Home Again

So I made it back home without any problems and actually met many people on the plane. Ironically, on my first flight, I was sitting next to someone who did a semester abroad at UCT as well and who lives in Seattle. I hadn’t known her before because she went through a different program. It was fun to talk to her about the adventure and what we were excited for when we got home. On the second flight, I met a lady who had been traveling already for a couple of days. Her first flight had been cancelled due to weather problems and so she had to spend the night in the Johannesburg airport. I really enjoyed talking to her about her experiences and impressions of South Africa and she liked to talk about them. I liked hearing someone else’s point of view and it kind of reminded me of my first couple of weeks in the country. It is amazing how a little time and experience illuminates a whole new world. I enjoyed talking to her about some of her experiences and being able to explain why things happen the way they did. We talked a lot about a whole host of things including how South Africa has illuminated God’s working in our lives. It was great to have the company and the time flew by.

I brought lots of gifts home from South Africa. Actually one whole suitcase was pretty much filled with little things for my family and friends. But my major thing to bring home were these giant chocolate cookies. We bought 13 of them to give to people who had had birthdays and to share with people. In total, the cookies weighed 16 pounds. It was ridiculous. Most of the cookies were able to be put in my luggage however, I knew I had to carry 3 on the plane with me to give to my PLU family. They were meeting me at the airport and so I didn’t want to dig them out. Plus, I didn’t have any weight room in either of my suitcases so it worked out. Of course, when I got to customs they asked if I had any food. I had to say yes and thus I got put in the extra security line where they have to scan your bags and stuff. Everything went through just fine except for my bag with the giant cookies in it. The customs official took one look at the cookies and just said, “Those are GIANT cookies!” It was great. So far my family has eaten half of one. We cut it into small pieces and eat it with a little vanilla ice cream. It is great!

Anyways, I have been apprehensive about coming home. I knew that I had changed and wasn’t sure that I would fit in with my friends the same way that I did. I wasn’t sure if I was going to get bombarded with the question: “How was Africa?” I hoped that I could catch up with the place that had changed while I was gone. There are just a lot of things that are unsure. So far, I have been fine. I am really glad to be home. I tried to keep up on things at home and I think that helped. Sometimes I do feel left out of the loop but most of the time I am just really happy to be with my family and see my friends. The only hard part is now I know that I have already spoken about South Africa too much. I already get the glazed look like “Oh, she is talking about Africa again.” It is so hard because you know that what you have seen and heard and lived has given you a new awareness. People do things differently in other places. That type of living has now influenced me. I can’t go back. I am different but I understand that everyone does not always want to hear about it. Luckily, though, I have Lane. When we want to reminisce, it is fine. I have an outlet, which is really nice.

I can’t describe how I have changed. I know that this experience will live on with me for the rest of my life. I am not sure that I would ever go back to South Africa. It is a very nice place but it is hard to live there. I wouldn’t be able to really travel because I would constantly think about being a tourist. I didn’t much care for being a tourist there because it seemed really fake to me and just frustrated me more. There are still a lot of major issues that the country needs to figure out. I mean that is not to say that America doesn’t have its own issues but I realize that because I have lived here all my life somehow I am more tolerant of our issues.

It was a hard semester for me. I realized that a large school was really not the place for me. I really had to work hard for my grades and I didn’t really enjoy the learning environment. Probably if I was there for longer, I would develop some deeper relationships but really I miss talking with my profs and having the ability to learn more and have them care about what they are teaching instead of learning everything by myself. Additionally, every day in South Africa I had to battle stereotypes and racial issues. I had socioeconomic status differences shoved in my face every day when I walked to school, went to the grocery store, or even looked around my room. In America, all of these issues are packaged up and hidden so you don’t have to see them every day. I know that makes me seem like a horrible person to not want to see my privilege every day. But honestly, I already feel guilty. There is only so much that I can do in my life. There are only so many people that I can help. It makes me feel so bad every time I see someone in need and so somehow not being bombarded constantly makes me more able to focus and gain the skills to help, while also allowing me moments to be happy in my life.

My experience in South Africa has had its great moments and its difficult times. All of my experiences have made me more independent, more well rounded, and more adaptable. I feel like I am able to uncover hidden truths easier and navigate unfamiliar territory with greater ease. I am no longer afraid not to know how to do something before I try it. God has blessed me with safety in my travels and in just having the ability for this experience. I wouldn’t trade it for anything in the world. It has become an integral part of my being. I am not done traveling or seeing new things. But that being said, I am happy to be home where life is less difficult. I am happy to be where I know and understand life because I have lived it for 20 years. I know the dynamics of my own culture. I do not have to second guess my assumptions on how something will work. I am sure that I will be ready for the adventure again soon but my year has had enough adventure for this 20 year-old girl. I am happy to be home!

Last Night

For the past few weeks, I have been really excited to come home. I have been homesick. I have missed being normal and all the rest. However, you know as much as I have complained about Liesbeeck, at the moment it is home. I leave a part of myself here having lived in this space, having met and influenced people. In the same vein, people have influenced me and completely changed my world. I couldn’t really explain how I am different but now I know that I have been transformed. I am anxious to come home because I don’t know if I will still fit in like I did or if I will turn people off because I talk about my experience too much. I don’t know how difficult it will be to adapt to life back at home. I know that my friends and family have also changed while I was gone and I must also meet them where they are. Not everything is as it was when I left. I know that I will cope just fine. I mean I knew these would be issues but I guess the reality hadn’t really sunk in to me. I will keep writing as I come back in order to complete my narrative of my journey. It doesn’t end just because I have come back. At least for the first couple of days I am sure that I will still feel the effects of my journey but maybe not.

Anyways, goodbye has really started to become true. Last night was my last night in Liesbeeck. Before Lane left he saw a cockroach in his bathroom. I guess they have infested all of Liesbeeck. I am really glad I didn’t know about it until the last night because I have to shower in there tomorrow. I slept for the last time on really uncomfortable beds (this time without sheets or a pillow…CIEE made us turn them in even before we left…I was too cheap to get a hotel). For the last time, I woke up under a giant bank of windows (with a giant crack in the wall) to a beautiful blue sky. For the last time, I woke up to “CAPE TOWN” as the mini bus drivers honk and yell at people to get in their taxi headed for Cape Town (it actually took me about a month to know that is what they were saying because their accents were so convoluted).

Today is my last day in Liesbeeck. I have already had to say goodbye to good friends and more goodbyes are coming. It is with the realization that you have lived with these people, that you have experienced life with these people that you realize that it wouldn’t be the same without them. Lane’s roommates were like my own. They were like my family. Adolf, as much as he was awkward, was super friendly to me and showed me the ropes of the science faculty. Vongani, was the man you would talk to about music and all sorts things like that. I actually helped him with his ear training…score one for Lauren. Celia was great. She was spunky and always bought too much food. She would always pawn it off on Lane which meant of course that I would get to partake as well. They were really my family, maybe dysfunctional and sometimes frustrating but a family nonetheless. It will be hard to leave them. I have already said goodbye to Celia and Adolf. Vongani will be around today to keep me out of trouble and to make sure that I actually talk to someone today but the reality is that this is it. This is the end.

Goodbye Liesbeeck! I hope never to come back but will always cherish my time here regardless.

Flight Info

For all those who like to watch the flight tracker I thought that I would let everyone know my flight details. It is good news that I checked in today without any major changes. Lane checked into his flight this morning to find that it had been completely changed. It would now take him 7 hours longer and an extra flight. Needless to say everything is smooth sailing over here for me. I leave Friday November 20 and 8:55pm in South Africa which is 10:55am PST on Friday November 20 just so you get used to calculating the time change!

