Pretoria

I am in my new 'home'. I arrived late Saturday night in a wind storm. I was greeted by Asnath - my landlady's housekeeper who lives next door in her own separate quarters (her grandson and husband also live there). She went over the security measures for the house in great detail after we stepped foot inside. My mind was racing and I couldn't keep track of what key went where, which button meant what, etc. I was just preoccupied with my own thoughts about how different it is here - a society based on mistrust? I DO get why but it will take some getting used to on my part!

The house I am in has gates, barbwire, outdoor beams which detect movement, an indoor alarm system, bars on the doors and windows, as well as individual keys which lock each room. I sleep beside a device that has a panic button on it in case. There are also two dogs here which bark very loudly whenever anyone walks by. (I am an extremely light sleeper so need to get used to this!)

The neighborhood I am in is very nice. A lot of bureaucrats live here apparently. It's quite close to the city centre as well as popular areas such as Hatfield and Brooklyn.  I have done a bit of exploring nearby (there is a gym close yay!!) and feel a bit better since Saturday. The plants and trees are so lush and large, I love it. The sun has been shining everyday too. I will post pictures soon.

There has been no shortage of things to do - I have met some wonderfully social and friendly people. My landlady's son (Jed) is stranded in SA until his passport comes through so he took us around on Sunday and organized a Braai for us tonight. Also, a friend's cousin lives just up the road and we met for dinner last night. He is having a party on Friday so I look forward to going to that and meeting more locals. Also, my colleague at work is super and has offered to introduce me to her friends and take me places to tour on the weekends. I have definitely landed upon some fantastic people that will make this experience even more enriching.

I did start my practicum today which was GREAT. HIGHLIGHT: That I will likely get to travel to other parts of South Africa to conduct some research. Can you believe it?! I need to write a whole other separate blog for that. Stay tuned.

Brianna