Continuation from previous blog

Thursday 24th March

We were going to learn to surf this morning but the cost (£23) although a good deal, was out of our budget for the day, so instead we went to the Kirstenboch, not sure if I spelt it right, botanical gardens on the east slopes of Table Mountain. It was quite good but the was a bit drizzly and grey. I had paragliding planned for the afternoon and was secretly hopping it would be cancelled due to the weather. It wasn't, which and am exremly glad about now as it was the most amaing thing I've done. We had to walk up Lions head first, then get all srapped in and given a very brief talk on take off, then it was onto the 'runway' and off we went. You just run down a very short slope and hope you stay in the air. Otherwise you end up in a load of trees. Thankfully we stayed up, at first I was extremely nervous and I was scared of hights :/ but as it went on I relaxed, it was made better by the fact I was lfying with the 4th best in the paragliding world championships. After a while I was allowed to hold the controlls and did some turns and some loops which was good :D Then he did some tricks, one where we were going at 140km and hour, dropping 16m a sec, in spirals, then Wing-overs, which made you loose you're stomach. It was awesome. All made better byt he fact that the sky was clear blue and we were flying over Camps Bay. In the eve I got asked for money AGAIN, but this time from an American who had supposidly left his bag in a taxi, and needed money to get to the american embassy. When I said no and walked off I got a call of 'a**hole' from behind, lol, what a twat!

Friday 25th March

Today was incredible. Did the Cape Point Tour. The first stop was Hout Bay where we stopped at the harbour. There was a great market and at the end of the harbour was a really tame cape fur seal, which was being fed, mouth to mouth, by this guy. It climbed out the water and walked over to us, about 30cm away, we could have had a picture with it if we wanted, but would have cost R20. Then we drove around to a vewing area of Hout Bay, amazing view! From there we drove along Chapmans peak drive to Simons Town, where we went and saw the penguins at Boulders beach, they were so cute, and they had their new born chicks as well. Then we went to the Cape Point National Park, where we did a 30min cyle, (on the worst bike Ive ever been on) to the visitors centre. Brilliant views and was reallly warm. From there we drove to the cape of good hope, passing osterich on the way :D Once at the Cape Of Good Hope we stood by the sign, most SW point of Africa. Then we walked along the coast from there to Cape Point. An amazingly beautiful walk. Saw alot of wildlife along the way. At the Point if you looked back you could see the Cape peninsular, with the sea on both sides, stunning view. Once back at the backpackers I went and sat in the bar and watched SA loose to NZ in the cricket, lol. Brilliant day :) Oh and I also saw the american again, but this time wearing a suit and walking into a club! Thats why you don't give them money, lying little twat, what an a**hole, lol.

Saturday 26th March

Not much to report today, just 14 hours on a coach to Bloem, very long. Although not as long as a tour journey, it deffinetly felt like it as there was no one to talk to and no fun and games :/

Sunday 27th March

Stayed at Wiehans house in Bloem last night. Slept in till bout 9.30 and then had my last hot shower untill the next holiday :( Late morning we went to a private game reserve where they were lions, a tiger cub, a white tiger, a 5 week old lion cub and many other animals. It was amazing, and I got to hold the Lion cub :d It was so cute and soft and kept licking and chewing on my finger, awwww :) Then on the way back we went to the game reserve that is right in the middle of the city and saw a wild Giraffe. Then I just watched films until bed. Pirates of the Carribean curse of the black pearl, 2012 and then Sherlock Holmes. Also had the most amazing spinach Lasagne.

Monday 28th March

Just read a book most of the morning while I waited for my lift back to Aliwal North. Also watched about an hour of Avatar, 1st time Ive seen it. The ride back was uncomfy, was squashed in front of a van between the driver and another passenger. Wiehan then picked me up from Aliwal having driven through an enourmous hail storm. There were dents in his car! Driving back we drove through where the storm had been, massive piles of hail on side of the road, and massive flooding in the fields, as well as a new river formed running through them. We stopped to look and I picked up a piece of hail the size of a chicken egg, no joke! See pic on FB. Got back and had dinner and within an hour we had another storm and the power went off...and stayed off. So just jammed in my room with Wienhan and Becca and then played cards. Then went to meet Flics parents and had a drink.