The Itenerary is as follows
British Airways: Flight 58
11h 40m , 6011mi From Cape Town - D F Malan (CPT) Cape Town, South Africa
Departs: 8:55 P.M. To
London - Heathrow (LHR) London, United Kingdom
Arrives: 6:35 A.M.
Aircraft Boeing 747-400 (Jet)
Economy/Coach Class
________________________________________
British Airways: Flight 49
9h 41m , 4783mi From
London - Heathrow (LHR) London, United Kingdom
Departs: 2:20 P.M. To
Seattle Tacoma Intl (SEA) Seattle, WA
Arrives: 4:01 P.M. (on average it is 3 min late btw)
Aircraft Boeing 777 (Jet)
Economy/Coach Class


Hope this helps. Love you all and see you soon!

Finals/Goodbye-UCT

I am finally finished with the long and drawn out process that is finals at UCT. They were 3 weeks of exams plus a study week and after having a final on the first and last day I feel like I can appropriately say there are plusses and minuses to the American system and the South African system of exam schedules.

I can understand the reasoning for such a long exam period. When the final grade is over half based on the final exam, studying is a very important commodity. The lengthening of the exam schedule provides students with less stress because they have more time to study. Also, because of the formality of the tests with a certain number of desks in between each student and so such, only a few venues could be used to accommodate the tests. The extended schedule makes it easier for the school to schedule all the needed faculty and venues.

The drawbacks that I found were that I didn’t study more just because I had more time. I stressed more because I knew that I should study but if I did I would forget all the details by the time the test rolled around. It was very unfortunate really. Also, the lengthening of the test time meant that I could not travel. And while that sounds really selfish, it would have been nice to go up the garden route. My test schedule really meant that I couldn’t though.

But I am done finally with finals. I think all of them went fine. A few of the classes I was the first one done but no big surprise. I take tests fast because I make less mistakes that way by not over-thinking anything. I just always worry that my answers are not complete enough because none of the questions are ever multiple choice. Time will surely tell. But regardless I finally feel like I have a handle on this school. I know that I can succeed under any schooling system given time to adapt. I have learned a lot about my learning style and I feel like learning in a different atmosphere makes you learn not only particular subjects but also about yourself.

I am glad to go home to my university but I will always hold UCT in my heart as my other university, a home away from home.

Somerset West

This weekend Lane and I had the ability for a completely new experience in Africa. It seems like around every corner there is always something new. While I am ready to come home, I love the fact that I am not done here. I have only scratched the surface on the complexities of life here in South Africa and now that I understand the basics, a completely new world is available. Anyways, this weekend was great. We went to visit a white Afrikaans speaking family. My dad has a coworker that was originally from South Africa. He volunteered his family if we needed anything while in Africa. Well I contacted them about some suggestions for travel. After that, we stayed in contact and asked us to come and spend a weekend with them. They live in a suburb of Cape Town called Somerset West. It is primarily a Afrikaans area. The scenery is spectacular and the area hosts some of the biggest wine country for the whole of South Africa.

Yolanda, her husband Jaque, and their three year-old daughter Lia came to meet us on Saturday morning. They were kind enough to pick us up from our residence and take us all over the greater Cape Town area. They wanted to show us what they considered the must see events in the area. They first took us to a winery called Fairview, that also had goats and made their own cheese. It was really funny because Lane had just been complaining about the cheese that they had in the supermarket. We don’t really shop at the high end supermarkets and all the cheese that isn’t imported is cleverly named cheese. I many ways it sort of resembles plastic. Needless to say, when the West’s said that real goat cheese was involved, Lane was all in. The cheese was very good and we got to look at the goats. Lia would run around and look at the fish in the pond. She was very cute. She only spoke Afrikaans so I did not know what she was saying most of the time but it was fun to watch her run around and look at the fish and the goats and things. She is an active little girl. Also, quite awkward, at the same place I ran into my professor for my last final in African studies. It was really awkward because he is a very …interesting guy…and it just seemed like hypocrisy. He talked a lot about privilege so it seemed weird that he was spending his weekend in a place of lots of privilege. For sure it was a pleasant time for the most part and the weather couldn’t be better.

Next on our tour of the greater Cape Town area was a Lion Park (really a sanctuary). They rescue lions from game parks and zoos or wherever they are being mistreated. They are very clear to say that they don’t believe in domestic breeding of lions of hand-held captivity. It was great. Who knew places like that existed. Anyways we saw a whole bunch of lions lazing about in the sun. Though I did learn that they eat 3-8 chickens a week (dead of course) but they eat more when it is cold and less when it is hot. Interesting little tid-bit. But probably the most exciting adrenaline rush of the lion park was when Lia spotted a snake. It was probably some sort of mole snake because it soon disappeared in a hole. However, I don’t much like snakes so I wasn’t too thrilled. Lane and I hadn’t seen lion in Africa yet so it was great to check off another of the Big 5. I guess 3 out of 5 is not so bad.

By this time is was getting to be late afternoon so we made it back to the West residence. They had moved in about two years and at that point it was a major fixer upper. Jaque told me that it took him 6 months to clear all the foliage so that he could get to all parts of his property. They pretty much gutted the house and added a little addition to the bottom. So now they live in a beautiful house and in the basement is a flat for Yolanda’s parents. It works out well for both sides. Yolanda’s parents are able to watch after Lia and have the company. Anyways, we met the entire household. Everyone was very nice. Sas (Yolanda’s dad) made a big filet of fish and we ate the best meal we have had in Africa. A home cooked meal is somehow always the best. Maybe it is the shear amount of butter but maybe it is the company and the love that goes into each bite. Either way it was absolutely delectable. Fien (Yolanda’s mom) made a traditional South African dessert called Milk Tart. She translated the recipe so I am going to attempt it when I get home. I can’t really explain what it is. I mean it is sort of a mix between a custard and a pie…mild in flavor but still really good. As a good gesture I also brought some dessert. It was the chocolate peanut pretzel clusters that have saved my butt on many occasions. My aunt Karen sent me the recipe when I didn’t have the best of baking locations in the res. People have loved them and so Yolanda insisted that I gave her the recipe to that.

Interesting we learned that they like to camp. They leave for the weekend and just enjoy being free from the house and such. Well Jaque had made some hot cocoa with a giant marshmallow. He has a real sweet tooth and is the first to admit it. So he was talking about his love for marshmallows and then I realized camping…marshmallows…wow I would really like a smore. Well of course the West’s don’t know what that is. Apparently it is an American tradition. Who knew! Anyways, I had to send the directions for one of those as well. It sounds comical but it is amazing how little things so engrained in your head are different among peoples. They told me that they like to dip their roasted marshmallows in melted chocolate and chopped nuts. Maybe I will try it that way sometime.

It really was a great weekend. It was nice to get away from Cape Town central and nice to see a new perspective. It makes me realize how much I am persuaded by a particular perspective because of the people that I interact with on a normal basis and because of where I live. What a way to spend your last weekend in Cape Town!

Table Mountain

This is another one of those must do’s. Everyday we go to school and we walk towards UCT with devil’s peak as its backdrop. I think there are something like 230 trails up and around the mountain so we were excited to see what we could do. We talked to our RD a couple of weeks ago and he told us that we could leave directly from UCT and there were some trails that went up. This sounded pretty straight forward so we waited for a nice day to climb.

