Bon Voyage

I'm a few hours away from my departure. Being the avid procrastinator that I am, I'm actually still packing :( I am trying to not pack my suitcases with clothing so that I can have room to come back with things, but it doesn't seem as if that's going to work out. I may end up shedding some old things to come back with new things. That would be quite appropriate as a symbolism as to what I hope the next three months will be--shedding some of the old me and gaining a new me.

I can't remember if Dulles has free internet, but if they do, I'll finish my post at the airport. If not, then the next time I post I'll be in the motherland! The flight is 17.5 hours long non-stop so I'll have tons of time on my hands. I've purchased two new books for my journey--The Known World by Edward P. Jones and Say You're One of Them by Uwem Akpan which is a collection of short stories. I've always wanted to read the known world and never got around to it. I figured that Oprah's new book for her book club was befitting since it's by an African author. If anyone else reads or has read them I would love to get your opinion.

Off to complete the packing.

U.S. Closes Embassy Temporarily

U.S. closes embassy in South Africa after 'possible threat'

U.S. Embassy in South Africa

Five days before my trip, and I find out that the U.S. Embassy in South Africa was closed on Tuesday due to a "threat". This is not what I want to hear days before I travel. Nevertheless I won't allow the idea of living in fear of another U.S. attack to prevent me from venturing into new areas. I also won't be working for a U.S. organization which might help to make me less of a target. And I'll try to speak as little as possible, or in Jamaican patois (when necessary I convert my American accent into a Jamaican accent--yes I'm bilingual), so that my accent doesn't give me away. Last year when I visited South Africa, I often made trips to the Hyatt Regency for spa treatments (they were much cheaper than what I ever could afford in the U.S.). Whenever I would call for a cab from my friend's home to the hotel, I would ask the person how much the trip would cost. However, on the way back from the Hyatt to my friend's home--using the same route--I would be charged double the price (go figure). One day I struck up a conversation with the driver taking me to the Hyatt. He immediately knew that I was American. I had been visiting South Africa for approximately two weeks at that point and was hoping that I was starting to blend in as a native. Disappointed by my ability to disguise myself, I decided to ask the driver what gave me away. South Africans are very trendy people and do not dress in African garb, so I was okay on that end, for those who believe that all Africans are dark-skinned (yes I know that notion may sound ignorant to some but there are those who believe this) they are not--they come in all shades including lighter than me. The driver informed me that he formerly worked for the South African version of the CIA and his job was to determine people's nationalities from their speech. What gave me away was the way I said hello. Apparently Americans say hello and emphasize each syllable--HEL(breath)LO. South Africans on the other hand, say (take deep breath) HELLO--sort of how Madea says hello without the ER at the end.On my way back from the hotel, I tested the driver's information. I said hello to the driver and said nothing else for the remainder of the drive. I handed him the same amount of rand that it cost me to get to the hotel, and he accepted it with a smile and a wink. Needless to say, I've been working on my hello.

6 Days to Go...

I am still procrastinating (as always) but slowly making progress on preparing myself to leave. I have an eye doctor's appointment and will get my shots and traveling medications tomorrow. I'm also going to hang out with my friends for a final celebration before my departure. There are tons of things to do in DC this weekend. It happens to be Georgetown homecoming as well as CBC weekend. That means there will be parties, parties, parties.

It is ironic that CBC weekend is occurring the right before I leave. Although I've lived in DC for many years, I have not attended many CBC events. It has become the who's who of DC politics and high society, and for the young professionals, it's a reason to party hard, while wearing a suit and pretending to be "professional".

In a country so rich with some of the smartest, and most influential African-Americans, one would think that an event such as CBC would be an avenue for these black professionals and politicians to come together to discuss ways to make a huge impact in improving the African-American community as well as the entire African diaspora. Instead, most people who come into DC for the weekend are interested in knowing who's holding the best party (according to my friend who sent me a 7-page spreadsheet list of events, the Black Party is the party to attend this year) which club will have the best drink specials, and maybe they'll bring their business cards so that they can give their number out in a professional manner.

Black leaders could utilize CBC forums to put their heads together and come up with solutions to why African-American men continue to be the largest group behind bars, or figure out a way to convince African leaders that there is an HIV/AIDS pandemic killing their citizens, or how to increase the number of black-owned businesses. Rather, CBC weekend has become yet another reason for African-Americans to get together in our nation's capital, rub shoulders with the DuBois Talented Tenth, and leave DC having accomplished very little in terms of improving the black community.


I would be curious to know what others think. Now that we have a black president, do you think that foundations such as the Congressional Black Caucus have a greater duty to impact the black community?

My First Blog---Preparing to Leave

Welcome to my blog!

I have never blogged before, but I promised my 11th grade English teacher that I would create a blog to track the next three months of my adventures in South Africa. This means that I need you guys to ensure that my grammar and punctuation are on point, so that I don't disappoint her.

I am also a very private person so I'm a bit uncomfortable with writing things that will go out into the "blogosphere." I wonder if there's a way to limit who can read these things? Until I figure out whether it can be done, don't expect this blog to consist of personal and intimate journal entries. Now on to the important stuff!


In exactly 6 days, I will be boarding a plane headed to Johannesburg, South Africa for the second time in my life. I believe that everyone should visit some part of Africa at least once in their lifetime, and I will be lucky to say that I have visited it twice. While I'm there, I will work for a non-profit organization, putting my $150k legal education to good use. I also hope to take the time to take deep breaths and reflect on my life and create some personal growth. Throughout my time in Africa I will track my adventures through this blog, for my family and friends to know that I'm doing okay and to appease the curiosity of one of my favorite English teachers.

Although my blog is titled "Marsha's South Africa Adventure" I am far from being an adventurous person. But I welcome challenges and feel a huge sense of accomplishment when I do something outside my narrow box. I am a bit nervous because I have never been outside of the country for more than 3 weeks, since I moved to the U.S. as a little girl. South Africa is also known to be a dangerous place. However, I promised myself that I will not let my fears (and the fears of my mother) hold me back from taking risks in life. And as I near the age of 30, my goal is to step out of the box more and more. When else will I have time to live in another country for an extended period of time?

Being an avid procrastinator, I still have so much to do before I leave. I have to get medicine from the travel clinic, I need to pack and then remove half of what I think I need to bring. I have a list that seems like a mile long. Now, that I have created a blog it can be checked off the list.