30

Crazy dream last night, couldn't tell if it was real or not (still can't figure it out :/) Got to sleep in a little bit, since my ride to "work" had to drop off her maid at her daughters apartment first. Got to the aquarium just in time to walk the rock hoppers down to their outside exhibit. Used my Gopro today to try video them. After feeding them, I strolled around watched the fish in the predator and kelp forest tank. Helped feed the juvy jagged-tooth sharks and then helped some for with the penguins throughout the day. They get fed at 8:30,11:30 and 2:30. All feedings have to be recorded so I sit and record who eats what and then give Laduma a little loving. She is an African Penguin ( endangered species by the way :/) and she is very friendly, will let you love on her and cuddle with her, the others will not...don't even think about it! You will have a sore finger ( I know this from personal experience)! There is one rock hopper that doesn't go down stairs because he is molting and when they molt it basically means their new feathers are coming, so is very uncomfortably time for them. They tend to not eat, play/swim or do much of anything. Its name funny enough (can't remember if I have mentioned this before) is Nikki :D. Well the personal experience mentioned above...this is it. I was trying to be sweet to little Nik Nik and chomp!! Nothing crazy like I'm coming home with half a finger or something, just a mix between getting pinched and slight bang on the finger when you miss the object you are hammering. I think I'll leave him alone tomorrow, very grumpy bird! Tomorrow is my last day for this week. Can't decide if I want to go back for another week before I leave for Gaansbaai. Guess I'll have to decide by tomorrow after noon. There was talking about letting me dive but I might save that for after Gaansbaai, I'll be cage diving with Great whites, which are a lot better than jagged-tooth sharks ( even though they are descendants of on another.) The sharks at the aquarium are tamer than free roaming sharks, obviously.

Another fire today, with in the past week there has been 5 fires one pretty bad one that damaged 2 farms. The one today was in Hout Bay behind the house in the townships that sit on the bottom of the mountain .

Five words that will make you jizz in your pants...ALL. YOU. CAN. EAT. SUSHI. boom goes the dynamite! Eating with Melissa, Brandon and Shalom at active and then going to Fire and ice for milkshakes.

I'll have to upload the videos from the aquarium this weekend!

29

Second day at the aquarium. Got up nice and early (not to mention to a kitchen filled with shit, thanks Fred or Oscar whoever you are) felt bad for leaving it but not my pet, so sorry about it. Plus I found a flea jumping on me last night and woke up with a few bites. Definitely going to mention it now, it's pissing me off. I hope they get baths after the shitfest this morning. SIS!!!

Got to work with Hayley again today feeding the penguins, in between the time I worked a lot in the kitchen. So much preparing, cutting and all that stuff! Watched a diver feed the fish in the kelp forest! I was all confident this morning about asking to dive when they feed the rays but now not so much, very intimidating people (especially the guys) lol.

Got to feed the crayfish- scary looking critters, huge! Tied some kelp together (exhausting)!

One rock hopper is old and has arthritis so he walks a little slow and when we walk them down to their exhibit and back he stops walking and I got to carry him today!! I'll have to get a video of them tomorrow so everyone can see how cute they are!

Had a delish beef shwarma for lunch at the food market next door and then after work went back to get cookies. Peanut butter cookie with Oreo, Chocolate chunks and caramel crunches. Heaven!!!

Get to sleep in a bit tomorrow, and then day 3 at the aquarium, not sure if anything exciting is happening. I'll guess I'll concentrate most of my day trying to identify the penguins, since they are what I mostly do their.

28 - 1st day @ aquarium!

Got up early this morning, have to be at the aquarium by 8AM! So excited! The worst part about getting up early is having to turn the alarm off, it always freaks we out! Waiting at the bus stop for my aunts friend to picks up since she works across the street from then aquarium.

Heard in the news in the car that children at the early age of 9 are using crystal meth ( tick) say what?!?

