Well, I certainly have had better birthdays than this one... I have been pretty sick for the past 2 days with some pretty bad flu-like symptoms. The only thing I've been able to keep down are bananas, and I know that I am super dehydrated. So this morning I went to the student health clinic and the doctor gave me some nausea medication and some re-hydrating powder to mix with water. It definitely doesn't taste the best, let me tell you.... I am just hoping that tomorrow will be better for me, because tomorrow is the start of the Garden Route tour and there would be nothing worse than being sick on that!
My internet access is going to be turned off in a few hours, so I will not be able to write anymore posts until I get home, unless the places we are staying along the way have internet. Sorry! Will have to wait for pictures until next week.
Thank you to everyone who has been reading while I've been here in South Africa. It means a lot to me :)
Thursday, July 12, 2012
Monday, July 9, 2012
Swellendam weekend + more random thoughts
Swellendam was so fun and super relaxing! The bus rides were long, and it was pretty wet all weekend from the rain on Saturday, but it was still nice. We got to meet our bus driver (William) and our tour guides (Keith and Sylvia) who will be taking us on the Garden Route! And I got to have some wonderful doggy time with Luna and Tau! Well mostly Luna, she was such a sweetheart. Tau just liked to be around her daddy all weekend (hmmm.... what dog does that remind me of....). But Luna was lots of fun! She came on the ferry boat with us when we went out on the lake, she sat by us all night when we would have our bonfires (which were huge and sooooo hot), and she LOVES attention. If you stop petting her for a second, she'll paw at you until you start to pet her again. And she really loved it when we would throw rocks for her to fetch, even though she didn't actually bring them back. She would just run after them and come back, pick up another rock, and drop it in your lap. Such a smart doggy.
We had a lot of time to relax and not do much of anything, which was nice. It was really fun watching people go down the zip line, which they call a foofie slide. I didn't go, it looked a little painful, and I wanted to save that money for something else on the Garden Route. Then this morning we went to a hot springs, which was really nice and warm. Some people were party poopers and didn't want to get in the water because it was a little brown, but that was just because it was natural water coming up from the ground and wasn't treated at all. Nothing to be scared of!
Both Saturday and Sunday nights we had bonfires and Keith and Sylvia cooked us amazing meals. It was so fun having conversations with Sylvia and having William tell us stories. We all were having such a good time, we ended up staying out until after midnight each night. But through being here and spending time here, I've come to realize that time isn't as important as most people make it out to be. Being on time isn't that important here, you will just do things when you get to it, and there is never a rush.
Randoms:
I am going to have such a hard time paying for anything when I get home. Everything is so cheap here. I guess that will be a good thing though so I don't waste any money on unnecessary things!
After eating out everyday, twice a day, I am going to want to eat home cooked food for at least 2 months.... Too bad I will only have one month at home before going back to cafeteria food...
I can't believe I have to take an exam tomorrow, and that it is my birthday already.
I don't want this trip to be over next Wednesday already, but I'm also anxious to come home... It's going to be a bittersweet moment for me.
We had a lot of time to relax and not do much of anything, which was nice. It was really fun watching people go down the zip line, which they call a foofie slide. I didn't go, it looked a little painful, and I wanted to save that money for something else on the Garden Route. Then this morning we went to a hot springs, which was really nice and warm. Some people were party poopers and didn't want to get in the water because it was a little brown, but that was just because it was natural water coming up from the ground and wasn't treated at all. Nothing to be scared of!
Both Saturday and Sunday nights we had bonfires and Keith and Sylvia cooked us amazing meals. It was so fun having conversations with Sylvia and having William tell us stories. We all were having such a good time, we ended up staying out until after midnight each night. But through being here and spending time here, I've come to realize that time isn't as important as most people make it out to be. Being on time isn't that important here, you will just do things when you get to it, and there is never a rush.
Randoms:
I am going to have such a hard time paying for anything when I get home. Everything is so cheap here. I guess that will be a good thing though so I don't waste any money on unnecessary things!
After eating out everyday, twice a day, I am going to want to eat home cooked food for at least 2 months.... Too bad I will only have one month at home before going back to cafeteria food...
