I have been "encouraged" (you know what I mean) to not make judgments between America and South Africa. I should rather notice the difference. Different doesn't mean better or worse. You know the stuff. It's actually good advice, and I've been letting myself simply observe without resolving many thoughts up to this point.
But let me tell you, I have DECIDED that I hate lights in South Africa. You can't even always see them, the arrows blink (and I must always blink while they are on), they are beside the road rather than above the road (I blame the wind, not Africa. And I know cities do this too. Let's say I'm comparing Pinelands to Blacksburg. And you know how much I hate T.o.B. so this is saying something), they are timed horrendously, people don't obey them, you can never turn *left* on red, and in the two days I've been driving, a total of 6 of them have just been dead. These are not small intersections!
I will take some blame for my intersection phobia - I cannot cannot cannot CANNOT remember to yield while making a right turn on green. I am a menace to myself and others. I'm like the Asian grandma drivers in Blacksburg. If you don't live in Blacksburg, you don't get it. Don't worry, I'm not racist. I am just being honest. If a car is doing something horrible in Blacksburg, 9 times out of 10 it is an Asian. I now have a lot more empathy. But still not enough.
Anyways, I rented a little Mazda 323. It's a piece of junk. I am 90% sure it's going to get stolen while I am here. How do I know this? Well, as many of you know, I'm not accustomed to locking ANYTHING back home. I mean, I'll lock my car when I leave my camera or my ipod or my credit card laying on the front seat. Sometimes. So guess how many keys it takes for me to get from my office to my bedroom at Leslie's house? Let's go through the process.
1) Unlock the door to get me into the stairwell
2) Unlock the gate to get to the parking lot
3) Unlock my car
4) Unlock my gear lock
5) Unlock my immobilizer
6) Turn on my car (which requires a little bit of fidgeting with the gas pedal. Who knows...)
7) Unlock Leslie's property gate
8) Unlock the house gate
9) Unlock the front door
10) Type in the alarm code
Jeepers. I've never had so many keys in my life. Even the gas tank has a key
Fact: The keys and gates and bars on my windows make me feel less safe.
For Prayer: That I will start remembering to turn off my headlights. Also (dad, skip the next line) my car has no power steering and no airbags. My arms are sore, and I'm pretty sure I'm going to die in a car in Cape Town. Also you can pray for anything else you glean from the above ramblings.
Random thoughts:
My phone number is +27 076 679 6726, in case it ever comes up. And my blackberry pin is 29BC9906 if you use that, and I also have twitter direct messaging and Whatsapp installed on my phone. Feel free to connect with me any of these ways.
In South Africa, you still have to lick stamps. I kid you not, I bought these things from the lady and then stood there holding a stack of letters in one hand and the sheet of stamps in the other COMPLETELY baffled by how to get them together. Then I figured it out and felt so sad for South Africans. BUT JUST THINK! They are going to be so excited some day when they get the stickers. :)
I found a suitable substitute for Ritz crackers. And I realized they sell Tab, so I'm less depressed about the next year.
I found myself a nice lady from Langa who is going to give me a haircut on Monday. THAT should be interesting. But I feel brave.
For those of you who ever sat in a Navigator Bible Study assigning leaders meeting, remember how hard it was and pray for my coworker Ziba. He is trying to coordinate training leaders and putting together groups for 200 some people across 3 different townships (many without transportation or stable income) for support groups and discipleship. It is a huge task, and will undoubtedly be a disaster without God.
That's all for now folks. :)
But let me tell you, I have DECIDED that I hate lights in South Africa. You can't even always see them, the arrows blink (and I must always blink while they are on), they are beside the road rather than above the road (I blame the wind, not Africa. And I know cities do this too. Let's say I'm comparing Pinelands to Blacksburg. And you know how much I hate T.o.B. so this is saying something), they are timed horrendously, people don't obey them, you can never turn *left* on red, and in the two days I've been driving, a total of 6 of them have just been dead. These are not small intersections!
I will take some blame for my intersection phobia - I cannot cannot cannot CANNOT remember to yield while making a right turn on green. I am a menace to myself and others. I'm like the Asian grandma drivers in Blacksburg. If you don't live in Blacksburg, you don't get it. Don't worry, I'm not racist. I am just being honest. If a car is doing something horrible in Blacksburg, 9 times out of 10 it is an Asian. I now have a lot more empathy. But still not enough.
Anyways, I rented a little Mazda 323. It's a piece of junk. I am 90% sure it's going to get stolen while I am here. How do I know this? Well, as many of you know, I'm not accustomed to locking ANYTHING back home. I mean, I'll lock my car when I leave my camera or my ipod or my credit card laying on the front seat. Sometimes. So guess how many keys it takes for me to get from my office to my bedroom at Leslie's house? Let's go through the process.
1) Unlock the door to get me into the stairwell
2) Unlock the gate to get to the parking lot
3) Unlock my car
4) Unlock my gear lock
5) Unlock my immobilizer
6) Turn on my car (which requires a little bit of fidgeting with the gas pedal. Who knows...)
7) Unlock Leslie's property gate
8) Unlock the house gate
9) Unlock the front door
10) Type in the alarm code
Jeepers. I've never had so many keys in my life. Even the gas tank has a key
Fact: The keys and gates and bars on my windows make me feel less safe.
For Prayer: That I will start remembering to turn off my headlights. Also (dad, skip the next line) my car has no power steering and no airbags. My arms are sore, and I'm pretty sure I'm going to die in a car in Cape Town. Also you can pray for anything else you glean from the above ramblings.
Random thoughts:
My phone number is +27 076 679 6726, in case it ever comes up. And my blackberry pin is 29BC9906 if you use that, and I also have twitter direct messaging and Whatsapp installed on my phone. Feel free to connect with me any of these ways.
In South Africa, you still have to lick stamps. I kid you not, I bought these things from the lady and then stood there holding a stack of letters in one hand and the sheet of stamps in the other COMPLETELY baffled by how to get them together. Then I figured it out and felt so sad for South Africans. BUT JUST THINK! They are going to be so excited some day when they get the stickers. :)
I found a suitable substitute for Ritz crackers. And I realized they sell Tab, so I'm less depressed about the next year.
I found myself a nice lady from Langa who is going to give me a haircut on Monday. THAT should be interesting. But I feel brave.
For those of you who ever sat in a Navigator Bible Study assigning leaders meeting, remember how hard it was and pray for my coworker Ziba. He is trying to coordinate training leaders and putting together groups for 200 some people across 3 different townships (many without transportation or stable income) for support groups and discipleship. It is a huge task, and will undoubtedly be a disaster without God.
That's all for now folks. :)