Tuesday 29th March

Had ok but busy day. Was taking Davids mums lessons all day, was harder work than I thought, kids wise + the i was covering bussiness and accounting :/ The pwer was still off today and stayed off untill 17:00, at which point we had rehearsal.

Wednesday 30th March

Another busy day, but not as bad as I managed to keep them more under control today. Then at 4.30 we (me, david and flic) went and played tennis on davids uncles farm, the other side of the mountains. It was great becuase me and flic stood up on the back of the bakkie all the way through the mountains. The court wasn't great but it was ok to play on, and it the best in the area. To be honest I'm just thankful there's somewhere I can occasionally get a knock in. It wasn't a full on game and I didn't play that well, after 7 weeks, it doesn't take much for me to slip again, but it was good to get a game.

Thursday 31st March

Davids mum was back today so didnt have her lessons. Got given 2 math lit lessons to cover though, its like maths for people who arnt up to scratch for straight maths, very boring. The other lessons I sat and watched megan teach the music classes with new methods from the Sweedish teachers that came over. At 5.30 I went for a run with Flic, a run with a bit of walking, lol, was quite tiring after 7 weeks of no fitness exercise and twice as much eating :/ Then I did study with Flic, the kids are so rude it's a joke, at 10 year started talking to us about respect, saying hes not giving us any till we give him some, then demanded we sign his homework book, having done none, what the hell?!!! Then we went to Davids to plan our April Holiday, which is going to be awesome. We're going across to Durban, then up to Zululand (hopefully do some dancing round a fire with the local and drink they're brew) then up to St Lucia, Ponto D'Ouro and Tofo :D We also got a hot bath which was good and held a dead puff adder, was quite an experience that I tell you, still had its head attached :/ Then sat outside and had coffee till 01:15 and headed back to the hostel at 01:30. A good night :)

Friday 1st April

S**T sums up the majority of today. By far my worst teaching day yet.

When we got to school one of the teachers told me and Becca that Mr Becker (the head) wanted to see us in his office, (this was b4 the staff meeting) so we both went, wondering what we'd done. We ended up walking straight into the SMT meeting :/ when we said we'd been sent, mr Becker was like, 'we've booked you're flight home for tomorrow, you've causing to much trouble' at which point me and Becca had still forgotten it was April fools day. Then he said ' I think someone may have sent you here as a joke' then all the staff laughed, lol. From now on the day just goes down hill. I was supposed to have no lessons today so was going to go back and sleep but got given 5 cover periods to do. I AM SO SICK OF BEING GIVEN ALL THE COVER LESSONS :@:@:@:@:@:@:@!!! I'm not here for that!!! Anyway, all the kids we're mad all day, I had kids bunk, walk out my lessons, and just be plain rude. Then in 7th period, one student comes in (i'd already told this guy off earlier and the day before) and says that in 10min 2 bells will ring and everyone has to go outside for an assembly. I said that if this was another April Fool then I would not be impressed, he said it wasn't. Lied to my face!! The bells went, I checked others were moving before I let my class out. Then when outside only 5-6 classes were there. What had happened was that some student had run into the office and rang the bell. Or something like that :@ I was right in the middle of teaching Pythagoras Thereom to the Gr 12 Math Lit class. Then some student wanted me to help them pull a prank that involed a fake stabbing :/ Just when I thought it couldn't get any worse I got the 8th period, Gr 9 music. Everyone was fine apart form about 8 boys which all RAN in 10-15 min late, then completley ignored me and carried on walking round talking and going in and out. Then they put a tub at the back of the class room with the lid off, IT STANK. From the Africaans I could understand, it involved human something :@ I'll leave it to your imaginations :/ At that point I got one boy to get the tub and kicked all 8 out of the class and slammed the door behind them. Then proceeded to teach the rest of the class. 3 of the ones kicked out then decided to keep barging in to my lesson and yell through the windows. At one point I had an argument with the main trouble maker at the door and told him if he didn't leave then I was going to demerit the CRAP out of him! So he went, then proceeded to yell through the window again. So I went out and told them to come with me, (to Mr Becker) they all ran off :@ So got the names and gave them to the head of department. The rest of the class were awfull as well for the last half, so rude, didn't listen and kept talking, even when told by 2 other members of staff :O Then there was supposed to be a full dress rehearsal and photographs for Hollywood but we had another storm and the power went off, AGAIN!!!!! Then we went back to Davids again for a bit but when we left we heard people around the farm (which is not good news) so david went back into the house and came out with a heavy stick and Machettee :/ Was so scary, we were ready to floor the car we were sitting in and had all the doors locked. Quite an adrenaline rush, espessically after something similar, but not as bad happened when we went the night before as well :/ Then we went to hotel for a drink. Power went again later that night!!!!

