Nervous Conditions

Greetings from my bed in South Africa!

As always I hope you are happy and well, where ever you are.  I would love to hear from you if you ever have the urge to email!

As I wrote in my last post, I finally got my hands on some yarn!  It has been very nice to have my hobby back, and for this project I am using two colors for the first time.  I was too impatient to find a good youtube tutorial video, so I may be doing it wrong.  Only time, or some one with more knowledge, will tell!

My progress so far

Last night was a fabulous Saturday.  I stayed in, made my self a bakeless (no oven in our kitchen!) oatmeal cookie and some coffee, and settled in with my knitting and a documentary about Ginger Baker.  The documentary is aptly named "Beware of Mr Baker".  I recommend it, especially to anyone who has an interest in the history of jazz, the birth of rock, drums in african music, or insanity.  It was interestingly made, and I was pleasantly surprised to find so many connections to Africa and South Africa specifically in the film.  Mr Baker currently lives in South Africa, but before that he traveled across the Sahara in a range rover.  During his first trip to the Continent he became friends with Fela Kuti, a musician and political figure in Nigeria, who I have actually heard a bit about around Cape Town.  So that was entertaining and educational.  

After the movie I finished the book I have been working on, Nervous Conditions.  Someone who spotted me reading it on campus told me it was an "essential part of the required reading on the Continent" and that it "talks about colonialism in an interesting way".   It was an easy and fast read, that did present colonialism with a healthy dose of ambiguity.  Near the end the character's ties to their metaphoric meanings became blatant, so much so that it was almost an insult to the reader, but I am glad I read it, and I would recommend to anyone wanting to relive their IHS english class days.  As I was reading it, in fact, I couldn't believe IHS wasn't teaching it.  It's so perfect for IHS!  Female, African author, writing a personal account about her struggles with colonialistic constructs as she aimed to get an education.

Today was Sunday and I dragged Anna out of bed for a little morning excersise.  We managed to pick the only clear and sunny hour of the morning, and it felt good to get moving again after the marathon knitting sessions I've been putting in.  Our BIG adventure for the day was going grocery shopping!  We caught a minibus taxi from campus, to Bellvile (a little over 10 min) where we got our food for the week.  I got some things I am really excited about!  First, I got a bag of "samp and beans" which the internet tells me is Xhosa (South African).  Another South African item I got was Rooibos tea!  I just got the Shopprite brand, but it tastes good to me.  I am excited to figure out what to do with the baby eggplant, and I decided to finally give biltong, the local meat jerky, a try. The final exciting thing I purchased was a package of dates from Iran!  From Iran is the exciting part.  Does the US not trade with Iran?  I should know.  Sorry!  

For dinner tonight I made Zucchini "spaghetti".  

it would have been easier with a julienne peeler, but I had the time to slice it all with a knife! 

  

  

About Yesterday

Yesterday was a fantastic Friday.  I got out of class at 1, and jumped in a car with Anna and Emma (a friend who lives in Mawbury) to take Anna to her IES class on the UCT campus.  Emma and I talked Fuad (the IES driver) into taking us to the Gardens neighborhood so I could buy some yarn!!! The yarn shop was a total success. It was less expensive than I thought it would be, and although it is acrylic yarn, it is a fun color and exactly what I need.  Fuad then took us down to Longstreet, where Emma and I grabbed a bite to eat and did some window shopping.  Then Anna finished her class, so we hopped in a minibus taxi to Mawbury, where Emma and the rest of the students with IES live. It was such a cool area, and I tried really hard to not be bitter that I don't live there.  We went to a Mexican restaurant, where we watched a very close rugby game, and then a very chill South African food and dessert place.  It was very very hip.  A lot a natural looking people talking.  We were definitely not cool enough to be there and we had some lemon meringue pie.  Yumm! Getting home was a bit of a nightmare logistically, talking to cab drivers on a phone with bad reception, but eventually we pulled it all together and I got to knit and catch up with the Crossfit Games in bed.  An almost perfect night.  Today we got to Egoli, to continue tutoring and getting ready for our projects with the community.

Hope Everyone is happy and well!

