Garden Route Road Trip!

On Tuesday morning, as I was going to the office with my fellow volunteers, one them asked me if I was keen on going on a roadtrip. How could I ever turn down a road trip? The idea was to go to Plettneberg Bay and Mossel Bay along the Garden Route (the N2). Our adventures were to include a trip to a game reserve with a tour on horseback and a tour at an elephant sanctuary, and possible hike. I immediately acquiesced to the adventure and began preparing myself for our adventure.
On Friday afternoon, we departed the office slightly after noon. Our vehicle of choice for the trip was a Honda with room for 6 people. After packing the car and making a stop at the local pic-n-pay for our lunch and driving snacks, the adventure to our Mossel Bay hostel began. The weather was glorious, and the drive had magnificent views. The car creeped up the mountains surrounding Cape Town. Once reaching the summit, it was possible to see all of Cape Town and the surrounding suburbs. The view was spectacular. I thought of how tiny the city appeared in the valley in comparison to the gargantuan size of the mountains. Our trip included a stop to take pictures of the lush mountain valleys filled with yellow rape seed flowers (I think these fields were rape seed- but they could have been something completely different). I am presently trying to finish reading Les Miserables, so this adventure gave me adequate time to read and now I am less than 100 pages from being finished with a book I started reading over a year and a half ago.
Our first official stop was in the village of Swellendam. Here we stopped for bathrooms and treats for some people. This village was typical small village with absolutely nothing to see- so we ended up changing drivers and continuing on our adventure. We arrived in Mossel Bay just before sunset. The hostel of choice was that made out of an old sleeper trains. This hostel is incredible (Santos Express) and I would highly recommend this hostel to anyone traveling along the garden route. We slept in doubles and I shared a room with the darling Heloise. After depositing belongings and claiming beds in the sleeper cabins, a sunset walk on the beach commenced. The beach, on the Indian Ocean, was lovely. I ended up getting very wet feet at this beach while I tried to embrace the ocean. I did not mind having wet feet especially since I was in such a wonderful place.
Our night continued with dinner and other merriment including the game of asshole- which I previously had not encountered. If you are not familiar with this game, it is a card game that is often used to create an inebriated state, however, we did not purely participate in this game for this reason. I don't drink- but enjoyed playing and ended up winning the presidency 3 times- which was great considering that the first two rounds resulted in my earning the spot of asshole and vice asshole. After our final game, some of us decided to walk on the beach before heading into our comfortable train home. The bar/hostel dog is a small dog who Sarah named Skippy. The walk on the beach involved this loveable dog and his wonderful personality. I enjoyed seeing the stars and walking along the beach at a late hour without having to worry too much about predators lurking in the bushes ready to attack me. I was frigid that evening, so I slept with my winter parka on- Heloise thought I was a little crazy, but at least I was warm. In the morning, we ate a lovely continental breakfast and said goodbye to our hostel that provided us with shelter for one evening. We departed for the Rhino Lodge Game Park and the views only became more beautiful as we continued along the garden route. Fortunately, arrival was perfectly timed. The location for our tour commenced in a building that reminds me of my aunt Vannesa's house. It is filled with African sculptures, skins, sticks, and metals. The effect is one to create a home feeling while visiting the game reserve. Our guide prepared horses for all of us. My horse was named Bless and he is the dominant male. He was nice and friendly, although, at the end of our tour my bum was quite sore. The park included white rhinos, impala (rooibok), springbok, hippos, crocodiles, waterbok, wildebeest, lions, and plains zebra. The lions were taken from a zoo so they never learned how to hunt properly, and the reserve gave them more room to roam. The horses were well behaved and the stories to describe the behaviors of the wildlife were great fun to hear. I enjoyed the perspective of being out with the wildlife while among them on horses. I don't find the experience to be authentic, or natural, but I did enjoy it.
On our way to our next adventure, lunch was purchased at a lovely cafe called the peppermill. The owners were bohemian and the food was incredibly fresh. I had a kipper pate, which was scrumptious while others had falafel, ostrich, or regular hamburgers. After the natural lunch, I encountered one of the saddest things I have yet encountered in Africa regarding wildlife. We visited an elephant sanctuary that was meant to house elephants that would have otherwise been culled during one the periods of elephant overpopulation in Kruger. The elephants in the park were retrieved from Chinese merchants who were planning on using the elephants in circuses. Elephants are incredibly bright and gifted animals. I was hoping to go to a large reserve with hundreds of elephants who were allowed to roam freely throughout the land, however, I was greatly disappointed to learn that this park was far different. The park only houses 6 elephants. After a brief introduction into elephant anatomy, the group of avid tourists was introduced to 3 of the elephants. Each of the tourists had the opportunity to walk with the elephants- the elephant sticks its trunk in the right hand of an acquiescing visitor. The elephant drips mucous onto the hand, although the feeling is quite unique. At the conclusion of the 3-5 minute walk with the elephant, the visitor has the opportunity to feed the elephant some sweet potatoes.
After walking the elephants into a nice location in the woods, the elephant performed tricks. I found this portion of the program disheartening because the reason why these elephants were placed in this sanctuary was to give them the opportunity to evade the hardships of the circus- and this was as much of a circus as a formal one. It was nice that visitors could pet the elephant- which is incredibly hairy, feel the tail- which hair feels like wire, and look into the mouth of the elephant.
Once the elephants were done with the abuse by humans, they were paraded back out into the open field where visitors gave the elephants more sweet potatoes. People who had paid the elephant guides 500 Rand could ride the elephants. This was almost too much for me. Fortunately, I didn't fall for this trap. The people who partook of this additional luxury trotted around the small field for about 5 minutes. Eventually, our guide released us from this torment and horror, asking us to visit the curio shop before leaving- which I avoided instead to sit outside in the sunshine to drink some nice juice.
After departing the wretched elephant park, our group made its way to our next hostel in Plattenberg Bay. The hostel had a huge fire and braaiing area. In this hostel, all 6 of us shared one large room. Heloise, Ryan, and I ventured for nice hike to the ocean while the others rested on our first night. The trail to the ocean was treacherous, but we made it just in time for sunset. I was amazed at the strength of the currents and the force of the waves pummeling the seashore. Our return included a walk through the very touristy city center that was quite dead at 6pm on a Saturday night, and scoping out of the local grocery stores.
For dinner we had a braai at the hostel. I had squash while everyone else had some nice boerwurst. The night ended with a fun version of pictionary (even with a description card asking for a drawing of the heathrow airport) and the paper game. I took a much desired shower and all headed to bed. Sanford snored throughout the night, but I am obviously immune to it because I awoke this morning and did not complain about the unpleasantness of snoring.
In the morning, I read while everyone else slept. Our hostel was filled with people from England on a surfing tour- in the morning they were all gone because they were doing a sunrise surf. After a nice breakfast in the hammocks, we left for the beach. At the beach, Heloise, Ryan, and I jumped in the glorious ocean for a quick swim. The water was cool and clear. I felt so cleansed, and after leaving the water, I didn't feel nasty like I sometimes do after swimming in the ocean. As we changed and dried off, we spotted a whale. The whale was close to the shore and showed its tail several times. It was magnificent. I have never seen a whale, and watching it blow water and surface and resurface beneath from the ocean was something that I don't know how often I will have the opportunity to repeat. The members of an English rugby team also watched on with our group. While we were watching the majestic beauty of this creature, an annoying tour group in a boat was trying to launch itself into the ocean. It took over 30 minutes for the group to be placed correctly in the water. A baki was flooded in the process and 2 tractors had to be employed to correctly position the boat. Although incredibly irritating, it was nice to have something else to observe while we watched the whale.
Once leaving Plattenberg Bay, our adventure continued in Knysna. This village is overly touristy and sterile. A Sunday morning craft market was the epitome of this sad reality. All of the goods were overpriced and not of a high quality. Perhaps, the turn out was low because of the rain... The area where the craft market was held had two african drummers to inspire the african spirit in an area that could have been Hilton Head or Florida. The main goal in attending this area was to consume oysters. I had my first introduction with raw oysters- and they were delicious, but I don't think that they are truly an aphrodisiac. As the journey continued, I began driving. The first stop was another craft market. The goods were the same as you would find in any craft market in South Africa with much of the work coming from Northern African countries such as the Congo.
I don't know if my passengers liked my driving, but I stopped several times for views that were spectacular. We again were lucky to see a whale swimming around in the ocean at one of the lookout points. I drove for a great distance and enjoyed passing numerous people while my passengers slept deeply. Rain came down intermittently, and a gorgeous rainbow was formed. I tried to stop so that our group could take pictures, but this was futile, because just I was trying to stop, the rainbow dissolved. At the end of my driving experience, the search for the next petrol station became of great interest of the group. The landscape is fantastic, but with no towns around we became fearful that the amount of petrol left in the vehicle would not suffice to bring us to the city. Luckily we were able to locate one so that the car could be recharged and the passengers could relieve themselves. The rest of the trip was uneventful. I showed Heloise how to make a paper crane and she showed me how to make pretty paper boxes. We arrived back in Cape Town close to 7, which gave me enough time to go shopping for groceries and unpack.... until next time

