Just Like Heaven

Good evening to all my avid readers!! I hope that everything is wonderful where you are. Another week has already passed, February is very nearly over, and my adventures in Cape Town continue.

This past week included a third (or maybe fourth?) visit to the Old Biscuit Mill. Anyone ever been to Eastern Market in DC? Yeah, well Biscuit Mill is like that, but so much better. Food options range from crêpes, to gyros, to mushroom kabobs, to pesto, to absolutely divine sandwiches. On top of all the amazing food, the atmosphere is mesmerizing. It is decorated exactly how I would decorate a party of a wedding. You sit on hay bales covered by blankets or on old painted wooden benches and the tables are made from old doors. Over head hang glass vases on a clothesline with a few simple flowers in each. The tables are decorated with candlesticks stuck into wine bottles. Surrounding the Old Biscuit Mill are shops with super cute merchandise. There is a furniture store that sells doors from Latin American buildings that were built in the 1800s- God only knows how they ended up in Cape Town. Other stores sell clothes by local designers and household decorations. In short, I absolutely adore this place. If I’ve learned anything from my time in Cape Town it is that it is never too early on a Saturday to start drinking. And sure enough at Old Biscuit Mill a person can buy sangria or champagne beginning at 9 am. We have gone for the past three weeks and will continue to go as often as possible.

I also went to a soccer game this week! The Cape Town team was playing… someone. I actually fell asleep for a little bit during the game. There is something about the constant sound of blowing vuvuzelas that lulls me into a deep, peaceful sleep. J It isn’t that the game wasn’t interesting, it was that the players were really bad. I’m not saying I could do any better, but it wasn’t like watching David Beckham or Landon Donovan play soccer.

I’ve gone to the beach twice in the last week. I would love to go more, but most days I am in class until 2:45 and we always try to be home before dark unless we are going some place in particular. I got a tiny bit sunburned today- just on the top of my legs and on my stomach. But some of my friends went to the beach on Friday when I was still in class and they were soooo burned! Elsha in particular. She came over when they got back and I immediately laid her down and put my frozen vegetables on her face. There is really something about the sun here. We aren’t that close to the equator- people always think when you’re in Africa that you are living on top of the equator and surrounded by dirt and sand. Not the case here in Cape Town. Everything is very green, but the sun is so strong. I was outside for probably four hours today and applied sunscreen three times. That still wasn’t enough.

One of the more challenging aspects about living here is having to cook for myself. At college, I’ve always lived in the dorms and had a meal plan. But I’m getting pretty good at it. I’ve been trying to eat lots of protein and vegetables. I’ve made stir fry and spaghetti. But I have also been eating a lot of my main staple- sandwiches.

Tonight we hurried back from the beach so that we could go to the botanical gardens at Kirstenbosch to the sunset concert series. Three acts played; one of which was an a cappella group that I loved! They sang Waka Waka (by Shakira. The song was used last year for the FIFA World Cup and has become the song of our semester), the theme song to the Lion King, and others. In general, we just had a nice time being together in the shade when the weather was nice. But in true South African style everyone brought their own booze.

While I’m on the topic, I should probably let you know about a place here in Cape Town (in Rondebosch, to be exact) that has become near and dear to my heart: the Pig and Swizzle. This bar is where we go for cheap drinks at the end of a long week. Want to go out on a Friday night but don’t want to pay for a taxi to take you somewhere? Head up the hill to the Pig and Swizzle. It’s just a typical bar with a pool table, a foosball table, and video games. But it’s fun because we are generally the only Americans (and the only white people) in there. It’s a great way to meet some locals in a relaxed environment. Plus they play really great dance music.

I really am surprised at how happy I am here. Of course I thought that I would like it, but I didn’t know that I would be so comfortable. I’m having so much fun and experiencing a world totally unlike my own. Culturally, it is very different. The other day in my politics class we were discussing the idea of modernity. The professor spoke about how in places where modernity has taken hold (as a consequence of industrialization) rules are generally followed. For example, in the US I always wait for the little green walk sign to come on before crossing the street. Even if you could probably make it my bolting across the road, most people wait. But here that is not the case. You walk whenever you feel like it. I have done more jaywalking here than ever before. And as I’m jaywalking, I will cross half of the street and stand on the line between the cars going in opposite directions to wait for the other side to clear. It’s so scary, but it’s just what you do! It’s like that with lines too. Or queues as they call them here. No one believes in them. It’s basically a free for all getting on and off buses. The thing that is taking the most adjustment is the way men will talk to you. Nothing has ever gotten out of control, but usually just walking down the street men will tell you that they like what they see. I really hate it. If someone said that to me in the States, I would turn around and slap them. But it’s just one of the consequences of a very patriarchal society.