Lane had a final last week Tuesday. It was supposed to be nice and sunny so we planned to go up after he finished with his final. It ended up being a really sunny day but a little hot. On the way up, we saw Rhode’s memorial. It was just something to do I guess and after all that stuff about UCT I had to at least take a look. There was a beautiful view. We took a mini break and then went up the mountain.

We were leaving the memorial to the trails but there were a lot of different trails to pick from. We had no idea what we were doing or where we were going. The parking lot attendant seemed to notice that we were lost and asked us where we wanted to go. We told him and he sounded skeptical and said that it would be a three hour trip there and back. We weren’t phased because we had plenty of water and food. Then he told us all the directions but there were a lot of turn heres and do this etc. I quickly forgot some of the details and so did Lane. But we went up anyways to at least see what we could do.

We got ¾ of the way of the mountain. It had been a pretty steep climb thus far. I was prepared for switchbacks and the like but they never came. We climbed stair after stair after stair and it was HOT! But we made it ¾ of the way up and then there was a trail divergence. Neither trail continued to go up so we had no idea which way to go. We deliberated for a while and chose to go left. It seemed the most like a trail rather than a road. Anyways, I still don’t know which way we should have gone but we never did make it up to the top of the mountain. I suspect that it was at this divergence we should have gone the other way. Regardless we hiked for a while and saw some great views. We hiked for about 4 hours in total and who knows how far we went …probably not that far but my legs did hurt in the end. We ended up just going down the trail and then turning back after we got a little tired. Ironically we found a trail that probably would have taken us to the top on the way back. Such is life I guess.

It was a fun experience. Later we were told how we should have done it but we will see if we actually get to do it again. At least we had a unique experience and saw part of the mountain that most people don’t get to see. We saw the attendant on our way down. He seemed surprised to see us and we told him that we took a wrong turn and so we decided to come back. He just smiled and we talked about how hard the climb is to get up as far as we did. We looked pretty gross I must admit. He was a really nice guy and I am glad that we got to meet him. He was funny.

After we got down, we ran into some RA's from the program and they looked at us like we were crazy for climbing up on that day. Chenai was like "I will never understand white people" She thinks that we are crazy for expending so much effort to climb the mountain. She didn't understand the appeal. It was funny.

In all, we didn’t necessarily accomplish what we had set out to do but had fun anyways. We sat and ate our lunch overlooking the city just 200 feet from the top of the mountain. It was really fun and it is one more item off the checklist!

Robben Island

So Robben Island is one of the must see tourist attractions in Cape Town which means that 1) it is expensive to go on and 2) it is filled with tourists. But I knew that I had to be one of those tourists in order to get my full experience of the city. I couldn’t return home and say that I hadn’t done it. So anyways, my American flat mate had been talking with CIEE about going and somehow she worked it out that if she got at least 10 people together they would fit the bill for the entire trip. Well it wasn’t so hard to find 10 willing people to go and so last weekend all 20 of us traveled to the Cape Town Waterfront to embark to Robben Island.

For those who at this point are like…what is Robben Island? I will give a little history. The name itself comes from the Afrikaans version of the word and means “seal island” (though we didn’t see any seals when we were there ironically). This island has always been used in order to isolate people from the mainland. At the beginning of the 18^th century, the island was used to contain political prisoners during colonial wars with natives. By 1845, the island morphed its role into containing a leper colony to keep them isolated from the mainland. However it is most notable for housing the largest population of black and colored political prisoners in the Apartheid, namely Nelson Mandella.

The whole thing sort of reminded me of going to Alcatraz in San Francisco but a little less daunting. At least we didn’t have to hear the walking tour with the former criminal testimonies and the deep echoey footsteps. Those who have been there know what I mean.

It was a beautiful day. We left through Nelson Mandella Gateway on the waterfront. We boarded a little catamaran called the Shikuleikele. I have no idea how to pronounce it so don’t ask. It was about a 20 min ride with little turbulence. When we got to the other end of the line, everyone disembarked and headed for the guided bus tour of the island. Our tour guide was an ex-political prisoner from the 1960’s. Apparently, there was an old prison and a new prison. The old prison was a very nasty place and the inmates from the old prison actually constructed the new prison. Our guide spoke a little about this but not in great detail. We also saw a limestone quarry, which is where the political prisoners spent most of their day. The limestone that they collected really wasn’t used for anything but to kill time. Though working in the quarry was not so great. The sun would reflect off the rock and every prisoner that worked in that quarry had eye damage because of the rays. What is interesting though, is that they prisoners had a cave for a toilet but they would actually congregate in the toilet area and talk about politics. The tour guides comment on the stupidity of bringing all the political prisoners to one place. It would have been better to isolate them so they weren’t able to collaborate and undermine the government while still in jail.

At the end of the bus ride, we stopped at the new prison where another ex-political prisoner told us about life inside the jail. Then he showed us Nelson Mandella’s cell and were on our way a mere 2 hours later.

It was an interesting tour but I was a little frustrated coming out of it. I realized then how much my perspective was shaped by living in Cape Town rather than by merely traveling through as most people on the tour were. The guides tried to tell us how much better South Africa was today and that they had no problems in the modern world. They were ready for the World Cup…etc. It was very frustrating because every day we are confronted with the vast inequality that still lives in and among Cape Town let alone South Africa. They have come a long ways from the days of Apartheid and I recognize that, but it was frustrating to listen to what I considered propaganda for much of the tour. I tried to take some tidbits out of the tour that I found interesting and let the other bounce off but that sort of tourism is a bit frustrating. It also makes me wonder how people from South Africa and Cape Town respond to the tour if they go at all. Most tourist destinations are not meant for the residents and most residents don’t go to them. But if they did, I wonder what they would think of the ideas that were being pumped at the tourists. It is an interesting thought.

In all, I was really happy to go. I didn’t have to pay for it, which was nice. Also, I found out a little about myself how much I feel like I have learned about this place. I think that it will also make me view how I look at any new place and try to find something deeper than what is given to me. It is one check off my list of things to do and places to see on the “before I come home to-do list” that is ever shrinking!

Last Times

I have finally reached that point in my trip where I am having "last time" moments. Last week, was the last time I would ever go to Brooklyn Chest TB hospital and visit the kids. Last week was the last time I would have lecture in South Africa. Last week was the last time that I would….fill in the blank. It is weird to think that this journey is almost coming to a close. I feel in many ways that I have finally acclimated, or am so much better at navigating the culture that it seems that leaving now is a shame. I finally understand what it means to live and learn in South Africa but now I am leaving to come home. I don’t know if the concept makes any sense really but 4 months is too short a time to really really be able to live in one place.

I guess an example is making friends. I make friends rather slowly but once I do, then they are friends for life, in my opinion. I am finally to that point with some people that I know from school where I could actually become good friends with them but then the semester ended and now I am going back home. I realize that I will be able to keep in contact with them and I know that I will remember them forever but somehow I do feel a little sad.

On the other hand, I am REALLY excited to come home. I miss my family. I miss how my school works. I miss my friends and colleagues, and band and STARBUCKS. I had a Recees Peanut Butter Cup brought from the States the other day. It was DIVINE (It also cured Lane’s 8-hour stretch of hiccups, but that is a different story). I really do miss home and some of the traditions that I have. I know that this time will be high and low. The more I realize that I am leaving, the more I realize what I am going to miss and what I love about this country but also how much I realize that I am really ready to come home for a while! I leave in 23 days…the countdown has begun!

