July 8-July 15: I'm here!

Hello everyone! So after hurriedly getting in application materials and conceptualizing and making lists and packing and saying goodbye to everything I’ve ever known in the United States, I am finally here in Cape Town, South Africa. First, I have to thank everyone for the support you’ve given me in preparing for this huge step in my life, my first trip outside the United States (and pretty much its Northeastern states). This is by far the most important thing I’ve ever done, and I owe my courage to your love and inspiration. Thanks for lighting the fire under my ass… I’m out of New Jersey!

I’ve been here for almost a week now, and I finally have reliable internet so that I can fill everyone in. The flight was grueling, in the most pleasant way possible. Although it was long and cramped, I sat next to a girl who was traveling to Port Elizabeth to teach for a year, and she was a lot of fun to talk to and watch the in-flight movies with. My real adventure started, however, when we finally flew in over Cape Town. It was nothing short of breathtaking, especially since it was my first real landing in a country other than my own. Pure exhilaration surged from my toes to my head as I snapped photos out the window of the bay, an island covered in foam, and the city coastline. I probably let out an annoying squeal or two, but so what? I couldn’t believe that I’d finally made it to Cape Town.

The city itself is fascinating. It’s got this old world feel to it, definitely Dutch, but with modern vibrancy. You can almost feel the “rainbow nation” motto pulsing through it, and what better setting could there be? Table Mountain looms in the background, and the city rolls on from there, spanning out at its feet until you hit the bay. The coast is beach-y. It sounds cheesy, but it’s just like the pictures. It reminds me of New Orleans in that it seems to be resisting extreme urbanization and has the colored buildings thing going on, but it’s more cosmopolitan than New Orleans. That’s what I love about cities—each one is different, regardless of serving generally the same purpose worldwide. Despite the beauty provided by nature for the country to propel its way to “equality,” inequality is definitely present. As we drove from the airport, we saw a ton of construction going on in preparation for the World Cup, these massive, modern structures. And then, right there, next to the highway, were shanties slammed up against each other. For my New Jersey peeps, think of the part of the NJ Turnpike near Newark, where there’s all that space on either side filled with railroad cars. Okay, replace the railroad cars with tin shacks and clotheslines. Then, as quickly as they appeared, they’re gone. I’ve yet to see something as stark as that since I arrived, but I’ve already noted that although poverty is common here, it generally is lived with dignity for oneself. If people are not begging or trying to pick your pocket or steal your groceries, they’re proud of the little that they have. It’s a little jarring for me, as I’m still trying to grapple with the fact that these problems exist in such a beautiful place. Homeless people camped out in the grass next to a road, tending to a fire as their children play with garbage almost seem ironic among the lush plants and clear blue skies. It’s gorgeous in the most tragic way, and I don’t know what to make of that yet.

CIEE, the program that I’m traveling with, has kept us really busy, which is why I haven’t written and still haven’t gotten over my jetlag. Highlights:

I’ve met a group of American girls, all on the program, that I’ve really bonded with already, and together we’ve been crawling around the city, sharing in our mutual fascination and excitement. We were all on the same Delta flight over and could commiserate that we were all sprayed with the same insecticide by security as they searched the plane at 4 am in our transfer in Dakar. We’re already scheming what kind of adventures we can concoct for ourselves over the next few months. We’re all hyped to be here, although they all think it’s “adorable” that I’ve never traveled before and therefore am always ready for the next thing. It’s been very comforting to have a group to share the experience with so far, and I feel very lucky to have had them right off the bat.

I’m living in one of the University of Cape Town dorms, called a residence (“res” for short) with one girl from my program and two African students, which is just what I wanted! Yes! My African roommate is named Bokang, and he’s from Lesotho. I’m pretty sure I scared the crap out of him when I first moved in; I wasn’t aware that he’d be here, since it’s winter break, and so when I saw him, I rushed up and gushed hello and how excited I was to be here and how was he and where was he from, etc. He looked very overwhelmed and taken aback and answered with an uncertain smile. I felt bad later, and apologized for being spazzy, but he thought it was hilarious. He calls me “an American lady.” He’s very kind and quiet. We both love eggs for dinner, and we’re getting along quite well. My other roommate has a name I can neither pronounce, nor at the moment remember, but I get to meet him on Saturday, when winter break ends. As for my room, this dorm is an apartment-style suite, so I have a room with a view of the city and the Stellenbosch mountains through floor-to-ceiling windows. Not a bad deal, right? I’m really excited to be living here, even though it’s pretty far from campus (go figure). I’ve already met some of my other floor mates randomly, and they’re all great. I really wanted to live with Africans, as opposed to living in a nice house with other Americans from CIEE (what’s the point), so I’m on my way to immersing myself in the South African college experience.

