Yesterday was spent on a South African safari…my favorite part thus far! We drove about 3 hours outside of Capetown and spent the entire day driving around in a landrover seeing zebras, giraffes, antelope, etc. What an experience.
Today will be the day we leave to stay in the townships for 5 days for our homestay in Gugletu. We will be attending a church services this morning there and then meeting our host families. Throughout the week, we will spend time in lecture as well as serving those of Gugletu. We will be listening to an HIV/AIDS support group, spending time with kids in an afternoon school program, cleaning up a playground, etc. Because I will be in Gugletu, I will not have internet access for the week. More to come when I return to Capetown…..
Emily
Saturday, May 30, 2009
South Africa 3
Since I haven’t blogged the last few days, I am going to recap what we have done and seen the past several days.
One thing I want to start for my blogs and continue to do throughout my experience is listing things I am grateful/appreciative of. So here it goes:
The natural beauty of South Africa and being able to experience it.
Getting to know 10 of the most wonderful people who are experiencing South Africa with me. I enjoy learning their life stories and who they are as leaders.
That I am able to bring smiles and joy to people I am surrounded by.
A warm, DRY (for those of you in South Africa) bed
Coffee!!
People who are passionate and care about the world.
The ability to have an interest in life long learning.
My general positive attitude and abilities to make the best out of any situation.
Wednesday- On Wednesday morning, we spent our time at UCT with the entire group and Christen (our instructor) and her husband Mark (University of CapeTown) at our first lecture, where a professor of political science spoke on Apartheid and the history of South Africa, which was incredibly intriguing and interesting. His name was Zwelethu, and there is rumor that he may be appointed to the new president of South Africa’s cabinet (just a little neat fact). Our classroom overlooked the mountains, which was a beautiful place to be learning. To note an interesting fact, Zwelethu mentioned there is an “AIDS” industry throughout South Africa, meaning there are a slew of jobs to be pursued within this industry whether it be consulting, counseling, resource centers, policy, etc. We then headed to a place called Café Sofia that had pretty Americanized food and ate lunch. We spent our afternoon at a museum dedicated to District 6. District 6 was a neighborhood in CapeTown with primary black residents who were kicked out of their neighborhood during Apartheid and the government demolished their living quarters. It is a prime living area because of it’s relocation- it is near table mountain, downtown, the ocean, etc. Later on we went to Green Market Square, which was a tradition African market with lots of vendors. I bought some things for friends, families and myself and even landed a few deals by negotiating/bargaining (that’s for you Dad!).
Thursday- our entire day centered on typical tourism. We spent our day traveling surrounding CapeTown doing various things. We took a coach bus and headed to “seal” Island….we took a ferry out on the ocean to see a beautiful area where many seals are located near the mountains. It ended up raining and was quite rough on the ocean, however I kind of enjoyed the weather. We then went to see a penguin reserve/colony which was a boardwalk that went through the Oceanside park of South African penguins, where were entirely adorable! Who knew creatures could be so fascinating? We spent our afternoon visiting Capepoint and the Cape of Good Hope. Capepoint was an area nestled on the ocean with giant boulders looking into the ocean….very scenic and beautiful. My favorite part of this day was getting to see the Cape of Good Hope. The Cape of Good Hope is an area near Capetown, which is the most southern tip of the entire continent of Africa. It is up a mountain, probably about a half of a mile walk up on cobblestone and when you reach the top, there is a lighthouse and it overlooks the Atlantic and Indian oceans. After hiking up the path and finally being at the point, I was immensely amazed and will be one of those moments I will never forget- a moment that summed my entire experiences thus far in South Africa. South Africa is one of the most physically beautiful places I’ve ever been to.
Friday- Today we had an informal discussion at UCT with our instructor, Christen, and the other leadership students. We reflected upon our experiences thus far and how we feel about South Africa up to this point. We also touched on what we will be experiencing in the coming week where we will be living in Guguletu- a village outside of CapeTown that is stricken by an immense amount of poverty. This village was created during Apartheid that where people where separated by their race. Our agenda had us going to Robbin Island (where Nelson Mandela was imprisoned) for the afternoon, however the weather didn’t permit us to go. Our trip to the island was moved up to our third week when we are back in Capetown.
