one FULL weekend: Lotus Park/Braai/Tyger Valley/Mzoli's

So on Friday, instead of going to UWC for our Leadership in Grassroots Organizations class, we went straight to a place called Lotus Park in the township of Guguletu. The 21 of us were split into groups of three and were led around the township by community members, all who are involved in a community development program committee to help improve Lotus Park. It was such an incredible, eye opening, sad, and at the same time uplifting experience to be able to walk these streets of Lotus Park and be welcomed into people’s homes, people who have next to nothing, people who live in a two room tin shack with 8 family members sharing two beds, people who despite all of our their struggles and their poverty, always have a smile on their face, some of whom express their longing for a real home that doesn’t leak when it rains, some of whom thank us for coming saying they hope we’ll do something to change things. Its hard, because there is so much to be done and where do we start? But I hope we can help them, too. Our Leadership in Grassroots Organizations class focuses on community development and how to help these sorts of impoverished townships. The first step is going to the community and seeing what they have, their assets, and what they need, their weaknesses. Fortunately we were able to assess the community using the information we have studied thus far and will be presenting the community development team with profiles of the township, its assets, advantages, disadvantages, and its needs specific to this community, hopefully to allows its needs to be better met.

My favorite part of the township was the crèche we went into, which is like a daycare. There were probably 15 to 20 toddlers, most of whom just stood and stared up at us with wide eyes when we entered the one (small) room daycare. Some smiled and waved at us, but when we got closer, they cowered away, backed into corners, frightened. Most of them have never seen a white person before, and the camera I was holding was probably not common for them to see either. When I held out my hand, they all wanted to touch it, but then they pulled their arm away, as if I was going to bite. When they felt my hand, it was almost as if they expected this white skin to have a completely different texture, and when it felt normal and safe, they became a bit more comfortable. Some children even let me pick them up. All of them were beautiful, all kept quite tidy and well dressed, and though they were a bit shy, eventually all were so friendly and playful and smiley, with energy like any other child who doesn’t live among the poorest conditions in the world.

The trip to Lotus Park was exactly the type of experience I came to Cape Town to get. I got to see the way people live, speak to them about their lives, their struggles, what makes them happiest. I even made a great friend in the man who led my group around the township, named Vuyo, who turned out to be 18 years old! He knew so much about the township, the people, the problems, the political and social climate, that he could have convinced us he was much older. He was really such an interesting and wonderful young man and it is people like him that the township needs and fortunately has to make a change. Unfortunately we can only help so much, and we will, but the community members themselves are the ones who hold the knowledge, experience and the weight in the community and have much greater power than any outsider could ever possess.

So Friday night after Lotus Park and after going to UWC for our second Friday class, the Kimberely house had our first big Braai!!! It was such a blast. We invited the Stanford Unviersity students from a block away, as well as some neighbors and some UWC and other local friends. It was a wonderful experience to meet so many new young people, both from the US and from South Africa, and we had GREAT food, lots of drinks, music and great conversations. Our braai was definitely a success, and I’m sure we will have more in the future!

On to Saturday…I had the most fantastic day shopping at Tyger Valley mall with Maureen (the grandmother of my friends Ryan, Ashley and Lauren Wainwright) and Ryan’s girlfriend Karin! They picked me up in Obs a little before noon and we were still shopping at 5pm! I got a few cute outfits for my service site and just for fun…and had myself some much needed retail therapy! We headed back to Maureen’s house afterwards where I called and skyped my mom (uninterrupted by connection failures…which was nice!) and then we headed out to dinner! We went to a restaurant called Cattle Barron. Before we got there I was a little nervous by the name and the categorization as a Grill House that I wouldn’t find many vegetarian options on the menu. But on the contrary…they had an entire Vegetarian menu and I had trouble deciding what to order! The whole dinner was so lovely, we were there for over three hours enjoying great wine, fantastic food and such enjoyable conversations and company. It was such a pleasure to spend the day with such great people and I am so grateful and fortunate that they treat me so well and are so close by right outside of Cape Town for me to take advantage of their hospitality when I need it most!

And today I went to Mzoli’s! It is a local place that we have been told to go to many times since we have been here and today we finally found out what it was all about. It was like an outdoor barbecue with an awning and lots of tables underneath where people eat and drink while DJs or live drums are played and theres some local traditional dancers as well! There were loads of international, mainly American, students there, which apparently is just a Sunday thing, and while that can sometimes be overwhelming, it was comforting in some ways because we were all very welcomed by those who are locals. The biggest attraction to Mzoli’s is its meat, so I must say that I don’t really think I got the full affect or can really appreciate it to its full extent, I can’t even really tell you much about it except that there is tons of meat, everywhere, and so many people in line for it that it takes about two hours to get your meat! Oh and Kevin (one of my housemates) had ribs, sausage, and chicken, and claims they were all the best he had ever eaten! So there you go…I guess its good? I was really glad to see the atmosphere and check out a place that so many people have raved about…however, it might not be a place that I get back to too often...to much meat for my taste!!

