A little homesick

This morning when I woke up I spoke to Russell on the phone. It was 2 am in New York City, but his whole family was up because of the hurricane. Their electricity had just gone out and Russell was telling me about the long list of precautions that have been taken for the hurricane. New York City has essentially been shut down.  I've been getting alerts from my school in Philadelphia like mad, telling me to stay inside until further notice, warning me of both a tornado and a hurricane. With an earthquake earlier this week, it sure seems like the east coast is falling apart without me. As hectic as all of this sounds, looking out my window and seeing sunshine makes me realize how far away I actually am. I'm not majorly homesick, but having everyone at home in slight danger isn't the most comforting of feelings. 

After I got off the phone with Russell, I decided to do something that makes me feel at home. A tradition when Russell and I visit each other (which is often) is to make big breakfasts together every morning, and banana chocolate chip pancakes are one of his favorites. Pancakes aren't common here (at least homemade ones) and banana chocolate chip ones are rare, so I was excited for my host family to try them. 

Chocolate chips were nowhere to be found, so I made my own. 

Mashing the bananas is usually Russell's job. His other jobs are stirring the batter and washing the dishes. The pancakes were not nearly as good without his moral support. 

At home I'm continuously fiddling with the temperature to make sure that they're golden brown. For some reason, here that's no problem.

The finished products, with some Vermont maple syrup my mom brought from the states.

They were a huge hit. I'll definitely be making them again. Yemmy

A few other things that make me less homesick:

Freddy, the family dog, is especially a comfort because my family dog, Rudy, passed away last week. Rudy was our family mascot, and Freddy is my host family's baby.

Amber, my host niece, is 20 months old and the smartest and happiest little girl. She calls me Kaya and lights up my days. 

So while I'm  very far away, I have lots to make me feel at home. I just hope that everyone in the states stays safe and dry today. My thoughts and prayers are with everyone on the east coast.

Many many hugs and kisses from Cape Town.

Journey to Joburg

 Johannesburg was a short trip but an incredibly enlightening one.We didn't spend much time in the heart of the city, but we could tell that the city had an entirely different vibe than Cape Town. Cape Town is surrounded by a mountain range and so when you look up, no matter where you are, a mountain is looming in the background. It was strange being in a completely flat place with no ocean and mountains to be seen. It was a lot less green and much more industrial. There were many little hills around the city which were built up from the waste from the mines that gave Johannesburg its nickname- "The City of Gold."

The Apartheid Museum

One aspect of apartheid that I was shocked by was the racial classifications. Both before and throughout the years of apartheid, everyone was required to carry a pass that designated the person's race.The passes had to be carried at all times. A policeman could stop anyone on the street at any time, and if they didn't have their pass, or their pass papers weren't in order they were taken to jail and could be held there for any length of time. What I didn't know was that South Africans could appeal to the courts to change their race classifications. They could also complain if they thought someone's racial classification was incorrect. Because during the apartheid years one's social status was closely tied to their race, race classifications were incredibly important as it largely determined one's treatment in society. As a result, about 1,000 people ended up switching their race. Above are some examples.

Here is a sampling of some of the signs designating non-European facilities from European facilities. Not so different from the signs present in the American South during segregation.

131 people were assassinated by the government for opposing them, both white and black. Their opposition was designated as terrorist activities, and under that guise they were allowed to imprison and torture whoever publicly opposed the government's violation of human rights. Steve Biko, a black anti-apartheid activist, is one of the most prominent victims of government assassination. He was tortured to death while in prison. Several white people who vocally opposed the apartheid were killed as well with methods such as poison and letter bombs. This was happening in the 1970s and 80s, which was so incredibly recent. One of the most interesting parts about studying abroad in South Africa is that apartheid ended and democracy began during my lifetime. It makes the history here seem so real and as a result even more shocking.

The backpacker (what South Africans call hostels) that we stayed at was in an old house and was beautiful. They had two adorable but huge dogs we got to hang out with as well.

On Friday night, we went to Monte Casino, which is like a mini Las Vegas. The ceilings are painted as the sky, some day and some night, and it is Italian themed and is supposed to simulate the streets of Italy. It was completely unexpected that there would be a collection of restaurants and shops like this in the middle of South Africa. Places like Las Vegas and Atlantic City seem like symbols of America. I had no idea that places such as these were popular outside of the U.S., but it was incredibly crowded. We saw a play there that night called the Mandela Trilogy, which was about the many different stages of Mandela's life. I really enjoyed seeing his life acted out after I had read so much about him at the Apartheid Museum.

