My Birthday and First South African Soccer Game

So as ya’ll probably already know, it was my birthday this past weekend. For it I decided to go to the Old Biscuit Mill in Woodstock, which is an area right by Rondebosch were I live. On Saturdays, there is an organic market I was told so I thought I would check it out since, you know, I LOVE food. Although I had been forewarned, when I got there I quickly saw this was one of the bourgiest, WASPiest, hipsteriest places I had been to of yet. It was also filled with probably the greatest amount of most white people I had seen. It was complete foodie heaven, but of course, as we all know, foodie things bring in the white privileged crowd and it was packed. In spite of the dramatic inequality this venue represents I wasn’t going to let myself get too down because I love good, inspired, quality food and I just can’t feel guilty about that. I should just be thankful.

 The market didn’t really have much in the way of produce but it had a ton of food stalls specializing in a bunch of things: sushi, Thai food, Paella, pizzas, Mediterranean food, curries, Belgium waffles (don’t compare to Cinci though), silly mini pancakes, crepes, there was local wine and beer, desserts, smoothies, I think there was Northern European stuff but I wasn’t familiar, basically it was sublime. I got this one dish that was a potato pancake with poached eggs and hollandaise sauce on top. It was incredible. Of course the meat version looked even better because it had bacon and smoked salmon on top as well. Here is a tally of what I ate in the span of two hours:

-potato pancake thingy

-mushroom kebab (amazing and quite filling)

-bloody mary (yum)

-mini lemon meringue tart (I could have made it better)

-a lemon mint smoothie

-countless tasters

To be honest I thought I ate more because I practically waddled the rest of the day from being so rotund. Then at night I went to this club and it was ‘whatever’ as I would say. Alas, birthdays rarely reach ones expectations in the end. At least I didn’t spend my 21^st over the toilet, unlike most of my friends.

The next, Sunday, I got to see my first professional soccer game. Apparently, the game was going to be at the World Cup stadium but U2 had just had a concert and I guess they couldn’t clean up in time (fucking Bono playing shows, prancing around pretending to relieve poverty and preventing me from going to the Greenpoint stadium.) Either way the teams that were playing were the Santos and the Chiefs. The Chief are the most popular team in SA and the crowd was a sea of yellow and black, the team’s colors. Having absolutely no previous knowledge about the game of soccer it was quite an educational experience. With the help of one of the girls in our group, Ore, I actually began to pick it up. Unfortunately though the game ended in a tie, which is all-in-all rather anti-climactic.

High Africa

So this past weekend we went to a place out called "High Africa" in the Western Cape for an “Expectations Workshop.” Basically, it was meant for workshopping and team building exercises among the group and with most of the staff. Honestly there was a little too much workshopping and conferencing and not enough activities. I know ya’ll are sick of hearing this but it was absolutely gorgeous out in the bush. Now this isn’t like safari bush, like the savanna or something, the compound was right off the Breede River (if you care to look it up) and there were mountains in every direction you looked (and then mountains after those mountains). I would just like to make a small note right here: I have officially been swimming in a river in Africa. HOW FREAKING COOL IS THAT!?!?

            The first day we got there, Friday, we started on a nice low ropes course and it was fine, we did some team bonding and accomplished the task: etcetera, etcetera. Cool. However the next day, after hours of conferencing, in the worst afternoon heat, we went on to the high ropes course. I didn’t find out until after but I was only one of two people who had never done anything like that before. Great. The other girl was from Bangladesh and has extreme fears of heights and water. So at the end of the day I did 5 out of 6 of the elements but let me tell you I am not a heights person and I really don’t see how walking across beams 12 m off the ground makes you feel good about yourself. Like you really overcame some great fear: I was terrified the whole time and all I felt was anxiety and then relief when it was over: nothing else. I also don’t understand how such activities could be misconstrued with “fun.” I did however enjoy belaying down off the structure at the end. It took a lot of deep breaths to get to that point but I just have to actually do things instead of standing around thinking about what I have to do and getting freaked out. We also did the Leap of Faith where you jump off a beam trying to grab a trapeze. I, of course, grabbed the bar and then slipped instantly. I have weak, midget hands; I knew it wasn’t going to happen. Finally, I also thought I’d mention that I climbed a wall for the first time as well. I never realized how sheltered from normal childhood activities I was. All those years of art camp, dance intensives, and trips to museums didn’t really prepare me for these things. But hey, at least I am cultured right?

            Well enough about these silly artificial activities, I want to talk about the four things I enjoyed most at this retreat. The scenery was phenomenal and just the flora and fauna in general was magnificent. The landscape actually reminded me of New Mexico quite a bit. Second, the river, because I like water and swimming in bodies of water. It was a little murky and I definitely freaked myself out about leeches and other unknown river creatures but I still went running in every chance I got. Third, there was a deck that overlooked the river and I spent every spare chance I could sitting on it looking out and breathing deeply. Then finally, there were three cats on the premise, and the one who was the friendliest was called Misty. How perfect. We also had three great guides, one of which I befriended and who has invited me to tag along for some great hikes in Cape Town. All in all I would say it has been a wonderful weekend. I was pretty much this close to chaining myself to the deck so that I would never have to leave. Ha.