First thing at the aquarium was to feed the penguins! So adorable the rock hoppers are my favorite! Just hop along :). Next we had to move a shark, to treat it for parasites! Very tense lol. Hoping to be able to dive with them this week!!

Got to feed a green sea turtle and a logger back turtle! It's was so little and feisty!

Tomorrow is when the string rays get fed so hopefully they will let me dive with them and watch!! Had a blast today, so nice doing something new and exciting. Plus every one there is nice.

Going to eat dinner with Melissa at a place called avrons. Going to sleep good tonight, got to be up early again Tom!

Doug the little baby loggerhead turtle.

getting everything set up for shark capture.

Got it.

Lifting shark out of water in container. 

It was a struggle.

Maing sure shark is ok, with oxygen.

In the holding tank.

Here she comes!

Checking her for parasites. 

Suit up scubas

Canaloni the green turtle.  

Hello little lady!

Up into the holding tank.

26

Well Ruan is snoring like a freaking bear, so I'm awake just waiting in the others to get up. Not much going on today, had plans to go see my gran with Amanda, and go to the tattoo convention but everyone is being lazy. :/ I really want Mexican food, hopefully Melissa will go eat with me tonight. Oh what I would do to be able to call Cassie, Kenzie, lately and Korea and say "el toreo?" :/.

Dreading this week, mostly Saturday. It's my birthday but I'm not very excited about it due to the fact that I have no close friends to celebrate with me, yea my cousins will invite some friends to go out but it won't compare to being at home *sigh*. I'm going to have to try stay positive :).

Hopefully ill hear back from the aquarium tomorrow so I can go do something fun!

Side note: I hate be stranded with no car! Roar!

Walked around the Wood stock area with Ruan, looking for a Mexican restaurant or Sushi. know were open so we just came through to Hout Bay and ate at Deez, a Mexican place here. Not the same as El toreo, but still very yummy! Had a nice marg or two and some great nachos!

Sypked with my nuggy love, Kenz for a good bit, just catching up on life. Miss her!!!! Skyped with my parents for a little bit. I think for my birthday I'm going to treat myself to a 60 minute full body massage, this is going to AWESOME!!!

Tomorrow I will get my first experience on the MyCiti bus, created for the World Cup to transport people all over Cape Town safely. Heading to the water front to look for some high-wasted denim tribal shorts while my Aunt is in a meeting with the staff of my grans nursing home. Might go to the aquarium to check it out and talk to that lady in person, since I haven't received an email confirming my shadowing dates.

I want to go to Seal Island this week, hopefully I can recruit someone to come with me!!! Otherwise I'll be riding solo, but I'll get to see seals so no worries! It's gopro time!!!

27

My aunt dropped me off at the MyCiti bus station on her way to see my Gran, and I took the bus to the Waterfront. Went to the aquarium and just explored a little bit. I was AWESOME! The Georgia aquarium is great and big but this aquarium is just so much more vibrant! Took a zillion pics and bought a book called Crazy! It's written by the director of the aquarium, he writes about his adventures of being a marine biologist! Super cool! Can't wait to finish 50 shades and start this book (sorry P.S. I love you, you will have to wait.) Talked to Hayley at the aquarium and set up my internship/shadowing stuff. I start at TOMORROW! I'm so so sooo excited to see what goes on behind the scenes of the aquarium, get to feed penguins and all stuff. maybe they will let met diving in the tanks with the sharks! I saw couple doing it and looked great!

Nemo!

African Penguin!

Looks like a smiley face. :)

Jagged-tooth shark!

Pincushion starfish and devil fish.

Stone fish not very nice, its very toxic and step on this guy you'll be dead.

Hello Bruce!

Made my appointment for my full body swedish massage on Saturday! Only R350 ( about $41!!) Bought some wellies ( rain boots) for Gaansbaai.

Fish market sushi!

Cute little hostel in town!

