Yes, I'll sign an autograph...

That's right friends, myself, along with the rest of the Rhodes flash mob, are famous! Well, pseudo-famous! The local Grahamstown newspaper, Grocott's Mail, did a story (complete with video) on the recent flash mob that I helped organize and choreograph for LGBTI week at Rhodes University!

The flash mob was the brainchild of my lovely friend Lara, and of course, with help from two fabulous Rotary Scholars (myself and Jill), the Glee flash mob became a reality!

So without further adieu, here is the link!

http://www.grocotts.co.za/content/glee-flash-mob-rhodes-university

Much love to you all!
B

Finally... a new vlog!

Artsy Fartsy

While on holiday I believe I got about 5 pictures of myself and Joey, 35 or so landscape photos, and approximately 42 bajillion pictures of animals. However, I also attempted to take some fancy, art-smart photos (though they were shot with a point and click camera and therefore can't be taken too seriously). However, I thought I would share some of the prettier pictures with y'all since I am convinced that the people who read this blog love me unconditionally (except for the random internet trollers) and therefore must accept and adore my photos without judgement. Annie Lebowitz, you can kiss it.

Love,
B

Back to blogging!

Why hello there!

I know I've said this before, but I am so sorry that I have been MIA! As you all know, in March I embarked on a three week road trip through southern Africa with my friend Joey, and since my return to Grahamstown life has been a flurry of activity (some thesis related, some not so much!)

So, where to start? I suppose I should give you a brief re-cap of my recent travels! A friend of mine from high school (what up Magnolia High School marching band!) flew to Port Elizabeth on March 4, and from there, we set out on a 20 day journey which involved traveling through six different countries! We began in South Africa, where we drove along the Wild Coast through Coffee Bay and Durban. We then headed to the small landlocked country of Lesotho where we drove up the Sani Pass, and then headed to Swaziland where we stayed at a wildlife and game reserve. We then returned to South Africa for a two-day safari through Kruger National Park, where we saw a pride of lions hunting a herd of buffalo during a night drive! I literally felt like I was in a National Geographic magazine! After our short stay in Kruger we flew to Livingstone, Zambia, where we swam at the top of the Victoria Falls and went white water rafting on the mighty Zambezi River! After a day trip to Zimbabwe to view the falls from a different vantage point we headed to Chobe National Park near Kasane, Botswana. At Chobe we saw leopards, more elephants than you can shake a stick at, and two giraffes, who just happened to be mating. That's what I call a successful safari, and an overall amazing adventure! Over these next few days I will be sure to write a few blog entries providing more stories from what can categorically be called one of the best holidays I've ever had!

I also want to give a big thank you to fellow Rotary Ambassadorial Scholar, Robin, who is currently studying at the University of Kwazulu-Natal in Durban! She was kind enough to show Joey and I around the city and also helped organize an opportunity for me to speak to the incredibly welcoming, and quite hilarious, Rotary Club of Westville.

Since returning to Rhodes I have been busy researching for my thesis, mountain biking, swimming at the beach, puppy-sitting, and cooking obscene amounts of macaroni and cheese for an International Easter celebration! I am also excited to announce that Anti-Sex and Gender Based Violence Week is approaching at Rhodes and I am looking forward to assisting with the Sexual Violence = Silence Protest and the Take Back the Night march!

I'll let y'all go for now, but as previously mentioned, I promise to update this blog more frequently with tales of my holiday adventures, Rotary experiences, and my life as a postgraduate student in Grahamstown. For now, here are a few photos!

All my love,
B

Coffee Bay


Robin, Joey and I in Durban


A lioness in Kruger National Park


Lesotho


Escaping from a vicious warthog attack in Swaziland (I might be exaggerating slightly)


Victoria Falls


Hippo and friend in Chobe National Park


The Zambezi at sunset

Single's Awareness Day - Come and Gone

Hello there lovely friends!