            Well tomorrow is our first day of classes. The honeymoon is over. I cant believe I will actually have to start doing work but maybe by now I am ready…….NOT. I have become exceptionally skilled at the art of nothingness. I’ll be holding classes when I get back for all who are interested.

Thatched Roofs

Hell

St. James Beach and Constantia

Yesterday, a small (more manageable) group of us went to St. James Beach and Constantia. The day was one of the hottest yet and escaping to the coast was the best idea. Though it took a while we also rode the train out there (there is a station right by our house), which was pretty cool. St James Beach is known for its colorful changing huts and I’m sure if you have ever looked in a Cape Town guidebook you have seen them.  The beach, to little surprise was gorgeous, but also secluded, and (thank god) not windy. The water is also relatively warmer because it’s in a big bay and not on the Atlantic side of the cape. Apparently that makes a difference in temperature, don’t ask my why. Last week we went to Camp’s Bay, which is on the other side of the cape and it was awful, the water was near freezing and it was so windy we were being pelted with sand the whole time. St. James also has tidal pools, which I was pretty excited about until I couldn’t find one thing other than seaweed. Other than that though it was sublime.

Constantia is a wine growing area in Cape Town. There is also a region north of Cape Town called Stellenbosch but that is its own deal. Like any wine producing area it was filled with large sweeping estates and way too many obscenely wealthy people. It is really amazing going back and forth between places like Constantia and the townships. They are two starkly different worlds: the haves and the have-nots. Cape Town is a first and third world city.

Well ignoring the apparent social issues of South Africa, the scenery was unbelievable. I’m not much of a cyclist but I would love spend a day biking through that area. We went to Groot Constantia, a large vineyard and winery in the area. We missed the last cellar tour of the day but gladly lounged around for a wine tasting. This was my first official wine tasting and as anyone who chatted to me right before I left knows, this was the only thing I wanted to do once I got to Cape Town. This one small activity, which I am still currently barred from doing in the US was what got me to let go of the anxiety of travel and get really excited about coming here. Odd I know, but hey, whatever is necessary. Lucky for me so far my time in Cape Town has been nothing but perfect. Cheers!

My pastie ass on the beach. There you go Mom, a pic of me

The Crew

University of Cape Town

So I have been meaning to post about UCT. There is not a whole lot to say, its big, much bigger than I’m used to, I barely know my way around, but it is a beautiful campus and it is right up against Table Mountain. This also means that it is quite a hike just to get to upper campus. My house is in lower campus. So here are some pics to give you an idea of what my scholastic world kind of looks like.

 

Kirstenbosch

Yesterday, we went to Kirstenbosch, sweeping botanical gardens nessled up against Table Mountain. One of the people in the house had a great idea to walk to the gardens, too bad they turned out to be much farther away then we had anticipated. I’m not going to lie I was not thrilled half way through. But once we got to the gardens and I broke away from the huge group and I sat on a bench under a tree looking at the gorgeous view I began to feel much better. I took my time and slowly walked through the gardens, the day was absolutely perfect and I couldn’t think of a better way to spend a Sunday. It was practically transcendent. The pictures don’t really do it justice but it gives one an idea.

View from my recovery bench

Township Tour

Last week CIEE took us on a tour of a couple of the townships. In Apartheid South Africa race was incredibly segregated as you all know, but it was also brutally enforced geographically. So townships were the either all Black or all Coloured areas, and yes coloured is different from black here, however I have no eye for it, and Black and Coloured did not mix. Suburbs in apartheid were where only whites lived.  Blacks were at the bottom of the totem pole, then came coloureds, then Indians, then whites.

We had a great tour guide, Tabo, he had a head full of dreads and Ray-Ban aviators. Fun fact, dreads were illegal in Apartheid, he said he started growing his the day Apartheid ended, but of course dreads still stigmatized in South Africa society. The townships generally have about 50% unemployment, if not more, so there are many people in the townships during the day and there are countless informal businesses, often out of people’s houses or on the side of the streets. Hair salons seemed to be the most common. The houses are usually made out of scavenged corrugated steel. In the Coloured townships the houses are generally bigger and nicer, so sometimes they are made out of cinder block or brick.

            Tabo took us to Langa, his home township. We visited their community center, walked around, visited a traditional medicine man, and drank traditional beer in a dark, tin shack. The beer was a little sour and rank for my taste but it is the beer used in many important ceremonies in their society, like the notorious coming of age circumcision ceremony for young men. Unfortunately I forgot to bring my camera so I’ll see what I can get from someone else to put up.