Turning in to an office clerk…
Door: Bao-Nhi
Blijf op de hoogte en volg Bao-Nhi
07 Augustus 2008 | Zuid-Afrika, Kaapstad
Everybody who knows me also knows that working at an office is not really my thing. I don’t mind working in an office, but I just prefer fieldwork. These last two weeks has been totally different though… I actually enjoyed being in the office at YFC. I’ve been busy arranging and planning things for the UK and the USA summer teams who are here. On top of this, we got the surprise that there is a team from Jo’burg visiting us as well AND there are new volunteers arriving. Things have been quit hectic at the house so being at the office wasn’t that bad at all.
The Jo’burg team left this morning, just after the arrival of three new volunteers: Tabea, Emily and Benjamin… all from Germany. This Monday Edith, also from Gemany, will arrive as well. I will have the pleasure to pick her up… her plane lands at 5am!
The USA and the UK people are going in to their last week in Cape Town, they’re headed back home on Wednesday and Thursday. I’ve enjoyed spending time with ‘new’ people, but I’m also glad that things will calm down next week so that I can focus on my own departure.
Another reason for enjoying being in the office so much is because of Emelio. You’ve probably read my previous blog about him being deported from England. Correction: he was not deported, but he got a ‘refuse of entrance’… yeah he’s been correcting us every single time we dropped the word deported. It is a very serious matter, because his passport has been stamped and he’s in the system in the UK. This will complicate his future visits to the UK. His management is trying to sort this out for him and Carl (his band mate), so there is a chance that this can all be cleared again.
I was seriously bummed out for him until I saw Tenille, Rolf’s daughter. Lizzie (her mom) asked me if I’ve heard about Emelio and Tenille just started to crack up. I told her that it wasn’t funny at all, but she said that it was: ‘He flew all the way over to England… to fly back to Cape Town again… that is hilarious’. Gabe and I were thinking about it and yes indeed… it is very funny!
From there on Gabe and I, especially Gabe, started joking about it. One night Gabe, who is always tired, was joking about it till 2am… that was a great night!
Then Monday morning we met Emelio in the office. I just needed to see how he was doing, he was doing okay… he told his story and after a while I felt that we could tell him about the jokes… so we did. He took it very well… so well that we actually never stopped joking about it. Gabe even took my phone to call Emelio pretending to be an employee of the UK internal affairs department and he had Emelio hooked on the phone for at least five minutes. I know that’s kind of mean… but also VERY funny! At least we can make Emelio laugh about this matter as well.
At the end of the day… it is ridiculous that he didn’t got in to England, but it happened. His management is trying to make things right again, so we might as well laugh about it now.;-)
I’ll miss hanging out in the office. I’ve spend hours and hours there during my time here. It’s the place where I spend a lot of time doing research for my internship, had contact with my friends and the place where I bonded with a lot people from the YFC team. All of this will disappear in less then three weeks.
Two weeks and five days… that’s the time that I’ve left in Cape Town. I’ve set up a schedule for my last days here, because there are a lot of things that I need to do and a lot of people that I need to hang out with before I leave.
I feel that my work with YFC and me living at the Blouberghouse has come to an end. I’m ready to leave Cape Town, but I’m not ready to say goodbye to the people yet. On the other hand I don’t want to go home yet, but I can’t wait to see my friends again. It’s a bittersweet feeling that I’ve also experienced during my previous journeys.
I’m starting to prepare the kids at Vissershok and SOS that I’ll be leaving soon. This has always been the hardest part for me, but I know that I have to prepare them for this.
Preparing for my departure will be a busy period, but it will also be a lot of fun. I’m going to Belhar this weekend; yes finally! Emelio has to fly domestic this weekend, so the chances of my weekend with Claudine being cancelled again because of a ‘refuse of entrance’ will be very small.:-)
Lots of love,
Bao-Nhi
The Jo’burg team left this morning, just after the arrival of three new volunteers: Tabea, Emily and Benjamin… all from Germany. This Monday Edith, also from Gemany, will arrive as well. I will have the pleasure to pick her up… her plane lands at 5am!
The USA and the UK people are going in to their last week in Cape Town, they’re headed back home on Wednesday and Thursday. I’ve enjoyed spending time with ‘new’ people, but I’m also glad that things will calm down next week so that I can focus on my own departure.