As you all know, yesterday was International Single's Awareness Day/Valentine's Day. Each year I usually celebrate by gathering with a group of friends, injesting a ridiculous amount of chocolate, and then bashing in a pinata of some sort in order to vent my frustrations. But can you believe it, yesterday I didn't even celebrate! As commercialized as Valentine's Day is in the States, it pretty much goes by unnoticed here in South Africa, which means I spent the entirety of yesterday reading about Foucauldian theory, until lo and behold, I realized it was February 14th! By then it was 8 PM and too late to organize a shindig where my friends and I systematically set several bouquets of flowers on fire, so instead I made myself a nice dinner and watched the ultimate girl power movie, Whip It! It was a lovely day, and though I think it's important to recognize and celebrate the love you share with others each and every day, I thought I would give you all a special post-VDAY shout out to say that I love you!

In other news, I, in true Brittany form, managed to lock myself out of my room on Saturday. And my computer refuses to access the wireless internet on campus. But those have been the only hitches in my giddy up, so all in all, things have been going swimmingly. In fact, I found out this morning that my digsmate, Jill and I, got tickets to the World Cup! In June we will be headed to Port Elizabeth to see the Serbia versus Germany match! I would have loved to see the US team compete (hey there Clint Dempsey), but understandably, tickets closer to the finals are way more expensive. So Serbia, here I come (you know I have to root for the underdog)!

Also, per Aunt Sage's request, I am unleashing the tentative title of my thesis - The representation of women’s reproductive rights in the American feminist blogosphere: an analysis of the debate around women’s reproductive rights and abortion legislation in response to the reformation of the United States health care system in 2009/10.

However, as you all know, no healthcare legistlation has passed, so while I am researching and establishing my theoretical framework, I am waiting out the legistlative process. So I suppose we'll see what happens!

I hope all of you stateside people are enjoying the snow! Take care of yourselves!

Love,
B

Breaking News

It is hot. Incredibly hot. The kind of hot where all you can do is lay on your bed spread out like a starfish in order to prevent any parts of your body from touching and causing you to spontaneously burst into flames.

In conclusion, I am going to get my butt to the beach next weekend.

Keep cool friends!

A Stream of Consciousness-esqe Post

Hey!

These last few days I have been caught up in a whirl wind of administrative duties. Wait, or is it world wind? I have never been quite sure what people are actually saying when they offer that statement, however, it's not really surprising. I happen to have both the vision and hearing of an 80+ year old and mishear things pretty often. I spent the majority of my young life thinking that people were shouting 'freaking egg', when actually, it was 'freaking expletive'. That's right, I am censoring my self for the gaggle of preteen readers who I am sure avidly read this blog.

Right, back to the subject at hand. I am now registered both administratively and academically at Rhodes University and have officially submitted my thesis proposal to the Higher Degrees Committee for acceptance as a Rhodes endorsed research thesis. In addition, I have signed up to take HAM (History and Appreciation of Music) through the music department at Rhodes! There is a jazz component which I am really excited about, as well as a section of study dedicated to South African protest music!

I also feel pretty settled into my digs (student housing) and really like my flatmates! There are five of us in total, 3 Americans and 2 South Africans, and everyone is incredibly friendly and tidy. Yes, you read that correctly, tidy. A trait that I hope to acquire. I figure 24 years of living in near total squalor is enough :)

In addition, once a week we have Taco Thursday, a night where the housemates invite random people we have met that week and have them over for dinner which we prepare. It was started quite a few years ago in this house, and last year I attended often because Rosa, a former Rotary Scholar, would kindly invite me each week. Which means I am going to learn how to cook! No more soup from a can accompanied by grilled cheese sandwichs as my go-to impressive meal!

That's about it on the South African front. Pretty simple day-to-day activities and adventures (I did have a ketchup bottle explode all over my face at a restaurant the other day, making me look like a bloodied victim in a grindhouse film, only to leave me sticky and slightly stained red, however, not a surprising occurence considering my outstanding awkwardness). And while I miss home, I am also incredibly happy to be back. I must say, I feel rather lucky to be able to be so comfortable and content in two totally different places.

Final thought: I watched Whip It! the other day and I kind of want to join roller derby. Now all I need to do is learn how to skate and get some kickin' science experiment googles to prevent my glasses from breaking...

Love,
B