Hello!

Hello Everyone!
I'm sorry if I've been seriously missing these past two weeks that I have been in South Africa. There has been alot to do to settle in and get ready for classes, as well as lots to see and do otherwise. Unlike at AU, there is no wireless in the dorms, not that I was expecting it. I can use the computer lab on campus with my student id (which took several days to procure) or I can use my laptop in the library. Facebook, however, is blocked until 6 pm, so I have only been on it once in the last two weeks, because in the evening, I eat and make attempts to be social in real life. In short, there are things to work around for updating everyone and posting pictures, but now that classes are starting, I should be online more regularly. Don't expect me on Facebook or AIM alot, but I should be able to blog frequently and add pictures when I can. Feel free to email me if I don't seem to be getting back on Facebook.
Anyways, now that that is disclaimer is out of the way, things have been going well so far. I will have been here for two weeks this Tuesday. Rather than try go back to all those days, I think I will just post the updates that I sent my parents through email, which talk about what I've been doing and feeling thus far.

This is the first one, from Jan. 29, two days after I arrived.
Hello from UKZN!
I am finally online after a lot of finagling here at the library. I am able to access my email and my AIM but I am not able to get to Facebook. Today was the second day of international student orientation. We were spoken to about many of the different aspects of campus, such as their version of the Student Health Center, Counseling services, the HIV/AIDS Center, and Safety. Some students seemed annoyed that we had to sit and listen but I was very grateful for the information nonetheless. There were many more international students present today. There is a contingent of American students that came through one program called InterStudy, they are nice but a little tight-knit already. There are also two more American students who recently arrived. One’s name is Megan Kerr! She is from Philly and claims 100% Irish heritage. She even has dual citizenship. In total there are more Americans than students from other countries. There are 14 of us I think which is somewhat of a comfort.
After the talks we went to the pool and the “underwater clubhouse.” There we learned more about all the different sport clubs being offered. I have given my information to do the underwater club, what we would call scuba-diving! You can take a class and get your certification and borrow most equipment. It is expensive in rand (South African currency- 10 rand is about 1 dollar) but it will be so much cheaper than getting it at home. They also take you on a few diving trips! Apparently South Africa is one of the top 10 dive spots! I also want to join the residents soccer club. After the sports talk we had a breei (sp?) which is kind of like a bbq. There were like Italian sausages and sodas. Down by the underwater club (which is a pretty happening/crazy place) I saw two monkeys on campus! Apparently that is not unusual at all. It was awesome. There are also these birds called ibis’s which are big and pretty but very loud in the mornings.
I am still not able to sleep well at night, however. It is always so loud. I have noticed that most of the European students, Indians, and white South Africans do not live on campus. It kind of has a bad rap. There are no other American or European students in my residential area so far. The Norwegians I met today live off campus because it is apparently safer. AU however requires me to live on campus… Hopefully I will get used to the noise and the strange voices speaking Zulu at night. I will just always lock myself in and lock my window at night. I am still unsure and alternate between feeling good and bad about safety in the city, depending on who I talk to. I might be going into the city this evening with some people who have been. I will just have to be very careful.

This one from Feb. 1
Yesterday I got to the beach finally. We went to an area of North Beach called Suncoast. It is called that because of the Suncoast hotel and casino and shopping area there. The water was nice and warm but the waves are stronger here. It's like being in Delaware after a storm or something. It also tastes saltier if that is possible. I enjoyed my first dip in the Indian Ocean.
I decided to go to the flea market today. We caught the public trans down there and then walked around to the different stands. I wish I could take more pictures but I have been warned not to advertise that you are carrying a camera, so I only take a few here and there in nice places. I bought a nice bracelet with small colorful glass beads of different shapes and sizes that wraps around your wrist. I also got a navy blue cloth headband, hoping to tame the mane a little better. There were so many stands that we didn't get to go to them all because it was sooo hot again. We then took another van to an area with a shopping place called Musgrave. It took us a long time to find the right corner where these vans come but we didn't have any problems on the streets, it just feels a little uncomfortable after a while because of all the warnings we've received. At Musgrave I bought some cute plastic plates and a glass as well as some more groceries so now I have some frozen breaded chicken breasts, and lots of fresh veggies and yogurt to mix in with my non-perishables. I am still getting used to travelling around with people I don't know too well and seeing how everyone's mannerisms and attention to time match up....if you know what I mean.

