Travelling Lady Bug

Jean Georges in the Trump Tower near central park NYC

2014-01-03T00:16:00.001-08:00

Le Biftek New York City

2014-01-03T00:12:00.001-08:00

Afternoon tea at the Ritz Carlton in New York City

2014-01-02T23:53:00.001-08:00

No wonder sally loved katz! New York City

2014-01-02T23:41:00.001-08:00

The line ups were crazy but we had heard how great the sandwiches were! Hence we braved the crowds and picked up our yellow tickets that we were told not to lose since it is what was used to pay our bill. We opted not to wait for a reserved table and luckily managed to grab a seat once we got our food. We smiled gave a tip and got extra meat to taste ;)) yum!!

Ordering the beef pastrami sandwich was amazzzzing. Never had meat just melt in my mouth like that in a deli sandwich. It was just a fun experience thinking that harry met sally was filmed at Katz delicatessen.

If you are thinking about it....just do it!

Visited in October 2013

Grace Bay Providenciales, Turks and Caicos

2014-01-02T18:08:00.000-08:00

Wow. What a wonderful excursion to the Turks and Caicos. A dream I never expected that I would ever get to achieve, but I feel so at peace, happy and joyful. The beauty of Providenciales is absolutely gorgeous. The waters are turquoise see-through and the sands are powdery soft! Truly a paradise.

Alexandra Resort

This was a great place to stay. I was in a studio. Perfect for one person with a kitchenette (including ample glassware, cups, plates, bowls, silverware, bottle opener, can opener, a blender!, toaster, microwave and small fridge)

The beds were super comfy and air conditioning was welcome after the warmth outside. Grace bay beach is right there and completely gorgeous. Never had a problem finding a chair to sit. They gave me 4 towels for the beach. There are snorkels that you can use free of charge. About a 10-15 minutes to the left towards Bight Reef you can see fishies! I would recommend bringing your own snorkel equipment if you do have any, since the ones here seem to leak a lot and also have some soap so it doesnt fog up the lenses. There are also kayaks, paddleboards, floaties to take out without any cost.

On my first day when I arrived, i used the one free pass (otherwise $9 return) to the Graceway Gourmet grocery shop and stocked up on enough for breakfasts and lunches and snacks. The grocery store (Gourmet) is pricey but better than eating out all the time. (example: avocado = $2,75 bag of grapes is about 9 or 10$, can of tuna is about 2-3$)

I took the free bicycle (which squeaked) but did the job into town and it's about 10-15 min easy ride. Remember folks drive on the left side of the road! so if you wanted to go to the grocery store it would be easy. the bicycles have a basket in front, or bring a backpack with you for easy transit of your food :P

The ppl are pretty friendly here, always saying hello. The ladies who cleaned my room even did the dishes that were in the sink and there is a washer and dryer in the room which came in handy. (bring your own detergent). There was also enough soap, shampoo, conditioner and hairdryer in the room as well.

I didn't use the pool since i loved just soaking up in the waters on the beach but it looked very nice as well. I ate at mango reef a few times and always yummy with pretty big portions!

Here is a picture of the beach at sunset just outside of the Alexandra Resort

I also ate at the Mango Reef restaurant which is part of the Alexandra and it was yummy! I had the lobster ravioli the first night (Delish!) and then I had the seafood pasta twice! Absolutely yummy and yes a little on the rich creamy side.

Here is a picture on my last day here with the view of the beach eating my pasta:

The highlight of the trips were the excursions that I went on:

________________

Paradise Scooters

This was the most amazing experience ever. Rosa the tour guide is a very personable young lady with a zest and passion for life and it shows. She started all 3 of us (we had a small group) together with Larry on electric bicycles and then moved us up to the Vespa. I was pretty nervous, but she helped calm me down and it was actually easier than I thought and quite awesome to try something I never thought I would :P

We were taken around the island on every paved road and saw some amazing sights. Rosa has a lot of knowledge about the history of the island and it was great to hear the different stories. When we were on the tour we got to see Blue Haven on the north side, and then drove to the conch farm which was beautiful and interesting, we also went to Boogaloos for lunch and I had the conch platter - DELICIOUS!!! and it is on one of the prettiest beaches i have seen. We then went on to Long beach where there are miles of water that is only waist deep and i saw kiteboarding. That spurred me on to want to try it out the very next day (more on that later)

Honestly, riding the vespa was a really freeing experience. I was still nervous, driving on the left side of the road and sometimes having some cars passing by, but Rosa was really good, gave great instructions and the worries disappear. You get to see more of the island than you otherwise would have. I think the wind was the thing that struck me as we started going a bit faster. The fastest we went was 60km/h, but no worries at the beginning we go through slower roads so we get used to riding the vespa first and take our first few turns on the turning cycles. After that it's pretty easy. Just be alert and smart :P

I will never forget that feeling of just riding a long, wind in your face (Make sure to bring sunglasses!) and just seeing beautiful beaches, trees, the oceans and different housese all around. What a breathetaking experience!!