Saturday 2nd April

Today marks the 50th day of me being away, quite a long time, and hasn't it gone quickly. It was so boring today. I slept till 10.30, then got breakfast, then for the rest of the day I just listened to music, playing chess, minesweeper and solitaire on the laptop and read. The eve was ok as I went for a drink with Megan and Wiehan at the hotel, and played pool.

Sunday 3rd April Day 51

When you get bored and then go a couple of levels futher, thats how it was today. More listening to music, and solitaire, drinking coffee (not proper coffee) and playing tennis against the wall :/ The only good thing was a 2 hour walk up the moutain behind the hostel at 14:00, that was really good and there was a great view and a small bit of rock climbing involved :) Then went and played pool at the hotel again and bought chips, after diner, as all we got was small scrammbled egg things, with nothing else, which is exactly what we get given every morning for breakfast !!!!! Also the night before all we got was a plate of chips and bread, no sauce, nothing else. How are we supposed to be sustained on that?

It has now got to the point where the excitment of being out here has worn off, so now I havnt even got that feeling to get me though being bored. Don't get me wrong, I love being in SA but Lady Grey is so BORING, and the after the mind numbing weekend and weekday afternoons you have to go and teach kids, who most of have no respect, don't want to learn, are rude and don't care about demerits. I mean, COME ON :@ I already cant wait for the next holiday and I've had 4 day teaching so far. 3 weeks left. After the holiday we have a 7 and a half week term, OMG, that is going to absolultey murder me :( I wasn't really missingmy TV or Xbox untill just before the holiday we had, and I was just about coping without tennis, but now I really can't wait to have my xbox back as its a form of entertainment, which there is a severe lack of here. And tennis, I am dying to have a doubles game with everyone at teh club and a singles game with Dan Blower and my Mum and Dad, and to help with coaching.

On top of that I'm so concious of my money. I'm fine for this coming Holiday but it's the last month long one I'm worried about. It wouldn't be so bad but theres all the stuff here I have to spend money on, like my phone, some extra food which is desparatley needed in food cases like this week, and then the occasional drink at the hostel with friends. On top of that I need to leave some money for when I get back home as well.

There are so many things that are getting to me now, that didn't bother that much when I first arrived. But the ants here are now driving me mad, my room is starting to become a permant base for them. Then there's the power cuts, and the freezing cold water to bath in. I know power cuts just going to have to be part of life here but the cold water is really starting to get to me. The temperature here is starting to drop this week I think, and having cold bath water is not fun. When winter arrives and we get to negative figures it'll be a joke. We'll get hypothermia and be permanently ill. I apolagise in advance but there is no way I am bathing in this cold water everyday, or even every other day in the winter. Wipes are going to be very useful as is some other tips for washing hair I have picked up.

Anyway, that was quite a rant, sorry, but I feel a tiny bit better now :) When there's something to do here or your busy it's great, its just a lot of the time at the moment I don't have anything to do and I'm not busy.

I'll try and keep this slightly more up to date now, the holiday kind of threw me a bit and I had two and a half weeks to catch up on.

Cya Everyone

P.S 3 Weeks today I'll be in Durban on Holiday, YAAAYYYYYYY!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :D:D:D:D:D