Sea Breeze

Good morning, readers!

I hope this late evening/early morning in Cape Town finds you well. As for me, I just returned from my first adventure to one of the American houses- this is where the majority of people on the CIEE program live. The other options were LBG (where I am at) or a homestay. The houses are SUPER nice! They have a maid come in each week to clean, most people have their own room and the accommodations are just generally pretty spectacular- especially when you consider that it took me weeks to get rid of all the cockroaches in my kitchen.

This last week has been kind of crazy. I’ve had several papers and projects due and luckily they all got done. But my procrastination has reached an all-time high. I had a paper due at 4 pm on Monday and didn’t start it until 2 am Monday morning… Kind of ridiculous? Yes.

We also went to Mzoli’s this past Sunday. This restaurant in the township Gugulethu is one of the major staples of Cape Town and all the guidebooks classify it as a must-see. Basically, you bring your own booze, sit down, and wait for the staff to bring you a GIANT plate of meat. It’s quite alarming to see a reflection of your own behavior there in your friends. I told my friend Jeff that we were acting like emaciated dogs in a desert that had just stumbled upon the carcass of an elephant. Graphic, I know. But we were starving and there are no plates, no utensils, no napkins. Oh, and the meat (chicken, steak, and sausage) is covered in a barbeque-like sauce. Just picture it… On top of all of that, Mzoli’s is basically one big party. Everyone is drunk as skunks and dancing up a storm. It really is quite a lovely experience. This past Sunday, however, was Mother’s Day so it was a little more tame than usual.

On to new feelings- The weather is changing here in Cape Town and I’m not too pleased with it. Overall, it’s just a very sad thing. It means that winter is coming and my time here in South Africa is coming to an end. I have 4 days of classes left and my last final is on June 7th. Of course, I knew that this would happen. But as the breeze from the ocean gets cooler and cooler, I feel another short chapter of my life coming to an end. I really have been pleasantly surprised at how happy I am here. Thank goodness for that. Nearly six months here would have been miserable if I had been less than content in South Africa.

So yes, it has been cold and rainy and foggy here in Cape Town. I miss the days of skipping classes to head to the beach or sitting out on the steps on campus to soak up some sun! Don’t get me wrong- I do not want it to be so hot that I come home everyday and have to take a cold shower, but I did not pack appropriate clothing for this type of weather!

Coming up soon- tomorrow we are going to a vintage store in a neighborhood called Observatory. Apparently there are MAJOR sales going on that need my attention. I’m definitely looking into finding a jacket… Also this week, the girls and I are headed to the Women’s Market on Long Street (where we go fairly often to party) to get dresses made for us! I am SUPER excited for this. We pick out the fabric we want, give them a general idea of a design, and then they measure us, and viola! Three days later we have a custom made dress! I am still hunting for the perfect white wine to bring home (Groot Constantia was featured at Wine Society this week and dominated! So I might have to get one of their whites). So the search continues. In our last few weeks in Cape Town I still need to get souvenirs for all my dearly beloveds at home, maybe venture to see some elephants, and manage to study for my finals which account for more than 50% of my final grades! EEK!

Attached to this post are some pictures of us at Mzoli’s last Sunday.

I hope you are all enjoying the warm weather I hear you’re having and aren’t suffering too badly from the atrocious gas prices I keep hearing about!

Love you all.
Be safe,
B.Self-explanatory: THE SIGN! This genuinely is one of those places that you are required to see when you go to Cape Town. It's unlike anything you'll experience anywhere else. Genuinely delicious food and an incredibly atmosphere.
Sydney, Nate, and Elsha flashing the newly copyrighted group signal. Taken from our fearless leader and BAMF, Barack Obama. This is how we abide by the State Department's warnings to not draw attention to ourselves... :)
The aftermath...
The giant platter that your meat comes on!
The crew: Elsha, me, Diane, Nate (lurking in the background), Kait, and Sydney