tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-161663892024-03-07T03:47:38.270-05:00Brett Back In SchoolI have now finished my time overseas and have been home for almost two years now. I've decided to go to Palmer Chiropractic College as a means to create a career for myself. I miss the traveling, but the hope is that I'll be able to afford to travel all I want in my nearish future.Bretthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12112055831171166430noreply@blogger.comBlogger123125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16166389.post-12781489344358426702008-05-22T01:32:00.002-04:002008-05-22T02:02:36.854-04:00Remember MeSince my return to the motherland of Iowa, I've been confused and perplexed by an all-to-common trend I've seen. Perhaps it's just an Iowan thing and the rest of you won't have any clue what I type of, but I've seen at least 10 cars/trucks/minivans/etc. with some sort of memorial sticker in their windows. E.g. "In Loving Memory of Scott Miller (or any name) 1935-2004." <br />Now, what exactly are they doing to remember this person? Scott we'll say for now. Is it something along the lines of "Scott, I loved you so much I'm dedicating my new Oldsmobile to you." Or perhaps Scott left them money in a will which then allowed them to buy a new Cutlass Sierra. I'm not sure. So that's a possibility, but then I've seen dedications to infants as well. Is this helpful in the grieving process to the parents? Everyday they walk into the garage and see their custom made sticker on the side of their Astrovan. That helps them cope? I was recently spreading mulch at an apartment complex and saw three such vehicles (remembering people of various ages) withing a six-parking spot row. I was blown away. <br />I remember seeing one or two of these during my 3-month stay over the holidays, thought it a bit queer, but didn't realize it was a full-blown trend. I don't remember seeing any of these before I left for Zambia, I surely would have taken note had I crossed paths with them. So all of this must have popped up in the last 3 years, which then brings me to the point that people at some point have driven along, seen the first trend-setters, and then had a conversation along the lines of...<br /><br />John: "Sally, look at that car up there. Isn't that a great way to remember someone?"<br />Sally: "That is unique and quite touching, John."<br />John: "I know how much your uncle Roger meant to you, and I know it's been 2 months already, but I think we should get a sticker in the back of our Durango to make sure that we don't forget him. Everytime I check my blindspot he'll be looking over my shoulder. In a way."<br />Sally: "Oh John, that's a swell idea. Roger would be so happy. I love you."<br /><br />Perhaps this is a touchy subject to jest at, especially when I bring dead infants into the equation. I mean, to each his own when it comes to dealing with the death of a loved one, but I really would like some input from the one or two of you still reading this as to what may be going through people's heads when they go to the sticker store and ask for a custom made sticker to put on their Lumina's window to remember their fallen comrade. All I know, is if I die and anyone dedicates a vehicle to me, it better have T-tops, or be an Iroc-Z.Bretthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12112055831171166430noreply@blogger.com32tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16166389.post-31767932565215877622008-01-21T04:02:00.000-05:002008-01-21T04:31:48.722-05:00Return to South AfricaI got back here a week and a half ago after a full 36 hours of travel. I thought it would go quickly because at first glance I thought I only had 3 and 4 hour layovers, but upon landing in Frankfurt I pulled out my itinerary to look at what flight I was connecting with. I looked more carefully and saw I had a 10 hour layover there. That's sweet. Unfortunately it was only a couple of hours until dark set so I didn't feel like going out into a city I've never been to just before dark. <br /><br />Spending that long in airports sucks, but it is an entertaining way to watch people. Although there are far fewer in Europe, Bluetooths (Blueteeth?) are really stupid. When I was laid-over in Chicago, it seemed like one-third of all people in that airport had a ridiculous Bluetooth in their ear. From the right angles it just looks like a throng of crazies talking to themselves. The other part of people watching is seeing how impatient and annoyed so many people get in airports. Most of us have traveled via air and know that it takes time. Especially in these crazy post 9/11 times, yet you still have self-important asses bitching and moaning or just getting huffy in every line they stand it. I get a little bit of enjoyment seeing it all take place.<br /><br />Anyways, since being here I haven't really done a whole lot. In Cape Town I met up with Chris who picked me up in his Land Rover. It was good to see M (the Land Rover) again. Later that evening we met up with our Capetonian friends and my Norwegian buddy that was coincidentally back in Cape Town when I came in. I basically spent my first few days of jet lag drinking with these folks, and going to the beach. One night we went to the cinema to catch 'We Own the Night.' I highly recommend it. It is so bad, that it is like a comedy. It is so far below the line, I can't get enough of it. One very good thing about Cape Town is that Chris and I met two Danish girls that are making the same route we are over the next 4 months, so it looks as though we'll be having some traveling partners to chip in on gas. They're very high energy girls, so they may actually drive us nuts, but we'll see.