I can't believe I have to take an exam tomorrow, and that it is my birthday already.
I don't want this trip to be over next Wednesday already, but I'm also anxious to come home... It's going to be a bittersweet moment for me.
Thursday, July 5, 2012
Random thoughts
1. Almost every food item has either avocado or feta cheese on it, and if you're lucky, you get both!! So delicious.
2. The weather is too unpredictable. There are days when it can be a bright sunny morning with a dark and rainy afternoon.
3. Getting woken up to the national anthem yesterday was a little strange, considering July 4th is not a holiday here, but I guess they just wanted to do it for us Americans.
4. Many of the program participants drink way too much. It's fun to go out maybe once a week, but getting wasted every night, coming in at 4am, and puking in their beds is a little too much.
5. I only have 2 days left of class. Only 5 days until I turn 19. Only a week until we leave for the garden route. And almost exactly 2 weeks until I'm home.
6. After I come home, only a month until I move back to school.
7. I keep forgetting that I am going to be an RA.
8. Time is moving so fast, and there is nothing I can do about it. I guess the only thing I can do is concentrate on the now, which consists of locking myself in my room, eating pizza, and cranking out a research paper... At least most of it.
2. The weather is too unpredictable. There are days when it can be a bright sunny morning with a dark and rainy afternoon.
3. Getting woken up to the national anthem yesterday was a little strange, considering July 4th is not a holiday here, but I guess they just wanted to do it for us Americans.
4. Many of the program participants drink way too much. It's fun to go out maybe once a week, but getting wasted every night, coming in at 4am, and puking in their beds is a little too much.
5. I only have 2 days left of class. Only 5 days until I turn 19. Only a week until we leave for the garden route. And almost exactly 2 weeks until I'm home.
6. After I come home, only a month until I move back to school.
7. I keep forgetting that I am going to be an RA.
8. Time is moving so fast, and there is nothing I can do about it. I guess the only thing I can do is concentrate on the now, which consists of locking myself in my room, eating pizza, and cranking out a research paper... At least most of it.
Tuesday, July 3, 2012
Building a new perspective
First day of my HIV/AIDS class and I am loving it! The lecturer is much more lively than the one last week and we're covering much more interesting material. I think the test next Tuesday is going to be pretty easy. We got through a lot of material today, and we are very much ahead of schedule, so we don't have to be in class until 11am tomorrow! Woop! It'll be nice to sleep in a little bit.
I think that this class is going to challenge a lot of my preexisting ideas about HIV, even more than it already has today. We went over a lot of statistics and biomedical facts today about what the disease actually is and who is affected by it. I am really excited to continue learning about it. On Thursday we are going to two NGO's, one that works with sex workers, and another that works with men who have sex with other men. It is going to be very interesting to see both of their perspectives and hear about what their organizations are working towards.
Yesterday's community engagement didn't really involve any other people but the summer school students. We went to a primary school in Lynedoch via train. half of us worked in the garden, weeding and digging up vegetables, while the rest of us were inside the school, cleaning windows with newspaper and water, and then sweeping and mopping. It was nice to be able to do something for a poor school and community.
I think that this class is going to challenge a lot of my preexisting ideas about HIV, even more than it already has today. We went over a lot of statistics and biomedical facts today about what the disease actually is and who is affected by it. I am really excited to continue learning about it. On Thursday we are going to two NGO's, one that works with sex workers, and another that works with men who have sex with other men. It is going to be very interesting to see both of their perspectives and hear about what their organizations are working towards.
Yesterday's community engagement didn't really involve any other people but the summer school students. We went to a primary school in Lynedoch via train. half of us worked in the garden, weeding and digging up vegetables, while the rest of us were inside the school, cleaning windows with newspaper and water, and then sweeping and mopping. It was nice to be able to do something for a poor school and community.
Sunday, July 1, 2012
Officially at the half way point
So, unfortunately we were not able to go to Table Mountain yesterday due to the weather. So me and two others wanted to go today, but it was too cloudy when we got to Cape Town so we wouldn't have been able to see anything once we got to the top... BUT! I am determined to go at some point before I leave. Otherwise I'll just have to come back!
