I Got My Passport!

It's finally here!

10 Things to Do in Africa

I'm ready to go!

Thanks for the photo Keely!

No, not really. :) However, I thought I'd put up a list of the ten things I want to do in Africa. Rather than a packing list. So, here it goes!

1. Learn 10 different African words. 

Not random ones, but useful ones. Hello,  Thank you,  I like you hat,  Where is the bathroom?
Things like that.
You know, important stuff.

2. Play soccer (Ahem football) with some of the kids. 

(Though, yes I'll probably get whooped. My excuses: A) I'm in a skirt B) This isn't soccer this is football. Come on huge difference! ;) )

3. Take at least... 200 pictures a week? 

(Honestly this will not be a problem I have a camera happy finger.) Maybe I'll up it to 300. (Though I'm not sure if I'll have enough battery power or memory card storage for the 1500+ pictures)

4. Write in my journal daily. 

(At the very least every other day.)

5. Learn and write down at least ten more stories about my grandparents involving Africa. 

I can't keep retelling the story about the guard dogs.

(See, by not telling you that story I can save it for another time. :) Now I bet you really want to hear it.)

6. Get my picture taken at the falls. 

(Yep this one is a real commitment. ;) )

7. Write a Blog Post 1-2  times a week if possible.

8. Try at least one new food. 

(As I'm not sure how much "new" food there is, from what I've been told it's a diet consisting of things like rice and fish. Though I refuse to try any kind of intestine.)

9. Learn something new about the culture and make a new friend.

Yes technically two in one, but eleven doesn't sound as good as ten!
(Unless were talking something like cookies or dollars, then eleven does sound better than ten!)

10.  Learn an African dance!

Or at least enjoy watching one.


Now off to play some football with some guard dogs. ;)

Passport Problems and Patience

Apparently travel consists of at least three things.

waiting,

waiting,

and you guessed it,

more waiting.

Now I consider myself a patient person. Sort of. (That little section above doesn't exactly help my case.)  However, even patient people don't prefer to wait. (Wow a lot of Ps!)

A prime example of this is when we went to send our passport application things (sorry I don't know the "real" terms) at the post office. We waited in line for a while, we waited and waited and waited. Finally we got up there and got everyone's passport but mine. (As apparently they needed both my old passport and birth certificate) So we went home got my birth certificate and went to the post office. This time, being above age fifteen, they needed a school id or permit. Not yet driving and a homeschooling I had neither. So we had to go home make a school permit. I also got my learners permit as an extra percussion. (Its a bit scary that a person can study the thing for an afternoon and get 100%) Anyways got it sent off!

Now we just have to wait for them to get here...

African Etiquette / What Not to do in Africa

There are somethings... you just don't do in Africa. (At least in some places)


So this is what I call African Etiquette. ( Or what not to do in Africa )

1) Don't take pictures in some areas. Unless you desire the following to occur:

a) To get tackled to the ground
b) Get arrested
c) Get you camera taken away
d) Bribe yourself out of that mess
e) Bribe some more to get the camera back, minus the picture.

In conclusion, that would be the most expensive picture you didn't take.
(Yes, true story. It was actually kind of funny... Afterwards. And because it didn't happen to me. ;) )

2) Don't cross your arms, put your hands in your pockets, or in anyway hide you hands.

Why? Its perceived as rude. It looks like your hiding something.
Such as what? I don't know,  maybe a gun, grenade, knife, or a banana? No idea really! All I know is don't hide your hands. It might offend someone.

Honestly, this one will be hard for me, as I like to cross my arms or put them behind my back or in my pockets. Its just natural for me. Alright moving on.

3) Don't ask what it is your eating.

Cause really, you might not want to know.

No really, you can. Mostly you eat relatively normal food. I mean, ever now and then you might be served the occasional delicacy of goat intestines. But I wouldn't worry to much.

Also, there are worse things, such as sitting in the back of a vehicle with dinner staring at you. Yep, you heard me. Staring at you. There were cow heads back there.(Yeah that story freaked me out a little. Cow heads? Really?)

These people don't waist anything. We really should learn a thing or two from them. (Not that I'm suggesting making cow heads a normal dinner table meal. Even once would be over my limit of never.) However, we should be more grateful for what we do have, the blessing God has given us. (I take things for granted far to much!)  As well as use our resources more wisely. (Money, clothes, food, fun things, etc.) Even if you don't view yourself as "rich", most of us are far more wealthy than we realize.

:D Have a wonderful week! Happy late Easter!

Back to Africa

I just found out a few days ago that my family is going to Africa, for a month, in July!

My first though was it'll be hot, forgetting the fact that its winter over there. :) Silly me...

Anyway, it's going to be a lot of work over there. My grandparents are retired missionaries to Africa. I've grown up my entire life hearing stories about their adventures. I'll ask them about them and maybe (with their permission) I'll post some.

We're going to be helping with retreats and traveling to new locations over the course of four weeks. I believe we have one or two days of vacation time over all.

I can't wait (well I can...) to go. I haven't been to Africa since I was 18 months old. Maybe I'll post a video or picture of that sometime.