Things as Sparrow Village have still been our primary objective and I am happy to report that all is well on that front. Simone and I have been working hard to help the many students towards their end of term exams. With the seasons being flipped compared to back home, South African student end their school year in December and enjoy their summer holiday along side Christmas and New Year's. I have been busy remembering all of my math skills from my high school years, while Simone has hand her hands full with Africaans and Accounting. As always, the kids make it all worth it. Many days when we have a little extra time after homework, many of the kids enjoy reading stories. It is always sweet to see how excited they get being able to accomplish such a task!
Other than spending time at Sparrow, Simone and I spend a good portion of the rest of our days helping out Simone's grandparents around their house and office. It is definitely nice to be busy and it makes we look forward to getting back into a work routine when I get home. The good news is that Simone and I have a better glimpse of the future at this moment. As of this last week, Simone and I are both accepted and scheduled to attend the Michigan State University College of Osteopathic Medicine as part of the class of 2015. It is not enough to say that we are excited, because right now, it all seems like a dream come true. To be accepted to the same school that is only 4.5 hours away from Chardon is more than I could ask for. On top of things, Michigan State has been ranked in the top 5% of all U.S. medical school programs for the last 10 years. Even though we don't start until May, I am proud and excited to be a medical student and a Michigan State Spartan.
I am glad to say that our time in South Africa has not become all work and no play. Simone and I have been actively pursuing adventure where we can find it. Last weekend, we made a trip to Chameleon Village, the second largest African Market in South Africa. The day was spent touring the many stalls, admiring the beautiful craft, and conducting a healthy amount of gift shopping. Along with enjoying the sights and sounds of the market, Chameleon Village is located near the scenic Hartebeespoort Dam.
Beside gift shopping, Simone and I have made an active effort to make our weekends more interesting. Yesterday, Simone and I enjoyed a nice dinner out at the Cape Town Fish Market, where I was able to enjoy some fine prawns and calamari. Needless to say it was delicious. To make the weekend even more exciting, Simone and I took to the sky this morning, going on a zip-line canopy tour. For 2.5 hours, we enjoyed the beauty of the Magaliesberg Mountains (the second oldest mountain range in the world) via a series of criss-crossing zip lines. The entire experience was not only breath-taking but incredibly exciting as well!
As you can see, life has been busy in deed on this side of the world but I am sure that there will be much more to come soon! I am sure that my next blog entry will come along much sooner and with even more exciting adventures to report.
Tot volgende tyd (Until next time in Afrikaans)
Mike
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