<br /><br />Chris got a new suspension and several other things fixed on his vehicle, and then we've relocated to the wine fields of Stellenbosch now. About a 45 minute drive, it's a nice place. Large mountains and sprawling wine estates. Today we actually head out to do some wine tasting and figure out what cases we want to take to Mozambique together. I lost a few cases in some pool games to Chris, but luckily you can get good wine for $3 or so a bottle. <br /><br />Hopefully we can head out tomorrow and start up the coast en route to Jeffrey's Bay. Our goal is to then cut up through Lesotho (mountainous country) and then back into South Africa through the Draakensburg Range for some mountain camping. Then over to Durban, up to Swaziland, before finally getting to Mozambique just before our February 10 start date. Take care and I'll update as I get time.Bretthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12112055831171166430noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16166389.post-73590811688041633562008-01-09T02:50:00.001-05:002008-01-09T03:10:16.066-05:00Rollin' HardThe day has finally come for me to return to Africa. It actually doesn't seem all that long ago that I just stepped off a plane from there. After coordinating with my friend Chris, I have a better idea of what my next few months will look like. Friday I'll touch down in Cape Town and stay there for a few days visiting friends. From there he and I will take a month to drive north and east seeing various friends we made along the way and just keepin' it real. February 10 we are scheduled to be in Tofo and begin our work, or at least our accommodation hunt. After that it should be about 3 months of work and training until I get back in early May.<br />It's great having had some experience not only in Africa, but also the town in which I will be living a month from now. I was pretty relaxed before leaving in 2005, but now I'm not nervous at all. I know exactly what to expect, and my only concern in life is if I can get all my movies and videos loaded onto my iPod in time before I leave. Speaking of rolling hard, I just got a 160gb iPod for Christmas from the folks and have all but finished loading stuff onto it. I've a bit more work to do tomorrow, but as it stands I have 23606 songs and a few South Park episodes. (PS, iTunes sucks ass, you should use floola.) Despite the fact that I have 36ish hours of travel tomorrow, (DSM to Chicago to Frankfurt to Jo'Burg to Cape) I've got no worries with my updated iPod. Hooray! <br />I'll update on here what my new address is once I find out in case any of you want to send me anything awesome. Music magazines (Spin, Paste, Below the Radar, etc.) are always welcomed. Booze isn't at all necessary because in Mozambique they have this rum called Tipo Tinto that comes in 500mL plastic bottles for $1.75 and is absolutely delicious with Sprite. I'll be sure to update you all on how difficult my life is when I'm lying on a beach sunning myself in between dives with whale sharks and manta rays. I'd like to update this along the way so check back occasionally.Bretthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12112055831171166430noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16166389.post-22456259271354800552008-01-03T03:11:00.001-05:002008-01-03T03:28:20.914-05:00Puerto VallartaFor Christmas this year, the Pearson Clan met in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico for a week of fun in the sun. My dad's best friend has a timeshare and was kind enough to invite the whole family down from the 9th-16th of December. It was the first family Christmas in four years. We stayed at the Grand Mayan resort that basically has everything you could possibly want, including an endless supply of scantily clad senior citizens and retirees. Not that there's anything wrong with that.<br /><br />Because my sister and I are nearly 7 years apart in age (she'll be 33 in a couple weeks) we had little common ground growing up. Thankfully, I turned 21 several years ago and that provided us with alcohol to serve as a liquid bridge to our age gap and allow us to catch up for lost time of bonding. And the good thing with booze is that is accelerates the bonding like some sort of mind-bending time machine.<br /><br />On our first full day, we decided that 10am was a good time to go to the main pool and start ordering piña coladas as the aquarobics provided us with a nice view/conversation topic of the aforementioned retirees flailing around, arms akimbo to some sort of Mexican techno music while the instructors were counting loudly in Spanish. By the end of the first day, we'd met a nice gal named Jenn to hang out with, and had our fill of alcohol for the week. <br /><br />We spent the rest of the week playing cards and eating with Jenn's family, so that was great to interrupt the monotony of one's own family. For my personal entertainment, I spent several days playing beach volleyball in the morning, went on two SCUBA dives, and played a few rounds of golf. The diving was really cold and unremarkable, but it was great to get back into the water. My golf game was fairly bad, but I broke 100 each time, so I was happy with my performance seeing how I've played less than 10 rounds in 3 years. I still have my patented slice, so I've got that goin' for me.