Meat and Prison

Although I typically try to distance myself from meat, this Saturday I joined a group outing to Mzoli's. Mzoli's, located in the township of Gugulethu, is a rather "magical" place. Piles of meat are refrigerated in a brightly painted cinderblock structure. All of the meat is common meat, such as steak, chicken, or sausage. I have never seen so much meat in one location. One orders choice raw pieces, which are then placed in gigantic enamel bowls to be brought out to the braai (if uninformed braai means bbq in SA) located behind the storefront. Workers cook the meat over blazing fires, carefully adding the special sauces that evidently make the meat divine. I was fascinated by the whole process from ordering to the final pot of meat . It took a total of about 45 minutes, which was perfect for those who went off to purchase choice beverages. Supposedly, the house wine is quite delectable.
In addition to being an absolutely gorgeous day, Saturday happened to be the day that Manchester United played the Kaizer Chiefs. A large television screen was placed directly outside of the restaurant so all customers could comfortably eat copious amounts of meat and white bread, drink beers and wines of choice, and watch a fantastic match. We stayed until the Kaizer Chiefs made their first goal, and then departed after spending almost 4 hours enjoying the atmosphere of the place.
While visiting Mzoli's, a small group of us went on a walk in the township. It was lovely to walk with the small children who all had pleasant things to say as they asked for 5 rand or other petty amounts of change. During our walk, we encountered two homes where funeral dinner parties were being held. It was disheartening that in a 4 or 5 block radius, 2 funerals were being held on this particular day. I can't imagine how families are able to afford the costs of funerals if they are so ubiquitous. On Saturday evening, I attended another braai- which was delectable as well- especially since it offered vegetarian fare, and I was the only partial American in attendance.
Sunday happened to be absolutely glorious as well. I left Obz in the morning to do shopping before my 13:00 adventure to Robben Island. I had read in one of my touristy books that Green Market Square was closed on Sundays. Much to my surprise and delight, several vendors were set up in the square. Green Market Square is located in the city center approximately 1 block from Long Street, the most well traveled street in Cape Town. As I was there, I bargained with a number of vendors and bought many things, all of which I am quite happy to own or give away as gifts. I ran out of cash quickly, so one of the vendors was kind enough to show me to the closest atm- of course, for the purchase of a beautiful necklace. I left with a bag full for the waterfront.
When I purchased my ticket for Robben Island by phone on Friday, there was absolutely no direction on where I was supposed to go to pick up my ticket. I guess it is assumed that you know what you are doing when you schedule such a trip. Fortunately, my friends of the Yale delegation knew where I should go to procure my ticket. I used a confirmation number for the first time in my life to identify my ticket and subsequently board the ferry for Robben Island. As we boarded the ferry, a photographer snapped photos of each group. The photos were then offered on our return voyage for 20 rand. We wanted to be outside for the trip to Robben Island, but the top deck was filled rapidly with school groups and people from all over the world. Kerry, in her great wisdom, brought anti-sea-sickness medication so that none of us would fall ill to the bumpy waters surrounding Cape Town.
Our trip was unremarkable other than the large African American woman who I thought looked like a transvestite. I wasn't sure if she had been a man at one point because of the facial hair and the general shape of her face. Only after a woman in her mid 20s called her mom, did I realize that she had probably always been a woman, with perhaps masculine features. My fellow travelers slept as the boat took off. After sitting on the boat for 10 minutes, I was happy not to be outside because the winds looked cold and harsh.
Upon disembarkment, the people on the boats were herded onto large commercial buses. I don't understand why we can't walk around the island, but nonetheless, the story continues. Our guide was named Johnny and he was a master at numerous languages, which I found admirable. He drove the bus and stopped at all of the important sites around the island to give us a brief history of how Robben Island shaped the history of South Africa. The island has been a prison, leper colony, and now a museum. The staff of the museum can live on the island in nice little houses, although, whenever there is bad weather, departure from the island is inhibited, so some, like our guide, have chosen to inhabit the mainland. I saw an ostrich, and the horrible rabbit population on the island. I hope that they don't iradicate the springbok and other boki for the sake of the rabbits that have infested the island like lice.
Robben Island has most recently served as a home to political prisoners and hard core criminals. Nelson Mandela served a large portion of his term on Robben Island, where only 5 prisoners have ever escaped and all of them escaped only in the 1600s. The prison tour is conducted by ex-political prisoners. Our prisoner was 17 when he was thrown into Robben Island to serve his 5 year term. He was a student activist who opposed Bantu education. I found him to be intelligent and well-versed on all issues. He thinks critically about the world, and addressed many of the issues that I find in South Africa. I only wish that other South Africans would listen to people like him because his insights are priceless. He spoke of the importance of forgiveness and how the Afrikaaners have also faced many hardships. Our group contained many students from Brazil, who were obviously in their middle teens. These youth were obnoxious on our bus tour, answering phones, and talking when silence was necessary. The tour guide worked expertly with the students to separate them and capture their attention. One student asked what apartheid was- although shocking that someone visiting South Africa would not know what apartheid was, I was happy to hear the question. It is only through education like this that apartheid and other corrupt systems similar to apartheid will be prevented. Our guide spoke of the inhuman manner in which he was treated and how information was extracted from him. It is always incredibly difficult for me to fathom how one human could treat another human with such indignity and hatred. I guess it is conditioned, but it doesn't make any of it easier. The opportunity to interact with people who have experienced the claws of hatred is unique and something I will cherish forever. We saw the cell of Nelson Mandela, which as our tour guide indicated, was a click-click camera moment. Even though touristy, his room was shocking. He was given a tin can for a bathroom and a mat to sleep on. He is 6 ft tall, but his room wasn't long enough for him to spread out. Additionally, he was forced to work in the limestone mine, where many people lost their eyesight, or became more susceptible to bacteria such as pneumonia, tuberculosis, and bronchitis. Nelson had tb, but with treatment overcame the illness. Humanity is cruel, but I think there may be ways to bring about change so love is shown. We are all of the same fabric, we all share the same goals and hopes at the core, we only want to live in a manner that is happy and productive, yet we find minute differences to separate ourselves, and make ourselves distinct from other people. Similarities and differences should be embraced so that a "rainbow nation" like South Africa can exist in a state of peace and happiness, not fear and hatred.

