Ubuntu Philosophy

This week is bittersweet. Saying goodbye to friends is rough. It seems like we are just getting to know each other. And the way of life. These days I am studying for my last test, on Friday. Been wrapping up all the last minute details around leaving, finances through the school, packing, clearing out the room. Man, we are getting so used to how it all goes, here. Even the slow pace of walking has caught on with me, the "Howsit?!" greetings in the hallways, the little things that make the big impressions. The time people spend with one another. There is soo much socializing. And while I think part of it is how I choose to spend MY time, as compared to Berkeley, for example, I think a big part of it is the spirit of African community. It is everywhere. Support for one another is embedded in every action, it seems. People hang out all the time. You do laundry together. You sit outside not even talking, together. You cook together. You walk each other to the store. All these actions stem from the philosophy of Ubuntu. The ideas of respect and care and value for others (aside from the issues I have previously described related to criminal violence, ironically...) add up to strong sense of community. Ubuntu is a term derived from the Bantu language. To try to summarize the concept, I have cut and pasted some words by the famous archbishop, Desmond Tutu, known especially for his anti-apartheid efforts in the 80's.
(1999):
“A person with Ubuntu is open and available to others, affirming of others, does not feel threatened that others are able and good, for he or she has a proper self-assurance that comes from knowing that he or she belongs in a greater whole and is diminished when others are humiliated or diminished, when others are tortured or oppressed.”
(2008):
“One of the sayings in our country is Ubuntu - the essence of being human. Ubuntu speaks particularly about the fact that you can't exist as a human being in isolation. It speaks about our interconnectedness. You can't be human all by yourself, and when you have this quality - Ubuntu - you are known for your generosity.
We think of ourselves far too frequently as just individuals, separated from one another, whereas you are connected and what you do affects the whole world. When you do well, it spreads out; it is for the whole of humanity."

To wrap things up: I won't be writing on the blog much more, because I will be in transit more than usual. But still checking emails.
If you were wondering, the Comrades winner this year finished in something like 5 hours 23 minutes and 26 seconds.
The exchange rate has dropped tremendously since we arrived in January. It is now under 8 rand to the dollar. We are trying to tell ourselves that we just got lucky in the beginning!
What else?!
I am excited to go off travelling, and will look forward to catching up with you in July :)

Warm Winter

I am uploading a picture from surfing in Durban last week and then another photo I got from a friend, when we were setting up a science experiment for the kids at the Ubuntu Center.

A really pleasant day out today, maybe in the late 70’s, and it is just about winter! If I have failed to mention in the past, the climate here is: wet summers, dry winters --- I was pretty surprised, among other things, to step off the plane in January and be welcomed by thunderstorms. But now it's all paying off cause winter is alright.
Two exams down, two to go. It is sad saying goodbye to friends I have made in class. Some people have been at home for the last week or so, and are just returning the days of their exams, so, we say goodbye upon finishing the test. And then there are the friends in the dorms, we still see each other all this week, but, man Friday is coming up fast.

Last Wednesday we went out to watch the big soccer game (Barcelona beat Manchester) at a local bar. It was packed! Soccer is everywhere here. Really gearing up for 2010. It is not like the sport isn’t already incorporated into the cultures around here, I mean kids are always kicking around a ball, and adults are pretty into it. There are some weirdly obsessed individuals, in fact. But that is besides the point. The sport is up there on a pedestal right now because the country is going to be hosting the games next year, about this time. Therefore, games on TV, no matter who is playing, are Must Sees. That said, Wednesday’s game was, well…hyped up. But my friends and I are into the karaoke Wednesday nigths...so we balanced our time (photo).
Thursday was a study day. And on Friday I wrote the Virology test, and then gave a presentation. Both of which went alright. It was neat to hear all the other students’ presentations but the whole thing took more than 4 hours and we didn’t break in between anywhere! The presentations were all about our community service and individual research projects. Many people, myself included used powerpoints—but the power outlets didn’t work, so we had to just show off of a laptop, not the same. I was impressed that our professor managed to stay seated in the same chair that whole 4 hours! I was getting antsy.
Saturday we hung out around here then studied at a local coffee place, Bread Ahead, probably go back there today, in fact. The owner is a nice guy, he's always there. They make all the pastries you could ever dream of.
So that leaves me at today, Sunday. Still thinking about saying the goodbyes on Friday. Can’t believe it is so soon.
I am going to be traveling (with two other friends) a little bit after the exams period: to Kruger Park, then to Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe, then to the Okavango River, where it floods the Kalahari Desert, then to the sand dunes in Namibia, and a couple big cities, like Windhoek. I will fly home from JoBurg on the 2nd of July. If you have suggestions about anything, parks to see or cities to hit, please don’t hesitate to send a note: shellbell@berkeley.edu