"Finding UCT"

Last Thursday was my last class for African Studies and my professor saved this lecture until we all had a better feel for UCT as an institution and were able to apply some of the concepts that we had learned throughout the course to a topic with which we were intimately familiar. The lecture was about UCT, the university that has been my host for the last three months. Interestingly, in a UCT sort of way, a power line had been cut that day and the pictures of UCT that he was going to show us in the past couldn't be presented. But, it all turned out well because we instead got to take a field trip and experience the campus instead! So here are some of the things that I learned and some of my thoughts in conjunction.

There are two main legacies which shape UCT right now, a colonial legacy and an Apartheid legacy. To me these two are still apparent in many of the policies and administrative decisions of the university as well as student to student interactions and identity.

Firstly the university as it stands now, with main campus at the foot of devil’s peak, is mostly thanks to a man called Cecil Rhodes. This man was a major big wig British imperialist. He owned at one point a diamond company that marketed about 90% of the available diamonds in the world. In addition, he was the prime minister for the Cape Colony for a time and had two African nations named after him: Northern and South Rhodesia, which later became Zambia and Zimbabwe. Nonetheless, it is not so much important what he did in his life, but rather to know that over the course of his life he was hugely successful and acquired lots of land at the base of devil’s peak. During his lifetime, he established a zoo in what is now Rhondebosch and this space is actually adjacent to the university. We went there today were it is in a semi-derelict condition. There are interesting parallels between the zoo, his memorial, and the university which say a lot about Cecil Rhodes and the foundation of the university. The zoo was founded in such a way that is brought pieces of the Mediterranean, Africa, and Europe together. Much of the vegetation was English and Mediterranean but the centerpiece was the lion’s den, which is still in prime condition. Actually, our professor told us that a few years ago the den was used as a theater to watch plays. It is a very interesting concept.

Anyways there are some very interesting parallels between the zoo, the university and his Memorial which are constructed on pieces of his former estate. These architectural elements show Rhodes’ character and some of the foundations of the university. Each space has an axial plane that goes up the mountain with u-shaped terraces overlooking the city. At the highest terrace point there is the pinnacle, in the zoo it is the lion’s den, at UCT it is Jameson hall (meant to look like the Jefferson library minus the rotunda only because they ran out of money) and at Rhodes’ memorial it is Rhodes’s himself. At these points, there is a clear and beautiful panoramic of the city. It was Rhodes’ way of looking over Africa but not really ever being a part of Africa. It was actually his intention for this space to be a buffer zone between Europe and Africa. It was a European Africa and a African Europe. This is seen in some of the trees he brought into the space as well as some of the animals in the zoo. In addition, Africans were able to attend the University but it was meant to be a modern Oxford or Cambridge complete with ivy.

In modern days, this sort of Western gaze (if you want to call it that) envisioned by Rhode’s, manifests itself in many ways at UCT. Firstly, all the buildings on upper campus must be structurally able to grow ivy on the outside. Secondly, UCT buys more than 60% of South Africa’s total internet in order to be globally competitive. Actually, there was an article out the other day, where UCT was so proud to be 197 on a list of 200 best schools in the world. I just think it is interesting that they still look to Europe and America to see what is “good” and then copy it, but not effectively. We have all heard about the carrier pigeon by now and its ability to beat the download speed of South African internet. Sometimes, I wish that they would focus first on being their own and doing what they value well. But, to each their own.

The second legacy of UCT, I have noticed, is the post-apartheid legacy. It seems obvious that Apartheid has effects on the institutions around, but really it has taken me the entirety of the semester to be able to articulate exactly how it is manifested. For this same class, I did a project at the end of the semester on collective student identity. Basically, we were just trying to see if UCT had a collective student identity. We kind of explored the subgroups of UCT, like the international students, how religion affected groups, etc. This all stemmed from the observation that people seemed to group together. People would hang out in particular group based on some citizenship trait, whether it be major, society religion, or race. It seemed that people would separate themselves and only be involved in their own spheres. In my mind’s eye, this is a remnant of Apartheid. It seems to me that a policy of rule for 40+ years that forces people to be separate and only align based on certain attributes leaves a mark. Really, this generation of students is only the first one’s since the fall of Apartheid and the legacies and customs are still imprinted on the minds. They are raised in families where people associate with certain people because at one point they were forced to associate with them. Anyways, it was an interesting concept. But then, there was one other key point. There was a drive by shooting just down the street from the university where a first-year medical student was shot in broad daylight. The UCT community united to become a force to be reckoned with. They marched, no matter what group, whether you knew him or not, in order to combat violence in the community. It reminds me of the fall of Apartheid. People lived vastly separate lives, but when tragedy strikes one of their own, off to the streets to make it right.

This school is rooted in some very African circumstances that shape and define the university. It is great to be in a position where I can observe and notice the complexity and intricacy of the place I have been for 3 months. I hope that this article shines a light to you about the place that I have been and may sort of allow you to understand the sorts of vestiges that are a part of this university. It seems like any institution operates in this way and by knowing the past of this university it makes me understand, cope, and relate to the university much easier. Here’s to legacy!

Exam Stress

So the other day Lane and I both had very interesting experiences with people and exam stress. I was having a conversation in a lecture hall with another girl in my class waiting for lecture to start. I mean we weren’t being particularly loud. There was another group of people talking on the other side of the lecture hall, talking about some project they needed to complete. Well there was this sole girl in the back of the lecture hall trying to study. She got so fed up with us that she asked us to stop talking. I didn’t really understand because she could have just as easily gone somewhere else in order to study rather than a common area. I don’t know it was a little weird to me. Then Lane also had an experience in the lab, which does not have a talking policy. He got reprimanded for talking to someone next to him by a person trying to study next to him. There are specific areas in the school that are designated quiet areas. I just don’t know why people expect everyone to be quiet because they need to study in that particular place. In addition, the rest of the lab was whispering and murmuring to friends. Maybe Lane and I just ran into some touchy people that day but these experiences do outline the sort of stress that people have come exam times here.

As I have mentioned before, exams are a big deal. I think that it is UCT policy that exams must be at least 50% of your overall grade. Thus what you have done to this point only counts for half your grade. It seems a bit harsh to me, but regardless. Anyways, this creates a lot of anxiety among students this time of year. Don’t get me wrong, stress at home is a huge deal as well but I feel that it is a little different.

Exams are spread out over the course of 3 weeks and we have a week break for study leave. All my exams are so spread out that I don’t really have to worry too much about them. I can do a little studying and something fun every day. But for people who haven’t necessarily done well or who have slacked off all term, this is their chance to learn everything and pass the class. The library is packed and during this time you really have to grab a seat and hold on tight and hope that no one steals it while you go to the bathroom. It really is a dog eat dog world right now. At home, we just have a week of exams and then we are done. There is no study leave or long spread out finals. I guess there are there pluses and minuses both ways, but it is interesting to observe right now!

One last thing. Around exam time everywhere there are many marketing schemes to “help” students deal with exam stress but here I have found the best one yet. There was an advertisement for a natural “tranquilizer” It is a moderate sedative that helps you beat stress. Man can you imagine giving yourself a sedative to get through exams. It makes me chuckle every time.

H1N1 Mexico (aka "Swine Flu")

Well as you all know the so-called swine flu is about to hit its second wave in the US and the northern hemisphere in general. However, what you may not know is that I have become a flu expert since coming to Africa. I am taking an immunology class and this portion of the lectures is virology. Our professor thought that since we are in the midst of a pandemic, that we should learn about the flu. So I thought that I would pass along a little of the information that I have learned along the way.

