Drew's been back almost a month

It's been several weeks of whirlwind catch-ups with familiar people once made improbable by distance, now a finger's breadth away, now tugging at my elbow, embracing me, clutching my collar, planting kisses on my neck. I've drifted gratefully, dazed and delighted, caught up in endless fits of laughter, wrecked with giggling delights and secret whispers, dusting off old incantations and summoning treasured friendships back to life.

It is a miracle, this - to be loved in abundance, soaked, raised, stained, tossed, to be held warm against a loved one refusing to let go, a bristled cheek, a silken hand, an endless howling chorus of friendly hellos, my heart a great golden calliope, a gilded commotion of memories and wanting.

Also I've been back almost a month now and I still haven't gotten used to the smell.

Little things trigger the strangest feelings. Sitting on the porch, a great tidal wave of green grass comes and now I'm reliving bike rides at 8 years old, dare-deviling, the mumble of a thousand childhood secrets rumbling like distant summer thunder. I sit and let it consume me, let it play out across my skin as sweat and goosebumps, a tickle at the back of my throat, the memory of a nickname, a warning, the foolery of bravish things only children can muster.

It's a pleasant burden but a burden nonetheless, getting resituated, finding the old places long ago made and set for me, the hollows I left empty now revisited, warmed again. A burden also to find the spaces I've outgrown or that have outgrown me, the shape of them now unfamiliar, nothing fitting quite like it used to or at all.

It is great to be home.

Now. Brace yourselves. 

This is the part where I tell you how much I miss South Africa.

Here are pictures of me at moments of spectacular bliss.

This is the part where I get reflective and emotional, summoning tidal waves of gratitude and mixed feelings of excitement and sadness. This is the part where I talk about all the wonderful things I've learned and the fantastic people I've met, how my life has been irrevocably changed for the better, my mind expanded and open, my horizons broadened.

Here are pictures of me walking, running, hiking, climbing.

This is the part where I balance my experiences on a series of metaphors and wax poetic about having taken advantage of once in a lifetime opportunities.

Here are pictures of me thoughtful, pensive, attentive, deliberate, focused.

This is the part where I use words like “unforgettable”, “profound”, “extraordinary”, “amazing”, “incredible”, the part where I spout superlatives like “Best”, “Oldest”, “Kindest”, “Nicest”, “Sweetest”, “Craziest”, “Saddest”, “Strangest”. This is the part where I make note of important life lessons I've learned and committed to preserving in my heart.

Here are pictures of me with some delightful children.

This is the part where I assure you that I am DEFINITELY coming back.

Here are pictures of me hard at work, fussing with equipment, asleep on a bus, eating, smiling, laughing, mundane yet out of context. 

This is the part where I tell you that there’s no way I can summarize Cape Town in a single post. This is the part where I proceed to summarize Cape Town in a single post. This the part where I highlight my firsts and lasts, my highs and lows, and my sadness at the thought of leaving.

This is the part where I tell you “There’s no place like Cape Town”.

...

The final day of my internship, I walked the 3km (1.8 miles) to the station, taking my time, taking photographs, stopping to smell the roses, (literally on one occasion), listening to the vibrant morning thrum and bustle of the busy city streets. The sky was bright and clear. Devil’s Peak seemed to be standing taller that day, proud with its shoulders back and chest out. The familiar shops and offices along the road seemed to stand out a bit more, somehow made new and interesting again.

The minibus criers sang out like errant tenors.

WYNBERG!

MOWBRAY!

CAPE TOWN!

It was a familiar fare by now but somehow today had imbued everything with odd newness. I know this street, that shop, that sign, but have never seen them like this. I was noticing things I hadn't noticed before.

I stopped just outside the door of the radio station, took a deep breath, and looked around. A passerby stopped walking long enough to ask, "Are you lost?"

"No, I'm ok, thanks. I'm right where I should be," I said. And then I opened the door.