Even though Table mountain was a no-go today, we had a very interesting experience getting to Cape Town. We took the taxi, and when I say taxi I do not mean the kind of taxi cabs we have at home. I mean a small van that 16-20 people squeeze into, constant and sudden starting and stopping, people getting off and getting on frequently, cramped spaces, and very crazy driving... We ended up being on 4 different taxis on our way into the city.
Tomorrow we are doing community service, which consists of cleaning and gardening in one of the communities close to Stellenbosch. Then on Tuesday I start my HIV/AIDS class. I am really excited for it and anxious to share the knowledge I acquire :)
It is very strange to think that half of my trip is gone already. I know that 18 days is a long time - which is all that I have left - but I know that it is going to go by so fast. Time is flying by. I only have one more class before the Garden Route! And my birthday is next Tuesday already! That hasn't even really crossed my mind that much. There is so much fun stuff coming up, which is only going to make time go even faster. I am very much enjoying my time here, but I think that I will be ready to come home when the time comes.
Even though Table mountain was a no-go today, we had a very interesting experience getting to Cape Town. We took the taxi, and when I say taxi I do not mean the kind of taxi cabs we have at home. I mean a small van that 16-20 people squeeze into, constant and sudden starting and stopping, people getting off and getting on frequently, cramped spaces, and very crazy driving... We ended up being on 4 different taxis on our way into the city.
Tomorrow we are doing community service, which consists of cleaning and gardening in one of the communities close to Stellenbosch. Then on Tuesday I start my HIV/AIDS class. I am really excited for it and anxious to share the knowledge I acquire :)
It is very strange to think that half of my trip is gone already. I know that 18 days is a long time - which is all that I have left - but I know that it is going to go by so fast. Time is flying by. I only have one more class before the Garden Route! And my birthday is next Tuesday already! That hasn't even really crossed my mind that much. There is so much fun stuff coming up, which is only going to make time go even faster. I am very much enjoying my time here, but I think that I will be ready to come home when the time comes.
Friday, June 29, 2012
Econ is over!
Thank god this economics class is over. The stuff we talked about in class was pretty interesting, but I just am not into economics at all. The presentations today went pretty well, and I don't think my paper was too horrible. But we'll see what happens. I'm excited to start the HIV/AIDS course on Tuesday. My friends that took it this past week said it was a really good class, so I'm looking forward to it.
Weekend plans include: Cape Town and Table Mountain tomorrow, leaving bright and early at 8:45am. Hopefully it won't be cloudy so I can get some good pictures from the top of the mountain! Sunday is probably going to be a relaxation day, definitely going to sleep in, maybe work on my paper a little. And then on Monday we are going community service work. Not sure exactly what it is yet, but I'm really excited for it.
Weekend plans include: Cape Town and Table Mountain tomorrow, leaving bright and early at 8:45am. Hopefully it won't be cloudy so I can get some good pictures from the top of the mountain! Sunday is probably going to be a relaxation day, definitely going to sleep in, maybe work on my paper a little. And then on Monday we are going community service work. Not sure exactly what it is yet, but I'm really excited for it.
Wednesday, June 27, 2012
The sad side of Africa
I don't think I've talked much about the sad (and sometimes scary...) side of Africa yet. Mostly I think because we just talked about it in class today and is at the forefront of my mind right now. We talked a lot about poverty, unemployment and inequality in South Africa, and how even though the poverty rate has decreased since the end of apartheid, the inequality has increased, meaning that the gap between the rich and the poor has increased. It also means that 80% of the population is only making 30% of the country's total income, whereas 20% of the population is making 70% of the country's total income. Our lecturer told us that South Africa is one of the three most unequal countries in the world. About 80% of the population lives on less than 1000 rand a month (approx. $125).
It is insane to me that I am in a country that has such a large percentage of people living in poverty. The closest thing I have seen to poverty here are the townships, but those aren't even the poorest communities in South Africa. Our lecturer told us that the average poor person is a black African female who lives in a rural household with no employment, little education, and has been infected with AIDS.
