RAIN

I had a most fantastic walk home this afternoon. The sky opened up and poured down rain. Rather than speed up, I intentionally slowed down to take in the pungent aromas and vibrant landscape. Rain was running like veins down my arms pumping life into my being. My hair was plastered flat to my head. The temperature had not dropped below 80* even at night and with high humidity it is draining. Thankfully not as sweltering as KC last summer, especially as my fridge here keeps as cool as ours did there.

I have completed 3/5 of the seminars for my first module course in Sustainable Development. There are 10 of us; half of us are full time students and the others are working professionals. What is amazing about this is not the fact that I have been here 8 days and completed the majority of my first module, but that I have almost completed it and don’t have any additional information about my program or how to officially become a registered student! They tell me that they will have orientation sometime later in the semester…helpful. In the mean time I continue to wait in lines, track down people, obtain signatures, and go round and round. Most days I find all this rather amusing. As long as they don’t fret I see no reason to do so either.

Last Tuesday at 9:50 pm my flight arrived in Durban, 15 minutes ahead of schedule. I couldn’t have asked for a better journey here. All my luggage arrived, all my flights were ahead of schedule and I never had to wait in line. It was amazing. I was greeted by John Ferguson who proudly displayed a large Rotary sign for me to locate him. His wife Maggie is most delightful. I am currently renting a flat that is attached to their house. It is a furnished two-bedroom apartment. Anna, another Rotary Scholar, will move in this weekend. Drew, a third Rotary scholar lives in the flat upstairs. It is good to have friends nearby to live in these transitional times.

Like most things new and in countries unfamiliar, all things have been a maze to navigate. I finally obtained a cell phone a couple days ago. Mostly I wait to figure out how to obtain internet access. Because I am not a registered student, I have no privileges on campus and with all things technological there are exorbitant fees for access and one must wait for the right deal. I remain hopeful and confident that all things will continue to work out.

All is well. and I am especially mindful of the goodness of creation and all around me as we head into this season of Lent.