David's reflections on The Golden Arrow

The Golden Arrow

As you might imagine, Mexican food in South Africa is pretty mediocre. At least, this was the impression I got at while dining at a Mexican/Southwest fusion place in town the other night. I was there with a whole bunch of my housemates, and when asked for their opinions on their meals, just about everyone responded with something like “Ummmm, it’s….. good! Yeah.” Then again, it was probably appropriate to have low standards for a white-owned Mexican fusion restaurant on the southern tip of Africa. While joyously celebrating the end of my first week abroad with R15 tequila shots (yes, that conversion’s right!), I noticed that all the customers were white. Since this was a college-crowd restaurant in the leafy, largely white and city-proximate Southern Suburbs, that didn’t particularly stick out to me; however, the entire wait staff was also white, and that struck me as unusual. Every restaurant we had dined at previously had a majority black or wait staff. I thought to myself: where are all the black folks? And then I watched a Golden Arrow bus drive by, packed with black and colored people.

Exploring the bus terminal downtown

If you’re out and about in Cape Town, you’ll constantly see the Golden Arrow buses, which serve the millions of black and colored people who live on the Cape Flats and its surrounding communities and boast the slogan “The Bus for Us!” Along with the Cape Metrorail and the Minibus Taxi, these buses do the work of moving hundreds of thousands of schoolchildren and adults around Cape Town every day, and it just so happens that one route passes right by the Mexican restaurant where we were leisurely dining. As my peers and I sat there preparing for a night out on Long Street, buses full of black and colored folks buzzed by, on the first stretch of a long journey away from the city and out to the distant Cape Flats.

The District 6 Museum

Apartheid-era laws forced black and colored families to relocate from integrated neighborhoods close to the center of Cape Town and out to new racially segregated areas on the distant Cape Flats. Earlier this month we visited the District Six Museum, where we learned about the process of forced relocation that tore families apart, separated neighbors, and distanced black and colored South Africans from their jobs in the city. This forced geographic segregation of racial groups was one of the defining characteristics of Apartheid, and even though the policy of Apartheid has ended and been replaced with Democracy, the legacy of this perverse policy remains alive in South Africa.

And that brings us back to that Mexican restaurant, where cosmopolitan white college students can order the “Obama” burger, get “New York Style Meatballs” in their “El Burrito”, and otherwise kick back and enjoy their privilege, while outside the people who have been oppressed and exploited for all of this nation’s history are shipped out of the city, back to distant and deprived townships on the Cape Flats.

And no amount of $1.50 tequila will let me forget it.

Table Mountain and the city bowl as viewed from Signal Hill

Katrina's first impressions and excitement for all Cape Town can teach her

My first flight overseas was probably a little longer than I was prepared for. 16 hours on one plane was definitely an experience to add to the books, but hey I survived right? The adrenaline and excitement of finally saying goodbye and meeting up with the 25 other equally excited UConn students got me through the first few hours before it really began to sink in that there was no turning back, so for better or for worse South Africa here I came! At about 2 PM, sun shining bright in the sky, the airline suddenly decided it’s time for us to get used to the time change (7hrs), so they shut all the window shades and lights off and all of the sudden it was 9 PM and nighttime. From then on time and perception was a blur, as you continually shifted between American and South African time. Luckily the airline had quite the selection of movies, so a shoutout to The Notebook for keeping my sanity around 4 am. 

           

After what seemed like an endless night of tossing, turning and bathroom breaks, Manuela (my lucky plane buddy) and I took a peak out the window for the first time. The sun came streaming through and we got our first look at the African sunrise and almost simultaneously I forgot how long the plane ride was. Unfortunately, despite sprinting through the Johannesburg airport with carry-ons and two full luggage suitcases a piece, we still missed our next flight. And before you knew it you had 26 hopelessly lost students from America trying to figure out how to get to Cape Town, while splitting up in every direction with no money or means of communication. I still don’t know how but we managed to get every last one of us (even Ken’s two surf boards) safely onto a connecting flight to the place we’d call home for the next 3 ½ months.