This brings up the question of who is helping these people? We see organizations all the time in the states that are raising money to "save the children in Africa", but where is that money actually going? Most of the time, once this money makes it through to the country (which takes a LONG time, has to pass through dozens of hands), it is rarely used for what it was intended for, and of course there is no one there in the country to ensure that the money is used for it's original purpose. In order for aid to work in the first place, solid governmental institutions are needed, and the poorest countries have really bad institutions, so the poorest countries with the most need aren't even the ones to receive the aid. And aid has a lot of negative consequences... it fosters dependency on the donating country, protects bad governments from dealing with the consequences of their own incompetence, and food aid takes a huge tole on farming and agriculture. Giving free food to a country means that farmers will not be able to sell their goods, and therefore will be put out of business. This means that the local economy will suffer and growth will be halted.
Okay, enough of the economics lesson. I wish someone could snap their fingers and poverty would be eradicated, and everyone would at least have their essential needs met.
I've also experienced a bit of the poor community by encountering street kids and beggars.It is really hard to walk away when these little kids come up to you with outstretched hands asking you for money because they are hungry or cold. We were told not to give anyone any money during orientation, but it is so difficult. A group of us were at a restaurant last night sitting outside, and a little boy came up to our table asking for money or some of our food. When we first got here, that also happened but it was an older man asking if we were going to eat all of the food we had bought. The best thing to do is to not make eye contact, because then they don't go away...
When we first got to Stellenbosch, I was surprised at how many security and watch people there are, especially around the mall and campus. But now I am very thankful for them and I see why they are needed so much, because there have been a few incidences where a guard has come and taken the beggar away from us. I wish there had been a security person on the walk home from dinner tonight... There was a man and a woman standing on the corner of the street and came up to us asking for money, and the man was being really aggressive about it. The man stopped Euan (one of my South African friends) while the rest of us skirted around him, and was demanding money, but Euan kept saying he didn't have anything. I held Jeffrey's arm and hid behind him, I was a little scared.... Finally another member of our group gave the guy a few coins and he thanked us, and we started to walk away. We didn't get up the road very far before seeing two other girls from the summer school coming down the road, so we told them that they should turn around because there was a crazy guy that was asking for money, so they turned around and started walking with us. Well, apparently the man saw us warn the other girls not to walk down that way, so he started after us again, yelling in Afrikaans, which was really scary. But once we got far enough down the road he left us alone, but it was still a frightening experience.
It is insane to me that I am in a country that has such a large percentage of people living in poverty. The closest thing I have seen to poverty here are the townships, but those aren't even the poorest communities in South Africa. Our lecturer told us that the average poor person is a black African female who lives in a rural household with no employment, little education, and has been infected with AIDS.
This brings up the question of who is helping these people? We see organizations all the time in the states that are raising money to "save the children in Africa", but where is that money actually going? Most of the time, once this money makes it through to the country (which takes a LONG time, has to pass through dozens of hands), it is rarely used for what it was intended for, and of course there is no one there in the country to ensure that the money is used for it's original purpose. In order for aid to work in the first place, solid governmental institutions are needed, and the poorest countries have really bad institutions, so the poorest countries with the most need aren't even the ones to receive the aid. And aid has a lot of negative consequences... it fosters dependency on the donating country, protects bad governments from dealing with the consequences of their own incompetence, and food aid takes a huge tole on farming and agriculture. Giving free food to a country means that farmers will not be able to sell their goods, and therefore will be put out of business. This means that the local economy will suffer and growth will be halted.
Okay, enough of the economics lesson. I wish someone could snap their fingers and poverty would be eradicated, and everyone would at least have their essential needs met.
I've also experienced a bit of the poor community by encountering street kids and beggars.It is really hard to walk away when these little kids come up to you with outstretched hands asking you for money because they are hungry or cold. We were told not to give anyone any money during orientation, but it is so difficult. A group of us were at a restaurant last night sitting outside, and a little boy came up to our table asking for money or some of our food. When we first got here, that also happened but it was an older man asking if we were going to eat all of the food we had bought. The best thing to do is to not make eye contact, because then they don't go away...
