Spring Break!

Hello All!

There are only two days left of classes before SPRING BREAK! I can't believe my semester is almost officially half over! Sometimes it still feels like I just arrived. For break I am going on an amazing trip to the Okavanga Delta, Chobe National Park and Victoria Falls. I'm traveling to three different countries, and going to see some amazing sites! I'm not sure what I am most excited for, Vic Falls is one of the natural wonders of the world, so that will obviously be a highlight, but I am also really looking forward to the delta. This time of year (winter into spring) it floods and a ton of animals visit it to drink water and prepare for summer.

I've spent this past week getting ready for my trip and also working on papers and other assignments for midterms. I've had to purchase anti-malarials, a sleeping bag and other assorted wilderness essentials. It will definitely be an experience to camp out for 10 nights, but one that I think will ultimately be a highlight of my time here in Cape Town.

I won't have internet or cell service starting Friday until Sunday the 11th, so don't be offended if I'm not getting back to you!

xoxo,

Sara

PS. I will make a few posts with a ton of pictures from the trip almost as soon as I return- promise!

Internships and Weekend Happenings

I know it's been a while since I've posted, but I have a good excuse! I am entering the last week and a half before "Spring Break" (crazy) and I've been swamped with papers, exams and other assignments. While it's no where near the Hopkins level of midterm craziness, it has put a bit of a damper on fun activities.

Last weekend I went to Old Biscuit Mill again, which was a ton of fun. More good food, and interesting things to  see. Later that day a bunch of people in my house and I went to Kalk Bay. There's a nice little beach there, and several cute shops. We wandered around for a bit, laid out on the sand, and visited a pub that one of my housemate's dad's frequented when he was younger (her family is South African). Later several of us went out for Mexican food in Observatory, a really cute suburb near campus. While it wasn't quite the same as American Tex-Mex, it was a pretty good substitution.

Last week I also started my internship with Ubuntu Africa Child Healthcare. It's a wonderful organization that works out of Khaylitcha township that provides a comprehensive health and wellness after-school program to HIV positive children. I am actually the "fundraising intern" this semester, which means that my major job is to work on organizing a fundraiser to be held later this Spring. I am really excited to be working for such a great organization and to have so much responsibility!

This week there's just more work to do, a major paper, several mini essays and exam prep to get through before break. On top of it I've been feeling really sick the past few days, which puts a damper on everything. I am looking forward to going home in a few and going right back to bed.

My next update will talk a little bit about the AMAZING trip I'm going on for break- I am super excited!

Devil's Peak Hike, Rugby in the Rain, Old Biscuit Mill

So many things have happened this past week! My little was asking how I’m managing to fit it all in, and honestly I’m not quite sure, but each week has just been filled with more and more things to do and places to explore.

Tuesday we had off for a Public Holiday, so some housemates and I hiked part of Devil’s Peak. UCT is built up the side of the mountain, so the hike overlooked the suburb where we live which was really interesting. We didn’t go all the way to the top, not even close, but we still had a nice leisurely two hour hike up and an hour hike back. The weather was perfect, and I took some great pictures. Being outdoorsy is big here, and we saw plenty of people and dogs on our hike. It was definitely a good way to spend a day off.

Friday night the program got us tickets to a professional rugby game! The stadium is a suburb over from where we live, and the atmosphere was awesome. We had poor weather on Friday, with cold showers occurring fairly regularly, but there were still plenty of rugby enthusiasts out to see the DHL Western Cape Province team battle The Sharks from Durban. We got rained on a bit, but it was definitely worth it! Rugby is a really intense, very physical sport. The players don’t wear any pads, and as I found out on Friday, play in any weather. The game made me really excited for the start of the Rugby World Cup that South Africa will be defending its current title at! Tickets were also pretty cheap, so I can see rugby as something I start getting into more.

