Weekend 2: Good Company in Bloemfontein

5/15

I was really hoping that today would be the day that Hannelise, Wieda, and I go to the cheetah park, but it looks like that may have to wait. Rather, the morning was mostly occupied by dietetic presentations. Only five of the dietetic students gave presentations on their case studies, but it lasted from 8 am to 12 pm. It was not a bother though, because I had very little concrete plans for today, and I was really enjoying everyone's presentations. Unfortunately, the alcohol presentation was given in Afrikaans, so I only got a few key messages from the talk here and there. It was strangely comforting to hear some biochemical references in the presentations. It was also assuring to know that America is not the only nation to use the IDNT manual and the nutrition care process. I got to meet a couple of the lecturers there, and the ones I met seem very nice. Hannelise said that she really likes her department, and I agreed, because I also really like the nutrition department at Appalachian State. I do wish that our department was a bit smaller so that I could be closer friends with everyone in it, which seems to be the case for the dietetics department at the UFS. It is a rare a wonderful thing when you can say that since entering the department, you've only ever had high quality professors who genuinely care about you and your education. (Subtle shout out to Dr. McAnulty, Dr. Ball, Dr. Gutschall, and Prof. Casey). Maybe it is just a dietetics thing.

After the presentations, I briefly checked my email, spellchecked the blog (my tablet does not have that option apparently), got my UFS student ID card, and finally withdrew a substantial amount of money (praise the Lord!). Hannelise invited me to go with her and her sister to a field hockey game at the high school because I had previously told her how much I hated not having any plans at all for the evening. So we went to the game and talked a good bit, which was very pleasant and beautiful as the African sunset painted the sky bright pink and red. 

Field hockey looks pretty fun, so I may have a go at it soon with Hannelise's team during a practice. Afterwards we went to her house to chat and eat dinner, which I really valued because I got to know Hannelise a bit better. After a cup of Rooibos tea, she dropped me off at the apartment, in which I found a kitchen full of visitors drinking and chatting about. I heard Veronica (Czech Republic) and Nicole say something earlier today about a party, so apparently that did come to fruition. There were a lot of students from Holland, one from Germany, one from France, and one South African. I talked with the French guy for a bit because he seemed interested in political history and economic development in South Africa, which turned out to be really good

conversation for the 10 minutes that we spoke. I do regret not speaking longer with more of the international students, but I was so tired and found great delight in retiring to my room. Loud parties are really not the best way to get to know someone anyways. I nearly lost my voice trying to ask for everyone's name. Tomorrow morning I will be waking up early again, this time out of choice, to run a 5k at naval hill. It is a community run that occurs every Saturday morning, so if I don't travel anywhere, I will try to make it a habit. Hannelise, her mom, Michelle (the dietitian), and I will be slow jogging starting at 8 am, which should be pretty fun and casual considering we are all a bit out of shape. I am then hoping to visit some local craft markets and the mall with Carlien. I'll just fly where the wind takes me.

-Jordan

5/17

Naval Hill

First time I've ever spotted an antelope on my morning run.

What a fun weekend! Yesterday (Saturday) I practically spent the whole day with Hannelise, which was absolutely lovely. We woke up at 8 am to run at Naval Hill, because there is a community-sponsored park run 5k every Saturday morning that is advertised to the public, which I think is a splendid idea that should happen in more places. It was really wonderful to see all races, genders, and ages out there enjoying the sunlight and the beautiful surroundings. What I didn't realize until we got there was

Nelson Mandela Statue on Naval Hill

that Naval Hill is actually also a game reserve, right on a mountain in the middle of the city! The view from up there was magnificent, as you could see all the city and miles around it. Also, running with Hannelise was really nice, we were both about the same level of fitness, so we took an easy run/walk and chatted the whole way. Her mom came with us too, but was not as interested in running, so she caught up with us at the end. The place was void of any navies or bellybuttons, but we did see some antelope grazing around the second mile. Most of the animals were out of sight as they knew that Saturday mornings were busy around the trails. After the run Hannelise took me to the boere mark, the farmer's market, and I bought a good many things there.

It was a bit of a hybrid of a farmer's market and a festival, because there seemed to be

Hannelise at Naval Hill

far more crafts and fried foods than there was produce. Hannelise bought me coffee and we tried out the milk tart pancakes, which is apparently a very Afrikaans thing to eat. It was much like a crepe with thick sweet custard. What a highly nutritious post-workout breakfast. At the end of the day I wound up with a bag of dried mangoes, some handmade crafts, loads of wooden earrings, and a sugar rush.

Boere Mark

 

Later in the day, Hannelise took me to one of her field hockey games, as she plays for one of the varsity teams just for fun. It did look really fun, and Hannelise said that I may practice with them later this week because her coach is very relaxed. After the game, Carlien and I went shopping because I was looking for maybe a few cheap professional-looking clothing items (because a lot of stuff didn't make the cut into the suitcase), but I didn't find anything that was cheap enough or close enough to what I needed to warrant buying. Regardless, it was nice hanging out with Carlien, not to mention that Carlien loves shopping, and I think she needed to take a homework break. I am very sensitive to the fact that all the dietetics students are very busy because it was only a couple weeks ago that I was in the same struggle boat. I think that makes me appreciate all the more their efforts to hang out with me or take me places. That night there was load shedding, but afterwards the Wi-Fi did not turn back on in the apartment. So Martie (roommate from Holland) and I walked around the block looking for a signal from maybe a different University router. We take Wi-Fi "roaming" quite literally. I found enough to text my mom and Ryan, but when Martie left, I got scared and went back inside as it was a few hours past dark. Rather, I made brownies for Hannelise and her mom and read some C.S. Lewis Out of the Silent Planet for a bit.

Today (Sunday) Shannon, another dietetics student, took me to church with her and her boyfriend, Tyler. He is very sweet and polite, though I think Shannon is self-conscious about introducing him to folks at church because he is colored and she is white. I didn't even think about that factor before she brought it up. I just thought it was neat that he could speak Xhosa, an eastern cape language that I  really enjoy pronouncing (side click)osa. They go to St. James, an evangelical church, which was not quite so different from what I am used to at home. It was contemporary with a live band and full of a lot of young families. The message on discernment was right on, though briefly interrupted by the astonishingly loud outburst of a baby, shall we say, letting his burdens go. I discerned that he and his father were going to have a spirit-filled time in the restroom after the service. But seriously, the service was wonderful in that it helped me acknowledge that America is not the only place where the church is thriving. Afterwards, Tyler, Shannon, and I went to the bridge (school outdoor cafeteria/mall) to get some coffee and chat for a bit. Then I went to Hannelise's house again and played dominoes with her mom and mom's friend for a bit. We then went for a good 2-mile walk and I had to opportunity to talk with her about faith and about nutrition and their relation, which was really lekker. We got back to the house and did some pushups, lunges, sit-ups, blurpees, squats, and step-ups. I am hoping that I will be in decent shape by the time I leave Africa, but that may be inhibited by all the foods that accompany socializing. We ate some leftover braai (grilling foods like steak and sausage and such) and I got to call Ryan for a bit on WhatsApp. Tomorrow I will be working at Universitas, the hospital across the street from where I am staying, and I will be working with Shannon and another student named Johanre, a name that may take some muscle memory development before I can properly pronounce it.

-Jordan