Thursday, June 29, 2006

Joburg

So once again we did the 51/2 hour drive to Joburg, and got to see the STM team off at the airport and had a meal with them before their flight back to LA. It was soooo great to see Sara B. and Austin & Holly Swanson & Julie Peters. We were totally the loud Americans in the airport, especially when Clint mocked Sara about her wearing an American flag T-shirt in a foriegn country~ she said she now felt her trip to South Africa was complete cause Clint repremanded her about something (LOL!)


This is a photo from the drive, doesn't it look like the brown rolling hills in California? It was awesome to drive it in the daytime! It is ssoooooooo cold in Joburg compared to Durban, and everything has turned this browny color now that its winter.

When we were in Pretoria visiting Clint's parents I got to work at Clint's mom's shop: Baby Buzniz for a couple of hours. She does up nursery's and sells like anything your baby needs!



This was a humbling experience after realizing that EVERYONE in Pretoria speaks Afrikaans when they walk into any shop. I tried to fake it with all the Afrikaans Marietjie taught me. But I don't think anyone was fooled after someone asked me in Africaans "How are you?" And I said back in Afrikaans: How are you? (I was pretty impressed that I knew how to answer back) but she said (I guess) fine and you? (At this point I just stared with one of those blank...hmms. And called Clint for HELP!!!) I was humbled!!

After visiting Clint's folks Clint and I went on Tim Cantrell's youth camp where Clint was the guest speaker! There were about 40 young adults there, and we had a great time. Clint spoke on having a passion for: the church, the lost, forgiveness, and the word. (4 sermons) And then he had the priveledge of speaking at one of the largest baptist churches in SA (Tim Cantrell's church) what an honor!! :)

2 weeks till the Durban team arrives!!



Monday, June 12, 2006

Austin T. Duncan

Our first vistor to us from the States! Austin preached such an awesome sermon on Sunday, that we took him to see the crocs on Monday (I LOVE Mondays, our day off!!)

Having lunch with the "crocs" fear factor style: (yup, thats a croc right behind us!)
We had lunch in a croc pit, here is our mayo, and mustard, and yep, the crocs!!

Eating Crocodile, with the Crocodiles, they hissed at us once, and one had his eye on us the whole meal. (yikes!)

The Mighty Python

Before we held this guy, we saw a Black Momba, the 5th most deadly snake in the world, indigenous to South Africa. Austin made it go into a trance. The thing can stand 3 meters tall on its own!

Our church gave highest compliments to Austin when he pronounced "Umhlanga Rocks" correctly :) (ooomshhhlannga!)

Tuesday, June 06, 2006

Tagged

Hmm, seems I've been tagged, by j_run

Four jobs I've had:
1. Manager at Jamba Juice (it was fun, seriously!)
2. Assistant Photographer
3. Waitress (almost 5 years, at the same place, crazy huh?)
4. Admin Assistant at Clint's seminary TMS

4 Movies I can watch over and over
1. Little Women
2. Emma
3. Mission Impossible III (just saw it, but its one of my fav's)
4. How to loose a guy in ten days

Four Places I've lived: (I've only lived in 4!)
1. Chatsworth, Ca
2. Westwood, Ca
3. North Hills, Ca
4. Hillcrest, South Africa

Four places I've vacationed:
1. Maui and Oahu
2. Washington D.C. on 4th of July
3. Capetown, SA
4. London & Oxford

Four TV shows I watch:
1. Kitchen Confidencial
2. Alias (we're only on the 2 season here!!)
3. The Apprentice
4. hmm, there really aren't any other shows, unless they are in ZULU or Afrikaans!! We usually rent, or buy the series!

Four foods I love:
1. Guacamole (or anything with Avos!)
2. Toll House Choc Chip Cookies
3. Samoozas
4. Craisins

Four sites I visit daily
1. google
2. msn or yahoo news
3. blog/xanga
4. calvarybiblechurch.org (sermon downloads!)

Four Places I'd rather be (besides heaven!)
1. Yosemite
2. Leo Carillo beach
3. Oxford
4. East Coast in Autumn

Four Random things in my bag:
1. HBC Church Bulletin
2. Airplane ticket stub to Joberg
3. Caedmans Call CD "In the company of angels II"
4. Juice box of OJ (?)

Four things people most people don't know about me:
1. I would love to learn to play violin
2. I've never seen Lord of the Rings, or Star Wars (phtew on Sci Fi!)
3. I hate brushing my teeth, i only do it cause i have to. (Except with vanilla mint flavor, but they don't sell that in SA, nuts!)
4. I'd love to wear glasses, and everytime Clint picks out a new pair, I find the perfect ones, and sadly put them back, weird huh? :)

Four people I tag:
1. Kerry
2. Ben and Mel
3. Swearengerer
4. Heather's blog

Home of the Free

So you know how the bank Washington Mutual's slogan is "Home of the Free"? Maybe you never noticed that your banking is free in the states. Free Banking. What a novel concept in South Africa. I think if Washington Mutual opened here, all other banks would shut down. When we got here in December we signed up for a bank account at FNB, and they informed us of their bank fees. For EVERY transaction (charging anything on the card, taking out money, depositing money, writing a check, doing a debit order, online banking, even checking how much is in your account etc) they charge you 4 rand per transaction. (75 cents). If you pull money out of your account, they charge you 4 rand PLUS a percentage of whatever you take out. Yikes

So we went with a bank account that if you keep a certain amount in their account at all times, the first 35 transactions are free. Except for some reason, they messed up and have never paid us back for any of those free transactions. We went to the bank and complained. The bank said they were going to pay us back for all the bank fees incured this year. The grand total: 1,200 Rand. That is 2oo DOLLARS. So basically, everyone here is paying the bank aprox. 400 dollars per year to keep your money. Yikes. So next time you pass a billboard that says "Home of the Free banking" contemplate how cool that is. :)

The South Africa team in Johannesburg is here, and Austin is coming down this week to see us, woo hoo!