So…that’s what I’ve been doing, but where am I at? Honestly I had a wonderful weekend and I have been enjoying such amazing people and experiences and while I am still taking full advantage of every opportunity and am determined to enjoy myself, I’m homesick. And I know this mainly because I’ve been having dreams about it.  If you have ever woken up and not been where you expected to be or just didn’t know where you are all together, you know that it is sometimes relieving, but sometimes daunting. Lately, for whatever reason, I have been having dreams and expecting to wake up either at home or at Fairfield, and usually when I wake up and realize I’m in Africa, it’s a nice realization! But sometimes it’s hard to be on the other side of the world. I really miss my mom…and of course all of my family and my friends, too. It’s strange to think about life going on back in the states without me for five whole months. But I have to keep reminding myself that those sacrifices are nothing compared to what I am gaining from this experience! I have wanted this and looked forward to this semester for so long that I can’t let anything stop me now…I am here and I am going to enjoy my next four months…even if not seeing my parents until June does seem unbearable. I know it is going to fly by and that I won’t want to leave when the times comes…plus, if you are reading this, then at least you haven’t forgotten about me! ;)

Have a great week everyone!

Awesome day at the Amy Biehl Golf Outing!

Today, instead of working in the township schools, the three of us who are working for Amy Biehl Foundation went to the Mowbray golf course to work the Amy Biehl Golf Day (Golf Outing as I would call it). At first I was definitely bummed when they told us we had to miss our literacy classes and wouldn’t be seeing our students today. I was also less than thrilled to go work on the “corporate” side of things. I would much rather be in the schools with the children that at a golf course with very important people. However, it turned out to be such a fantastic day, and when our ride showed up at 4pm, none of us wanted to leave!!

Not only is everyone at Amy Biehl, along with the CEO, Kevin, absolutely fantastic and fun people, but the golfers were so upbeat and fun as well! Though we unfortunately couldn’t stay for the end or for the raffle prizes and dinner tonight, we had such a great day from 9 to 4, I barely realized that much time had passed! Overall it was a really great day with positive, uplifting people who were all there for one cause, which I can say from first hand experience is one of the most worthwhile causes I have ever been a part of.

Perhaps one of the most interesting folks we met was a photographer named Filip who is traveling the world, photographing groups of children spelling out every letter of the alphabet.  Each letter will be taken in a different country, and once the whole alphabet is complete, he will sell the photographs to companies to use as their marketing, and all the proceeds of the photos will go directly to children’s charities across the globe. Perhaps I explained that poorly, but the point is that this guy and his girlfriend are on this amazing journey and doing some really amazing work!! The photograph of the first letter is going to be shot in March in Cape Town, and we were invited to help organize the children on the beach that day, so hopefully that works out!! It would be so amazing to be part of!

(If you’re interested or want a better description, visit peaceloveandphotography.tv)

Every single day here I am blessed with brand new eye opening and perspective shifting experiences and I could not be more grateful for them.  It seems that just when I start to think I have begun to get the most out of my experience here, I get even more. At our reflection tonight we met an amazing and inspiring woman, whom I will have to write much more about later, but we each told her “why we were here”. Of course we all know why we came to South Africa. However, I have already started to realize that the reason I am here is far greater and beyond the reasons that I came and what I am getting is so much more than I ever expected and more than I could possibly identify or put into words at this stage. 

Hit the one month mark!

As of yesterday I have officially been out of the U.S. for a month…and as of today I have been in South Africa for a month. I can’t believe it has already been that long…and as my mother has reminded me several times (quite eagerly), I have less than four months left here! I’m sure it will continue to fly as quickly as the first one, but I am determined to make the best of it.

However, I did attempt to calculate my amount spent in one month last night and it was not a pretty figure…even with the exchange of dollars to rand working in our favor, trying to do any and everything there is to do gets expensive…and apparently eating like an American is not the most economically friendly way to survive! That’s just something I’ll have to keep in mind over the next few months!

Other than that I have only a few goals for the rest of my time here. Obviously to take advantage of every opportunity and make the best of it, but also… I would really like to be less of a tourist. I have been here for four and a half weeks and I have learned the ropes. I am settled into my home and school and mostly into my service site, so now it is time to hangout with the local friends I have made, some from UWC but many from my service, and to dive deeper into their culture. Yesterday I actually did get a little taste of life in the townships, and while it wasn’t always comfortable, it was the type of experience that I came here for.

