Arrival

I have no time to write a new message but I'm copying the email I sent to my parents. I miss you all!

Mommy! I so wanted to call you this afternoon, but then I realized it was about three in the morning your time so I thought I would email you instead! I hope you are doing well and enjoying your new purse, I soooo wish you could explore this place with me but I guess I will have to describe it for you the best that I can. I just decided that I would copy Dad, Claire and Ben on here as well so hello to all of you as well!!

So the flight went really well, surprisingly well-- I was so expecting to be stopped in customs because I didn't have this paper or that paper and sent back to the US. But I made it through after
1. Sitting next to an Indian man whose cologne sadly didn't mask his hideous body odor.
2. Sitting behind a woman (on the next flight) who was morbidly obese and I have deducted was the only possible source of the whiffs of gas that I kept getting throughout the flight. But
3. I did meet a lovely steward on South African Air and we chatted for a bit by the bathroom (half an hour) because he seemed more excited about my trip than I was.

I was also able to fanangle (sp?) the last vegetarian meal from him that one of the muslim passengers passed up. Thank Allah. The flight was a total of 18 hours after stopping for gas in Senegal for a crew change.. etc etc.

We arrived nine hours later in Jo'burg and my biggest fear was realized when I went through the gate: the people who were supposed to get me-- the long brown-haired girl in the orange sweatshirt as she self-described in the email-- was no where to be seen. I waited with my two gigantic backpacks, teetering back and forth near all of the African men holding signs with last names that I couldn't make out. Half an hour passed. One man with a red hat started eyeing me. I moved to the other side of the circle outside the gate. I tried to smile at the people I recognized from my flight, trying to ask in my glance: "Please take me home with you?" But they all shook me off, no one wanted the American girl with the backpacks that were bigger than her small frame. Finally a curly haired girl walked up with a large black man with dread locks and asked if I was Emily. I thanked Allah once more.

And we drove to the Visions House QUITE the experience, but we survived. The house.. the house is nothing to write about. Except that our electricity was shut off today and we all have agreed that we're being ripped off. But I have a bed, a heater that doesn't like to work at night, and three pounds of blankets/towels that I can use to keep me warm.

I just realized there are going to be a million spelling errors in this email because I can't check the spelling and I don't want to go back and re-read it because It's 10R for 30 Mins. Sorry Mom.

JO'Burg..
This city is amazing. It's like New York except when you drive down the street after a while you realize that you have only been seeing black faces. I thought I would feel awkward about standing out, but it's to the point where it's so blatant that I don't really care anymore. There are a couple downsides to the city, which I'll probably write about in my blog. The main one is that there is NO public transportation system that is safe. So imagine travelling around NY without public transport. Pretty much your only option is drive your own car or take a "taxi" which is like VW bus packed with people that you pay 7R for and it drops you off like a bus, at certain places. I'm still getting experience with these, some people (and guidebooks) say they're dangerous, but I think they're pretty harmless. Maybe I'll make friends?

I interviewed with both of my organizations today and I am so torn over which one to choose. One would be working with kids, the man was a little bague about what I would actually be doing, but he said that I might be able to visit some of the prisons etc which would be so cool. The thing I liked is that there are a ton of programs that they have ALL of which would be really really interesting. I just don't know exactly what he would want me to do.. we threw around the idea of giving the kids cameras and teaching them basic photography techniques and then I could compile a book or a slideshow with their work. I thought it sounded very NPR (giving street kids marantz recorders and producing a show about their life). So I was excited, a little hesitant because he was so vague. Another plus is that they would provide transportation.

Option number two would be working with a pretty large organization that teaches English in rural areas in South Africa and about four or five other countries in Africa. The feeling I got was that they were VERY eager to have me and my multi-media skills and that I would essentially be doing PR for them. They would take me to all of the provinces around South Africa and I would interview the teachers and the children to show what they're doing-- do photography video etc. It sounded amazing because they would pay for all of my travel and accomodations-- but I wouldn't be actually working with the kids, just interviewing doing press releases etc. They are a pretty well-established organization but have no communications area which is where I would come in.

I'm really torn, let me know what you all think. I pretty much have to decide by tomorrow and I think both would be amazing. One would be a great resume builder and has great opportunities, very straight forward, office building etc. The other.. more vague probably working with kids, and prisoners?? I don't know. But I'm having a very hard time deciding. There is so much more to say, but I don't really know where to start. I love it here. I don't even really know why. I can't pinpoint it. But every once in a while I have to stop and pinch myself and realize I'm actually in Africa and that there is something intrinsic about that that I still can't completely grasp. I love you all, and I miss you. Please tell Mimi I'm safe and forward this to Sheryl so she can read it.

Hopefully I'll update soon. Emily