Crime and Violence

It is Wednesday, time is flying by. I have mostly been studying virology, and writing a paper about crime in KwaZulu Natal. the paper is for my service-learning (Poli Sci) class. We were allowed to research pretty much any topic related to policy in South Africa, and initially I was going to write about health care, but after observing in the hospital a couple weeks ago I realized that the root of a lot of the problems that came in to the hospital, was criminal violence. So I wanted to learn more about why there is so much of it, or even if there is all that much, compared to the past years. So far, the conclusions I have drawn are that the government transformed their approach from crime control to crime prevention, in 1996, with the National Crime Prevention Strategy (NCPS). This strategy also outlined other goals for the country, like better communication between different tiers of govt. and authority, and trying to portray a more accurate account of crime and violence in South Africa (to the Int'l community)-so as not to scare people, but to still be honest. The strategy highlighted the importance of incorporating the issues of crime and violence within other social reform and development initiatives, so as not to isolate the problem as something that could easily be fixed from one angle (like using only the police to fight crime, or placing all the money to carry out crime prevention in one area of the budget). By considering other social factors, like education and poverty alleviation, the NCPS is a farther sighted and more comprehensive measure when compared with other policies and agendas the country has tried to use. The NCPS has been faithful at reviewing it's accomplishments and failures, so that is good, too. All in all, crime and violence is still a problem here, while the stats say some incidences are on the decline, the daily news and stories from people still make the place out to be "dangerous". But, I guess compared to the late 80's and early 90's it is a dream.

Study Break

Above, photos of "Agric" part of campus, where my classes are, the natural and biological sciences. We have a pretty nice area of campus. And then a I am putting up a picture from the third floor of the building, too, sometimes we chill on the roof before class starts and look out at the farm area in the distance...that is about all that you see in the distance. This is the week we get off between attending classes during the semester and writing exams which contribute a significant amount to our class mark. My tests are the 29th (one written, one submission), the 1st (written), and the 5th (one written). This week is genius because there is not pressure, it is just expected that you will choose to study more often than not…So, that is what I have been doing, along with cooking, and chilling out. A couple highlights of the last couple days (you know, the stuff besides studying virology and the such in my dorm room…):
Thursday was spent with some friends, just hanging out, studying a bit. Did some music swapping, really exciting to get new South African pop music, actually.

We went to Durban for the day on Friday, did a bit of shopping in the Indian (actually this would describe a large portion of Durban) part of town, Victoria St. Market and Workshop (Photo here of Kerry and Laurin at the Workshop area). In the afternoon, I went the beach with the intention of watching my friend learn to surf, but I ended up thinking, that is sooo easy, I could do that…so, I did try to surf, and man was that tough, frustrating! It was not till I got off the waves that I realized it IS really a cool thing to do. Just you and the natural tide, each wave is different so you never get bored. No boat needed (like waterskiing!!!), no snow needed (snow boarding), all you need is a board and the ocean, peaceful.

Last night We went to The Royal Show, past the main part of down, in the city showgrounds. It was like a county fair, it is going on all this week and last night was like the opening show night, a few opening bands performed then the headliner, Prime Circle came on (they are the hottest band here in South Africa and apparently one of their songs just went International, listen for it J ). Have to say, not my kind of music, punk-rock, but it was a cool experience to see how South Africans celebrate their music. Show aside, the fair grounds were fun, lots of advertising, lots of high school kids, a few rides, a few festive food stands, and during the day the shows range from cattle and horses and dogs to motorbikes jumping cars. After the show, the after party was at the local dance club, Crowded House, and that was jam packed with better music and dancing.

This morning, Sunday the 24th, was the Comrades Marathon, which has been going on for decades, it is a foot race between Pietermaritzburg and Durban, each year the direction alternates. This year it began here and ended in Durban. It is something like 55+ miles, more than twice a marathon!! And people actually finish, a whole lot of people in fact. This morning we walked down to town and saw the start, at 5:30AM. My friend Laurin joined in and ran the first 10k and back for fun. It was incredible to watch, 15,000 people went by, which took about 10 minutes, and that was at the start line! On TV we watched as the first runners came in, at 5 hours and 30 minutes or so, the female winners (for the last 6 of 9 years, in fact) were a pair of twins from Russia (32 yrs old). People come from all over this week to enter in this marathon. People do die from running it. Crazy. By the way, a lot of people just take it ‘easy’ and walk a good portion of it, just to say they did it, it takes them more like 11+ hours. It would be cool to say I did it someday. It is a big deal around here, there are many people that have done it for 15+ years, like addicts! But I say good for them. After watching the start this morning I went back to sleep for a while and studied more. Then my friend Mosima and I tried to imitate our favorite curry place’s food, we made our own bunny chow and I gotta say we were so excited--And Mosima loves taking pictures, so we can brag, basically, and well I have included a fair share of the photos...Good as the curry place in town, if not better. It was like a chicken curry stew we made, hot and spicy with veggies in it, then we scooped it into quarter loaves of bread and ate up. Mosima makes a good stew—she’s writing up the recipe for me to take back.

