Simonstown and District Six

Hey!

Hope you are all doing well! I had a great weekend in Simonstown. On Friday, after class, we all boarded the train and zigzaged through the mountains and along the ocean-side. It was absolutely breathtaking. I took tons of pictures so you guys can see what I'm talking about. We stayed at Topsail, a hostel about a five minute walk from the main street of town and a five minute walk in the other direction to the beach. There were great restaurants and antique shops, but not too much of a young, nightlife feel. I definitely got the sense that it was mainly operated by Afrikaner/British/Europeans. I think I saw more White people there than I have this whole time in South Africa. On Friday night, I went to Café Pescado with about six other people, and enjoyed the catch of the day (some fish I obviously can’t remember the name of now) and some rose wine (Bridget, def thought of that blush we drank when you visited ha yummm). The owner of the hostel came by, and naturally, my friend Kayla asked about his sons that we had heard about. He called them and told us that they were coming to get us to take us out. When they got to the restaurant, we found out that they were actually in their 40’s, but because there are no taxis or public transportation in Simonstown, it was great having someone to drive us to some other bars/restaurants that are not in walking distance. We went to Cape to Cuba, a cool, tropical-y bar with sand and tiki torches and fires surrounding outdoor tables and couches. After a few round of drinks, they drove us to a cool bar with glass windows overlooking the ocean. It was gorgeous. The band played such American songs like Sweet Home Alabama and How to Save a life (but more upbeat?) It was pretty funny. On Saturday, I enjoyed a DELICOUS picnic with Kayla and Karen. We walked around town and bought a fresh loaf of bread, pesto, cheese, fruit and wine and sat down by the water at a picnic bench. It was so relaxing and amazing to just have some quiet time away from the whole group. Later that day, we all drove to Cape of Good Hope (saw baboons on our drive- in the middle of the road) and Cape Point, where the Indian and Atlantic oceans meet. Gorgeous scenery and great walk down to the ocean. On Sunday, I spent the day at the beach (and got the worst sunburn of my life…hurts to sit as I write this). That night, those same brothers took us on a tour of Simonstown, winding through the mountains and stopping at different spots to view the ocean and houses. At one point, we drove through an informal settlement, a community of shacks set away from the rest of the town. It was actually one of the most uncomfortable and disheartening experiences. We were a group of White people driving in a Mercedes SUV through a street lined with shacks. There was not one person who did not stop and stare at us. Leaving the informal settlement, we all noticed the HUGE disparity in that area. Just a minute outside of it, we passed beautiful homes looking over the ocean. After the drive, they took us to the Red Hearing, a restaurant with great pizzas and great service (for once). It was one of the best meals I’ve had yet.
Yesterday, on Monday, we took the train back to Cape Town (at about 6:30 AM :-/) and had an HIV/AIDS workshop run by an organization called Positive Living. It is run by a handful of individuals currently living with HIV. They do an array of things to education people about HIV and talk openly and positively about it, attempting to change the attitudes and stigmas attached to the virus. It was the best workshop/lecture we have had so far, in my opinion, and it actually allowed the rest of us open up to each other as well.
This morning, we went to the District Six museum which focuses on educating people about the forced removals that took place during apartheid. It was one of the biggest and first forced removals during that time. The government and organizations are now working to rebuild the area to give people their homes back. There are currently 24 families living in new housing on that same plot of land, and there are plans for thousands more to move in.

That’s it for now. I have a Xhosa test in a few hours that I should go study for. Ahh. Talk to you soon!

Life

Hey!

I thought I would send a little update since I have been so bad about keeping this blog up to date. Yesterday, our group split up into groups and visited different schools in the Cape Town area. Mike, Elizabeth and I went to Cedar House, a very elite private alternative (no strict rules, kids have a lot of freedom) school. It was really interesting. The majority of students were White, and when talking to the Deputy Principal, she even admitted that it's hard to make the school diverse, but have started giving out scholarships to some students. Each student is involved in some kind of outreach as a way to step out of their elite bubble and get involved in the real South African society. There are great quality teachers and impressive resources, but we all definitely got the sense that they are living in a bubble and might have a tough time adjusting to real South African society after high school. We all reconvened in the classroom and presented our schools and discussed what we saw/experienced. Other group members had very different experiences. They mostly went to township schools where the resources and teacher quality is lacking. It was great to hear about everyone's experience, and now I'm eager to go visit a more typical South African school.