Yesterday was my first day actually teaching my own literacy classes and I have to say it went very well. I was incredibly prepared with all of my new supplies and the lesson plans I worked on all weekend. Even though I have teachers (literacy teachers also from Amy Biehl -not from within the school) in two of the classes I teach, I let them know that I had lesson plans I wanted to try out and they let me lead the class while they took a back seat. Both teachers complimented my lesson, and one asked if I would lead every class, she said she learned a lot from watching me with them and she wanted to implement some of my plans into her other classes. This was really encouraging and I guess I had never thought about it before, but I obviously come from a different country and background so my approach is bound to be a bit different, and perhaps I just automatically do things that she wouldn’t have thought of before, and vice versa. Its definitely a learning experience for both of us, as well as for the students!

After my class ended I approached one of the teachers at the school to ask about the students’ access to books or to a library. I want to challenge them to read 4 books each in the next 4 months that I am here teaching the course, but I can’t ask them to do so unless I can offer a place for them to get books. While the school where I teach unfortunately does not have a library, I was told I could check another school in the area and if they had books that belong to the Amy Biehl Foundation, then I could take them for my class. So that is what I did! In order to get there I had to walk with Faith, a wonderful South African woman who works for Amy Biehl and with whom I teach my first class of the day, through the township of Nyanga (where our school is located) to catch a “taxi” to take to the other school. A taxi is different than a cab in the townships. A taxi is basically an unauthorized, overcrowded and less expensive van or cab ride. There is no company you call, you just stand on the side of the road and sometimes any random car just picks you up. Of course I had to be with locals, otherwise I wouldn’t know what car to get in to and which one to avoid, and I would stand out more than I already did being the only white person for a good 20 miles.

The experience and the ride were very interesting and as we walked down the streets in the township for a half an hour or so I for some reason kept thinking about my shoes. Not only is the fact that I have shoes significant considering how many people in the townships don’t have them to wear, but I also found myself privileged to walk these streets in them. I wondered if I could ever wear these same shoes in the U.S. again and not think about walking down this road, walking with these people, both literally and figuratively. I wondered if I would ever be the same person again after the things I am seeing and experiencing, if I could ever take such simple things for granted. While I am sure it will be easy to fall back into that mindset when I return home, I can certainly say that I don’t take those things for granted right now, and I hope that these shoes and these memories will help me to not take things for granted in the future. But just to make sure, I am already planning to come back here after these five months, whether sooner or later I don’t know, but I do know this is not my last time here. It has only been one month here and I still have over three more to go, but I am already struggling with the idea of leaving here in June, so I know I will definitely be back again.

I went SHARK DIVING!!!!

This is from yesterday (2/18) Sorry for the late posting, uploading takes ages!!)

Okay. I admit it. Shark diving was awesome. And great white sharks are pretty cool up close, or at any distance really when you realize that you are seeing one of only about one thousand great whites left in the world!

Originally I wasn’t sold on the idea, it seemed a little scary, I won’t lie, even though I know it’s really safe. Even so, I was probably the least gung-ho in the group as we woke up at 3:45AM this morning and headed off on a two-hour drive to the boat we would take out to see what I thought was just a scary mean sea creature. I was really only excited for the boat ride!

As it turned out, it was totally cool. On the ride there we watched a video about a man, Michael Rutzen, who runs the company that took us out today, Shark Diving Unlimited. They are actually quite a popular company, and have taken many celebrities shark diving such as Matt Damon, Leonardo DeCaprio, and Blake Lively to name a few. That was kinda cool! Anywa, Rutzen is a naturalist who has spent his life observing sharks by swimming with them and learning more about the creature with which he is so fascinated. He has come to realize that sharks are not the dangerous monsters that humans make them out to be, and that they are incredibly misunderstood. He himself has swum with them several times, never in a cage, and has never been attacked. In fact, the place where we went shark diving, where there are hundreds of sharks, has a swimming beach right on shore, where there has never been a shark attack in its entire history. The crewmembers said they see sharks just beyond the crashing waves all the time, but they are not interested in humans at all.

Though we had to wake up super early, the sunrise and morning were so beautiful and the whole day was absolutely worth it! We all put on our wetsuits and spent at least 30 minutes in the cage, seeing sharks swim right by us. Fortunately the cage fits seven people at a time, so we didn’t have to be alone, which would have been much more scary! But it really wasn’t what I expected. The sharks swam by us, often even jumping out of the water to grab the bait, but never bothered with the cage at all. They swam calmly by, not once threatening or attempting to attack us. I wasn’t scared at all once I was in the water. It was pretty fascinating to experience them that way, in a such different light. All together it was pretty awesome, and now I can say I have seen great whites face to face! And not only one…we saw at least five of them…and they were pretty big!

(I tried to upload pictures here...if you don't see any then it failed. I'll keep trying!)

