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?