Good music, wine, and talk of bigotry
Things are going well here at Loskop Dam Nature Reserve in the Mpumalanga province of South Africa. (In case any of you are wondering where in the hell I am). I normally write on Fridays-but L and I spent all much of our day off trying to get her Visa renewed. If any of you have done said task- you will sympathize. After that 5 hour ordeal-which included L having to get a chest x-ray- and being slightly lost, ordering a bloody mary which-come to find out had the very un-vegan Worchester sauce, and finding the internet café closed we just couldn’t bolster the morale high enough to locate another location to email from. So when 31 buffalo treed us this morning at 7 a.m. we found it the perfect opportunity to come to town and finish up what we couldn’t yesterday-after about a half an hour of the buffalo roaming back and forth under our trees four times of course. It has been a lovely week of seeing much more wildlife-trekking after baboons-which out climb us much of the time-but no worries-I am well on my way to getting back in hiking shape. We spent a few evenings with some of the Afrikaners from around the Reserve-talking of apartheid, world peace, religion, and the new South Africa. Perspectives of many of the white South Africans are alarming much of the time, but it can also be hopeful. Also listened to a lot of good music-though American music dominates much of the world’s culture I think. Not a bad thing when it’s Neil Young and Ryan Adams though.
There is a reptile park that houses mostly ex-pets up the road from the research site in the Reserve. The family that operates it is lovely and it is great to meet people who strive to educate the local people about the importance of conservation. We watched the crocodile feedings and saw several of the snakes-the one up close is a toothless egg eater that I held, even though he was striking at nearly everything that moved. Silly toothless snake… Janni (pronounced yanni) also had black and green mambas, puff adders, and even a new anaconda that he acquired after the girl who bought it found out that it did not-contrary to what the pet store owner told her- eat fruit. Awesome.
It is hot and sunny here, and much like Phoenix there was an almost immediate move from winter to summer. We are apparently very close to the city with the worst pollution in SA-so on the horizon it occasionally looks like Phoenix. As you can see from the pics-the view is certainly not all bad.
I know most of you are worried about the food situation. As are/were most of the people out here- since being a vegan is certainly not a subject your friends can keep from telling anyone with ears (no worries my friends, I am used to it), L had informed most everyone of my eating choices. But do not fret my friends! Though the culture is very into hunting, killing, and meat eating- I have found plenty of food stuffs to appease me. I even found a health food store when L and I were getting her visa-and stocked up on dates and chickpea flour. Albert, the man who is kind of the Reserve manager, even made L and I vegan poike-A vegetable stew cooked inside a pumpkin in a dutch oven! Vegan in South Africa is not only do-able, it’s easy.
Thank you all for posting-it brightens the already nearly irritatingly bright days!
To all: I need an idea for a costume out here! L and I wracked our brains for two days in the field(which is about 20 hours) trying to come up with something hilarious, but alas we fell short of our high expectations. Please send me your ideas! Wigs are no problem-but costume can't be one that I would need to get a a costume shop-obviously.
Sam-couldn’t replace you my friend of friends. I defiantly need cd’s!!! Most of everything I have ever gotten from you I have lost-unsurprisingly. So anything and everything you can send would maybe be the most appreciated thing I could get! Also pics or things to dress up my room-and shit you make will suffice.
Sean-Nothing but gangsta love for ya
Rosie-So good to hear from you!!! Hope all is well in KC-give Joe a kiss for me-but not a nasty one…
Mr Skaggs- fucking love the neutral milk hotel-haven’t been able to stop playing king of carrot flowers.
Yi-Yaw-hope the b-day went well. Sent you a letter and gift-am sure it will arrive in 3 months
J-put in some bug pics for you-enjoy The red thing is a giant grasshopper that wants to eat off my face and the bug that looks like a spider is a red roman. Look it up and send me some stats on the damn thing-it looks terrifying and is a little aggressive-not that L was poking at it with her stick-we would never do that.
There is a reptile park that houses mostly ex-pets up the road from the research site in the Reserve. The family that operates it is lovely and it is great to meet people who strive to educate the local people about the importance of conservation. We watched the crocodile feedings and saw several of the snakes-the one up close is a toothless egg eater that I held, even though he was striking at nearly everything that moved. Silly toothless snake… Janni (pronounced yanni) also had black and green mambas, puff adders, and even a new anaconda that he acquired after the girl who bought it found out that it did not-contrary to what the pet store owner told her- eat fruit. Awesome.