On top of the great day spent shark diving, the drive home had absolutely beautiful scenery, which reminds me that last night did as well! A bunch of us went to The Bungalow, a beautiful and very nice restaurant by Camps Bay. We ate dinner outside with the view of the beach at sunset! Beautiful! And I realized when we got there that though it has been two years and some redecorating has been done, I recognized the restaurant from last time we were in South Africa! We actually saw a Goldfish concert there! It was a very funny coincidence and I enjoyed the place as much the second time as I did the first!!

It is so amazing and even a little difficult for me to believe that in three days I can experience such great despair and poverty, some of the most beautiful sights in the world, great white sharks, and witness extreme wealth and luxury.  I can’t help but feel guilty for having the capability and opportunity to experience South Africa the way I am, and I know a few of us today were thinking and even commenting that our students in the townships would just die to see a great white shark, probably even to just get on a boat, to be this far away from their township, to see these beautiful beaches. I wish I could take them there, and I cant think of a reason in the world why they shouldn’t get to go. I am hoping that we can come up with some type of field trip to take them on, it won’t be shark diving, but definitely to our neighborhood and house and perhaps to the beach or somewhere they have never been! South Africa truly has so much to offer, and it shouldn’t be only for the wealthy South Africans and foreigners to experience. With that thought in my head and my students on my mind, I went to the office supplies store when we got home from shark diving. I bought as much supplies as I could afford for the students this week, and I hope to collect more from a professor at UWC that said she could help me out with pens and pencils. Every experience I have here makes me more grateful than ever for everything I have in my life and all of the opportunities I have been given. I truly wish I could the same to the children and students in the townships, but if the least I can do is offer them an education that is going to give them a fighting chance of someday improving their situation, then I sure as hell am going to do it well. 

In My Element

Today was incredible, exhausting, and eye opening. I had my first full day of service working as a Literacy teacher at two different elementary schools. I started out this morning at St. Mary’s school, where I first worked with fifth graders on improving their literacy. All of them can read and write in their first language, Xhosa, and although most can speak English well, it is still difficult for them to read and write it. It is especially important that struggling students attend our small literacy classes because in Grade 6 they will have to take an exam, in English, that determines whether or not they can move on in school.

All we really had time for today in the first class I taught was for each student to read a page or two of a book aloud. It helped me to assess their reading level. Fortunately I do have a literacy teacher there with me to help me get oriented, but from now on she is depending on me to write the lesson plans and lead the class, and it is likely that I will be teaching the class on my own soon. So come Tuesday I am responsible for leading the class and helping these children improve their reading and writing skills. Unfortunately I have absolutely no supplies, and they have very little there as well. I am planning on doing some major shopping this weekend, for books, pens, pencils, erasers, paper, and some supplies. I am also in search of a dry erase board because I don’t have anything to write on as the teacher. I really wish I had known beforehand what I would be doing and what I would need, because I know how easily I can get so many of these things in the states, in addition to fun reading games and activities to do with them, which I have to locate by next week as well. I have already started brainstorming though and I have some ideas, but any input is welcome!!

Anyway, after the literacy class I was invited into some sixth grade classrooms, which already had teachers and books and curriculums, so I figured I wouldn’t do much. Well…the teachers disappeared for three hours and I got to stay with the 50 students in each class. It was awesome. I talked to the students for about an hour, asking them questions and letting them ask me. They were most surprised by my age (someone guessed 35) and appalled when one boy asked if I had a boyfriend. They’re hilarious. At noon there was a knock on our door, and someone announced it was “break time”. I looked outside, and seeing the hundreds of kids running around in the schoolyard, I realized this meant recess. I told them they could go outside and assumed they would join the other kids. I got a unanimous “NOOOO!” from all of them. I seriously thought I had done something terribly wrong, until I realized that they didn’t want to go to break time and have me go to lunch, they wanted to keep talking. They were going to give up their recess to spend with me in a classroom. I touched and confused as I was, I really wanted to get outside, so I joined them on the playground. That is when I felt like a celebrity. In minutes of being outside I was swarmed and surrounded by at least a hundred African children, from little ones that looked about four years old to teenagers. They were all so smiley and excited to speak to and touch and watch and follow me. It was unreal and uplifting and really really loud. 

I tried to organize a circle where I could teach the kids hand games from the states like “Down by the bank” and it kind or worked but then there were just way too many children to hear me, so I asked them to show me a game of theirs. I wish I had it on video. They all started clapping and chanting, forming this African beat, and one at a time someone would go into the middle, dancing or clapping or stomping to the beat and run around and pick the next person to come into the middle. Of course they all erupted with laughter when I went in the middle. It was so much fun. These kids are so lively and upbeat, with so much energy and exuberance, you would never guess that they all come from one of the poorest and most dangerous townships in Cape Town.

