Tag Archives: Cape Town

Not much to report

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I slept more warmly last night after asking for another blanket. The air temperature is not frigid by any means (maybe in the 60s during the day?), but without much heat source inside these concrete homes, it is chilly inside. My small bathroom has a good hot shower, so that helps (though I am cursed with stinky towels…not sure how to graciously fix that). Sheila did some laundry for me yesterday and it is air-drying. I would rather do it myself, but I think it’s something she is expected to do as part of her payment for being a host.

Our first dinner together was nice…roasted chicken and vegetables. Breakfasts are just cereal and coffee (instant; having it as I type), so I hope to eat more simply than I have been throughout Kruger and Swaziland! If you’ve been before, you know how well we are fed, which is one of the many ironies when in Swaziland.

Mrs. Sheila Sloane has some strong (political/social) opinions and is a bit rough around the edges (I’ve heard a few curse words), so I think we are quite different (also no evidence of a belief in God). She is a British immigrant who came here as a young adult in 1970. She has been widowed twice, and has three grown children from her first husband. She has worked has a secretary and antiques broker. Today she is having things around the house serviced…lock on gate, plumbing for dishwasher, gardener, and the “mouse man” is here now, so I guess I had better be on the lookout for Mickey. 🙂

Speaking of locks, the security in Cape Town is amazing. Every house has a locked gate, decorative bars on the windows, alarm systems, and a combination of locks that makes your head spin. I have a set of four keys and I’m hoping I can get myself in and out if Sheila is away. I was unsuccessful with the gate lock yesterday when I returned, but thankfully I could call her by intercom and she let me in. That is why the locksmith is coming today I guess. Brenda at GHS said she is from Zambia and they don’t have such locks/gates there. I said we don’t either, but confessed that we had been robbed, so maybe we should have! All that to say I am safe and sound here…no need to worry.

After coffee, I will walk to GHS and then set about to get some things done there. I hope to be successful in the classroom technology department, and then I will post this, catch up on email, and try to upload more pictures from Mhlosheni…maybe the connection will be better today. I plan to get a few groceries on my walk home, and try to swap out my sim card so I will have a local number and can easily call should I need assistance.

I’ve attached a couple of pictures of the mountain… Sheila said people here are very fond of their mountain. 🙂 There is also a picture of Sheila outside her home, as well as Brenda in front of GHS.

Cape Town by day

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I awoke to a mix of clouds and sun…and quite a lot of wind. Table Mountain has been covered by its “table cloth” of clouds whisking toward us, which means rain is on the way I guess. I slept okay, but was quite cold…the houses aren’t really heated here; I just have a panel on the wall that emits a bit of heat, though it is away from my bed, which is near a window that is a bit drafty…that all makes for a chilly combination. The street is noisy too, so I will have to adjust to that. And there was a barking dog…

Sheila took me on a drive this morning, after her DMV task. We drove away from Cape Town; I haven’t seen the city yet (I am in the suburb of Newlands). We drove toward Muizenberg, St. James (& “Danger Beach,” a surf spot), and Kalk Bay; all on the east side of the Cape. I included a couple of photos from the drive. It was beautiful; kind of reminded me of the New Jersey southern shore towns…a bit run down, but lots of charm. The mountains remind me a bit of the Wasatch in Utah; the trees & flowers of northern California (Sheila has orange, avocado, guava, & grapefruit trees). I guess it’s nice to have something to map on to.

I am now at the Good Hope Studies center, which is a 10-15 minute walk from Sheila’s. It is a safe neighborhood with shops and other conveniences between GHS and “home.” I feel quite disoriented, but I know that will subside the longer I am here. The train station is nearby too, but I will tackle that another day. Everyone is friendly, and it is very nice to be back online, at least during business hours.

The classroom for our first two weeks is another 10-minute walk from GHS in Aberdeen Guest House (at least I think that was the name). We will go there tomorrow so I can try out my iPad and connection with the projector (fingers crossed). I guess it has wifi too, so that is a nice surprise (we had been told no wifi there). Brenda is my new friend at GHS as she is doing a nice job orienting me.

I feel so disconnected from anything familiar now, so that is trying. I trust God in bringing me here, and I know He is with me. I also know that once I am settled a bit more and students arrive that I will be feeling better about things…now I feel a bit lost!

I am going to sign off now and wade through some emails… 🙂

In Cape Town at last

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As you can see by the dates, the Team Mueller blog hasn’t been updated for nearly seven years. I guess we’re not a family that blogs together (thankfully, we do lots of other things together). 🙂 My time away in South Africa and Swaziland seemed like a good time to once again pick up blogging. I don’t promise anything all that eloquent, but rather a way to feel connected with family and friends while we are separated by nearly 10,000 miles for almost six weeks (gulp).

I am currently flying from Swaziland to South Africa, typing as I fly. I hope to be able to post at least semi-regularly once I’m settled into my teaching location, Good Hope Studies (GHS), in Cape Town. They allegedly have Wifi M-F, 8a-5p, or thereabouts, so I will post as best as I can (no Wifi at my home stay). I hope it is a good process both ways…and I hope it is especially good for Jackson and Abbie!

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Nearly midnight now, and I just got settled in to my home stay with Ms. Sheila Sloane (see pics). She is a lovely hostess already, offering me a welcome hug. 🙂 Her home is modest as far as I can tell, and my quarters are quite suitable (lots of cupboards and drawers for my things instead of suitcases). I have a bed, of course, extra blankets (it is winter here after all), and a small, private bath. It should do just fine for the next month or so.

Sheila said we’ll go to the center tomorrow (i.e., GHS) where I’ll be teaching come Monday. She’ll also show me around the neighborhood, and we’ll do an errand at South Africa’s equivalent of the DMV (she was informed that, while in England, her photo she submitted wasn’t suitable…this caused her to be unable to rent a car in England, a real inconvenience). Seems like DMV annoyances are universal. I was happy to hear we don’t have to “go the way of the sparrow”; a British phrase meaning we won’t be departing early in the morning. 🙂 I think I have a lot to learn here…

By the way, the GHS driver, Stanford, was at the airport as planned and quickly got me to Sheila’s. He also seemed nice and welcoming. So far, so good in Cape Town…I’m looking forward to seeing it in the daylight!