Life's a beach...in Durban!

Dancin' in the streets like it's 1999 in 2007!

Braai meat, fireworks, and friends on New Years

Qhawe (Marissa and Charles' son)

Sistas 4 Life (Marissa)

LaQuita, Jade, and Guess Who at the beach (if you couldn't tell)

LaQuita, Charlene, n' Me

During the festive season (South African for the Christmas break), a few of my Peace Corps friends and I headed down to Durban to visit my friends/family. It was rather surreal, I must admit, to have someone other than myself make the long (but not as long as the 18 hour flight it takes to get to South Africa) trek down to "South Africa's playground". Instead of taking a plane (as I ususally did), our charriot (aka Greyhound bus) shuttled us through exotic locations such as Pretoria and Jozi. What was extimated as a 9 hour trip turned into something like 12 hours, thanks to a delay in Jo'burg.

As we approached Durban, my friend Marissa and I were coordinating our meet-up spot. I knew that we were all in for an exciting reunion by the high-pitched squeal in her voice. I asked, "Are we about to make a scene in the bus rank." She responded, "Oh, hell yes...!" When we arrived, Charlene asked me if every other person was my friend. I kept reassuring her that there would be no question of who was who when Marissa, Charles and Qhawe arrived. I think I heard Marissa before I saw her!

Spending time with my friends from Durbs reminded me of how familiar and close we are with each other. It had been two years since my last trip, and meeting up two years later felt like I just saw them earlier that day. Knowing my friends the way I do, my Peace Corps friends would surely experience that same feeling, as if we've all known each other forever. By the end of the trip, I know this prediction came true...plans have been made for future visits...without me!

New Years Eve was spent in Lively Rustenburg...All I have to say is that prayer, braai meat, dancing in the street, 6-to-6's, fireworks, and alcohol have to potential to be either really exciting (as it was in my case), or explosive (like when drunk people who've prayed, eatten, stayed up for nights on end without sleep, and listen to the hottest songs in South Africa, play with fireworks and send people ducking and diving to avoid getting hit, and ending up being a story on the 7 o'clock news!)- true story!