Friday, April 30, 2010

Make the Circle Beeeggaaa!




This song is all the RaGe in the clubz.

Wednesday, April 28, 2010

Weekend Update


Lizzie! (didnt get one of the other runt)

Forest! (Elaine named him that because he had a walk like Forrest Gump! haha)

It was this guy's birthday - I made him wear the "I am 2" and "I am 3" to make the 23 hehe


Here's his cake. Pretty sweet huh? My Aunt Gwen made this one.

And this one. Taylor is looking delish..and best believe he was :)


And this one too. My other cousin's superhero cake! After we got into it...


We gave her candles that you can't blow out...hehe



What goes better with cake than mini juice box sizes of wine?? You could fit a bunch of those in a purse ya dig? (but I didn't, promise!)


Look at that little prince. He calls me "Ah-ten" as in "Ah-ten come chase me (until you pass out)"


So it was a weekend full of birthday parties, braais, tv and sleeping in. Next weekend more birthdays and Lusito Land! Yay for Friday!

Friday, April 23, 2010

Look what I found!




I think I like this version better than the American one! Who wouldn't love a Snugget?!

Guess what I'm making this weekend?? Cheesy Potato Casserole (the one with cornflakes on the top!) I'm going to throw a little Americana at these South Africans! Should make my little cousin's birthday a hit!

Bowling was a hit - turns out most of my team had never bowled and had never heard of Queen's Another One Bites the Dust...? The good news is we were "released" at noon! Ended up getting some drinks in the square and am now heading to my other home. Have a fab weekend.

Monday, April 19, 2010

Recent Events

Saw Date Night. And it was funny. Gotta love Tina Fey (even if her baby isn't so cute)

See??


And no, there was no popcorn this time. Although the equivalent of Cheetos here are called NikNaks and the package looks like this:



That guy looks like he knows how to hang.

Also started watching this



with my cousin Elaine- its actually pretty good- they do like using her "ladies" though - they are all over the place in that show.

Friday, the office is going ten pin bowling (or "bowling" for you Americans!) at Menlyn Mall- which is the biggest mall I have seen in awhile. Looks like this:



The white screen to the left is actually a movie screen for a drive in theatre on the 3rd floor. Pretty sweet huh?



And before I leave, please listen to what I wake up to every morning...



Jealous? I bet.

Edit: That is not my lawn or dog in the video, just another unfortunate soul that has to listen to that annoying noise.

Wednesday, April 14, 2010

Weekend Pics

Bottom to Top --> Outside view from the stadium, a SA cider beer (Savanna), a real live version of Malva Pudding with custard (this one was just ok - too cakey), my Aunt Gwen's dog, Chicky, its one of those so ugly, its cute dogs





Tuesday, April 13, 2010

J A M




This jam comes from Eastern Europe but the fam tells me they played it a lot at a Portuguese festival called Lusito Land Joburg has every year. Its filled with Prego rolls, music, dancing and Caipirinhas. And it starts in 2 weeks! Look out for those pictures.

I took 3 pictures this weekend. Wait til you see what they are of. Working like a dog but job hunting round the world...my list of things to do continues to grow. What an idealistic Aquarian.

Friday, April 9, 2010

Easter Weekend

This past weekend, I was over in Joburg visiting the fam. Here are some pics of my cousins, Ethan and Danielle. I call Ethan my boyfriend (he is 4, I know that is illegal!) and he gets embarrassed when I do it..so I do it a lot and in public. Danielle is into modeling and she is a balla at netball (i think its kind of like ultimate frisbee but on a basketball court and with a ball?)...







And a sweet "trading card" of my cousin..he looks pretty intense here..it IS the Connell way.



I also got a chance to hang out with my mom's side of the fam. I WISH I had taken a picture of the GLORIOUS food that was prepared but I totally forgot. Next time, because that food was da bomb dot com. That was on Sunday but on Monday, we went to the Rhino and Lion Park for a little game drive. Too bad it was rainy and we almost got stuck in the mud (because the roads arent paved) and couldnt watch the lions feed but there will be many more chances. Here are some pics of the other animals we saw...

Look at this crazy pygmy hippo. I just wanted to SQUEEZE it!





This crazy monkey!



Some Crocs



This little thing did NOT like humans. And he kept pacing. I felt really bad. I think he was a meerkat. (As in Meerkat Manor..a terrible show)



A Caracel



I forget what this little tyke is called but people try and keep them as pets because they act just like cats. (Shanty- he reminded me of Monk so much!!!!)



They call these "Dinosaur Birds" - thats not the real name obviously but I like this name better.



Itty bitty wions



This crazy bird. I wanted to push it over but its beak could break my arm. (what am i? a 5 year old?)



Tigers!



Some Cape Buffalo who didn't give a fudge that we were there



A Waterhog - not WARThog...still stanky looking though.



Abou to charge the car! Not really.



All in all a sweet little weekend now, on to the next! Headed to Randburg this weekend in hopes of shopping, rugby game watching and wiener dog playing (FYI- they call them Sausage dogs here - not wieners...oh the cultural changes!) Have a great weekend!

Friday, April 2, 2010

Dumela!

Dumela is the typical greeting you give in Setswana (the language people in Botswana speak) morning, noon and night. I had SUCH a great time there. The people were great, I felt safe (and at times, safer there then I do here!), there was so much to see and do. I wasnt exactly roughing it because I stayed at the Gaborone Sun, which is one of the nicest hotels in Gabs but I loved every second and would definitely go back in a flash.

The first day I arrived, I was taken into the field to do a family analysis for a family that was potentially getting a new house from Habitat. We drove about 2 hours out of the city and passed many streets filled with goats and donkeys! This was taken from the car at lightning speed (the guy driving was literally going 160kph!)

Goats on a main street:



Donkeys & Man driving donkey cart:





The woman we visited has 23 dependants and makes her income selling baskets. Here are some pics from her house. Warning! Heartbreaking images below...

Her house was originally made of mud but could not withstand the flooding that occurs in the flat area around her house. The government (which has really made excellent strides in aiding the "destitute") issued her this tent.



The inside of her tent:





Outside view:




Her Old House:





I'm happy to say that the family was awarded a house and thanks to a partnership with a local NGO, should have their house within the year!

I also had a chance to see a completed Habitat for Humanity house. Here are some pics of that. The woman who lives there keeps an amazing garden and still uses her old house as a storage area.









One of the HFH offices in Botswana


HFH Office in Gaborone (Gabs for short)


And finally some pics of the hotel room. MAYJAH thanks to HFH Botswana for taking care of me especially Julia and Kabelo!





And on my way to the airport, some images that never get old...






On my flight back, I spotted a Peace Corps volunteer. I thought to myself, I would definitely love volunteering here. Everyone in Botswana just does their own thing. You could compare it to a little South Africa (the SA border is only about a 4 hours drive away) but without the racial tension, greed and corruption.

I also scooped up a really neat necklace made from the beans of a tree that only grows in Botswana and a little elephant- so I never forget my trip.