Mzoli's

On Sunday I went to Mzoli’s, a well known braai (barbeque) in the township (you should know the definition by now) of Guguleta. I don’t ever think I’ve seen so much meat! For about $2 per person, your table is served with a massive bowl of marinated steak, chicken, and sausage, pap (white porridge), salad, etc. Silverware, plates, napkins are not included which amounts to messy faces and dripping hands devouring hot food fresh of the grill. Very delicious. One downfall was that we arrived around 12:30PM and waited until 4PM for our food. We were told this was because Andrew, our landlord’s helper for lack of better terms to describe his position, didn’t give the cooks a big enough tip. Mzoli’s is only on Sundays, and what it is essentially is a celebration, a time for drinking, eating, and socializing. You are situated outside at big picnic tables with people sitting, standing, dancing, and walking around. Although most liquor stores are closed on Sundays in South Africa, the liquor stores in the township are open and you can buy beer, wine, etc. and enjoy before the food is served. There are people of all ages and races, from families with babies to grandparents to international students to locals. Many people were dressed up because they had just come from Sunday church service. It was explained to me that this was a celebration to look forward to after being forgiven of your sins and cleansed at church. One man at the table next to us asked if we would stand up and take a picture with him, because he wanted to be in a picture with white people-no joke. The food was tasty, the people were friendly and the atmosphere was great.

Spring Break Planning

One week until UCT’s 10 day “vacation,” or as we call it Spring Break! We are in the midst of planning our wonderful trip. So far, we have booked round trip tickets from Cape Town into Johannesburg departing on Thursday, April 2nd and arriving back in Cape Town on Monday, April 13th. I am going with 8 other students, some from my house, some from Wisconsin, and some that I have met here. Once in Jo’Burg, we are planning on renting two 4 x 4 vehicles and driving from Johannesburg, through Botswana, to the Ocavango Delta, then Chobe National Park, then Victoria Falls. I can't believe I get to see one of the seven wonders of the world! I am EXTREMELY excited for this trip. It will definitely be an adventure.

Completely, absolutely unrelated short story: Earlier this week I was on a train going to the beach, when a quite unusual incident occurred. A smiling old man boarded the train with a walking stick and dark glasses. He found his way to a seat, got out his donations box, and started playing the guitar and singing. He actually had a pretty good voice, but it was his rendition of Amazing Grace that left me with a real memory. Just imagine… sitting on a train, listening to a very happy, blind old man sing in a South African accent“…was blind, but now I see!”

Hout Bay

Last week, Conor, Ryan and I made a trip out to Hout Bay. The day was dreary and kind of cold (meaning high 60s-Oh, how I miss you Madison) and we didn’t really know what we were getting ourselves into (This seems to be a reoccurring theme). We hopped on the Haut Bay mini bus from City Central, expecting to be taken to a beach or something of the like. The drive was much different than any of the other mini bus drives that take us to Camp’s Bay, Sea Point, Clifton, etc. We drove through the township Constantia, where we stopped and let many passengers off. At one of the stops, I noticed a sign posted on a store front that read “White people are the seed of all evil. They raped our women. They stole our country and our lives.” This was a little disturbing seeing as the three of us were the only white people within sight. It just goes to show that racism in South Africa comes from both sides. Although at times unnoticed, there is definitely a sense of division between black or colored (meaning mixed here) South Africans and white South Africans. There is also a clash between black South Africans and colored South Africans. I wouldn’t say I have had any specific experiences here that show this division, but when you observe your surroundings it becomes much more apparent. I am almost always one of the only white people on the train and on the mini bus. The derby I went to during my first weekend here was a prime example of this division of wealth. Certain restaurants and stores also show the divide. That aside, Hout Bay ended up being very cool. We ate fish and chips and calamari at a recommended restaurant called Fish on the Rock. The restaurant was a no frills, order at the counter, sit on benches outside type place that sat right on the ocean, and the food was fresh and delicious. We then walked from that restaurant towards town through the marina. We saw seals in the water and the scenery was beautiful. In a way, the chilly, windy, cloudy day added to the whole fisherman’s wharf experience. We stopped and got drinks at a café, and made our way to the Mariner’s Wharf, a large fishery, winery, and store. Ryan and I ate fresh oysters for 80 cents each. We bought mussel meat, fish, and crackers, and made our way back to Cape Town. What started as a potentially sketchy day ended up being a nice adventure!

