Siya and Becca, doing what they do best.  March 2010.

Gah, that face!  Smiso.  St. Theresa's, December 2010.

Oh Bheki, how I miss you.  St. Theresa's, December 2010.

Luke.  St. Theresa's, April 2010.

Sfiso.  December 2010.

Because everyone loves stickers.  Especially Lungelo, Luke, Baby Sfiso, and "Shorty" (Mthokozisi).

"hello is so easy... but goodbye? goodbye is very hard miss sinead"

I've been through a few break-ups in my life, but saying goodbye to South Africa feels like the worst one of them all.  It's a lump in my throat when I wake up in the morning, the echo of my bare walls and empty closet, the pain in my heart when I go through my photos to pick a couple to print for the people I love.  It's tight hugs from the boys at St. Theresa's, one last bunny chow with our feet in the Indian Ocean in Durban, handmade cards from the learners at St. Leo's who, in January, couldn't speak a lick of English.  It's that inevitable knot in the pit of my stomach on the final drive to St. Theresa's, St. Leo's, Gogo Gloria's house, church in Kloof, passing the Siyakwamukela eThekwini sign on the drive into Durban.




Pinky, in Grade 4, said it best.  "Saying hello is so easy!  But goodbye?  Goodbye is very hard, Miss Sinead."


South Africa has shown me just how much love my heart is capable of... but there is no doubt that I will be leaving a large piece of it here when I go.




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at a loss.

I've been sitting here for about an hour, scrolling through the hundreds of photos I've taken over the past few weeks.  With this fancy new camera and very little time to read a multipage manual and actually figure out how to take good photos, I've just been taking craploads and hoping that some turn out okay.  There was Heritage Day at St. Leo's and St. Theresa's, various community outings (and spider sightings in our house), and the day I brought my camera to school "just in case".  I ended up spending twenty minutes doing a Grade 7 boys' photo shoot, and now, looking through these pictures, I'm meditating on the 23 days I have left here and wondering to myself how I can possibly feel so excited and relieved to have the end in sight... but also, feeling so sad at the prospect of leaving these kids, most of them probably forever.

A selection:

I'm feeling a little short on words tonight.




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smooth criminals.

St. Theresa's often has little assemblies for parents, foster parents, and caregivers who come to collect the boys when it's time for holidays.  Back in March, before the beginning of Easter break, my boys in Cottage 4 prepared this little number for a rapt audience.  After lots of rehearsing and covering their left hands in glitter to look like a glove, they took to the stage.
From left to right: Bheki, Sihle, Khumbulani, Philani, Llewellyn, and Eugene... and Michael Jackson of course.









It may not be Thriller, but it's as close to a Halloween post as I could come-- springtime in South Africa is not exactly festive for today's celebrations.  Happy Halloween, ghouls and goblins!


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overheard in south africa.

We often find ourselves playing "hairdresser" at St. Theresa's when the boys have finished their homework and all the soccer balls are in use.

Volunteer: So I think I'll probably chop all my hair off when I get home.
Philani: You should relax it, that would look nice.
Volunteer:  I actually don't need to relax it, it's sort of "naturally relaxed", you know what I mean?
Philani: So who relaxes y'all's hair then?  God?



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