Peaks and pits

Here is my update for this week!

Monday:

• Psych class was cancelled, and I was a lot more upset than the rest of the class (they cheered). I am looking forward to next week though!
• I went to my service site for about fifteen minutes and met everyone. They were all so friendly! I got many hugs upon my introduction. I will be answering to Allison (just like at home, hahah).
• Obz Burger night! My African edition of Wing Night is two for one burgers at Obz Cafe down the street. Gourmet burger and fries for only R 30 ($3.63). I think I have found a new love in life.

Tuesday:

• First day of service
• All of their kids are gone this week for break, so I just sat in an office and made many phone calls (over seventy... literally) and did some research for them. Not too thrilling, but necessary.
• There is another volunteer there. Her name is Lisa and she is from Germany. I really like her so far and she also lives right around the corner from us in Observatory! She has been here for ten months and will be here until the end of September.
• All of the people who work there are very friendly. One of the teachers (Afrika) does a secret handshake with me every time I walk past him and it is full of slides and snaps, so I'll let you know when I finally master it!

Wednesday:

• Had my Ethics class. The teacher talked at the speed of light to cover all of the material, but we are still talking about background stuff. She went through ways of classifying ethics and different perspectives. We have a couple of articles to read for next class (they are all at least twenty years old, but about why we need morals and how a holistic approach is necessary)
• I went for a nice workout at the track after class with a couple of people. I think that the other people thought I was a little weird when I pulled out some yoga on the field. A lot of people were showing up for the guys' soccer practice and they were keeping a lot of distance from us weirdos.
• We got Kholeka (our RA) to go out with us! And we played some pool, it was a good time.

Thursday:

• Second day at my work site
• Again, not much was going on, but I met more of the employees and some of them are really fun. I ended up chilling with a seven-year-old girl for a half hour while I waited for my ride and she kept shooting me with a billie club.

Friday:

• Community Development and Theology class: in CD we gave a round robin of our work sites and talked about methods of facilitating participatory development (talking to the community members and facilitating projects that they want). In theology I had to give a presentation with Meghan about the book Dinosaurs, Diamonds, and Democracy; A Short, Short History of South Africa. It was a little nerve-wracking because I was presenting the country's history to the professor of South African history.
• I ended up going to a 'quick' hike up the mountain again with Stuart, Jessica Bukard, and Meribeth. We got so far up and it was so beautiful and we all had blisters and were so proud. And then old men on bikes passed us. And then RUNners passed us.

• It feels great to be within walking distance to such great places. If you're not on the mountain, everything is verrrrryyyyy flat, which has started to kinda get on my nerves (I'm used to my birdnest views, dammit). I have also been feeling a little caged in because everywhere has gates and bars. Our house has a front door that locks, a gate over that, and then a wall with spikes and another gate. Even at my work site, there are gates between different parts of the office that you have to remember to not close too hard or else you'll get locked out. We also have to have someone with us if we go out at night, so it is sometimes hard to get a buddy. It's just different, but I think that I am getting my culture shock in the form of security. Needless to say, I am glad to have some trees and hills close by!
• Olympic opening ceremony! Was anyone else a little thrown off? Highlights: Mr. Bean, corgis, and the queen skydiving. Other than that, we were all a little disappointed. I mean, true, they had China to follow, but I still think that they dropped the ball a bit.

Saturday:

• DEVIL'S PEAK

• We walked to the top of the world! Jess, you will be pleased to know that my birk's served me well on this adventure; I was mountain goat-ing all over that hill! I definitely knew I was with future teachers every time I would hear "Shannon, that looks dangerous," "Shannon, I don't like you on that edge," "Shannon, stop running, you're making me nervous!"
• It was such an awe-inspiring experience. Very surreal and peak.
• We didn't make it quite to the very top because the wind was pushing some of our smaller members to treacherous edges. But I am so motivated for round two! Especially since we still need to do the three peak challenge (even though I was sore after not quite one of them!)
• Since we had been singing Climb Every Mountain we had to rent the Sound of Music. I was so beat that I passed out at eleven and then slept until ten thirty this morning! It was rest well needed, though.