Luck of the Irish

Unfortunately, this week I had my first encounter with Cape Town crime. In celebration of St. Patrick’s Day, I went out on Long Street to an Irish bar called Dubliners. I was having a really fun night, most of my roommates were there, the bar had live music, there was a ton of people there… that is, until I felt someone zip open my clutch (which was around my wrist). I instantly noticed that my phone and change purse (which held my UCT ID, debit card, and cash) were missing from my open clutch. I scanned the crowd around me but the bar was so crowded that it was impossible to tell who had taken my things. I looked around on the floor, reported it to the bouncers, cried to my roommate (yes, it was sad) and left the bar. When I got home, I immediately called my mom, told her what had happened, and had her cancel my debit card. (Thank you, Mama!) I was so upset that night because I felt that there wasn’t much I could have done to prevent this, I was just unlucky. I had my clutch around my wrist, I physically felt it being opened, and there was nothing I could do. It all happened so quickly, I really wonder how skilled this person was at robbing people. While I was standing outside of the bar before going home, a girl approached me and told me that she had had her things stolen from her twice and both times they had taken the money and emptied the rest in the bathroom. For this reason, I decided to call Dubliner the next day to see if any of my things had been recovered. I was shocked when they asked me if I was an American student and if I had lost my phone. My roommate Brad took a cab with me to recover my things. When I got there, they told me that someone had tried to use my debit card at the bar, and for two reasons they had known it was not him. This person was an idiot. My debit card has my picture on it, and my name is Marina, an obviously feminine name. In addition, Dubliner has a policy where in order to use a credit card that doesn’t require you to enter your PIN, you must provide additional proof of identification. When the bartender realized that this wasn’t me, he confiscated the card and somehow managed to get my phone and change purse back from him as well. Overall, I lost about $25 and a UCT ID valued at around $6. Without a doubt, this is not something that happens often, I was extremely lucky. I know this form of petty crime can happen anywhere, from Madison, Wisconsin to Cape Town, South Africa. To be honest, this is my absolute first experience with any form of “crime” or “danger” in Africa, and I would say that two months in, it is a pretty good place to be.

Surfing

I learned how to surf! Maybe not exactly “how to surf,” but I did learn the basics and I got up a few times! South Africa has some of the best beaches for surfing, so it was the perfect opportunity to learn. So on Friday, I went to Muizenberg Beach with Conor and a few of his roommates and took a surfing lesson. Wet suit and all, the five of us attempted surfing for the first time. Our hour and a half long lesson began by learning the three hazards: your own surfboard, other surfers, and sharks. Sharks love to feed on shiny, black seals which, in our tight black wetsuits, we closely resemble. Great confidence booster for the first time out. (Mama, stop worrying, I’m not going to be eaten by a shark). First of all, wetsuits are incredible! To the bare touch, the majority of the ocean water in South Africa is ice cold, yet we managed to spend hours in it without feeling even slightly chilly. Secondly, I have a newfound appreciation for professional surfers, or actually anyone who can surf well. Surfing is exhausting! It takes an immense amount of balance, upper body strength, timing, and concentration. And then you have to think about direction, speed, other surfers/people, the strength and size of the wave, and (maybe) sharks (and jellyfish?) That aside, surfing is very fun. There’s something very cool and different about gliding above the ocean water and experiencing that perspective. I would definitely give it another try.

