Seriously, how did it get to be mid-December already?! Theo has a chocolate advent calendar and we’re already at door number 15!
We’ve been here in Cape Town so long I feel like we live here. We’ve certainly developed our routines. Theo has a great babysitter who he adores since she’s a former architect and can build houses out of any material lying around. Rafe has his usual coffee shops (to the point where one day my phone wasn’t working and I knew exactly where to find him) and I’ve gotten to know all the gals at the yoga studio around the corner. All to say, this has been a good place for us to spend an extended amount of time…but it’s never far from my mind that we’re on the other side of the world!
I’ve been working a bit with Whole World Women’s Association, a refugee rights organization here. I got to know their badass director (from afar) when I managed communications at an org in SF and I had always admired her. Working with her directly has been eye-opening. Cape Town is a lovely city for someone like me visiting – but it’s a very racially and economically divided city with a lot of corruption and human rights abuses….and it’s the worst for those that come here as refugees and are relegated to the margins of society.
Anyhow, on a lighter note, this weekend we’re going to Port Elizabeth, a port town an a hour and a half flight from Cape Town. The beaches are supposedly better for swimming (the water on this side is very cold and it has been SUPER windy here lately). We’ll also be going on a short safari not too far from there. Theo is very excited, but I think he thinks all kids do this kind of stuff. He doesn’t realize how lucky he is! Safaris are everywhere in books, toys, and programs for kids so I think it’s become like, oh yeah, a safari just like on TV. I hope the real deal will leave a lasting impression!
It was actually rather difficult to find a safari that would allow children as young as Theo, and also one that wasn’t in a malarial zone. But we couldn’t come all the way here and not go on one. Will report back!
And to wrap this up, here are some recent photos:
