Tina's first impressions

Tina exploring Maiden's Cove

Since I have yet to tell anyone about what I’ve been up to, I’ll start from the beginning. I was really excited for the flight; although I was apprehensive to how I would spend my time, I was enjoying everything in the beginning. I chatted with David, another UCONN student, took pictures, watched as we ascended and just enjoyed people watching. Then we got food, which I have to say was pretty good. At this point no more than two hours went by. I had a lovely roasted vegetable pasta with a cream sauce, cheese and crackers, salad (which David was nice enough to let me borrow his dressing packet because I could not open mine) and bread. Not long after lunch was over though and the trays were cleared, the lights were shut off. This caught me quite off-guard for we had only been on the plane for a maximum of four hours. We all had to shut our windows because the light was painfully bright so it appeared to be quite late. At this point I thought, why not try out this high-tech portable dvd-like player screen.  After listening to two songs off of the Femme Fatale album, while simultaneously checking the other selections available, my screen stopped working. There were such good selections like the film Anastasia, Rihanna’s Unapologetic album, Taylor Swift and Lady Gaga’s discography and 30 Rock. I died. I did not want to kill my phone battery by listening to music and could not read because my light would have literally been the only light on, so I slept.

I had no concept of time on the plane.  At one point I lifted the window and saw that it was pitch black. This was frightening but also exciting at the same time because I had hoped it meant the flight was almost over. At one point, I became so desperate for simulation that I watched the woman in front of me watch Anastasia through the crack of my seat. I did get a lot of sleep though. So much so that I do not have jetlag! Hoorah!

After we landed, we boarded a coach bus, our method of transportation for the next ten days to go to our respective houses. It was beyond nice to feel the heat and to see Table Mountain actually in front of me. The first thing that I thought of when driving through Cape Town, and this view has only grown the more we travel through the city, is that it looks like the set of Jurassic Park. It is ridiculously beautiful, tropical, mountainous, and scenic. Honestly though, the mountain is so humongous and can be seen throughout the city that it literally just looks like it is an outline in the sky. It is so pretty that it looks totally fake, especially since I have never seen something in person like that before.

The first day was the worst because there was so much to do and all I wanted was to go to sleep and shower. Orientation has been super hectic and busy, but so far it is so much fun. I love the city already and can totally see why people are obsessed. The people are so friendly, and the city itself is one of the most breathtakingly scenic places around.The seven of us in my house definitely give our place the homey aspect it needed; never in my life have I bonded with a group of people so quickly and we’ve only been here for three days. Craziness.

So far I have eaten at a few different restaurants and I have to say, I am not that impressed with the food. The French fries here are not good, which is painful to say! I have had them twice, at two separate places and they are just dense and have this paprika spice rub on it. Also, it is DISGUSTING that ketchup here is super liquidy and called tomato sauce. I never knew ketchup could get any worse. Here’s hoping the food gets better than it has been or else I think I may go mad.

So far I have really enjoyed my time here and can see how people fall in love with Cape Town. It feels like I have been here for weeks and know the city inside and out, when really I know two roads and the five stores that occupy that space. I feel so fortunate to be able to scavenger the city and to only get more opportunities to see its beauty, friendly natives and discover myself in the process.

Best,

Tina