Alright, back to studying for us, there is a building on campus open 24/7, so as it is now past midnight, that is where we are headed to read for a while. And tomorrow, who knows? maybe some more studying?! And get the final results of the Comrades Marathon...how many people made it to the end? How many people made it under 8 hours? Ya, should be interesting news. To be honest, watching it on TV is like as exciting as the Olympics, at least the first few batches of people who are running all out...then the walkers are not as neat to watch, but still incredible to believe these people went so far in one day. Oh, and my friends recently told me that the marathon was started to commemorate the victims of WWII. It has been going on for 80 plus years. It supposedly is the worlds longest and oldest run!

Last day of classes

Wednesday. Sunny out, going to a luncheon put on by some Food Management students in my Agric Dept. There is a luncheon or two a month, where the students have to prepare a themed, three course meal for 40-50 people, plan, write menus, purchase, cook, and serve, all for a grade. I am excited to see how it goes, it will be the first one I have attended. The theme is Mexican, I am curious how well they pull it off. Already saw some decorations...

Today is the last day of classes and then we have a study week, in preparation for the big exams.

I am posting some pics of the rural area outside of Pietermaritzburg that I have visited several times with a woman, Sanele, who, is like our equivalent of a social worker, she goes out most days and checks on people who are on ARVs and makes sure they are taking them, asks them about how things are going, and just takes tabs on quite a few of the people in the community. I asked one family if I could photograph them, and the daughter was ecstatic, so, I will put that photo up too.

This area is called Buffa, and most of the houses are government build/provided, and date back at least 5 or 10 years. It is very different from the suburb area campus is in (Scottsville). And then I have a picture from when I went out with two of my friends, B and Mosima, from the dorms on Friday, to Lizard Rock, a bar/dancing place close to campus.

SOPD, Edendale Hospital

SOPD (Surgical Outpatient Department) is where Dr. Ndaba works. This is like ER. The hospital is so big that their 'ER' is divided into many different sections, all ending in OPD. So there is Medical OPD, for example, too, and it takes different patients from SOPD. SOPD takes any severe trauma emergencies which could go on to surgery. I was just starting to understand the set up by the end of the day. Observing in SOPD was really fascinating, we saw a number of incredible cases, plus I was able to compare the way the facility was run to those back in the States. It makes me want to go to medical school. I am searching the AAMC website now...
So, that was all day Sunday. While it was busy, and long lines of patients (really, I would call them more like victims), and just crazy, I was told by the nurses that Friday and Saturday nights are much more hectic. Well, well. I guess next it would be cool to see a private hospital here, there is supposed to be a huge gap in how the two compare.
Saturday I walked into town with my buddies Laurin and Kerry. We checked out a really cool art museum, Tatham Art Gallery. I am going back there before I leave, there was all kinds of mixed media, painting, beading, collage, print making, photos, you name it, nice place. Unfortunately we forgot that shops close early on Saturdays, 2:30pm, so we didn't do much shopping, that's okay, we don't need to buy much, just browse. Downtown was pretty dead after 3, though. We ate at our Curry place and then walked on back. I have included some sweet pictures from downtown, the clock tower, and a statue of Gandhi.
I forgot to mention that Saturday was Open Day, a day when high schools from all around the area bring bus loads of students to UKZN PMB to check it out (i.e. super chaotic on campus, and a hence a good day to go to town). Girls and boys dress up in their school uniforms and look really nice and stroll around the campus and ask questions to all the departments who have set up tents of information. Plus the art students do some demos, and there is free ice cream. Like Cal Day at Berkeley.
So, this is the last few days of classes, we are out on Wednesday, then we have a study week, then exams. It is weird to think that a semester has gone by, seems like it it has been to short to be a semester.