Another reason for enjoying being in the office so much is because of Emelio. You’ve probably read my previous blog about him being deported from England. Correction: he was not deported, but he got a ‘refuse of entrance’… yeah he’s been correcting us every single time we dropped the word deported. It is a very serious matter, because his passport has been stamped and he’s in the system in the UK. This will complicate his future visits to the UK. His management is trying to sort this out for him and Carl (his band mate), so there is a chance that this can all be cleared again.
I was seriously bummed out for him until I saw Tenille, Rolf’s daughter. Lizzie (her mom) asked me if I’ve heard about Emelio and Tenille just started to crack up. I told her that it wasn’t funny at all, but she said that it was: ‘He flew all the way over to England… to fly back to Cape Town again… that is hilarious’. Gabe and I were thinking about it and yes indeed… it is very funny!
From there on Gabe and I, especially Gabe, started joking about it. One night Gabe, who is always tired, was joking about it till 2am… that was a great night!
Then Monday morning we met Emelio in the office. I just needed to see how he was doing, he was doing okay… he told his story and after a while I felt that we could tell him about the jokes… so we did. He took it very well… so well that we actually never stopped joking about it. Gabe even took my phone to call Emelio pretending to be an employee of the UK internal affairs department and he had Emelio hooked on the phone for at least five minutes. I know that’s kind of mean… but also VERY funny! At least we can make Emelio laugh about this matter as well.
At the end of the day… it is ridiculous that he didn’t got in to England, but it happened. His management is trying to make things right again, so we might as well laugh about it now.;-)
I’ll miss hanging out in the office. I’ve spend hours and hours there during my time here. It’s the place where I spend a lot of time doing research for my internship, had contact with my friends and the place where I bonded with a lot people from the YFC team. All of this will disappear in less then three weeks.
Two weeks and five days… that’s the time that I’ve left in Cape Town. I’ve set up a schedule for my last days here, because there are a lot of things that I need to do and a lot of people that I need to hang out with before I leave.
I feel that my work with YFC and me living at the Blouberghouse has come to an end. I’m ready to leave Cape Town, but I’m not ready to say goodbye to the people yet. On the other hand I don’t want to go home yet, but I can’t wait to see my friends again. It’s a bittersweet feeling that I’ve also experienced during my previous journeys.
I’m starting to prepare the kids at Vissershok and SOS that I’ll be leaving soon. This has always been the hardest part for me, but I know that I have to prepare them for this.
Preparing for my departure will be a busy period, but it will also be a lot of fun. I’m going to Belhar this weekend; yes finally! Emelio has to fly domestic this weekend, so the chances of my weekend with Claudine being cancelled again because of a ‘refuse of entrance’ will be very small.:-)
Lots of love,
Bao-Nhi
-
08 Augustus 2008 - 06:54
Frenk:
Heej Titi,
alles goed? Zie je dat je binnenkort weer naar huis gaat? Geniet nog even van de tijd daar en tot ziens een keer.
Groetjes! -
08 Augustus 2008 - 07:36
Marlice:
Hi meis,
leuk om je verhalen zo af en toe te volgen. Nog lekker genieten daar en ik zie je waarschijnlijk binnenkort wel weer.
liefs Marlice -
08 Augustus 2008 - 19:46
Arjan:
Hey! Why do all good things come to an end... hehe
Ik zit nu bij YFC Durban, geen conferentie maar wel gaaf om hier de projecten een beetje te kunnen bekijken. Zondag reis ik weer verder, op naar m'n volgende 5-day hike in Drakensberg! Yeah!
Zie je denk nog wel in de Kaap!
Groetjes,
Arjan -
12 Augustus 2008 - 06:22
Mus:
It wont disappear darling, not unless you let it!
Ik zit in dezelfde fase, blij om terug te gaan, verdrietig een nieuw leven achter te laten. embrace the fact you were able to met all!
ik zie je in NL kunnen we kletsen!
kus -
14 Augustus 2008 - 15:09
Carla H:
Geniet nog van de laatste dagen daar. Neem goed afscheid, maar weet dat de wereld klein is. Terugkomen kan altijd anno 2008
Groet
CC
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