<br /><br />I really enjoyed laying on the beach each day, so if nothing else it has just reaffirmed to me that I'm really going to enjoy Mozambique where that's my daily routine.Bretthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12112055831171166430noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16166389.post-23871705561085361352008-01-03T02:39:00.000-05:002008-01-03T03:10:32.733-05:00BullseyeUpon my return to the United States, I had to find a way to make some money for my upcoming plans. Although I didn't spend all of the resettlement allowance provided by the Peace Corps, I knew the unfortunate reality was that I would have to make some serious cash to afford a ticket back to, and living expenses whilst in Mozambique. I spent my first few weeks back in denial and avoided the need to get some sort of income. <br /><br />The first job I secured was going up the the summer camp I used to work at and clean all of the buildings once/week. It has paid quite well and I decide when I work, so it's a perfect job actually. It wasn't the first time, but hopefully is the last time I'm employed as a janitor. I've been doing that and have two sessions left before I head back.<br /><br />I did interview at Wells Fargo for a job in a call center, but just a few days after my interview I decided that there was no way in hell I could handle that. Plus, the gig was downtown so I'd have to do the 7:00am commute five days/week and I know I'd <br />fail to show up in a timely manner so I called them back and told them I found another job.<br /><br />I ended applying for a job as a night stocker (just like Richard Ramirez) at Target. During my first interview I was told that I was way overqualified for the position. Not to sound like a dick, but I was well aware of that, but where else can I get hired to work for two months. And at $10/hour, it pays relatively well. After two more interviews (they're thorough) and a passed drug test I was officially a New Team Member at Target just down the road from my folks place. <br /><br />I attended the mandatory orientation and was informed by the President and CEO via video that Target's goal was 'To be the BEST Company Ever!' No shit, that is verbatim. Pretty lofty goal to be better than any company in the existence of the Earth, huh? Next I was told how Target revolves around the FFF principles. That's, Fun, Fast, Friendly, service. They have all kinds of propaganda like that, e.g., in the back room there are signs everywhere that say, 'Speed is life.' I'm surprised a company with a mandatory drug test would promote amphetamines so openly. <br /><br />Each night begins at 10pm and ends at 8am. During the holiday season I was given the option of overtime, but only took them up on it a couple times. My job is to work in the back rooms and carry my little PDA (a pricing gun with a laser and computer on it) and it tells me how many of what product to remove from the back shelves and push out to the sales floor. Then the FLOW team takes the carts of things I send out and puts them out to be sold. It's repetitive, mind-numbing work, but isn't too bad. <br /><br />Perks of the job are; 10% at Target stores, two 15 minute breaks and a 30 minute 'lunch' at 3am, a name tag that says 'Brett,' a box cutter, and a chance to listen to the radio for 10 hours straight. I'm assuming most of you don't listen to one radio station for 10 hours, but I hear the same awful songs 3-6 times/shift. It sucks. For coworkers, I enjoy one girl I work with, and can talk to two others, but most of the people just communicate with grunts and random noises. They're who you'd expect would have this job as a career. I mostly keep to myself and try not to look anyone in the eye.<br /><br />Last night I finished my second to last shift and look forward to finishing my final shift and preparing to leave for Mozambique. Aside from conversation with the one girl, I can honestly say I'll miss nothing about the place. That's only because I'm keeping the name tag, otherwise I'd miss that too.Bretthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12112055831171166430noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16166389.post-81715985010329497872007-11-15T15:36:00.000-05:002007-11-15T15:46:34.845-05:00Not Done With Africa YetDuring my travels, I wrote a fair amount about my diving experience at Tofo Scuba in Mozambique. After diving with them for a couple of weeks, the manager was talking with me one night and said, 'Brett, I've got a business proposal for you. We like having you around the shop. You're a smiley type of guy and a good diver. Would you like to come back in February to work?' My first reaction was 'Of course.' Then I got to thinking about how I hadn't been home for a couple of years and that maybe it was time for me to grow up. My 26th birthday was near and I wasn't sure how long I could go faffing around the world before needing to buckle down and getting a real job (or something that at least resembles it). <br />I gave Steve (the manager) a tentative yes to his question but kept saying, 'unless I get some great opportunity back home, I'll come back.' I don't recall if it was on the airplane or during the rest of my travels, but it dawned on me that getting to work at a diving shop on a beach in Mozambique is a pretty good opportunity so I emailed him and gave him a positive answer. I just bought my tickets yesterday and will be leaving home on January 9.<br />My official title there will be, Dive Master Trainee, or DMT. In diving, there are a plethora of certifications you can get, and Dive Master is the first one that you can find a paying job with. I need to get a lot more experience diving before I can become DM so Tofo Scuba will give me all of the training for free if I do pro bono work there for three months. It will basically come down to me getting $9000 worth of dives and training for free. I'll work in the shop and go on two or three dives each day where I'll act as a sweeper. I'll hang around the back of the group and make sure that none of the customers are doing anything stupid or having any problems. I'll work 6days/week and should end up with about 150 or 160 dives at the end of my time. I already bought a wetsuit and dive computer, so I'm ready to go.Bretthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12112055831171166430noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16166389.post-29419343017221741322007-10-30T02:41:00.000-04:002007-10-30T03:03:15.224-04:00More PhotosHey everyone. Life continues at the same pace as before. In new news, my job search is fruitless, but I got a haircut and shave. That's good. Now I look like a contributing member of society once again. Hooray!