End of the School Week

It is early morning Friday, I am in the computer lab when it is soooo quiet, pleasant I have to say, cause normally it is so packed and you have to wait to use a computer. I realize what a privilege it is to use the Internet here, if you are not a student, you would have to use a shop in town which is much slower connection and costs money and you would still wait in line. This week has been a whorl wind, I submitted papers, had tests returned to me, and just been working hard in school, seems like it is paying off, reports are coming back with (at least) decent scores.
I am really excited for this weekend because I am going to the Edendale Hospital to job shadow a doctor I met at an HIV research center nearby the Ubuntu Children's' Centre. I met Dr. Ndaba (Nelly) a week and a half ago, when some of the girls from the center walked me over to the research center, and I ended up learning all about the research they are doing there, with anti microbicide gel. Really fascinating to hear about. But that same day I met the doctor that works at the clinic there, and she said that she works long shifts at the Edendale Hospital. Edendale is a rural, township I guess you could call it, just outside of Pietermaritzburg, the same area the Ubuntu Center is in.
So I have been keeping up with Dr. Ndaba, and she said that I could take my pick, she would be working the 24hr shift on Friday, then again on Sunday, sooo...Sunday I am planning to go out there. I have a taste of what it will be like, cause today was my second time visiting the place, I was supposed to ask permission from the head of surgery, but after waiting and waiting, 2 hours later I couldn't wait any longer and left a note with my info, hope that is okay.
The place is a completely different type of hospital than I have seen before. As I described it to my folks the first time I saw it, it is cross between a train station and a prison. Plus a lot of people (like thousands I am sure, and all those that are waiting outside), I don't know how nurses (a ton) and doctors (3 at a given time) that work there see it, but I hope to find out. It is a public hospital. That is a crucial point. Here, private (for patients with medical aid... NOT the vast majority of people here) hospitals and public (for all others) hospitals mean the difference between life and death, respectfully.

After the Sleepover

Wow! We had quite the time at Ubuntu. Longest time we have spent with the kids. Too long? I don't know. I don't think so. It was a chance to see how each of them lives, in a 24 hour period. Totally different than I do that is for sure. I am still coming to terms with this; people live differently, that is a fact of life. I guess when all you see is so many differences, it makes you wonder, what are the similarities? I want to recognize these, too. As this is for my "reflective" service learning class, appropriately, I am still doing some thinking about the whole weekend.
Well, for a brief recap of the weekend: we painted the front sign outside the Center--lots of bright colors and the kids hand prints, some people played monopoly with the kids, we did some coloring activities, tried to tie in some English with the coloring, pretty successful if you ask me. The teenage girls know a bit of English, but the younger girls that are still learning. They know more English than they let on, but still, there is a language barrier for us. And the English comes out at the most unexpected times, the arts and crafts is a good bridge cause I think they use that as a learning tool in school too.
We cooked a bit of meat on the braai pit outside the house and the "moms" cooked us up some traditional pap (corn meal with with water, like porridge, but if your lucky...I think, lard too...), and a green bean and tripe stew on top. We ended the night with Toy Story and a South African comedy, Mr Bones.
In the morning we all got ready for church and walked to a classroom at a school across the way, where we had our own little ceremony, the kids said that was usual for them, small, but sufficient...and we appreciated our mothers--some of us, not all the kids know their mothers--and sang and prayed, in Zulu. But we were guests of the day and treated really nicely, they made us a lunch and they had rehearsed new songs, in English, even.
To tell the truth, I was really uncomfortable and ready to head home by the time we were on our way walking to church, but I am glad I stuck it out. It meant a lot to the kids. The church is a big deal in their lives and to share it with us was really important to them. It is like when you introduce one of your good friends to another one of your good friends. Below is a picture of me with one of my biggest fans at the center, Apiwe, 8 yrs.

Saturday Morning

Pictures of campus (below, the main campus library; right, the main campus clock tower. This is the part of campus I live on, but my classes are mostly out at "Agric")

It's a nice Saturday morning. I mean nice outside. I am inside...I am working on my paper about Tobacco mosaic virus.
This morning my friend Lauren and I woke up early to watch Kristy complete a half marathon. That is about 13 or so miles! Wow! We thought we were up early, but Kristy had been up since quarter to 5! Well, it was worth it, she ran at like a 7 and a half minute pace, so she crossed the finish line around 8:20am.
Today our class heads out to Ubuntu to have an afternoon plus sleepover with the girls :) Then church with them tomorrow, too.
There is about a week and a half of classes remaining, then a dead week or two. Then EXAMS.
Here, exams count for 67% of your semester mark. Big deal!!
And you have to make a certain "DP" which is the value of all the work you have done up until classes end. If you make DP then you get to write the Exam, if you don't then you have failed the semester (33%) and they won't let you write the Exam. I am nervous cause this is a big deal. Different from back home where the Final is max 50% and that is not so common, even.
I will surely have more photos after this weekend. Have a pleasant Saturday.