Firstly, I thought that I would explain how flu is categorized. There are three types of Influenza virus (A, B, and C) however; type A is the only type of Influenza that creates a pandemic. In terms of Influenza A, the strains are differentiated from one another by the molecules on the outside, the H (Haemagglutinin) and N (Neurominidase)molecules. Numbers denote the type of H and N molecules. There are seven different H types and 9 different N types that infect pigs, birds and humans. Though, only H1-H3 and N1-N2 infect humans at this point. However, the so called avian flu is H5N1 and has been known to infect humans so on rare occasions H5 is also infectious.

Pandemic flu is not new to the world. Most people know of the 1918 Spanish flu, but even before this instance flu pandemics have been apparent. In fact, the seasonal flu is a slightly modified version of the most recent pandemic flu. This generally means that if you get flu one year, you are probably at least partially immune to the variety that comes the next year. The two most recent strains of flu in our seasonal flu before the 2009 outbreak was a re-release of the 1928 Spanish H1N1 from a lab somewhere and a strain of the “Hong Kong” flu, an H3N2 variety that was pandemic in 1969. Therefore, our vaccines at the moment usually contain last year’s mutation of three strains; one H1N1, one H3N2, and one influenza B variety. These strains co-circulate until the next pandemic outbreak, like one that happened this year.

So how do pandemics come about because it seems that flu mutates slowly year by year not causing a whole lot of a fuss most of the time. Well pandemics arise because flu can cross the species barrier. Interestingly pigs can be infected with both bird and human flu. Also, because pigs are transported all over the world for various reasons, it creates an interesting vessel of study in terms of influenza. From analysis of the 2009 H1N1 so called “swine flu” it seems that this variety shows a distinct ancestry to the Spanish variety but is so genetically diverse that it is considered a completely different strain. The hypothesis is that the 1918 H1N1 parted ways with the 2009 H1N1 in that the 1918 variety infected pigs as well. Since then, the virus has been infecting pigs and mutating within them and picks up genetic material from other strains of flu. The virus stayed in pigs until 2009 when it crossed the species barrier successfully. Crossing the species barrier isn’t the largest issue however. Many times flu and other diseases cross the species barrier. People are familiar with the bird flu and many events where birds have infected humans with flu but most of the time, the virus is not equipped to spread human to human. In 2009, an influenza virus that had been mixing and diversifying in pigs for about 80 years crossed the species barrier and was able to infect humans! This is what created our pandemic flu. In fact it has subsequently displaced all of the other flu varieties and the only infectious influenza A variety is the swine flu.

The reason that the virus killed so many people to begin with, was because it had adapted to pig populations. It is not very advantageous for a virus to kill its host because then it cannot spread therefore, as time went on the disease lost much of its danger in killing people as it adapted to human populations. That being said, it is interesting that the people most susceptible to the new virus are pregnant women and young people. The only theory about the age of the person is that older people have seen more varieties of flu over their lifetime and may be partially immune to this virus, though they don’t really know at all.

Scientists are obviously very curious about this new flu and it course in the near future. Some are concerned that it will mix with the very deadly avian flu and this could be the next outbreak, but who really knows. It seems like a lot of hype to me. My advice is to get yourself vaccinated because I hear that the second wave is always worse than the first and my prof urged the Americans/Europeans to tell our families to get the vaccine so that is what I am doing? I hope that you are all well and don’t get flu this season but if you do, you now know where it came from!

End public service announcement!

The next few pictures were just comics that were a part of the lecture. I thought they were pretty funny so I decided to share them with everyone!

How to protect yourself against avian flu!

Whale Watching

Our latest CIEE organized event was whale watching. On Saturday, we woke up a little earlier than normal for a 7:30am departure. Groggy and tired, we traveled a couple hours up the coast to a town called Hermanus. This town is located in one of the many bays along the coast called Hans Bay. From the town you can see whales breaching from the shore. It is a very Dutch town. I thought the town was interesting because it didn’t feel like any other town to which I had been thus far. Most of the visitors were white Afrikaans people. I was talking to Quinton our R.D. He mentioned that he hated the town because it reminded him of many towns that are like it: very conservative. He actually said that post apartheid he has been refused service at a restaurant because of his skin color in this town. It was amazing to me the emotion that was evoked by these memories. I had no idea, I just thought that it was a primarily Afrikaans town, but apparently many of these coastal Afrkaans places are still very conservative an prefer ethnic purity. I found this ironic because when given some free time, I went to a craft market in the town and what I found were many of the touristy African things. It just made me chuckle inside. Though, I did find that the market was not predominated by these “African” things and also incorporated some other craft market esque things like stalls selling homemade jams and so such. The town itself was very interesting in that it complicates even further the ideas and types of people within South Africa. It provides another layer of complexity to racial, ethnic, and other cultural questions with regards to South Africa.

Sorry I didn’t mean to be so long winded with that whole thing. I think it became more of a culmination of things I had been thinking about today. Anyways, the view from the town was spectacular. The sky was blue with no clouds in the sky. There was a breeze off the shore but it was refreshing. The air smelled of salt and fish and it reminded me so much of home. We sat on a pier for a little bit and saw a whale just off the coast blowing spray up into the air as it breached. It was absolutely beautiful. The picture is of me on the pier overlooking the ocean from the town!

Anyways, after getting some food in the town (Lane and I had already packed our own lunch which was a good choice because it was cheaper and from what we heard people had really bad experiences getting lunch) we embarked for what was supposed to be a 15 min journey to the other side of the bay where we would be doing the kayaking to find whale. Well about 45 min later we arrived at the beach (typical phenomenon as it seems while we are here). It was a very nice place that was clean and pretty. While we were waiting to go out on the kayaks we got to go swimming but you couldn’t go in past your thighs because the water was still a little cold. But Lane skipped rocks and everyone enjoyed the sun and the beach. The picture is of Lane is as we were sitting on the grassy patch above the beach and watching the waves and other people swim in the water (or attempt to swim among the frigid waters).


The kayaks that we took were double open deck kayaks. Lane opted for the back which was fine. We both knew how to steer but personally I don’t think that he was super confident in my abilities. Regardless, that decision came back to bite him in the butt. Apparently the kayaks balance weight distribution by allowing water in the boat. He was literally bathing in the frigid waters. Now, if I had sat in the back neither of us would have water but nonetheless I thought it was pretty funny. We went out in a group of about 20. We weren’t supposed to get closer than 300m away from a whale. Even if they started towards you, you needed to back paddle away to maintain the distance. Well that is harder than it sounds. We saw a mother Southern Right Whale and her calf. Apparently whales are very curious and the calf tried to come towards us and we kept having to move…reluctantly of course because you want to be close to the whales too. It was really fun and we actually were only about 60ft from the whale at one point before we made a real effort to get out of the way. Additionally we saw some seals(adolescent males) sitting in the water with their fins in the air to get some sunlight for warmth. I laughed, because it looked really funny; a whole cluster of them each with one fin out of the water.

On the way back Quinton (our RD) had taken his son out in a kayak just for a tour of the little cove and we intercepted them on the way back. Quinton was of course playing around and teaching his son a bad lesson by splashing water on people. Just for fun, Lane and I came up really fast behind him and I sprayed him (well actually drenched) him in water. His face was so great. He was so surprised and flabbergasted. I enjoyed it. Though, the best part was that he thought it was Lane who sprayed him and so in retaliation sprayed Lane. So in effect, I got away like a dirty little criminal and Lane was not so thrilled. Though in the end, I think I paid the price because I got a nasty sunburn on my back. I felt the repercussions of my deed for the next few days.