Idiot Abroad

Monday
Monday was a lazy day.  I was done with classes by 9, so I went for a run in really foggy and fabulous conditions.  It felt good to get moving.  After chilling with some friends and getting some "me" time in in the sun, Anna and I went to see our RA play in a soccer game.   It was our res hall against the neighboring one, grudge match!
Zola's match was just a warm up for the real game between UWC and another university, this one from the Eastern Cape.  It was really fun to be a part of the crowd.  We ended up loosing by two and spectacularly blowing a handful of point blank, open net shots.  ouch.  OH!  and the crowd had vuvuzelas! A lot of them!  they were really loud and played in time with the songs and chants everyone knew.   And the moon was HUGE and orange.  After the game Anna and I watched an episode of "Idiot Abroad", which is really a fantastic show. If you haven't had the chance to check it out, you should.  Maybe it's due to my current status, but I can't get enough.  Nothing like laughing at someone who is floundering even more than you are!
Tuesday
On Tuesday I spoke up in class.  My answer was not the answer my professor was looking for (she was splitting hairs) but my accent make me the most interesting person in the class.  I had many people waiting to meet me after the lecture concluded.  After my brush with popularity I continued the tradition of reading in the sun, and met a new person, Damien, who told me that the most expensive pine you could buy in South Africa was Oregon Pine.  So go team!!!  For dinner Anna and I had the great fortune of going to Stellenbosch with Anna's father for another wonderful meal.  I got the "deboned oxtail" and really, did not know what to expect.  What it turned out to be was a baseball sized orb of meat.  Basically they had taken the oxtail meat off of the bone, seasoned it, and then wrapped it in bacon before roasting it.  The result was quite impressive and yummy.  The bacon trapped in the juices and all that good stuff, so there was a lot of flavor and great texture involved.  After dinner I came home and caught up on Crossfit youtube videos.  So excited for the Games to start!!!  #sorrynotsorry  Tomorrow I have my IES course and I will be sitting in on my first Afrikaans lecture.  Good money's on an hour of complete confusion.

Totsiens!  and drukkies from SA!

Coming From Reality

I'm back, and with pictures this time!  I hope you all had a lovely weekend in your respective homes. 

Saturday we woke up early to take a visit to the District 6 museum.  We got a nice tour from a docent who had lived in District 6 and was relocated with his family.  He had some really interesting things to say about the ways in which relocation effects the health of a whole community.  Specifically he talked about how families were relocated to areas far away from the city, which were more expensive to live in, so then families who would previously only have one parent working would have to have two parents away from the house, working and commuting long hours, which left children to get into gangs and drugs.  This point reiterated for me how often having a stay-at-home parent is an economic luxury rather than a political statement about the "right way" to raise children.  All parts of the museum were donated by former residents, and although there have been plans made to resettle the area, much of it remains open fields.    

Mural in the Museum

Jason muggin (as usual)

I'm listening to the Sixto Rodriguez album, Coming From Reality.  If you haven't watched it yet, find "Searching for Sugarman" the documentary about this guy. I don't want to give too much away, so I'll just say, it's such an incredible story!

driving 

mountains!

driving

Anna climbing out of the back of the car.  It was safe. 

After the museum, we loaded into the car and headed to the Old Biscuit Mill, which has recently been converted from a cluster of industrial brick buildings to a collection of hip stores.  On Saturday the area is home to a delightful market.  When we arrived I thought I had died and gone to heaven.  It was very North West, but maybe I was getting that vibe from the rainy weather.  

First I got an Americano and a lemon Meringue tart, which was basically the best dessert I have ever eaten.  It was SO GOOD.  We wandered around, looking at all the food, and met up with some of the UCT kids.  I got a little shirt (that was on sale) and then I purchased the BEST SANDWICH EVER.  It was arugula (rocket), tomato, avocado, black pepper, parmesan shavings, coppa (basically prosciutto), and a balsamic glaze on a big roll. I ate it all.  Here's the evidence: 

Photo credit Emma Turner

The coolest thing I found at the market was art and products made by the artist featured on my blog's back ground art!  SO COOL.  She's the bomb dot com. 

Then Saturday night Anna and I went to The Barn, which is the campus bar.  There was a local soccer game on, which was cool to watch.  Overall i think the demographics of the bar were 95% male.  We stayed until the end of the game and then when home.  No body talked to us.  We have till the end of the year to make friends.  Maybe that was not the place!  

