First off, I would like to apologize for the tardiness of this post. We have been so busy every day that we rarely have time to check email much less compose a detailed blog post! So here goes nothing…
After a week of working with the adults in Khayelitsha and teaching them basic computer skills and how to make resumes, we had our final day together. One of the most special moments was when the South Africans we were working with broke out into song. They all knew the soulful, harmonious lyrics of “Sho Sholoza,” a song of South African pride. It was absolutely beautiful, and after a rendition of the song that included dancing, we said our tearful goodbyes. The men and women had written us lovely thank-you notes, and some W&M students teared up as we hugged our friends for the last time.
Another highlight of the past week was our trip to Robben Island, an island off the shore of the Western Cape where Nelson Mandela was imprisoned for 16 years. We took a ferry to the island and a bus tour around the grounds, learning about the history of the island and its role in the struggles of South Africa’s long, dynamic political history. After the bus tour, a former prisoner gave us a walking tour of the prison itself, and we were able to walk through the cells and bunk areas. Seeing Nelson Mandela’s solitary confinement cell was particularly powerful.
We had a free day on Sunday, so after lots of debate we decided to go cheetah petting and wine tasting in the beautiful vineyards of Stellenbosch. We hired a driver to take us there for the day, and we started with wine and cheese tasting at Fairview Vineyards (which happened to be founded in 1693!). I tried six different wines—two reds, two whites, and two dessert wines. Our server explained how wine was made, how to properly taste it, and what made certain wines more expensive than others. He gave us a brief tour of the winery, and we finished the session with a buffet of cheeses—all freshly made on the vineyard! The entire session cost about US $4…which was such a steal. Next, we drove to Spier, which is a famous resort in Stellenbosch. After another wine tasting, some of the W&M students paid to pet cheetahs in Spier’s animal reservation. We continued to a delicious little café in the nearby town and drove back to the University of Cape Town. It was probably the most enjoyable day so far!
This week the eight of us started the second part of the SHAWCO program—teaching thirteen to fourteen-year-old kids math and English skills. I was very nervous about this part of the community engagement program because I am typically horrible with kids and not very patient when it comes to teaching. Each tutor was assigned three kids to work with for the next two weeks. I am working with a thirteen year-old-boy, a thirteen-year-old girl, and a fourteen-year old boy who all live in Khayelitsha. The first day of teaching, we went over basic grammar, did a word search, and practiced antonyms and synonyms. It went surprisingly well! I could tell they were excited to interact with Americans and very willing to learn. The second day at the school, we played lots of ice breaker games, such as an egg and spoon race, name games, and a game called “fruit salad.” The kids absolutely loved it, and all the tutors were so happy afterwards. We always feel so accomplished after a day of work with the South Africans and each bus-ride back to UCT is full of chatter about our students’ progress.
Spending the 4th of July in a foreign country is always quite the adventure. I remember celebrating Independence Day in Costa Rica years back, scavenging for American-style food, singing patriotic songs, and feeling a strong connection with all the Americans present in the faraway country. July 4th in South Africa was very similar. After a wonderful dinner at a burger joint on Long Street with our professor, the eight of us wandered out into the rowdy party scene with one goal: to find Americans. We finally stumbled upon Dubliners, an Irish pub where people dressed in red, white, and blue were screaming the lyrics to “Sweet Home Alabama.” We knew we were in the right place. The rest of the night was fabulous, with lots of singing, dancing and laughing.
This past evening, five of us went to a local Yoga studio for a hot Vinyassa Flow Yoga session. It took place in a very warm room, and the facilities were gorgeous. We all felt so relaxed, detoxed, and fit afterwards and ended up purchasing a ten-day pass for the rest of our time here. We look forward to doing more yoga throughout the rest of the trip.
The second week in South Africa was wonderful. I can’t believe we only have two weeks left.
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