When we first got to Stellenbosch, I was surprised at how many security and watch people there are, especially around the mall and campus. But now I am very thankful for them and I see why they are needed so much, because there have been a few incidences where a guard has come and taken the beggar away from us. I wish there had been a security person on the walk home from dinner tonight... There was a man and a woman standing on the corner of the street and came up to us asking for money, and the man was being really aggressive about it. The man stopped Euan (one of my South African friends) while the rest of us skirted around him, and was demanding money, but Euan kept saying he didn't have anything. I held Jeffrey's arm and hid behind him, I was a little scared.... Finally another member of our group gave the guy a few coins and he thanked us, and we started to walk away. We didn't get up the road very far before seeing two other girls from the summer school coming down the road, so we told them that they should turn around because there was a crazy guy that was asking for money, so they turned around and started walking with us. Well, apparently the man saw us warn the other girls not to walk down that way, so he started after us again, yelling in Afrikaans, which was really scary. But once we got far enough down the road he left us alone, but it was still a frightening experience.
Monday, June 25, 2012
Week 2
Sorry it's been a few days since my last post! I tried to sit down and write something yesterday, but I honestly couldn't think of much to say.
Today was the start of my second class, and I honestly have no idea why I signed up for it... It's an economics class, and I REALLY hate economics... I don't really understand why 80% of what we're talking about is important, and the lecturer made me feel stupid for asking my first question, so I just decided not to ask any more. I really am not a fan of my lecturer. He will ask a question, students will give their responses, he'll tell every one of them that they are wrong, and then won't even tell us what the answer is. He even told a student to stop talking and asking questions in class... not my kind of guy, really. But hopefully it will get better. But if not, it's only a week. For this class we have to write an essay about how the lessons of economic history can be applied to South Africa's current developmental problems, and I have no idea what to write about. And the essay is due Friday. We also have to give group presentations on Friday, but we haven't been told what about yet. And I still need to start working on my research paper for the first class we took....
It is finally starting to feel like I am here for school. I know that the main purpose for studying abroad should be for the schooling, but really, it's just so we can travel and have new experiences. Until today it has felt like I am just on vacation, but now that the reality of having two long papers with very close deadlines has hit, it is more clear that this trip has actual academic purpose. However, I have decided that I am not going to stress over it very much; yes I am here to learn something, but I am also here to experience a new culture and try new things -- just to have an entirely new experience. Of course I am going to try my best on the essays and exams, but I still want to make time to go out with friends and have fun. Besides, these classes are only counting as 6 credits total, so if I don't do so well, it won't affect me too much. But I promise I'm going to try my best still!!
So, I know that we are supposed to be experiencing some kind of culture shock, but...... I don't feel it at all. It might just be because there are so many Americans here, or because Stellenbosch is very much a college town. Before arriving here I thought I was going to be thrown into a completely different culture that would be a radical change from home, but it really isn't. Sure, some of the vocabulary is different, but that is really the only main difference I have noticed. I remember talking last week in class about how the Western Cape (where I am now) is drastically different from the rest of South Africa, which is drastically different from the rest of Africa as a whole. I really want to explore the provinces of South Africa as well as other countries on the African continent. Maybe next summer :)
In class today we talked about how difficult it is to talk about Africa as a single entity, simply because of how massive it is and how radically different each country is from the other and how much the climate changes as you move north or south. I don't think many people truly realize how gigantic Africa is. Our lecturer showed us this picture, which really puts in perspective how big it is.
Pretty ridiculous, right?
Today was the start of my second class, and I honestly have no idea why I signed up for it... It's an economics class, and I REALLY hate economics... I don't really understand why 80% of what we're talking about is important, and the lecturer made me feel stupid for asking my first question, so I just decided not to ask any more. I really am not a fan of my lecturer. He will ask a question, students will give their responses, he'll tell every one of them that they are wrong, and then won't even tell us what the answer is. He even told a student to stop talking and asking questions in class... not my kind of guy, really. But hopefully it will get better. But if not, it's only a week. For this class we have to write an essay about how the lessons of economic history can be applied to South Africa's current developmental problems, and I have no idea what to write about. And the essay is due Friday. We also have to give group presentations on Friday, but we haven't been told what about yet. And I still need to start working on my research paper for the first class we took....
