Sunday, July 27, 2008

HOME

With me having FOUR visitors (Haley, Kate (New England girl with a very large heart who teaches at YES), Lindsay (now a 3rd year teacher who just finished her TeachForAmerica service and is now [surprising to herself but not to me] mentoring others, she is a supporter and carer of many), and Rachael (now a 3rd year teacher who is overflowing with creativity and dreams and is starting to enact them in a thrilling way)), Ryan had his girlfriend visiting, and Anna had her mother visiting. And remember Radesh now lives here (and Ryan will be moving out soon sometime). So it was crazy, but we worked it out. I got an inflatable bed—queen sized. And Melissa, my friend, offered to house me and people (I slept there one night). So we worked it out. I have never seen the bathroom stay so clean. Usually it degenerates within two days. So it’s nice to have Anna’s mother around.

Radesh is getting a dog on Monday. I’m not very excited about it. I think it was supposed to be only outside due to my allergies (border collie), but now it will be hanging out in the living room) and will only sleep in the back patio (not in the yard).

Oh, I almost forgot someone offered me a spot in her home? Do you remember the FYP’s? Two of them—Kat and Laura—stay with the Frames. So the Frames are this family who do this communal style of living. They built another layer on to their house so they could take care of people. Gillian Frame is a head counselor at my church and sometimes runs my HIV/AIDS and crisis pregnancy sessions. If you remember I was telling her how beautiful I thought it was. And she said to me that actually sometimes it’s very difficult (she had been going through a battle with one woman who was either pregnant or drug-embattled; I am not sure actually, maybe it was something else). And so I began to see the real side of such work. But they have had many bedrooms open up in the house and she always tries to balance good solid stable people with others who need help. So it seemed like a cool opportunity. There’s a ton more space. It’s cleaner and I can have people over more often in terms of meals or just housing people who are visiting Cape Town. So I’m thinking about it. I’m not sure. The price is cheap; it’s about what I pay now (the discounted price because Radesh moved in; it may go back up when Ryan moves out; not sure). If you have insight, please do let me know.

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