Classes

Today is a regular Tuesday morning. Yesterday was rough, as my friend said, I was having a "case of the Mondays". Yeah, school was just kicking my butt this weekend. So, yesterday, I submitted a lab report on bacteriophages (viruses that infect bacteria), a paper on organic versus conventional foods, and I "wrote" (as they say here) a test for Animal Science.
Then took the night off. We watched Atonement. It was storming all afternoon and into the evening. Lightening bolts lit up the whole sky at 2 minute intervals. It was perfect to sit in an chill out. But, to be honest, that movie involved a little too much concentration, we agreed that next time, comedy.
This afternoon we go out to Ubuntu CC for a few hours.
We have a sleepover planned with the girls this weekend. I am excited, Magic wants us to treat it as, yes, fun time, but as a time to share with them some knowledge they may not get elsewhere...I am most excited about taking photos from home, a map (I have been trying to teach them the Happy Birthday song in Spanish--and I want to explain that there are specific areas of the world that speak this language...), and hemp to make necklaces.
In the mean time, back to studies. Working on a lab report that covers the entire semester I have had in my virology class: identifying an unknown virus in tobacco plants (its Tobacco Mosaic Virus, TMV).
If there are any questions you guys have about South Africa, please let me know, I am happy to write about more specific issues and look into the answers if I don't already know them. Cheers!

Ubuntu Children's Center

One of the courses I am enrolled in here at UKZN is through the political science department, it is called "Policy Issues and Service Learning". Where the bulk of our class time is done via volunteering (like poll monitoring). We do study policy issues on our own or in groups, but outside of the school work, we volunteer at the Ubuntu Children's Center a couple times a week. This place is home to 35 young girls (from toddlers to teenagers) who come from unfortunate family situations. Here they are provided beds, food, school clothes, homework help, and a supportive Christian environment.
When we go out there (we take a small public bus, a coombi) we help them learn English, we play soccer, we talk with them about what varsity is like (college), and so forth. Last night the older girls actually came to campus and we all had a meeting about where we want to take things from here on, since us volunteers are here only another couple months, and then other students will come. I am preoccupied with how to get some of the local students more involved, so that it would be an ongoing, sustainable volunteering system. We talked with Magic, the Center's director, about fundraising opportunities and weekend gatherings we want to have with the girls in the next couple weeks.
Let me just say that Magic is a star! He founded this center and he continues to be the prominent voice for the center and all the girls. While he does excellent networking around the area, and is greatly assisted, he is just Magical--encouraging, proactive, wise, and street smart. A great leader who we are all learning from.
(soon to come) I have included a picture here from when we were setting up a science experiment with the girls. While, yes, some girls were too young to understand, there were others that were so excited to read aloud the whole 'worksheet' we made up--in English--. Then others were concerned with collecting all the necessary materials (bugs, plants, soil), while others were jazzed that they had a notepad to be responsible over in which they were to record results. It was a good afternoon for learning.