Sunday:

• I am thinking about all my Bigfoot family and sending my love!
• We checked out a market earlier today, but it was a little too country club for my test. Wicked good nachos though, and some other great samples. 
• Homework and hiking followed. I started my ethics reading at the coffee shop down the street and we sat outside to enjoy the beautiful sun and then I was stolen away from work by Stuart so we could go climb trees and be barefoot.
• Family dinner was tonight. We had scrumptious fajitas! Melikaya (our program director) and his wife joined us, which was nice. We followed by watching Moulin Rouge, which, surprise surprise, everyone in the house loves. We are a rather girly bunch indeed.

Calm before the storm

Friday

• We had our first day of our Service Learning and Theology classes.
• Seeing as we are college students in a new city, we had gone out Thursday night to check out a gay club (which was pretty poppin', but not nearly as great as the Castro), so we were all fighting sleep when we got to school, it was rather brutal. Plus it was raining like no other. Solid sleeping in class weather.
• Our Service Learning class is called Leaders in Grassroots Organizations: Community Development and Social Analysis. Essentially, we are going to be learning through experience with our service sites (I'm finally visiting mine tomorrow morning!) how to create a sustainable empowerment of the community. Right now, I think that I know what that means. I have a basic concept in my head that I am confident about. But of course I really know nothing, so we shall see how much my opinion and views change by the end. I'm excited to let you all know what an idiot I was way back at the beginning of this semester. 
• Our Theology class is entitled Theology of Apartheid, Liberation, and Transformation. The professor really liked to talk a lot, and his classroom was actually warm. He told us a lot about the University's personal history and involvement in Apartheid as it was one of the major social forces. 
• Our assignment for this week includes us reading The Belher Confession and it's accompanying letter. Originally, Apartheid was advocated for by the church as following religious doctrine. Later, upon review (1982), the theologians began to question the fact that they preach unity and togetherness by promoting separation. So this document is an acknowledgement of the Dutch Reformed Mission Church's part and an attempt of reconciliation. Good stuff.

Saturday

• Manchester United was in town to play the Ajax!
• We went to a sport's bar on Long Street to watch the game, eat some greasy food, and play some pool. The game ended as a tie, 1-1, and there was about an even number of fans for both sides. Naturally, we were supporting our fellow Cape Townians.

This is some of the crew. It takes a lot of coordination to get sixteen people to gather for a photo op.

Sunday

• Officially NOT the day to go to the super market. It was so busy, someone must have told everyone it was the last chance to ever buy food ever. And they don't sell wine on Sundays.
• We went to Mimi's restaurant down the street and I had a beastly good chocolate croissant and we saw our friend the waitress, who told us about a masquerade party this next weekend!
• I also finally saw the movie Invictus! Took me long enough. I am feeling so inspired, I think I'll go take on the All Black's single handed.
• Tonight is family dinner night at K House. It will never take the place of Oregonian family dinner, but it should be tasty. Stir fry. It feels good to have some traditions from home carry over (we are going to do high, low, learn, but we are voting on naming it either Pits and Peaks or Happies and Crappies)

Got me some classes and some sunsets

I am officially all set for my classes! (I think)

• As it stands now, I am registered for four classes. The first two, service learning and theology, are with all of the Marquette students and will be on Fridays.
• Mondays: I will be taking Psych 322: social identity and social oppression. That is the one that I wrote about in my earlier post. I am so stoked for it!
• Wednesdays: I will be taking Ethics 321: moral discourse on human gender and sexuality. I went to it yesterday, and the professor was really nice and led a very good discussion-based class. We talked a lot about the complexities of discussing such an issue and which lenses we already and should look though. Our topics included where norms come from and hot button issues like homosexuality and reproductive health. Most of the other students were rather quiet so the American's in the class (four of us) were showing them up. It seems like it's going to be one of those classes that I'm going to have to really work for, but it should be incredibly interesting and rewarding.
• My Tuesdays and Thursdays will be for going to my service site. We were waiting to get our schedules finalized before we could start working there, so I shall have some news on that next week.