<br />I just added a bunch of pictures onto my website, so if you find yourself with a bit of extra time, check out the link to the right to see how Lesotho, Mozambique, and Cape Town are. I have pictures of Swaziland, but haven't gotten around to adding those yet.Bretthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12112055831171166430noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16166389.post-40851697609736980682007-10-25T04:57:00.001-04:002007-10-25T05:04:06.856-04:00No Place...I'm finally back. After 45 hours of being contained in planes and airports, my ship has come in. The reunion with the folks was heartwarming, and my first shower back was fantastic. Unfortunately, my bag didn't show up at the airport, but supposedly it's in Denver and will be dropped off tomorrow. <br />Speaking of tomorrow, my sister flies in and doesn't know I'm back yet, so that should be fun. I haven't seen her since May 2005 which is the longest ever. She's bringing her boyfriend, so that will be fun playing the 'getting to know you' game. I've met him before, and he's a nice guy, but haven't gotten to spend the quality one-on-one protective younger brother game yet. Sounds great. <br />In other news, after years of resisting signing up for something as foul and awful as facebook, I finally did it. If you want to look me up, I'm the brett pearson whose picture is that of an African garden gnome. <br />PS, I got a ticket to see Modest Mouse at the Val Air Ballroom, so if anyone is in DSM and would like to go, then pick one up yourself and we can go together.Bretthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12112055831171166430noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16166389.post-18220774440583529842007-10-24T20:46:00.000-04:002007-10-24T20:49:44.456-04:00Still Traveling...40 hours done and I should actually be home by now, but I've only made it to Denver and then had the disfortune of my last flight (out of 5) being delayed. I suppose the good part of that is that at least it's the last one so my previous 4 flights weren't all screwed. <br />The day hasn't all been in vain though. During my layover in Washington D.C. I was bought a couple beers by this guy I was sitting next to after he found out I am a new RPCV. He told me I need to 'Save my money' so I did the obligatory offer to buy my own beers a couple of times but was thrilled to save my $15. I guess being an RPCV male is almost like being a female all of the time. This is the third time people have bought me beers just for being a Peace Corps Volunteer. If only they knew the reality.Bretthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12112055831171166430noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16166389.post-6709883569859595932007-10-21T04:16:00.000-04:002007-10-21T04:38:41.661-04:00Springboks Win!Yesterday was pretty crazy here in Cape Town. Their beloved Springboks were facing the England Roses in the Rugby World Cup finals. There was the hum of electricity in the air all day as every South African anxiously awaited the 9 o'clock start time. I was walking around in the afternoon when at a four-way intersection all of the cars were stopped. One guy hooted his horn, yelled 'Bokke Bokke,' and then every other car sitting there started cheering and hooting their horns. Even ladies get into it. Not to sound sexist, but it's actually the only sport I've been around that the women are just as well versed in rules, players, tactics, et cetera, as well as being just as excited throughout the entirety of the game. <br />After the Boks victory, the city erupted. I was on Long Street, which has a sort of New Orleans feel with it's balconies and architecture, and there were parades of people marching up and down playing trumpets, waving flags, and just screaming nonsense. This went on throughout the night. <br />This morning you can tell that everyone is hungover. Or, as Zambians say, 'They have a case of the H.O.' I think most people were sleeping in today because there were hardly any people around when I got up this morning.<br />I've got two full days left here before having to return home. I don't have much of an agenda, just killing time. Today it's quite overcast, but I hope to get to the beach one more time before I take off.<br /><br />PS: This is terrible. First the Cubs get swept, then I go and look how the Hawkeyes are faring, and they're second to last in the Big Ten. What the hell is going on?Bretthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12112055831171166430noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16166389.post-29478289837756718562007-10-19T12:39:00.000-04:002007-10-19T13:16:50.930-04:00Wine Tour 2007Today has been one of the most stressful of my life. I woke just before 8 and did the usual morning activities of bathing and brushing my teeth before a quick breakfast at the wrap joint down the road from my backpackers. Right at 9 I (and 5 others) were picked up by Bruce Storey, our wineland tour guide. The other 5 were consisted of; a young couple of Bristol, England; an older couple from the Netherlands; and an idiot lady from Florida. I'm actually yet to meet a person whose company I