View at the conch farm:

Yummy lunch at Boogaloos:

TCK Kiteboarding on Long Beach

I never even thought about kiteboarding...EVER in my life, but when I saw the beautiful beach and ppl learning how to do it on the beach where the water is only ever waist high for miles and miles, I became intrigued. Then i called the number and Wayne picked up and asured me it wouldn't be too strenuous and i did the 3.5 hour lesson which starts you off on the beach with a small kite where you learn about the wind window and power zone etc and then slowly you move to the bigger kite and then into the water!

Alex was my instructor from Barcelona and had been kiteboarding for a really long time. He just moved to the Turks from Canary Islands. He was a really good instructure and even if his english is still getting better, it was pretty darn awesome. He was patient and showed me really good techniques, going after emergency safety and then just taking me out to have fun.

I think i had the most fun when catching the wind in the kite and body surfing. I managed to get up on the board a few times but only for two seconds...and about 2 meters...but i got up! I just have to remember not to pull back when i stand up :P

Ahhhhh such is life. It looks like i will need more practice and will have to perhaps one day try it again! If you are thinking about it. I would say do it! who knows when you will get an opportunity like this to learn where the wind is not too strong, the water is only waste deep so if you fall in you can just stand up :)

Totally AWESOME!

Caicos Dream Tours

This was the first tour that I did...and it was pretty windy when we went out for the first part of the excursion but the tour guides were so friendly and fun! I'm so glad I remembered to bring a couple of towels to wrap around me and some healthy fruit snacks as well :) They did offer water, juice rum, chips! The first stop was on the north side of the island and the waves were really high - so at no fault of the operator, the weather just wasn't that great. I did manage to see a few fish and get a lot of exercise getting in and out of the boat. I would say that if you have your own snorkel equipment to bring your own mask since mine kept leaking water which was a little bothersome.

However, the highlight was the south side of the island "Iguana island" it was totally awesome!!! I loved just swimming in the calm water and searching for a conch. which i eventually found with the help of the captain! Yay!! :) They also made a conch ceviche salad which I quite enjoyed. (Yes, please don't get too attached to your conch or name it because it will become your food quite shortly) I never knew what conch looked like. Now I know it looks like a big SNAIL! haha

We did have time to walk around iguana island. I did not see any iguanas but there was a gorgeous beach to walk along. Later on we stopped on the waters for folks to jump off the top of the boat. One jump was enough for me!! the rest of the time i just hung out in the water until it was time to go :)

A picture of my conch shell from the side of the boat. If you look closely you can see the conch hiding in it's shell (Looks like a shadow on the inside)

Poor conch out of the shell: Shame it is about to get skinned and then eaten!

All in all, this was one of my most memorable trips and completely beautiful. God's creation all around and His love grew in my heart more and more. I thank Jesus for the wonderful beauty and blessings to be able to visit such a beautiful paradise.

Izulu orphan party

2010-12-30T11:04:00.001-08:00

Have you ever been in the situtation where you feel truly honored to just be there to witness and see?

Well, that is what the izulu orphan christmas party was like. I was overwhelmed...it seemed almost surreal that all these little children were orphaned, and that this was the most exciting day of the year where they would receive a present each, something to eat and drink and to have some fun with balloons and face painting.

There was close to a thousand children with their go-gos (care takers) there (each day, as this was on both a saturday and a sunday)...waiting their turn to be escorted to get their gifts and to ensure they are registered and their school results recorded.

There were songs being sung in Zulu. We had a grand time, jumping and clapping with the kids and seeing the smiles on their faces and taking some beautiful pictures of them.

They were so fascinated to see the pictures of themsleves after you had taken them of them. I am still at a loss of what to say. To express what an honor it has been to even meet them. To say thank you for still striving each day to live life to the fullest. I pray so much that they will get the support they need to live a good life. To get an education. If one of these children does not have a uniform, they don't get to go to school. They don't have so many of the privileges that we have in North America.

Some of them have over 12 children in one small place where they live together with their go-go.