Night Hike

The previous post illustrates my deep love for hiking. This post will only affirm this passion. On Thursday night, I thought I was going to have a quiet, uneventful night, however, just after I finished perusing through graduate school topics, Sanford called to say that they had vegetarian lasagna and that I needed to come test it. So, I left not thinking too much about anything other than getting a tasty piece of lasagna. The moon was out as we left and the stars even in the suburbs were quite visible. As we were munching on our lasagna, Ryan and Nina began talking of their moonlight hike to Lion's Head. I had already climbed Lion's Head twice by this point, but when they offered a trip by moonlight, I couldn't resist. I rushed home with my escort (Ryan) and changed into warmer hiking clothes and proper footware. I have climbed Lion's Head in chucks, but I wouldn't recommend it.
We arrived at Lion's Head around 10pm. The stars were brightly shining and the view of the city was magnificent. Our car was the only car in the parking lot, which was slightly disheartening. I was afraid that my group would be frightened by the possibility of mugging, so they wouldn't want to venture into the great unknown. Fortunately, we reached a consensus and left for our adventure. The view only became better as we climbed. The warm ocean breezes made Lion's Head warmer than my flat. As we reached some of the look out points, the city looked like it was a large mass of flickering candles. The only sign we could read from the top of the mountain was for Absa, one of the biggest banks in South Africa. we climbed to the top and upon reaching the top, found no other adventurers. The view was magnificent. I felt like I was on top of the world. The stars were all around, the moon was so bright that a flashlight was completely unnecessary, gargantuan table mountain overlooked us, and the ocean warmed us with its balmy winds. I don't know of any place in the world where there is such a feeling. I am so overwhelmed each time I stand on the top of Lion's Head. It is hard to believe that I could be here, and that this all must be some kind of dream.
Our trip down was safe, although Sanford did turn on a flashlight, which scared me immensely. I think I was about to dive under a rock or spray someone with pepper spray. Fortunately, he turned it off quickly before drawing too much attention to ourselves. We returned to Obz around 12:30 am. I felt tired, but also an exhilarating sense of being alive. I am only granted the opportunity to live once, so I must take full advantage to experience all that is wonderful, even if it means losing a few hours of sleep and getting a few bruises.

Hiking- its what I do

(note the above picture is taken on the Skeleton Gorge Trail on the Camps Bay side)
Since I arrived in Cape Town, I have gone hiking almost every weekend. Yes, this is a little bit excessive, but it has been fabulous. This weekend I managed to squeeze in two hikes, one to Lion's Head and the other to Skeleton Gorge. I throughly enjoyed both of these endeavors. I had previously climbed Lion's Head (which I actually think looks more like a Gorilla's Head) on a rather cloudy day. The repeat hike occurred on a breathtaking clear sunny day, so I appreciated actually seeing views of the city rather than clouds, although the previous hike was magical. The hike to the top of Lion's Head usually only takes an hour, which Heloise and I completed in this time range, while the rest of our group took much longer. Once arriving to the top of the mountain, we waited for 30 minutes for the others. I enjoyed staying on the top for such a long period of time, but I didn't know where the rest of my group had ventured off. After occupying the top of Lion's Head for over an hour, it was time to descend. It was already 5, so that meant that the sun would soon set. I rushed with some of the others to see the sunset at a lower level, overlooking the sea. The sunset was spectacular, but half of our group was not with us. We waited over 30 minutes before the others caught up. At this point, it was dark, and we still had a considerable distance to complete before we would be done with the trail. The trail is semi-steep and parts of it are littered with rocks of all sizes. There have been several muggings on the mountain in the past few weeks, so I was less than thrilled to be traveling down in these conditions. Luckily, our group failed to encounter any of these charming people or run into any rock associated fatalities.
Today a group of us met early in the morning at Newlands Forest to hike Table Mountain. The group was made up of South Africans and then other volunteers from my organization, SAEP. We took the Skeleton Gorge path that departs out of Kirstenbosch Gardens. The trail is quite taxing with numerous stairs and ascends over 730m. The trail climbs through a waterfall, has numerous mossy ladders and many breathtaking views. We passed by two reservoirs (or dams) on the top of the mountain. The hike up was worth all of the pain. The hike down was steep and breathtaking. We hiked down on the Camps bay side of the table and were in the presence of the 12 apostles and the ocean the entire time. The shades of blue are utterly amazing on a sunny day. The ocean and sky differ in intensity and patterns. Each step on the trail led to some new view that no matter how I tried, I was unable to capture the moment with the camera. I wish I could trap the feelings and view that I experienced at each new bend in the pathway with some kind of device. Heloise said it best, she wishes her eye was a camera so she could save the moment just as we see it. Upon completing our decent down the mountain, we walked to Camps Bay and went to Sinnful for ice cream. (I highly recommend the honey comb ice cream) The ice cream shop is right on the beach and has a roof overlooking the ocean. We enjoyed our ice cream while watching the ocean hoping that a flipper or other whale part would emerge from the bright blue waters (we did happen to see a whale before we made it to the ice cream shop and I think many of us were hoping that the whales would reappear). Our trip back was intersting, because we left the cars in Newlands Forest, but were on the other side of the mountain at the end of our hike. Danielle's boyfriend, Thorsten haggled with some taxi drivers, and managed to get us a taxi back to the forest for 130 rand for 11 people. The minibus taxi had red plush seats and the steering wheel was adorned with a garish red cover. The driver sped quickly away to bring us to desired destination. Along the way we saw a girl who had been walking her dog as we headed down into Camps Bay. The dog, after 1.5 hrs or so was completely exhausted, and was sitting in the dirt completely sprawled out. Heloise and Isabel thought he was ugly while I found his shape quite attractive. Our journey ended with our saying good bye to the taxi driver who was flabbergasted when we told him we had hiked from the point he dropped us off to where he had picked us up.
And I only hope for more of these weekends, however, I only have 2 weekends left in Cape Town... so I must come back soon to complete all of the hikes that my legs have not yet carried me; new and revisited spots of joy in Cape Town.

Taxi anyone?

This is a post I have been thinking about for quite some time now, however, I felt like I couldn't accurately write about the experience until I had actually participated in the mini-bus taxi ritual. Today, I wanted to go to the city center and intended on taking the train, however, as I rushed to the station, the train to Cape Town pulled in and I was still 2 blocks away without a ticket, so I knew there was no way I would be able to board. I didn't want to wait an hour for the next train, so I took a taxi. Here is the basic handbook for taxis in South Africa.
Background: In Cape Town, cheap transport is provided by two forms: trains and the mini-bus taxi. The taxi is normally an old VW Combi (era late nineties or before unless you are really lucky) that is crammed full with as many people as possible. The taxi outfit consists of a driver and a fare collector/advertiser.
Fares: The fare from Obz, where I live, to Cape Town center is about 5 rand (75 cents in USD)- the same as the train- but I can catch a taxi at any moment during the day or night and get a ride to the city.
How to catch a taxi: This is normally done effortlessly. The advertiser screams out the window "Wynberg, Claremont" or "Kaapstad" and the driver honks the horn. When a person makes eye contact with the advertiser or some kind of hand signal, the taxi driver slams to a halt and the passenger is picked up, even if there appears to be no space for the person. The fare is collected and the individual tells the driver where they want to stop along the main road. At each stop the advertiser gets out of the taxi and runs up and down the sidewalk saying, in my case, "Lady do you want Wynberg/Claremont", to which I nod my head no. If you want to get on, the advertiser will assist in helping you find a place and carry your bags to the taxi finding a spot where your belongings will not get crushed.
Dangers: The only drawback of this form of transport, other than the sardine effect, is the safety factor. The drivers don't adhere to traffic laws. They drive too fast, in turn lanes, turn off randomly to pick up passengers, and carry far more people than what the vehicle was intended for carrying. I have seen at least 2 accidents (actually witnessed them occurring) with taxis.
FAQ: Would I recommend taking a mini-bus taxi?
Now that I have actually taken one, I don't find them as scary. They are slower than the train and are less sketchy, but I think I would recommend this form of transport if you need something quick and cheap. It is definitely better than walking in crime ridden neighborhoods and will get you to your desired location in mostly one piece.