Saturday several of my housemates and I headed to the Old Biscuit Mill. A must for anyone visiting Cape Town, there were craft vendors, shops and the most amazing food market I have ever been to. The Neighbour Goods  Market has a collection of both prepared foods, different ethnic foods made to order, and a collection of fresh baked bread, different cheeses and meats. Essentially it was foodie heaven.  I bought a few really cute souvenirs, a really cozy scarf and plenty of delicious food. The pictures hardly do overwhelming amazingness justice. The food market is only on Saturday mornings, and getting there early is a must, by the time I arrived around 11 it was already almost too crowded, at least I will know for next time! Afterwards I headed downtown to Bo-Kaap, an historic known for brightly colored houses and a strong Muslim community. 

My One Month Anniversary!

This weekend was fantastic, plenty of fun activities, and the realization that I’ve been here for a month already, ONE MONTH! That means that my time here is almost a quarter of the way done, so unreal.

Saturday CIEE had a wine tasting program for us in Stellenbosch.  Stellenbosch is where the very famous wines of the Western Cape are produced. It’s beautiful countryside full of vineyards and farms situated about forty-five minutes outside of Cape Town. It's surrounded by mountains and very lush and green. We stopped at an estate called Neethlinghof, where we had a cellar tour and did wine tasting. The tour was really interesting, where we learned about the history of the farm and the production of wine.  Neethlinghof is an estate vineyard, so all the wine they produce comes from grapes that are grown there on the property. The grapes are then matured on the property and bottled there as well. They don’t export to the US, but they have some wonderful South African wine! Some of the wines we tried are specific to South Africa, and come from grape types that were produced here.  A great way to spend my one month anniversary in South Africa!

me with the wine I bought :)

wine cellar! 

wine cellar at Neethlingshof

wine being matured 

wine tasting!

 

Today we went to Mzoli’s, a totally crazy experience. Situated in Gugulethu township, Mzoli’s is basically a huge meat market that feels like a street party. It ended up being almost a whole day event. Almost my entire house went, and it was a great time. We left from Wolmunster around 10:30 this morning and took a mini taxi to Gugulethu. For about a dollar a person we all squished in one mini taxi and headed out of Cape Town into the townships. Once there, we got a huge table and started buying beer and cider. Mzoli’s is cheap, for massive quantities of meat and drink. Although it took almost two hours from the time we got there to get our food, we weren’t lacking. There was plenty of time to drink and socialize, and the music was great. There are even little vendors selling things like sunglasses, bags and jewelry. I bought a really cute bracelet for R10 after we ate! When our food arrived, there were enormous platters of pap (maize mash), salsa and bread with a tub of meat. There were sausages and chops, all unidentifiable, but all BBQed and delicious. After eating, we moved to the dance floor, it was basically a huge party with tons of food. Such a fun time! 

housemates at Mzoli's 

sooo much time before food arrived

the leftover plates and alcohol bottles from 20+ people

the art of squeezing 20 people in one mini taxi

Mzoli's! 

Andrew finishing the bucket of meat 

Shu, Lekker Lekker, Shame; My Weekend in Ocean View

I spent this past weekend in Ocean View a township outside Cape Town. During apartheid, townships were created to house the coloured and black Africans. Coloured is not an offensive term here in South Africa, and it refers to mixed race Africans who partially share their ancestry with slaves from Southeastern Asia who were brought to Southern Africa a couple of hundred years ago to work on the farms and vineyards, and then later in the mines. During the apartheid distinctions were made between the white, coloured and black African citizens. Separate townships were created to house coloured and black Africans away from white towns, and economic and political divisions were made between the groups. Ocean View is a coloured township that was created by families who were forcibly removed from Simon's Town - an adorable fishing village and the site of the penguin beach, Boulder's Bay.

Over the weekend I mostly hung out with my host family and their extensive network of relatives (everyone is related in Ocean View). The community still suffers from gross poverty and many residents have histories of drug and alcohol abuse. My host father told me about "tick" a drug that is similar to meth that runs rampant through the community. While all residents are definitely disadvantaged, there is still hope and resilience among the community members. My first evening, I spoke with a man who had just finished his matriculation exams, essentially what qualifies someone to graduate from high school. He was hoping to have high enough scores to study psychology at a university. His daughter, who also grew up in Ocean View is in her second year at Western Cape University, commuting over two and a half hours each way to attend class. She is the first person in her family to go to college, and the pride that the family has in her was obvious.

