From Mandela to the Drum Line.

I have to recap yesterday and today and after writing so many emails, I’m kind of tired, but I will try my best. And from the drumming I did today, my hands are decently sore! Yes, I drummed. Don’t laugh.

Let’s start off with yesterday. We woke up around 7am ☹ and met everyone up on middle campus to begin the tour. We loaded into tour buses and were taken downtown, to really great places that I will be going on when I have free time. I saw where Nelson Mandella gave his freedom speech, the first slavery house, a really beautiful castle, the best hotel in all of South Africa, a Muslim village that is painted in all different pastel colors! Very cool! The architecture is influenced by so many places that colonized that what stands today is like nothing I have ever seen, so intricate and beautiful.

Our first stop was the beach at Cape Point. A very popular wealthier area of Cape Town, where the Atlantic and Indian oceans meet. So one side of the area is cold winds and the trees have no leaves and the other side of the area is colorful and warm. Both are gorgeous. We got 10 minutes to take pictures at the beach and then our next stop, the penguins! We drove a while and I fell asleep because the 7 am wake up call the morning after I discover $5 bottles of wine was not sooo great, I needed sleep. Haha.

The penguins were great, they smelled super bad but they were really cute and they live right near the ocean, so they have a good view. What a life! And my camera died after visiting them, which was such a shame, for what to come was a memory I will have forever and would have loved to have a picture to remind me.

After the penguins, one of the highlights I’ve seen in my whole life. Everyone thinks of Africa has being this lost motherland that exists but it’s far away, it’s disease ridden and it’s full of violence. Which it is and if you’re not careful you can certainly fall into the wrong hands. Although, for last 15 years or so since apartheid ended and South Africa grew it’s independence the communities have struggled to call this place a home. The government gives so little and what resources people have is low. We were taken to Oceanview- a very small and very poverty stricken area of Cape Town. We went to the recreational and recovery center for children where kids go for help with homework, family support, food, etc. It’s a place for change in families that struggle to make ends meet. Most kids that go there have single parent homes and live a very harsh reality at a young age. They have better street smarts than anyone I know. Violence and gangs are popular but the kids that we met are trying to overcome.

When we drove into the community, children were sitting on the sidewalks, with their homes behind them—some windows were made from tarps, roofs were caving in, it was sad. Dogs were running around but playing with the kids and the kids seemed more at peace than I felt. They were happy but only because they knew no other way of life- and for the next few hours they opened up their home to a bunch of strangers. And it was the best feeling I’ve gotten since I’ve been here. It beats the beautiful ocean views and the big homes along the cape. This was the place where life happens and where families are created. It’s a place where love means something. And you can actually feel the definition of an emotional idea. Something I’ve been chasing my entire life.

We walked into the community centre with warm welcoming arms; the kids were excited to see so many people. We were seated in what looked like a gym area and around us was the most food I could ever see. The host came up to the microphone and began speaking, the director of the centre explaining what her programme does and how it developed. What I didn’t know was that children had prepared a show for us, a variety of acting, singing and dancing. The ages went from very young about 5 years old to about 20. The way these kids dedicate their lives to perfecting their found talent took me away. For a few minutes I lost myself, I found myself questioning what I was doing with my life and finding the answer in these kids. You could tell the raw life they lived was nothing at that moment, they were enjoying themselves, it literally brought me to tears. And I don’t cry over much.

The most humble and grateful people I’ve encountered. They could dance and sing like no other because they put so much of themselves on the line and so much of their soul sat right next to you as you saw their dedication right in front of your very eyes. Then to top it off, they prepared us so much food. There are about 400 international students that they performed for and prepared food for and there was enough for all of us to go up for seconds.

The look in their eyes, the atmosphere and the energy was the best overall feeling. It brought a new kind of warmth to my life that I’m going to chase in order to get it back again. And I will.

It was hard to beat that.

As one of the performers, a rap artist- who is currently releasing a CD around South Africa said to us, “We live in Oceanview, where no matter where you go, you can never seen the ocean.”

After leaving there, I was in a different place and thought things couldn’t get me out of that state of mind. The bus brought us to see wild baboons that are popular around here like raccoons are in the US along with wild ostrich. It was cool to just see them on the side of the road as we see cows or horses.

We were then taken to the peninsula- where we took the most amazing hike. It took my breath away in more ways than one. It was first off very steep! And second when you got to the top you could see both oceans and you felt like you googled “South African Cape” and you were in the picture that came up. We also hiked to one of the oldest light houses on the cape built in the 1800’s, very cool.

Overall yesterday, was a great day!

Today—we got to sleep in, only until 9. A lot of paper work and lectures today but around 16oo we went to a hall on campus and a drum line played for us. It was called Drum Café and I thought that it was just going to be a performance but when we walked into the hall, at every seat was a drum of your own. The band taught us how to drum in traditional African. It was amazing, even thought my hands hurt really bad. The passion that those men have is incredible, along with the dedication they carry.

Check out their website- www.drumcafe.com.

Afterwards we were served a gourmet catered meal, that was incredible. After being vegetarian for a long time now, I decided that if I didn’t try meat in Africa I would be missing out on what they are about. Yesterday I tried some lamb and I got sick so today I was a little worried but I was starving but it was difficult not to be. I had fresh salmon, chicken, fired shrimp, a quiche that tasted like sausage pizza, and a taco looking thing that was delicious. Also there were fresh pea pods, fruit and savories that were mouth-watering. My first tasty meal here and I enjoyed on the steps of a UCT building watching the sunset. Life has gotten to be ok.

I’m sure the special treatment will wear off after orientation, but I will for sure take advantage of it now!
Well, I have concluded that my blog posts this week are going to be lengthy, I hope you made it this far in the reading. Tomorrow is going to be relatively boring, with just lectures and a entrance test. Other than that, I might go looking for a type of bike to ride instead of hiking everywhere.
Ciao!
*Mel