When i was there, I was exhausted with very little sleep, and volunteering the whole day (on both days)...but I wouldn't have wanted to be any other place...because it really makes you realize how important human life is and that we shouldn't take it for granted.

Please take a moment and say a prayer for them. And in some small way...if you can make a difference in someone's life take that time to reach out. Say hello. Donate. Just do something that will make a difference and brighten up their day.

Published with Blogger-droid v1.6.5

True Heroes - The lovely staff of ikhaya

2010-12-21T12:51:00.001-08:00

After meeting with the wonderful staff of Ikhaya (Tholie, Patience, Happy, Thembi, Glory), it made me think truly of who those heroes we have in our lives. These women are exactly that...ones with servant hearts to work with the orphans at Ikhaya, and are my heroes.

They may not know it, but they are so very special and do amazing work with the children. At the staff party that Wendy, Janet and Debbie arranged...it was so heart warming when they broke out in song and sang "Thank you Jesus"

Their voices came from deep within their hearts...lilting in the air with such sweetness, humbleness and beauty. It was such a moving moment...and I was so honored to be there to witness it. Their gratefulness for a simple Christmas staff lunch. For their smiles. For their gentleness and humbleness.

I was so honored to be at their table and to serve in some small way. To see the glory of God through these amazing women. May God increase His love in them bountifully.

Published with Blogger-droid v1.6.5

A darling boy

2010-12-07T20:56:00.001-08:00

What a lovley and sweet boy. I couldn't resist but to take a picture of him as he was fascinated with what was on the little tv showing winnie the pooh and tigger.

He truly is a gift from God. He has his moments when his face can be lit with such joy, but then there are moments when he doesn't realize that anyone is watching and his face is filled with such sadness and sorrow. It makes my heart ache, because a little boy only the age of 3 years old should not have to feel that pain and sadness.

I feel so blessed to be in his presence and to go seek new adventures with him hand in hand. Sometimes he throws his little tantrums when he wants a sweetie...but it makes it all the more precious because he is just a little boy, like any other normal little kid...and he has a chance at new life which i'm so thankful for.

Published with Blogger-droid v1.6.5

Church Family Day filled with so much fun

2010-12-04T08:05:00.001-08:00

Published with Blogger-droid v1.6.5

Today was a sunny and fun filled day..the kids loved it! (young and old alike!!) There is so much love in this church. Everyone is warm and friendly. The day started off with the little kids climbing on top of Anne and I on the trampoline....but then we got them dressed in their swimming costumes. there was a water slide that they were tentative at first but then went full speed ahead on their little bums down the slide. and yes....ahem we did join in on the fun and got very wet in the process.... there even was a photo session which u can see above with the gang....so much fun!! there was a braai ..yum!! then of course folks headed off to watch the rugby game and u could here the cheers when they had a good play. awesome memories!!!

Trampoline time with Jabu!

2010-12-01T11:32:00.001-08:00

Had a blast on the trampoline with Jabu!

Boy did she ever get me to work out my abs lifting our legs up and down. Thankfully we decided to rest and look at the sky and take a little break when we took this picture together!

Published with Blogger-droid v1.6.5

The children's nativity play to find the true meaning of christmas

2010-12-01T08:29:00.001-08:00

We went nearby to watch the local children's school nativity play.

They went through all the children's stories:
Goldilocks
Snow white and the seven dwarfs
Cinderella
Three little pigs
Little red riding good
Santa and his reindeer
Itsy bitsy spider

They kept searching and searching to look into their hearts to find the Christmas story

They sang a song: Christmas is the time for love.

And then they went through the nativity play with the angels and wise men offering gifts to the baby Jesus.

Then they sang silent night....with baby Jesus.

They finally found the Christmas story!!!!

Merry Christmas to all!

Published with Blogger-droid v1.6.5

Unless you become like a child, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven

2010-12-01T05:00:00.000-08:00

The first time I really heard God speak to me was with the verse: Luke 18:16.

I was being stubborn and sitting in my university chapel where I told God that I refused to leave until He spoke to me. He spoke to other people...or so they told me...:).... and thus I decided that God loved me just as much and so He should also speak to me.

So I sat my little bum down in front of the alter in St. Jeromes and waited. And just closed my eyes and said Im not leaving until you speak to me.

Well - what happened when i closed my eyes was that i saw words in my mind's eye...that were floating into my ear: Luke 18:16.

I had no idea what verse that was and so i looked it up in the bible sitting next to me:

Unless you become like a child, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.