Sarah's farewell to her Cape Town co-educators

Emily, Vernon, Sarah, Allie at Farewell dinner

So today is April 27th. It's the day that sounded light years away back in January. I'm currently sitting in the common room at Loch. . . and the house is so quiet and empty! I'm still trying to process the fact that about three hours ago I cried and hugged and waved goodbye to the strangers who have become family. This semester has flown by. I wish there was some way I could sum it up . . . some way to tell you all the stories. But there simply isn't (I'll apologize now for the listing). There's been the exciting checklist of activities: climb Table Mountain, go black water tubing, hand-feed an elephant, ride an ostrich, walk through the bush at Krugar, tour Joburg, explore Langebaan, eat at Die Strandloper . . . But then Cape Town has been so much more. 

I'm incredibly grateful for the opportunities the program has offered us: to meet young people from all over Africa; to have frank discussions on human rights; to share jazz and community with Gus and the band; to sample countless cuisines; to have safe space to talk about the difficult issues of race, class, and gender; to better understand the tumultuous history of apartheid and its living legacy; to explore the realm of NGOs; to step foot in historical places across the country; to hear tour guides who've lived through the history they preach; to intern at the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC); to form a close-knit community of UConn peers. And then there's been those odds and ends . . . I wrote, a while back, that I realized it was those small interactions that were making the trip. Now I can only agree more vehemently. It's been the way in which I've been welcomed into strangers' homes, the frequency that I've had meaningful chats with a taxi driver, those moments of laughter with my peers, the hugs I am greeted with each morning at the IEC. The cultural attitude here is infectious. If anything, I want to always carry a piece of Ubuntu with me and the open, genuine, caring atmosphere it creates. I'm a bit of a busy body, and I've learned how to relax on this trip. I want to that back as well, because quiet moments are so often underestimated. I want to take back my new perspectives and our meaningful classroom discussions. I want to take back the realization that when you hope to accomplish something, you need simply start . . . it's at least worth a try. 

Just the other day I was shopping around at Old Biscuit Mill for the last time. I noticed a plaque that read, "When was the last time you did something for the first time?" I suddenly realized that I could answer that easily and abundantly. This trip has been a lot about firsts. Add "in Cape Town" to any activity and it could be considered a first for that matter! But really, this trip has been very much about growth - growth in outlook, in friendships, in communication skills, in adaptability, in music appreciation, in empathy, in social awareness, in historical knowledge, in awe for nature's beauty, in personal openness, and yes, even in taste for fine wine. After mildly debating, I decided to buy that plaque because I never want to forget its message. Sometimes its necessary to step into what David calls the "Ohh shit!" zone (in other words, out of one's comfort zone). There's something magical about firsts. And that magic has no doubt added its sparkle to my experiences in Cape Town. But even back at home, I want to remember that firsts are achievable. There's always more to learn, always new opportunities to challenge oneself. Even as I grow older, I want to remember that firsts needn't disappear with age. Even in 30 years, I aspire to answer the plaque's question readily. 

I'll be in Cape Town now for about two more weeks. I leave on May 12th and I'm thrilled to continue at the IEC until then. With elections on May 7th, it's crunch time! The office is buzzing - today we moved out of the office and into the results center in preparation for the big day. I found out where I'll be sitting come election day and precisely the work I'll be doing. I hope that I can contribute to the elections in some meaningful way, but also know that I'll have a lot to learn. [Common theme during this trip] In the meantime, here's to hoping that every one of my fellow co-educators got home safely (and David - enjoy backpacking)! I miss you all. And here's wishing the best for the South African National Provincial Elections of 2014. 

When I leave in two weeks, I hope to make others feel as welcome as I've been made to feel in Cape Town. Regardless of circumstance, I hope to make others feel just as at home.  

Val's thoughts on leaving Cape Town & heading home

It’s almost time to leave. I loved it here, no doubt, but I think I’m ready go to go home and see my family, in particular my Mom. This place can’t really be summed up in a few words within a blog post, mostly because all of the descriptive words I would use would contradict each other (i.e. relaxing, stressful). Truth be told, I’m exhausted. From squeezing everything I want to do in these past few weeks, having my Mom here, cramming to get final papers and assignments done, switching internships and getting little to no sleep, my tired-ness goes bone-deep, my friend. I want a fluffy bed, a cat and a 12 hour period of time strictly reserved as Val’s Sleeping time, with the only noise allowed coming from a massive fan next to my head.

