A Year Abroad

Reintegrating

Honestly, I’m not doing too well with the transition home, which is something I sort of feared that would happen. I miss African sunsets and Chinese food. I am desperately awaiting my next indication to start my visa, program email, or opportunity to get on a plane and go anywhere but here. 

This is what they don’t really warn you about, it’s briefly mentioned but not delved into. I think it may be worse for those of us that caught the wanderlust bug. All of a sudden not knowing the next time you will leave or get to have that wonderful new experience is absolutely heart breaking. 

Home Stretch

So it’s coming up on the next few weeks and I’m in awe of my list of things I still need to do… or want to do again. Hiking Devil’s Peak is going to be necessary, as well as a list of museums I haven’t been even near yet. I am done with two finals already, with one more to go, and all my final papers (which are totally irrelevant in terms of percentage) are handed in. This week is going to be a week of doing everything that Cape Town has to offer that I haven’t yet done (if I can even attempt to fit them all in!). 

This week there have been some magnificent sunsets over the mountain, which I can thankfully see from my dorm room. It’s like the city is saying goodbye to all of us, sappy I know, but it reminds me about the beautiful parts of this country. It’s going to be weird to wake up every morning and not see a huge mountain outside my window (instead it will be the National Cathedral when I walk to school, not really complaining). 

Other than that, I’m also appreciating the cultural and political side of the city. My advanced SA politics class has made my hyper aware of somethings, such as opinions of the ANC and Zuma, as well as the affirmative action here. This is especially relavent at UCT, where there have been race debates on whether or not race should be a proxy for acceptance. A South African friend of mine once said that Americans know what’s going on in Africa more than the Africans (not true at all), but I think that’s only reflective of the interest in the similarities and differences between our politics. Our affirmative actions are similar, yet different, since in the United States it’s regarding minority groups, and in South Africa it’s the majority that has been oppressed. Here’s a demonstration by SASCO, a student organization, to keep race a proxy at UCT. 

My favorite debacle to follow at the moment is the Zuma painting scandal. Here’s a link to an article that shows the original painting before it was vandalized “to prevent a civil war.”

Crowds Watch Zuma Painting Case on Big Screens

The painting, called “The Spear,” showed Zuma in a business suit with a certain appendage hanging out of his pants. It was then vandalized, paint smeared over the offensive area. Zuma is a controversial figure already and fighting to protect his dignity versus freedom of expression has been an interesting debate, especially considering Zuma’s history. 

Other than that, I’ve really been doing a food and drink tour of Cape Town. Sushi, Ethiopian Food, Hout Bay Market, and of course Old Biscuit Mill. We also did high tea at Mt. Nelson Hotel! Well, we really just did the breakfast version, which was still lovely (and so filling!).

I am now in freak out mode for leaving. I am not sure if it’s leaving Cape Town or going back to America. Until then, I am going to keep smiling and enjoy my last two weeks… and hopefully survive my last exam! 

Jumping off High things and a Lack of Internet

Yet again, South African internet and Chinese internet battle for the hardest thing for my American self to deal with. I tend to just feel super disconnected from the rest of the world without it, which I know is a dreadful thing in retrospect, but alas. I now waste most of my money at Coco Cha Chi for internet, since I hit my internet cap in a record 7 days this month. :) But anyways, that would explain the lack of blog posts. Last I was talking about Victoria Falls, but I’m going to mix this up and just make it “That Time Caitlin Jumped Off Some High Things.”

So for all those who know me personally, I have been dying to bungee jump since… well since I could articulate to my mother that I had no survival instincts. South Africa is home to the world’s highest bridge bungee jump and Victoria Falls was in the news last year for when a girl’s chord snapped on her second bounce. Now, I didn’t do the bungee at Vic Falls, but I did do the gorge swing, which I’ve been told is better than the bungee there and definitely has a longer free fall. 

The girls that went before Ashley and I were crying, but I’m not sure I ever really stopped smiling. This was my first experience with free fall, I was a little worried I would hate it. False. Finally being able to jump off something was a huge sense of fulfillment. 

So, I knew I was going to love the Bloukrans jump. HOWEVER, Bloukrans is so much higher. It is 216m above the river (it looks nothing like a river). I have been dying to this since I signed up for the Cape Town program. We did it during our Garden Route weekend. Thankfully, my friend Gina was freaking out, which kept me from freaking out as well. You get to watch the jumps from a pub across from the bridge before you go- I’m not sure if that helps the nerves at all. Anyways, Gina did hers and came up with a smile on her face right before mine. Everyone who works there is so great… although they told me to stop dancing and listen to their safety issues. I’m excited to try and go back (the second time you can go backwards!) 

This may be my favorite tourist thing I have done in South Africa so far. However, it’s back to the grindstone. I told myself I wanted an academic semester in Cape Town, and I am at the point where research papers are happening. American University just graduated, and I don’t even have my last final until June 5th! I miss US academics though, it’s a weird thing to want at the moment. Advanced South African Politics still has proven to be my most difficult class. I definitely think of the world in international relations terms; I am horrible at domestic politics. 