I really am happy though. I’m so glad to be here and I am loving the people I’m here with. This week I’m applying to an internship at Nelson’s office in DC for the summer. Wish me luck!!

The pictures included in this blog are of my delicious sandwich from one of the vendors at Old Biscuit Mill, the soccer stadium, Kate, me, Arianna, Diane, and Amy at the soccer game, Fish Hoek beach, and Me, Arianna, Diane, and Elsha at the Kirstenbosch concert.

If there’s anything in particular that anybody wants me to talk about please let me know!

Love you all.

Be safe,

B.

One Week

Who remembers this song? “Chicka to China, the Chinese Chicken. You have a drumstick and your brain starts ticking. Watching X-Files with no lights on…” I loved that song! It’s been probably ten years since it came out and I still know all of the words. God bless the Barenaked Ladies. Anyway, as you can see I am continuing the tradition of using a song title as a blog title. Clever, right? I either use a song that I’ve been listening to as inspiration for a post or find a song that fits in with what’s been going on lately.

About three hours ago, I finished my first week of classes. Get the One Week reference? Everything with classes has been worked out (thank you, Jesus) and my schedule for my semester in Cape Town has been finalized. I will be taking Religion, Conflict, and Violence, as well as Advanced South African Politics and Genocide: African Experiences. Hopefully the work load won’t be super crazy. I’m taking three 3,000 level courses- which is the highest level for undergrads. Some people have advised against this, but I’m sure I’ll rock it no matter what happens. Or… I’ll try to.

After the whole mess with AU and credits transferring as well as having to change classes here at UCT (which was a nightmare), I realized one more time that if you really want to get something done you just have to do it yourself- and pester the crap out of people as much as possible. It’s a good thing that my friends and I are relatively pro-active people or we would not have had any idea that AU didn’t have their poop in a group. If you can’t tell by my mildly frustrated tone, I’m still pursuing free internet. It’s not going so hot. Whatever, I’m over it.

But along with getting things done yourself, I’ve been thinking a lot about what I want to do in the future. One of the girls here is a second-semester senior and has a job lined up for when she gets back to the USA. It’s crazy that in a years time I’m going to have to have my life figured out! Obviously I’m thinking of going to grad school. Anymore you have to get a master’s degree to make any real money. I’m the kind of person who thinks I should go right away so I don’t get out of the school groove. But I’m also thinking, “Damn!” I will have been in school for 17 years, including kindergarten, once I graduate from AU. Part of me wants to discover what the real world is like. But then what will I do? Get a job? That sounds so boring… I’ve also been looking at the Peace Corps. I like the idea of getting real world experience in a different way. I go where they tell me, get paid a little bit, don’t pay for anything, my loans are deferred… Sounds like paradise, right? But what if I don’t get in…? There’s some serious thinking to do. As far as grad school goes, I’m really interested in Maternal and Child Public Health. There are a couple programs I’ve looked at- UNC and John’s Hopkins. Maybe I want to do that and get certified as a midwife and set up safe birth programs in remote parts of the world. Or reform the birth industry in the US- which is a total mess. I’m really not sure. I need inspiration. I need something to strike me and say, “Go here! Do this!” Who knows… it could happen.

I certainly wouldn’t mind spending more time in Africa. From the two countries that I’ve seen, it is a beautiful continent. It also is incredibly relevant to my interests.

But in the end, I plan to open a bakery with Jenna. I will specialize in Tiger’s Blood cupcakes and Raspberry Coconut Macaroons. Maybe we can call it Best Friend’s Bakery… I’ll probably also makes flower hair clips and book purses on the side.