This morning we slept in a bit and then went to Egoli, where the IES students will be doing the first 20 of their community service hours.  After talking to community leaders, it was decided that the most helpful things would be help establishing a garden, help reflooring homes so they won't flood, and english tutoring for the school aged children.  I spent all day hanging out with 6 month old Donna Lee, and talking to the women about their lives.  I really really really really want to conduct interviews and write an ethnography oral history of the community.  But we'll see how it goes.  One thing at a time.  As we were arriving, the church service was ending.  It was very cool to see how they hold services there.  The sermon was in Afrikaans, so all I was understanding was Baie Dankie (thank you).  There was a birthday, so we sang, and then we sang during what seemed to be a confession, and then a woman finished the service with along, presumably improvised prayer.  I was amazed by how welcoming people were to us coming to their service, giving us seats and helping us learn the words of their songs.  

This is the best breakfast I have had in a long time.  Instant oatmeal (the slightest bit salty) with sunflower and pumpkin seeds, raisins, apples and a little bit of coconut milk! 

After Egoli we went to the store were I found a ripe avocado! It made my day! 

The avocado

Tomorrow I start class again, this time for real, since we are done with the syllabus talks.  Tonight Anna and I ate Chakalaka, which is a spicy vegetable relish from Joburg.  We had it over rice, and it was pretty good, but from the can.  Secrets….  

The moon today!

After dinner I talked with a girl on my floor who loves Justin Bieber.  She is definitely his number one fan.  But yeah, she had some funny (interesting?) things to say about her future husband.  She said she wanted to marry a white guy because she doesn't know how to cook, and white guys cook more often. Then she qualified that she could like him even if he wasn't good at cooking, because if he was white he would probably be rich, so they could eat out.  The only problem is that white guys only go for slender black girls, and while they might make an exception and go for a fat white girl, but never a fat black girl.  So now we all know.  All the more motivation to learn how to cook?  I think so.  

I finished Black Diamond yesterday.  It turned out the way I thought it would, (SPOILER ALERT) with the black guy dumping his girlfriend from the township for the (white) lady magistrate.   So maybe my floor-mate knows what she's talking about!   In any case, I don't recommend the book.  

I have been CRAVING some knitting.  It's going to happen soon. I need to get my hands on some yarn!  I think I am going to try a sweater.  because, why not! 

The Joy of Cooking

Hello there!
I had a difficult day.
[If you are interested in details see the end of the post, it's ok if you'd rather pass]

But yeah, after my difficult day, I cooked up a storm and it made me feel SO MUCH BETTER.  I have never realized how much cooking relaxes me.  I may not be super good at it yet, but I'm trying.  Tonight I made a coconut milk chicken curry, a good pot of rice, and sweet potato latkes.  If I had it to do over again there would be some adjustments, but the important thing is that it was a good time.  I had the kitchen to myself, and totally escaped, with my headphones on, into the steam and music.

Tonight I discovered a new favorite TV show!  It's called "First Family" and it is about an all black first family of the United States! This episode was about the butler's son wanting to become a magician.

One really cool thing that happened today was that I got to spend a lot of time reading a book by a South African author called Black Diamond.  I am about 150 pages in, and it hasn't, like dazzled me or anything, but its very fun to see terms and places I recognize!  Also, I was in line with some charming women who spent most of the day talking in Xhosa, which is one of the local languages.  It sounds really cool, and it has a ton of sounds we don't have, including several clicks.

Tomorrow we are going to visit the District Six museum and then go explore the Old Biscuit Mill area.  Some other exchange students have been raving about the food and crafts there and I can't wait to check it out!  I am very excited to take advantage of my weekend!



Difficult day:  It was rainy.  And then I spent a freezing 4 hours in line too add and drop classes, only to find the class I wanted was full, at which point I burst into tears in front of everyone. Standing in line is draining!  heh heh.  I don't really have an excuse.  But then I went to talk to my program coordinator about solutions to my rising anxiety over how stranded we are living on campus.  She is very nice, and talking to her made me feel better, but realistically there is not a lot to be done.  

Rainy Mandela Day

Hey humans!  Hope you are all happy and well! Today is Mandela day! So far not sure what that means to people here.  I have heard that usually it's  a day when people volunteer for 65 min.  I haven't really seen the evidence of that, but I am guessing it's happening in a less obvious way.