Winter School

So after weeks of preparation and too much chemistry and physics, winter school began on Monday morning. I didn't have all of the copies I wanted or needed, but I only hoped that the students for the one class would survive without the massive amount of paper. Everything was set. I began my first period class with 2 students. I don't know where the 55 other students were, but obviously they were not enthused about waking up and coming to school for 4 hours. Despite this, I began my lecture on genetics and on the central dogma. Yes, Ms. Huey's central dogma from AP Bio remains a core part of my understanding of genetics, so it becomes what I teach to other adventuring souls. This lecture wasn't terrible nor were my following two. I entered my 4th hour class slightly overwhelmed and covered in chalk dust. I began my lesson that was all over the place. The chemistry teacher told me that the students from this class were very weak and didn't know very much, so I thought it would be most beneficial if I started with the basics. Some of the learners complained to the gap year interns that I should be teaching them exam questions rather than basic chemistry. My response was without this knowledge how do you ever expect for me to teach you organic chemistry or harder aspects of normal chemistry? I left slightly depressed- fortunately I had track workouts in the evening which made up for the bad school day.
The following days have been interesting. Some of my students are super bright and I only hope that they continue on with science at the university level. Other students are not so bright and only know how to copy work from others or sit and look pretty. I have one group in my organic chemistry class that is full of well made up girls, but they don't know anything and I don't think they care if they know anything. One of the saddest things for me this week was explaining Nagasaki and Hiroshima to a group of 17 year olds. Not only do the kids not know what an atomic bomb was or what a nuclear power plant is, they don't even know where Japan is. I know that I shouldn't be concerned with history lessons, but when they are applicable to science, I think that events in the past that are so monumental such as WWII or atomic bombings should be common knowledge. On the days following this lecture, I asked my dear students how many centimeters were in a meter. This question took the learners several minutes to answer and one of the answers was 1000cm are in 1 meter. I wanted to cry in agony. I don't know what some of these kids have been doing in all of their classes since high school began, but obviously whatever it is, it is not learning.
Today went well other than the kids in my 9 am class that only shows up at 9:30. They had forgotten everything I had taught them and were confused with the most basic questions. I wasn't sure what I should do, so I continued on with the lesson in hopes that they would understand a portion of what I was trying to say. It wasn't the most pleasant thing for me to do. I feel terrible for teachers who have to explain the same concept multiple times before their learners grasp the core idea. I don't know what kids like this will be able to do with their lives because they are unable to read English with proficiency, unable to think critically, and unable or not willing to put the work in to obtain a higher level of knowledge.
As the closing for this day, I had a lovely lunch with Heloise and Pauline. It was raining and quite cold, so I went for a run, and contacted one of the dear high school chemistry teachers. I was supposed to teach his learners for the entirity of winter break, but now he tells me that his students want to go back to the Eastern cape an d that they won't need my assistance next week. I felt terrible at first for spending so much time on basic concepts, but I think in the long run this will be more applicable to them and give them the basic underlying knowledge that they will require to be sucessful at anything they choose to do.
Tomorrow is the last day of winter school. I will be glad when it is over- especially since I am teaching 3 different subjects- organic chemistry, basic chemistry, and genetics. My only hope is that my teaching has assisted at least one of the learners here and has helped them to understand some concept with a bit more clarity. I have always had a great respect for teachers and this week has only caused my respect to grow exponentially. Teachers put up with unruly students, students who don't want to learn, students who don't understand the long term consequences of their actions, and long after hours with planning and grading. I don't know if I will ever enter the teaching field, but I do hope that my efforts will be long lasting and perhaps be beneficial to other people. I have been given so much that everyone else deserves to have a portion of what I have been granted as far as my education goes- although I think there are multiple ways I can disseminate this knowledge without being a school teacher.

Really old post- but the internet was down for a week...........

Weekend Adventures

Friday night the rain finally cleared for a few minutes, enough for me to go running. I was prevented from running on Thursday because the rain was incredibly cold and was coming down with torrential force. It felt beautiful to hit the pavement again, although the time out hadn’t been that long. A rainbow emerged as I was running, only making everything more spectacular. Kanamemee- one of my flat mates- ask me about her if you want more details- she is an interesting person was preparing to leave to go back home to Mauritius while my other flat mate, Sharon, let earlier in the afternoon with her mom. Winter holidays are 3 weeks and all of the universities finished on Friday. My lovely landlord invited us down for hot chocolate and chocolate tea, both of which I thoroughly enjoyed. Of course the conversation dragged on forever before I was able to return to my humble abode. My abode is not really that humble, rather exorbitant in comparison to anything that I have previously occupied as a student. I think I use the term humble because it is still a student flat and we have problems with our six legged pheromone emitting friend- the black ant. I think I may be allergic to them, but I am not certain.

Asanda, the film expert at SAEP lent me several AIDS films. I learned a great deal about South African film and AIDS through the films (It’s My Life, Guilty, The Moment, and Big Balls). The films speak to the human effect of AIDS and that none of us is really free from it. It is so easy to ignore the problem and to think our actions have little effect upon outcomes in the future, but the sad reality is that each and every thing has consequences that may be irreversible.

I signed up for two hikes on Saturday- One to van Riebeck Park and the other to Simon’s Town. Despite my overplanning, both hikes were canceled due to fears of rain. My hopes were slightly crushed because I was also without internet at the time. The rugby match tickets were only available online- and because of no internet= no tickets to Italy vs. SA. (It would later rain in sheets at the same time as the game, at which time I was grateful to not have gone to the game because I would have probably changed colors). I spent the day with my landlord as weird as that is. I read a book about blood groups and what foods are better for certain blood groups. It was an incredibly interesting book and I think that it has some validity. I had a nice lunch as well and then we went shopping. I got a nice summer shirt for only R10 or about $1.25. It will be great for Holland and the rest of the summer. South African stores have just as much as European and American stores, if not more. After shopping, we made our way out to Wooley Point. My landlord and I walked along the gorgeous pathway to Camps Bay. The views of the sea were spectacular. It was a bit overcast, but there were few people around, and I loved every moment. The houses on the ocean are relatively affordable, and I think that someday this is where I want to live. Right on the ocean looking at Lions Head, Signal Hill, Table Mountain, two beautiful oceans, and sunsets that you cannot describe. We made it to Camps Bay just as the sun set. My landlord is quite kind and made me a fantastic dinner- then I finally heard from my fellow volunteers. They said they were going to watch the Holland vs. Russia game. Of course I was completely excited about going, so watched the first part of the game at my landlords home, and then met up with everyone else at the American’s House (the volunteers from the Clinton School – Sanford, Ryan, and Sarah). I arrived and they were having breakfast- how lovely- it was nice. We rushed off and made it in time to the see the second half of the game. The game was fast paced and the Dutch were not playing like they had in the previous games of Euro Cup 2008. I don’t know if it was due to the death of the son of one of the players or just because they were tired. They went into double overtime, and the Russians ended up winning the game unfortunately. The Russians played better so they deserved to win, but it was still quite depressing because the Dutch were playing so well in this tournament. The Russian coach is also Dutch and is a little bit chunky. He looks like he enjoys his vodka. The Dutch coach looks very athletic and serious- both are excellent coaches.