enjoy that's from Florida. I don't mean to paint a whole state with the same brush, but I've met a bunch of Floridians and have been none too impressed. <br /><br />Anyways, I digress. We departed and headed to the Fairview Estate and tried 6 (I got a seventh from the cute little lady behind the bar) different wines, followed by an unlimited opportunity to take part in their homemade goat and cow cheeses. Delicious. From there we continued on to the family owned Villiera Estate to tour their wine making process. This particular winery is known for their champagne, so we had a couple varieties of that. Actually, Champagne is a name that can only be applied to French wines (like Bordeux or Port) so in South Africa it's called a Cap Classique. After several wines there, we continued on to the Beyerskloof Estate to visit the home of the Pinotage grape. In the 1920s, some guy here in South Africa successfully cross-pollinated a Pinot Noir plant with a Hermitage plant to make the now famous Pinotage. After a nice lunch and a trip to the cellar at Beyerskloof, (and several glasses of wine, port, and cap classique, we continued to Tokara to try their wines. These guys were far more stingy on their tasters than the previous wineries which makes them lose a few points in my book, but their wines were pretty good. <br /><br />At the end of the day, we finished at a Belgian chocolatier's in Franschenbosch. The chocolates were really nice and a good way to end a day of drinking. <br /><br />All in all, today was pretty great and worth the $50 value. I got to try over 30 types of wines, ports, champagnes, got lunch, and ate some chocolate, so I can't complain. <br /><br />Tomorrow I'll probably walk to a beach and sun bask for a few hours before getting ready for the Rugby World Cup Finals. I've yet to decide who I'll cheer for, but it promises to be a pretty good game.Bretthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12112055831171166430noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16166389.post-61285744674911320692007-10-18T04:16:00.000-04:002007-10-18T04:46:03.251-04:00Mountains, Aquariums, and WinelandsMy last several days have been enjoyable. Keira and I hiked Lion's Head on Monday morning, had a few cocktails (myself, Lynchburg Lemonades) on a deck overlooking the ocean, and had a nice dinner with her roommates that night. <br />On Tuesday, we got up early and met for some breakfast then went straight to the beach in Llandudno. (I hate to admit it, but my affinity for snow and mountains may be shifting towards the beach. I think if I could learn to surf then it would be locked in, but of the three times I've tried now, I can't get the hang of it yet.) After several hours of tanning on the beach and getting brown, a friendly right whale came about 50 meters from the beach and was just splashing around with his pectoral fins and tail for 30 minutes or so. It was pretty funny to just sit there and watch him faff around for the whole time. That late afternoon was spent shopping on Long Street before having to get ready for Keira's going away party. That night we went to a nice sushi restaurant for supper. Despite its attraction as a serious tourist desination, Cape Town is really quite cheap. That supper cost me $10 for 12 rolls, and a double T&T. <br />Yesterday, Keira flew to the UK to visit her family for a week, so I've lost my traveling buddy and tour guide. Shame. In the afternoon, I went to Two Oceans Aquarium down by the waterfront. It was fairly nice, but rather small actually. The neat thing about it though is that I'd seen several things in the aquarium as I had whilst scuba diving in Mozambique, so I think I enjoyed it a lot more. It's kind of nice walking around Cape Town and the aquarium listening to music like your own personal soundtrack. (It's been a lot of Elliot Smith, Beta Band, Radiohead, and Grandaddy as of late). <br />Tomorrow I head to Stellenbosch (the winelands) for a full day of wine, cheese, and chocolate tasting. I'm hoping for just a brushing over of the last two but more intense and involved investigation of the first one. <br />Saturday is the Rugby World Cup Finals between England and South Africa, so this town should be going insane on that night. This is like one step behind having their country in the Soccer/Football World Cup Finals. For fear of getting accosted, I'll be sure to cheer loudly for the South Africa Springboks.Bretthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12112055831171166430noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16166389.post-56261179819557168742007-10-18T04:10:00.000-04:002007-10-18T10:33:12.372-04:00M in AfricaAs I'd previously stated, I spent a couple of weeks traveling with this guy Chris that left England 9 months ago and drove from there, to South Africa. He's had a lot of crazy stories and things happen to him, so if you'd like to see his story, or a map of the route he's driven to get here, click <a href="http://www.mafrica.co.uk">here</a> to check it out. He's named his Land Rover 'M' in case you were wondering the significance of that.Bretthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12112055831171166430noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16166389.post-24291615646942142552007-10-18T04:00:00.000-04:002007-10-18T10:47:16.330-04:00Whole New WordsSince I've been traveling and hanging out with such a wide variety of cosmopolitan characters the last 6 weeks, I've been learning all kinds of words that are apparently in the English language that we don't have in the United States. Many of the words are fun to say if nothing else. Below is a short dictionary for those of you who'd like to expand your vocabulary and learn something new today.