Anywho… I’m really enjoying myself. The first few days were kind of rough. I’m not very good at being assertive and outwardly friendly to people. Sometimes I’m self-conscious and super nervous that I won’t make friends. But now that I’m in the swing of things, I’m quite happy. I start yoga next week- good thing because my chakras are in desperate need of realignment. Oo! And I start volunteering next week. I will be interning at an organization called PASSOP. They give legal advice and help to people living in the townships (slums) around Cape Town. Another big interest of mine is human rights- PASSOP works to make things easier for refugees from Zimbabwe. So I’ll be working either in the townships with the people living there or at headquarters doing grunt work. Which is just fine because I am quite a good typist! J

Well that’s probably enough. I’m sure I could be outside working on my tan- which is coming along quite nicely, might I add. I also found a bunch of vintage shops that I’m hoping to go to soon. Tomorrow (Saturday) we are waking up early to go back to the Neighborgoods Market at the Old Biscuit Mill. In the afternoon we’ll go to the beach. I’m pretty much living the life here in Cape Town. Included in this post are pictures from both of those same events from last week as well as pictures from Valentine's Day.

Anybody have any suggestions on what I should do with my life? Please let me know…

Love you all. Be safe,

B.

Love Who You Love

Hello, all! I hope everyone reading this had a very pleasant Valentine’s Day. My South African friends don’t seem very taken with the holiday. I tend to think that you like the day when you’re dating someone, but if you aren’t the silliness of the day tends to make you feel more alone. Nobody wants to watch everyone else be gushy and in love when they themselves are not, right? And while it’s nice to get flowers and chocolates from your lover boy, it is important to remember that he should be treating you great all year long- not just on February 14^th. Despite my mixed feelings on the subject, Diane, Elsha, Nathan, Diane’s flatmate Phom, and I went out for dinner. We went down to the V & A Waterfront and ate at Quay Four. I am still amazed by how cheap it is to go out to dinner- and this was a pretty fancy place. I had Calamari and a Chenin Blanc wine and spent 130 rand, which equals about $19. Amazing, right?

In other news there is a lot of drama going on with the AU kids here in CT. No one at our school has their poop in a group. In short, the school doesn’t know how many credits we should be taking or how they will transfer back home. This seems like something they should have known before we ever arrived, right? We thought so too. So basically all of us will need to change our class schedules by either adding or dropping a class. We all have to do this by Friday… Apparently AU is “working on it.” What’s worse is that we discovered all of this by accident. We would never have known if one person hadn’t had a very simple question… and then we would have been screwed!

I’m going to drop by 8 am class Poverty, Development, and Globalization regardless of what happens with the credit debacle. I know it sounds bad, but it’s so early in the morning (I’ve been waking up at 6:45) and it’s a lot of work. Hopefully I will be able to get into a class called Sex, Love, and Taboo and if not I will be taking Advanced South African Politics. I’m really enjoying my class on Genocide. Right now we’re just defining it and doing all the boring stuff, but I think it will end up being one of my most favorite classes. I’m also taking Religion, Conflict, and Violence and the professor is hilarious. He’s from California so I’m having no trouble understanding his accent. Also, I’m quite sure that he’s smoked a fair amount of dope in his lifetime. To each his own.

The next few weeks are going to be crazy! I start yoga next week and will be doing that each Tuesday and Thursday evening. The Wine and Culture club also begins next Friday. I’m very excited for these clubs! This Sunday is a soccer game at UCT that we will be going to. The weekend after that we will be going to Robben Island where Nelson Mandela was imprisoned for 26 years. And by then I’ll be deep into my classes. Good news: Diane went to the hospital again yesterday and got her leg unwrapped and the lump is gone! They ended up draining more than 100 mL of blood out of the poor girl…

Doing all of this fun stuff makes me think of home pretty often. Especially the other day at Groote Constantia- I really wished I could shared that experience with my mommy. It was so beautiful. I did talk on the phone with Jenna the other day (I’m sure everyone reading this knows who I’m talking about when I say her name). The distance factor is definitely strange. When I’m in DC I know that I’m just a quick plane ride away if I need to get home for any particular reason, but here… that’s not going to happen. Which makes me pretty sad sometimes. By the way, check out the pictures I picniked of Jenna and I!

Well I will let you all go for now. I’m sure there are multiple emails awaiting my attention- damn this blasted credit conversion debacle!!

“Love who you love with all that you have and don’t waste the time that flies so fast.”

Britt.

