Recap of Week One

Monday: Arrival.
Tuesday: Settling in. Dinner at Tank.
Wednesday: First day of work at Wola Nani.
Thursday: Work. Drinks with Connect-123 interns at La Med. dancedancedance at Hemisphere.
Friday: Work. Hike up Lion's Head. First time on Long Street: Dubliner, Jo'Burg, The Waiting Room.
Saturday: Lay out at Clifton Beach number three. Lunch at La Med. Hookah at Bagdad. Chat with Masha at The Waiting Room.
Sunday: Church. Green Point Market. Rainy nap. V & A Waterfront. Atonement.

I'm pooped & happy.
In between all these activities, I am gaining a better grasp at what this country is like. Their culture is much different than ours, not only in terms of language and food. They possess so much passion & skill, but don't have as many opportunities to utilize them. I went to the Green Point Market yesterday, and was blissfully overwhelmed with what the vendors were carrying. Traditional African art pieces, paintings, CDs, jewelry, hand-carved animals (I already bought myself three elephants!), hand-crocheted pieces, etc. And let me tell you, all of these pieces were legit handmade (with the exception of the rare few touristy/commercialized vendors. like "Someone in Cape Town loves me!" t-shirts ... ugh) But to get to the point, these vendors were not just vendors, trying to sell products that were already factory manufactured and bought at a cheap wholesale price. These people WERE the manufacturers, trying to make a living out of what they make. These pieces should be selling for much more than they were actually selling for. But since standards are so low here, they can't help but price them at (more than) affordable prices. It's scary to see first-hand how big of an economic inequality gap there is - there seems to be no middle class. And while it is important to keep in mind that their standards of living are relative to their upbringings, it is a pretty big culture shock when I see how much is lacking. Air conditioning, for one. I live in a high-rise apartment building right in the city, and we do not have AC ciruculation. It tends to get really muggy and hot, especially when it rains. We took a trip to the V & A Waterfront mall, and Kelly (my suite mate) and I were saying how significantly happier we were in an AC environment. I tough it out without AC, but man...I love it when it's available. Apart from the economic difficulties, there are many great things about the society here. Locals take advantage of the beautiful activities, such as hiking up Lion's Head or Table Mountain. While you bump into a lot of tourists on the hike, you also bump into a lot of locals who seem to go right after work as a daily routine. (I love people who appreciate what they have in front of them.) And time doesn't seem to be much of an important issue here. It is fairly relaxed and easy-going (just like in France). On my first day of work, I spent most of my day just chatting with my co-workers and supervisor. They work, yes. But not like we, Americans, work. There is no "work your way to the top" mentality. It's more like just be successful with what your position entails. So there is more time to get to know the people you work with instead of mindlessly clicking and typing away all day. People will treat you like family once they meet you. Two of my co-workers already gave me an African name! One in Xhosa. And one in Zulu. I should really get them to write it down because it's hard to rememeber. But it's amazing to see how strongly Ubuntu is at work here. This country is a kaleidoscope of people - people from all different walks of life. It is a beautiful city full of beautiful people.

I'm really excited about getting a traditional African dress made for me. After I complimented my co-worker on her beautiful skirt, she took down my measurements and said she will tell her neighbor to make me one as well. yayayy.

Plans for the week ahead: Bo Kaap exploring, salsa dancing, Valentine's Day/surprise birthday party, seal beach, rugby game (Stormers vs. Bulls), game ride (animal viewing on horse back !!), learning how to drive manual, more hiking, and lots of yummy eating out.

Sometimes ... I feel too lucky to be experiencing the world like this.