It's rainy, but Anna and I came into Cape Town for the day because out classes were over early in the day.  We are back at Lola's the cafe I wrote about earlier which has skateboards on the walls.  I got a carrot/orange/ginger juice and a croissant.  Very yummy.  I have been feeling really stranded on the UWC campus because it is far from other places and transportation can be difficult and expensive.  But it's fine once we make it out of the "Bush"!  (Bush is the local nickname for UWC because it is in a nature reserve.)

Last night we had Emma and Jules over for dinner after my IES class and the three of us got to talk more about our plans to WWOOF together.  Everything is still up in the air, but the girls are changing their flights home so we can stay for awhile.  I could not be more excited!

Today I had the first day of my Philosophy class.  Unless I can get into African Philosophies (the class i really wanted to take) I will be staying in it.  The theme of the course is Race, Culture, and Identity, which all sound great, but the concept is constrained by the fact that 1/3 of the small course are white American exchange students.  Over all I don't see much of the American presence on campus, so I was surprised by the high number in that course.

The IES course met last night for the first time.  We were told to map our homes and our new homes.  It was kinda a cool excersise to  see what and where people come from and how they conceptualize Cape Town.  I have some misgivings and apprehensions about the presumptions inherent in the volunteering we will be doing for the class.  Sometimes I feel like there is a pretty basic lack of compassion and lack of a grasp of nuance among people trying to "help".  At the end of the day, the people you are trying to help are HUMANS, who live in HOMES (not shacks), and are trying to make the best of their situation for themselves and their families.  They deserve respect, and unfortunately, it often happens that a well intentioned person can violate their pride by coming in with a dangerous combination of enthusiasm and righteousness.  Anyway, despite these concerns I am very excited by what our professor has to offer, and I trust her to be able to navigate these tricky waters.

Today at the store we got veggies, sweet potatoes, more rice, apples, wine, coconut milk, curry powder, chicken, ramen and hot sauce.  It's going to be a yummy week!  The thing I miss most here is my ability to be independent, but I am trying to focus on the really awesome things like my unique learning possibilities and having fun cooking.

Hugs from SA!  

Geography of a Death Foretold

Today was Tuesday and the second day of classes.  I really only had one class because the first day of statistics was cancelled.  Can't say I was sad about that one... But yeah, I had the 300 level Geography class, which was interesting for sure.  Overall it does not appear to be that strenuous, but perhaps (again) I am being over confident!  In the geo class the students and professor talked a bit about what they think will happen when Mandela dies. Pretty much the only thing they all agreed on was that it was coming soon.  Beyond that, opinions varied from "nothing but a large parade" to "rioting and mass killings of coloureds and whites" [SIDENOTE: yes, the term coloured is used.  It's different than black].  I am hoping the latter was not right.  Most people just said that they were afraid of what would happen.  Hopefully he will live forever!
One thing that has been made obvious to me me here, is that there are somethings I just do not have the context to understand.  One of those things is South Africa's relationship with Mandela.  We don't have a person of equal significance in the United States as far as I know.  
I went for a quick run today which was nice, but harder than I remember it being.  If I had known I would be running so much I would have brought new running shoes rather than sambas.  But it was good to get moving.  Then I steamed some broccoli and carrots and ate them with the leftover rice and chicken from yesterday.  It was really easy and yummy!

So that's all for today, I am going to bed early, yet again, and getting used to it.  Still about 50 pages from the end of 100 Years of Solitude.  It's kinda crazy to admit this, but I can't wait to start getting school work so I have something to keep me busy when I want it to.  I'm ready to be occupied.  And super excited for my Africana Philosophy course tomorrow!  One of the main topics is (predictably) race.  Nearly beside myself with the potential for discussion.  What a perfect class to take here, where I actually understand nothing.

double dinner, proper posts

dinner!!!

Tonight had some ups and a down.  I have been craving a good work out for WEEKS, and finally the gym was open!  Unfortunately it was a completely disappointing experience.  It was undersupplied, overcrowded, and full of unfriendly, smelly men doing stupid things on machines that took up too much space.  To be fair, I did go at 5, which is probably rush hour in the gym, but still!  I was so mad! Maybe next time I will try the boxing gym.  It's moments like that one that really make me frustrated with the restrictions of my location.  If only I was close to a crossfit box.... 