Not quite sure what I am going to do for my b-day sat, I wanted to have a braai here but then its too hectic to have people drive far out here, drink and then drive to town :(. Then my second thought was just meet people at Fire and House hotel, no braai...but then I'm told Fire and Ice is too expensive for people....Hell it was cheap when I looked at the menu...Whatever I guess if want "Friends" to come then I'll have to settle for something else. : / 

Was supposed to go back to Dubliner tonight but since I have to be up early will probably stay in and relax. Save the partying for the weekend. 

25 <-- me next week :O

Hello Gorgeous deli!!!

 Off to the deli this morning to help out! Sad part about that is I'm stuck in the car with caption information overload and obvious for a good 30 minutes. Look there is a cyclist...not shit Sherlock, I was born with eyes and even though my eye sight is horrible I'm wearing my contacts today and can see. Gah! God help me, oh and apparently people in Atlanta/America run around waving guns in the air like savages. Uh no...use we maybe have a lots of guns but its not like AK 47's they have in the shanti towns. We have (or had) a right to bear arms, and mostly because we have animals that people hunt. Duck season, deer, hog hell even turkey season! All need guns, we don't run through the forest after a deer like a silly vampire! I mean get really bro! So ignorant! Sorry needed a venting session. I'm good now :). Maybe a celebrity will come into the deli!!! Orlando bloom was there come time and Hillary swank! Oh Justin Bieber please get a salad or sandwich!!! Even though you are on tour right now, I think it will be good for you!!! :))

Great day at the deli! Clearing tables, talking to people and looking around the market, such cute stuff but a little pricey. Can't wait for tonight!

South park Dad, son and son's girlfriend.

By far the best costume of the night!

24 (one more week and this won't be my age anymore)

Lazy and boring day :(. I try to think of it has resting up for tomorrow. Almost done with 50 shades of freed, I've had my eye on P.S I love you in my cousins room. Still waiting to hear back from the aquarium and world of birds to volunteer. Found a place to go play with cheetahs! They need people come April to volunteer raising and working with the cheetahs, I have to leave in march but I really want to stay and raise a cheetah!!! Hopefully Melissa wants to go for a drink later, I really need to get out! :/.

No such luck on the late night drink. Have to be up bright and early ready to go by 8 AM to go to my cousins deli to help clean tables and take food orders out, and then I'll be going home with her to a South Park themed house warming party. You'd think it be easy to find an outfit...think again Ha. Or at least it be easier knowing there was a goodwill around the corner to get a cheap shirt of something, but none the less I will find something to wear. My character I'm dressing up as is Tammy Warner, she wears blue shorts and a red top! Thank the lord that is something I have!! Don't have her shoes though, probably just have to wear my brown toms. She wears high white socks and blue sneakers. My hair kind of looks like hers so at least I have 3 out of the 4 characteristic down. Should be fun, probably head into town after that. On Sunday, I might be going to a tattoo convention with my cousin ( don't worry no tats for me!) Just going to hang out and it sounds interesting. Tomorrow a week is my birthday...help!Found some super cute Michael Kors shoes ( hint hint) :) and I'm still waiting on that Michael Kors watch HA. No set plans for the celebration of my day of birth yet, but I have a few things in mind!

Super AWESOME!!! In black though, oh and I'm a size 4!!
  

Not my original pick but everyone seems to have my first pick (below). Either one is great :)

Still a gorgeous watch and my first pick!!!

23

Slept at Brett and Lauren's last night, today we went to Chinatown and I got a cute scarf and a top! They had a pet shop with an Africa grey parrot for R2200!!! That's so cheap in dollars that's about $260, the conure at petsmart cost $550 haha. Sorry my and dad I might be transporting a parrot home!

Went to go visit my darling gran, she was having a semi good day today until she had to use the toilet. That's when I decided if I have ever wanted to consider being a caretaker this was the reality check of Hell no! I feel so bad for her, plus the people here could really give two shits about their job. If only hashem would grant her only wish so she doesn't have to feel horrible everyday. She had a tantrum before use leaving because she wanted a doctor to check to see why her bum wass sore and there is no doctor on premises but she couldn't understand that. :( hope they will get her looked at ASAP, I was want her to be comfortable.