And so I start today's blog with this, because it is so apparent during me first 3 days here at iKhaya that God is teaching me again....

What it is like to be a child again and to love like a child.

I see this love everywhere.

I see it in Wendy

I see it in the staff

I see it in the volunteers

And so much so in the orphans that are so sweet and little darlings.

I didn't realize that I had forgotten what that purity and innocent love felt like until I arrived here. There was a rowdy bunch of lovely people who welcomed me with wide smiles and even bigger hugs and their love just flowed. I thought to myself...WOW. There is nothing to worry about here...this is going to an amazing experience.

So here I am in iKhaya LikaBaba....staying in the little volunteer house filled with young adults ranging from 18-22 years old... and wow, i had forgotten how awesome it is to be around light hearted young adults just starting out and have so much passion and love in their hearts.

It reminded me of how overly bubbly and happy I was all the time when I was back in university

Then there are the beautiful children...that truly...when they take a hold of your hand and start walking with you...or ask you to play or pick them up....you think to yourself...How beautiful are these children.

It tears a little bit at your heart to think that anyone could abandon them. And you think to yourself...why is it a that I have been so blessed, yet these children were left alone with no one and nothing.

I'm so thankful and honored to even be here and see how hard everyone works here. From the staff, to Wendy to the volunteers that are here from international places, to the local volunteers who come in multiple times a week out of their busy schedule to help out.

There is so much paper work in order to get the children properly registered and court hearings. There is so much behind the scenes that you never really realize goes on when you sit on the other side of the world.

I am truly blessed to be apart of this experience and to have this opportunity.

It opens your eyes. It makes you realize that there is so much more out there than what we are used to in our usual routine. Especially when you come from a culture where you are taught to live to work your life away instead of just enjoying the small things.

JABU AND LULU!!

2010-11-29T12:40:00.001-08:00

Published with Blogger-droid v1.6.5

After a very interesting night trying to sleep....(there were thunderstorms and lightening and the next door neighbour's rooster was crowing along with the thunder all night long)....I awoke to a mild south African day. I have a wonderful roommate Anne from Germany and there are two other German volunteers Ty and timone who are also awesome! Ty is a nickname since his name is timone also. so for today I will speak of two sweet little girls I met today. in the light blue is JABU. And the little one sleeping is LULU. they were quiet at first....and a little bit tentative since I was new...but they warmed up. they are both 3 years old. I'm so amazed at how smart and sweet they are. little JABU liked my hair and kept wanting to touch it. she kept asking about my sister and mom and dad. in comparison to some little kids from north America..these little girls are so well behaved. they know to put away their plates after they eat. how to say please and thank you. how to wash up and clean their hands. To put their toys away after they play. they were just happy with simple toys and going out to play in the sand and the jungle gym. no need for tv or video games. just good old fashion fun! :) we did a few puzzles after dinner and they counted the pieces. then it was time for bedtime....and I read Mulan to JABU since my hair looked like Mulan. she also said that Mushu the little guardian dragon was aunty Wendy and then giggled. :) wow. so after all these weeks I did get a little work out. I have a feeling I will have stronger biceps from lifting the little ones :) Thank you Jesus for a beautiful day and reminding us of what purity of love is through these children. May you strengthen them and fill their days with joy and build upon the love they are receiving. Truly God you are awesome. Bless all those who have a heart for your orphans ...more and more...each day.

What a wonderful welcome to ikhaya likababa!

2010-11-29T12:27:00.001-08:00

Wow. What an amazing welcome. As I walked towards the small entry to Richards bay airport, I saw a mini sea of red shirts that said McAfee volunteer! there were about 9 wonderful ppl who greeted me with hugs and smiles. what a wonderful surprise and loving welcome!! let's see if I can remember everyone's names.... Wendy Andrew t Ty timone nikky Anne helga swan (short form) then they swept me off to meet new friends: leah Jane anita Ryan Brett eleanor dwayne

Published with Blogger-droid v1.6.5

Vulture restaurant at oribi loop in the golden gate national park in south Africa

2010-11-28T07:04:00.001-08:00

Published with Blogger-droid v1.6.5

on our last day by the Golden gate national park...we went and drove around the road called oribi loop. one of the famous stops is called te vulture restaurant. silly me. I had thought there was a real restaurant there but instead we saw a sign with skulls in the middle of the hills and grass. As we looked closer at the sign we saw a picture of a little hiking man. so we looked for a pathway and up Clinton and I went to see if we could see anything. As we ascended the hillside which was about 10 minutes...there was a lot of buck dung. when we reached the top, in the far distance we saw some carcasses and a black vulture. so we began our descent to get a closer look. in the picture you will see one of the carcasses and there were many flies and skulls and bones trailing everywhere. the vulture flew away when it heard us approaching.