We took a tour of the peninsula yesterday, and it was wonderful. The ocean is everywhere, and everything is so green and lovely. It’s actually pretty cold here, maybe around 55 each day (Fahrenheit, not Celsius; I haven’t mastered that yet). But the weather was so nice, and I was just so taken aback by the natural beauty of Africa. Despite all the incredible manmade structures that exist, a testament to our own abilities, nothing will ever compare to that which is natural. These mountains have been here forever, and long after we’re gone, they’ll still be here, and that’s what really gets me. We went to Cape Point, that pointy part at the very end of Africa (pull out your globes)! So I can say that I’ve been the closest I’ll ever be to Antarctica. It was gorgeous. I have a ton of pictures, which I will upload to some picture site once I’m not paying for internet per MB. I will let you know. Also, I saw penguins and baboons! They were just hangin’ out, chilling on the cape, and we got really close up. I got an awesome picture of this mommy and baby baboon pair. Everyone was really scared, but I got within about 5 feet of them and snapped a shot. To be honest, being attacked by a baboon in Africa sounds pretty extraordinary to me, so I took my chances. (Don’t worry, Mommy, I’m unscathed.)

The nightlife here is a blast. I like these places a lot better than what’s in Philadelphia, probably because it’s easier to meet people and actually have a conversation, without sacrificing good music and general revelry. It helps that CIEE has UCT students guiding us around, all very cool with equally cool friends, so we already have this network of people we can hang out with. To my extreme surprise, all the music they play in the clubs is American music. I’ve yet to hear anything by an African pop artist or rapper or whatnot. Let me tell you, they’re nuts for Kanye and Estelle’s “American Boy.” I heard it about 3 times one night. I asked one guy why they only play American music, and he got all uppity and sarcastically asked if I’d been expecting to hear “Hakuna Matata.” Sorry, man. But another guy I asked explained that while African pop music exists, it’s not as good as the American stuff they’re trying to imitate, so they prefer to just go with the real thing. Fair enough; another comfort to me in a foreign country, and something I already know how to dance to. But if I have one complaint, it’s the fog of cigarette smoke everywhere you go. Never have I appreciated the New York and Philadelphia smoking bans more. I’m sad I didn’t bring some Febreze. But it’s all part of the experience. :-)/:-P

I’ve saved the best for last, prepare yourselves… I hiked up Table Mountain! Yes, me! She who hath only previously only hiked the urban jungle and eschews most physical exertion! I did it, and not only did I do it, but I did it in almost the most difficult way possible. I thought it’d be cool outside, as it had been the entire time I’ve been here, and expected a nice dirt trail, so off I set with my friends and about 35 other CIEE people, but soon we realized that our imagined dirt trail was actually a steep collection of steps constructed from huge rocks. A man we met along the way had been climbing the mountain every weekend for 15 years, and he told us that out of the 300 ways to climb the mountain, we’d happened to choose the hardest trail. It was mile upon mile of rocks, in the heat from the sun that decided to make the day warm, for once. I employed a little yoga philosophy to get myself up there, along with the cheering from my new friends from Colorado, the expert climbers. But getting to the top, knowing I’d pushed my limits physically, mentally, and spiritually, was one of the most fulfilling experiences I’ve ever had. It was nothing short of breathtaking, and not because I was tired. I really felt like I was on top of the world, and finally felt like I was really in Africa. (That’s me in that picture at the top of the page, in the hat and the pink jacket on the left. No, it’s not Photoshopped.) Admittedly, I took the cable car down. (I just knew that I’d be the one who would lose control of momentum and hurtle headfirst down the mountain, and as someone else had already fallen and required a rescue team, I figured the quota had already been met that day.) I also rewarded myself with a cookie. But I feel like Wonder Woman. Two days later, I’m miraculously not even sore!

So as you can see, I’ve only been in Cape Town a week, but I’m having a great time and learning a lot. I feel like this semester away from Penn will offer me knowledge I would otherwise never get in Philly, despite the exorbitant tuition, and also let me learn more about myself. I can feel myself becoming a fuller person already. I will try to update this about once every week or so, so check in as you please. Other than that, I love and miss you all and hope you’re well! Please email, leave comments, whatever, to let me know how you are. Regardless of the big adventure outside my window, you have no idea the joy I get from hearing from you.

Wishing I knew how to say “love” in Xhosa (the “click” language),
Christina