Well the week of orientation/getting-to-know-you went quite well. It took place at a semi-crappy hotel in the mountains outside Cape Town.... the beautiful location and hotsprings pool made up for the cold-ish nights and the bedbugs (seriously, there were literal bedbugs).
At the end of the week, we (the group is 22 people) went to Cape Town and stayed at a backpackers (basically a hostel) on the Waterfront. On the first afternoon in the city, we had a drop-off; bascially they gave each of us a little assignment and dropped us off in random places all around the city. Some examples were researching student life, or going to a museum... Mine was to research queer/gay culture in Cape Town. I was a little intimidated by the topic, but once I was dropped off, I get into my element. I actually ended up talking to tons of random people who were so enthusiastic to talk to me and so curious about what I was doing. After an hour or so off wandering from place to place, I found a gay bar and basically chilled with a bunch of gay guys, drinking beer and chatting for about 2 hours before heading back and reporting to the group in a "de-brief" session.
On Friday night we went to UCT to hear Nelson Mandela speak, which was amazing.
The lecture was a tribute to Steve Biko, a very prominent political thinker and member of his political party (ANC) who was tortured and murdered under apatheid. Since we had to read Mandela's autobiography before coming (Long Walk to Freedom, which I highly recommend btw) we could really follow what he was talking about... plus, despite his age, he is still a very moving and emotional speaker.
Anyway the time at the Waterfront was a nice time to get further acquainted with the city and party a bit. The night life in Cape Town is great. It feels pretty Euro, but with an African flair--like London and New Orleans had a kid and raised it in Jamaica. Plus it is SO CHEAP... a dinner for 5 people, including drinks and dessert at one of the best restaurants in the city cost about $180 (for real); and cocktails at most bars are about $3! Such a refreshing change from a summer of big-spending in London and NYC .
Well on Saturday we moved in to our homestays in Langa, the Xhosa (black) township on the borders of Cape Town. It's basically a ghetto--kids running around in the dusty streets, mangy dogs in small packs, fruit stands by the road--and the families are quite poor. However, they are so excited that we are here to learn about their culture, as well as learn about the US. They are so warm and welcoming! I'm living with a woman, Florence, who was a housekeeper and cook for many years (she baked fresh bread and muffins for me!) and is now retired; her 25-yr-old daughter Pimkie, who works at a university cafeteria; and Pimkie's daughter Tina who is the cutest and sweetest little 3-yr-old ever. They all share one room and sleep in the same bed, which is traditional here, and I have a small bedroom to myself. Despite it's size and location, the house is clean and decently maintained (besides the odd cockroach here and there). But it's still in a township, meaning it's not safe to go out at night, and it's not even that safe for me to wander the streets alone during the day. Thank god for little Tina who accompanied me on my strolls around the neighborhood on Sunday when I visited my friends living nearby.
So that was the weekend, and we started classes yesterday. Actually that's a lie because we started our Xhosa (the X is a click sound, very tricky) classes during orientation. Anyway the program, though affiliated with the University of CT, does not have classroom facilities on the UCT campus, but we have full access to the computer labs and libraries, and the profs come to lecture to us. The campus is a very long steep walk up hill, which is annoying, but a great workout.
Ok everyone, I'll stop boring you with the details of my life... as you can probably tell, I'm really enjoying myself and the program is off to a great start. It will certainly be a life-changing experience.
Hope that you're all doing well!!
Kisses,
Eve
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