Oh shame!

I’m alive! I am here! I’ve eaten lamb brains, and everything is going spectacular so far. After a 14-hour flight from JFK to Johannesburg, SA and a 5+ layover before the 1-hour flight to Bloemfontein, it was great to finally arrive at the university Sunday evening. A driver was waiting for me at the airport with a sign that read “Ms. J. Redman”… my very own sign! I regret not taking a picture with him, but figured it would be too much of a stereotypical tourist move. Having now just been told that I should succumb to the “tourist” feeling, I plan to go back through campus tomorrow and take all the pictures I had wanted to on the tour Eric (my fellow ASU student) and I received today.          

Upon arrival to UFS yesterday, Louise Steyn (our UFS trip coordinator) greeted us with open arms and showed me the 2-bedroom flat (“apartment”) I’ll be sharing with a Masters student. Last night was spent unpacking and getting to know my new roommate. Tracey is a 23-year South African native from Inyoni (a small town just north of Durban in the Natal Province) with an English accent working on her masters in Soil Science at UFS for 2-3 more weeks. I already adore her accent, as she says everything with great enthusiasm. If only my good ole’ Southern American accent was as impressive. A South African native, she has generously answered our endless supply of questions and informed us about SA lingo. My personal favorite is a word that has already been said to me many times, “shame!” From “oh shame” to “shame on you”, it is a common response in conversation and apparently a form of adoration, which I much prefer to its scolding connotation in the States. I already decided that I will pick up the accent and hopefully add some new phrases (“quite nice”, “oh shame”, “sure, sure”, etc.) to my vocabulary.

Tracey and Eric in the flat's living room.

My dorm-like room complete with an already made-up bed, desk, and enormous closet.
I wish I had brought pictures or something to make up for the white walls and empty space. 

Today consisted of a morning campus tour and lunch with some university faculty/professionals. We ate buffet-style at a local restaurant where I was excited to try some SA cuisine, hence the sheep brain I mentioned eating, called skilpatjie (or “little tortoise” aka lamb stomach stuffed with brains). Let’s just say it was not my cup of tea, but I’m sure glad I tried it. We also made a trip to the mall and grocery store, both of which are very similar to ones you would find in the States. Alas, I will stop boring you with all the details. We have packed in a lot and our program does not even officially start until tomorrow. I will give you a little teaser… we get to work with the local rugby team this Friday, the Cheetahs, and I am pumped! Rugby, field hockey, and cricket seem to be very popular here.

Totsiens! Or goodnight, for it is almost 8:30pm SA time, and I have yet to conquer my jet lag.