Wish you were here, v4

Wish you were here, v4, originally uploaded by Aaron Michael Brown.

spring break 2009

Wish you were here,

Wish you were here,, originally uploaded by Aaron Michael Brown.

Home sweet home in Langa.

Home sweet home in Langa., originally uploaded by Aaron Michael Brown.

I lived with Avery in Langa.

South Africa's Opposition Party, the DA, have a logo that looks oddly familiar.

South Africa's Opposition Party, the DA, have a logo that looks oddly familiar., originally uploaded by Aaron Michael Brown.

Langa, Cape Town, with Table Mountain and Lion's Head in the distance.

Change your look? Yes we can!

Change your look? Yes we can!, originally uploaded by Aaron Michael Brown.

Woodstock, Cape Town, South Africa.

Ha Noi

Pigeon's head., originally uploaded by Aaron Michael Brown.

Okay, so if this photo looks familiar, its because this photo is from that crazy Spring Break 2006 trip I took with Papa Brown. Photos of Vietnam 2009 are likely to be online soon, as well as our spring break and all the photos from Langa... Apparently I'm pretty behind. Dammit.

We have safely landed in Hanoi, and I'm surprised by the level of detail to which I remember how most of the downtown area is laid out. I even remembered specific restaurants, and I visited my old hotel about an hour ago.

. I have a ton more photos to upload, and since I decided to spend my time on that miserable 12 hour flight from Cape Town watching the Simpsons and furiously scribbling and doodling instead of writing in my urbanity journal I'm keeping for this trip, I've got about eight rough draft entries that I intend to publish over the next week.

This pigeon's head was delicious, for what it is worth. Tam Biet until then.

sb09 sa.

Oh snap., originally uploaded by Aaron Michael Brown.

Spring Break on the northern Atlantic Coast of south africa for a wonderful week, starting tomorrow. After that, flying to Vietnam. Hope all is well in whichever corner of the world you reside.

One of my favorites.

One of my favorites., originally uploaded by Aaron Michael Brown.

Aaron: "And what did you think about Sarah Palin? Did you hear about Sarah Palin last year."
My Xhosa Host Mother in Langa, whos name means "successful" but is a whopping 14 letters long and I couldn't possibly spell it correctly so I won't even try: "I won't say anything. That's your country. That's your mess."

That doesn't even compare to the responses I received in Brazil. Deni said something along the lines of "that woman is absolutely crazy," and when I explained how fucked America would have been with her as president to Kika, my mother in Curitiba, she responded that she thanks god everyday that Palin isn't calling the shots right now. You should have seen the look on her face when I explained aerial wolf hunting.


Langa is intense. I have to be home by 7 every day, because the township is pretty sketch after dark, and we have to take a series of little minivans to get around to anywhere, but my host family feeds me and Avery very well, and her four year old grandson is possibly the most entertaining and intelligent little bugger I've ever met.

, originally uploaded by Aaron Michael Brown.

It is difficult for me to express just how much I wanted to see penguins on a beach. It was a pilgrimage of sorts. When I was down in the dumps last November dealing with a ton of school work and a ton of stress, the thought of seeing penguins on a beach kept me going, and alas, my waiting is officially over after a wonderful trip down to Cape Point and Boulder Beach last weekend. THEY WERE SO ADORABLE.

Today I leave for the township of Langa for a week and a half. After that, I've got about a week to backpack along the southern coast of South Africa, only to make it back to Cape Town in time for my flight to Vietnam. I'm going to miss hearing the Call to Prayer bellow through the streets of the Bokaap, although I'm excited to actually live outside of the City Bowl and see more of the city. I know I say this often, but the internet situation is unknown; I've just uploaded a kajillion photos to flickr, so check that out while you are waiting to hear more word of me.

This one is for Bonnie, originally uploaded by Aaron Michael Brown.

This is a photo of Kate Sokol from last Sunday, a wonderful excursion down to Cape Point.