I could go on an on about the socio-economic inequalities that still exist as a result of the apartheid. Essentially, South Africa has been lifted up as this "rainbow nation" now democratic and free, but the scars of apartheid are still apparent everywhere. Access to educational opportunities and jobs are still difficult for many coloured and black Africans, partially because of residency issues. To make matters worse, the communities in which many of them live are breeding grounds for disease, alcoholism, drug abuse, teen pregnancy and a myriad of other problems that affect education and economic development.

My family was extremely nice, and were born-again Christians. Despite not having much, they stressed charity and were very welcoming to other members of the community and their extended family. They recognized that they had more than some, and so they gave what they could to others. In my house, there were at least six or seven people living. At some times this number grew with additional family. In the back of the house that I stayed in was a bungalow where the sister-in-law of my host father lived with her three children.

Saturday evening we had a fish braai at the house. Earlier that day we went to Fish Hoek and purchased a large Snook fish right off of a fishing boat. My host father brought it home and taught me how to prepare it for his traditional fish braai. After cutting off the head and the tail, open the fish down the length of its body and clean out the insides. While this is occurring, heat minced garlic, fish oil and apricot jam (other jams are also acceptable but "apricot is the best") on the stove until the apricot jam is melted and all the ingredients are combined. Make a lot of this as a ton of it will be used throughout the cooking process. When it is sufficiently combined, take the mixture and brush it liberally along the inside of the fish. Then laying peppers, onions and tomatoes all along the inside length of the fish. When this is complete, close the fish up, and tie it with strong so that it remains closed. Then brush the jam mixture all over the skin of the fish and along the openings. Place it in the braai when the flames have died down and it is mostly just the coals. Turn the fish every few minutes, brushing the jam mixture on the outside every time you do so. When it's done, the fish has all of the flavors of the vegetables inside, while the skin is crispy and delicious. It melted in my mouth, and was like nothing I have ever had. It was one of the best things I have ever tasted, and definitely made my visit to Ocean View memorable. 

The meal was striking for another reason however. My host father lamented the fact that he only bought one large fish because they were so expensive. He said that if they had been R30 instead of R40 he would have bought another fish. This made me think a lot, as a few weeks ago, I went down to Fish Hoek with some friends and ate at a fish and chips shop on the waterfront maybe 5 feet from where we purchased the fish for the braai. The cost for that meal was R49, or R40 for the fish and chips and R9 for my coke light. At the time, I was really excited by this, as R49 is about $7. The fact that an entire fish, that fed a large family was considered expensive at R40 made me feel very wasteful. It is interesting how your perspective of cost can be changed over a few short days.

There are many more things I could write about, but suffice it to say that my experience in Ocean View was mostly positive. I learned some Afrikans words, and now know how to say good morning. Lekker, a slang term I had already learned, was used extensively by my family. Lekker is an expression of anything good or cool or positive. The fish was lekker, the church luncheon we went to was lekker and so was our visit to the farm that is across the road from the township. My host mom also lamented the fact that I will be away from Corey for more than four months by the time I get back (Shame! Shame!). Shu or however it is spelled was used any time you needed a break in the conversation, or just to express feeling in general. Everyone in my house was extremely welcoming and invited me back whenever I wanted to have another braai or if I missed having a family. They were wonderful! 

fish with jam mixture on one side and peppers/onions on the other 

fish with the layer of tomatoes and smaller snook with just salt and pepper 

process of tying the fish up 

fruit and vegetable stand in the township where we bought things for supper 

Snook on the braai 

finished fish! 

My host Mom and Dad with Lainey, another CIEE student and Joshua, one of the children living in the home 

the view of the house from the outside, Gospel TV was always on! 

Family again with one of their three daughters 

Sign heading into Ocean View