My Experiences-
One of the most frustrating things that has been overly apparent to me throughout my trip thus far, is my confusion associated with my reason or passion for being here. I will be the first to admit that I am rather impatient when a question of thoughts are unanswered. I have always trusted my gut instinct and I know I would be on this trip for a reason, something inside of me told me that it would not only be life changing, but also give me an answer to something I desired to seek out. Personally, questions and thoughts are answered when I am aware and listening to the world around me. However, it has been difficult for me to do so on this trip because I have spent a majority of my time taking in my experiences and not knowing how to interpret or categorize them. I feel that part of this is because I am somewhere unfamiliar, as well as experiencing things I have never experienced before. A part of not being able to articulate or find my passion for being here is because I am still in a relatively comfortable environment, and when I spend my next week in a very challenging and uncomfortable environment, I will be able to better articulate and express my reason for participating in this experience. I am still waiting and looking….
Getting to spend time and known the 9 other students on this trip has been very rewarding, and I feel I have gotten to know them to an extent that would be impossible in many other situations because of the context and mission of this trip. We have built a community that will have a lasting impact on my life and when reflecting upon my experiences, I know these people will enrich what I have felt and seen. Being around leaders who similar to me provides a blanket of security, but challenges me because when getting to know these people, they are all incredibly different. I am very, very grateful for these people and look forward to what I will learn from them in the following 2 weeks while in South Africa.
I miss home a little bit…..I miss my dad, my brothers, and being around the comforts of home during the summer time. When I go back to Minneapolis after this trip, it will be my first summer away from home, and I have mixed feeling on this; although, overall it is bittersweet. The thing I miss most about home is watching others grow, particularly my brothers. When I return to the US, I am excited to go home and spend a few days around my family. I am appreciative to have family who support me in my journey, values, experiences, and decisions (for the most part).
During our class discussion, Christen asked us what we thought/felt the reason for spending our first week doing touristy stuff in CapeTown and then spending a week in a village was intended for. Previous to this question, I reflected upon this thought for a long time. Was this set up intentionally or was it “just because?” However, I believe there is intention in this and it is because we will gain the most out of our trip and see different aspects of beauty. To further illustrate, I believe the beauty in CapeTown versus the beauty in townships are polar opposites. Capetown is “physically” beautiful- very scenic, beautiful historical sights, etc. On the extreme end, you have townships surrounding Captown that are literally shacks and the people of those townships are incredibly poor and live off of little- however, community is highly valued which translates into people who are internally beautiful. A quote from our interstudy leader “NJ” ( to maybe further illustrate this concept?) is that South Africa is a “third world country with the feautures of a first world country.” Overall, I am very excited for the upcoming week and what we will be able to experience in our “service” aspect of the trip in Guguletu. I am surprised that I am not nervous or apprehensive for this part of the trip, which seems to be a feeling among many of the other students. I feel the reason being is because one of my best qualities, as a person and leader, is being able to adapt and make the best of any situation. I feel that although I will potentionally be very uncomfortable, I will be able to walk out of this experiernce more appreciative, grateful, and inspired than I have ever been. This is the sole reason I am looking forward to this part.
I am off…….tonight we are going out for dinner and then out for drinks……Saturday is a full day of a safari!!! ( for those of you who know I have been looking forward to this part for so long!)…..More to come.
Watermelondrea
One thing I want to start for my blogs and continue to do throughout my experience is listing things I am grateful/appreciative of. So here it goes:
The natural beauty of South Africa and being able to experience it.
Getting to know 10 of the most wonderful people who are experiencing South Africa with me. I enjoy learning their life stories and who they are as leaders.
That I am able to bring smiles and joy to people I am surrounded by.
A warm, DRY (for those of you in South Africa) bed
Coffee!!
People who are passionate and care about the world.
The ability to have an interest in life long learning.
My general positive attitude and abilities to make the best out of any situation.
