Class is king. Monday February 13 - Thursday February 16

The weeks are getting busier now that I have class! 

Monday I woke up very early since I passed out immediately after getting home from shark cage diving the night before. I spent my morning cleaning up my room and other boring stuff. Had lunch with friends, drawing is getting less painful, etc. etc.

Tuesday was Valentine’s Day, and I had a great homemade dinner with a group of my international friends a couple blocks over. I learned how to make legit fettuccini pasta! 

Wednesday I went grocery shopping after class and finally found vegetarian food! I got my fake chicken, braai sausages, and Sheppard’s pie. Nom nom nom. I also found….wait for it…frozen waffles! It’s the simple things that make me happy sometimes…

Thursday I had class forever. We got to go outside to discuss the readings we were assigned that week. Outside of the theology building, we sat in between a palm tree and the biggest pine tree I have ever seen in my entire life. Every one of its branches was the size of a Christmas tree.

JAWS! Sunday February 12, 2012

And, you know, the thing about a shark... he's got lifeless eyes. Black eyes. Like a doll's eyes. When he comes at ya, doesn't seem to be living... 

 

Guess what I did today?! Got into a cage. With sharks.

I made it out with all limbs, fingers, and toes intact, no worries.

We began the day early, at 6 am we left the front gates and were shuttled off into the hazy morning.  I was so excited! We arrived at the Great White House where I enjoyed a large breakfast of scrambled eggs and cheese, fresh bread, yogurt, muesli, and orange juice! Yum! As I was eating, I was really hoping I’d keep all these contents in my stomach. Seasickness has always been a problem for me… 

So we heard a quick spiel about the sharks we’d be seeing, how people kill way more sharks than sharks do people, etc. We were warned that we may not even see any sharks on our trip, and that the water may be too hazy to make out anything beneath the surface. The crew we were going out with has been featured on National Geographic’s Shark Week! It’s getting real…

So we went out on the boat for about a twenty minutes before we stopped. “I see one!” one of the crew members shouted. I was too seasick to turn around to see the great white coming up alongside the left side of the boat. No, I don’t know if that’s “starboard” or "seaboard" (is this even the right word??). So please bear with me when I say left and right. We continued on for another ten minutes before stopping.

They explained to us how they release fish oils and blood into the water to attract the sharks with some scent. They don’t feed the sharks anything because they do not want the sharks to get dependent on humans feeding them. At the same time the scents were being released, the cage was removed from the deck and locked down on the left side of the boat. The cage was large, with enough room to fit seven people arm-to-arm across and about two people wide. There was a large gap in the front, about a foot wide, right in front of our faces. Why would that be ok? 

There were two pieces of bait that went along with the scents. On the right, there was a plywood baby-seal shaped decoy. The crew told us that this decoy didn’t have a long life expectancy. Would the shark leap out of the water to go after it and snap the rope?! I was hoping I could see that happen. On the left, there were a bunch of fish bits all roped together that were dragged through the water to attract the shark to the surface. This proved to be most interesting to the sharks, and I got to see a couple leap out a bit!

We were all given wetsuits and I changed into mine, not without wobbling back and forth in the cabin and nearly completely losing my balance. Just thinking about it now is making me dizzy. I quickly sat back down and stared at the shore until I could muster the energy to stumble to the left side where I held on the railing above those in the cage to take pictures.

Every group that went in couldn’t always see directly in front of them since the cage and their goggles blocked their views. To make up for this, there was a crew member shouting at them, “Down right!” or “Down left!” to tell them to hold their breath and pull themselves underwater to see the shark. His voice was so deep and demanding that I felt like I was on some battlefield where I had to get down to avoid some bullets.

Three groups later, I was ready to get in. Once I got in, I was ready to get right back out! The water was cold and it suddenly became very real to me that there were great white sharks only feet away from me in the water. I admit, I did scream. I didn’t get any clear pictures with my underwater camera, but I did get to see a shark underwater! It was only the side fin, but it was enough for me. I was in the middle, but those on the left got the best view! The sharks really went after the bait, and when I was in the cage, one of them slammed up against it and rattled the whole thing. I screamed again. When I was climbing back out of the cage, I was a bit scared a shark would jump back out of the water trying to get the bait and get me instead. 

I was in the cage for that - and I felt it! The whole cage rattled and I nearly got hit by a great big gray fin!

