Wednesday, April 17, 2013

Day: (My Numbering is All Off) Actual 97 - Final Evaluation


Its so hard to get out of bed in the morning on foggy, chilling days like today. I just want to stay snuggled up under my duvet for another few hours, dreaming about somebody bringing me a hot breakfast in bed or something. Biva and I found a heater, like a big serious heater on wheels, in our apartment recently and have been using it to heat up our bedroom. Best find ever.

Yesterday was much of the same weather, so likewise I get up and drag myself to work in the gloom. I put on a little extra makeup because I’m having my final evaluation of how I did at my field placement this semester for UT. I don’t finish up work for two more weeks, but my supervisor, Nana, is leaving tomorrow to have an operation and will be out the rest of my time in the office.  So we get all the documents ready and doodle around in the boardroom with my laptop all set up, waiting for my UT field liaison to Skype in for my evaluation.  She does and we all sit and reflect together on my time at Southern Hemisphere and in South Africa generally. I have really loved this field placement. They have given me fantastic learning opportunities and the ladies that I work with have been such role-models for me in many ways. They’re smart, ambitious, great at their work, and have wonderful children and husbands as well. Confession: we talk about kids and home/family stuff so much around here that I actually think it would be really nice to have them someday. Like, its something I really want to do. 

Anyway, its been a cool journey here. I did so much in my internship, and did so much outside of it as well and learned a lot about myself as a person and professional. During the evaluation, I enjoy reflecting on that with Nana and my liaison. (They also tend to praise the intern a bit in these social work evaluations, so I like that part too.)

I feel really emotional afterwards. All that formal reflection, woof. And I’m really going to miss Nana. I went to her house for the weekend this past weekend and spent time with her awesome family. We had yummy dinners and lazy days and took a trip to the beach. One of their dogs, Hercules, stole my bra off the bed I was sleeping in and it was so confusing the next day when we looked for it everywhere and couldn’t find it! She came into work the day after and said she had found it in the yard, haha. I’m really thankful for her taking care of me at work and outside of work. She lent me a sleeping bag for my safari so that’s good collateral to make sure we’ll see each other again before I leave.

I come home from work and want to just sink into my couch. Instead, I go out to dinner in Camp’s Bay for a friend’s last night while it pours down rain. I feel like pouting. I get a plate of sushi off the sushi carousel and order a Makers on the rocks (only R 28!!). Then I discover that we are next to a bar that has a (self-proclaimed) world-famous karaoke night on Tuesdays. WE MUST GO. So after dinner, everyone heads to the karaoke bar and we stay out way too late singing and dancing. I decide on singing “A Thousand Miles,” that cheesy Vanessa Carlton song, and “Independent Women” because it’s the greatest. When you finish singing, the host pours a shot of some green apple stuff down your throat, great for your vocal chords. I think my favorite part of the night was hearing Ethan belt out his rendition of “Summer of ’69.” I will admit, it is a pretty epic karaoke Tuesday, and a great way to break the emotional funk.

But yea, so two more weeks of work here and then I’m off for my safari! I’m really excited!! Everything is just about in order with my preparations. I’m also very excited because Christy is coming to visit again this weekend and we + Alison are going on an all day wine adventure in Franschhoek! Including a romantic picnic lunch J Can’t wait. 

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