Lion's Head Full Moon Hike

This past Wednesday was a full moon, and my some of my roommates and I went on a really cool night hike. We left our house around 6PM and drove to the base of Lion’s Head. Hiking Lion’s Head when there is a full moon is a pretty big Cape Town event, so there were a lot of people doing the same thing as we were. From the base, we hiked about halfway up and stopped to watch the sunset over the water. It was absolutely gorgeous. The sky was all different shades of pink and orange and yellow and the reflection on the water was incredible. We continued the hike to the top of the mountain, the entire upwards hike lasting about one hour. I wouldn’t say it was difficult, but walking uphill and over rocks for an hour with the sun beating down on you for half of it isn’t exactly relaxing. As we climbed to the top, the full moon grew brighter and brighter and the sky a deeper shade of blue. It was such a cool sight. The mountains in the background, the full moon in the center, and the ocean and brightly lit city below. Definitely one of the best sunset/moon sightings I have ever seen. At the top of the mountain, we sat on rocks and looked out onto the city while eating and sharing a bottle of wine. So many people were up there, all with food and music and drinks. The walk down the mountain proved to be a little more difficult, since we didn’t have the help of the sunlight. I don’t know how we did it, but we climbed down the rocks and through paths and down ladders with just one flashlight to share among the four of us. It was a great experience and gave a good feeling of accomplishment and enjoyment.

On an entirely different and irrelevant note: During my time here, I have on three separate occasions, been bit by a mosquito on my eyelid. Not cool.

Simon's Town

I’ve found my favorite beach. Wednesday after class, Conor and I took the train to Simon’s Town, about 45 minutes away. In Simon’s Town is a perfect little place called Boulder’s Beach, home of the African Penguins. We visited Boulder’s Beach during orientation week, but didn’t get to spend much time there. The beaches are peaceful little patches of white sand divided by huge boulders. On some of them you can find about 50 people enjoying the sun and playing in the water while others areas are only large enough to fit a few people- and many penguins of course. Getting from one beach to another proved to be a little tricky, having to climb over and under huge boulders. We basked in the sun, only about 5 feet away from dozens of adorable penguins. The best part was when they would get up, waddle to the water, and dive right in, so you were literally swimming along with them! The water was cold and refreshing, the day was hot and beautiful, and the company of penguins a real treat.

SHAWCO

I’ve briefly mentioned my involvement in SHAWCO, the Students' Health and Welfare Centres Organisation so I thought I’d write a little bit about what it is and what I do. SHAWCO is a large organization on campus, so large that this semester they had to turn away many students even though it is a volunteer organization. (Visit http://www.shawco.org for more information.) As a part of SHAWCO, you visit the townships in and around Cape Town once a week for about 3 hours and help out. You can become involved in tutoring, sports, arts, life skills, etc.I am a part of the arts program, which is composed of fine arts, drama, and music. Today was my second visit out to Matenburg, the township we volunteer at. We volunteer at something that is similar to a school/community center. It is a one story building divided up into classrooms, surrounded by a grass field. I go on Tuesdays from 2-5PM with about 20 other UCT students. When we arrive at Matenburg, there are always kids waiting outside, waving and giving us high fives as we step off. We are given a lesson plan for the day and broken up into groups, the children ranging from grades R-2nd, 3-5th, and 6th and 7th. Both times I have worked with the 3rd-5th graders, who I think have more energy than the other two combined. Last time we made a collage of fruits and vegetables, cut out from different colors in a magazine. (My favorite was the kid who drew a low-rider car and wrote Eugene in bubble letters below it, completely missing the point of the activity, but loving his artwork!) I think the kids thought this was a little boring, and a funny thing was that they knew many fruits and vegetables that I had never heard of before. They were asking me how to spell fruits that I didn’t even know existed. Today we were given a story to read to them, and they were supposed to illustrate their favorite scene and then create a chronological story wall with their pictures. Well, the story was about black humans and white humans and grey humans and “The Angel of Colour” and it was just—boring. And honestly, the vocabulary was far too challenging for the majority of the students. Some of them barely speak English, they have grown up only speaking Afrikaans. So, I completely changed the story as I went and made it something about a colorful fish, and then I drew a fish. And then I had to draw a fish for Maxcine, and one for Marjorie, and one for John, and one for every single kid at the table I was sitting at. I added a star next to my fish and seconds later, sure enough, I was drawing stars on 8 different papers. So then I decided to teach them how to draw a fish, and I simplified my version and gave them a lesson on how to draw a fish. And at the end of the day when the classroom put up their drawings of gray humans and black humans and white humans, my group put up identical pictures of colorful fish and stars. (Ours were the best, and we had the most fun!) I think these children are very grateful to have SHAWCO visitors. You can tell by the smiles on their faces when the buses arrive and the way they grab your hand the minute you set foot onto the field, they are very happy we are there. Every time I would get up to get a new colored pencil for the table, one of the kids would exclaim “But I thought you were staying until half past four!!” We are free to create our own lesson plans, so if anybody has any suggestions for inexpensive (preferably free) art projects to do with children grades 3-5…please let me know!

