In a Nutshell

Since I last wrote, our South African student mentors have introduced us to the Cape Town nightlife. We have gone out as a group of 50 every single night, which attracts a lot of attention. In general, Capetonians are very friendly, however when you show up in a large drunk group to their favorite local bar, they tend to give the stink eye (however, President Obama has helped a lot – they LOVE him here!). One of these hot spots was an outdoor/sandy floored bar and an indoor venue that featured “psychedelic trance” music and plenty of zombie like body jerking to accompany it. Not my cup of tea, but the entertainment was well worth the 20 Rand cover.

My roommate, Katrina, finally arrived! We get along very well and I’m glad we’re living together. I am getting to know everyone in the program as well as the Interstudy coordinators, student mentors, locals, and neighbors, and I’m starting to feel very comfortable and welcome here.

Our student mentors have done an amazing job of showing us around Cape Town and answering our questions. They often go above and beyond the call of duty, knocking on doors in the morning for wake-up calls and coming by at night to let us know they’ve booked a “jammie” (shuttle bus) for our late-night outings. There is one Interstudy coordinator here, NJ, who knew us all by name before we even got to Cape Town. He memorized our passport photos and when I arrived, he yelled “Hello Ms. Kippels” from a balcony above me. Americans tend to be very high-maintenance (no way!), and they have been very patient with us, taking care of minor problems and holding our hands through the process.

From Tuesday through Thursday we had Interstudy Orientation, where we were given various campus and area tours, learned about the local history and culture, opened local bank accounts, and learned the ropes of student life and transportation. We learned about UCT curriculum, registration procedures (which include very very long “queues” (lines), as everything is still done by hand here), classroom culture, student organizations, homestays, volunteer opportunities, etc. They campus is big and beautiful (search google), and walking distance from home. I feel like I am fully prepared to start the school year, however I am really enjoying the break. A group of friends and I are trying to plan some adventures for this week and the next, since when school starts we will only be able to manage weekend excursions to the beach. There is A LOT to do and see here; I have definitely come to the right spot.



On Friday we all hiked Table Mountain, which was high on my list of things to do here. However, nobody warned us about how difficult it would actually be (and we took the EASY path!). I somehow hurt my left hip flexor on the hike and I’m still recovering. The 3 and a half hours of pain was certainly worth it once we got to the top. When we reached the highest point of Cape Town, the 360 view was spectacular!



We were literally walking through the clouds!



The descent was shorter, but terrible. A steep, winding path that made everyone’s knees ache. Although I’m glad that I did it, if anyone visits me here, we’re taking the trolley… I've also been to the waterfront, which was very touristy and beautiful, but not all that interesting. Just a lot of shops selling "authentic" "African" crafts, which I haven't seen anywhere in Cape Town. I did, however, stumble upon the shop of a local artist, and plan on buying a rhino-shaped, hand-painted pillow before I leave (grooooaan...)- but really!

Well, that’s it for now! I’ll be leaving for a rugby match in a half hour and I need to get ready!

Cheers!
Emily