CATS AND MORE TUTUS?

Hey all! So I wanted to do a quick blog post to update you on two very cool experiences I've had in the last few days, as well as some upcoming things!

CATS!  Last week I had the incredible opportunity to visit the Cheetah Outreach Center.  The main focus of the center is to teach people about cheetahs and provide a great experience for visitors since the cheetah population is drastically declining.  There is estimated to only be about 7,500 cheetahs left!  They raise cheetahs as cubs and use some as ambassador cheetahs to travel the world and educate people.  We first got to watch a cheetah run which was VERY COOL.  Not many people get to see cheetahs really run, because they very seldom do it.  We then got a tour and got to watch the other animals being fed that they have on the property.  Then we got to interact with 2 cheetah cubs (they are about half the size of adult cheetahs but don't really look like cubs!).  Then I got to hold a meerkat (Timon from The Lion King).  It was a very great day!  Here are some pictures:

CLICK HERE FOR A VIDEO OF PART OF THE CHEETAH RUN

Tutus!
This afternoon I had the incredible privilege of sitting down with Archbishop Desmond Tutu and his daughter, Reverend Mpho Tutu.  They talked to us about their new book, The Book of Forgiving (which can be purchased HERE, as well as politics, their lives, etc.  It was an incredibly humbling and powerful afternoon that I will never forget.  I mean really, WHO ELSE gets to sit and have lunch with DESMOND TUTU!  I am truly grateful for this experience.  They also told us about this great initiative that they started called the Forgiveness Challenge.  For 30 days you will receive a free email with stories of forgiveness, tips on forgiving and exercises to make your life more positive.  EVERYONE has some forgiving to do, even if it is with yourself.  CLICK HERE to read more about the challenge and sign up! Here are pictures from that:

There are only 20 days left of my incredible journey here in South Africa, and I plan to make the most of it!  Keep an eye out for shark cage diving, my visit to Parliament, and MUCH MORE coming in the next few days!  Love you all!

My 21st Birthday, a Tutu, and WHAT was biting at my leg?!

Hey everyone! I'm super sorry that it has been sooooo long since I last posted!  I'll just have to give you all some quick updates on what I've been up to!

Speaker:
A few weeks back we had a woman speak to our group that was on the TRC.  She told us some of the stories that ended on a somewhat 'positive' note...(like families receiving closure by hearing the actual story of what happened to their child or where their body was buried) and some that were not so pleasant.  It was just very cool to hear her speak about all that she experienced!  She was also formerly the leader of the Black Sash which was a non-violent women's resistance organization during apartheid.

Easter:
So this was the first time I have celebrated Easter without being with my family, so it was pretty strange.  However, we decided to make the most of it!  Since this was during the holiday break in the semester, half of our group was rafting in Namibia, so there was only a few of us home.  We dressed up and went to mass...and it turns out that people here do not dress up for Easter mass!  Whatever, we looked good:

Then the group of us made a DELICIOUS Easter brunch!  It consisted of fruit salad, french toast, breakfast potatoes, eggs with mushrooms and onions, bacon, sausage...it was just so good!  Here you are foodies:

DESMOND TUTU!
So for those of you that don't know who Desmond Tutu is, he was the first black Archbishop of Cape Town and is a huge social justice advocate.  He played a very big part in the opposition of Apartheid, and he is a Nobel Peace Prize winner. He, along with Nelson Mandela and others, created the TRC.  We were fortunate enough to attend one of his very small prayer services, and got to meet him after.  He is a very funny, caring, and all-around good guy.  I was very honored and humbled to meet him.  Here are pictures:

 My birthday!
So as you may or may not have known, April 27th was my 21st birthday.  However, my birthday celebrations really began on April 24th.  I walked into Imbasa, the school I am teaching at, and BOTH of my classes decorated the board with birthday messages, sang happy birthday, gave me presents, and every kid wrote me a birthday card.  It was absolutely adorable.  I was overwhelmed by the love that these kids showed me.

If you have not seen it, here is a video of a few of the kids singing happy birthday to me outside: CLICK!

Ok flash forward to the night of April 26th, and the house decided to take me out to celebrate.  It was a very fun night and I had a great time!  Here is a picture of us from dinner:

THEN on my birthday Carra, Maira and Domonique decided to take me to the amusement park in Cape Town!  It was an absolute blast and the rides were actually really great!  Here are a few pictures from that day:

Now, you are probably asking yourself two questions: what the HECK is that giant animal, and why are you wearing those bizarre aprons?  Well, to answer your question about the animal...we do not know.  Carra asked him when we took the picture, but since it's a big giant character, he/she did not answer.  As for the aprons...well, we decided to go on a bit of an adventure.  At the amusement park was a ride called the SLINGSHOT which is basically a human catapult.  Well...I'll just let the pictures and video explain:

***WARNING*** in the video you are about to see, I just need to apologize in advance for Carra's very loud screaming and my WEIRD, BIZARRE laugh that I was unaware that I was making until I saw the video.  CLICK HERE IF YOU STILL WANT TO SEE IT...TRUST ME, YOU DO.

April 27th is also a special day in South Africa, because it is Freedom Day.  This year marked the 20th anniversary of the end of Apartheid!

Table Mountain:
Yesterday, after months of staring at it from afar, I finally decided to hike Table Mountain!  Table Mountain is probably Cape Town's most iconic landmark.  It is a giant mountain that is flat at the top like a table...get it?  Anyway, Table Mountain is believed to be about 260-million years old...six times older than the Himalayas and five times older than the Rockies.  It is a beautiful sight and was recently named one of the New 7 Wonders of Nature!  The hike was not easy, but after making it to the top, the views were completely worth it.  Here are some pictures:

So we make it to the top, and I'm sitting at the table (yes, there is a restaurant, gift shops and tables up there) trying to recover from the hike, and I feel something pulling at my anklet that I had on.  Thinking I got it caught on something I look down, and to my surprise I see THIS:

They are called Dassies, and apparently they like to hang out on the top of Table Mountain...and smile for pictures?

Anyway, thank you for bearing with me during this long blog!  May 7th is election day in South Africa, so that will be very exciting to be here for.  Classes are also coming to an end, which means there are bound to be a lot more adventures soon!  Stay tuned!  As always, you can see the full album with plenty of pictures from all these events RIGHT HERE.  Thank you all for the love, support and birthday wishes you've been sending me!  38 more days in South Africa and I am sure as heck going to make the most of them!