First 4 Days in Capetown

Greetings from Capetown,

After a 26 hour trip and 3 horribly jetlagged nights of sleep I am absolutely loving it here in Capetown! I look out my window and can see a giant mountain right smack dab in the middle of the city. 

My work place doesn’t believe in letting me catch my breath, just like I like it! J

My boss Alphonse picked me up from the airport weds evening, my flight was about half hour late so I got in about 10PM then he took me to my living space which wasn’t too far from the airport.  He told me that he’d meet me at my place in the morning at 10am he stressed that I did need to sleep.  I was too excited to sleep I finally fell asleep at 4am that morning then I woke up again at 6am.  I still had a few hours before I was due to call him, so I decided to go outside for an exploratory jog.  Was great to get my heart rate up and see the area I was in, then I came home.  Was about 730 so I decided to go back to sleep for another hour and a half.  Well that’s when everything went awry, I must have turned off my alarm during my sleep because when I woke up it was a quarter to 12. I was a bit frazzled so I quickly jumped up and got ready and just as I was about to leave my house my boss was standing at my front door J

He was great, he said he knew I wouldn’t be able to get up in the morning but he just wanted to make sure that aliens hadn’t abducted me.  He took me out for breakfast (lunch) then took me by the office to show me around and that ended my first day. 

The next day, Friday, I spent the whole day in the office meeting the staff. By the end of the day I wound up with a book in my hands, a book that the institute wants to publish next month and I was told to read it, edit it, and write a review on it ASAP.

 I’ve made it through the majority of it and am floored by the 10 stories of these seemingly average local Muslim women, who come from ordinary background who have gone through some extraordinary things.  Not to say that currently they have reached some extraordinary level of social achievement, but in their lives they have.  These are stories of resilience and perseverance, stories that attest to how even in the darkest hours that we may find ourselves in, there is always a way through just as long as you keep moving forward.   I will make excerpts of this book available in the upcoming days for your reading pleasure. 

I am only truly beginning to learn just how healing it can be to share our stories with others. So often we pass by people without looking them in the eyes, imagine if we took the time to sit and listen to these perfect strangers.  Welcome to this journey of stories, come with me as we find out exactly what this Institute for the Healing of Memories is all about. 

Talk soon! MORE PICTURES TO COME!! 

Love!