The Shift? 100 Days Remain.

I hope it hasn't arrived, but I think it may have. Today is the first day since I've arrived that the high temperature in Wisconsin is warmer than in Cape Town. It also rained for the third time here yesterday, and I'm starting to get the feeling that we may be headed into the winter rainy season. Coincidentally, today marks 100 days remaining until my journey comes to an end, and I find myself back in the homeland. One hundred days remaining of weather getting cooler and cooler. Nice. If anything, though, it will mean another summer to look forward to as the semester wraps up.

I feel a little bit bad though, my oldest brother Erik and his wife Jana arrived yesterday to visit for a week. I think they missed the hot weather by like a day. Oh well, Cape Town doesn't stop being beautiful or fascinating without the 90 degree weather (though, admittedly, it sure helps).

Erik and Jana at the V&A Waterfront.

We spent yesterday walking around by the V&A Waterfront, and had a nice lunch at the wharf. After a stop back at the hotel, we headed off to my place in Observatory for the house introduction, sightseeing, and a nice dinner with some local wine. Yummy! We also called brothers Tyler and Krisjan, who both had birthdays yesterday. As we walked around afterward, Jana held Erik's hand pretty tightly, probably because of my calm recollections of the crime and such... but she didn't have much to worry about. We were fine!

They are here for a week, and should be hiking Table Mountain while I'm at class. I'm between lectures right now, killing time in the computer lab (while looking at two huge promotional posters for Microsoft Office Professional for Windows 95. UCT needs to get with it. They do, however, have 2007 on even their older computers. Interior design hasn't followed. Or the upgrading of the many beige PC towers and CRT monitors in this room.

Get with the program, UCT.

In other new news (if you haven't been watching my Twitter feed on the side), I'm SCUBA Open Water certified! I did my last two certifying dives last Sunday in Simonstown. We did some more advanced skills like underwater compass navigation, hovering at depth, free descents, controlled emergency swimming ascents, how to retrieve and bring a tired or distressed diver back to shore or a boat, and mask removal and clearing underwater (which really can sting in the saltwater, all while breathing from the regulator). Fun!

I'm hoping to use my newfound Scuba skills over Spring Break, when I travel to Mozambique! That's right, I'm in the process of arranging an 11-day trip to Mozambique for my Spring Break in April. It will include traveling to Johannesburg, Maputo, and Tofo. The great thing is that I'll be doing four ocean dives in Moz, which I've heard to have some of the best diving in the world. Very warm water, visibility for over a hundred feet, and huge manta rays and other aquatic animals. I'm getting very excited.

My trip.

Along with the limited time left on our program, there is pressure to get out and do as much as possible. I don't think anybody wants to leave in June or July feeling like they didn't see enough, or really get to know Cape Town. I'm sure it will all come in time, as more opportunities become available, especially as classes end, but it's still a bit stressful! Around this time in the semester, everyone has set into their routines of class, volunteering, sleep, homework, etc. I'm soo over the Jammie bus drivers on campus, by the way. Just so over them.

Also, this last weekend I went downtown to a restaurant and had my first ostrich burger. There are a number of ostrich farms around, and it comes recommended, so I had to do it! It was very good, but nothing too special. I was sort of just thinking why ostrich is so special, like, considered a delicacy? I don't know. I just reminded myself that it is a very dumb bird and it helped me along.

With the colder temperatures, I'm going to need to get out my Snuggie™ soon! As it gets breezy and I turn to blankets, I will decreasingly want to reach for things and lose my heat bubble.