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!