An adventure is simply an inconvenience rightly considered.

Saturday, November 25, 2006

Just because i have 7 minutes before i'm forcing myself back to work

This was me on my birthday:



So much better than spending it indoors or in the snow and -30 degree weather in Edmonton.
Here is a photo of me (thinking that i can get a nice suntan) and my friends on the beach:



Boy was i wrong. When you're that pasty white, sunscreen is your best friend. needless to say i was aching and burning pretty badly and adopted the name "lobster-man" for a few days.

anyways, i am still working on my post for the past 2 weeks. it's taking me a little more time than i expected, due to this huge amount of work i've been given, and the fact that i might have to wait until Dec 4th to get the rest of my pictures from EcoLink! anyways stay tuned

Wednesday, November 22, 2006

Update to Come

So, i had the most amazing week last week. I'd have to say that it was probably my high of this internship thus far, just putting the pony trek out of number one spot by a smidge.
i am currently writing a long and involved account of this trip on my iBook, which recently returned to my posession. i'm sooo happy!
anyways, expect pictures and a very long update, and maybe even some more movies by months end. i'll try to have something up by the weekend, but until then i'd better get to work because i have a few things that i need to complete by mid-week, next.
Rob.

Friday, November 10, 2006

House Tour of Entabeni

As promised, here is a short video tour of my house and local surroundings at Entabeni.

Entabeni is situated up on a hill, just around the corner from the main campus of the CSIR. Go here for a map of the CSIR. Entabeni is number 51, and the building i work in is number 21.
There are 4 tennis courts, squash courts, beach vollyball courts, a full soccer field, a swimming pool (recreational) and plenty of places to have a braai (a South African BBQ). Oh and did i mention the bar - the tarantal - that has R7 beers!? thats a dollar per bottle!

Located nearby is the very posh CSIR conference centre. i haven't been in there yet myself, but i've had a peek in and its very nice.

At our house, we have cleaners who come every weekday to make our beds, clean our bathrooms, and do our dishes. I try to keep the place clean, sometimes, to make it easier on our cleaners. It comes as part of the rent so i'll just have to get used to it.

well thats all i have to say about where i live, next...i'm going to try and give you a birds eye view of the CSIR grounds. anyways, enjoy the video!

Thursday, November 02, 2006

This is how I spent my Halloween

Working on my case study. But not to fear, i did get dressed up (as Robin Hood) and went to a "Goth" bar called Zeplin's to get down with our bad selves! This was last Saturday. It was actually a lot of fun, Rebecca invited another Watson fellow (Rebecca is here on a fellowhip called the Watson doing a research project on mines, Kim, the other Watson, is in SA (previously in rural Tanzania) looking at women's empowerment and micro-finance. So us three North Americans, along with Nikki, her roommate Ree and all of Ree's (alternative) friends, got dressed up and went to this Goth Bar.

(*NOTE* when i say altrnative, i don't mean it in a derogitory way, tehy are really cool people, i just mean it in the fact that they don't exactly conform to mainstream South African society. you'll understand when i post the pictures.)

Nikki, Rebecca and I all stood out like a sore thumb at this party, due to the fact that we were dressed up as a princess, Little Miss Muffit and Robin Hood respectively. but we had fun.

It took us 45 minutes of standing in line at the bar to get drinks, then we decided that one drink wasn't enough so we bought our drinks for the evening all in one go. Only Kim and I were drinking so it wasn't a heck of a whole lot, we all know i'm a lightweight. 2 double gin and tonics, 2 coolers (plus one for Nikki), and 2 shots of vodka.

Then, because the music there was all heavy music, we went to the outside area to hang out. funnily enough i got complimented on my costume two times!

But as for the real Halloween, i spent it at the office, all day, writing up my case study that i handed in Nov 1st. i was at the office until midnight. but what i think is kind of interesting is this: taking a break from working at about 6pm i read the article of the day on Wikipedia (reading wikipedia has become my de facto way to waste time at work, considering we can't access youTube or any video related websites!) which happened to be the "Night of the Livng Dead." Now, of all horror movie monsters, Zombies freak me out the most. they just come at you in hords, if you get bitten you become one, and they're ROTTING CORPSES! how is that not scary! anyways, so i had zombie's on my mind for the rest of the eveing. When i left the office it was at 12:05am. It had been raining all day and everything was wet and unusually quite. the dark walk home via CSIR campus was erie to say the least, and as i got to the top of the hill near Entabeni, i could see the clouds in the distance lighting up with lightning. It was something straight out of a horror movie. if there was ever a perfect time for some supernatural being (IE ZOMBIES!) to swing out of the woodwork and hunt me down until i was dead, that would have been the night.
But at this point i had forgotten it was Halloween and a good thing to, because i probably would have totally freaked out if i had.