After recess I went into another 6^th grade classroom and had pretty much the same experience as in the first, but I also was able to get them to sing for me! They can all sing so well, and together, as a class, when they harmonize, they are AMAZING. These kids make such incredible music. One kid drums on his desk and another girl stomps on the ground and they each do their own thing, I don’t think they have ever even rehearsed, they just all knew the song. I made them sing it for so long that I learned it too, both English songs and Xhosa ones…although I already forget those!

The rest of the day at St. Mary’s was spent chatting with the kids and answering all of their questions about America and about my life while they huddled around me at the teacher’s desk. I did not attempt to teach, thinking that their real teacher would walk in any moment and perhaps be offended if I began her lesson, but I have decided that next time I am going to take my own lesson with me. I want them to have fun with me and learn something useful at the same time, and any little bit helps. I told them when I first got there that I was there not only to help teach them, but to have them teach me. They were all up for the challenge, and boy did they teach me today…the few Xhosa words I learned don’t begin to describe the learning experience that took place.

Finally, I left St. Mary’s and went to another school (which I don’t know how to spell) to run an after school literacy class. This class proved to be a bit more challenging because I am working with 7 and 8 year olds, mostly girls (and adorable), but they don’t really speak much English. So not only do I have to teach them to read and write, but also to speak it. Fortunately they can write the alphabet and have already started spelling in the few weeks before I was there. So today we worked on spelling and pronouncing the numbers. It went well, but I have lots of shopping to do for this class as well. I feel like I am starting a class from scratch, and while it is very encouraging that I can take it and make it my own, it is also quite intimidating. It will be a challenge, but I’m up for it. I’m so excited to actually feel like I have done something with them and made a difference, I really hope I do.

Today I was seriously in my element, especially when just talking to the kids about their lives.  I have always thought I wanted to be a Clinical Psychologist working with children, especially because I can talk to and relate to them so easily. While I have questioned that calling in recent times, wondering if that is really where my skills and passion can be put to best use, this site placement really is perfect for me, allowing me to interact with children and make a positive difference in their lives.

Honestly, the hardest part of the day was getting into the van when Pearnel (our driver) picked me up, not because I had to leave the kids (I’ll see them Tuesday!) but because it was so hard to see the looks on some of my roommate’s faces. I had just come from one of the greatest days of my life, and they had just come from one of their hardest.  A few other students in my program are working at sites even poorer than my own, even poorer than you could ever imagine…with 100 infants, without running water or bathroom facilities. I was devastated by their stories, I can’t imagine how much they were affected by the experience, and it was just one day. Though we are all seeing and experiencing different things, and while some of it is depressing and some of it uplifting, we are all being emotionally and mentally challenged and changed in so many ways. I know we are all more grateful than ever for the people and the things we have been blessed with in our lives, and I just ask for thoughts and prayers for all of the students in my group and especially for the children at the sites at which we work.

What's New?

I have very few compelling stories to tell today, so I’ll just share a few little ones.  

First—Valentine’s Day. Perhaps to many American’s surprise, Valentines Day is very seriously celebrated here in South Africa! Wednesday morning we went to our service sites (I went to St. Mary’s school, where I will be working!! So excited to start tomorrow!) and EVERYONE, students and teachers, were dressed up for the holiday, at all three schools we visited. At first I was confused, everyone was wearing red, white, and pink. I knew they usually had uniforms but I didn’t put it together right away. Finally, a teacher jokingly reprimanded the three of us volunteers for not being dressed festively in red, and I couldn’t believe I didn’t think of it either! I don’t think I expected it to be such a big deal; I was wearing a white top and blue and white striped pants…nothing remotely close to Valentines Day attire. Oh well…there’s always next year to dress up, and my roommates and I did celebrate last night with a bottle of wine each, LOTS of chocolate, all while watching Baby Mama.

Today—gecko in my bed! While I was making my this afternoon, I noticed something teeny tiny on my pillow that looked like it could be a lizard but it was so small and completely black that it almost looked fake. But then it scurried across my bed and I was sure it was a gecko, and as cute and little as it was, I threw my bedding and ran out of the room. David, our awesome landlord who happened to be at the house at the time, and also who happens to be a longhaired tree hugging hippie type, got the little guy and put him outside. While I agree with David that the gecko is a “beautiful” creature, it still freaks me out a little that he was in my bed. Certainly hope that doesn’t hurt my ability to sleep tonight, because I’ve been doing pretty great!

Sorry I don’t have much to say today, hopefully after I work at my service site tomorrow I will have lots to share. I have been meaning to add that I welcome any topic requests or questions about South Africa! I've been missing home so I love hearing from everyone!