That bridge in the middle of this picture is where people bungee jump from. It is right next to Soweto, one of the townships in Johannesburg.

This is the tribute to the Freedom Charter, which was drafted in Klipton in 1955 by several different resistance organizations and is considered a very important document of the ANC.

The ceiling of the landmark is an X, to symbolize the vote. Voters display their preferences with an X, and as one of the provisions that the freedom charter called for universal franchise, the X was an appropriate symbol.

The Freedom Charter preamble: South Africa belongs to all who live in it, black and white, and that no government can justly claim authority unless it is based on the will of all the people

This four star hotel, the Soweto hotel, is right next to a township called Klipton which is home to 48,000 people and has 100 water taps. See picture below. It was really weird for me to see the two immediately next to each other. The hotel was completely empty, which is common at hotels in South Africa these days. Many thought that the World Cup would provide an increase in tourism afterward, but the effects of that have yet to be seen. There isn't much traveling happening now as a result of the recession, but I'm still surprised that more people aren't here. Its such an amazing place to visit and I've been loving traveling within the country.

Klipton

The token snack food of Soweto. Its essentially multicolored popcorn and is slightly sweet. Yem.

This is a very popular game in South Africa, and though I can't remember the name right now, but it is like a massive game of Mancala.

Nelson Mandela's old house. He lived right across the street from Desmond Tutu, and their street is the only one in the world to house two Nobel prize winners.

We had lunch in our tour guide's restaurant in her home in Soweto. She spoiled us with all this food, but we got to try some of Soweto's most delicious dishes.

 

In the afternoon, I went to University of Witswatersrand, or Wits (pronounced Vits) to visit my friend Sibu. I spent the afternoon seeing Sibu's university and having some great conversation. Sibu has an incredible life story. He grew up in Inanda, a town right outside Durban in a house that had no electricity. His class size was 60 people to one teacher, and he had to teach himself many subjects. He really really wanted to go to college, but there were no scholarships to  be found. When my family met him five years ago at a dinner party in Boston, he had been accepted to a program that brought motivated South African students to tour the states and see what the world could offer them. My parents, being the coolest parents that I know, said that if he could get into a university, they would sponsor it. Sibu is now in his second semester of his third year and doing awesome. He is such an inspiration and I'm so happy to have him as a friend. 

Sibu and I cheering on the Kaizer Cheifs, Johannesburg's soccer team and one of the best soccer teams in the country. Even though they were playing Cape Town, I supported the Cheifs because they are known for having one of the most hectic (South Africans replace hectic for crazy and it has a few other meanings, such as intense) fan environment in South Africa.

Stadium where the World Cup opener and final were played. It was weird going to a game here after being so invested in the World Cup. I watched the final in an apartment in Cadiz with one of my best friends Caroline, our friend Middy, and then about 15 Spanish guys who were obviously born and raised hardcore Spanish soccer fans. It was an experience I will never forget, and it was awesome actually being in the place that had been such a significance during my time in Spain.

Johannesburg was such an interesting place, and so much of modern South African history has taken place there. But, at the end of the weekend, I was glad to be heading home to the beautiful city of Cape Town. There's no place like home.

Off again!

I've been so incredibly busy this past week. I have a huge test coming up on Tuesday, a big presentation on Wednesday, and two short papers due this coming week. However, I'm leaving all that work behind this weekend and heading to Johannesburg. I'm so excited to be able to compare Cape Town to another South African city. One of my tutors (or teaching assistants) was lecturing us about South African economics and casually mentioned that if any of us wanted to make money in South Africa we'd have to move to Joburg. Its a lot more industrial and its near where a lot of the mining takes place, and is therefore the business capital of South Africa. Cape Town is a beach city, and just like every beach city is known for being much more laid back. I'm probably going to be way to busy studying next week to blog about my trip, but I'll try to have a post up by the end of the week. I'm super overwhelmed by all this work, I wasn't expecting to be so busy during my time abroad, BUT what all this work means is that in two weeks I'll be on Spring break!! Yes, you read that correctly, in the Southern hemisphere it is now winter, and this is the spring semester. UCT's summer break is from mid November to February.

For now, here's a few pictures I took this week (click on them if you want a better view):

I took this picture of the sunrise this morning on my walk to campus.