So thats my story.

In other news, i got my case study all handed in on time, I'm going to be going to the Limpopo/Mpumalanga provinces for the week next week to see how an NGO (Non-governmental Organization) works-called Ecolink and is Jaqui's aunt's own NGO.
My computer is on it's way to me (YAH!) via my Uncle, with whom i'm still trying to make arrangements to visit with while he is in SA. he's here on business for the World bank.

Lots of travelling, lots of visiting, my birthday (on the Indian Coast!), and plenty of work experience are a few things i have to look forward to this month! i'm pumped. Now i just wish that inbetween all these things, i could make my evenings more lively. thats one area where i'm starting to get homesick/bored/annoyed, is having no place to go after work, no mobility, i like to go out in the evenings, so sitting at home reading a book is starting to wear a little thin! Time to do something about it!
Peace out!

The Group


The Group
Originally uploaded by Rob Rutherford.
This is a group shot. i don't know everyone's names, so i'm not going to bother. but this is the "alternative crowd"

Mother Goose Story Time


Mother Goose Story Time
Originally uploaded by Rob Rutherford.
So we went to a goth bar dressed like this. we didn't stick out at all! (sarcasim)
the one on the right is Kim, you should know the other two by now.

Our Village


Our Village
Originally uploaded by Rob Rutherford.
This was the village we stayed at. it is on the side of a mountain, something you can't really get from the picture. but very small and very remote. Peope wake up with the sun and go to bed when it sets. I would truly like to ahve the opportunity to spend a few weeks living in a place like this, i imagine it is a much harder and simplier life than anything we could ever imagine comeing from the modern world!

but anyways, here are the long awaited photos of our trip to Lesotho i promised. enjoy!

Mud Hut and our home for one night

So, me standing in front of our mud hut for a photo was intenional, making it even cheezier by wearing my "Global Citizen" t-shirt was not.

Picknic


Picknic
Originally uploaded by Rob Rutherford.
a break for lunch on our first day of pony trekking

Rob on a Horse (K)


Rob on a Horse (K)
Originally uploaded by Rob Rutherford.
See i can ride a horse

Vincent our Guide (K)


Vincent our Guide (K)
Originally uploaded by Rob Rutherford.
This was our guide, Vincent

Sunset in the Lesotho Highlands (K)

For more photos or to check out Kieran's blog (he did a way more detailed description of Lesotho than i did) go here http://www.kieranf.com/

Cross-Cultural Exchange


Cross-Cultural Exchange
Originally uploaded by Rob Rutherford.
This is me playing with some local vilalge kids, they were amazed that someone could have so much hair on their arm, chest and face!

Lesotho Child (K)


Lesotho Child
Originally uploaded by Rob Rutherford.
This is a tiny version of a Lesotho man, they always wear the blankets and cary walking sticks.

Wednesday, November 01, 2006

Creative Outlet

I really need a creative outlet. I've got so many ideas and flashes of creativity coursing through my head but no medium through which to convey them to the world. I have this blog and i could use it for such a thing, but that would involve writing, and when i do try to write something creative, such as a poem, or a story or anything else i hate what i've produced because it lacks any real depth.

I feel like i need to do something with music, i love music and song, how, if it's just right you can completly lose yourself in the rythm, lyrics and beat. but Alas, i have no musical training whatsoever, i don't even play an instrument. Something i hope will change one day.

Photos are another medium through which i wish i had talent enough to convey my experiences, but i can only take pictures, not photographs.

Flim is where i think i might have any real talent. I was discussing with Jarret before i left that i think the modern age has screwed me, because when i day/dream, fantasize, or just imagine things, it's all as though i was watching it through a camera. I dream in the 3rd person (sometimes), watching myself do things, but still having complete control.

Alas, all i can really do is let this creative angst go to waste, i have no outlet, i just hope my computer gets here soon, as then i might be able to do something about it!

I really want to document my life here, but i have to keep telling myself that i have to live life here first.