Compliments!

This is the term that often accompanies "Happy New Year" greetings in South Africa. Not too sure why this is, but the confusing usage of English phrases in this country is not exactly uncommon. So, compliments to all! I hope 2011 brings everyone lots of goodness.

I recently returned from an awesome Christmas vacation, and I again find myself faced with the post-vacation blues that comes with the transition back into village life after a break. Thankfully this time it seems to be going better than the last. This is probably due to the fact that I have a solid week before school starts for the year, giving me some time to get back into the swing of my slower-paced home here. So far my time has been filled with cleaning out my room because of the piles of dust and dead bugs that have taken over in my absence, washing all my clothes, towels, and sheets, reading my many newly acquired books, getting back into a running schedule, and jump-roping with the kids. Rough life here in Africa, I know!

This year's holiday season was spent on the beach, and needless to say, it was amazing. I was in Cintsa for Christmas week, which is the southernmost village of the Wild Coast, near East London. A group of friends and I camped at Buccaneers Backpackers for the week, a hostel which I highly recommend to anybody going to the area! We spent Christmas drinking cold beer, lying on the beach, and playing volleyball in the sand almost every night. Didn't feel mumch like Christmas normally does, but was nonetheless a glorious time. I then rang in the New Year in Durban, which I wasn't looking forward to as much as other places in SA but was a pleasantly surprising part of the trip. We spent a few days there swimming in the warm, warm waves, going to UShaka Marine World (which is half aquarium, half water park!), eating delicious Indian food, and dancing all night long with more Peace Corps Volunteers than I could count. Speaking of the food, bunny chow is the delicacy of Durban and a really tasty meal. It consists of half a loaf of bread with the inside scooped out and some form of curry in its place. Mmmmm it is so so delicious! Plus you are supposed to eat it without utensils, which makes for a fun, messy culinary experience.

Another highlight of this break was getting to see my friend Dana and her boyfriend Steve, who have just embarked on a trip around the world for the next 10 months! Check out their blog to find out about all the great places they go. It was awesome to get to see someone from home and catch up on missed experiences from the last year and a half. We are both so clearly in these new places in our post-college lives, but it was refreshing to see how easily good friendships fall back into place as if nothing ever changed!

Now it's time to get back into the swing of school. I'm not entirely sure how these next two terms will pan out at school, since as usual we have yet to create any sort of schedule and set plan. No big deal though, nothing I haven't dealt with at the last minute before! Missing you all and hope you are enjoying the snow for me. Crazy to think this time next year I will be back in Colorado reuniting with the wonderful cold weather....