This is where things started to look up: Anna and I made a fab dinner, that really encouraged me about our prospects as a cooking partnership.  Green beans, zucchini, squash, chicken and rice!  the best part was that we have leftovers for tomorrow.  

After dinner we were invited to eat with some French and Norwegian exchange students.  Hanging out with other internationals was not something I bargained for, but I have found it to be one of my favorite things so far.  Tonight we were blessed with a retelling of the American revolution and formation of the United States by two very well informed French students.  It was so entertaining!  Kind of like drunk history, but more impressive.  Really, everyone's english is so good most things are impressive.  But it turned out to be a fun evening.  

Then Anna and I watched the beginning of the new episode of Newsroom.  I thought it was boring, and was not bummed when the internet died only half way through.  sorry, not sorry.  

Good Night!

first day of classes!

Today was pretty uneventful except that it was the first day of classes.  go team!  my 100 level Geography course should be easy (famous last words...)  but it is held in a classroom with 360 seats.  CRAZY!  Not sure if I am going to stick with the gender class or not, but I think that it would also be fine.  At five I am going to go the gym!  I also talked to a library worker today who told me that he liked things better under Apartheid because they were less "hectic" and there were fewer foreigners.  It was especially interesting because he was black.  Definitely the first person I have heard voice that opinion.  

A boat full of Irishmen

HEY!  Today we went on a peninsula tour! We drove around to all parts of the peninsula and saw a lot of pretty things.  We also visited the Cape of Good Hope.  The whole day was really really windy.  Like the windiest ever.  Here are some pictures:

There used to be restrictions on what color your house could be.  Not any more! 

i exist! it's windy

jason muggin

We were on the boat with 45 high school rugby players from Northern Ireland and several tours of Japanese tourists.

other tourists

seals.  They were about as interesting as seals are in Oregon

but the boat ride was very pretty! 

the bay 

 Then we went to see the penguins!

I want to make the acquaintance of penguins! 

!!!!!!

PENGUINS 

the light house

Flowers on the way up

view of the light house

directions

this is a baboon.  They are like larger, more aggressive,  and more dangerous squirrels. 

The Cape of Good Hope (here in Afrikaans)  it is the most south-wersternly point of Africa. I took this picture upside down!

Wild ostriches

So yeah, today was fun, and a good way to spend my last day of summer.  Classes start tomorrow morning at 8:30.  I am excited and worried!  I still can't believe I have been here for only two weeks or that I have so many more months to explore.

I Bring Tidings of Great Joy! (Classes, Longstreet, Classes)

Hey!  Things are still going well here.  Today is a little rainy and pretty cold.  I am reallllly cold right now.  all bundled up and sitting as close to the heater as possible.  WHYYY did I not bring a blanket? I could get back into bed, but I just can't let myself do that or I may not ever get out again.

But I think the sun is going to come out soon!    This morning we had an interesting adventure, but I will write about that maybe later today.

But anyway, Classes!  take one:  So IES has classes that are taught by UCT or UWC professors that focus on health or development, require 60 hours of community service, and culminate in a final project which is graded by an outside examiner and is presented to the rest of the IES students and the IES staff.  I chose the class on development because I loved the professors presentation, outfit and aura.  She was articulate and knowledgeable and I trust her to navigate some of the potentially problematic situations that could arise doing service in high poverty areas.  So yeah, the class will meet Wednesdays from 4:30 to 6:30, first at the UWC campus and then the UCT campus.  I am excited but overall a bit apprehensive about my workload in the coming semester.  

Last night we went out to the bars for the first time since arriving.  It was a bit overwhelming, but very safe.  Most of the bars and clubs are on Longstreet in downtown Cape Town.  Some people were saying it was a bit like Burbon Street in NOLA, but I can't really attest to that I guess.   I didnt come here to have a party abroad experience, and I don't think I will often be back, but it was definitely an experience.  Anna and I got a lot of attention as American girls.  

The last few days we have been able to explore the city a bit more and discover how beautiful it is.  Yesterday we went to the National Museum and a botanical garden both were very nice.   I hope I get a chance to do the "city thing" while I am here, maybe coming in on Saturdays to study or sit in a cafe.  We ate at a little restaurant and excellent potencial study spot. 