Have a great Wednesday!! =] 

African Time

There is this thing here in Africa referred to as “African Time”.  Some people might believe it is just an excuse or a phenomenon of always taking one’s time, things never beginning on time, people always being late, etc. which is only joked about. I would like to attest to the fact that African time is a real thing, and I have experienced it many times within the past few weeks, especially today.

Today I had my first “tutorial” at UWC. After discovering that “tutorial” does not mean a training session as it might in the states, but rather a discussion forum that is made up by a small portion of students from a lecture hall that meet at a different time, I headed to my tutorial at the designated time and space. I was shown to the classroom by a kind UWC student from my history class, but when I arrived at the designated room, it turned out there was no tutorial there. Fortunately a few other students were in the same boat, and three of us realized that we were going to have to go to the department to find out where the tutorial was actually supposed to be.

So, here you are, at the wrong location for your class, seven minutes after it was scheduled to start, and you need to go to the department to find out the correct location. You are already going to be late, so (if you are me) you walk swiftly, “with a purpose”, to the department, find out the correct room, and head to class.

Well, not on African time! The three of us students who were already late for class, strolled…slower that strolled…crawled, maybe? to the history department. I had no idea where I was going so I was obviously walking behind the others, basically tripping over my feet because I was walking so slowly. I tend to walk quite quickly anyway so it was extremely frustrating, especially with a task to accomplish. In the end, however, we made it to the tutorial, half an hour late and halfway through the class. The tutor didn’t even mind (although I hear some do), we sat down and joined in the discussion. No time was deemed lost or wasted, we made it there and proceeded normally. There was never any reason to rush or stress. African time.

Ironically enough, I thought about this concept on the way to my tutorial, and when I walked in the topic of discussion was “The Colonization of Time”, specifically how the colonists asserted control over the African colonies by implementing clock time as opposed to task time. Before colonization, work was done when it needed to be done, and no more or less than that. Colonization implemented a system where time=money, where work was valued based on time spent, not necessity or amount of work completed. Basically colonization ruined everything!

I have to wonder if African Time is some attempt to rebel against the system of clock time established by colonialism. I realize it is not an organized attempt, and that clock time is obviously still employed in the workplace and at school, to organize the day in any setting. However, living without the constant tick of a watch on our wrist or a clock on the wall, allowing a spare minute to pass us here and there, letting things be until they need to be done and welcoming the gradual progression of life is something I am sure we could all use a little bit more of. I attest to being thoroughly frustrated thus far with African time, most likely due to my lack of patience; but from here on out I solemnly swear to embrace it and enjoy it and to be here, in Africa, in time and place. 

P.S. Sorry for not posting lately! Now that I am in a daily routine, I might be posting less often, but will try to do my best to keep everyone updated! Have a wonderful week...enjoy every moment! ;)

Did you know: "The Trouble with Tribe"

Today in my history class, I was reminded by my professor of something I was warned against very early in my pursuit and interest in Africa and African Studies: the use of the word tribe. Being that this is an important issue for African scholars and is often a problem in the Western world, I thought I would share it and educate those who have not studied African culture.

The word tribe has been seen as problematic in regards to Africa because it often carries with it ideas of primitive African cultures and peoples, when in fact it is often used by Africans to specify ethnicity or identity. It may seem like a double standard that Africans can use the word and westerners cannot, but just think about all of the images that come to mind when we think of tribe: living in the bush, hunting their own food, "tribal" symbols, etc. While realities linked to these ideas may still exist some places in Africa today, the use of the word tribe to describe African society is incredibly misleading and promotes stereotypes of Africa that just are not true. So just for future reference, try to avoid the word tribe in reference to African culture. I have often been encouraged to use ethnicity, identity, or ethnic identity instead.  I don't necessarily think people become offended by "tribe", but I certainly think it shows a lack of understanding and a naive, stereotypical perspective when westerners use it to describe Africans.

So now you know! (or maybe you already did!)

Here is a link to a website I found that can articulate this issue much better than I can, and also where I stole the name of this post from:
http://www.tolerance.org/magazine/number-19-spring-2001/trouble-tribe

I LOVE Wine.

Oh my gosh. I just had the most amazing day ever, I had to blog about it the second I got into the house!

Today a group of us went to Groot Constantia, the oldest wine estate in South Africa, established in 1685. Before we left I wasn't completely sure if I wanted to go--I was almost tempted to have another relaxing day to myself, doing laundry and laying out, perhaps some late afternoon yoga. But for some reason, I decided to go with everyone, wine tasting sounded pretty good too! Boy am I glad I decided to go. It was AMAZING.

