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January 31, 2005
At the University of the Western Cape
Hey everyone! I've finally gotten to Cape Town and found another computer, although most of the computer labs seem to be closed right now. Actually, the entire campus is rather on shut-down mode, as classes don't really start until next week. We're registering tomorrow and then we'll spend the rest of the week travelling around and going to various touristy places around here, but it's finally hit home that I'm going to be spending four potentially long months in a rather different and somewhat uncomfortable and inconvenient location. One we get various issues with the food and the showers sorted out, I should be fine.
Hope everything is going well 7890 miles away in the United States. I don't have much time right now because Frances has been patiently waiting by my side for about half an hour or so while I've done various things online, but I'll try to get online to give updates as frequently as I can. I love reading all your comments, so please keep writing! I miss everyone at home and I miss rowing with the team, but I'm also not envious of your sub-zero weather compared with our 80-90 degree temperatures...
Posted by rgutwin at January 31, 2005 11:02 AM
Comments
Things here in Vermont are not so good: there's no one here to keep us on our toes, we're eating meat like it's going out of style, and we're lonely. When did you say you're coming back?
We miss you too Becca.
Posted by: Paul Gutwin at January 31, 2005 09:26 PM
Good luck with the food and the showers. I hope you figure them out, because otherwise you will be there for four very long, skinny, dirty months. :)
Ronit says the food in South Africa is awesome. (He wants you to know that he said that.) Also, he suggests you avoid UWC economics professor Ismail Adams, who is somewhat boring. You will probably have little difficulty avoiding him since you are probably not taking economics.
Posted by: Diana at January 31, 2005 10:33 PM
I felt somewhat the same way when I was in Japan, which is only (as we have discussed) about 1000 miles closer than Cape Town. I counted down the weeks and days sometimes, which in retrospect was stupid because I was in this amazing place where I will probably never be able to go again.
But here's the thing, Becca. If you think of it like this -- "it's finally hit home that I'm going to be spending four potentially long months in a rather different and somewhat uncomfortable and inconvenient location" -- then indeed, it will be hard to deal with.
But if instead you look out the window and say, "oh, it's a rather nice day today," and you look to your left and you say, "oh, there's Frances, and I am rather fond of Frances," and you decide that today will not be so bad, then the whole thing will not be so bad. It might actually be... good!
When I went to France with a group, I had a friend who was also feeling the same way (it appears to be common, eh? -- yes, it is) and this poem, which actually is from that bright orange pamphlet that you had on your dresser with a Post-It note for a while, really helped her:
Life's a trial, mile by mile.
Life is hard, yard by yard.
But it's a cinch, inch by inch.
(Anonymous)
Posted by: Who was it that said that unsolicited advice is never welcome? at February 1, 2005 11:19 AM
Yo dude, hope you're having fun! Still working out? You haven't posted much to the training section... I'm dying to hear how much fun it is to run around with your virtual training buddy...
Posted by: Karl at February 2, 2005 09:15 PM