<br /><br />Lekker: adjective: <span style="font-style:italic;">this exciting word is used to describe something as awesome or sweet, e.g. 'This weather/song/party/coffee is lekker, bru.'</span> This is a word mostly used by South Africans.<br /><br />Bru: proper noun: <span style="font-style:italic;">this word replaces the American words of bro or dude, e.g. 'Hey Bru, can you pass me the salt?'</span><br /><br />Faff: verb: <span style="font-style:italic;">to muck around or waste time, e.g. 'Women are always faffing around in the bathroom doing who knows what.'</span><br /><br />Potter: verb: synonymous with faff: <span style="font-style:italic;">'I've just been pottering around the house all morning.'</span><br /><br />Ming: adjective: <span style="font-style:italic;">to be disgusting, e.g. 'That towel is minging. That towel mings.'</span><br /><br />Slapper: noun: <span style="font-style:italic;">a woman of loose morals or values, i.e. a floozy or skank, e.g. 'Look at that group of slappers that just walked in.'</span><br /><br />Hoot: verb: <span style="font-style:italic;">to honk your car horn, e.g. 'The guy behind me is hooting at me.'</span>Bretthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12112055831171166430noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16166389.post-27704658296159184792007-10-14T04:18:00.000-04:002007-10-14T04:31:14.710-04:00Cape to the TownSo here I am in Cape Town, South Africa. This is a very beautiful city located on the coast of the ocean and surrounded by mountains on the other side. I just got here yesterday after my ridiculously long bus ride (that really wasn't too bad) and got moved in to a backpackers. I got all cleaned up after a couple days of being unbathed and disgusting and then met up with two girls that I met in Mozambique to watch the England/France rugby match in the World Cup. I knew nothing of rugby a few weeks ago, and now I'm kind of getting into it. Tonight is the South Africa/Argentina game which should be entertaining to watch since the Springboks are the equivalent to the 'Dream Team' from Atlanta 1992 as far as excitement is concerned. People here love them.<br /><br />Continuing with my lucky streak, one girl that I met in Moz, Keira, is from here and currently has no job so she's volunteering to take me out and be my tour guide to show me around the sites of Cape Town. I think we have a hike up Table Mountain and up to Lion's Head planned, and then I hope to go to the aquarium and botanical gardens as well. Since I have so long here, I'll probably leave the city and head out to the hills to go on a wine tasting tour in Stellenbosch and perhaps some spelunking at Canga Caves. As my mother always says, 'What vacation is complete without a bit of spelunking?' I don't know mother, I don't know. <br /><br />As usual, I'm fine and healthy and look forward to seeing you soon.<br /><br />Much love,<br />brettBretthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12112055831171166430noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16166389.post-15668941317047325272007-10-12T06:38:00.001-04:002007-10-12T06:52:53.310-04:00Lesotho, Finished...Right now I'm sitting in Bloemfontein, South Africa after having woken up at 5:30 this morning to get here. After my Maseru post, I got a ride to Semonkong where the lodge I was staying at was located. The 3 hour drive out there was great because we were driving through mountains the whole time. (Did you know that Lesotho is the only country in the world that is completely above 1000m in elevation?) It was nice to be in the crisp mountain air again for the first time in a couple of years. One thing I didn't count on was the cold factor since they just got out of winter. The first night I was in my tent, I slept for maybe an hour and a half or so because it was about 40 degrees farenheit. <br />That's ok though because the next day I went pony trekking for most of the day. Before you all laugh out loud, these ponies aren't like shetlands here, they're more like stunted horses. There was a large group of Dutch folks at the lodge and a few of them were in my riding group so that was entertaining hearing them speak the whole time. We spent the morning riding over some hills to get to this huge gorge with an 800 foot waterfall coming over one side of it. That afternoon I went out with the guide (the Dutch's bums were too painful for them to go back out)in the other direction over some mountains to see some other sprawling valleys and the spiral aloe plant that can only be found in Lesotho. <br />My second full day provided me with some of the funniest minutes of my trip thus far. I was heading out to hike to the bottom of the aforementioned gorge to watch some of the aforementioned Dutch abseil (rappel) along side the aforementioned waterfall (The longest abseil in the world according to Guiness). On the way out to the gorge, the lodge manager likes to play some music to pump up the abseilers. One particular song on the list was 'Paradise City' by G n' R. I don't know what could be funnier than sitting in a vehicle listening to five goofy Dutch singing as loud as they can in their goofy American accents to Paradise City. The whole time they were laughing and slapping each other on their backs. Axl Rose must be some sort of god in Holland. <br />From here, I must kill about 10 hours of time before getting on a bus tonight to head to Cape Town. Then, only 13 short hours to be confined on the bus and I'll be there. Luckily, I've made a couple of friends along the way that live in Cape, so I'll be able to meet up with them once I get there and they'll be able to show me all the hot spots. I reckon I'll update again in a day or