Today I woke up early as usual despite the removal of both of my flat mates. I watched another of the AIDS films and prepared to go to Lions Head. The weather was supposed to be gorgeous today, but as it ended up, the morning was incredibly overcast and it was raining. I only hoped that things would get better. I got more airtime for my phone and met up with the Heloise and Pauline. We finally got everything organized around 11:15. We decided to go into the city and then hopefully the weather would clear up. Ryan and the Dutch flat mate of Heloise and Pauline came along as well. Sanford and Sarah decided to stay at home. I was excited for our adventures. Pauline and the Dutch girl went to the National Gallery, which I visited last Sunday. I wanted to see something different, so ventured off to the museum of South Africa with Ryan and Heloise. This museum was incredible and we probably only made our way through about a quarter of the museum before it got to be to much. The shark display was very informative- I learned about the sensitivity of sharks and that Southern Africa is home to a wealth of species. I had no idea that the shark population was so diverse here. Sharks are very sensitive to many different stimuli and have the unique ability to detect tiny changes in their environment. They are able to detect changes in electrochemical signals- fascinating! The displays of ancient South African tribes were fascinating. I found the jewelry and clothing amazing. Several rock paintings were taken from the natural locations and were placed in the museum. The rock paintings were all made out of blood and a mixture of the soils found in SA. The Eland is a very important animal in SA, especially in the Cape regions and other Southern regions. The eland is believed to be a magical creature and has many superstitious qualities. The use of shading and coloration on the rock created pieces that inspire thoughts of watching the ancient bushman chasing the Eland down the veld in search of a new meal. After our adventures to the museum, the weather cleared beautifully. The sun came out and white clouds slowly drifted across the horizon. As a group, it was decided we would tackle Lion’s Head. I was excited to go on a hike to such a beautiful place. Lunch was consumed and we began our trip to the mountain.

Cape Town is a city that unites national parks and city life in one unique piece. I don’t think it is possible to find another city in the world that is so unique and beautiful. The towering mountains make skyscrapers look like children’s building blocks. The view from the road going to Lion’s Head is tortutous, yet highly recommended. Once emerging from the car, the city was in perfect view. As an avid tourist, I took numerous pictures, all to record the immense beauty that I was experiencing. The climb up Lion’s peak was incredible. The clouds surrounded the peak, often leaving me with the impression that I was in an airplane that was free of recycled air, crying babies, and crushed legs. The hike wasn’t terrible, but was not the easiest hike I have encountered in my life. I enjoyed the route up, climbing massive boulders, watching water trickle from red rock walls, watching as the scenery changed every moment as I climbed further and further up this magnificent creation. At one point, there was the option of going up with chains and hand bars or taking an alternative pathway. Pauline, Eva, and I chose the non-chain pathway while Heloise and Ryan chose the chain pathway. The chains reduced their total climbing by about 5 minutes. We reached the top of the mountain and I was amazed. The clouds bordered the sides, giving you the feeling like I was some kind of bird observing all below me. I enjoyed the feeling immensely. There was time to relax and mediate on life- something so perfect. We reenacted titanic on the rocks and all was wonderful. Eventually we left the mountain peak, descending carefully through the rocky passes. I don’t know if I fully comprehend my being here. I think the beauty surrounding me is sometimes too difficult for my mind to comprehend.

After the hike, hunger and exhaustion were felt by all. Heloise volunteered to make creamy pasta with mushrooms. It was a wonderful meal, after which we all departed to go watch football (futbol) or just to relax. It was truly an amazing day.

A note of irony- South Africa is no longer a country inflicted with the system of apartheid, however, there are numerous statutes to Botha and Cecil Rhodes all over the city of Cape Town. I don’t quite understand why the statues of two highly infamous figures can remain. These individuals inflicted unknown pains upon millions of people living in Southern Africa, and they are honored with large statues in central locations. When will South Africa honor those who have changed things in a real way, in a way that is positive for all groups, not just a single racial group?

24 June 2008 Tuesday

Today is Sebastian’s 20^th birthday. I feel like we are all getting so old, but that is what life is about, getting old and learning new things, and then dying, and hopefully have contributed to humanity in some kind of positive way. The rain has cleared for several days, and today was gorgeous. Walking to work was gratifying because the sun was out, the air was warm, and the wind was gone. The normal mundane walk was transformed into something powerful and amazing. Upon reaching the office, I began working on my daily tasks. Danielle and Shep decided to go out to Zisukhanyo HS in the morning because they were not receiving the answers they needed for Winter School. I joined them because I was having a very difficult time getting in contact with the physical science teacher and needed to ask her in which areas her learners needed help. Most of our meetings fail to answer all of the questions we have, but today’s meeting was different. The principal at Zisu finally agreed to allow the students from Phillipi HS to come to Zisu for the winter school. This simplifies my life because we originally thought that there was a possibility that the learners from Phillipi would not be able to join the learners from Zisu. This would mean that the groups would be separated from one another and I would have to go in between both schools as the day progressed. Fortunately, I only have to teach 4 hrs. every day for a week, 3 different lessons for 4 classes. I only hope that I am able to cope with the stress and get everything together before the winter school starts. I think it will be a wonderful thing for all of the learners to have extra help in the areas that they struggle. I finally found Ms. Lande, who gave me an incredible amount of information. I have to learn capicator science so that I can run a practical with the learners. I also have to obtain supplies to run the lab. Hopefully I can find all of the necessary equipment so that I can get the lab together.

After our meeting, we returned to the office, I started reading the textbook, and found that it is an awful book. The book is filled typographical and grammatical errors. Many of the sentences are unclear or completely impossible to understand. I have never seen a published book that was so poor. At 3:15, Heloise, Pauline, Ryan, Sanford, and I left the office for Checkers to get snacks for our sunset trip to Signal Hill. We picked up Sarah at the ECD office and made our way to Signal Hill. The day was perfect for observing the sunset. It was possible to see many kilometers out into the sea today- something that I don’t get to see very often in the winter time. The sunset was incredible. The colours and the ocean, city, and beauty of Table Mountain are all too much to describe. Eva came along and brought delicious bread. The picnic was yummy and such- cheese, excellent bread, cucumbers, chips, humus and the world was wonderful. The patterns in the sea were fascinating to watch with Table Mountain in the background. The trip down the mountain was also overwhelming. The city lights in the darkness with the shapes the mountains in the twilight were immensely beautiful.

I returned home and made my bed. I have little red spots all over my legs and back, and I only get them at night so I decided to wash my sheets today. I used hot water, lots of soap, and put the things that couldn’t be washed in the sunlight. I hope this kills whatever little creatures are biting me. And my internet is still down. Hopefully it returns to full functionality soon!