DUN DUN DUN DUN

On our way back to sure, we passed THE seal island! And seal island it was! Everywhere you looked on the craggy rock structure was literally covered in seals, big and small. We were told that in the fall, when the babies started getting more mature and able to swim out into the channel, the area would be filled with sharks looking for an easy snack.

What an incredible experience! I’m really glad I can say I’ve gone cage diving with great white sharks now. We were told that ten different great whites appeared on our trip, averaging about 10 feet in length. I purchased the DVD of the best footage. I’m excited to watch it later, though I’m sure I look like a grumpy little seasick girl.

Lazy Saturday February 11, 2012

I just slept a lot today. Airtime is catching up to me with this cell phone thing. I forget I don’t have unlimited text anymore… 

At night, I went with my friend Kristen and some other Americans from AIFS to one of the residences here. The res was so cool! It was about the size of Des and Alumni at home, if they were attached by more rooms and were about 3 stories taller. In the middle, they had a statue of the Eiffel Tower and a large green where they kept pet rabbits and ducks. 

The res was hosting a braai and I got to meet some locals. I spoke to one Afrikaner for a bit. He told me how he was born and raised on a farm and is putting himself through college. He said he hadn’t spoken English in a while, and I was surprised to hear this. I knew a lot of classes were held in Afrikaans, but I guess it just didn’t register with me that some people know both languages but regularly only speak one. And one I don’t understand! 

I made it an early night since I have to wake up at 5 am tomorrow for one of the greatest adventures of my life.

An Act at the Poetry Reading at Amazink: Sister, do you know who you are?

The girls from Kayamandi signing me a song in isiXhosa

Amazink in Kayamandi! Friday February 10, 2012

What a great day!! I had class today from 9 – 10 am, but it only lasted a half hour. I’m taking it mainstream courses are pretty chilled here. Once the professor has presented the information they have for that day, the class is over. I don’t hate it.

After class, I went out to lunch with a group of my friends. The group consisted of one Dutch, two Germans, an Austrian, and an American. How international can we get?! My friend tried to give me directions to get there, but me being me, I got all turned around and ended up three blocks over. Thank God I found good friends here, because they waited a half hour after one pm for me to find them. Teheh. Maybe I should still bring a map with me everywhere I go…

I came to find out the restaurant was on Dorp Street, where I had class yesterday, so I should have been able to find it fine if I knew the street name. Oh well. For lunch, the rest of the crew had a plate of assorted meats including springbok and warthog (ew). I had a delicious pizza with spinach, feta, mushrooms, and avo. I finally got some money by paying in credit card. The group reimbursed me in cash. 

After lunch, we made it over to the mall where the boys looked at wetsuits and I looked at dresses and bounced around the cute stores. They had a fun time mocking me since every other sentence that came out of my mouth began with "I love..." "this store, that dress, these earings, those people, this country, this mall..." you get the picture.

I didn’t have plans for the night yet, so I was totally excited when I learned from my friends Evelyn and Christian that they were attending a poetry reading at Kayamandi in the evening. We weren’t sure what to expect, but we were under the impression that the children of the township would be presenting their work.

We were shuttled over to Kayamandi in university vans where we arrived at Amazink Live, a restaurant where live performances were held. There were no children allowed inside, as alcohol was served, and the poetry was read by both novices and renown poets alike.

Outside, a group of three girls from the township were running up and down the steps, getting shooed out of the venue a couple times. They explained to me that they thought one of their fathers was inside, so they wanted to look for him. And they wanted to know what’s going on. And they had to use the bathroom. And they wanted sodas. Typical little girls. I took my camera out to take a couple pictures of the sky and the mountains (I can’t get enough!!) and immediately they swarmed me. “Take a picture of me! Take a picture of me!”

They all spoke English as well as isiXhosa. I explained to them that I only knew how to say “Hello” “What is your name” and “run, run!” from a popular folk song. They knew the song too, and they giggled when I sang “balaka, balaka!” I asked them if they could teach me another song, and the three began a chorus. My knees provided an alternative to bongo drums as they sang. I didn’t understand a word of it, but I caught the whole thing on video. I couldn't figure out how to get it here, so it'll be on the post above.

