Friday, January 30, 2009

The Latest Happenings

On Sunday we went to the rugby stadium to watch the Stormers vs. Saracens pre-season game, and I discovered that I love rugby. It’s a lot faster than American football, and it seems a little more hardcore since they don’t use pads. The rules are a little more-intuitive, and they do fun things like pick each other up, and gain ground in giant huddles – like the opposite of tug-o-war. The Stormers won, and everybody went home happy.

Monday morning we took the train to the Muizenberg beach, a popular surfing spot, and laid out on the cold, windy beach. The only cloudy day since I’ve been here, and we still got sunburned. Surfing lessons and board and suit rental are offered for cheap, and one of these days I’m gonna do it. Two friends went for a jog and saw a dead penguin and a dead (and rotting) seal on the way, so there’s definitely a lot of marine life to see, however I’ve been told that the water is too cold for the Great Whites here.



On Monday night a few of us went out to eat at the Buena Vista Social CafĂ©, a Cuban restaurant with live music. The food was alright, but I’ll definitely be back for Salsa dancing on Sunday nights

The next morning we took a taxi to Downtown Cape Town, and then walked to the Bo-Kaap neighborhood. There are colorfully painted houses on narrow roads, and it reminded me a lot of New Orleans (although they were only recently painted that way when they were restored). Bo-Kaap is known for its culture and history. It is a largely Muslim neighborhood, full of old Mosques. Many of the inhabitants are descendants of the people from Indonesia, Sri Lanka, India and Malaysia, who were captured in the 17th and 18th century and enslaved by the Dutch-East Indian Trading Company. We walked past a house that was being auctioned off after its owners couldn’t pay the mortgage. Unfortunately, tourism and gentrification seem to be displacing a lot of the original residents, and threatening the local culture. I didn’t bring my camera, so an image from google will have to suffice until I return to take my own.



I spent most of Wednesday running errands and cleaning, then went out at night to a bar called Gandalf’s. It is Lord of the Rings themed, with a dungeon-like feel and a hard-rock DJ. It was game night, so a few of us put a couple Rand down for the foosball tournament and got schooled. The table is backward, so your goal is to the right instead of the left. I’d say they had an unfair advantage from the start.

Yesterday morning we got up bright and early for a bike and wine-tasting tour of neighboring Stellenbosch and its wineries. We signed up for our tour with Bikes ‘n Wines and met out tour guides in Cape Town. They took us on the hour-long train ride to Stellenbosch, where we rented our bikes and helmets. From there we took off to our first wine-tasting at the Spier Estate. They gave us a punch card for 5 different wines, and some people selected to try different cheeses as well. It was delicious and beautiful, and they had their very own Cheetah (?!?!).



I missed the backstory on this, but Spier is one of the largest and wealthiest wineries in the area and have their own golf course, bird sanctuary, etc. etc. From there we biked gravel and sand paths to Stellenbosch Hills where we had our second wine tasting. We sampled 3 more wines here and some people bought some bottles to go.



We then biked UPHILL to our third winery and lunch destination, The Skilpadvlei vineyard. Lunch was delicious and inexpensive, and the place was gorgeous. We tasted 3 more wines before we left. You’d be surprised how much you can drink and not get drunk when you’re exercising. Our pathway out was through deep, treacherous sand, and a lot of people wiped out. It was all downhill, so it was difficult to control your bike or stop on the slippery gravel. We finally made our last destination, short on time, and downed a refreshing glass of chilled champagne before we raced back to the bike rental shop. I’m proud to say that I did not suffer on this trip one bit, and though many complained of sore butts and legs, my 7 weeks of touring left me with perma-hardened, acclimated muscles.


I'm on the far left

Today I’m busy getting ready for the semester, running errands, and taking a break. We’re starting our orientation with UCT tomorrow, and it will last to the 6th (although some days are optional). I then have another week-long break during which we’ll (hopefully) be driving through the Garden Route and/or going on a safari before the semester begins. I’m both excited and nervous for classes to start, and it will be nice to get involved with some volunteer organizations (possibly Habitat), clubs, and maybe a women’s rugby team??
Love,
Emily

Sunday, January 25, 2009

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

Monday, January 19, 2009

Hello from Cape Town!

Hello Everyone,
Just got the internet set up. We're supposed to have a session tomorrow that teaches us how to get it set up with the pay-as-you-go wifi that they have in the residence areas, but I figured it out early.
My flight was great. Didn't seem that long. Two vegan meals with my name on them again  Got here and the weather was clear and blue and 75 and windy enough to keep it cool. PERFECT. On the flight landing I could see rows and rows of shanty towns set up by the airport, which is on the outskirts of Cape Town. Shocking and sad. In May, Interstudy is giving us a tour of them, along with trips to museums that I wanted to visit. Our first trip is in 2 days to Table Mountain, where we will hike for a few hours! Speaking of… It is SO BEAUTIFUL!
As soon as I landed in Cape Town, there was a guy from Interstudy waiting for me with a sign with my name on it. Two other students were already there, and we hopped into a small car, and drove into Cape Town on the wrong side of the road (that'll take some getting used to). One of the students is from MN and goes to Yale. He knows Lucy (my old roommate) and thinks he was in our dorm room at some point. Small world!
Anyways, as we drove in, the view was spectacular! The mountain is soooo cool with the clouds wrapped around the top of it. One of the guys took out his camera and started snapping pictures of it and then put it away, realizing he'd have better photo ops later since campus is at the base of it! As soon as we got in to the residence areas we were greeted by very friendly welcoming staff and keys to our new apartments. The boys walked to their place and I walked to mine. Since I was the first one in the apartment of two, I got to choose my room first (the bigger one).

