As orientation comes to a close, I
can finally feel myself adjusting to life on the other side of the globe. For
the first time this week I felt like a true Capetonian – navigating the city on
my own and walking down the street with an air of confidence. It’s easier to
blend in traveling with a group of 3 or 4 instead of a horde over 30 people,
but traveling alone is also a testament to the knowledge and wits we’ve gained
in only 2 weeks. A few days ago couple friends and I took a minibus for the
first time during our transportation exercise, and what an experience that was.
As we walked about 5 minutes down
the road to the bus stop, cars zoomed past and mini buses honked at us,
shouting the direction they were going. We hit the jackpot and hopped on one
that must have been the party mini bus – it was covered in bright blue and
purple graffiti decals that included a picture of a bulldog and the words “OOH
SEXY!” plastered across the top of the windshield. Inside, we paid our 10 rand
each and were greeted by blaring electronica remixes at 8:30 in the
morning – my favorite included a remix of “Promiscuous Girl” by Shakira with
bass so loud it was thumping all the way in the back row where I was sitting. I
noticed that the sign indicating the capacity of the van said 15, and I counted
16 heads. I anticipate that this will happen often, and although we were
squished in there, the ride was enjoyable. I felt perfectly comfortable riding
across town on the minibus, and even had some fun. I thanked the driver and
bumped my head on the way out, which I also did getting out of the minibus on
the way home (I’m going to have to work on that)
Overall, I’m a bit sad that
orientation is over so soon. While it feels like we’ve been here a month
already, sometimes it feels like we just got here. We jammed so many activities
into these first two weeks and although it was exhausting, it was really a
blast. I feel like I am growing closer to my co-educators every day and I look
forward to having more freedom to explore Cape Town. Monday marks the
start of my internship at Christel House, and I can’t wait to start that
adventure – it’s going to be life changing!
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| Alex & Caroline |
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