But on a more serious note, I’ve learned an insane amount of stuff here. It want’s always enjoyable learning these things, especially when it had to do with patience or sharing common spaces with 18 other people, but I know for a fact I’ve change a lot. I just don’t know how. Not until I separate myself from this place and give myself time to process will I really figure out how I’ve been impacted by being here. Once I breathe for a bit I think it’ll smack me in the face with the grace and force of a mac-truck. Mom, prepare yourself for the mess that is coming to greet you at the airport and for the week or so post-study abroad. It’s not gonna be pretty.

Going off that subject, I’m apprehensive about going home because I’m going to be bored. I’m going to be bored, probably grow out of a few friends, be discontent with living at home and NOT have the option of walking out of my bedroom door and asking Manuela or Cassie if they want breakfast. I’m NOT going to have the option of climbing Table Mountain on a random Saturday. And it’s normal, I know, missing what you no longer have or exaggerating memories to make them seem cooler than they were, but I genuinely loved those parts of being here. That is a fact, not an exaggeration. I like living with my friends and I like being able to do exciting things on a whim. At home, the most exciting and spontaneous it gets is going to Ocean City, which is actually not exciting or spontaneous because everyone and their mom goes there just about every weekend. I’m going to miss the autonomy and independence of living abroad as well as the friends/family I’ve made (really, with the uncensored way we act with one another we might as well be family). I’m never going to be able to recreate this trip, with these people in this house on this program, and it makes me kind of sad. Which doesn’t make much logical sense because you can never recreate ANY memory with the same exact people at the same exact time in the same exact place, because everything is always changing. Ah, change, you suck. Like some philosopher whose name currently escapes me said, “You can never step in the same river twice”. 

I guess that’s a good thing since it makes every experience unique and irreplaceable. And believe me, this trip has definitely been unique and irreplaceable.  I’ve had an incredible time and can’t wait to travel everywhere, learn about other cultures and challenge myself. But in the meantime, I plan on being extremely nostalgic for a few weeks and hibernating in my house with some home-cooked meals and Netflix. Peace out Cape Town.

Johnny's realization

I feel like I’ve learned a lot from being here in Cape Town. Culturally, I have become extremely more sensitive and understanding about the way others look at the world. I watched this video today (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cZGghmwUcbQ ) and it reminded me about a lot of what I have learned in Cape Town. Walking around town, I feel that at one point on this trip I became desensitized to people asking for help on the street. I formed a hardened shell in my mind and refused to help those who needed it the most. After talking to a couple people about my attitude towards helping others, I realized my ways needed to change. I learned that it is important to look at all people for what they are, people. That is something I lost sight of at one point or another here. Thank God I caught myself before I permanently stopped helping. It is important to remember that everyone, one way or another, gets to the point where they need help. It definitely is difficult to constantly be asked for help by people you don’t know, especially when you aren’t sure of some people’s motives, but I have found that it is important to keep both your mind and heart open. I recommend everyone watches this video especially if you find yourself in a similar situation I was in. It was very difficult to realize that I was causing a problem that I really wanted to fix. It’s never too late to change your perspective on the world and that is something I definitely realized here in Cape Town.

Emily B: Passover in Cape Town

It is often said that homesickness hits around the holidays. For me this was definitely the case. Though it is not the classic homesickness holiday of Christmas but rather the Jewish holiday of Passover. Passover celebrates the Moses leading the Jew’s exodus from slavery in Egypt to the desert outside of Israel thousands of years ago. Part of the way the holiday is celebrated is by having a “seder” or ceremonious meal to retell the story of the exodus. For me Passover has always been a very family oriented holiday and is one of my favorites. When the holiday started to approach I realized that this would be the first time I was away from my family and it was more difficult than I thought it would be. I knew I did not want to be alone for the holiday but was unsure where to go. Before I had left for Cape Town my mom had given me the contact information for a very distantly related cousin, named Juliet that lives in the area should I ever need anything. I promptly forgot to email her but once the holiday rolled around I figured it would be nice to reach out to see if she knew of anywhere I could go for Passover. She quickly responded and invited me to stay with her and her husband for both nights of the holiday.

The day of Passover I met her at the Jewish Museum, where she works, and she drove me back to her house in Camp’s Bay. The house was beautifully designed to reflect the mountains in which it was situated with stunning views of the ocean. I was very impressed to say the least. They were extremely hospitable and I enjoyed getting to know them. For the first seder we went to the Garden’s synagogue that is located in the same campus as the Jewish Museum and the Holocaust center in the Company’s Gardens. It was a great seder, though much longer than I am used to and I got to talk with some very interesting and diverse people. Coincidently enough one many was from Stanford, Connecticut!

