night that I haven't been going out and doing anything. I got my exam papers back and I was pretty happy about the marks I received. Tomorrow I get my report card. I'm a little nervous but I'm sure I did well!

11/26/10

So today was the day that my family in South Africa celebrated their first ever Thanksgiving.. thanks to me. I am proud to say that I prepared the meal all by my self (with a little help of course). I spent the whole day in the kitchen just cookin away. The Three sets of cousins came along with the grandparents. I also made my first pumpkin pie from an actual pumpkin! It was a long day but I'm glad that I could have celebrated my favorite holiday with all the people I love. And now I am off to have a big jol at the Vaal! Peace out!

11/25/10

Ah! Exams are finally finished! Im so glad because all I have been doing is studying. Now I can finally have some free time. This weekend I am going to a place called the Vaal with all of my friends. Its a really big river and you can tube and swim in it. Lately I've been just going to school to write exams and go to the gym. But after this next week of school we have another vacation! I'm going to Umhlanga again and I'm really happy for it cause I love it there! Well I'm off to the gym.. until next time :)

11/6/10

Yesterday was the last day of school! Well.. kind of. Now we start exams. We write exams for the whole month of November. So lately all I have been doing is studying. Exams here are really hard and you have to study for them a lot! I've been studying very hard for art theory which I write on Monday. I also write the Math paper 1 on Monday too. Exams are actually going to be fun cause I only have to go into school for when I am writing. So this coming week, I will go in in Monday to write art and math and then on Thursday I write History paper 1. Every exam is two hours long. I think this exam part is really good for me because it gets me prepared for college!

10/22/10!

Hey everyone! Today I'm leaving for Sun City, which I am very excited for. We are on another little holiday which is very nice because school is pretty hectic. After I get back from this holiday we have two weeks of school and then a month of taking exams. Im not looking forward to exams because they are a big thing. Everyday I've been studying. Its especially hard because I came in the middle of the school year. But hopefully they might cut me a little slack if I don't do too well. The school is very different work wise because they might have 7 huge projects/assignments in a term, where all our work is mostly classwork. So most if your marks come from the big projects. The other thing is that teachers rarely give out 100% or even 80-90%. Its very frustrating because I think that the school should base the grades on a rubric or something like that instead if just what they think we should deserve. Recently I did an english speech and I got a 79% I was really disappointed with it, but then people told me that it was really good because here a 79% is a high B or a low A. So the grading system is totally different. Its a little weird but i'm getting used to it. :)

8/12/10

WOW! this week has gone by so fast! I'm starting to settle in to the classes that I want to take. Im taking an art class which I really love, the projects that i'm working on is really cool too. We're making healing trees. The only problem is that the school doesn't provide art supplies. Its weird having to carry around paint and all the things you need for art. This school provides lots of opportunities to do charity work which I really love to do. This week I will be going to a soup kitchen and make soup for the homeless. As much as I miss the things in Michigan, there are so many more chances to do really cool things here!

8/2/10

Ahh, back at school. But this school here is so much different. Most of the classes are set up like a motel, where the halls are outide and the classrooms are like the motel rooms. Its so odd. The students are very respectful to all of the teachers calling them 'ma'am and sir'. This is also a private catholic school, so before class every morning we pray and do things of that sort. Its really weird cause usually public schools aren't allowed to talk about god. The first day of school was really great, but It was so overwhelming as everyone swarmed me asking me to say some words. To them, I have a weird accent. But to me, its them that sound weird! For now i'm just shadowing people and floating to try and see which classes I would like and take. The 'athletic' season is also now. Americans might be more fimillar with 'track'. We don't run against other schools though. Our school is divided into houses like the movie Harry Potter. Also, their track it painted on the grass, which is a lot different. I'm very excited to be here and I have made lots of friends already. I have adjusted to the time zone quite well, too. I have had no sign of jet lag which is really good! Until tomorrow (:

7/30

Wow, I cant believe that today is the day I'm leaving America! Currently I sit at my gate waiting for my flight to board. Unfortunately, there is no free internet connection so I am going to have to upload this somewhere where there is something free. I just said goodbye to my mom, sister, and friend Katie. It was sad, but I know that the things ahead are well worth every dim feeling.

Hour count till landing in South Africa: 31.

7/31

Ugh. Plane ride = not great. At first a plane ride is fun.. but after 18 hours the joy just isn't there anymore. Im not complaining (kind of) I mean the plane had some good food and even your own t.v. to watch movies and listen to music. But when night falls, and the air plain lights dim, they expect you to fall asleep. Asleep? upright? No where to rest your head? Hahaha that's a joke. I maybe squeezed in four to five hours of half awake/half asleep doze. And once, I awoke sitting Indian style on the floor with my head on the seat. I was desperate to get some Z's. But after all that trouble, im finally at my destination! Im so thrilled to be here but also a bit nervous. Who knows what waits ahead..

7/24/10

Okay. I have one week before I leave for Africa. I'm surprised at how calm I feel. Maybe everything hasn't quite sunk in. I mean, six months is a long time. As much as I will miss all of my friends and family, I'm ready to leave. To start something different, new.