Carry On My Wayward Son

If there is one thing to know about me it is that I am an eternal pessimist. I live by the motto, "If something bad is going to happen, it's going to happen to me." I'm not exaggerating- it always works out that way. And sure enough, it's happened again! Today is Friday. Yesterday was Thursday, my first day in South Africa. But my first day was supposed to be Wednesday... Why, then, was I 24 hours late? Because my plane out of Omaha was delayed so much that I missed my international flight and couldn't get out again until the next afternoon. Horrible. Absolutely terrible. I was mortified. I cried and bawled in the airport. I sometimes feel like I just can't catch a break.

But I guess the important thing is that I did make it. Mind you, everyone participating in the program knows who I am. I'm the girl who was late... Charming, right?

South Africa is so beautiful. The backdrop to my university is a giant mountain. Everything is green. There are gorgeous flowers. The fruit is so fresh and super delicious. We've only been on campus and on a main road (I'm in a fast food restaurant right now paying for internet...) but I'm already overwhelmed by the shear size of everything around me.

I was telling a new friend that it doesn't even seem remotely like America. I'm not sure how to explain it, but everything looks different. Not just the scenery and landscape, but the signs, the roads, the billboards. It's amazing how everything changes.

But just when I was thinking to myself, "I can't believe I'm in Africa right now..." Grenade by Bruno Mars came on the radio on my way to where I'm staying. You really can't escape American influence- for better or worse.

One of the most beautiful things I've noticed is the diversity on the University of Cape Town campus. My orientation group and I were sitting outside on the steps of the Student Union waiting to begin a scavenger hunt (which was a complete nightmare, this school is built on a mountain!) and I actually noticed how different everyone was. It was just each person's race, but you would see two boys walk by with blue mohawks, followed by a group of girls in more American-style clothing, after which gorgeous South African women would walk by in colorful dresses. It was so beautiful. Especially in a country where less than 10 years ago blacks were legally unable to go to University.

My program through CIEE has shown us different organizations where we can volunteer while we're here. There were some that I was definitely interested in and other where I didn't know that I would fit in well. But before we went to visit those places a woman who works in the development sector in South Africa came to discuss poverty and development with us. It was just again striking to be presented with the idea that some people have so little, while I have more than everything. She said that 25% of South Africans live on a little more than 300 rand a day. For some perspective- I turned in $400 at the airport and received 2600 rand.

I hope that my time here again highlights to me that Americans have more than everything, while some people live with less than nothing. How can things get better? Even when Western countries interfere to try to "help" we always get something out of it and it ends up hurting other people.

The future of the world is incredibly interesting. I'm both excited and petrified as we move forward. The rich are getting richer and the poor are getting poorer. People with everything are getting more and people with nothing are receiving less. It certainly puts some things in perspective for you.

So as not to end on a totally depressing note-

One of the most interesting things I've seen is a billboard featuring a menacing-looking man with a large hand gun. The billboard says "The money you use to buy illegal cigarettes, he could use to buy a gun." Alarming, right?

Well that's all for now. Will be moving into my permanent housing tomorrow. Hopefully I don't have a stroke in this heat. I'm only a tiny bit sunburned.

I've been challenging myself since my time in Kenya in March to think about things before I buy them. Do I really need these new shoes? Probably not... If you want to, spend some time each day thinking about how lucky we Americans are. We all participate in consumer culture and we don't recognize how our actions are affecting the rest of the world. Spend some time sending good thoughts and prayers to those that are suffering.

Love,

B.