Going to long street tonight to an irish bar called dubliner with my Lauren and melissa. It should be fun, I definitely need a nap before I go! And of course it would rain when I straighten my hair...typical.

Dubliner had a weird crowd a bunch of old people dressed up like they just came from a function, so after a drink we left and went the fire and ice protea hotel. Supper classy! Had a yummy milkshake! This is the place ill be coming for my birthday for sure, but not to get a milkshake. They have yummy drinks too!

22

Spent most of my day by the pool listening to music and reading 50 shades, not the best book to read when I'm feeling lonely-but hey at least it's entertaining! Took a nice long walk this morning, day dreamed about meeting a guy named zack ( thanks Cassie) who drove a range rover and lived on a horse farm. *sigh* one day my Prince Charming will come.

Saved a lady bug in the pool today. Lately I've been missing all my friends back home and finding it made me happy because even though I'm miles upon miles away from them they are always with me!! The lady bug reminded me of that :).

Met up with Brett and Lauren for pizza at theirs friends house, he's made his parents house into a restaurant ( soo illegal!) called the poven. Super delish pizza! It was actually their last night of pizza cooking.

Lauren and I met up with her rabbi friend to go get a drink. Drinking with a rabbi!! Ha so crazy thinking, but he's cool not like the rabbis back home. Went to a place called pakalolo. It's a little jazz bar in table view. My new favorite drink is a passion fruit and vodka with water!!! So cheap and yummy, not to mention its hydration
as well!!

21

Feeling sad today...I miss my friends to death. I'm having a good time in Cape Town but all these fun new times and I don't have someone that holds a special place in my heart to share it with. The people I've met so far are wonderful people but no one I have really connected with on a good friend level, my group of friends back home are a loyal bunch so maybe a little part of me doesn't want to "replace" them which they obviously could never be replaced ever, but I hope you kind of get my drift. It would be a lot easier if people were still on holiday. Saturday is the only day my cousin Amanda goes out because she owns and runs her deli so when the work day ends she's exhausted, I want to meet more of her older friends, hopefully this Saturday we can make it out! I'm a horrible judge of age! I definitely thought Ruan was at least 23 since Amanda is 27 and he lives with them...oops not so much.

My birthday is in 11 days...I remembered that yesterday. Not very excited about it, who's going to celebrate with me pic (partner in crime) style! There's only one pic in my life and she's thousand of miles away :(. Plus ill be 25, that's a quarter of a century...grandma status.

It's been a very boring day, that's probably why I have been on this weird/sad mood. Went for a walk to try clear my head and then went to post office with auntie Jeanette and ate some fish a chips at the harbor. Tried to lay out for a bit and take a nap but its so hot and I couldn't get comfy.

Another situation is I've been getting bitten by mosquitoes and/or fleas. My aunt and uncle said its mosquitoes not fleas, but the dogs have been scratching so I checked them and low and behold fleas are present. I don't know how to approach them and say its fleas because I checked the dogs, without coming off as cheeky. I thought about asking if I could bath them since I was bored but they don't seem like the type to behave and it could end up badly. Oh bother...life eh?

Read a little bit of Fifty shades of freed and then took a nice nap. Had a crazy dream! Can never really remember the whole dream but it included Sebastian, hiding from someone or something in my aunt and uncles old house back at home...it must have been pretty intense, because when I woke up I had the worst headache from grinding my teeth in my sleep.

Had a wonderful supper, made with love by my auntie! Little bit of country cooking, chicken, mashed potatoes and creamed corn! Yum! We watched the lance Armstrong Oprah interview. Poor guy, he made some big mistakes has nothing to really show for anymore because all his metals were stripped, even has only 1 testicle and will probably be broke by the time he gives back all the money he took from people by wrongfully suing them. I say accept his apologies and move on, people make mistakes they are in the past and all you can do is learn from them.