Rowing in Pretoria

This last weekend I travelled with the rowing team up to the 54th annual South Africa Championships rowing regatta held just north of Pretoria. In attendance were most of the same teams as at the last regatta, but this time, there were also teams from clubs, not just varsities (colleges). Hence, there were older people on teams together and even an Olympic pair. This was the most competitive racing of these few months.
On Friday we drove up to the lake, a good 6 or 7 hours, and pitched our tents and cooked up boerwoers on the braii--sausages on the bbq--and hung around the campground, looking at the southern cross, and trying to remember the rest of our astronomy, I bet my neighbor Lynn could tell me(?). The guys tried to get in to mischief, which they did, setting off firecrackers and getting some angry Africaaner guys to come after them...not a good idea...some shouting and slapping followed! Well the campground was definitely our playground for the two nights of the regatta. We had booked three campsites, but ended up smashing all 25 or 30 of us onto one site for the bonding I guess :)
My crew entered a women's eight (placed 2nd) and two women's fours, both my races were Saturday. It was a lot of fun and we were super tired by the end of Saturday. The thing with rowing is there is a lot of carrying. the boats are heavy, and they do not get themselves assembled and in to the water...definitely a process. That afternoon we went to a pub and watched a rugby game on TV, then went back to camp for a mince meat and pasta dinner, and we showed our teammates all about s'mores, yummy. It rained that night, but we kept fairly dry.
On Sunday we watched a lot of races, particularly the guys crews, and helped them get in and out of the water on time. I coxed one of the guys' four person boats: sat in the front, facing the direction the boat was going, and steered and gave encouraging yelling and calls to the rowers. Its pretty fun, cause the guys row hard, and you sit at ease cause you aren't rowing, but you are most definitely in the competition, you line up the boat at the starting line, you see where the boat is going and how close it is to the other teams during the race. Some people go to school and row for a team just for that position...scholarship, sort of like with any sport position. In case you were wondering, our school does not have anyone on scholarship for rowing, too social?
Sunday we packed up our stuff and drove a couple hours to JoBurg where we left our stuff at the Sleek Backpackers and went out for the post-regatta party with the other school teams, at a country club type of place. It was a lot of fun, probably one of the best nights I have had in South Africa, a culmination of the season. And just cause it was great hanging with the crew and seeing familiar faces from the last regatta. Lots of dancing, House Music is THE music here. It is like electronica but with more words and it is generally upbeat, not angry or headbanger. Well, the party was great, and as usual, our team MADE the party, haha! After the party ended, not wanting to sleep we drove around a while, in the Quantum, a giant minibus we often rent out for travel, and finally made it back in the wee hours to our beds at the hostel.
Monday we slowly made it back to Maritzburg where we all unpacked and settled back into school life.
Let me explain, Monday was a national holiday because that was the date, the 27th of April, when South Africa had its first democratic election in 1994. So, yes last Wednesday was a holiday, so that people could go out and vote, but the 27th is a holiday so that people that work the voting stations (Wednesday) really do recognize the special date, by not working either.
School is tough. I believe it is because I have not been putting in as much time on the weekends... well this next weekend is another 3day weekend, and I am not travelling, it is school time. That is how it goes. And, we are done with regattas for now, so I won't have as many posts about rowing, sadly.
Currently, I have a PowerPoint presentation on cauliflower mosaic virus to give on Thursday, and a test that day too. Then a paper on organic farming and foods due on Monday. Along with a test in Animal Science. Will be busy.
I would love to write more about what I observed last Wednesday at the polling station, it could be sort of long, though, so I will plan another post this week.
Oh, and, it is a friend's 21st this evening, woo whoo!
So that is all for now. (right, birthday girl, Emily, in the white)

Durban

Friday we went to dinner at our favorite Indian food joint, Bollywood Curries (the ever popular mutton bunny chow, see above). Then walked back to campus and went to the Irish pub, The Bell, with some girls from my dorm. Later we went to the apartment of a friend, Eddie, who was throwing a grad party in celebration of his graduation ceremonies over the weekend. Graduation ceremonies are ongoing, at least so it seems, because of the logistics of processing all the degrees, it is different than back home.
Saturday I spent the morning in the computer lab with my virology group working on a paper and powerpoint presentation that we are to submit next week. Then in the afternoon I went to Durban with some friends to see my very first rugby game!! Lots of fun! While the sport (and the fair like festivities/tailgating before and after is most like football), the stands and crowds are reminiscent of baseball, like going to a Giants' game. photos of rugby game (a New Zealand team vs. Durban Sharks), and then a photo of me in front of one of the new (still building, it. Thsi picutre was taken from inside the rugby stadium, so you can see they are very close by)stadiums being built for the FIFA World Cup 2010 (there are stadiums being built in many of the big cities here, including JoBurg, Durban, and Cape Town).
That night we walked on Florida Rd. the supposedly happening place in Durban...it was not that crazy, but it was a little nicer than other parts of the city.
Sunday we walked out of our hostel and into uShaka (named after the Zulu king) water park. We spent the day between the water slides and the beach where we rented kayaks and body surfed. I think next time I go to Durban I am going to try surfing. I like waterskiing...maybe similar?! (to the left a photo of the beach in Durban, part of the "Golden Mile")
So, Monday has once again arrived and I am back to classes, writing lab reports for Animal Science, volunteering for my political science internship based class. It is going well.
Wednesday is election day, national holiday. Zuma is expected to win, even though many people are unhappy about this. Some argue he is a criminal. As one poster put up by and ANC opposing party says: "Put criminals in jail, not in government (Independent Democrats)."
I am supposed to help monitor elections on Wednesday, as an observer, make notes about how the polling station is running (not just us students, there are many people from the community that are doing this, compensated appropriately, not as community service workers), through my PoliSci class, so, we will see, it should be a pretty big day! (a little Zuma opposition, Independent Democrats party street sign to the left)