two.Bretthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12112055831171166430noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16166389.post-81590634452973110802007-10-12T06:34:00.000-04:002007-10-12T06:38:06.538-04:00Help WantedHello everyone-<br /> Now is when I appeal to all of you to keep an ear open for me. Seeing how I've decided to return to Mozambique to do my Dive Master's Training, I've figured out that I need to make some money while I'm back home. I'm pretty easy to please, so if any of you hear of really any sort of job that I could work from late October until mid-January, that'd be cool. Seeing how I'm desperate, I'd be willing to work 60+ hours/week if that's what the job requires. Anyways, if you can help me out, I'll be forever indebted to you.Bretthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12112055831171166430noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16166389.post-47949709666255481522007-10-09T04:39:00.000-04:002007-10-09T06:12:08.369-04:00Maseru, LesothoNothing too exciting has happened since yesterday. I was traveling from 10am till midnight when I finally reached Lesotho. I was really excited to sleep in today except for the fact that the ladies who ran the guest house (I was staying at the Anglican Church) woke me up at 6:15 to write my name in a book, 7:30 to see if I was still in the room, and again at 8:30 for the same reason. It was the closest I've been to losing my temper in a long time. <br />Oh well though, I finally got up and am now getting a few groceries before heading out to Semonkong to start my pony trekking adventure. It's actually pretty chilly here, but I'm looking forward to getting into the mountains where it will be undoubtedly colder. Luckily I've brought my stocking cap.<br /><br />PS, the Cubs suck.Bretthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12112055831171166430noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16166389.post-11703737617384456392007-10-08T03:20:00.000-04:002007-10-08T03:34:49.346-04:00On The Road AgainToday I finally take off from Swaziland. We got Chris's Land Rover fixed and he'll be headed off to meet his family in South Africa. My time in Swaziland has been calm and relaxing. A couple of nights ago I went to a wedding party of a guy Chris and I met whilst playing pool at a local watering hole. We were playing for about 8 hours when the guy told us he was getting married and that he'd be honored if we attended his party. How could we pass that up? They had a cookout, music, and beer. Sounds like a good party to me. <br />I'm starting off to Johannesburg in an hour or so and hopefully will be able to jump on a bus headed to Lesotho immediately thereafter. I do not want to spend any unnecessary time in that city. Anyways, for the next several days I'll be riding across the mountains of Lesotho on my trusty steed, so I'll update you later on.Bretthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12112055831171166430noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16166389.post-68867799558193961782007-10-03T06:43:00.000-04:002007-10-03T07:06:27.282-04:00In The Royal Kingdom of SwazilandAs I type this, I'm sitting in Mbabane, Swaziland, the capital. I arrived yesterday with my three new friends, Chris, Jenny, and Keira. Unfortunately today, Jenny and Keira needed to proceed on to Johannesburg, so Chris and I have spent the day trying to fix his vehicle because he had a drive member on the back half shaft get worn down. Many of you are thinking, 'But Brett, you know nothing about fixing cars so why are you trying to use this technical jargon?' Right you are friends, but I've learned a whole lot in the last day whilst trying to help him fix his Land Rover. <br /><br />Mbabane is a beautiful city surrounded by mountains at an altitude of about 3000 feet. It's weird because the last month I've been living at sea level on beaches, then just yesterday we left Mozambique and made the several hour drive here to Swaziland. Thus far, these are the most friendly people (the Swazis) I've met in all of my travels in Africa. Every single person I've talked with has been very kind and helpful. Tomorrow we'll get the parts we ordered from Durban, and in the afternoon go cliff jumping in the Ezwalu Valley about 30 km from here. I reckon I'll spend a two more days here before starting the trip to Lesotho.<br /><br />As usual, I'll update whenever I get the opportunities. Take care and keep in touch.Bretthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12112055831171166430noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16166389.post-53829451529506434242007-09-30T06:22:00.000-04:002007-09-30T06:43:31.335-04:00Got Stuck in TofoOnly 6 minutes left to type, but things are going well. I found it too difficult to leave Tofo and ended up there for 3 weeks. I've fallen in love with diving and may return in February to get my Dive Master's. Anyways, I met a couple Brits and a South African girl that were traveling around and ended up catching a ride with them on Friday into Maputo. Although we'd only known each other for a couple of days, they threw me a great birthday party complete with a nice dinner and bumper cars. In England they call them dodge 'ems. Today we're leaving Maputo and headed to a nice beach south of here a few hundred kilometers and then I'll move on to Swaziland. Maybe. I've found that traveling with set plans is pointless. Again, I'm doing well and don't worry if I don't update as often as I'd like. I got a few emails of people worried about my safety and such, but I'm loving this trip. I'll see you all in a few weeks.