It is finally starting to feel like I am here for school. I know that the main purpose for studying abroad should be for the schooling, but really, it's just so we can travel and have new experiences. Until today it has felt like I am just on vacation, but now that the reality of having two long papers with very close deadlines has hit, it is more clear that this trip has actual academic purpose. However, I have decided that I am not going to stress over it very much; yes I am here to learn something, but I am also here to experience a new culture and try new things -- just to have an entirely new experience. Of course I am going to try my best on the essays and exams, but I still want to make time to go out with friends and have fun. Besides, these classes are only counting as 6 credits total, so if I don't do so well, it won't affect me too much. But I promise I'm going to try my best still!!
So, I know that we are supposed to be experiencing some kind of culture shock, but...... I don't feel it at all. It might just be because there are so many Americans here, or because Stellenbosch is very much a college town. Before arriving here I thought I was going to be thrown into a completely different culture that would be a radical change from home, but it really isn't. Sure, some of the vocabulary is different, but that is really the only main difference I have noticed. I remember talking last week in class about how the Western Cape (where I am now) is drastically different from the rest of South Africa, which is drastically different from the rest of Africa as a whole. I really want to explore the provinces of South Africa as well as other countries on the African continent. Maybe next summer :)
In class today we talked about how difficult it is to talk about Africa as a single entity, simply because of how massive it is and how radically different each country is from the other and how much the climate changes as you move north or south. I don't think many people truly realize how gigantic Africa is. Our lecturer showed us this picture, which really puts in perspective how big it is.
Pretty ridiculous, right?
Wednesday, June 20, 2012
Cape Town adventures
Today was a heck of a lot of fun, but my feet are so tired from walking around... Today we went to Cape Town, shopped on the Waterfront and took the ferry to Robben Island. For those of you who do not know, Robben Island is the place where Nelson Mandela, one of the prime leaders in the opposition of apartheid, was imprisoned for 18 years. He was sentenced to life in prison, yet was released in 1990 after 27 years of imprisonment. It was really powerful going into the prison and seeing the place that so many political prisoners were held. The cells were so tiny, the restrooms were cramped and dirty looking, and our tour guide told us stories about what it was like to be a prisoner there, considering he was one himself. We got to the island via ferry, which was really rocky at times, but provided really good views of Cape Town, Robben Island and Table Mountain.On the way back we were sitting out on the back of the ferry, with the ocean water spraying everywhere. So we got pretty wet on the way back.
Coming into Cape Town we saw a lot of townships, which was really hard to see.... It went on for miles alongside the road, all these shacks practically on top of one another, no privacy and no space. It is horrible to think that so many people live that way here...
I had a lot of fun on the Waterfront. We had fish and chips for lunch, which was so delicious, and the view of Table Mountain was incredible. It's like there is a smoke machine sitting on the top of the mountain, because the clouds just hover there right at the top. It is really spectacular to see. I learned today that Table Mountain is now considered to be one of the seven wonders of the world, and it is easy to see why.
Loads of pictures on Facebook for everyone to see, but here are a few :)
Coming into Cape Town we saw a lot of townships, which was really hard to see.... It went on for miles alongside the road, all these shacks practically on top of one another, no privacy and no space. It is horrible to think that so many people live that way here...
I had a lot of fun on the Waterfront. We had fish and chips for lunch, which was so delicious, and the view of Table Mountain was incredible. It's like there is a smoke machine sitting on the top of the mountain, because the clouds just hover there right at the top. It is really spectacular to see. I learned today that Table Mountain is now considered to be one of the seven wonders of the world, and it is easy to see why.
Loads of pictures on Facebook for everyone to see, but here are a few :)
Monday, June 18, 2012
A few days in
Hi everyone!
My laptop is finally registered and connected to the internet, so hopefully I will be able to update this at least every other day. I was hoping to post every day, but we have so much going on, it may be difficult to do some days. And I'm anticipating this to be a long post since I haven't had the chance to update you on 4 days and nights worth of excitement! So here it goes.