There have been many protests and strikes over wages this week in South Africa. There was a riot in the center of the city a couple of days ago that ended in a crazy amount of looting. I haven't seen any of it except for these protesters, who are cleaning workers, walking through the center of campus. They already receive the wages that the rest of the cleaning workers are on strike for, but they're protesting in solidarity. They were singing the most beautiful protest song I've ever heard. I'm not sure which African language it was in, but I took a quick video which I might post later on. 

A litchi, a yummy fruit that I sometimes snack on here, although this one was imported from Israel. Its very tangy and tropical and once you pull the skin off it looks like a whitish clear gel. 

The family pug, Fred, waiting at the door when I got home from school. 

Have a great weekend, everyone! And for all of you headed back to Nova this weekend, give it my best. 

Tsitsikamma

We were only in Tsitsikamma for a few hours, but it was by far my favorite spot on the Garden Route. Home to the largest bungee jump in the world, Tsitsikamma is a network of national parks that are home to mountains, beaches, hiking trails, and water falls. We went straight to Tsitsikamma canopy tours (http://www.canopytour.co.za/locations/tsitsikamma), which claims to donate 50% of its profits to various initiatives that stimulate the local economy and support the local community, but when we asked our guide about it she burst out laughing, and I can’t help but think it might be a scam.

Mom and I before our canopy tour. 

Mom’s first canopy tour!

Mommy and me.

I had been on a canopy tour in Nicaragua through the jungle, and to be honest this tour was not quite as impressive.The company also provides you with a meal, but the R450 per person charge is still a bit pricey. My mom, however, had never done a canopy tour and had the time of her life. We both had so much fun figuring out how to maneuver through the forest and doing it together made it that much better.

After our canopy tour we drove to Storm’s River Mouth national park. It was R50 per person to enter, which is about $7 per person, and it was completely, 100% worth it.

 

I didn’t notice this til now, but we were both wearing black spandex and blue north face rain jackets the whole day. Like mother, like daughter I guess. 

You can camp or rent cabins along the beach at Storm’s River Mouth, and I definitely want to come back and do so. They’re relatively inexpensive, especially if you’re sharing a cabin with a bunch of people and you have one of the most beautiful views possible looking out your front window. 

http://www.saparks.com/accommodation/tsitsikamma_storms_river.aspx

Me hanging out in an absolutely massive cave. 

We went for a hike on the mountain alongside the ocean to see the suspension bridge that went across the river mouth.

The plants along the pathway were so different than what you’d expect on a hike in New England. 

Mom said it had to be one of the most beautiful hikes she’d ever been on, and I think I’d have to agree. We were both speechless as we walked along the jungle-like pathway parallel to the water.

The main suspension bridge was closed for construction. Erosion on one side of the mountain had caused unreliability with the suspension cables. I wasn’t about to test its limits after hearing that…

I did go on the suspension bridge on the other side, however. It was quite bouncy but sturdy and it really cool to watch the waves come in underneath the bridge.

A wave just as it crashes underneath me, and my hiking boots. I bought these hiking boots a few days before I left and thought they were exceptionally ugly at the time. They are now my closest friends. They’re so durable, so comfortable, and essential for being in Cape Town. So, thank you, LL Bean. And they’re not ugly, they’re very cute hiking boots. I use them at least once a week, maybe more and were definitely in my top 5 best purchases for this trip (some others being my digital watch which is also an alarm clock and my camera). I’ve discovered a love for hiking here and will definitely be continuing it back home. I know I’ll be dragging Russell to the AMC huts in New Hampshire next summer (get excited!!) and I can’t wait. 

While standing on the rocks and looking out at the ocean at Storms River Mouth, I got the feeling that I was at the end of the world. Then I realized that I was looking out at the end of the world. At every other beach I’ve been too I’ve been looking out at a horizon that had a coast on the other side, with people just like me looking over it. Here, I’m at the bottom of a continent, and the only thing between me and the tip of the world is some penguins on Antarctica. Realizing that there was no other humans out there as I looked out across the ocean was an indescribable, overwhelming feeling that can’t be captured with either words or pictures. 

Tsitsikamma is just one of the national park areas that South Africa has to offer. There is so much natural beauty in this country that its almost overwhelming. Seeing another part of the country made me want to explore South Africa more. I’m going on a different kind of adventure this weekend, to a city: Johannesburg.