Anyways, that is it for now. I just had a biochem test yesterday and I need to go study for my next immunology test next Tuesday. I can’t wait for classes to end. I still have so much to do and classes are just frankly getting in my way :P

Hodge Podge #2

Here is my next installment of all things random.

1. Run in with a Baboon: So the other day I was walking down the steps from the library and I had just received a text message. My concentration was on my phone and all the sudden I looked up and I was literally 5ft away from a pretty large grey baboon (the same one as in the picture but this photo was at a different sighting where I didn't almost run into him). I froze and sort of side shuffled out of the way much to delight of the people watching me from a safe distance. I think they would have thought it quite hilarious had I actually run into it.

Anyways, we have a resident baboon on campus. He (I think) walks around campus and is sighted more and more regularly as of late. He likes to eat the garbage out the trashcans but really no one is going to stop him. Baboons can be quite dangerous and let’s just say that I wouldn’t want to get in their way. Most of the time there is a crowd of people a safe distance away. They watch pedestrians who are unaware come into the vicinity of the baboon and then laugh at the pedestrians jump as they realize that a 125-pound and semi-dangerous animal is front of them. I must say that it is a pretty funny site. Though, now maybe my opinion is changed having been a victim of such amusement. Regardless I think that it is hilarious that I can say that we have a baboon on our campus. Beat that US universities! All you’ve got are squirrels!

2. Academia: I have been thinking about this one for a long time. I don’t think that I realized how much different school could be somewhere else. Some of it I think has to do with the fact that this is a much larger university than I am used to but I also recognize that maybe some of the differences are because of being in Africa.

So far, I have noticed a very stringent plagiarism accountability. When we take tests, the whole process is very formal. There are proctors in large lectures. Everyone is several desks apart and bags are located in a separate part of the room. It is a different venue than the lecture venue and at a separate time. Before the test starts, you have to fill out an attendance slip and present your student card to the proctor. Then you aren’t allowed to leave until a designated time in the test. It was a very novel concept to me where tests are difficult but there isn’t as much process involved. At PLU, the prof will hand out a test and you will complete it and then hand it in. Your test is an indicator that you were there so you don’t need to have an attendance slip. It was just different to me I suppose.

I have multiple lecturers per class rather than one or two professors who are intimately engaged in the material of the entire class. I think that it sort of brings a disconnect between the material and also makes the lecturers less involved in the content that they share with the class. It seems like they just want to present their week of material and then be on their merry way again. It is interesting as it sort of promotes a disconnect and sterile environment between the students and their teachers.

Then I have also noticed that many of my lecturers are really bad teachers. I think that they are excellent in their fields as researchers but they don’t really care about teaching too much. This I feel is more of a small school large school thing. But it is weird. Prof’s want limited dealings with their students and most present the material and then go on their merry way. I think that these two notions have their upsides in the fact that students are able to create excellent peer networks and learn from one another. However, I also feel that people have a hard time learning things for certain if they are never allowed the opportunity to ask questions and get definitive answers but knowledgeable people. It is an interesting experience.

I find that this educational experience has allowed me a lot of independence in my own learning. I am accountable for my own learning and finding the answer. I may not be able to get the answer from the teacher and thus have to be inventive in order to sustain my curiosity. That being said, I don’t have the time required to delve through all the material necessary to find the answer at times which is a shame.

I also have been hard on the lecturers. I have also had lecturers that are very involved with their students and that is a welcome happening. One professor even knows my name and is interested in my success. It is a nice feeling.

3. Is it?: This little idiom took me a lot of time to understand. I have come to find out that it means loosely “really?!” or some sort of astonishment. Though I find it to be really poor grammar because you could say “that was a really hard test” and the person would exclaim “is it” and all I can think after that is that yes it was and so your correct response would be “was it” but alas that is the culture. I am not sure how it came about but maybe it is just the same as any American idiom that is poor grammar. Like “how are you” the correct and grammatically correct response is “well” however most people say “good.” After a little time to adjust to the pain in my ears from ringing poor grammar I digress and sometimes even find myself saying the term. Ahh, the wonders of language.

4. Hike to Campus: Lane and I walk to campus every morning. It is funny because when I signed up to be in a dorm, I thought of my current living situation and any other dorm experience I have seen. So, I of course thought that the dorms would be close to campus. I, however, found out that close is a relative term. Liesbeek is one of the closer dorms and it is at least a mile away from campus, probably more. There is a shuttle called the Jammie that runs to all the dorms and to some of the small towns around but they are largely unreliable and crowded. It really is a bummer to have to stand when you are on the bus because the drivers largely like to stop and go as if their life depended on being at their destination as quickly as possible. Thus, the riders are sloshed around. Therefore, I try to avoid riding the bus and opt for walking. The time that it takes to wait for an unreliable Jammie and ride to campus is very close to the amount of time that it takes to walk the long trek so if it is better for my health, I may as well walk. Though, the first couple of times you walk to campus you realize how your romanticized version of the walk is crushed and it is actually much harder than anticipated. Lane and I counted the number of stairs one morning and the route contained 323 from the bottom of campus to my first class. There can be more or less stairs depending on your route and where your first class is located but I imagine that throughout the day I go up at least 500 stairs. These stairs also do not include the elevation change without stairs. There are many hills that don’t require stairs and so onward and upward. I plan to go home and look at my trek in order to find out exactly how much the elevation change is and how long it is. The picture to the left is of the view when you finally get to the top. All you can think is WOW I came all that way...those little building at the bottom were where we started.In all, it takes us about 35 min to get to the top and I am always really sweaty and gross. At first my legs were pretty sore from the trip but I am getting used to it and with the muscle I have gained, I think running hills at home won’t be a problem.

Well that is all for now. If anyone has any ideas for topics or questions about my experiences, I would love ideas for my blog. I would love to write about things that my readers want to hear, otherwise I can be boring and go on and on about something trivial to anyone reading. So let me know!

Ethnocentrism

In my CIEE seminar the other week we talked about intensity factors. Basically these are stress factors experienced when you are in a culture or situation that isn’t normal. I was thinking about these risk factors for an assignment and I came across ethnocentrism. This can either mean that you are so used to something at home that new ideas and cultures are very stressful, or that the culture that you are in is not accepting of your particular culture and thus there are intensity factors associated with that as well. The following is my reflection about my experiences with ethnocentrism while in Africa.

I have never considered myself an “American” because in today’s day and age, claiming patriotism to America is like committing social suicide. It inherently means that somehow if you are an American you also agree with everything that the government has done within the last 8 years. However, like most Americans, I am trying to forget policies and happenings on a national stage starting a long while back. However, coming to Africa has changed my mind about patriotism and America as a whole.

I have had many encounters recently with South Africans in the Microbiology Computer Lab. This space is really a hang out space because the internet is sporadic and half the computers don’t work. Regardless, people who are Microbiology majors tend to hang out in this area. I use it as a place to eavesdrop and get some homework done while I am at school. Needless to say, the more I have been there, the more that people have noticed that I am new and the fact that I haven’t gone away yet. I return everyday at the same time, and even appear in some of their classes. Thus, this has led some people to approach me and have conversations. One such fellow is Yoonus. He is an interesting fellow. He is smart but opinionated. Anyways, he tries to orient me to Africa sometimes when weird things happen and gives me a lot of the gossip on teachers and policies within UCT. Though, the other day, somehow we got on the conversation of 911 conspiracies. I actually found myself defending the American government and our intelligence agencies. Somehow, he thought that we were so corrupt in our government that he thought that the government was at least partially to blame for 911. This is not something that I personally believe and that is fine. But what I found interesting was that I was actually defending the namesake of my own country to other people.