<br />Much love,<br />brettBretthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12112055831171166430noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16166389.post-54445696648745028622007-09-16T06:03:00.000-04:002007-09-16T06:15:31.817-04:00All is Going SwimminglyJust like the last few updates, this is just to let you know that all is well. Sorry that so much of these stories involve tales from SCUBA, but the alternative would be a description about beads of sweat dripping from mein brow on the beach. My days basically are halved between time at the SCUBA center, and reading on the beach.<br /><br />Speaking of SCUBA, it's gone very well. My total time underwater is about 4 hours, 30 minutes as of a couple of hours ago. My dives have continued providing me with the opportunity to listen to humpbacks sing, but yesterday while diving I got to see something incredible. Manta rays, which can have a wingspan greater than 15 feet across were swimming around our group. The key is to try to remain still and let them get used to you so that they feel comfortable approaching. After several minutes of acting like a stone, one swam directly towards me and banked right over my head, maybe 3 or 4 feet above me. They're so graceful and gentle, it's not scary to have such a massive creature approaching you under the sea. In addition to that, there have been massive loggerhead sea turtles, moray eels, schools of fish, color changing octopi, various sting rays, and lots of very neat coral. <br /><br />I think tomorrow morning (maybe Tuesday) I'm going to leave Tofo. I'll stay in Maputo (Mozambique capital) for a couple of days and figure out the best way for me to proceed to Swaziland. As usual, I'll continue to update you all along the way.<br />Much love.Bretthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12112055831171166430noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16166389.post-51584747722465738292007-09-13T07:33:00.000-04:002007-09-13T07:45:58.892-04:00Tofo Tsunami 2007Last night was mildly eventful. Jeremy, Dan (this random British fellow we met), and I went out to eat. As we were walking though the market area, someone came up to us and with hushed and grave tones, she said "Have you guys heard about the tsunami warning? There was an earthquake in Indonesia and they're expecting a tsunami to hit the coast here around 10pm (this was at 7pm). The government is recommending everyone to get away from the coast and seek higher ground." At first we were all thinking of Thailand and the mood over the dinner table became quite morose. Then finally we decided that there wasn't much we could do about it, so following dinner we headed back to our guest house, Fatima's. The scene there was mildly humorous because there were people packing up their gear and heading out in an attempt to get inland. Your three brazen heroes scoffed at the idea of a tsunami and we sat in the bar drinking, waiting for zero hour to arrive. We kept watching the ocean waiting for a massive amount of water to come in, but thankfully that moment never arrived. <br /><br />This morning Jeremy left and headed back for Zambia, so from here on out, I'm on my own. I'm planning on being here for another four or five days before starting the trip to Swaziland. Tomorrow I'm performing my deep dive at Manta Reef and will hopefully see some of the famous manta's with wingspans over 10 feet wide. Then, on Saturday I'm hoping to do an ocean safari which takes a boat out looking for dolphins and whale sharks and upon seeing them, you get out and snorkel with them for a bit. That should make for some interesting stories.Bretthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12112055831171166430noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16166389.post-30725892428575573812007-09-11T09:49:00.000-04:002007-09-11T10:05:59.675-04:00CertifiedThe last several days here in Mozambique have been pretty great, but busy. Jeremy and I spent basically 8-17 at the SCUBA place trying to fit our 4 day course into a meager 3 days. It involved reading, tests, and practicals. It helped to reassure me that grad school isn't that appealing to me. SCUBA diving has been an incredible experience. We had 4 dives in the Indian Ocean and saw a whale shark, moray eels, all kinds of crazy fish (e.g. lionfish, etc.), and listened to humpback whales sing. So far the deepest depth we've dove to is 16 meters (50 ft.). After Jeremy leaves I think I'm going to get my deep diver's certification which will allow me to dive to 40 meters (130 feetish). <br /><br />This place is beautiful. We can sit on the beach and watch humpback whales blow water into the air and then breach several meters into the air only a few hundred meters offshore. I'm really enjoying my time here and the beauty of traveling without a set itinerary is the option of staying as long as you want at a place. I'm probably going to spend another week or so here just being on the beach and all that. As my return date to the states nears, I get more excited to get home. <br />See ya'll soon.Bretthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12112055831171166430noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16166389.post-39500958629595641652007-09-07T07:01:00.001-04:002007-09-07T07:11:54.091-04:00RelaxaciónAfter three straight days of waking before 6 am, Jeremy and I have finally arrived here in Tofo, Mozambique. Today we actually got to sleep in. This place is very beautiful with azure waters and fine sand to walk on. We just took a walk through the town to get some towels to lay on, then we're headed to set up our scuba classes in a moment. Luckily my Spanish is beginning to come back a bit so talking with people has become easier. This time tomorrow, I should be swimming with whale sharks.Bretthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12112055831171166430noreply@blogger.com0