Goal: Paint 16 classrooms, 2 murals in 8 days at the Matavha Primary School R-7 with sister Dr. Andrea Emberly and her 15 students in the small town of Tshakhuma, Vhembe district, province of Limpopo, South Africa.
Day One and Two
We’re finally off to South Africa to meet up with Aunite A and her Team Limpopo.
After our loving and sentimental goodbye’s to family and dogs, we boarded Maxx’s favorite Marin Airporter (aka: “rainbow bus”) to SFO for our late, late 11:27PM flight to our first stop, NEW YORK!
Yay! We made it to NY, no sleep for me and 20 minutes for Maxx....could be a bumpy ride!
Finally on the plane headed to Joberg. Maxx zonked for another 20 minutes then woke up. We sat next to a nice dad of three named James who proceeded to down about 10 small bottles of red wine...one of which he spilled on my sleeping donut. Maxx and I had a marathon of movies over the next 8 hours until finding a good sleeping arrangement.
Maxx slept hard for a good 6 hours, I snoozed on and off until I got a headache because the plane was hot and sweaty with the increasing stench of BO building by the hours and hours and hours....and hours. Maxx woke up and I asked for some ibuprofen but all they had were local pills? Whatever, I grabbed some water and downed them.......The next 4 hours were a nightmare having a bad reaction and spent most of the time in the lovely bathrooms of SA34 and using up all barf bags within reach.
Maxx slept hard for a good 6 hours, I snoozed on and off until I got a headache because the plane was hot and sweaty with the increasing stench of BO building by the hours and hours and hours....and hours. Maxx woke up and I asked for some ibuprofen but all they had were local pills? Whatever, I grabbed some water and downed them.......The next 4 hours were a nightmare having a bad reaction and spent most of the time in the lovely bathrooms of SA34 and using up all barf bags within reach.
Maxx was a major trooper and helped me off the plane, thru customs to our next gate to Polekwane! Yeah, it was a major haul to get here and we can’t wait for a horizontal, full prone sleep in our future.
Auntie A arrived, she drove another 2 hours while Maxx and I crashed in the back seat.
We were introduced to the very inviting and loving Davhula family.
Things we learned today: Time slows down in South Africa.....if you are offered or request something like coffee or a snack, it will generally take and hour or more to come. So anticipation is a very important skill as an American here and parent of a young child. People are always around, community is everything. Jesus lives! Kraft Mac and Cheese is the most requested food from home. A pickup truck is called a Bucky and you can ride legally in the back. Hello for males is “Ndaa” and hello for girls is “aa”. They love Andrea and consider her part of the family and so we are also considered family.
Over and Out,
Jenn and Maxx
Jenn and Maxx
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