Finally here! WHERE TO EVEN BEGIN...OOFTA!!

Well, I'm here! Wifi has been spotty, so bear with me! Honestly, I am at a loss for words. There have been so many new, interesting, beautiful, funny, unexplainable experiences that I don't even know where to begin or what to say! CRAZY. First off, I should explain my living suituation in Annie's Cove. Its nice but different. Electricity is a luxury here, not a given. We have to physically walk like 30 minutes to a store to buy electricity and it lasts about a week. There have been so many eye opening things here, and it has really made me realize how much we do take for granted in America. Another thing is crime. Its like any other big city, where you have to be cautions but things we have all the time and treat as a "normal" thing to have, they dont have here.For example, laptops, iphones, nice cell phones are luxuries,and people will not think twice about just taking your things. You have to be very cautious.Annie's Cove is not some beach side, expensive, "touristy" place. Some stuff is run down. Some things are not perfect and it IS an adjustment in EVERY WAY, but that's what I'm here for. It really changes your life. Next, the different cultural things. It IS AMAZING getting to know South African people. They are so different and interesting to what I'm used to. They are honestly, the nicest most giving people I have EVER met. They pass you and greet you, and smile almost always. Its also an adjustment too because everyone here runs on "South African time" so if you call a cab and he says he will be here in 30 minutes, its really more like 45...and you just begin to realize that its SO HOT and transportation is more difficult that they don't rush ALL THE TIME like we do in America. They are a much more relaxed, nice, polite culture. For example, if you go to a restaurant here, expect to be there hours. They leave you to talk and visit instead of always interrupting you and asking you questions. Its different but nice at the same time. Another interesting thing is the taxi vans we have been taking, called Kombis. They are like 20 person vans that drive crazy fast all over the city, honking and picking people up anywhere. You meet interesting people, and you get to see what the transportation and culture is really like. My favorite thing about them is the super loud Reggeton music they play in the van. Sometimes they sing along, some dance and you see the actual culture. Its interesting to see how much you can learn from something so simple as a "taxi" ride. Something else that astounded me is the love of their country. I thought that I was a person who was not only a Patriot, but that I came from a country that truly loved their country. Times that by 50. People here are ALWAYS celebrating their culture and country. Mostly, I have seen it through futbol, aka "soccer" in the U.S. Footbal here is like the NFL but 100 times more intense. EVERYONE loves it. It is THEEE only thing on TV here. There are people in America that dont like football or sports but here, EVERYONE is obsessed with footbal. Its how they celebrate their culture. Literally, people here are devestated for YEARS if their team loses.