“It’s the Hap-Happiest Season of All!”

It’s the most wonderful time of the year! It is also one of the busiest times of the year. Here in South Africa there have been Christmas parties, after parties, conferences, concerts, and celebrating galore!

December 1 was World AIDS Day. It was also the day Archbishop Thabo (the leader of the Anglican Church in Southern Africa) hosted a Christmas party for orphaned children at his house/the provincial headquarters. HOPE Africa was there to assist with sheepherding kids, dishing out hotdogs and watermelon, manning a jumping castle, and playing games. My main task was to operate a popcorn machine and distribute freshly popped corn to hordes of enthusiastic children. It was a hot, hurried, and exasperating ordeal that left my eyes streaming and my fingers burned; but it also left a lot of children with full tummies and satisfied smiles on their faces!

Playing a game with the partygoers.

A week after the children’s Christmas party I jetsetted north to Johannesburg to assist with a two-day conference HOPE Africa had been planning since early November. The conference focused on the Global Strategy for Women’s and Children’s Health, an initiative born out of the UN’s Millennium Development Goals (MDG) Summit in September 2010. At this summit the UN decided that the world’s best shot at achieving the MDGs would be to focus on women’s and children’s health. Our conference brought together leaders from 30 faith based organizations, non-governmental organizations, and governments throughout Africa to discuss best practices for supporting the total health and holistic wellbeing of women and children. It was the first gathering of its kind on the African continent.

The conference was my last big work project of the year, a fact that I celebrated at the provincial Christmas party the day after returning from Johannesburg. The Province of Southern Africa hosted a party for all their organizing offices. HOPE Africa is the province’s social development office and was therefore present at the festivities. I sat next to a lovely American woman who works in the province’s AIDS office. We swapped stories and had a great time! Following the provincial party, my co-workers and I went out for appetizers and more fellowship. It was an evening to remember!

My co-workers from left to right:
Petrina, me, Richenda, Ann, and Jenny

In addition to spending my time at Christmas parties and conferences I have been going to outdoor concerts. Here in the southern hemisphere it’s warm, sunny, and beautiful outside. It is summer after all! And what better way is there to spend a lazy summer Sunday evening than in the botanical gardens eating a picnic supper and listening to the sounds of South Africa’s best bands?

Kirstenbosch National Botanical Gardens, located at the foot of Cape Town’s picturesque mountains, hosts an outdoor summer concert series from the end of November through April. The concert series showcase South African chart-toppers. Gates open at 4pm, the show starts at 5:30 and ends at 7. Concertgoers arrive with picnic baskets and blankets in hand and line up at the gates beginning at 3:30. Once in the pavilion everyone lays claim to a spot on the grassy hill, spreads their blankets, and dig into their delectable goodies while awaiting the concert. There’s an air of good-natured relaxation. People sip wine and eat hummus while amiably chatting with other members of their party.

Cape Town band Freshlyground

Once the band starts to play, concertgoers sway back and forth linking hands with their fellows enjoying the atmosphere. By the end of the evening everyone is on his or her feet genially dancing. I have been to two of these concerts thus far. My first was to see Mango Groove and my second to see Freshlyground. Both were great! My favorite was Freshlyground. This is the band that did the world cup song “Waka Waka” with Shakira. They were lively, colorful, and filled with energy.

A colorful energy permeates the atmosphere here. Christmas is coming! More on a South African Christmas in my next post. Until then, Advent blessings dear ones!

A Cape Town Thanksgiving

* Frozen turkey… 100 Rand ($15)
* Ingredients for side dishes… 190 Rand ($25)
* Sharing thanksgiving with South African friends… Priceless!

Happy belated thanksgiving everyone! I love thanksgiving. It’s the time of year we set a moment aside to remember our blessings with gratitude. It’s usually a time when we surround ourselves with family, friends, and good food.

At the end of October a few of my colleagues told me they wanted to celebrate thanksgiving. South Africa doesn’t have a holiday similar to thanksgiving and they wanted to experience it. Plus, they added, they have been introducing me to all types of South African cuisine (i.e. chicken feet, etc.) and its only fair that I should share some American fare with them in return. It was arranged that the Americans connected to HOPE Africa (me, Ann, and Suzanne) would prepare the various holiday dishes to share with our South African friends on November 26.

Somehow I was allotted the task of cooking the turkey and dressing. Have I mentioned that I’ve never cooked either of these dishes before? A little apprehensive but not deterred, I willingly accepted the challenge with the help of my sous chef, Ann.

Success!

Armed with my mom’s recipes, borrowed pans, cutting boards, other culinary articles, and the necessary ingredients Ann and I set to work eager for our newest adventure. Delicious smells wafted through the apartment as the turkey roasted in the oven and butter, onion, and celery simmered on the stove. As our feast cooked we watched thanksgiving episodes of Home Improvement Ann had on her computer and enjoyed a simple meal of sliced deli turkey, cranberry sauce, and goat cheese pitas. For desert we indulged in Cinnabuns and Kinder Eggs. A little comfort food to ease the souls and tummies of homesick Americans on Thanksgiving Day.

Thursday's Feast!

Friday's Feast!

We ate our delicious thanksgiving meal the day after thanksgiving at the HOPE Africa headquarters. Our turkey was nicely roasted to a golden brown, our dressing baked to deliciousness and the side dishes were wafting with steam. Our South African friends provided Dr. Pepper (a rare and pricey delicacy) for the American cooks and our thanksgiving meal commenced with twelve happy partakers digging into the fare. We went around the table and said what we were thankful for enjoying the amiable company.

The food was delicious! The turkey juicy! Not exactly like mom’s, but very close! Some of the South Africans had never tasted turkey or pumpkin pie and were pleasantly surprised at the new dishes. All in all, the meal was a hit with proclamations from my coworkers that it was the best thanksgiving ever, and for most of them it was their first thanksgiving ever!

The HOPE Africa Family

It was a good thanksgiving. Ever since Halloween I have been somewhat apprehensive about the impending holiday season. Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Years are very festive occasions in my family and are always very special. Being away from my family at this time of year is not something I have been looking forward to. And yet, thanksgiving was way better than I anticipated. Not only was the food good, it was extremely meaningful to be able to share my family traditions with my new friends. It was empowering to know that even though I am thousands of miles away from my family, I bring their love with me when I share the traditions they raised me with.

I am thankful for tradition, for friends (old and new), family, good food, and the love which permeates all of these things. Happy thanksgiving and may God’s blessings be with you now and always.