My flights were SO LONG. Thank god I don't have to do it again for another few weeks. I didn't sleep at all on my flight to Amsterdam, which was a little disappointing, but it was so cool because I got to watch movies the whole way there! I am definitely a fan of international flights, except for the length, because you get to watch as many movies or tv shows as you want, you can play "video" games, listen to music, etc. all through this little screen on the back of the seat in front of you. And they gave us two meals, both of which were actually really good, which I wasn't expecting. We ended up being an hour delayed in Minneapolis because of "minor maintenance problems", so I ended up getting to Amsterdam late, but it was fine because I still had another 2 hours before my next departure. I could not believe the stores I saw in that airport... Rolex, diamond stores, jewelry stores, Victoria's Secret, all these high fashion clothing stores, liquor and fine chocolate stores, and so much Gouda cheese. There was cheese everywhere. And of course many of the souvenirs featured sex and marijuana, which is not a surprise. I took some pictures on my phone that I will have to upload when I get home, they're pretty funny.
I was really surprised that before getting to my gate in the Amsterdam airport, we had to go through another security check point right at the door. I couldn't even bring my water that I had gotten in Amsterdam onto the plane. And when I bought things in the airport they had to scan my boarding pass before going through with the transaction, which was really weird. I guess Amsterdam is just a little strange. I had a bit more luck on my flight to Cape Town as far as sleep goes. I took many consecutive naps, each only lasting about 45 minutes. Again the food was really good, but they do some weird stuff on KLM flights. They give you almonds instead of peanuts, and these funky smelling hot towels that I'm not really sure what they are supposed to be used for. Wiping your face or hands? I don't know.When we finally got to Cape Town, there really was no customs at all. We just walked down a hallway, passing all the customs officers, and none of them said anything.
My first night in Stellenbosch I only slept for 3 hours. I woke up at 3:30am and stayed up all day, I just couldn't sleep. A few friends and I walked around town with my South African roommate during the day and we went out for the first time that evening. We went to a really small pub-type restaurant, had some really good pizza, and drinks! It is so strange being 18 and legally able to have alcohol. It is also strange how the prices in rand seem so large when really everything is so cheap. For example, something that costs 20 rand is only about $2.50, and something that costs 80 rand is really only around $10. So it seems like I'm spending a lot of money when I'm really not.
Yesterday was orientation day, so all the academic information was covered as well as details about our social programs they have planned for us. Like last night, they had planned a dance party and a group drumming session for us all to partake in. It was so much fun, the drumming was so cool. We basically just copied the rhythms that the man leading us did, and he and two other men would start doing there own thing. They were so talented, it was amazing to watch. After the drumming it was time to eat, and we had some delicious food. They also provided wine for us, and I tried both a white and a red, but didn't like either of them. A taste for wine is either acquired or I just will never be a wine person.
We got our first taste of Stellenbosch rain yesterday. I guess it wasn't really an actual rain, but it was enough to be really uncomfortable and cold. I really want to get a sweatshirt and sweatpants ASAP, it can get really chilly here. Monica, my residence hall, doesn't have any heating, so we have to use portable heaters, which are absolutely amazing. This building gets so cold at night, so whenever I come into the room, I automatically turn the heater on.
Today was the first day of class, and I honestly had a hard time staying awake.... The material was really interesting and I enjoyed listening to the lecturer, but I was so exhausted all day. I thought that I had overcome the jet-lag, but maybe not yet. I had my laptop registered this morning, we went to class, had a tea break, went to class, had lunch, and again went to class... It was a lot of class time, and the number of class hours per day for the rest of the week is only going to increase. Tonight we went to a restaurant called Cubaña, which was okay. The food wasn't anything too spectacular, and I had my first real strawberry daiquiri, which didn't taste too different from a non-alcoholic one. Now it is only a little after 10pm and I am so tired... most likely it is going to be early to bed for me.
Wow, this was a really long post.... Just wanted to catch you all up on the happenings here :) I'm having a lot of fun and have met some awesome people. I will keep this updated as often as I can.
My laptop is finally registered and connected to the internet, so hopefully I will be able to update this at least every other day. I was hoping to post every day, but we have so much going on, it may be difficult to do some days. And I'm anticipating this to be a long post since I haven't had the chance to update you on 4 days and nights worth of excitement! So here it goes.