The last from Feb. 6, after I went on a trip to Port Shepstone with 9 other international students, all girls.
My trip to Port Shepstone was a great first trip, I think. It's important, but difficult, when travelling with a big group to really take in each experience for yourself and have your best time. I was with 9 girls so sometimes things were a little complicated but I had a great time. The area is really nice. It is more like a quiet town than the city of Durban, which was really nice. The backpackers (hostel) that we stayed in was awesome! Many of the walls had beautiful beach murals on them, there pet dogs and cats, a roof deck, a bar, and sitting and cooking areas. It was a five minute walk to the beach and to a small family-owned superette. We arrived early in the morning our first day there, so we spent most of the rest of the day at the local beach, Umzumbe Beach. The man who paints the murals at the hostel took us down there and showed us a nice place to snorkel! It wasn't a coral reef or anything but I saw a few different kinds of fish and enjoyed floating and breathing in the warm, clear water. Another plus- we were the only ones on the beach except for the occasional local. I found some nice sea glass and shells as well. We ate dinner with the other backpackers- you can pitch in and eat community-style there. I slept in a teepee (in Africa?) that was really nice and had raised beds and bedding provided. The second day we went to the Oribi Gorge. The backpackers also have a large van (called the Volksie Lady) that they can transport you in and they include the drive fee with the entrance fee to the various parks and reserves. I would suggest googling the Oribi Gorge and Youtubing the Gorge swing (the highest in the world), Mom said she found some good stuff. I didn't do the swing but I did horseback ride for over an hour around the gorge for a meer USD $20. It was really nice and the instructor taught us how to trot on the horse by the end. He also let us get off twice to take pictures and watch two of our girls swing. I have some amazing photos- it was a beautiful place. We got back in the van and went to the Lake Eland Game Reserve. It is a smaller reserve but close by and inexpensive and our backpacker driver gave us sort of an impromptu safari in the van. I spotted the first giraffes from across the way! When we were close we could only see their heads and necks poking up from down a hill but it was so cool! We also got to see eland, impala, wildebeast, blessbuck, zebra, and large termite hills. My list of seen species is growing. We also had a loaf of bread that we bought for sandwiches stolen by a monkey from the hostel kitchen (which has no outside door- open air)...not kidding. There are lots of monkeys. The third day many of the girls were tired and a bit lackluster and wouldn't must to any of our (brilliant) plans, so we spent alot of time sitting around the hostel. I read up on other backpackers in their free guide books and played some ping pong. We took one walk down the local beach and then it started to rain. We ended up getting the driver to take us to Shelly Beach which has lots of shops (it's a mall, there are lots here) and we saw Bride Wars (which I had seen states side already) and got dinner. It wasn't a bad day though, and I had an awesome time overall- a good first trip.
Our Zulu trip is going to run (a bit of a scare with not enough people) but not until Feb. 20. I will be ready then though and very excited! I have worked out my class schedule now but need to do a Change of Curriculum form to add and drop some classes once lectures start. It's a beautiful day today so soon we will be heading to the beach. Tonight there is an on-campus, school-sponsored party for first year students and everyone to kick off the year (imagine that!) so I hope to be back for at least some of that.

So now that you are updated in a round about way of what I've been doing so far, I thought I'd write a bit more about where I am actually going to school- The University of KwaZulu-Natal in Durban, South Africa. The campus is truly beautiful. There are lots of jungle-type plants including some beautiful flowers that I think are called birds of paradise. There are beautiful trees, some palm trees, and giant leaves. Walking around here in the sun I feel like you can't really have a truly bad day because of your natural surroundings (I'm sure thought that I will test this theory later, I hope it holds). You can see the occasional gecko or monkey (which is so cool). At first it was very humid here and I feared that nothing would ever dry (my towel usually doesn't) but apparently that was a bit of a wet swing. It is drier now but very hot. The trips to the beach are always great for that reason. I have a hard time remembering that it is winter at home, despite everyone from home always reminding me. I have almost used an entire new bottle of sunscreen already in just 2 weeks. I haven't gotten any bad burns though, just some patchy stuff where it has rubbed off or I forgot to cover.
Almost anything you can imagine is different here though, even if it is just a little bit. For example, I would swear that the diet Coke (called Coke Light) is different, as well as the M and M's. In the dorms you have to supply your own padlock and key, or combo lock, to secure your own door. My building has the smallest rooms on campus (joy) although it is the newest (although it really can't be that new...). I have a built in bed and desk, attached to the wall, a bulletin board, a closet, and some shelves. It's small but I have gotten used to it for the most part and made it homey. The bathrooms are another difference- you have to bring in your own roll of toilet paper when you go (the school hands them out- a generous 8 rolls per month) as well as your own soap and hand towel. I missed the initial passing out of tp which was kind of a problem for a little while, but thankfully I had my Charmin to go on hand. The girls on my floor (it's all girls, then the next one is all boys) are all really nice and it is quieter on campus at night I think because classes are coming and holidays are ending.
The campus is at the top of a hill, so all the pathes through the tropical plants are stairs or sloping. My dorm is at the bottom, so I walk up mostly to the other buildings. I will be getting good exercise climbing the stairs in the heat.
I am often homesick but it's similar to when I started at AU as a freshman. It passes and I just need to keep busy. I like being around the other international students but I also need my own peace and quiet sometimes. I have to remember that I wouldn't be at home anyway right now, but down in the cold in D.C. I miss my friends at home and AU, as well as my family and take one day at a time here, but there is so much potential and learning to come, as well as amazing things to see and experience.