Trains and Rebirth

On Tuesday, our meetings ended late in the afternoon. I really wanted to go running, and knew that if I walked, I would probably not make it back in time. My fight against running in the dark is becoming more and more difficult as the days shorten. At least tomorrow is the shortest day of the year, so I will slowly earn back the minutes that have been taken so cruelly from me. With several of the other volunteers, we ventured off to the train station thinking that it would be like any of our other train rides, a few people scattered all over the train, with plenty of space to sit. As we approached the train station, we noticed that the platform was crowded with people. This is not too unfamiliar of a sight right before the train arrives. I ran to buy my ticket thinking that the train was seconds away from arriving. My rush to purchase my ticket was in vain because we ended up waiting 10 minutes before the train arrived. The train was packed with people. There was still space for me to get on, and then pack in comfortably as a sardine in a sea of people. I lost my balance, but fortunately the bed of people cushioned me, preventing my untimely falling.
As the train pulled out of the station, I thought, this is what those pictures of trains in the townships looked like during apartheid- now I get to experience the life of a typical African commuter. Each station we passed, more people piled into the overfilled vessels. Many hung from the doors preventing them from closing. This was frightening since the train moves at high speeds and jerks and juts all over the track. I think I would fall off- but I am reminded that the people here have incredible control over their bodies. They can carry full baskets of laundry or newspapers or whatever you can imagine on their heads with no problems. The klutziness factor that I have inherited seems to elude these people.
Getting out the train was like being born. My innards were squeezed as I pushed my body through the mass of people. I had to exert all of my power to exit the train as more people were piling on the train in the opposite direction. The process was painful and exhilarating. I didn't know if it was physically possible for me to make it through the impossibly small gap in people. The train began going down the track again as I finally pulled free from the mass of people. I stood on the platform relieved to have made it off of the train. People attached to the train like barnacles hit me as they passed, frightening me slightly. There was absolutely no space for me to push into the mass of people on the platform. I escaped the train station and made it in time for my run, although in a compressed form. I feel like I have a better understanding of some of the struggles the typical South African faces in going to and from to work- one of which is a faulty public transportation system- never on time, and without enough space for all of the commuters, yet I am grateful that there is something available for those who can't afford cars, taxis, and other forms of transport.

south african art

It's Sunday and tomorrow is youth day, the day South Africans celebrate people my age. The holiday is in remembrance of the uprisings in Soweto on June 16 in the 70s. No work, long weekend = adventures.
Yesterday I went hiking with kids in from a local township, which was fabulous. The weather was decent, not perfect, but nice enough for a hike. This morning it was raining, cold, and gloomy. I prefer the "monkey's wedding" rain that occurs quite frequently here. "A monkey's wedding" refers to a day when it is raining and the sun is out. I wanted to visit the market today, but the weather did not seem conducive to outdoor commercialism. I opted instead for the SA National Art Gallery. The gallery contains a lot of pieces from Europe, specifically England and Holland, and a few from South Africa. The pieces were all quite lovely. One sculpture used black and white marble to create Othello. The combination was striking. There was also an entire section on clothing and how fabric is enticing to the senses. The pieces here were fabulous.
As far as special exhibits go, 2 of the selections were particularly moving to me. The first exhibit I toured was by Cecil Skotnes, a native South African. His work covers a wide use of media and is awe-inspiring. He also stood up to the apartheid government to teach kids from the townships art and allow them to come to his home where they could be exposed to other artists and special techniques. One of the bowties he designed was particularly interesting. It had buttons on one half of the top bow, and on the opposing side, 2 bow, buttons appeared again. The contrast striking. After this exhibit I visited an exhibit of the architect Paucho Guedes, a Portuguese who was raised in Mozambique, trained in South Africa, and returned to Mozambique to design Maputo for 25 years. His work was very modern and helped me understand where the crazy 1960s (sometimes quite hideous) designs came from.
After leaving the psychedelic, I entered the stark reality of apartheid South Africa. The work of the photographer Ernest Cole was on show. He was a brilliant photographer, who overcame many different forms of opposition to publish his work. In his late twenties, he published a book of photos showing the difficulty that blacks living in townships faced. He hoped that when people saw the pictures, there would be an outcry from many nations to end the injustices. However, the ANC was closely linked to the communist party, so it wasn't until after "the fall of the berlin wall" that apartheid was condemned by governments. His work spoke to me. He was condemned by SA for his work and forced to relocate. He ended up living in NYC, and died penniless in 1990, 4 years before apartheid ended. No one knows where he hid his negatives, so his work has been lost in a way. Although forgotten to many, I think his work is wonderful and hope that someday more of his photographs will be uncovered.
My trek back to the train station included a quick tour through the company gardens by the parliament building. All of the squirrels were ridiculously fat and very person friendly. I photographed several, including a white squirrel- perhaps albino- he did have red eyes. Cape Town on a rainy Sunday is pretty low key. Few shops are open, and everyone is friendly. I am cold though. It is june in the Southern hemisphere, and I am wearing my winter jacket with liner that smells like cigarettes. Cigarettes- yes the Dutch won!- and the game was amazing- and bars in SA still allow indoor smoking...... till next time....

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Typical Day
11 June 2008

This morning when I awoke around 7:30 the rain was pouring from the sky. The first song on my ipod was fittingly “I’ll take the rain” by REM. I typically walk 30 minutes in the morning from my flat to my work. This morning the rain would not stop, so I decided to take the train. I realized that taking the train takes about as much time as walking, with the only benefit that it gives me plenty of time to read. I arrived to work 15 minutes late, but it is a volunteer job, so who really is counting? I finished my work creating a picassa photo album of Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens (awesome place that like all of Cape Town, I will miss immensely), and then began my work of writing genetics lab practicals that can be done in schools with access to limited lab materials. The work is challenging but rewarding because I know that my work will hopefully help the teachers and students with genetics since a huge part of the matric exam is genetics. A former teacher came by and spoke to us about why he sees education as the most important thing to prevent xenophobia and other problems throughout SA. He made some good points, and like everything I see here, the education system is great on paper, but implementing the progressive ideas is when the problems appear. After the meeting, my fellow interns and I crammed into the van to go to Phillipi- the township where our work is concentrated- to talk to the teachers about what subjects they want covered for winter school. The chemistry teacher told me that he would like lessons for 2 hours a day for all 3 weeks, and for me to teach his learners all of chemistry because he hasn’t had chemistry himself since grade 12. I am a bit overwhelmed- but I hope my being here will help some poor kid understand a bit more chemistry than what he or she currently knows. The biology teacher asked for my flash drive and gave me a ton of files containing the syllabus and other critical information. Unfortunately, when I arrived back at the office, I discovered that all of her files were infected with a virus. I was given my own personal copies of the text books, which are more like study guides than real text books. I began reading the genetics section of the life science text book and it said “Cattle always produce cattle; they never produce horses or elephants…Parents always produce offspring that look like them in some ways and also differ in some ways.” Of course cows produce cows- otherwise we wouldn’t label them as such- the actual meaning of genetics is completely distorted by this way of viewing the world- and this is what the kids have to read. The standards the state sets are much higher than what the textbook thinks the students are capable of. And now continuing on with my day, Kerry and I decided to do our typical hummus and pita lunch after the meeting, and then I began working. I left around 4:20 so that I could get home in enough time to go for a run. I ran, came home, went shopping, made dinner, and then rushed out the door to see movie with my fellow interns. The movie we wanted to see was sold out, and we learned that in South African movie theaters, you are assigned seats. The mall where the movie theater is located is decadent. The gaps here are immense. You are either dreadfully poor or super rich. Of course there are people in between, but the contrast between what rich and poor mean is stark and ever present. Everyone was tired, so we split- nice adventure. I rode home in the rent-a-bug with one of the French interns and her Dutch flat mate. I like the rent-a-bug concept. The company rents 1960s VW Beetles for a low cost, so you get the vintage and affordable all in one. And now I write. This is a typical day in Cape Town, a city I will never want to leave.

Waterfront

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Forces



Two oceans converged at one to create you

Violent storms

Fierce winds

Carved the land.

Waves beat you, winds shook you, rains flooded you,

But you stood steadfast.



Those fierce winds and violent storms

Brought guests to you.

Guests hoping to find sister lands,

Guests exhausted from long journeys

Guests wanting peace.

The guests were grateful for your refuge,

More came to tame you,

Make you a place where they as guests could survive

And find solace from those powerful forces that surround you.



Fierce landscape, only the strongest survived

Wars, turmoil over your precious resources

Fueled by greediness and pride.

You cried in agony, but no one listened.