Hopefully I'll get a call back from the animal shelter or hear back from the aquarium about volunteering tomorrow. I need to find someone to go on the Nauticat with me to Seal Island! I could go to my cousins deli but it is kind of small and I feel like I'm in the way when they aren't very busy so maybe ill go Saturday and then just go back to her house afterwards and hang with her.

20

Lets go to the beach beach, let's just get away!!! Finally the beach is in my near future! Ruan has a day off so we are going to go play on the beach and then get a cocktail after.

Went to Llandudno beach, it was hot, windy and quiet.  4:30 is more like beach 30, out of no where loads of people came flocking to the beach. Ha. This is where the surfers and body boarders go, because the waves a huge! When the wind started picking up they definitely were monsters! I feel like I got a free micro dermabrasion on my whole body! The wind and sand didn't not stop for anyone!I've got sand in my ears! We relaxed and built a sand castle, I put my toe in the water ( its FREEZING and will NEVER warm up.) After the beach, we came back to Hout bay to wash off in the pool/shower. Went down to Camps Bay main street and found a nice little place to have a yummy cocktail ( only R25!) Boo-yah! So cheap, and then went to a absolutely amazing sushi place in Woodstock All the sushi is made fresh right in front of you and they put it on this revolving table top around the bar area. Just went everywhere today didn't I?!? Got a ride back to Hout Bay by Ruan and now just going to relax before bed, maybe read my book. Got in contact with Carolyn's friend at the Aquarium, and will be setting up a time to go shadow/intern there for a little bit! No plans for tomorrow, might just give a bunch of people calls and set up volunteer opportunities for the future!

19

Went to the animal shelter with Amanda and Ruan to check it out, so different to our shelters. No kill so that good! So many cats!!! I mean like out door enclosures with at least 25 cats just chillin. I'm going to go volunteer there some days!

Had a yummy braai at Amanda's. Ruan and her are chefs so you know it had to be amazing! Chicken, boervours and salad. Delish!

Watched some movies and then went to sleep, not much of an adventure filled day.
Just a chilled Sunday Findlay.

Amanda's roommate, Ruan, I think really likes me ha but....it's weird because:
1.) he basically has the same name as Ryan but in Africaans.
2.) he's Ryan's age, 22.
3.) he likes to playful bite like Ryan...

All of it is just very similar and I don't think I like it. He's a very sweet boy but I don't think I could be more than friends. Well see. Even though he is younger he does have a career...

18

Finally got to sleep in a bit...til 9:45ish haha. Better than 8:30, went for a run and saw a gorgeous brown horse. There was a horse show glong on but by the time i made it to the stables it was over :(. I want one so bad!!!! Came home and have been laying by the pool all day, what a life eh!? Then ate some left over salad and chicken and back to the pool side we go! Hopefully tomorrow or Monday I can find a beach buddy!!

Going to a braai with Melissa tonight at her friend Dayla's house. Excited for some more yummy homemade food!

Got to Skype with my mom and SEBASTIAN today!!!! So sweet, if only he could talk back!

Went to the braai and finally had boervours (sp!) it's a type of meat kinda like brats in USA. Now going to meet Amanda on long street for a drink and then it's bed time for this little nug, so sleepy haha!

So long street is crazy on Saturdays and we couldn't find parking, but we did get a lecture by a parking Marshall on drug in South Africa haha. Apparently all the nice young people driving badass cars are drug dealers as they get you to sign over your car to them and then kill you hahah it's not true but was entertaining to listen to because he was very adamant about it! Saw a guy get "arrested" and then saw him Unarrested down the street, must be nice haha once you are arrested in USA you have no choice of being let lose with a nice visit to the jailhouse!

Well long street was fun to drive around in circles for 45 hopefully next time ill get to step out the car and into a bar!

I either keep getting destroyed by fleas or mosquitoes but I have bites all over my ankles!!! Help, so itch :/ better not be fleas I'm allergic to those devils! The dogs have been scratching a lot...crossing fingers it's just nasty mosies!