Looking at my life through rose-coloured glasses

Because thats all you'll ever get to see of me, up here on the internet.

I drove on the left for the very first time today!!!!
And it was stick shift!!
So i've been contemplating renting a car for the next month (maybe more if it proves to be cost effective) so that my mobility will be increased here in South Africa and so i can do a bit of traveling that will probably need to do regarding work and social committments. My friend (and co-worker) Nikki offered to teach me how to drive in her car, Ruby. We only drove around the CSIR campus (just to be safe) for about 30mins during lunch time. It was a little tough, and i stalled the car many a time, but i think by the end i was getting a handle on the whole clutch and brake, gear-shift thing. I reckon a few more lunch time drive sessions and i'll be road worth by the end of the month!!! Just in time to rent my car!

Work is really starting to heat up at the moment, i'm really glad i've decided to extend my stay, because there is no way i'd have been able to get all the work i need to do done by feb 28th. even if i didn't sleep from now until then! I met with Karen today, a social anthropologist in our research group, to discuss the direction of my South African identity paper. She is helping me solidify my ideas and turn it into a paper worthy of being published. She had some amazing stuff to say on identity, and how to approach the topic i've selected. I'm actually getting excited about reading up on this topic and writing the paper!!! Maybe there is a place for me in academia after all...well, maybe for a masters at least.

I got the news about the Nestle funding today from Jaqui. For those of you who may not know, Jaqui, my boss, offered me a "job" here in South Africa to continue the work i've been doing for her and to help out with a water project that she is trying to implement through Ecolink. The basis of the project is to implement water harvesting techniques in teh White River region of Mpumalanga, the area surrounding Ecolink.

Today i found out that she didn't get the funding. But she is busy trying to look at other sources, so i'm not out on the street just yet. I'll keep you posted. If i get this opportunity, i'll be getting hands-on experience in practical development work. I'll be helping out wiht workshops and liasing with experts in the field. Since comming to South Africa i've become more interested in this kind of work and spending these extra 6 months getting the experience, i feel, will solidify in my mind whether or not i want to do this kind of thing for the rest of my life.
The pay is still going to be shit, but enough to survive on. but I've still got another year ahead of me before i told myself i'll go back to school to get a masters, so i can make the bucks then.

This friday i'm hosting a Braai (South Africa BBQ) on the Entabeni grounds. I've invited practically everyone i know who lives in the Gauteng area. So if everyone shows up, it'll be a huge party, if not, it'll just be my co-workers, my boss(es) and a few other friends who have said that they'll come. I'll post pictures as soon as i get the chance. (and i still owe you all Cape Town Pics, don't worry, they're comming).

That is all.