Wednesday- On Wednesday morning, we spent our time at UCT with the entire group and Christen (our instructor) and her husband Mark (University of CapeTown) at our first lecture, where a professor of political science spoke on Apartheid and the history of South Africa, which was incredibly intriguing and interesting. His name was Zwelethu, and there is rumor that he may be appointed to the new president of South Africa’s cabinet (just a little neat fact). Our classroom overlooked the mountains, which was a beautiful place to be learning. To note an interesting fact, Zwelethu mentioned there is an “AIDS” industry throughout South Africa, meaning there are a slew of jobs to be pursued within this industry whether it be consulting, counseling, resource centers, policy, etc. We then headed to a place called Café Sofia that had pretty Americanized food and ate lunch. We spent our afternoon at a museum dedicated to District 6. District 6 was a neighborhood in CapeTown with primary black residents who were kicked out of their neighborhood during Apartheid and the government demolished their living quarters. It is a prime living area because of it’s relocation- it is near table mountain, downtown, the ocean, etc. Later on we went to Green Market Square, which was a tradition African market with lots of vendors. I bought some things for friends, families and myself and even landed a few deals by negotiating/bargaining (that’s for you Dad!).
Thursday- our entire day centered on typical tourism. We spent our day traveling surrounding CapeTown doing various things. We took a coach bus and headed to “seal” Island….we took a ferry out on the ocean to see a beautiful area where many seals are located near the mountains. It ended up raining and was quite rough on the ocean, however I kind of enjoyed the weather. We then went to see a penguin reserve/colony which was a boardwalk that went through the Oceanside park of South African penguins, where were entirely adorable! Who knew creatures could be so fascinating? We spent our afternoon visiting Capepoint and the Cape of Good Hope. Capepoint was an area nestled on the ocean with giant boulders looking into the ocean….very scenic and beautiful. My favorite part of this day was getting to see the Cape of Good Hope. The Cape of Good Hope is an area near Capetown, which is the most southern tip of the entire continent of Africa. It is up a mountain, probably about a half of a mile walk up on cobblestone and when you reach the top, there is a lighthouse and it overlooks the Atlantic and Indian oceans. After hiking up the path and finally being at the point, I was immensely amazed and will be one of those moments I will never forget- a moment that summed my entire experiences thus far in South Africa. South Africa is one of the most physically beautiful places I’ve ever been to.
Friday- Today we had an informal discussion at UCT with our instructor, Christen, and the other leadership students. We reflected upon our experiences thus far and how we feel about South Africa up to this point. We also touched on what we will be experiencing in the coming week where we will be living in Guguletu- a village outside of CapeTown that is stricken by an immense amount of poverty. This village was created during Apartheid that where people where separated by their race. Our agenda had us going to Robbin Island (where Nelson Mandela was imprisoned) for the afternoon, however the weather didn’t permit us to go. Our trip to the island was moved up to our third week when we are back in Capetown.
My Experiences-
One of the most frustrating things that has been overly apparent to me throughout my trip thus far, is my confusion associated with my reason or passion for being here. I will be the first to admit that I am rather impatient when a question of thoughts are unanswered. I have always trusted my gut instinct and I know I would be on this trip for a reason, something inside of me told me that it would not only be life changing, but also give me an answer to something I desired to seek out. Personally, questions and thoughts are answered when I am aware and listening to the world around me. However, it has been difficult for me to do so on this trip because I have spent a majority of my time taking in my experiences and not knowing how to interpret or categorize them. I feel that part of this is because I am somewhere unfamiliar, as well as experiencing things I have never experienced before. A part of not being able to articulate or find my passion for being here is because I am still in a relatively comfortable environment, and when I spend my next week in a very challenging and uncomfortable environment, I will be able to better articulate and express my reason for participating in this experience. I am still waiting and looking….
Getting to spend time and known the 9 other students on this trip has been very rewarding, and I feel I have gotten to know them to an extent that would be impossible in many other situations because of the context and mission of this trip. We have built a community that will have a lasting impact on my life and when reflecting upon my experiences, I know these people will enrich what I have felt and seen. Being around leaders who similar to me provides a blanket of security, but challenges me because when getting to know these people, they are all incredibly different. I am very, very grateful for these people and look forward to what I will learn from them in the following 2 weeks while in South Africa.
I miss home a little bit…..I miss my dad, my brothers, and being around the comforts of home during the summer time. When I go back to Minneapolis after this trip, it will be my first summer away from home, and I have mixed feeling on this; although, overall it is bittersweet. The thing I miss most about home is watching others grow, particularly my brothers. When I return to the US, I am excited to go home and spend a few days around my family. I am appreciative to have family who support me in my journey, values, experiences, and decisions (for the most part).