So back to the every day life in Cape Town: trying to deal with racism, sexism, poverty, and crime, while loving the friendliness of the people here, the beauty of the scenery, and the chance to have a new adventure. 

Phase 1: Joburg -> Botswana

Last mentioned we had been given an expensive car and were about to embark on a trip into the bush. Ben took first leg, having to be the registered driver leaving. It’s surprisingly easy to pick up driving on the other side of the road. That was definitely not the problem driving. 

The problems began when I took the wheel and our GPS took us through the strangest detour after Polokwane in South Africa. Potholes and cattle everywhere, and this was during the day time. I killed a bird at one point… or it was suicidal, it flew into my windshield. 

The Botswana border provided plenty of difficulties, because none of us had really negotiated traveling over a border by car previously. The border was also packed, which was a little strange since it was dark out. We had to fill out customs forms because we had at least one camera. They took our bananas! Thankfully I ate my mango, not too subtly either. 

Ashley, Ben, and I took shifts driving through the night. Ashley took the majority of the drive. This involved avoiding massive potholes, almost running over herds of cattle, running over a baby impala, and watching out for kamikaze mules. 

In the morning we had to leave the Audi at a game lodge because apparently the potholes in Botswana are fine, but Zimbabwe is a huge no-no for Hertz. Oh well. So we walked across the Botswana-Zimbabwe border and then took a cab to Victoria Falls. 

Soon I will post a Vic Falls appreciation picture post! Such an amazing place!

“Spring” Break Rehash

Ok, so it’s actually heading into Autumn here in Cape Town (which apparently just means unpredictable weather and some major downpours) but it still felt like Spring Break to me. These will be some long posts so they’ll probably be split up into a few! 

This was the most eventful trip I’ve ever been on. As I mentioned, we decided to do this independently instead of with a tour. As we went to get a rental car in Johannesburg, Ben, the “registered driver” informed us we got an upgrade. We’re 5 kids under 26 driving through Botswana to Zimbabwe. What does the rental company give us? 

Yes. That is an Audi. I am in love with this car. However, this car is not meant to be driven through pot-hole ridden roads that are inhabited by cattle and mules throughout Botswana. This car is also not meant to be left at a game lodge in Botswana and almost stepped on by an elephant (yes this happened, the owners shot at the elephant with an air gun to get it away). 

So thus begins, Audi in the Bush. 

5 Kids. 

2 Destinations 

And 1 car that was way too expensive for this trip.

Many more posts will be put up in the next few days. 

GET READY

Because I just finished packing for my Spring Break trip! And guess what? I’m actually using my multiple entry visa this time :) Life is good. 

Anyways! The plan. Yet again, I have chosen to not go with a tour group… so yet again there will be a lot of winging it (I can only hope this will not be like when we ran around 天水 for a half hour comparing hotel prices around midnight). I like doing it this way, it helps you see more of the country and feel like less of a tourist. However, we’re driving this time. I have just invested in a GPS… we have maps, we have google maps. WE WILL MAKE IT TO PLACES.

SPECIFICALLY

Victoria Falls! Yes! 

then 

Kruger! Safari! Yes! 

Can you tell I am excited? 

Day in the Life

So I realized I haven’t really posted about… well anything recently, but that’s mostly because I am at that point of the abroad experience where everything has become kind of normal. It happened with China too, when you start just walking out into the street and stop being like, “GUYS… we’re in China” every five minutes. 

This semester is a lot more academically rigorous than the last. Advanced South African Politics is kicking my ass, mostly because I don’t have a complete grasp on basic South African Politics. My internship/volunteering set up is coming along as well, although I wish I had more time for them.

We have been doing a lot more activities here, which is definitely weighing down my wallet.. but somehow I can’t resist swimming with seals or horseback riding on a beach.

There are still plenty of *face palm* moments here. Like this picture 

I would like to point out that this is NOT an ANC sponsored image, my understanding is that a person posted it on ANC’s Facebook page wall. Here’s the response to it http://mype.co.za/new/2011/05/who-would-have-thought-that-playing-horsey-was-offensive/

But the point being is that images like this are taken very seriously here, and this image sparked a lot of debate. Racial violence still occurs, and I keep reminding myself Apartheid was not that long ago. The Grabouw protests are the most recent example of race violence, specifically between coloureds and blacks in South Africa 

http://www.iol.co.za/capetimes/race-war-rocks-grabouw-1.1260536

But anyways. This is South Africa. I live here for now. As a quote from one of my favorite high school teachers, “South Africa is both the most beautiful and most ugly place in the world”. I love it here, and there’s so much hope, but there are somethings that just get you down some days, and being immersed is sometimes stressful. 

I’ll post some pictures soon :) Love to all.