My flights were SO LONG. Thank god I don't have to do it again for another few weeks. I didn't sleep at all on my flight to Amsterdam, which was a little disappointing, but it was so cool because I got to watch movies the whole way there! I am definitely a fan of international flights, except for the length, because you get to watch as many movies or tv shows as you want, you can play "video" games, listen to music, etc. all through this little screen on the back of the seat in front of you. And they gave us two meals, both of which were actually really good, which I wasn't expecting. We ended up being an hour delayed in Minneapolis because of "minor maintenance problems", so I ended up getting to Amsterdam late, but it was fine because I still had another 2 hours before my next departure. I could not believe the stores I saw in that airport... Rolex, diamond stores, jewelry stores, Victoria's Secret, all these high fashion clothing stores, liquor and fine chocolate stores, and so much Gouda cheese. There was cheese everywhere. And of course many of the souvenirs featured sex and marijuana, which is not a surprise. I took some pictures on my phone that I will have to upload when I get home, they're pretty funny.
I was really surprised that before getting to my gate in the Amsterdam airport, we had to go through another security check point right at the door. I couldn't even bring my water that I had gotten in Amsterdam onto the plane. And when I bought things in the airport they had to scan my boarding pass before going through with the transaction, which was really weird. I guess Amsterdam is just a little strange. I had a bit more luck on my flight to Cape Town as far as sleep goes. I took many consecutive naps, each only lasting about 45 minutes. Again the food was really good, but they do some weird stuff on KLM flights. They give you almonds instead of peanuts, and these funky smelling hot towels that I'm not really sure what they are supposed to be used for. Wiping your face or hands? I don't know.When we finally got to Cape Town, there really was no customs at all. We just walked down a hallway, passing all the customs officers, and none of them said anything.
My first night in Stellenbosch I only slept for 3 hours. I woke up at 3:30am and stayed up all day, I just couldn't sleep. A few friends and I walked around town with my South African roommate during the day and we went out for the first time that evening. We went to a really small pub-type restaurant, had some really good pizza, and drinks! It is so strange being 18 and legally able to have alcohol. It is also strange how the prices in rand seem so large when really everything is so cheap. For example, something that costs 20 rand is only about $2.50, and something that costs 80 rand is really only around $10. So it seems like I'm spending a lot of money when I'm really not.
Yesterday was orientation day, so all the academic information was covered as well as details about our social programs they have planned for us. Like last night, they had planned a dance party and a group drumming session for us all to partake in. It was so much fun, the drumming was so cool. We basically just copied the rhythms that the man leading us did, and he and two other men would start doing there own thing. They were so talented, it was amazing to watch. After the drumming it was time to eat, and we had some delicious food. They also provided wine for us, and I tried both a white and a red, but didn't like either of them. A taste for wine is either acquired or I just will never be a wine person.
We got our first taste of Stellenbosch rain yesterday. I guess it wasn't really an actual rain, but it was enough to be really uncomfortable and cold. I really want to get a sweatshirt and sweatpants ASAP, it can get really chilly here. Monica, my residence hall, doesn't have any heating, so we have to use portable heaters, which are absolutely amazing. This building gets so cold at night, so whenever I come into the room, I automatically turn the heater on.
Today was the first day of class, and I honestly had a hard time staying awake.... The material was really interesting and I enjoyed listening to the lecturer, but I was so exhausted all day. I thought that I had overcome the jet-lag, but maybe not yet. I had my laptop registered this morning, we went to class, had a tea break, went to class, had lunch, and again went to class... It was a lot of class time, and the number of class hours per day for the rest of the week is only going to increase. Tonight we went to a restaurant called Cubaña, which was okay. The food wasn't anything too spectacular, and I had my first real strawberry daiquiri, which didn't taste too different from a non-alcoholic one. Now it is only a little after 10pm and I am so tired... most likely it is going to be early to bed for me.
Wow, this was a really long post.... Just wanted to catch you all up on the happenings here :) I'm having a lot of fun and have met some awesome people. I will keep this updated as often as I can.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)