           

The moment we saw our first glimpse of Table Mountain and the beautiful city of Cape Town from the plane window my mind was blown.  I’d seen the exact picture online or on video so many times before, but nothing can describe how mighty and beautiful it truly is. The next few days I was still in shock. It seemed like every turn in our large coach bus revealed the most beautiful scene I’d ever laid eyes on, every restaurant had some new treasure I’d never tried before (why had I never had sushi before…..) and the fun of living in a house with my new family of fellow students seemed unreal.

           

Katrina

Our 2 week orientation started the moment we stepped off the bus, with no time to wait around for jet-lag. We quickly learned that Cape Town time is not strict, and going out to dinner could easily be a 5 hour affair. On our first full day we got the amazing chance to see a soccer match, South Africa vs Mali. Immediately we were immersed in the vibrance of the city, of the people, even of the colors. Looking around Cape Town seemed almost too good to be true. Never before in my life have I felt so ALIVE. Exhausted, but alive. In the two weeks following of orientation, jam packed with every tourist location, famous restaurant and insider views of Cape Town, my feeling towards Cape Town have only grown stronger. From the buzz of the city to the heart and soul in the townships I’m so excited for everything this place has to teach me, and if I’m lucky, will become a part of who I am forever.

Savannah's first impressions of her internship site

Savannah has a day to explore the beach
before  beginning her internship at
Maitland Cottage Hospital.

What an amazing two weeks it has already been.  Orientation came to an end today and I will be starting my internship tomorrow at Maitland Cottage Home.  We toured the site yesterday and my heart instantly dropped.  We were brought through the girls wing and the boys wing of the hospital.  The dorm style rooms were lined with about ten beds on each side, all filled with patients recovering from all kinds of orthopedic surgeries.  We were told that some kids stay there for months at a time, most without visits from their families.  I can already tell that my time at Maitland Cottage will be a major learning experience for me.

Before touring our internships, we visited several museums and tourist sites this week.  We went to RobbenIsland, Muizenberg Beach, and Cape Point just to name a few.  We also went to a handful of different restaurants last week where I tried ostrich and had African food for the first time.  

Now that I am settling in and finally unpacked (as of this afternoon), I am eager to see what the rest of the semester will bring.  I am looking forward to lots of new experiences, good laughs, and making new relationships along the way. 

Emily W first impressions

Cape Town is awesome!! My first glimpse of Cape Town was of Table Mountain from the plane.  I didn’t really know what to expect but the view from the plane far exceeded my expectations.  In just the first few days I have fallen in love with this city.  I love the pace and the people. Everyone is incredibly helpful and so friendly.   I feel like I fit in here because everyone is on their own time. They arrive when they please and leave as the please and I absolutely love that way of life. After spending the semester here I may not be able to adjust back to the every day life of America and it will most likely be a huge struggle.  Maybe I will just never return. Cape Town is very warm and I have already started working on my tan…duh. UCT has the most beautiful campus and most beautiful people I have ever seen and I can’t wait to start taking classes there and making friends.  I’m especially excited to join the wine tasting club. One of my favorite activities here is running around the commons.  Although I haven’t been doing it as much as I probably should, running at the base of Table Mountain is absolutely unreal and I am pretty stoked that I get to do that almost every day.

Johnny's first impression . . .pick a word

Johnny points out view to Savannah & Melanie

Pick an adjective: incredible, remarkable, enlightening, picturesque, stunning. Pick any of these words and you would be accurately describing my first impression of Cape Town. It has been truly amazing the just briefly scratch the surface of what Cape Town has to offer and I only get more and more excited about what this city has in store for me for the rest of my time here. The food is to die for, the music is amazing, and the beauty is something that cannot be rivaled. It was definitely shocking to step on the plane in JFK in a cold winter breeze and embark on a journey that will change truly change my life.

Johnny (front row far right) with his co-educators at Maiden's Cove