Easter Vacation: Garden Route

We started in Coffee Bay; we were there two nights. On our very first day/night of driving—to The Coffee Shack Hostel—we got a flat tire!! It was pitch black and we pulled off to the side of the highway, Mom, I had my flashlight (though the emergency flashers were sufficient…), anyhow, the guys managed to switch the flat in 15 minutes tops, just as some other random folks were strolling by (yes, walking on the shoulder of a country highway). Not a blink later we had arrived at Coffee Shack where we got a free welcome drink, and went up the hill for pizza. Coffee Bay was a very small seaside town (pop 600), lots of huts for houses, one gas station that had limited (petrol supply?!) hours and no signage, the main attraction = beach, main attraction for most of the South Africa Garden Route. At Coffee Bay, surfing was all the rage, as was lounging on the soft sandy beaches, and making a toast (sundowners) and taking photos at sunset, below, left.

Man, the words to describe this trip! I want to just talk and have it transform people’s minds. Anyway...Coffee Bay had “Hole in the Wall” a big island rock with a hole in the middle, caused by such strong wave action over the years

We took off for Jeffery’s Bay and stayed two nights, funny, a brief but fierce shower poured down as we pulled in the driveway that night. Not a good sign for sand boarding the next day. Oh well, we jogged in the morning, and shopped in the small beach town, a lot like a California surf town! Santa Cruz or beach towns in So Cal, San Diego neighborhoods even. Got a billabong sweater and slops (flip flops). Worked on a tan. Went out for Mexican food. (Jeffery's Bay to the lower right).
We went up the road to the world’s highest bungee jump (lower left), which I am still glad I did not do. I watched most of my friends, that was plenty of terror for me! Then we rolled on towards Knysna (“Nice-na”). A touristy---but for a good reason--place. You can walk to wherever you need to go, so we just parked it at the hostel (sweet restored old mansion) we booked and walked on to the waterfront (lagoon here, reminiscent of Venice). That night we barbequed some grub and hung out.

The next day we took of down the road to where the Indian Ocean ‘meets’ the Atlantic Ocean. We arrived there just at sunset; I would say one of the most beautiful nights here. (photo here).
Then we carried on to Gansbaai, where we stayed the night to wake up bright and early to get in a cage with sharks swimming around us. This bay is credited with being home to more than 70% of all the photography and documentaries that are on TV these days. Inside the tour operator’s area they showed movies of underwater cage diving, they had teeth on display, they had photos of Matt Damon and Leo DiCaprio with the tour director, it was a fine established program. Thumbs up! A lot scarier than I thought it was going to be. Partly because of the suspense. The whole boat stays there looking at the chum line, bobbing up and down, waiting for a shark to snap on it. Not as common an occurrence as you would expect. No, you wait, until more than half the boat has gotten motion sickness, until the side of the boat is painted with “complementary breakfast,” until the six people waiting in the cage are too cold to wait any longer (and then they swap out with a drier bunch). the nthe shark creeps up, and BAM in your face!You wait until everyone has had the nice underwater, shrilling, life ending/death-breathing monster they call the Great White within an inch from their heads. The sharks feed on some 60000 seals that populate the rocky shores. (On a side note, I learned that a couple dolphins could take down a shark! They just ram into him until he cannot take the pressure). Photos from Gansbaai, below.
That afternoon we drove towards Cape Town. We followed the Garden Route and saw some nice beaches. Beautiful coastline. see below.
Upon entering Cape Town, we were shocked with the differing kinds of housing. The whole route we had taken showed and obvious trend from poorer, generally, to richer (that is moving from KwaZulu-Natal KZN to Western Cape)—everything from businesses to homes, to streets, to signs. There were still poor people in western Cape, but fewer. And we sort of expected this trend, but when we saw the repercussions of such a general pattern, there were no more words to describe it. The poor people in these “rich” areas of South Africa looked a heck of a lot more poor than the poor peoples’ neighborhoods here in KZN do. The shacky places were up on top of one another; the electricity wires were originating from a central pole, and hung low to the ground even until they reached a given shack. Heavy pollution (though not as bad as Naples, Italy last summer) more spread out garbage, not clumped in a heap. I have no idea if they have water nearby, most likely not piped to their shacks, maybe a central spot in the streets over. As usual, only coloreds and blacks walking around in these streets. Let me repeat, these streets are minutes from Cape Town. We just drove by.