A lot of people in my group have been hiking up the side of the mountain all week. Last night I went for the first time and we saw the sunset.

There is a pantheon-looking monument partway up Devil's Peak. It's a memorial to some guy who did something at some point. Wicked pretty though.

SUNSET!

"Up on the mountain, I will be countin'

Days till we meet again"

No class, learning life

 Today none of us needed to go to class, so we decided to skip campus and wander over to Simon Town!

• We successfully navigated the train and the hour ride over was gorgeous
• The beaches are white, the water has three million shades of a dream, and the sun infects everyone with happy

• Simon Town was rather touristy, but very quaint and lovely. There were a lot of shops and we had amazing gelato when we first arrived (I had passionfruit and it still had the seeds in it)
• There were a lot of vendors on the street with interesting things, but I'm going to wait a little longer to fill my luggage with goodies for all of you
• After penguin sighting, we got lunch at a cute little place right on the water overlooking all the sailboats (mom, you would be so jealous of these boats)

• PENGUINS
• IN AFRICA
• These used to be called Jackass penguins because they make a braying noise, but recently their name has been changed to boring old African Penguin. We went to a beach that started out with one mating pair and now 2,200 populate the area.

• We had a bit of time to kill before catching our train home and naturally we frolicked about on the beach!
• The water was nice and brisk. Not Oregon cold, but very refreshing

• Our return train ride was rather eventful. A very large black woman sat down on Jessica, and then another one from down the isle had her son come and fetch Jessica so that she could tell her that she shouldn't scratch at her face. Then, as we were getting off at our stop, I was the last person of our group and there were tons of people pushing to get on. I tried to push my way out, but my feet got caught up and the doors were closing as people were still pushing to hop on. I almost lost both my shoes as my crew pulled my arms to get me off in time. 
• After that escapade, we attempted to climb up the mountain to see the sunset. But we didn't know any route to get to the sun-setting side of the mountain, so we basically ended up wandering around the grounds of a beautiful hospital.

In with the sharks!

Since we are all established now, this is my beautiful room and my beautiful roommate, Mary Claire!

Sunday was Aquarium day!

• It was a grey day, wet with apathy. To remedy our lethargy, we taxied over to the aquarium on the waterfront. We definitely chose the right day, because Sunday is not only penguin feeding day but also shark and manta-ray feeding day as well! 
• The people that feed them have the coolest job in the world, they get to dive in and hand feed them all, and the manta-rays were three times as big as they were!

There was an inner chamber in the clown fish tank (which was appropriately just labeled "NEMOS"). We had to ruthlessly fight off the wee kidlets for a chance to get in. Worth it.

First day of schoooool!!!

• I am officially a student at U Dubs!

• My first day was mostly filled with wandering the campus trying to locate things and the only thing I know how to find for sure is the library and food. Priorities, I guess.
• I attended one class that I am not officially signed up for, but I really hope to get into it. It's a psych class about social identity and oppression. The professor was hilarious and opened the class by saying that he was going to be saying things to take us out of our comfort zones so we could address them. This included trying to rationalize stereotypes (and using every bit of offensive slang possible) and then turning his argument backwards until we weren't sure if genetics even existed. He also asked where are the white kids, and out of 150, four of us raised our hands. Talk about being put on the spot! So we shall see if it works out with my schedule, but I shall keep yee posted.

A Peak Experience

Friday

• We went to signal hill!! There are three peaks that make up the Cape Town skyline, and we went near the Lion's Head, which is the one closest to the ocean. Although it was rather chilly, the sun was shining and beautiful! It really makes me want to go hiking, and possibly do the three peak challenge (climb all three in one day, ouch!)

• After our short mountain excursion, we went to the mall. It made the Mall of America look puny. There was even a roller coaster. It was definitely one of the most overwhelming places I have ever been to. But I bought a cheap fleece, so all was well.
• Later, we all ended up going to Long Street, which is where everyone goes for the night life. We found this bar called Dubliners and spent hours dancing there. All in all, it was quite a successful evening.