I have so little crap in such a big room it's almost silly. I have A LOT of storage space. I could give each pair of underwear its own shelf if I wanted. I am also connected to the bathroom  The apartment is very pretty and neat and already furnished.

There are a lot of windows (including one at the head of my bed – Stefan, you would love it!) so there's a nice breeze going through here. The kitchen counter is surrounded by one large window that lets in s ton of light. I'll send pictures of the apartment later (and some from London).
After I unpacked, my mentor (I think that's what they called him?), Richard, brought me a goody bag full of snacks and water (and a roll of TP), my folder full of welcome materials, and my new cell phone. Everyone told me not to call home. Ever. Way too pricey. Google chat is the way to go I guess. I took a VERY cold shower (NJ, Interstudy staff, came to turn the water heater on for me later…), and took a walk around the neighborhood. There is plenty within walking distance here. I was hoping for a coffee shop but have found none yet. There's 3 grocery stores, a laundry mat, plenty of food places and a couple bars (none that I really care to visit, however), and couple corner stores. People are very friendly and it feels like a safe neighborhood, and very busy. There are bars on every window and locks and gates for everything. My key ring has about 10 assorted keys and an automatic lock on it, and when I asked NJ what each of them did, he laughed and said to figure it out and explore. So I did. Still unsure on a few of them. SO, after I explored to my right, I explored to my left and found campus. It is SPREAD out, and there are busses called "Jammies" that take your between campuses. I am closest to lower north campus, and have to take the Jammie to lower south, middle, and upper campus during registration. It looks nice and clean from what I can see, and really is at the base of table mountain. I'll never get sick of the view!
On my way back I stopped at the grocery store to pick up some food and essentials. Produce is much cheaper here than in the states. I even found soy milk and a vegan butter (they have more than I've seen in the U.S., it's just not advertized that way). I won't be going hungry, that's for sure. When I got back, an Interstudy employee kindly let me in through the gate. I bent down to pet his dog, a British Bulldog, and afterward he decided he liked me so much that he would lift his leg and pee on my grocery bag… Luckily it was plastic so it shed…
I came back and took a long nap, still waiting for my roommate to show up (hope she doesn't want the big room, too!). To be fair, the other one has a skylight, wood floors, and a door to the porch, so it's not that raw of a deal. This place is great all around. Wish I could go meet some more people! I'm a little bored right now, but tomorrow we'll get together as a group and everyone will meet everyone as soon as we're fed and rested. I'm already feeling pretty comfortable here and can't wait to see the rest of the city!
Well, in the time it took to write this message it has only cost me 8 U.S. cents, so I think e-mail will be the way to go. Everyone - let me know when a good time for you would be to meet over google chat; I can't wait to test it out! Send me any questions you have!
Love,
Emily

Hello from London!

I barely slept on the plane to London, and I got here at 8am local time (2am back home). Thus far, my trip has been pretty painless. Northwest was very accomodating and had a hot vegan (Indian curry) dinner with my name on it, and a vegan breakfast (bagel, banana, fruit) in the morning. They also sent my bags through so when I got to London I went through customs and right out the door. I took Stefan's advice and went on a double-decker tour bus ride through all the major sites in London (Big Ben, a million statues I forgot the significance of, the Palace during the changing of the guard, etc). It was a 45 minute ride there and back (to Picadilly Circus) via the "underground" but it was worth it. I have to admit, my favoUrite part of London was that ride, and seeing all the houses and patchwork backyards on the way out from the airport. I went straight to the top of the bus ) open air in 40 degree weather) and was ditched by a guy named Patrick from Costa Rica who had coincidentally made the same exact trip to the exact same tour bus on the exact same stop after we asked each other how to use the machine to buy tickets for the underground. I got a coffee to pep me up a bit for the ride. I guess MN had prepped me for the "warmer" 40 degree weather better than the Costa Rice transition. Anyways, I'll be sending plenty of extra touristy pictures as soon as I get set up in Cape Town.

When I got back to the airport I stretched out on a row of chairs and crashed for 2 hours. Luckily, I'm already feeling mostly adjusted to the time switch, so I should be able to get right into it in Cape Town. My flight boards in less than an hour so I should get going to the gate, but I'll try to keep you updated when I can.

Hope Stefan's driving safe!

Love,

Emily