So on to Cape Town, and once you get there, it’s like the whole other world you passed by never even happened. Seriously: European! It is mostly white people walking around, a lot of cafes (we have about zero here in KZN, I am guessing because there is not enough extra spending money to waste on lounging in a café, though beer is another story). We were fortunate enough to stay at some other exchange students’ flat, in Observatory area of Cape Town, where we could go out at night, walking distance from a busy party street. Apparently not the safest part of town, oh well. (We met some UCT exchange students from the States, earlier in our trip, in Coffee Bay, and they told us that the UCT demographics are hugely different from ours. The most striking info was that of 20,000 students, 3,000 are international! Within that, 300 are American! Thus, they live with, hang out with, PLUS have classes with at least a handful of Americans per class. While here in KZN there are maybe 30 of us Americans, and we do not see only each other. We live with locals, and personally, there are no other Americans in my classes).
The next day we hiked Table Mountain (view from top is on the right here). We started in Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens, Papa and Grandma would have LOVED them!! I even said that to my friends when we were walking there. Hiked up the mountain (via Skeleton Gorge) for a couple hours, very steep, even had ladders at some points! But the breathtaking panoramic views were worth it. We “took the scenic route” getting down, which left us quite exhausted—lost?! Anyway, not a big night, that one, had Mexican food yet again! (Yes it is alright here, they know Mexican about as well as Chevy’s does, so we’re happy). The next day, Saturday before Easter, we headed to V and A Waterfront for a look around, shopped, saw a snazzy hotel or two on the water there that I could have moved into! Shopped around for some crafts, had a mocha and then we took off for a scenic drive around the Cape Point.
(The baboons!)

(photo: Cape Point)

That was an afternoon of beaches, wildlife and a lot of laughs! We stopped at Camps Bay, a lot like Miami—classy restaurants and bars on a longs single strip of town that runs along side the sandy beach (water in this part of country is cold, FYI) We saw African penguins at Boulders Beach, adorable (mating season now, we had some fun) and then we drove on towards the point and stopped to take millions of picture of baboons crossing the highway, picking at each other, climbing trees, they even opened the two car doors! Apparently they are very strong, ie dangerous, though, so my friends were scared, I thought it was absolutely hilarious!
We carried on and saw a camel on our drive back in to town, yes a camel! And then I got a nice call from my parents, wishing me well and saying they, too, were on a trip, really good to hear from them.
That night we checked into a hostel right in the thick of downtown Cape Town: Long St!!! it is crazy hectic loud from the afternoon, picks up around 8, and blares music, serves drinks, pours out people, until 5 AM. I made it until 3, but even then I could have kept on. Imagine Mardi Gras in New Orleans, just like that main drag there in New Orleans! I mean there is a bar/club interspersed by like 20 Backpackers hostels (they run like $10/night), so what can you NOT expect. (Long St below to the left). Well, one night there, and we bounced to the quiet and quaint Stellenbosch: it is like Healdsburg, but a little quieter.

Downtown and campus in Stellenbosch, above.

A couple main drags, with nice eateries, and a legit tourism office--but it was even open on Easter! But not much else was, so we relaxed, pretty much. We did take a self-guided tour of the University: it is landscaped marvelously, some oaks, some palms, many other trees and flowers I don’t know…(FYI the proteas are the country flower, it is a large pink and white petalled flower—you see the word Proteas a lot here, like as the name of an establishment). So, future reference, if you want to go to school at a very well recognized, nice climate, small town place, go to Stellenbosch Uni. One thing, though: taught in Afrikaans. Yes, this part of the country is bilingual in a different way from KZN. In KZN we have a lot of things translated to Zulu, but in the Western Cape, especially the richy rich wine regions, there is more Afrikaans, plus English.
The day after Easter we took a wine tour, and I have to admit it was a lot like being a tourist in Healdsburg. We have it good in Sonoma County. Blessed for our earth. On the tour we went to four wineries, a host of wines at each. First was Simonsig, where we had a particularly nice wine, Redhill Pinotage, developed in Stellenbosch, soft red wine. They suggested pairing it with game meats. It is a dressed up, classy, enjoyable activity to go winery hopping. Someone drives for you, have a nice lunch, talk about more flavors than you could have thought of on your own. We even tasted goat cheeses at Fairview Winery. Overall the tour was a good way to wind down the trip. We slept well that night and early the next morning, half past three, we left our hostel to fly back to KZN. And we hit the ground running with school that is for sure. Vacation was awesome. It definitely gave me some perspective about how this town, PMB, (that I spend a majority of my time in) fits in to the rest of it's surrounding country. The country is more diverse than Zulu land. It is whiter in some areas, it is poorer in some areas, not that those are mutually exclusive, but that they are two extremes that we don’t experience in our college bubble.