CNN was interviewing the guy who designed the boards on the wall.  

The menu is different everyday so that they can use local and fresh produce.  

The museum had a mix of South African and international artists, and a lot of photography.  One gallery had clusters of paintings of various styles and artists grouped by theme.  It was really cool!  They ranged from being as loosely grouped as a large blue abstract and a victorian era woman in a blue dress to being a large group of seated portraits.

A cluster.  I think the theme was Spain.   

After dinner we caught the sunset on the beach!  

This is Lion's Head!  (what I climbed the other day) 

So Classes Take Two:  I had a registration miracle!!!  I thought I was going to be held to prerequisite standards, but I wasn't  hoorah!  So I am registered for a 100, 200, and 300 level Geography class, 100 level statistics, 300 level Philosophy and 300 Women's and Gender.  

DON'T WORRY

I'm not going to try to take all those classes.  

Really what I am going to do is go to all of them in the first week and then decide what I can handle.  Hopefully I will be feeling comfortable with all of the Geography courses, and then decide whether or not to add the Statistics class.  It's what I dont want to take, but it is a requirement for my major that would be nice to get out of the way.  We'll see.  I'm registered for the Philosophy and Gender courses so I have some options  if I think the upperlevel Geography courses are like wayyy to hard for me.  Classes start on Monday. 

okie.  that's all! 

Soon I will stop posting on such boring things, but right now everything feels new and exciting.  Eventually (soon) things will normalize.

kinda cool...

Today was the best day ever!

Really!  I had a great day.  This is what happened:  I woke up early, because I have been going to sleep early and waking early,  this was pretty normal.  Then, Anna and I looked up our proposed adventure for the day, a hike up Table Mountain.  After some pretty gently research on The Google, we realized that was not actually a thing we wanted to do.  So we readjusted out plans and decided on a hike up Lions head which is another, smaller, peak that stands over Cape Town.  The issue with that plan was that it would take us a train and a couple of taxis to get to the trail head, something we had not done alone.  I personally was super apprehensive about the prospect of navigating through the Cape Town transit system guideless, but we wanted to climb the mountain, and this was the perfect day to do it.  Not only were we free all day, it was sure to be a perfectly temperatured and clear skied day.  We consulted with our program spirit guide, and stuck out on our own.
After taking the train into the heart of Cape Town, we walked for a bit and then got a cab up to the trail head where we started to hike.  It was an hour of what I would characterize as strenuous hiking, but totally worth it.  Here are the pictures:

This is the view from the parking lot

still the parking lot

a tree!

My fearless companion (with Table Mountain in the back ground)

the trail

This is what the trail looked like sometimes

SOOOOOOOOO

Pretty

At the top with my Betty jersey!

 The trail was a spiral up the edge of the mountain, so we got many views of the city from different elevations.  It was quiet a cool way to see the city layout, and a stunning hike.  After our decent, which was honestly the scariest thing i can remember taking casually, we took a cab down to the water front area, which, it turns out, is the Styling part of town, with lots of nice shops and restaurants.  We wandered around for a time before finding a bench to chill on with a view of the coming and going boats.  There were a surprising number of fishing boats from china docked in the harbor and some of their crew members were on the dock playing hackysack. kinda cool.

The water, boats, and Table Mountain!

Dragon boats! 

Statues of Tutu, Mandela and other South African leaders at the waterfront  

The bridge moving for a boat!!!!  We had perfect timing to see it! 

Boats being fixed! There were a lot of boats out of the water for maintenance they all looked large and funny out of the water.   

Dinner time!

At 6 we met up with Anna's Father who is visiting this week.  We ate at one of the restaurants on the warf. It was very good.  I had the Fisherman's Soup which was a lot like the one that Humble Beagle makes.  Very good!  After dinner we went grocery shopping (!!!) and looked through the stores at the mall.  I am learning that malls are a big deal here.  They have a lot of nice stores and restaurants and seem to attract a huge number of (mostly white) clientele.  

My cold is getting better!   Talk to you all soon!  And thank you to Maia for the hot plate recipes  If anyone else is struggling, here is the link:  HOTPLATE

Although we had to run to catch the train, and ask for directions a few times along the way, we had a flawless day.