After that, I ushered them all into the building so they could use the restroom without getting kicked out again. They all scrambled to wash their hands after, and I was impressed by their hygiene. At home babysitting, little girls only remember to wash their hands half the time! You have to note, too, that these girls live in a township where very few people have running water in their homes and where toilets are a walk down the road away. After I brought them back outside, they all asked me for Coca Colas. Not wanting to give kids soda, I asked if they wanted bottles of water. “No! We get enough water! We want Coke!” “Please…?” I said. “Please! Coke! Coke!” I went back inside and spent R36 on three cans of soda and presented it to them. They thanked me and said they had to go home. It was time for the show to begin anyway!

Everybody loves Coca Cola!

The poetry reading was a truly moving experience. People spoke in eloquent words about touchy subjects like racism, personal identity, and life. The whole house was full of clapping after every performance.

The tables were all painted with scenes inspired by Kayamandi, which means "a nice place to live"

First Week of Classes: Tuesday February 7, 2012 - Thursday February 9, 2012

Tuesday February 7, 2012

I had my first practical today for Biome Ecology. This isn’t like a lab at home, though. It’s just a longer class period in which we are lead by student teachers or teacher’s assistants who go through activities with us that pertain to the material we’re covering in class that week. Since it was the first week, and the first week of classes for the third-years I’m in class with, we did a “time management” exercise. Thankfully, it didn’t last the full three hours. It was interesting to hear the tips the South Africans gave for performing better in school. Taking your vitamins and exercising regularly were mentioned more than prioritizing your time!

After class, I went out exploring town with my friend Tiffany. There are so many cute shops selling everything from pastries and lunch and coffee to souvenirs and clothing. I get out of class pretty early most days so I’ll be spending a lot of time downtown seeing what there is to see and talking to the locals. I’m explorative and friendly like that. 

We stopped at a store selling Indian clothing and other trinkets, called “Gypsy”. The woman working there has lived all her life in Stellenbosch and decided to open an Indian store just because it seemed like it would sell well in the college city. I was hoping for some interesting story of how she lived in India for a year and moved back here with this newfound love….well, not everything is a storybook. I bought some awesome patchwork crazy pants I love.

At night, I went to the local bar and hangout Bohemia. Every Tuesday night the acoustic performer I aforementioned has a set. So I listened to more Nirvana, Radiohead, and even Lynard Skynard. It’s crazy how everyone in South Africa knows all the words to “Sweet Home Alabama”, but it makes sense since I hear it playing probably at least once a week when I walk through bars. American music is really world-known!

Wednesday February 8, 2012

First day of Human Rights and Peacemaking! And we have class outside! Woooo! 

Things I’ve learned today: Mandela was imprisoned for 26 years of his life. Yet he has only been free for the past 22, this coming Saturday being the anniversary of his freedom. It’s amazing to see a country come so far in such a short time.

I learned a good amount of South African history today as well, and I’m really glad I joined the class. It will give me a greater perspective into the country I’ll be spending the next 5 months in.

 

Thursday February 9, 2012

Thursdays are going to be my busiest days with class! I had Global Health: HIV/AIDS at 9 am in one of the movie theatres in the student center. Yes, the student center here has movie theatres! We will be working in groups of about 8 with a NGO (non-governmental organization) to promote HIV/AIDS awareness in some way. We will be divided into groups and each group given R1,000 to spend in a way the group, along with the partner they will receive, will determine how to spend.

After that class, I have a two hour break before I have to go to Public Theology in Post-Apartheid South Africa. Theology is a good twenty minute walk away, down Dorp Street. Dorp is pretty heavy populated with tourist stores that sell assorted African crafts, small clothing and accessory boutiques where local designers sell their goods, and restaurants. My favorite.

Public Theology looks like a fun class, but sitting still for three hours with only two breaks is going to get to me. It’s really based on discussion. Each class, we have about two lengthy readings assigned to us to do at home before. Then, in class a student will present that topic to the rest of us for the first hour of class. My topic will be Theology, Human Rights, and Human Dignity. I won’t presenting until after spring break, though, and by then we’ll have another professor. 

After finally getting done with class at 5 pm today, I ran into a couple friends and we went down to the athletic fields to watch the soccer team practice and kick the ball around ourselves. This is the closest I’ll ever get to going to the gym…haha. The fields are at the base of the mountain here in Stellenbosch and so when I finally make it to hike the mountain, I’ll begin here.