It is hot and sunny here, and much like Phoenix there was an almost immediate move from winter to summer. We are apparently very close to the city with the worst pollution in SA-so on the horizon it occasionally looks like Phoenix. As you can see from the pics-the view is certainly not all bad.
I know most of you are worried about the food situation. As are/were most of the people out here- since being a vegan is certainly not a subject your friends can keep from telling anyone with ears (no worries my friends, I am used to it), L had informed most everyone of my eating choices. But do not fret my friends! Though the culture is very into hunting, killing, and meat eating- I have found plenty of food stuffs to appease me. I even found a health food store when L and I were getting her visa-and stocked up on dates and chickpea flour. Albert, the man who is kind of the Reserve manager, even made L and I vegan poike-A vegetable stew cooked inside a pumpkin in a dutch oven! Vegan in South Africa is not only do-able, it’s easy.
Thank you all for posting-it brightens the already nearly irritatingly bright days!
To all: I need an idea for a costume out here! L and I wracked our brains for two days in the field(which is about 20 hours) trying to come up with something hilarious, but alas we fell short of our high expectations. Please send me your ideas! Wigs are no problem-but costume can't be one that I would need to get a a costume shop-obviously.
Sam-couldn’t replace you my friend of friends. I defiantly need cd’s!!! Most of everything I have ever gotten from you I have lost-unsurprisingly. So anything and everything you can send would maybe be the most appreciated thing I could get! Also pics or things to dress up my room-and shit you make will suffice.
Sean-Nothing but gangsta love for ya
Rosie-So good to hear from you!!! Hope all is well in KC-give Joe a kiss for me-but not a nasty one…
Mr Skaggs- fucking love the neutral milk hotel-haven’t been able to stop playing king of carrot flowers.
Yi-Yaw-hope the b-day went well. Sent you a letter and gift-am sure it will arrive in 3 months
J-put in some bug pics for you-enjoy The red thing is a giant grasshopper that wants to eat off my face and the bug that looks like a spider is a red roman. Look it up and send me some stats on the damn thing-it looks terrifying and is a little aggressive-not that L was poking at it with her stick-we would never do that.
posted by Shannon's Bushtales at 1:21 AM
4 Comments:
Totally had the phone on vibrate on my bday..but I was lecturing so I missed your call. Bday was awesome - strangers bought me wine at sushieye and everybody came friday for the party. We played wiffle ball and glow-in-the-dark frisbee - one of the most successful parties in a long time. Really beginning to miss you now. Think of some stuff I can send you next time we talk.
Love the bug pictures, I appreciate, and will let you know how deadly that red roman really is. I also love the pics of the giraffes, and of course the other wildlife that you run across. Sorry to say that I missed sister's spectacular party, although I heard through the grapevine that it was a hit. I've been laying low on the alcohol front, but I have some promises of a good time when I get off the antibiotics. I've been texting you, and I don't think you're getting them. Mainly that I hope you're in love with Africa and not a boy. :) No word from Hot Rob, the one who came over before you left. Oh well, you can't have them all....or can you?? Anyways, I love the posts and look forward to them every week. Miss ya.
J
why hello shannon! sorry to hear you were treed by buffalo, especially as it was for long enough to count 31 of them. i did laugh a little when i read that though. not much is happening around the world from you in exotic tucson. i have realized i horribly hate a class. said class has driven me to go to the nearest (or cheapest) bar after each class period - which might be funny if i were exaggerating at all. ironically, i found myself drunk before noon at the same bar we went to to celebrate my being promised a position in gerba's lab (and grad school). i think we were drinking before noon then too. anyway, aside from school life is simply fantastic. and i've made steps to temporarily replace you as i am now friends with a vegan (you're all basically the same) who helped me rescue a snake the other day. she and i are currently designing a plan to escape grad school and open a knitting/organic foods store in a little mountain town. i love your photos, especially the one with the giraffes! now get me one with rhinos! and i will think long and hard about a potential costume for you. have a wonderful week and i hope you don't get treed!
Hello Miss Shannon! Your pics are fantastic. I am truely jealous! I sit in my Mommy world living vicariously through your blogg. Sad,sad existance! I love you and miss you.You look extremely happy,Africa is a good fit for you. I miss you, but I think you need to stay and raise orphan babs!Keep an eye out for Ty's travel buddy, he proudly sent him to his friend in South Africa.He should arrive soon.Let me know if you need another power bar box and I will send it off!Kristin O. and I went to Zoofari..good time had by all. Mr. Doug poured us many very alcohol HEAVY drinks. Take care! Love you lots!~ Michelle :)
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