Great Weekend

I had such a nice weekend, a perfect combination of sightseeing, sun, relaxation and fun. Friday after class I joined a few of my roommates in checking out Long Street, filled with cafés, restaurants, shops, and bars, and the nearby Green Market. Shopping on Long Street is great, there are many unique little stores and boutiques with cute clothing, it’s just a little pricey. While we were walking along, we saw a commercial being shot with a model in a bright pink dress and a skateboarder who cuts in front of her. On Saturday, my roommates and I went to back to Long Street for some museum visits and sightseeing. We got there around 11AM and had lunch at a cute coffee and lunch café. After eating, we walked to Company Gardens, which is a large outdoor garden area where there are many museums. We first went to the South African National Art Gallery, which was great. There were many contemporary works as well as some old, but I liked the newer exhibitions much more. There were several video installations that were interesting, as well as a collection of Andy Verster’s work, a South African artist I had never heard of before but really enjoyed his work. Another one of my favorites was a large piece drawn in candle smoke (soot) composed of many eerie, dreamlike faces called “Smoke Portraits.” If you're interested, I put their website links on my blog so you can check out their work. After the art gallery, we took a little break and relaxed in the gardens before making our way to a second museum, the Slave Lodge. The Slave Lodge is the building, now converted in to museum, where many of South Africa’s slaves were housed. It was very informative about slavery, in particular the history of slavery in South Africa. My favorite part was a room that was a replication of the sleeping/living area on the slave ships. Essentialy, it was a slab of wood that went about halfway up the wall, and slaves would be packed in tightly and tied underneath it and on top of it. They had a recording of a woman’s voice telling her thoughts on the slave ship journeys and I really liked it; It was a good exhibit. They also had a very large exhibit on the life of Steve Biko which was interesting. After our museum visits, we went to the Green Market, a huge collection of African art, clothing, masks, tapestries, jewelry, dishes, etc. I bought a rug/tapestry that I really like, I’m going to hang it on my wall. Saturday night I went to dinner with Conor at a café in Obs called Café Ganesh, very cute décor and I had excellent spicy calamari. Sunday was HOT. Very, very hot. Probably somewhere in the low 90’s, but remember, no air conditioning. I went to a coffee shop in Rondebosch with my roommate Aviva, and had the first iced coffee I’ve ordered here that wasn’t made with ice cream! (Not that I’m complaining about the ones made with ice cream; They’re very good) We did some reading and homework at the coffee shop and then went to the UCT pool to swim and lay out. At night, some of my roommates and I went to a restaurant called “A Touch of Madness,” an old Victorian house converted into a restaurant. We sat outside and while we enjoyed our food (I had stuffed portabella mushrooms)we listened to a live band play bluegrass and jazz. What a perfect ending to a perfect weekend.