One week down, eleven to go

Most of my time at work has been spent doing menial tasks like chipping paint off the recieval bin and painting it again, putting boxes together, random cleaning, and killing time. But next week should be busy with filtering, labeling, and bottling. The cellar hand from Zimbabwe, Alfred, is very friendly but can be difficult to understand with his accent. He is 24-years-old, went to university in his home country, then came to South Africa when the situation with Mugabe was very bad in 2008. He's very curious about the US, but I had to tell him that not everybody is wealthy like on TV. His eyes went wide when I told him I made $15 an hour in California because he lives on 2000 rand ($280 per month). I tried to tell him the cost of living was a lot higher. But it still sounds good compared to the $1.75 per hour we are paid here. But to be fair, that is after accomodation, lunch at the bistro every day, and other supplies they buy for us. I think our lunch costs about as much as we make in a day. I try not to think about it, but it's difficult. It is still worth the experience even if I don't save any money.

For the weekend, there was a wedding and a party on the farm, so my roommate and I got moved to "the big house" for a couple of days. It belongs to the owners who are out of town at their beach house. This place is way too big for two people. The kitchens, dining room, and two living rooms are bigger than my parents' house, then there are the boedrooms, and the outdoor rose gardens and fruit trees. Also, the swimming pool is 30 seconds away.

On Saturday, Lorena and I took Michelle's (manager of the guest houses and weddings) '97 BMW brandy and wine tasting for the day. 11am was a bit early for brandy, but the wine was good and cheap. The most expensive bottle I saw on a list was $17. The river cruise was nice, but the weather was cold and windy, even with a little rain!

The winemaker, Marinus, invited us to the bistro here for Sunday brunch, and said we could go to his house a little early for drinks. It would be difficult to be a recovering alcoholic here.