Becca appreciating orientation but looking forward to settling into a routine

I am so excited about what’s to come. Orientation ended today with a beautiful concert at the Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens. We saw a band called The Soil, a local group who performs upbeat a cappella music. We brought a picnic dinner, which was a nice break from the heavy (albeit delicious) dinners we’ve been having out at Vernon’s suggestion. For me, this was the best way to end the hectic two weeks we’ve had and reflect. The concert venue sits in an alcove in the mountains. The lighting was perfect and everybody was dancing or lounging—just enjoying life.

 

Lily, Meg, Mariko, Kayla & Becca at Kirstenbosch Gardens concert

This past week, we got to tour everybody’s various internship. While I’m really excited about mine, at the Economic Justice Network, I was really inspired by the people and structure of Christel House, the school where Caroline will be interning. I don’t want to talk about it too much because I’m sure she’ll have a ton to talk about in the upcoming weeks, but the school is structured in such a way that it sets the poorest people in the Western Cape with a pathway for sustainable success. What’s even more amazing is the fact that they expect to be financially self-sustaining within the next couple of years.

On Friday, we practiced taking public transport to our internships. Amelia, Mary, and I take the train down town to our internships. It went really well on the way there. On the way back, we missed the train we wanted to get on by a matter of seconds. At first it didn’t seem like a big deal, until we realized that the next one wasn’t coming for another 45 minutes. So we sat in the train station and got to know one another a little bit. I’d like to believe it was worth it—the reason we were late was because we were wandering around a Farmer’s Market on St. George’s Mall that’s only open on Thursday’s (this is when we will have class so it was the first and last opportunity we’d have to go there). That night we went to Stardust, a restaurant where all the waiters sing and dance and everybody gets to dance on their tables or chairs. The food was delicious—tapas and a dessert of ice cream, crème brulee, and chocolate lava cake.

Thursday afternoon and Friday morning were our first classes with Vernon and Marita. It was almost a relief to return to something semi-normal, but also a little bit of a harsh reality that I am actually studying abroad. However, based on the discussions we had, I’m really looking forward to the material we’ll be covering.

Friday afternoon, Libby, Emily, Elizabeth, Alex and I headed to the waterfront to explore and shop. We found a series of indoor markets for crafts and food and tons of samples. I’m looking forward to bringing my family there when they come to visit. Unfortunately, we made the mistake of trying to take a taxi home during rush hour—what should have taken 15 minutes took over two hours. We actually ended up getting to know our cab driver really well. He and his family had come to South Africa a few years ago because he was an activist in the DRC being persecuted by the government. He even has a book published called Perspectives of Privatization Policy: The Case of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. We asked him how he came to be a cab driver and what he answered has really stuck with me. “In the end, I have to do what I am passionate about to be successful, but I cannot do that if I cannot sustain my family because they sustain me. They are my true passion. And so I have to be a cab driver for a little while.” I feel like this moment really captured the principle of Ubuntu, “I am because you are”. Instead of having an identity crisis or complaining, he channeled his love for the people around him to find hope and empowerment in a bleak situation.

We ended the day with a trip to a soccer game between two South African teams. Especially exciting was the fact that the home team (Cape Town

Ajax) won—all the fans were really excited.

Saturday, a bunch of us went to The Old Biscuit Mill, an indoor-outdoor food and craft market with anything any hipster could ever want. I was in heaven. For dinner, we headed to Vernon’s house for a braai (BBQ) where we enjoyed some delicious traditional South African fish, lamb, and chicken that he cooked over a wood-burning fire. We celebrated the end of orientation and reflected on our expectations for the upcoming weeks.

Finally today, Libby, Megan H, Alex Z, Emily, and I decided to go to the beach. However, the train never came. After an hour and a half of sitting on a bench, we decided to just walk to brunch.

Orientation has been great, but I’m so glad to finally start doing things on more of a routine. Maybe now I’ll be less chronically exhausted.