Last weekend, on Saturday, we visited Robben Island, where Nelson Mandela spent 18 years of his imprisonment. It was fascinating to walk through the same halls as he once did, and to see his jail cell, courtyard and gardens where he spent most of his time. Our tour guide was an ex-prisoner so we got a real sense of what life was like at that prison. After reading Long Walk To Freedom, Mandela's autobiography, I had a much deeper understanding and appreciation for visiting the island. After that (and a boat ride- for those of you who know about my weak stomach, you know that was not the most pleasant experience), we drove to Camps Bay, a beautiful beach town for the afternoon. Some girls and I ate lunch at a great restaurant overlooking the water and then spent the next few hours laying on the beach. Not a bad way to spend a Saturday :)

Today, after a regular day of school, we are taking a train (train station is across the street from the classrooms) to Simonstown, a small naval town on the tip of the cape. I'm very excited for a relaxing weekend and to see what Simonstown has to offer!

Hope you are all doing well and keep leaving comments- I love reading them!!

Love,

Alyssa

Langa and more...

Hi!

Life in Cape Town has been great. We moved in with our homestay families on Saturday. Even though I was nervous and didn’t know what to expect, I am so happy I’m staying with my fam. We’re staying in Langa, the oldest township in Cape Town. It’s about 10 minutes outside the city, and very miniature size and cute. I lucked out because I’m in walking distance (and in sight) of 3 of my group members: Mike, Franny and Elizabeth. We’re not supposed to walk anywhere by ourselves, so it’s nice to be able to sprint over to each others’ houses if we want to hang out. If we do want to go to a friend’s house, we have to go with someone in the community, like a cici (sister) or buhti (brother). To go to my friend Kayla’s house which is considered far from me is only about a ten minute walk.

I’m living with my Mama, Tata (Dad- pronounced Dada) and buhti (brother), Ayunda (14 years old). He is their grandson and because his mom died (during child birth I think) he now lives with them. My Mama is so cute and welcoming. She made me feel at home immediately. The first night, she cooked chicken, bean salad, rice and salad for dinner. It was delic. South Africans eat EVERY part of the chicken, which I'm not used to, so on the second night when we were eating chicken again, she asked for my skin that I kept leaving over. Ew.. After dinner, I walked to Franny’s house where there were hundreds of people- family members and friends. In the Xhosa culture, when someone die, the family celebrates by drinking and dancing and hanging out. By time I got there at 6-ish, everyone was WASTED. There were some creepy old men trying to talk to you about god knows what, but there were also some really cool people around my age. Everyone was friendly and talkative- wanting to get to know us strange white people. Many came up to us to thank us for coming and taking the time to learn about their culture. Most couldn’t believe that we were staying in Langa. It is basically unheard of for Whites to go to Langa (or any other township), or to stay there, for that matter. Townships by the way are the communities where Blacks were relocated to during the apartheid era. Things are still SO segregated here, and people do not hesitate to be racist at any time of the day.

Langa is a great community- people are so friendly and willing to take the time to talk and get to know you if you say hi (or Molo, in Xhosa). Some parts of the town look run down and poor, but other parts are nice. After taking a tour of Langa, I realized (the whole group did, I think) that we are definitely living in the posh parts of town. We all live in comfortable homes with enough space for everyone (well, for the most part) and food on the table everyday. My house is very well decorated, and kept clean and neat, so you don’t feel cramped. The homestay has been great so far, and there is no doubt in my mind it has totally changed by experience so far. I was having a great time before, but this adds a whole new element and perspective. It’s hard to explain, but to be immersed in a new culture that I had never been exposed to and that is so looked down upon is amazing. We all got reactions from people after we told them that we are staying in Langa- surprised and confused that a group of White students would actually live in a township. Veryyy interesting.

On Sunday, I went to church with my Mama- a Baptist church. Besides the whole religious aspect, it was really cool and a great service. People are so passionate about God and the whole service was so lively and fun and emotional. It seems that many people are extremely influenced by God and his presence in their life. It was really interesting to witness.

Xhosa lessons have been going well. I’m trying really hard to “click” but my mouth is just not trained to make that noice. Not yet, anways. We’ve learned to introduce ourselves and ask how people are, etc. It’s coming along… When I came home on Tuesday, my Mama announced that I wasn’t allowed to speak English anymore so that was a bit of a shock, but I think I’ve improved already. Hopefully I’ll be able to hold up a conversation by time I leave Langa.

