Last weekend, we took a fatty luxury bus around South Africa to tour four different battlefields from different wars that have happened in the past few centuries or so. Rumors say that the Brazilian soccer team is going to be using the same bus when they come here for the World Cup. But that’s just a rumor. I left my number under one of the seats…just in case.

Our battlefields tour guide, Tony, was one of the most interesting people I have ever met. I’m not exactly sure how to begin describing him. He was a precious 75 year old man. I have never met someone with a greater passion for history. He was just PUMPED. Unfortunately, our group of 53 students didn’t feel the same way. I found myself, once again, standing in the hot African sun listening to someone talk about something in which I had no interest. I really wanted to have an interest in what he was saying, but I just couldn’t find it anywhere in my being to be genuinely intrigued. Sorry, Tony. There were so many ways in which Tony unknowingly added humor to our day. The first was the loudspeaker in the bus. Let me just set the scene for you. We’re riding on the LUXURY bus with the cushiest seats I have ever had the pleasure of sitting in. The low hum of the bus on the long open highway slowly but surely lulls everyone into a slumber. Everything is peaceful and then suddenly Tony’s voice comes on the loudspeaker and scares the crap out of all of us because it’s so loud. I think the fact that the loudspeaker’s volume is turned all the way up, and the fact that Tony is hard of hearing makes it that much more intense. Here we are Tony. You have our attention. This better be the best announcement I have ever heard in my life.

“And over to your right, you have a cow. But more on that tomorrow.”

And that’s it. We were woken up for THAT. It was upsetting but hilarious at the same time because everyone was just like “Really, Tony? Really?” We learned a little something else about African culture this weekend. Apparently it is rude to yawn when listening to a lecture like that? Tony got on a couple people’s case about it. He called them tonsil masters or something to that extent. It was so funny. We were so confused why it was such a big deal. Then I got called out because Jake threw a frog at my head and I made a small ordeal about it. But after I attempted to explain to Tony that I wasn’t trying to waste his time and that I just been scared for a small second because I had frog juice on my head, I realized he probably didn’t hear me at all. He just thought I was a rude American for the rest of the day. Woops.

Last Sunday was SUNDAY FUNDAY. We had a lot of fun. Obviously. We made a giant slip ‘n’ slide and played on it all day. I had soap in my eyes and scratches on my arm, but it didn’t matter. I was officially 5 years old again. I actually didn’t do slip ‘n’ slides a lot when I was younger. I’m kind of self conscious as to how I look when I go down one. My family used to judge me on the way I jumped in the pool. They told me I looked like a horse. What if I look like a horse trying to go down the slip ‘n’ slide? I know some people took video footage, so I suppose I’ll find out soon. My body was so sore from that stupid thing. I’m getting too old for this kind of stuff.

The week before last we had finals for our elective classes. So I’m done with Biology, and I have to do a seminar and final project for art class by next week then that class will be done too. We started service sites today. In the words of Tony, “But more on that later…” The children wore me out today, but another update will be coming soon!