Constantia was absolutely gorgeous. I'll post some pictures below. It was the first time I had been to a wine farm, and my first wine tasting experience, which I must say made me feel very adult. On the way there we had a wonderful cab driver who shared some history of the estate with us and got us very excited, he seemed very fond of the place as well. Once we arrived, everywhere we looked was absolutely gorgeous. I couldn't get over the view and the sunshine and the little breeze-it was just perfect. We walked for a bit and then took a tour of the cellar, where we learned, in great detail, how red and white wines are made, and then we got to taste! I liked all of the wines very much, but two in particular, and I couldn't pass up the opportunity to purchase them, especially when the conversion to dollars comes to about $24 for two bottles of incredible wine! I purchased a pink wine called Blanc de Noir and a red, Cape Ruby, which was probably the most delicious wine I had ever tasted-definitely a dessert wine. It was called Port until it was no longer allowed to be called Port because it is made in South Africa, not Portugal.

After the tour and tasting we all felt marvelous for obvious reasons, but decided we hadn't had enough, so we found ourselves seated at a table at the restaurant on the estate. We sat at a table outside, but on a quick trip to the ladies room got a glimpse of the inside too. Corinne, an adorable red head who I now consider a friend of mine, swears up and down that she is going to get married at the Constantia Valley estate and have her reception in that restaurant-it is that beautiful!

Anyway, we all felt very strongly about indulging in a late afternoon dessert, and so I ordered a Berry Pinotage (exclusively South African) and pepper sorbet, along with a Cap Classic wine called a Miss Molly, which was just calling my name (pun intended). Both were delicious, the Miss Molly was a light bubbly drink that I enjoyed very much and the sorbet perfectly satisfied my craving of berries, which I miss so much in the mornings because I have yet to find berries in a grocery store here.

Finally after about four hours or so we found ourselves in cabs back to the Kimberley house- and ironically enough we had the same exact driver that we had on the way there! This time we engaged in an amazing conversation with him, beginning with being Americans to American politics to South African politics, to what it was like for him being an Afrikaner in the apartheid South Africa and now in the new South Africa. He was so open with us and willing to share his views and opinions and I am so grateful to him for that. We now have his card and I guarantee he will be our new taxi driver, he mentioned to me that he wants to talk American music and literature next time, and I admitted that I will be much better company on those topics than on politics, but either way he was fascinating to listen to.

Today in the vineyards and again on the ride home, I was struck so many times with the feeling that I am here for a reason; that I am exactly where I am supposed to be. I can't quite express how incredible that feeling is or all of the other emotions that go along with it, but I am just truly humbled by and grateful for this experience and each day I am learning, growing, and loving life more and more.

What a weekend!

Last night around 10pm I returned to the Kimberley house in Obz after spending the weekend in Joburg. I had only been gone a little over 36 hours, but what a great 36 they were! 

My flight to Joburg on Saturday morning was lovely. The sun was shining and the flight was smooth, I was in such great spirits the entire way, so excited to see the Wainwrights, to be in South Africa, to have this experience. I couldn't stop smiling the entire flight; I can't remember a time in my life when I was this happy. 

Of course the weekend was wonderful with the Wainwrights. I am so grateful to have been invited to Ashley's amazing 21st birthday bash, which was a blast!! Ashley looked beautiful, like a princess, and everyone was decked out in ball gowns and suits, and of course masks for the masquerade ball! The food was delicious, although I did pass on the three different meats served for dinner, instead eating everyone else's vegetables and lots of bread rolls. In fact, I have yet to meet a South African who is not completely bewildered by my choice to not eat meat. Anyway, the night was filled with beautiful speeches made by Ashley's family and friends, hilarious videos and slideshows, hours of everyone up and dancing, and being introduced to something called a torpedo, where you down your drink in one gulp, which proved to be quite dangerous. The night was truly unlike any other party or event I had ever been to! 

Spending time with the Wainwrights and their friends and family was great, but on Sunday it did make me quite homesick, however, and made me miss my parents and family so much, but at the same time it was so nice to have a comfortable weekend with people I know well and to have a substitute family in South Africa! I have to say though, it was very strange leaving them, saying goodbye and returning "home" to Cape Town, instead of to the U.S. to see my parents. However, when I did finally get back to our house and to my bedroom, it was just as I had left it, and I really did feel like I was home, at least my home for now. I am definitely starting to settle in there and I don't know if it is because I live with 20 other people who are supportive and going through the same thing, but I never feel quite as homesick in the Kimberley house. 

Currently I am in the library at UWC, doing some readings and preparing for my next class. At some point I will try to write about the classes I had last Friday: Leadership in Grassroots Organizations and Theology of Reconciliation and Forgiveness. Both are already proving to be wonderful classes, taught by two brilliant and talented, and also two very different, professors. I am still unsure when I will begin service at the Amy Biehl Foundation. We are still on quite a day to day schedule as many students are still figuring out their schedules, so we will wait and see!