Horse back riding near kiara lodge

2010-11-25T08:29:00.001-08:00

Published with Blogger-droid v1.6.5

What a beautiful horse ride! The scenery was amazing with fresh mountian air. We went around the back of kiara lodge into the mountainous area. Our guide's name was Lucky. Clinton's horse was named Copper. My horse was named Lemon and most of the time I thought he was a real lemon since he always fell behind the other horses. But I realized instead of being old that he was lazy. When we started back home he started to try to gallop fast. Hehe. Was fun though and was cool to ride a horse at a light gallop/trot.

View of the valley and the drakensburg once we reached the viewpoint

2010-11-23T10:36:00.001-08:00

Absolutely stunning!!

We only went to the view point since we did not have enough time to go to the summit which was another 1.5 hours up each way. It also started raining and was quite windy the closer to the top we climbed.

Truly a day to be in awe of God's wondrous creation!!

It took about 1.5 hours to drive to the sentinel car park from kiara lodge. A lot of winding roads and the closer up to the pass it was very very rocky.

We drove through the town called qwa qwa which means whiter than white for the sandstone hill there.

Also we saw 3 cows at different times walking in the middle of the streets. A nice little adventure!

Published with Blogger-droid v1.6.5

The sentinel hiking site where you can see the drakensburg

2010-11-23T09:09:00.001-08:00

Clinton, my cousin and I, hiked up the side of the maluti mountains. Where it took 45 minutes each way up a pretty good hike. Definitely need to be fit and have careful footing with small loose rocks.

There were some clouds which was very nice with the combination of the cool fresh mountain air.

Thankfully we are still young enough to hike ;)

Published with Blogger-droid v1.6.5

Yosemite -The Meadows, Ahwahnee Hotel & Chapel

2010-09-24T20:40:00.000-07:00

Wow - the meadows was gorgeous...we went for an easy 45 minute walk around and just admired everything around us. Susie even saw another deer jumping up amongst the longer grass.

If you look closely you will see a man enjoying the rays and tanning it up!

Close by is a cute chapel where a wedding was taking place...

We also had the chance to drop in by the Ahwahnee hotel where apparently the queen of England stayed. I bet it's expensive there! :) Here is a pic of the famous dining room with 30 ft ceilings!

Next stop: glacier point

2010-09-23T22:07:00.001-07:00

In a word... Wow

Published with Blogger-droid v1.6.0

Time to go on the day tour of yosemite national park.. First stop: Mariposa Grove

2010-09-23T22:06:00.001-07:00

.. here is Susie on the bus! very nice 20 seated bus that drove us all around the winding roads of the park.

First stop was to mariposa grove to see the huge sequoia trees! They are sooooo big. They drink up to 1000 gallons of water a day! Some can go to 4000 years old. They don't die from old age but rather from being top heavy and fall over. The oldest one we saw was the grizzly giant which was about a one mile hike uphill. The old grizzly was around 1800 years old.

Published with Blogger-droid v1.6.0

Tenaya lodge outdoor pool

2010-09-23T21:56:00.001-07:00

There is a beautiful outdoor pool at this lodge. With a hot tub. The indoor pool is huge! There are two hot tubs by the indoor pool also:) very very friendly staff and a great stay

Published with Blogger-droid v1.6.0

Tenaya lodge room

2010-09-23T21:49:00.001-07:00

Comfy beds. Remember not to leave any food in ur car otherwise the black bears will come and jump on ur car until the Windows pop out or rip your car door open !

Published with Blogger-droid v1.6.0

yosemite tenaya lodge

2010-09-23T21:43:00.001-07:00

Beautiful lobby area and quiet, cozy lodge.

Published with Blogger-droid v1.6.0

Sushi Zone in San francisco - BEST sushi EVER!!!

2010-07-05T18:44:00.000-07:00

Brent my friend, introduced me into the best sushi place ever! A little hole in the wall in San Francisco. There are only 2 tables, and the rest are seats around a small bar. The wait times can be long and you put your name on a board as you wait., BUT TOTALLY worth it.

The Appetizer with the sea bass is To die for! :) - MELT in your MOUTH goodness!

They have all different kinds of rolls - with macademia nuts and mango!