PS- You’ll be happy to know that I haven’t swiped any dead cockroaches off of the kitchen counter in the past few days.

Strawberry Wine

Prior to my arrival in Cape Town I spent a significant amount of time diving into travel books about the city and the country of South Africa. It was during that time of self-education that I discovered the importance of wine in the region. Now, as has already been mentioned, I am not a big drinker, but I love the idea of being a wine connoisseur. It seems so classy to sit around with girlfriends drinking a bottle of wine discussing the fruitiness or oak-i-ness of a particular kind of wine. Unfortunately, I know absolutely nothing about wine. People in my family aren’t particularly big drinkers either, so I have had absolutely no education regarding what makes a wine good or bad.

Well what do ya know- there is a wine club at the University of Cape Town (UCT). The organization that administers my program here, CIEE, pays for each student to join 3 clubs or students groups on campus. Most of the Americans are planning on joining the wine club. Each Friday representatives from a local vineyard will bring 8-10 wines for us all to try and discuss. How amazing does that sound? I’m pretty excited. Just so you know I’m also planning on joining one of the yoga clubs.

So what some of you might not know is that my friend Diane has been having leg troubles since being here. While at home in Ithaca, New York, she injured her leg in a sledding accident. Those damn pine trees are always in the way… Anyway, all she had was a bruise, but upon arriving here she played soccer and it exploded into a huge lump. Long story short she’s been to the hospital a couple of times getting the hematoma drained and yesterday Elsha and I took her to the hospital again. After leaving there we were all a bit melancholy and sad for Diane. So we asked our driver to take us some place where we could have a nice lunch together.

Hilton (the driver) took us to Groot Constantia- the oldest wine estate in South Africa. Founded in 1685, the estate has who knows how many acres of land which includes a museum, a cellar, and two restaurants. The food Jonkershuis was absolutely incredible- by far the best I’ve had since being here. I had a breaded chicken and the girls had Hake (a very popular, relatively inexpensive type of fish here). We each had a glass of wine, an entrée, and we shared a dessert- all for a combined total of 330 rand or about $50. That’s what is so amazing about South Africa. It really seems to be a lot cheaper to eat out than to eat at home. This day ended up being one of my favorite and most amazingly the day I sweat the least. I’m still having trouble with all the sweating… Groot Constantia is definitely a place I will be going back to. I also wish I could share it with my family. Even though they don’t particularly like wine, the estate is spectacularly beautiful.

Wednesday was a day of ups and downs. First we went to the hospital (a down), then we went to the vineyard (an up), and then we met a stranger in the elevator at LBG (our Residence- a definite down). Diane, Elsha, and I were on the elevator and a girl got in with us. She said to us, “I don’t know you guys so I wanted to ask you something. How do you know when someone is ‘the one’?” We all thought her boyfriend must have proposed and she wasn’t sure if she said yes or maybe she got a job offer and wasn’t sure if she should take it and leave her boyfriend… things like that. It turns out that this girl is in an incredibly abusive relationship- physical and emotional. We were struck by how desperate she must be to confront three total strangers about the situation. We told her all the things you would say to anyone who was in such a circumstance- everyone deserves better than that, it’s never ok for anyone to lay a hand on you or take advantage of you, no one should be able to continually break you down as a person and shatter your heart, etc. She told us that she thought she needed help because she knew it wasn’t ok but she was addicted to him. We said to her that she should come hang out with us instead and get some distance from the boyfriend. We gave her information so that she can find us again if she needs help. It was the strangest situation. I can’t even imagine how horrible the situation must be if she was telling 3 American women about it. I’m praying that she gets out of the relationship.

Despite the ups and downs of Wednesday, Cape Town is still spectacular. Every time someone asks me how it is I always say that it is beautiful. And it is. I cannot get enough of the landscape here.

There is a running joke in our group that things here never seem to go as we plan. And they really don’t. We make all these plans (the Super Bowl, for instance) and things always seem to go awry. But that’s ok. TIA, right? I think I’m becoming a more patient person. The trains are always late, the shuttles are always late, and the shuttle drivers drive like 3 rapists fleeing from the police after a bank robbery. We’ll see how this patient thing goes. But I swear- if one more person who learns my name says to me, “Like the singer? Britney Spears? Are you just like her?” I will sock them in the crotch.