Here are some photos from Ashley's 21st on Saturday night!!

Quick update!!

Sorry to those of you who read this daily that I have not written in a while! The past few days there has been quite a lot to write about so I am just trying to sort through my thoughts and experiences before I share them with you!!

A little update on what I'm up to:

Currently I am sitting in the Cape Town airport, waiting to board a flight or Johannesburg, where I will stay only until tomorrow night!! I am very excited, however, to be headed to see our wonderful friends the Wainwright family, and to celebrate Ashley's 21st birthday at her party tonight!! It is going to be a blast.

Meanwhile, I sit drinking what is called a "Cappuccino Smoothie". It has not taken me long to realize that my beloved iced coffee is absolutely nowhere to be found here in South Africa. I have even tried asking for coffee and a glass of ice on the side, to make it myself, but for some reason even that seems to fail. The only cold concoction of coffee offered always seems to involve far too much cream and milk, or in this case, ice cream I think! I just want a black coffee on ice, for heavens sake it is in the 80s outside!! Truth be told, with all I have to experience here, I can certainly go 5 months without iced coffee, no problem. Just thought I'd share and rant a little.

One more quick tidbit: As I was reminded on the cab ride here, the radio in South Africa, Cape Town at least, is hilarious. Every time we drive anywhere, specifically to school with our driver Pearnel, the music is always entertaining, often because it is such an old ridiculous song and other times because it is a major hit! Regardless of whether we are jolted back to 1998, 1984, or forced to listen to the most overplayed song of last year, it is always quite funny to find that so many different songs of so many different genres and decades can occur on the same station. Pearnel swears by it...94.5!

It is 6:45am here in Cape Town. A beautiful morning, as most are! I actually awoke a few minutes before the sunrise in order to get the airport in time for my flight! It was very peaceful and cool outside, but I can assure you it is warming up very quickly! Expected to be in the 90s this weekend!

For someone who loves to fly as much as I do, I am actually a bit anxious for this flight. My last time on an airplane, just two weeks ago, was probably one of the worst experiences, not to mention flights, of my life! So, while I am certain of my safety, lets hope all else goes smoothly. After all, it is only two hours and I'll be in Joburg in no time!!

Life’s little pleasures; ubuntu

I am a big believer in the idea that good things come in small packages, that it is the little things in life that really mean the most, and that finding pleasure and joy in the simplest of things or situations is the best way to live positively, happily.

That is probably why I am now finally starting to settle in and enjoy myself more and more everyday as I get into a routine and just live my daily life. Like I said in my last blog, the sights and the adventures have all been amazing, but now as things slow down and we each get into our own swing of things, I am absolutely loving life!

Day two at school was fantastic! I am completely fascinated with my African History class, which I had for the second time today. Being the overachiever that I am, I had already bought the reader and done the first two readings before today’s class. But when our professor asked someone to read aloud, specifically asking for someone “with the ability to project and read lively and theatrically”, I certainly wasn’t going to be the first to volunteer. First of all, I hate reading aloud, not to mention that no one would be able to understand my “funny accent”, as they call it! However, I looked around and realized that I was the only one who actually had the reader, and after waiting patiently for someone else to volunteer, I finally raised my hand and read aloud to my South African classmates. I don’t know if they could even understand me, but I did my best and I think the professor appreciated my participation and effort! It was a little embarrassing, but at the same time, if I’m not getting out of my comfort zone, then what am I doing here?!

In addition to my History class I also had an Ethics class today, which may prove to be more of a challenge and involve much more thought, but so far it seems interesting as well! I also did quite a bit of walking around campus trying to find different departments and buildings. I am actually beginning to find my way, but it will take a week or so to really know the campus. I have to say, though, for the amount of people that complain about the way UWC works, I think the people and administration are really amazing. Twice today I had people stand up from their desks or leave from behind the counter and personally show me to a room or building that was down the hall, and someone even walked me across campus, leaving a line of 20 students waiting for him behind!! No wonder I had waited so long, but wasn’t it worth it to have someone personally escort me and make sure I got where I needed to go, rather than give me halfhearted directions or simply say “I can’t help you” ? I think so. It is instances like that when I think, would any administration ever do this in the United States? At Fairfield? Anywhere? I doubt it, and that is not to say they are bad people or not doing their jobs, but we just typically do’t do that.

We have heard again and again that this difference I speak of relates back to the South African term “ubuntu”, a virtue that has been described as meaning “I am a human because you are a human”. I am truly starting to see and believe in that concept as I spend more time in South Africa. What an amazing philosophy to live by. Imagine how different our daily lives would be in the states if we regarded every interpersonal relationship with the philosophy of ubuntu, remembering that others are only as human as we, and that without them, we are nothing.