South Africa is full of views!
Our last few days have been full, if Phindi’s yawns and sleeping in are anything to go by! Tisetso has helped at the Haven (where he grew up), we went to the outlet mall, we went to the Lion & Safari Park, and the Mall of Africa. We also had a day where we did absolutely nothing but school and eating out, but that was the day before everything crazy started. It’s been a whirlwind! We wanted to get these things done before Friday because Friday was a school holiday for Good Friday, and Monday is a national holiday - Family Day! (Also, Phindi’s birthday, how special!)
A view on our way home for Pretoria.
Tisetso had a great time at the Haven, again. He loves helping there and being with the kids. It gives him time to connect with his roots and with kids who were in a situation just like he was. When he was done hanging out there, we headed to the outlet mall so he could check out the Nike outlet. We stopped at a store called Makro for lunch and ate at Wimpy (a burger place). While sitting there, we noticed the Walmart logo in a few places. Brian did some digging and found that Walmart had bought a controlling share in Makro and a few other associated brands.
Tisetso and his fancy hot chocolate while out with Brian at a coffee shop.
After we had finished lunch, we were walking to the exit and I noticed a few simple long-sleeve shirts that I wanted to buy. We grabbed a roll of mints and some lozenges to complete our order. We got to the check out only to be told that you needed a Makro membership card (a la Sam’s Club) to shop. Oops! After handing over our big / not so big purchase, we left empty handed. The Nike store was a bust, too.
And the winner of Go Fish! is… Phindi!
Aslan greeted us at the entrance. Much more elaborate than the last time we went!
Tisetso and Zöe.
The next day, we got up bright and early to head to the Lion and Safari park. We had gone here before, but we figured it would still but a fun excursion for our family. It was a beautiful drive to the park and we loved seeing the countryside outside of Johannesburg. The safari ride was fun! We got to see a bunch of lions, some zebra (rhymes with “Deborah” here), giraffes, and sable antelopes—which we were told were a rare treat! One of the giraffes we saw was named Zöe and was hand-raised, so it often comes up to the safari trucks and says hi! (See above.)
Me and a giraffe (one of my favorite animals!)
Kids and a giraffe
After, we went to lunch at the restaurant on campus and were really disappointed. The food came out one person at a time, and about 40 minutes after we placed our order, the chef came out and told Brian and I that the chicken (what we had ordered) wasn’t cooked yet. We had to order something else. It was very frustrating, right until a giraffe just walked right on by. Way to redeem the whole thing, giraffe!
I pet a giraffe!
Tisetso pat a giraffe!
The Mall of Africa, the largest mall on the continent!
With the giraffe pet, we made our way to the Mall of Africa. Yes, another mall! We had to check it out because they were building it the last time we were here. It felt like the mall that’s closest to us (Sandton City), just moderately bigger and maybe a little nicer. Not worth another trip, to be sure. I was glad for all of the jobs it generates. That has to be a huge number!
Today was a pretty low-key day. We went and saw the new movie The Bad Guys. It was really fun and the animation was wall done. I enjoyed it and recommend the movie to anyone looking for a feel-good movie. Get this—we bought four tickets, four popcorns, four drinks, and three candies all for about $40! Major score on our part! The theater we were in was the ‘kids theater,’ complete with bean bag chairs (with cup holders) and a huge slide into a foam pit!
Us during load shedding when our power was out.
We’ve had a crazy few days, as I said, and then next few will be just as crazy. Tomorrow is Easter, Monday is Phindi’s 10th birthday, and Tuesday sees us flying to Cape Town and moving to a new flat for a month. Please keep us in your prayers. We have seen some evidences of the ‘honeymoon phase’ coming to an end, but then things snap back. We know it won’t last forever and that real work begins when we’re all open and ready. Pray when that time comes, we’re loving and ready to build lasting attachment bonds.
The kids next to a Mandela statue at Carnivore—an all-you-can-eat game meat restaurant.
The menu
A quick note: Carnivore was a delicious place filled with meats from all over South Africa! I’m adding the menu so you can see what sorts of things we tried. It’s a must for anyone who visits this area. We visited last time we came.