During our class discussion, Christen asked us what we thought/felt the reason for spending our first week doing touristy stuff in CapeTown and then spending a week in a village was intended for. Previous to this question, I reflected upon this thought for a long time. Was this set up intentionally or was it “just because?” However, I believe there is intention in this and it is because we will gain the most out of our trip and see different aspects of beauty. To further illustrate, I believe the beauty in CapeTown versus the beauty in townships are polar opposites. Capetown is “physically” beautiful- very scenic, beautiful historical sights, etc. On the extreme end, you have townships surrounding Captown that are literally shacks and the people of those townships are incredibly poor and live off of little- however, community is highly valued which translates into people who are internally beautiful. A quote from our interstudy leader “NJ” ( to maybe further illustrate this concept?) is that South Africa is a “third world country with the feautures of a first world country.” Overall, I am very excited for the upcoming week and what we will be able to experience in our “service” aspect of the trip in Guguletu. I am surprised that I am not nervous or apprehensive for this part of the trip, which seems to be a feeling among many of the other students. I feel the reason being is because one of my best qualities, as a person and leader, is being able to adapt and make the best of any situation. I feel that although I will potentionally be very uncomfortable, I will be able to walk out of this experiernce more appreciative, grateful, and inspired than I have ever been. This is the sole reason I am looking forward to this part.
I am off…….tonight we are going out for dinner and then out for drinks……Saturday is a full day of a safari!!! ( for those of you who know I have been looking forward to this part for so long!)…..More to come.
Watermelondrea
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Today was my first full day in CapeTown. In the morning, we had our orientation at the University of Capetown, and then spent the afternoon at the waterfront shopping and walking alongside the ocean. I still cannot get over how beautiful the mountains settled all along Capetown are. The view is absolutly breathtaking. It makes me wonder if people visiting the University of Minnesota think our campus is just as beautiful? Do I take it for granted? I wonder...
I am still adjusting to this new environment. Usually I cannot stop running my mouth, but here, I have been quieter because I am taking in all that is new- our housing, streets, university, bathrooms, people, etc. Our house is absolutly adorable. I will post pictures later......a good sized lavendar villa nestled on a street, and when you look up on our street you see the mountains. We left our house this morning around 8 am and as I stepped out of our doorstep, it was one of those "surreal" moments- sunny, peaceful, and beautiful. I still cannot believe I am in South Africa....
Here is a list compiled of some of the things I have done so far and what I have observed in my new environment...
1. I LOVE South African accents. It's a mixture between Australian and English, and hard to explain but so interesting!
2. I road a pirate ship today, that's right. We all took a cruise/tacky tourist trap on the ocean along the harbor and watched 2 outrageous guys sing songs and act like pirates would, all while listening to trance/techno music. Be jelous.
3. I still have no concept of how South African money, also known as rand, translates into American money. The South African rand is 8 to 1 of our American dollars, which means we are getting good deals. That means I have NO concept of budgeting....this could get dangerous.
4. We have a great group of "interstudy" faculty/leaders/possy that escorts us around the city and campus.
5. The whole security measure that are taken into account here are interesting. Each home is gated and has bars on the windows/doors, as well as panic buttons. It almost makes you feel as if you are in a jail cell at times. Security is supposed to improve safety, and it can be scary to see how serious they take it into account and makes me feel leery of an unsafe environment. However, overall, I feel very safe because these measures are taken.
6. Buses are called jammies.
7. One of the most profound thoughts that has stuck in my mind is that I am still in Africa, technically a 3rd world country, however I am sitting in my house ( which is very comfortable and nice), on my labtop using wireless, eating gourmet meals, etc. so the aspect of 3rd world doesn't really apply in this setting. I think it will sink in when we do our homestays in the village of Guguletu all of next week. My first perceptions of Africa are totally unexpected of what I had perceived before coming here.
Tomorrow's agenda- our first lecture and then we are visiting the district 6 musuem......more to come!
Emily
Monday, May 25, 2009
I made it to CapeTown in one piece, believe it or not! I am here. Wow. It's about 11 pm here, and I am WIDE awake. The plane ride from Minneapolis to Amsterdam was shorter, 8 hours, but seemed like forever. I slept from Amsterdamn to Capetown, which was about an 11 hour flight- woah. I am thinking I won't get much sleep tonight, oh well.
More to follow......I'm going to get unpacking and hang out.
Emily
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
