Hello!
In only two short days my wife, Jillian, and I will be boarding a plane heading (in a long and roundabout way) to Bloemfontein, South Africa. It’s unbelievable! I’ve been thinking about this trip for almost three years now and it’s finally happening, but it doesn’t feel real at all. Since we’ve been busy with graduate school applications, dealing with sub-leasers, getting our visas, getting vaccines, managing time with our families, and so on, we’ve barely had time to think about where we’re going to be for the next six months.
Social Events
I recently came across an example of something the Obama administration is doing to improve the image of America abroad. Titled, "An American Perspective/A Perspective on America," the state department is creating Information Resource Centers in local libraries throughout the country. On the afternoon that I visited the library in Bloemfontein, the American corner was full of people.
There is a temporary exhibit at the National Museum on soccer (and yes, they call it soccer in South Africa) and the World Cup. The small exhibit highlights the evolution of the vuvuzela from kudu horn to plastic noise maker banned throughout the world.
There is this South African restaurant phenomenon called Spur Steak Ranches. They are all over the country and in some other African countries as well. 
I have been in South Africa for three days. We haven't really done much, but organize ourselves to be here for six weeks, doing things like shopping for towels and purchasing cell phones. But all of these little things have been experiences to remember nonetheless.
