Extraordinarily Ordinary

The last week has been strikingly ordinary. It's strange to say, but I have developed a routine here, and this week has included very few experiences that broke out of it. Fortunately, this is also the last week for this routine to be in place, since it's the last week of classes. Only three days of lectures stand between me and the interminable exam period. I say interminable because exams here last a MONTH, instead of a week, like at home. Anyway, here's a quick outline of the average week.

Wednesdays bring only 2 classes, so I usually spend the extra time doing research in the library or writing papers. This week I've been cramming extra work into Wednesday since the end of the semester is fast approaching.

Thursday is a bit hectic, since I spend the morning in class and work in the SAEP office in the afternoon. I never know what the office work will be, sometimes it's working on my own projects, but I also get to do whatever the organization needs, which has meant putting together gazebos, weighing stationary for international mailing, planning weekend field trips for students from township high schools, contacting volunteers, and mediating chocolate wars (don't ask...).

Every Friday I let myself be lazy. I go to classes in the morning, run errands in teh afternoon, then often go to a friend's house for a braai in the evening.

Saturdays bring work, since the library is closed on Sundays. I sometimes do touristy-things on Saturdays as well, but lately it's been all work. Saturday nights usually feature dinner out and a movie with my housemates. Sundays bring church and more homework.

On Monday I have three classes, then I rush down to my church for a Bible Study. I'm the youngest member by twenty years, so I get to listen a lot and be mothered in a pleasant sort of way. Monday evenings are ALWAYS fun, since I spend them with my friend Jenny. We go out to dinner and talk, then we attend the poetry readings that I've described in my blog before. Our presence has become so routine that we're known by the staff as the "Hot Chocolate Darlings" and the reading organizers as "the Americans", and we seek out our favorite Angolan waiter, Oscar, every time we go.

Tuesdays are marked by classes and afternoons volunteering at an SAEP creche. I go with the same American students every week, and the kids have come to expect our presence. When we arrive, they call out various snippets of English songs and games we have taught them, so we are greeted with hugs and a smattering of "Duck, Duck, Duck!" and "E-I-E-I-O".

I spend a lot of time during the week in the computer lab, which is a totally new experience for me. I've always had my own computer at college in the past, so having to use a lab has been a new experience. I have to arrange my paper-writing around the lab hours. My roommate teases me about how much time I spend there, but I'm the only student in my house who didn't bring a laptop, so the lab time is necessary.

When I first arrived, I thought I'd never get used to life here, I'd never find a routine, yet I have. I've figured out how to get around, which places are safe, how to fit errands and homework into the hours when facilities are open, and how to find comfort in a place that is largely foreign to me. I've even found ways to get a reasonably balanced diet while minimizing cooking. (Don't worry, it's not ALL toast...)

Correction
Right after I wrote this post and left the computer lab, I walked past four people in white rabbit costumes entering the social sciences building. Thirty yards farther down my walk I encountered a person in an orange suit being guided down the stairs by two people in what I'm guessing to be grenadilla suits. Seriously. I guess this is just a hilarious reminder that nothing is ever quite "ordinary"!