Wimpy's is a popular hamburger joint in S. Africa. We stopped there to have a drink on one of our outings and I asked if I could have the hat one of the workers was wearing because I thought they were cool looking. He told me he'd lose his job. As it turns out, his manager told me I could buy it for R50 (7 USD). I wish I would have gotten a picture of the worker who originally owned the hat.

I just returned from the Teacher's Conference in Jo'Burg, South Africa last Wedneday and it was a great trip. The weather was better there than in Lagos as they are just entering their Spring season, the Conference Center we stayed at was a four star facility and the conference itself had some great workshops to offer us. We had all our evenings free so one evening we visited a place called Mandela Square which is a very nice mall and gathering place for fine dining. In the middle of this square stands a very tall bronze statue of Mandela himself. It's quite remarkable. You can't help but be in awe of it when you see it. There's no mistaken the reverence toward this mighty icon by the natives of S. Africa. It seems no matter who you talked too about Mandela, the same praises were reverberated over and over about him. One of the workshops I attended at this conference was called, Teaching the Dignity of Difference. Great workshop! and very inspiring. I think many of you would have felt the same. Anyway, Vicky, the instructor ended the day in our workshop with these words that many people have mistaken as Nelson Mandela's words but were written by Marianne Williamson in her book, A Return to Love,
"Our worst fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.
It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, 'Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous,
talented and fabulous?' Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God; your playing small doesn't
serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won't feel insecure
around you. We should shine as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God within us. It
is not just in some of us, it is in everyone and as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other
people permission to do the same.
As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others."
Doesn't that just make you say, WOW!!! and take a deep breath??!!!
We returned late from S. Africa to have to dig right into Parent/Teacher conferences the following morning. One of the many wonderments of this place in Lagos is that there is never a shortage in our busy work schedules. Most times I feel like I'm moving two steps forward, three steps back but somehow, it's worked for me so far. I enjoy conferences. Even though we're talking about the children, it's one of the few times in the year where I get to sit with all the parents and chit chat with them.
This weekend is a Muslim holiday, Id El Fitri. We get to have Monday and Tuesday off. It's so interesting with Muslim holidays because we don't ever know what day(s) exactly the holiday will be until the last minute because the high man has to go out and look at the moon to see what phase it's in and how it will line up before he will declare the official holiday. We finally knew on Friday when the holiday was going to be. A four day weekend! I'm happy! Today a bunch of the flat rats went to the beach for the day. The weather turned out to be quite nice and it was a great day for all of us to be together off the compound.
It's so hard for me to believe that we're at the end of October already. Being busy makes the time pass quickly. I can tell that we are getting closer to holiday time. As we draw nearer to Thanksgiving, I find my thoughts more on home and the fall of Tacoma and I find myself missing everyone. When you have a moment, I hope you'll drop me an email to say hi.
I trust this finds all of you well and happy!

This photo is taken at our beach trip to Poo Beach. Do you remember the story from last year when I visited there the first time?! I took out my camera to take a photo of a couple of children and all the sudden, a whole group showed up. A bunch of hams!