Yoonus isn’t the only one who bad mouths western culture. It seems that it is engrained in the heads of people due to colonialism that they can’t be western and that all western ideas are inherently bad for Africans. I understand the basis for this sentiment because Africa has been “helped” by westerners for a really long time. It is time for Africa to make themselves anew and into their own identity. It is good for Africans to make their own identity separate from western identities, however, in order to create their own identity people are completely discounting others. It is not to say that all western ideas are bad, but it is to say that at least some of them are good in my opinion. People don’t seem to recognize those here. Thus, comes the idea of American nationalism. I feel the need to show people that America isn’t all bad. The media portrays some of the bad ideas but most of the people are good people just like anywhere. It is an uphill battle and unfortunately, even international students here are not the best examples of good Americans so my struggle continues.

Pictures of Spring Vacation

I decided to just put the pictures in a separate post so that I could comment on them. So for the whole story you have to read the previous post but here I am going to put some pictures from the trip.








Our journey began boarding a Boeing 737-800 from the tarmac of Cape Town International Airport!







Soweto is a township outside of Johannesburg. It is especially known for its pride. This bumper sticker was on the back of a truck and we saw it as we were traveling through the town. I think that it is really representative of the town. People are proud and excited. World Cup is coming and they get to show off their city.




This picture was taken from the bus window on our trip through the countryside to Phalaborwa. Personally, I think the ray of sunshine through the shot is really cool...but maybe that is just me.



An elephant took a bath right outside our bungalow in Mopani Rest Camp in Kruger. We just sat and watched for what seemed like an eternity. Actually, I learned that elephants take short 2-3 min naps while they are standing so it is fun to watch. They move really slow and then will stop for a couple minutes which is when they sleep.



This picture was taken especially for Brenna (Lane's sister)She said that she wanted a giraffe but this was as good as we could get. I think that it is a great picture. This female was right on the side of the road when we were driving through Kruger, quite content and munching away at the foliage.



Haney stopped at this trail on our transfer to Mozambique, which I assumed was a walking trail but he actually informed us that this was an elephant trail. Despite their huge size, they walk with one foot in front of the other. Also they use the same trails. They are really smart animals. Amazing!






I was being a goof and the open game vehicle was really windy! Lane's hair was all over the place but I saved him embarassment by not publishing the picture here.




Our tent and view out on the river. Our tent was called Ngyenya which means crocodile in Shangan. We apparently had the best view of the crocodiles from our tent. There were at least four in the pool. We saw them a few times.



Peterson took a picture of us from the main area where we ate.



A picture of the green mamba, a really deadly snake that we saw in the camp!










I wish I had the time to show you all the pictures that we took. There are still some really amazing ones but I guess that will have to wait for the time being. I have to give you reason to want me to come home :P

Spring Vacation

Last week was my spring vacation. I was lucky enough to have two springs this year. I love spring so really it is a blessing. It reminds me of growth and renewal and I feel like being in Africa has given me the opportunity to grow and be broadened and renewed in life.

Anyways, Lane and I decided to go to Kruger National Park on spring vacation. We planned to fly into Johannesburg and then rent a car and drive to Kruger. We would then go for a few days across the border to a tented camp right in Mozambique. It was an 8 day trip and proved to be eventful, fun and an opportunity for great life lessons.

We left early on Saturday morning for our trip to Johannesburg. Everything went to plan. The airport in Cape Town is under construction right now in order to improve the facilities for the world cup. As a result, it was interesting because the domestic terminal was literally a tent with doors. We had to board a bus and board the plane on the Tarmac. The flight was about two hours and they actually fed us real food, which was a big plus.

In Johannesburg we went to go rent the car. However, we learned that car rental companies are real jerks. They wanted to charge us about $150 more than they quoted us and it was going to be expensive so we declined taking the car and were going to arrange our own transportation. It was a little bit of a risky move but we figured we weren’t leaving until the next day anyways so if we couldn’t figure out transportation we could always go and pay the amount for the car. But, the clerk didn’t tell us the total amount for the car until after he had already swiped Lane’s credit card. He didn’t ask for any permission and as a result he placed a hold on Lane’s account for about $1000. Being college students, we of course don’t have a huge credit limit or enough money to cover an extraneous $1000 to be missing. Especially since, I lost my debit card a couple weeks ago and am still waiting on the replacement from the states. Anyways, so we asked when the hold would be removed and they said 7-14 days. Lane and I were so frustrated because they didn’t even ask for permission and now we were going to be stuck literally without money at the beginning of our trip and it wouldn’t be returned for one, maybe two weeks. In effect, it all worked out after an expensive call to the states to Bank of America where we asked them to remove the hold because apparently the car company didn’t have the authority to do that. But it all worked out.

We stayed in a Backpacker’s in Johannesburg . Our room was a little cabin out in the backyard. It was quite eccentric but I found out that all hostels are a little eccentric. The manager was really kind and helpful. He arranged to pick us up from the airport after we told him what had happened and then gave us suggestions for how to get to Kruger. We booked a bus that left the next day and the manager arranged for our transport to the bus station. Things were beginning to look up.

We took the bus from Johannesburg to a town called Phalaborwa (pronounced pal-a-bor-a….don’t ask me why). It is a little town right outside one of the gates of Kruger. If we had driven, the trip would have taken about 6 hours but the bus made many stops and it seemed that each time we stopped it was for about 30 min so our trip became a 9 hour trip. It was nice way to travel though because we were on a double decker bus and Lane and I had the very front seats with a great panoramic view. We saw the landscape of the countryside and visited many cities. In addition, the long ride gave us a chance to get at least a little school work done ( I had a test on Tuesday and Lane had a paper due on Monday).

In Phalaborwa, we stayed at another Backpacker’s. They had so many dogs. I think there were 6 running around the property. Anyways, we had gotten to Phalaborwa but there is not a transport system within Kruger so we weren’t really sure how we were going to get around in Kruger. We already had a night reserved in Mopani, which is a rest camp in Kruger and then the day after we had to be in Letaba so somehow we had to arrange transport. We got into Phalaborwa around 7pm and we immediately asked how we might be able to get transport. They gave us a number for a transport company. I called them and by some miracle they had a vehicle and a driver to take us everywhere we needed to go.

The next day, Monday, Cornelius, with Africa Unlimited picked us up from the Backpacker’s and drove us to Mopani. Cornelius was from Holland. He really loved Kruger and all the wildlife. When they came to pick us up, we were very surprised. I was envisioning a transport vehicle and that many people would be on these vehicles. However, the vehicle that showed up was a twelve person van and Lane and I had actually reserved the whole thing. In effect, we had a private tour of Kruger National Park. The journey was supposed to take about 90 min but Cornelius drove very slowly through the park so that he could show us as many animals and interesting tidbits as possible. The journey ended up lasting 3 hours and we had hundreds of pictures. It was great. If we had driven ourselves, I am confident that we wouldn’t have learned half of that stuff about Kruger, so really it turned out to be one of our better and cheaper decisions not to rent the car. Anyways, he dropped us off at Mopani . He was going to come back the next morning to take us to Letaba where we already had transport into Mozambique.