You saw what hate destroyed

A beautiful bride tainted by a growing scourge

Those guests who once sought you for refuge

sped away to new lands

New lands where solace could be found.

New lands where the fierce storms of

Poverty, indolence, racism, sexism, pride, lust,

Remained at bay



You cried at the loss, your soils raped

Your beauty marred, by the unseen

Your guests asked what they could do

They searched for a panacea

That quickly faded when found

bringing demons

Far stronger than those of before

They fight themselves

You watch as a pained host,

Powerless, yet hopeful

That they will one day see.

Wishing, waiting, hoping,

That the solace you once provided

Can be re-discovered in your sharp rock faces

Created by brutal waves

Before hidden wind

And waves annihilate those you have

Sheltered so tenderly.

Religion: Possible to save humanity?

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For much of my life, religion has been an area of constant struggle. As some philosophers have said and with whom I readily agree, there must be a balance between mental, spiritual and physical realms for a person to achieve complete fulfillment in their lives. I think that often organized religion fills the role for spirituality in many people's lives, however, I also find that religion causes much strife and pain when used incorrectly.One may wonder why I address this topic while in Africa, but I think that it has some relevance to recent events.

On Sunday I had the opportunity to attend two churches in one day. In the morning, I attended my usual church after much internal bickering, and I am glad that I did so. The people were welcoming and friendly, something that does not always ocurr. I was amazed at the level of knowledge the students in the Sunday school class had about all sorts of doctrinal issues. In previous classes I have attended in various other places, I have felt like I was the one who knew all of the answers and that no one else really understood. It is wrong for me to assume that the other students didn't know anything, but this was my perception. I enjoyed seeing people who were actively involved in their religion and actively thought about what they were being taught. It seems that far too often in my religious experience people are exposed to a variety of things and claim that they believe, yet their actions show otherwise. Additionally, they claim to believe something but never really sit down to think about all of the implications of the belief.

The next church service I attended was a youth service in Rondebosch where my landlord's son goes to church. The church was only recently opened and the foyer is reminiscent of a beautiful hotel. The congregation was much larger than that of the previous service. Most people were nice but also completely impersonal. The service addressed the cosmos and how God cares about each individual person no matter how small we may appear in relationship to the entire universe. The subject was thought provoking and inspirational, however, I didn't understand the songs. The songs were repetitive and kept on mentioning that God is great and wonderful, but nothing about what people should do to live like God or what is required other than admitting you are a sinner. I am perhaps overly judgemental, but I think that music reflects a lot about a religion. I felt small and insignificant in this church, although I am sure this is not what those ministering would have liked me to feel. I also had the impression that the people in attendance didn't think too critically about everything, but again, how critical are those who attend my church.

Carl Marx once said religion was "opium of the masses". I agree on some levels with this remark because often those who are religious and impoverished find a hope within religion that someday God will see the struggles of their lives and pour out abundant blessing in the afterlife. When religion is taken away from people, as was done in the USSR, there is a great loss of hope and in some cases basic morality. Religion is a critical expression of humanity for many people and a form of hope. Religion is ubiquitous, although I think our present society has repressed it and views negatively and with skepticism. I am one who hides my religious activities out of fear that those in my field may find me inadequate as a scientist for believing in that which cannot be proved. Religon is like astrology in our society- not really accepted as truth but allowed to persist.

Now, how does religion tie into my South African experience? I am presently reading the new book by Mamphela Ramphele, a local Capetonian, entitled Laying Ghosts to Rest: Dilemmas of the transformation in South Africa. This book speaks about religion and how it was marginalized during apartheid and now. Religion as a function allows us, in Rampehle's words, to transcend that which has happened in the past and to start anew. I think an honest and real effort to adhere to some kind of code of humanity ie spiritual guideline is needed in this world. There is too much hate and fear. Humanity is too special to go extinct in such a brutal, uncaring manner. If people learn to love themselves, their families, their communities, their world, and transcend that which has happened to them, the world will become a place where living is possible. In the present state, the world is a scary place with a few are living very well and many others paying the price hoping that someday they will be given the same blessings of capitalism, whether through legal or illegal means. Organized religion provides a guideline for living that shows that some higher being had some purpose in creating this world and its inhabitants. Some teach love and respect for all people. I do not agree with many of the methods used by organized religions, however, if this is the only way for people to find spirituality and basic decency towards others, than so be it. Religion must strengthen a person to love and care for all of humanity- not detract like so many of our current outlets in society- and in this manner perhaps we will save a few and come to terms with those who oppress us and to those who we oppress. Religion can be a code of ethics that when understood properly- can be a powerful tool for the preservation of basic huamn rights. I am not endorsing or criticizing religion. I only wish to come to terms with it, and understand how it can be employed to create the world I wish to be a citizen.

Washing

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I ran out of underwear today, so I knew it was time to do my washing and so the adventure began. I am so used to my big washer that washes, rinses, and spins my clothes so I didn't know what to think when I met my plug-into-the-sink washing machine in my new flat. The machine frightened me at first with its two compartments, one for washing and rinsing, and the other for wringing. I consulted one of my flat mates about my ordeal and after giving me a funny look, she proceeded to help me figure out how to use the machine. It seemed quite simple- add the clothes, add the soap, fill the tub with water with a hose attached to the kitchen sink faucet, and turn it on. Wait- hose from the kitchen sink- perhaps like the sketchy dishwasher in my house in Athens? I proceeded to place my clothes into the abyss, add the soap, and turn the machine on. My clothes were washed as the machine gently twirled around changing directions every five seconds or so. After the first cycle, I pressed the drain button to release the murky grey water and began the self imposed "rinse" cycle to get rid of the remnants of sweat and soap. (wearing running clothes several days in a row=gross). I finally finished after about 30 minutes with the initial washing. It was now time for wringing . An imposing sign on the wringing compartment reads "Max 4kg. If machine shakes violently, take clothing out or redistribute weight." I thought I would err on the side of safety so I performed this cycle 3 times to spin all of my clothes. I observed the violent shaking only once fortunately- and redistribution solved this problem. The final step is hanging the wash out to dry. I started with the first wrung laundry and remembered days long past when I had to hang laundry in my grandparents backyard in sunny San Diego, hopping over plants and trying to attach huge bed sheets to the clothes line. Fortunately, my clothes are on a rack so I don't have to worry about people walking off with my clothes or about leaving them outside. I ran out of clothespins, so I became quite creative (much sarcasm) and hung my clothes over the metal rack hoping that they won't fall off. I covered the entire rack with my clothes, and it is not that I had that much laundry, rather, it is only a rack. As a finished putting my last few pieces of undergarments on the rack, the wind began blowing nicely. It had rained earlier in the day, but at the time the sun was out and everything seemed perfect enough for Cape Town and drying laundry in the winter. I left my clothing out on the porch and then headed out to Spar with one of my flat mates. Upon return the weather still looked promising for drying. I decided to check up on my laundry before cooking dinner- fortunately I did because with the sun shining brightly the rain came again! I attempted to fold up the rack and get into the kitchen. Fortunately my flat mate is more rack inclined and knew how to fold it so that I could bring the wash into the house. I ran in and placed the rack in my bedroom. Now the rack is the centerpiece to my room. It is rather chilly tonight, so I don't want to open the window, although I am sure that it would help my clothes dry. We will see if what they say is true- that it is impossible to have dry wash in Cape Town in winter because of the rain and humidity.

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Part 1: Paris, Joburg, etc.