I’m starting to pick up on some cultural differences. For example, people gauge others’ happiness based on their weight and appetite. My Mama keeps offering me food and is surprised when I tell her I’m full. (Actually, she has started to serve me, instead of serving myself, and always gives me huge heapings of food. Another reason that I just joined a gym…). Apparently, the Mamas want to send you back to America fat to show that you are happy and had a good time. Uh oh.

I’m still loving the group. Besides some unnamed few, I really like them. We are all very different, (hate to be cliché) but all bring something to the table. I’ve already made some really good friends that I feel completely comfortable with and am enjoying getting to know others. Because we're all scattered throughout Langa, I've been spending more time with new people that I don't know as well. It’s been great.

Three days ago after school, Mike, Elizabeth, Raissa, Franny and I organized a little soccer game with some kids in town. After 5 minutes we had 40 kids playing with us (3-14 years old)…including my brother. It was so much fun!

Yesterday was our “Langa” day- we had a Xhosa lesson and then toured the town and saw parts that we would not have normally seen. We went behind the scenes at a bry (barbeque), bakery (and saw a man make “fat bread” or fried bread), visited a pre-school where kids jumped ALL over us, and toured different homes. We had not been exposed to such poverty yet. In some “hostels,” 8 person families were sharing a small room with two beds and extra mattresses to put on the floor at night. There is a huge housing shortage and not enough affordable housing in Langa. After the tour, we ate at a great restaurant inside someone’s home in Langa, and devoured amazing African food. There was an African band playing while we ate which added to the whole experience. They even played a song from The Lion King. Ha. Done with lunch, we had the afternoon to ourselves to explore Rondebosch (the area where we take classes) or do some homework. I walked up to the University of Cape Town campus with Kayla, Maddie, Tess and Alexandra. None of us could get over the gorgeous campus (even though it’s still hard to compare with CU ;-) ). We wandered through the student center and between the ivy-covered buildings, and all felt like we were at the Harvard of South Africa.

Well, that’s it for now. I’ll post more later. I love and miss you and would love to hear from you. Hope all is well!

Love,

Nomhle (my new Xhosa name :-) )

First week or so...

Hi everyone!

So I finally have a few minutes to update you on my life in South Africa! I arrived in Johannesburg on Jan 30th after a 18 hour flight from JFK. I basically slept the whole way (obviously) which made the flight pass by. When we landed, we immediately met our academic advisor, Shane, and our other two advisors, Namawethu and Tabisa. We arrived at our hostel where we spent the first five days getting acclimated to the area. We toured downtown Jo'burg, had our first few lessons in Xhosa, a native click language, tasted authentic African food (spicy but delicious), visited the constitutional court, drove by Nelson Mandela's house, went to the Apartheid Museum, and visited several famous monuments and churches.

We arrived in Cape Town on Wednesday. All I can say is BEAUTIFUL. The city wraps around the cape with gorgeous beaches and ports, and with Table Mountain in the backdrop. We've had a few more Xhosa classes, learning how to say "Hi, How are you?," "My name is.." etc. We're trying to learn as much conversational phrases as possible before we move in with our homestay families tomorrow. Today, we had a "drop-off"- our leaders dropped all of us off individually with a destination and assignment in mind. I went to The Castle, the oldest building in Cape Town, built by the Dutch when they colonized South Africa and walked through an exhibit of photographs of people suffering from industrial pollution in Durban. After that, I met up with my friend Karen for lunch, and enjoyed delicious salads and smoothies, which tasted amazing in the 80-ish degree weather (no complaints there). We found our way to The Gardens near the Parliament building to reconvene with the group and discuss our day. Tonight we are having a group dinner at Mama Africa on Long Street (the VERY lively street with a thousand restaurants and bars).

Basically, South Africa has been amazing, but SIT has been keeping us so busy it's been hard to sit down to take everything in. But, I've loved bonding with the group, but I'm excited to get settled in with my homestay family and immerse myself in the Xhosa culture. I'll keep you updated!

I will write more (and in more detail) later when I have more time to sit and process and regurgitate everything. Hope you are all doing well and talk to you soon!

Alyssa