This Seems Familiar

The ship was supposed to set sail tomorrow. Guess what? It isn't. For some that might seem like the worst thing that could happen, but for me it might actually be a good thing. You may be wondering why we aren't leaving tomorrow, and I think that is a very legitimate wonder. I will not pretend to know exactly what is going on, because I don't. I can only tell you it has to do with the same propeller that was having issues last year in dry dock. It's consistent; I'll give it that. Anyway, this delay might be a good thing for me because it will give me time to get used to a new job responsibility, and the new people that have arrived before we get a gigantic influx of people upon arrival in Madagascar. Just the influx we got this week seems to have upset my equilibrium. For some reason, after community meeting, the noise in the cafe was kind of startling. It wasn't a terrible noise, it was just the sound of people catching up after months apart, getting to know new people, making friends, and having fun. I just haven't heard that noise before. I do have to say that I have been given some more wonderful roommates this year, and I am very excited about it. The other exciting thing about it is that we are all from different countries: Australia, Canada, Netherlands, and the United States.

Considering this was supposed to be the last weekend in South Africa I had a full day on Saturday. I went to the Wedding Expo in Moses Mabhida Stadium in search of a bridesmaid dress, but instead I found this...

The interior of Moses Mabhida Stadium. A field that saw the games of the 2010 World Cup. A while ago I asked someone who Moses Mabhida was, and it surprised me. It surprised me that a country would name such a prominent landmark after the leader of a communist party. Upon further investigation he was more than just a leader to a party with a scary name. I'd encourage you to read for yourself: http://www.durban.gov.za/City_Government/street_renaming/Biographies/Pages/Moses-Mabhida.aspx

Apart from the beautiful view, luck brought something else to do while we were there (since the expo didn't produce any dress prospects). That being said, there was one great conversation with a man who was selling magazines on behalf of the media company for which he works. He said he used to be a lawyer, and was commenting on education in South Africa and the unemployment rate. He thinks there are many people suited to jobs that they won't even be considered for because they don't have the right credentials. I fully agree. Just because you have the paper don't mean you will excel in a certain job/career. I liked that guy. Back to what I was saying. On the first Saturday of every month there is a market set up outside the stadium with stands filled with food, clothes, jewellery, and other treasures. It was a most incredible day for it and we walked around for hours.

I expect that we will know more about the delay this week, but for now I'm still on the ship and the ship is still in Durban.

Have a wonderful week and thank you for reading!