Thursday, September 1 (Fourways Area, Johannesburg)

     This morning, we signed the lease on a house.  !!!!!  We're pretty excited.  We signed on the Farm house, the older home on a 2-acre piece of land which overlooks a wildlife reserve.  Not as big as our house back home, but since we won't be spending nearly enough time in the house, I think it will accomodate us perfectly.  My siblings, of course, are most excited about the pool, a large one with a small waterfall.  We hope to move in within the next two weeks.
     As for todays activities, we left this morning around half past nine to meet new friends, the Otters, a family with four children: a girl my age, Jessica, a boy Teresa's age, Matthew, a nine year old girl, Rachel, and an eight year old boy, Simon.  We got along really well, and Jessica and I clicked.  We had been invited for morning tea and cake; we stayed for lunch and until 2:15.  The South Africans are very hospitable.
     At two, we headed to the Montecasino, which is much more than a casino.  It's a mall and a park and a whole lot of other things rolled into one.  We went ten pin bowling there with a bunch of other families from school, in our grades.  The Otters came as well, and we bowled two games.  Here, you can bowl barefoot, which I think is much more comfortable.
     All in all, it's been a good day. New house, new friends... :)