           

The following day my cousin took me with her to the Camp’s Bay Senior Citizens Association where I heard a woman speak about the assassination of her husband who was a white anti-apartheid and black consciousness leader in Namibia who was killed by members of the South African Police in the 1980s though his murderer has never been brought to justice. We then headed to walk along the beach at Clifton beach, which was beautiful. For the second seder we went to the local Rabbi’s house. He was very nice and I had a great time talking to his parents, his father is a Judge, from England.

           

Overall I had an amazing time with my relatives, experiencing a very different side of Cape Town. As I stood out on their veranda overlooking the ocean, I could not help but think of the townships I have seen. I have definitely been aware of the economic disparity in Cape Town during my time here but it was not until I was with some of the elite minority juxtaposed with the poor, especially children begging in Camps Bay, that I realized how stark it was. I don’t have any answers for how to fix it; at this point it is so engrained in the country that I think it would take generations to fix it. It is often difficult for me to reconcile the darkness of this country’s past with it’s beauty, though as I stood overlooking the ocean, I could not help but hope that South Africa’s future would be just as beautiful

Jessica on 5 of her favorite things

Dear Future Participant,

When I had decided that I was for sure going to study abroad with this program, I started reading the last year’s blog. For some reason I started with everyone’s final blogs. To say the least, they were depressing. Everyone was talking as if they were leaving the loves of their lives. I do not want to make my blog have the same feeling. Although it is sad that I will be leaving this wonderful city and closing this chapter of my life, I am just as excited to go home and see, taste, smell, hear and touch everything that I have missed. This blog is dedicated to my favorite things, in no particular order, five of the activities that I really enjoyed doing while I was here. Hopefully this list will help you stay inspired or stay excited for coming to Cape Town, you truly have an awesome experience waiting for you. (For everyone who isn’t planning on participating in this program, the parents’, siblings, grandparents, friends, random people who are reading this blog, it is just as much for you as it is for future students. Hopefully this inspires you to travel, wherever that may be. Go well and be happy.)

1. Eating out – This is the perfect opportunity to eat out AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE. There are so many restaurants to go to and when else will you be in Cape Town!?! Fork, in Town, is delicious. Charly’s Bakery, has delicious desserts. The Waterfront is filled with delicious restaurants. Burrata’s, in Woodstock, is also delicious. Seeing a theme? Everything is just so delicious!

2. Bungee Jumping – if you read my last post, you understand how much I loved bungee jumping. The craziest thing I have ever done in my life. It is hard to definitively point to something super crazy you have done in your life. However, after I jumped off of that bridge, I knew there was nothing else I could have possibly compared that experience to. Definitely the craziest

Manuela & Jessica

 

3.Working in a school setting – My internship made my time here a lot more well-rounded, especially compared to other study abroad programs. I got to spend three days a week working in a school with some of the poorest but most kind-hearted children. Although some days I did not want to get out of bed and onto the bus, I never regretted a day of work. Whatever your passion is, hopefully your internship or job allows you to tap into it. Enjoy your work or else what’s the point?

4. Rural South Africa – A lot of people don’t discuss the countless hours spent on buses and in cars. Driving eight hours on a bus to Kruger National Park was actually one of my favorite times. I LOVE rural South Africa. I was actually hoping that we could spend more time driving through the country side. Looking out the window for that long, I began to realize that I really want to travel to a place like that in the future, possibly live and work in a farm type setting. So relaxing and calm. Perfect for an introvert.  

 

5.The Beaches – I have mentioned in my individual blog that I absolutely love the beach. I don’t even have to give you suggestions of what beaches to go to because I am sure whichever one you go to will be gorgeous. I frequented Muizenberg and Fishhoek the most. St. James, Simmonstown and Camps Bay also great places to go if you just want to lay in the sun and swim in the sea.

I hope this blog leaves you in good spirits! Those are just some of the things I loved, I hope you find many many more in whatever you do. Before this turns into a sermon, I will end this blog for this week.

Sincerely,

From one traveller to another