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I didn't know there were penguins in Africa...

Friday, April 06, 2007

Mada and the penguins

It’s true (Wikipedia say so), there are penguins in Africa. There’s Madeleine up there hanging out with them. I don’t want to sound ignorant, but I never knew there were penguins in Africa. And I watch the Discovery channel. A lot. But this isn’t about the penguins. It’s about people I love that are in Africa, and the one I truly love wanting to go to Africa.

Carter, Madeleine, Jen and Dave are all in Africa right now. That blows my mind. Mostly because I imagine I might never get to see the things they are seeing. But it mostly makes me happy, because I know what an adventure they are having. Along with the adventure comes a deep love for people and an understanding of what is still not right with this world.

The day before we left Cape Town, we drove to the Cape of Good Hope where we saw wild baboons with babies on their back, a couple of ostrich, cape zebra and a huge whale out in the Atlantic. Earlier in the day the kids swam with wild African penguins at Boulder Beach near Simon’s Town. By the end of the day we were high from the sheer joy of it all. I have pictures, but no time to post.

We keep running into a lovely couple from San Francisco–Dave and Antonia–we were seated on the same section of the plane coming from New York. It feels nice to see a familiar face, and we laugh each time at the coincidence.

It’s so beautiful here in the Winelands, but a tiny bit sad. “I feel bad that only black people are cleaning and helping us,” Madeleine said. “No white people.” I feel the same, trying to unravel in my mind the complicated story of class and race in this country. Black or white, everyone we have met here has welcomed us with kindness and grace. We feel the blessing of warmth and the weight of histories not that different from our own as Americans.

From JenLemen.com

Back here in the states, Jen’s African adventure has re-stoked the wife’s lifelong dream of going to Africa. Amazingly enough, an opportunity has come along for her to go to Sierra Leone as part of a church outreach ministry and work at a child rescue center. She approached me about it without any hope of me actually agreeing to it, but you know, I don’t want to be the guy that kills his wife’s one lifelong dream. I’m really excited for her. It’s mind blowing really, to think she will be a world away. I’m sure the experience will be good for both of us. I hope everything falls in place, and if it does, she’ll be heading for Africa come September.

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This entry was posted on Friday, April 06, 2007 at 11:36 AM. You can skip to the end and leave a response.

  1. Anonymous Anonymous said:
    1:15 PM  

    african penguins!
    you must take your family to see them at the Richmond Zoo! we saw them last spring & i thought the same thing as you: "There are penguins in Africa?"

  1. Blogger J in Ric said:
    2:09 AM  

    you know what... We have been to the Richmond Zoo... and we saw the penguins, but I guess I wasn't paying enough attention. I didn't realize they were African penguins.

    We really need to go again.

  1. Blogger jen lemen said:
    3:37 AM  

    we miss you guys so much and have said so many times how amazing it would be to have this kind of adventure together. let's start dreaming? the mayan ruins? hawaii? we can do it jorgie!

    so so HAPPY pache is pursing the sierra leone thing. xo

  1. Blogger Generation Next said:
    4:19 PM  

    I didn't know there were penguins in Africa either. [feels dumb]

  1. Blogger J in Ric said:
    11:04 PM  

    G.N:

    I know right? specially since a bunch of people were like "hmmm... I knew there were penguins in Africa"

  1. Blogger Lindsey said:
    7:59 AM  

    How exciting for her! I have family who live in Africa. My dad's brother married an African woman whom he met. I think they met in the states at Cornell, but I might be wrong. They lived in the states for a while and then moved back. I have someone to stay with if I ever visit, but I actually have a greater desire to go to Europe (I've only been to England and France) or South America. This is so weird, but I really want to go to Mexico on Dia de los muertos. I'm so intrigued by the holiday. Is that weird?

  1. Blogger Unknown said:
    8:40 AM  

    I am another ADULT that did not know there were penguins in Africa but, I do not feel dumb, I feel cheated. All through school I cannot remember being taught of penguins in Africa. It was always penguins in cold climates (even on the cartoons). I've been to several zoo's and like others, have not paid enough attention to the signs to know that penguins are from areas other than the north/south pole.

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