Die Afrimerikaner: 2006-08-20

Weirdness

Yesturday I had a strange and weird day. Everything was good, and somehow I could get myself to feel happy. I then just decided to be. Just to take the day as it comes. I had a great first class. The lecturer was nice, and he was this propper counsellor with the calming voice and the we are here to serve you attitude. It was good. At about 3 o'clock this morning, I was woken up by someone screaming "No dude, I'll do it in the morning!", but it was very loud! It turned out to be my roommate talking in his sleep. It was so funny, and I stayed awake for a few more minutes to listen what he said. It was just random stuff. Hehe. This morning I went to the art class, and we started painting. I do not really like the stuff that we paint, because it is all white objects like a shoe and a kettle standing on white pedestals. But I am painting and I am enjoying. Well, remember the two job interviews I got yesturday......and a lot of people applied, I got the one. I dont know about the other one yet, and I kinda would rather do that because it pays more, but I am happy that I now have a job!

If you read to this point, and care so much about me, send me an email and tell me how life is. I would love to hear from all of you.

P.s. My fortune cookie today said: "A friend or partner willl soon be calling on you for help."
So.....who is it going to be?

Rainman

Yesturday, for the first time since I came here, a little bit of rain poured down. But don't think the heat dissapears when the rain come na'ah! Our Saffa's was walking in the rain, and it was great....the smell of the wet ground......feeling the drops on your skin.....man I loved that moment! It lasted for about 5 mins. I am going to write a piece now in Afrikaans, because there is some things that you can only say in Afrikaans, and some people that have my website that should not find out about this......

Vandag 10h het ek vir 'n werksonderhoud gegaan.......nou jy weet, dit het so gebeur dat ons per abuis in 'n paar biere vasgeloop het, en ewe skielik was ons in die dorp in 'n tiepiese amerikaanse bar met CCR wat in die agtergrond speel. Ons het toe maar verder daar vriende gemaak met die biere......en toe weer na 12 soos skoolkinders in ons kamer die vriendskap met die biere verder gevat.....dus het ek vanoggend 9h met 'n pritgeplakde tong opgestaan, vinnig myself deur die stort getrek en voet geslaan na die onderhoud. Nou die rede hoekom ek nie in engels kan skryf nie, is dat ek het vir die vrou (thai vrou met 'n baie snaakse naam, en ek vra vir almal in die gebou waar is hierdie man se kantoor!) my website gegee omdat dit 'n werk is wat te doen het met website editing.....hehe, nie dat ek veel weet daarvan nie, maar sy het gedink my website is nie te sleg nie. Dit was sy en 'n dude in 'n rolstoel wat my geinterview het. Baie nice mense. Ons het later opgeindig met die tsunami as gesprek. Ek dink die interview het heel ok gegaan. Ek het nog een met iemand anders vanmiddag 1h. So hopelik, as ek nou gaan slaap, sal dit dalk biki beter gaan!

My fortune cookie today said..."Truth is a torch that gleams through the fog without dispelling it." Can someone maybe please tell me what that has to do with my life at the moment?

Classes begin!

Today classes began, and I went to the 8h00 art class! (Yes I am taking an art class because we I am allowed to take another class.....and in afrikaans....."as dit pap reen moet jy skep!")
My counseling classes are all evening classes, and they start tomorrow. Think I will enjoy that because its not in the heat during the day. OK, let me continue what I am suppose to do, and leave you now with a good deal of advice that I follow:

"Wear sunscreen.If I could offer you only one tip for the future, sunscreen would be it. The long-term benefits of sunscreen have been proved by scientists, whereas the rest of my advice has no basis more reliable than my own meandering experience. I will dispense this advice now. Enjoy the power and beauty of your youth.Oh, never mind. You will not understand the power and beauty of your youth until they've faded. But trust me, in 20 years, you'll look back at photos of yourself and recall in a way you can't grasp now how much possibility lay before you and how fabulous you really looked. You are not as fat as you imagine. Don't worry about the future. Or worry, but know that worrying is as effective as trying to solve an algebra equation by chewing bubble gum. The real troubles in your life are apt to be things that never crossed your worried mind, the kind that blindside you at 4 p.m. on some idle Tuesday. Do one thing every day that scares you. Sing. Don't be reckless with other people's hearts. Don't put up with people who are reckless with yours. Floss. Don't waste your time on jealousy. Sometimes you're ahead, sometimes you're behind. The race is long and, in the end, it's only with yourself. Remember compliments you receive. Forget the insults. If you succeed in doing this, tell me how. Keep your old love letters. Throw away your old bank statements. Stretch. Don't feel guilty if you don't know what you want to do with your life. The most interesting people I know didn't know at 22 what they wanted to do with their lives. Some of the most interesting 40-year-olds I know still don't. Get plenty of calcium. Be kind to your knees. You'll miss them when they're gone. Maybe you'll marry, maybe you won't. Maybe you'll have children, maybe you won't. Maybe you'll divorce at 40, maybe you'll dance the funky chicken on your 75th wedding anniversary. Whatever you do, don't congratulate yourself too much, or berate yourself either. Your choices are half chance. So are everybody else's. Enjoy your body. Use it every way you can. Don't be afraid of it or of what other people think of it. It's the greatest instrument you'll ever own. Dance, even if you have nowhere to do it but your living room. Read the directions, even if you don't follow them. Do not read beauty magazines. They will only make you feel ugly. Get to know your parents. You never know when they'll be gone for good. Be nice to your siblings. They're your best link to your past and the people most likely to stick with you in the future. Understand that friends come and go, but with a precious few you should hold on. Work hard to bridge the gaps in geography and lifestyle, because the older you get, the more you need the people who knew you when you were young. Live in New York City once, but leave before it makes you hard. Live in Northern California once, but leave before it makes you soft. Travel. Accept certain inalienable truths: Prices will rise. Politicians will philander. You, too, will get old. And when you do, you'll fantasize that when you were young prices were reasonable, politicians were noble and children respected their elders. Respect your elders. Don't expect anyone else to support you. Maybe you have a trust fund. Maybe you'll have a wealthy spouse. But you never know when either one might run out. Don't mess too much with your hair or by the time you're 40 it will look 85. Be careful whose advice you buy, but be patient with those who supply it. Advice is a form of nostalgia. Dispensing it is a way of fishing the past from the disposal, wiping it off, painting over the ugly parts and recycling it for more than it's worth. But trust me on the sunscreen. "

Graceland!

Friday I met my roommate, really cool guy. Saturday morning, all the international students took a trip to Graceland. What an experience! It was really cool...to walk through the house of such a famous person....it was an honor! For some reason, the photo uploader for my website does not work, so I'll fill you in with some photo's a bit later. Last night we went to buy some beer at Wallmart......they asked our ID's!! In this country, you need to be 21 before you can go into any bars, and drink any alcohol.......crazy! Later we found out that no alcohol is allowed on campus......"belaglik man"! So we smuggled the beer up to the room, and felt like propper high school kids drinking beer. We also had a sit-down-play-guitar-and-didge-on-the-grass-with-the-international-girls-session last night. It was fun. I promise to update a bit more on this weekend a bit later.

Graceland Photo's

Ok, I know it's a bit too many photo's, but I did'nt know what to post and what not to. Earlier I could'nt say this because he was in the room, but my roommate sounds just like Elvis when he speaks....sooo funny! He is a really nice guy though. Ok, start the tour of Graceland, and when you're finished, tell me what you think, and also how you are. I need to go sleep seeing that I have class at 8 tomorrow. Here goes:

Road to Graceland.