Officially in Africa

Thursday:

• My first hot shower of the trip!! So satisfying.
• We went to parliament today and their building is based on the English parliament and so the colors of the chairs (green and red for the lower and upper houses) are the same. We saw three different chambers. One of them stopped being used in the nineties just after apartheid and up until three years ago when they redid  the carpet, there was the blood of a prime minister who was assassinated in the sixties.

Our program organizer is named Melikaya, his daughter, Sambeso, who is nine has been hanging out with us all week. Today she wanted to give us piggy-back rides.

Melikaya and his wife took us out to an authentic African dinner. Entrees included tripe, kudu, ostrich, crocodile tail, and other unknown delicious things. At the beginning of the meal, they passed around this giant gourd type cup that had a 'beer' in it. It's made from corn and it is traditionally passed around to everyone and the last person finishes it all. We decided it tasted like Cesar salad dressing infused with smoke. Afterwards we all enjoyed a good round of dancing to the tribal band. It was quite happening in that house.

Tripping. First encounters

After arriving safe and sound, here are the highlights of my past several days:

• It took 23 hours in the air and over 30 hours sitting on a plane (thank you Dallas for four hours of sitting on the runway)
• I met DIE ANTWOORD in the London Heathrow airport and I SHOOK their HANDS. No big deal.
• My house:
• There are seventeen of us living here, and thus far we are all getting along famously
• Hot water has been very iffy, I just took my first hot shower today (Thursday, almost one whole week!), and a lot of the house is open to the outside, but there are small heaters in our rooms which is working fairly well.
• It has been rather chilly and rainy, as they are still in the deep throws of winter, and my ceiling has a leak in it, so I am hoping for not much more rain.
• There is a Pancho's down the street, so I shall be enjoying Mexican food whilst I am here (I will keep you updated on how tasty it is).

Monday:

• We got acquainted with everything and had a lovely family dinner at the Obz cafe (the waitress was wearing a mockingjay pin, such a win!)
• We visited the Amy Biehl Foundation. A couple of us are going to be working there. It was started by Amy's mother (who was there and spoke to us) after her daughter was killed in an act of political violence during the Apartheid regime. What is really amazing is that the four men who were convicted of her murder were pardoned five years after their sentence began during the reconciliation efforts of the Nelson Mandela administration. The amazing part is that Linda Beihl advocated for their release and two of them started the foundation with her and are still employed there! Talk about serious reconciliation.

Tuesday: 

• We visited Lotus Park, an unofficial township. It looked like a shanty town, but slightly more established. We are told that it is public/private land that has been inhabited due to overpopulation and that there are about 450 around Cape Town. This was a small settlement of 2,000 households. The land cannot be developed due to ownership issues and the ground is boggy and unfit to build on, however, every time someone moves out, they are replaced within the hour so there are efforts to improve on the living situation as it is, because there are always going to be people there.
• A couple of us will be working at the primary school there, it was great because we got to play with the kids for a bit! They were such adorable rascals.

The little guy in the white/blue hat was a master at headbutting the rubber ball. Just like a soccer pro!

As we were leaving, all of the kids shook our hands goodbye, but they did this odd thumb bump. I really need to figure out how to respond to it because the councilman did it as well and I am totally clueless!

• After Lotus Park, we meandered around the V&A waterfront. It's quite European looking and totally reminds me of fisherman's wharf. For lunch we ate at Spur's and it was pretty great to see their interpretation of the American Indian and old west.

On a clearer day, Table Mountain is visible where that huge cloud is

This is one of the more Touristy areas (kinda like Fisherman's Wharf) and it is one of the more European looking places, thank you Dutch settlers.

Our beautiful group! (you can see San Francisco on the sign!)

The ocean is in the background, and if you have superman vision, you can see Robben Island where Nelson Mandela was imprisoned for 27 years as a political prisoner.

Wednesday:

• We spent all day at University of the Western Cape, getting to know the campus
• They call it U Dubs!
• It was originally founded as a colored only school during the apartheid regime, but since then has been open to all. It's about 97% percent black, so our group of seventeen, lost-looking Americans stuck out quite a lot!