Who are we?

This blog is an agglomeration of the thoughts and experiences of two American girls who packed up and moved to South Africa on a whim. Caz from Fairfield, Connecticut and Mandy from Milwaukee, Wisconsin first met as roommates in 4127 on Semester at Sea in Fall of 2010.
In the interim, Caz returned to finish her Bachelor of Science with a double major in Biology (concentration in Microbiology) and Geography with a minor in Chemistry at the University of Miami in Florida, while Mandy took a hiatus to rediscover her real passion working with pregnant women, advocating for home birth and delivering babies outside of a hospital environment. We reconvened to follow both of our fields of study (read: hopes, dreams, asiprations, life goals, etc.) outside of the United States. Hello South Africa?

We are both here for at least a year and a half, though the more time we spend falling in love with South Africa, the more we'd like to think it'll be longer. We are both starting jobs in November/December: Caz working with infectious disease at a hospital clinic and Mandy beginning her training to become a certified midwife. Before then, we are both writing a book about our experiences leading up to this adventure as well as the multitude of serendipitous happenings that led us here.

As always, feel free to comment or ask questions. If you have an interest in a topic, let us know and we will surely oblige you (within reason). Enjoy!

Tuesday, August 13, 2013

Caz Drives a Jeep: Has Coronary Heart Failure


Today was an awesome day on Kloof Street. 

 We woke up to rain. Sideways rain: a Cape Town signature. Amazingly, the rain here is a lot like in Miami. It comes in massive tropical deluges that only last but a moment, as the strong winds quickly move weather from the top of the mountain, across the city bowl and out onto the ocean. We try to run out and do errands in the breaks of blue sky between dark thunderclouds, but it doesn't always pan out. Today I got caught standing on Union beneath an old crooked tree as Mandy ran into Checkers. Buddha and I watched as a double rainbow appeared, though by the time I broke out my phone to take a photo from my absolutely perfect vantage point, it had merged to a gorgeous single arch across my neighborhood. Mandy missed the whole thing. 

 It was an odd moment in my somewhat hectic day. It reminded me to keep watching the world around me, and to not be too swept up in logistics and planning that I don't appreciate my beautiful city. Why was I so worried about logistics? This morning we met up with our taxi driver from Zim to head over to the AA (like AAA but South African) to see the roadworthy test of the Jeep I'm trying to buy. We met with the squirrely coloured guy who had been so afraid of us in the suburbs and he seemed much happier to see just two white girls without our darker companions. He was still inquisitive in a non friendly way, but I don't mind answering questions. What do I do? I work with infectious diseases. Don't mess with me. 

 After the AA finished their inspection I took the car for a test drive.

 I drove. Here. In South Africa. It was far more terrifying than I had anticipated, but I wasn't nervous until after I got out of the car and it registered that I had just done something completely insane. I sat on the right hand side of the car and drove it on the left hand side of the road. Think about it. That means the gas pedal is right next to the door. The gear shift is operated with your left hand. Yeah. It was far more uncomfortable than reading that just was for you. 

 But, don't fear, I did a good job. Another week of creeping around my neighborhood (which is city driving, narrow roads, people all over the street, cars illegally parked everywhere, jitney cabs reversing the wrong way down the road while doormen whistle and yell for passengers) and I'll be a pro. I think. Maybe. Or I will spend a lot of time at the mechanics across the street. Either way it'll be an adventure. 

 Tomorrow I'll test drive another one further up on Kloof next to the 7-11. 

 Oh, interesting side note, we recently learned that all the 7-11s in the ghetto had to close because they're too expensive for those neighborhoods. We had a good laugh at that one. 

 - Rh
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