Its coming

The end.

Its coming.

Earlier this week I was asked by a close friend of mine here, Thabisile, "So, are you ready?".... "Ready for what?" I ask, and she elaborates by saying "You know..." gesturing a downward plunge with her hand, a dive, a crash. Critical low if you will. I'm refusing to think about this, avoidance is key as my friends Kelly, Summer and I know :)

I have one and a half weeks left here. The time has flown.

Today Jessica and I took our children from the TB Hospital to the Aquarium at the waterfront! It was a day filled with JOY JOY JOY. The children absolutely loved it, and their enthusiasm was catching. None of them had ever been their before, and probably would never have gone without us taking them. Watching their jaws drop when we walked into the penguin exhibit, listening to their gasps and "ooohh!!!"s and "joh!"s were priceless. Just being able to leave the hospital, go somewhere fun and cool (and educational) and act like a normal child for once was really great for our children.

Today and tomorrow are our capstone presentations on the service work we have been doing all semester, Friday a research proposal is due, and next week our big capstone report, final day of service and goodbye party at Brooklyn Chest Hospital, shopping for gifts, final service learning dinner.

Last week was filled with papers and projects and Bike & Build stalking. And bundling up in layers, scarves, sitting by the little tiny wall heater with a cup of tea. I literally just warmed my hands up over the stove-no central heating for this old house! It is certainly winter here!!!

I'm looking forward to the warm weather back home. And seeing friends and family. Being back in Grand Haven for a summer! I cannot wait, but am also very sad about leaving Cape Town, it will be very bitter sweet.

Nothing much else exciting to report, just lots and lots of homework being done, and spending as much time together as we can before it ends. I probably wont blog again until I'm home due to the whirlwind of activity from this point to the end.

And now I must go to bed. Or work on a paper. For tomorrow I am waking up early to make breakfast for some lovely individuals, then bike back to the bike shop to sell my bike back and buy supplies to fix some bikes. I found four broken bikes in a back room at Brooklyn Chest Hospital, just with minor problems (flat tires, rusty chains, skewed break pads/cables, etc etc)-all of which I can fix! The kids were so surprised when I told them I could fix bikes-I'm a girl! what could I know about fixing bikes?! Little do they know how much I learned a year ago. I cannot wait to spend next Monday cleaning and fixing bikes :D :D

I love you all and cannot wait to see you when I return home.

peace and love kristen