26/5/08
Abbreviations: ATL= Atlanta JFK=John F. Kennedy airport in NYC CDG= Charles De Gualle in Paris CT= Cape Town Joburg= Johannesburg

So I began this adventure a week ago today. My day was quite full with the finishing touches of packing for 3 months, packing my house for grad school, and sorting out all of the last minute details that I had previously little time to act. I finished my packing and my dear mother picked me up (also assisted in packing because I avidly avoid doing it until the absolute last minute) to go to ATL. Upon arrival at the airport I discovered that my bag was 15 lbs overweight, which meant that I would have had to pay $80 to bring my bag. I knew that I was only allowed 20kg on my flight to CT, so I had to lose some baggage weight. My fifteen cut pounds included all of my sweaters, 1 pair of shoes, and a few other sundry things. My wardrobe became limited, and hopefully it doesn’t become too cold here.

All of my flights went quite well. I arrived at CDG around noon and then had to go through the tortuous airport and customs to finally find the RER to get into Paris. Fortunately a dear French woman helped me with my ticket so that I ended up getting the right amount. I caught the first possible train, but I was incredibly tired after all of my adventures. The last thing I wanted to do was to sit in a train guarding my backpack from muggers, but I managed to stay semi-consiscious under the influence of the gentle lull of the train. Elizabeth directed me to the busiest metro station in the world. I am glad that my problems here were only limited to my card losing its magnetism. Fortunately, with the aide of two French women and many hand motions, I was able to procure a new card so that I would not spend my twelve hour Paris layover in the metro station. I met Elizabeth in a charming Parisian park. This park bordered one of the districts that Napoleon III did not destroy in his effort to modernize Paris in the 19th century. Humming with activity from the various shops and restaurants, Elizabeth skillfully directed us through the winding streets to a charming falafel place. We took our falafels to a nice park and had lunch. I enjoyed it thoroughly.

I told Elizabeth to bring me to places that the average tourist would not visit, and she was true to my request. We visited the cemetery where Chopin, Oscar Wilde, and Bob Morrison are all buried. This cemetery commemorated all of the concentration camps in addition to many of the old families of Paris. Great trees shadowed the rickety cobblestone roads that wound throughout the cemetery with no real formula or reason. Supposedly during the Napoleon III era many of the cemeteries in the city center were moved to the outskirts of the city to make room for new construction, yet now the city has grown to include the cemeteries.

Elizabeth also brought me to the Sorbonne and other gorgeous buildings. We had the most splendid ice cream in a park near the Sorbonne and discussed politics among other things. For dinner, we went to a quiche place with a delightful middle aged woman who told us we could stay as long as we wanted and who makes amazing quiche for prices a poor student can actually afford. The day ended with a trip to a medieval amphitheater where families and children were playing. Paris is an amazing city because everything is still alive, which is what this closing scene of the day reminded me. You can imagine that at one time there were giant riots throughout the streets in protest to crazy rulers like Napoleon and Louis XIV, while watching small children play in once dangerous places. Unlike many places that become a museum, where the past is unable to change, Paris is vibrant and ever changing, yet the same culture permeates through the people. The people are a conglomerate of old and new, something rarely found in modern society.

Elizabeth brought me back to the metro and the RER. Fortunately on this metro trip there were no men trying to woo us- unlike a previous journey earlier in the day. I was sad to leave, but happy for my new adventures.

Air-France does an amazing job- although I slept through most of my flight to Joburg from CDG. Unfortunately I was next to an obnoxious couple from Idaho on this flight. While I was sleeping, the old man kept on putting his leg next to mine. I was sitting in a window seat and there was absolutely nowhere for me to go. My previous flight to CDG from JFK also involved an old couple, but they were French and had a greater sense of how one should act on airplane and moved with grace and finesse. Despite all of this, I met Vanessa at the airport in Joburg. We arrived at her beautiful old-new house close to noon. The house is splendid with repeating African motifs and great windows through which light envelops the house. I was thoroughly impressed. Casper and Anouk came home from school shortly after I arrived and we had a lovely lunch with them. In addition to Bijoux, the dog, and Wolke, the rabbit, two new cats have entered into the family. All are very well behaved and quite friendly. All of us and Bijoux went to the park so that Casper could spend the afternoon running around with other little boys around the age of 5-6. Casper has lots of energy and is taller than most of the children in his class so this activity was needed. Bijoux was happy for a walk and ran around the park like he was still a puppy even though he is 10 and gets very tired when runs so much. We said our goodbyes and headed home. I went for a run while Vanessa took a breather. Later, Anouk and I went cycling in the park and then returned home. Vanessa does a great job cooking and made us a fabulous meal- as usual. Frank arrived home after a hard day in the office and we talked about the Paul problem. I hope it wasn’t too draining for him. Eventually we all went to bed. The following day I went to the speech Festival at Anouk’s school. Anouk gave an excellent recitation of her poem and received a gold award. She had gymnastics that afternoon so we gave some of her teammates a ride to University of Pretoria for training. Vanessa and I pursued through a fabulous artsy market while waiting for her. All of the shops were filled with French style furnishings and scents as well as antique furniture and African art. I had a strawberry smoothie, which I enjoyed very much. I was very impressed with Anouk and her teammates. They all were in such control of their bodies- doing things that I will never be able to even consider.

On Friday, I ran in the morning and gave Bijoux his morning walk, which he enjoyed while Vanessa went to her exercise class. Vanessa’s mom came over later, which was quite nice. I gave all of the presents to the children and Vanessa in the afternoon before Anouk’s gymnastics group class. They enjoyed them all and all Casper wanted was to have my full attention so I could help him build all of his lego models. All went well and Saturday came before I knew it. Breakfast turned into brunch and was delightful. Frank took the kids to get new helmets for their bikes and Vanessa and I played Rummikub- so much fun! Vanessa was getting sick- which is awful. I left with few problems from Joburg to CT. I was a little bit apprehensive because I didn’t know how everything would turn out, but I guess it turned out well enough because I am writing to you now. I met Daniellle de Kock, the director of the art program at the airport. She brought me to my flat, which is massive. The room is the largest I have had since I began university. It has hardwood floors and lots of natural lighting. It is also very affordable in comparison to my rent in Athens. Danielle invited met to a Braai on Sunday and I accepted.

On Sunday, my flat mates showed me where it was safe to run, so I went on a nice run. My landlady is quite nice, although she was up in our flat at least three times in the morning. The power went out for load-sharing or something- but all turned out okay and we got the power back after 4hrs. Danielle picked me up and brought me to her parents house in the afternoon. I met plenty of interesting people while eating braai delicacies in the backyard of a 100+ year old house. Sunday ended well.

And now to today. I arrived at the office around 9:30 am and learned that we were having a staff meeting at 10:15. I met all of my new colleagues and of the task ahead of me. Unfortunately the program is not incredibly well organized, but it is doing a great deal of good- so I think I can get around the momentary issues with organization. After our meeting, I learned more about the gap-year program from the French interns and then had free time. Liz- another American who was studying in Durban and is in Cape Town for the summer- was in the same position as me- the great unknown. We talked, checked e-mail, got lunch, and then I hurried off with Danielle to deliver blankets to some of the displaced people in some of the recent xenophobic attacks. Danielle is an artist and assists with the art program at Phillipe high in one of the townships. I accompanied her to the meeting and met many of the students. They were to construct a comic strip about life. The comics the students developed included many depressing topics such as AIDs, rape, alcohol, cigarettes, and attacks by dogs. I am amazed that the people can survive in the conditions in which they live. There is an incredible amount of filth and the houses(if you can call a shack a house) are crammed together. The amount of unemployment is astronomical. I only hope that my small contributions will lead to a positive change in at least one persons life while I am here. Danielle dropped me off, and I went on an evening run. I hope to keep this blog semi- updated about my adventures. I think it will be a great learning experience for me and those that I am in contact with. I only hope my being here leads to a better South Africa- one that was envisioned when South Africa was founded.