Be safe, enjoy each day, and remember that each of you deserves the very best.

Love,

B.

Everyday America

Sorry for the lack of updates this week. We’ve moved into the residence hall (the res) and are just trying to live normal life before classes start. We went to the beach, which was amazing. The water is cooooooold. I guess that’s what happens when the water flows up from Antarctica, huh?

So, this is only my second time in Africa and, incidentally, my second time outside the United States. On our last day of orientation there was a discussion about culture shock. The lecturer broke it down into 3 stages (he actually used apples which has now become a running joke- “I’m feeling the 2^nd apple!)

First is surprise and wonderment. At this stage everything is new and exciting. You might gawk at driving on the left side of the road or what’s in the grocery store and what isn’t. You’re very nearly in a state of euphoria.

The second stage is when everything is incredibly overwhelming. Those same things that you thought were humorous or entertaining before are now irritating. In this stage you are ready to go home.

Finally, the third stage is acceptance. This is when an apple is just an apple. It is neither better nor worse than life elsewhere- it just is.

I believe that I go back and forth from one and two. Everyday things here are so different- everything from going to the movies to what time stores close.

Generally I am in the grocery store when I find myself munching on that 2^nd apple. Simply not seeing familiar brand names is overwhelming. I could never fathom that people could live life without Kraft macaroni and cheese!!! The Super Bowl exacerbated this situation this past Sunday (technically 1:30 Monday morning for me). We Americans along with some of our South African friends decided that we wanted to watch- be in touch with our culture for a little while. So, of course, the women decided we should do some cooking. We weren’t thinking anything fancy. Just normal tortilla chips, salsa, different kinds of bean dips… stuff like that. Well who would think that one could not buy tortilla chips in South Africa? This is the most developed country in Southern Africa- it never crossed my mind that they might be too expensive to import. In this country, people dip with potato chips (potato crisps). On top of not being able to find tortilla chips, South Africa also has a limited selection of canned beans. We wanted black beans and kidney beans- that was not going to happen. In two different grocery stores all we could buy was baked beans and butter beans- I still have no idea what those are. So we ended up having a ramshackle Super Bowl feast. I made tuna casserole and it was a hit! :)

One of the more humorous and astonishing moments of the last few days was when Elsha, Diane, and I went into the 5 rand store. This dollar store (I know, I can’t believe I went either) has a plethora of useless items (think Hannah Montana pencil cases) and good deals on body length mirrors. One woman said to us, “You’re going there? It’s run by Asians, you know…” That should have been our first clue. When we went in there was a woman behind the counter and another sitting in a chair holding a baby boy. Strangely enough this baby boy had no bottoms on. He was nekkid… But that was not the most bizarre part. Maybe 45 seconds later we turned around to the sound of a woman trying to soothe this baby and him urinating on the floor. The women had so kindly laid a towel down on the floor to help soak up his… pee, but as all women know- Boys don’t always have the best aim. Especially not baby boys!! So we left to give him his privacy and came back a few hours later. After leaving the 5 rand store, the girls and I were in hysterics. I have never seen something like that before and I doubt it will happen again.

One of the other more terrifying aspects of living here is that I am unaccustomed to being concerned when walking down the street. I live in a large metro area in DC, but I never hesitate to walk home in the dark or go somewhere by myself. But living here, especially as a white, American, female you must always be vigilant about safety. No one has had a bad experience yet which bodes well for me, but I can’t ever remember myself being this paranoid. Once that clock reads 6 o’clock I feel like it is time for us to know exactly where we’re going, how we’re going to get there and how we’re going to get home. I’m sure this will get better in time, but right now this is what I’m trying to deal with.

On a happier note, my apartment is being fumigated today!!!!!! YAY!! Last night I was talking to my mom and I shared this joyous news with her. What I had forgotten was that I hadn’t told her that we have cockroaches in our kitchen. I wanted to spare her feelings and prevent her from freaking out. This situation has certainly be an adjustment. Ew… I don’t like bugs. I'm just thanking God that it isn't snakes.

All in all things are going well here in Cape Town. The city is beautiful and has a vibrant nightlife, along with pretty darn good Mexican food and margaritas- which we have been enjoying.

Be safe. And watch out for cockroaches.

Love,

B.