Mopani was beautiful. We had a little bungalow with a view of a river. While we were eating a snack outside, an elephant actually came to visit the river and gave himself/herself a shower. It was great fun to watch. Additionally, the night sky was full of more stars than I have ever seen in my life. It was absolutely beautiful. Actually after we ate dinner we had to find our way back to the bungalow, but it was so dark that we had to use the flash on the camera to find our way and scare away any pending animals. Thus, we have some really....awesome picutres of abosultely nothing but they serve as a reminder of a really funny event.

The next day was more of the same. We drove the two-hour trip to Letaba stopping along the way to take pictures of the wildlife. We saw many prey but no predators…but maybe that is a good thing. At Letaba , we were picked up by Haney. We found out that he was the camp manager at Machampane Tented Camp, where we would be staying. He had an open game drive vehicle, which is basically a pick-up truck with a compartment of seats mounted on the bed of the truck. We got an awesome panoramic view of everything around. On the way to Mozambique, we stopped to look at a dead buffalo and the vultures eating it…it was a little awkward but pretty cool nonetheless. The whole landscape looks pretty dry in the winter. I had seen pictures of the camp and it looked green and lush and I didn’t know how everything could change so dramatically but after three hours of driving on dusty, bumpy roads we came down a hill and out of nothing, emerged a river and the camp sitting pretty and green amongst the dry, dry surroundings.

Machampane was everything that it promised. Five platform tents lined a pool of water (when it rains, it becomes the Machampane river). However, the platform tents were really luxurious because theyhad their own bathroom attached with running water. In addition, the beds were made up with fluffy linens. Really it was like any hotel room in the states minus the fact that the wall were made of canvas and you got in through a zippered opening. Lighting was a little different though it wasn’t really an issue. The camp only ran a generator 4 hours out of the day and this was mainly to charge batteries. Our tent had four 12V lights and that was all we needed. During the day, when the generator was running he said that we could charge our camera batteries in part of the main camp.

When we arrived we noticed that no other visitors were introduced to us, and so quickly we found out that we were actually the only people in the camp that week. At first I was a little disturbed by that fact because the workers at the camp wanted to serve us but I felt awkward because we were the only people being served and I didn’t like that position of privilege. However, this fact, despite its awkwardness, also allowed us to be really candid with the staff and they could cater the walks to our needs and interests.

Most of the staff, minus Haney, were local hires. For some, English was difficult and we weren’t able to communicate well with them. The native languages of the area were Portuguese and Shangan neither of which I remotely know at all. But as always language isn’t necessarily important to communication.

As I briefly mentioned earlier, at this camp, they take the guests on walks through the African bush with an armed ranger so the staff that we interacted with were mostly our guide (Haney), guide in training (Peterson), and the park ranger (Julius) who wielded the AK47 in our defense against the wildlife. We did find out that Julius has never had to use his weapon while on a walk and that was a very comforting notion. We walked twice a day. In the morning, we would leave at 6:30am and walk for 3-4 hours. In the middle, we enjoyed a little pause to watch animals and eat some snacks. The pace was leisurely and we stopped many places to learn about plants, animals, tracks, and everything else you can imagine on the trail. However, I wouldn’t really call them trails because most of the time we were tromping through the African bush. I was so fortunate to have guides who knew where everything was because I could have been lost in one millisecond.

On our walks we tried to go to watering holes because in the winter that is essentially the only place to see wildlife. We found out that this park in Mozambique was very new. Before hand, it had essentially been devoid of wildlife due to Mozambique’s civil war, etc. Anyways, a few years ago, Kruger donated many of their animals to Limpopo National Park and the fence between the two parks was in the works to be removed so that animals could freely move from one side to the other. As a result, there were far fewer animals in the Limpopo Park and they were much less domesticated. In Kruger, if you drove up to an animal, they wouldn’t budge because they see cars and people on a daily basis. However, I felt that these animals were much more wild and this gave us an authentic viewing of the wildlife.
Something exciting happened on the return of our first walk. In camp there is a tree overlooking the river. In that tree, a green mamba snake was spotted. I am not a huge fan of snakes or really things that can kill me in general. Well green mamba snakes are very deadly and if bitten by one, you could die within a half hour from paralysis. Fortunately we also learned that they are shy and don’t like to bite. Later that day, the snake was gone and the next day was out of our minds as well.

One other exciting event was the last night at dinner. We were peacefully enjoying our meal (the food was awesome…cooked by local women and featured Mozambiquan flavors) and a low growl emerged from what seemed like just across the river. Then we heard an elephant trumpet in response. According to our guides, if the lion didn’t back off, it would be dead by the morning. It was very exciting to hear.
We left Machampane and Mozambique with many memories and stories which are too numerous to repeat here and so as not to drone on I won’t.

The return trip was much like way in, though Haney was able to take us all the way to Phalaborwa because he had to go there anyways. It was a stroke of good luck that saved us lots of money. We left Phalaborwa the next day, Saturday, got to Johannesburg that evening and took a flight back to Cape Town that night. Nothing was really too exciting about the journey.

We were actually really looking forward to being back in Cape Town because as much fun as our trip was, it was going to be nice not to have to think and adapt at every moment. It was an interesting thought to me because I realized in that moment how much I had adapted to living life in Cape Town and going to the university there. In fact, it has become home in many respects. I mostly know what is happening around me and can navigate through the matrix of everyday life with ease. I realize now how much I have already learned on my trip and how much more I can learn with the remaining portion. Spring vacation was an eye opening adventure that I will remember forever.

Stopped by the Cops!?

As a preface to my story I feel like I should explain a bit. During our orientation, CIEE cautioned us on getting into trouble with the cops because jail in South African is much more gruesome than that of America. So already I had this notion that I REALLY didn’t want to go to jail in Africa. I mean it wasn’t a huge concern because I have never been in trouble in the states, but also I am in a new place and still don’t know all the rules.

Anyways so on to my story. Friday night I had an opera performance just like the rest of the week previous. The opera starts at 7:30 and usually wouldn’t finish until at least 10:00pm. Usually Vongani and I would take a shuttle home but sometimes we would miss the timing and Vongani had a friend who would take us. Well on Friday, Vongani’s friend took us home. There were 6 of us crammed into this car so it was pretty cramped and illegal due to seat belt laws. But regardless it wasn’t a long trip so it was supposed to be fine. I was the only foreigner in the car and so I just went along for the ride. Anyways, we got on the road and came across a roadblock. This is where they stop every car. This is when I found out that the driver didn’t have his license and that we were breaking the law in terms of seat belt laws. As we were driving cops were yelling at us because we had too many people in the car. I was pretty scared. It was late and night and I thought for sure I was going to go to jail. I don’t really know why but I didn’t know how it worked. I kept my mouth shut and went with the flow though even though beneath my skin I was petrified.

We finally were pulled over and we all had to get out of the car. The lady cop asked us to go up to the wall and that is when I thought they were going to arrest us. In fact, Vogani put his hands over his head and faced the wall. But fortunately the cop said that wasn’t necessary. She asked to search the car and we were fingerprinted and another cop took our addresses. She apparently didn’t find anything of interest and we were allowed to get back in the car…all six of us…and drive off.

Once back in the car, I still didn’t know what happened. There had been no mention of a fine or misconduct or anything. No one really seemed to know or to care all that much. To me it was a great relief. I have heard stories about the corruption of the cops here and really have tried to avoid them so I am glad that my first run-in left me unscathed and God watched over me.

Though the weirdest thing is that I am not scared of the cops in America. They are a body that is supposed to instil safety so I am not sure why I felt so scared here in South Africa. It poses an interesting question.