From the past - South Africa 1

Hi!While I've only been here for 5 days now, it seems like I havelearned all kinds of things. To start with, my suburb is as Americanas you can get - I am actually embarrassed to say that I am avolunteer, when I have such plush accomodations. I won't elaborateon how plush, because you will start to hate.Unfortunately, I discovered that it is the rainy season here... it'sbeen raining for 4 days, and since I have to exit my room, gooutside, and back into the main house to use the facilities, it is anadventure. Now I know why I didn't live on the lawn... :)As far as highlights are concerned, I will give you the quickrundown. Sharp sharp is local street speak for 'ok' or 'it's allgood'. Quite a versatile phrase, really. The favored form oftrasport here is a 'combi' - a rickety minivan where you fit 4 to abench seat, with a few foldable seats so that people can get in andout, and it just drives where it wants. To get out, you have tosay "after the robot" (obviously, right? :) ) and inevitably, 6 otherpeople will have to move in some way to let you out. It only moveswhen it is full, so if you have the bad luck of catching one empty,you'll just hang out until the driver is ready to go.The real highlight, however, is that on Sunday we went up north alittle ways to the Pilanesburg game park - a small one by comparisonto famous ones like Kruger National Park - where, in my first safariexperience, I saw Giraffe, Hippo, Impalas, Baboons, Wildebeasts,and "PUMBA" (from the Lion King - a warthog to the non-disneyinclined) and... we were chased - yes really chased in our vehicle -
by a 5000 pound rare white Rhino. Welcome to Africa.Always an adventure.We are currently spending a few days with a family in Soweto. It isa mindbogling experience, considering that until a few years ago, noone would consider going to Soweto unless they were black and forcedto live there. It is the largest 'township' built by the apartheidgovernment, and most of the black people in the Jo'burg area weremade to live there. It is a place pulsing with history, and everyperson has a story to tell. I will let you know how it goes, andwhat I learn.