Sydney's special week: internship, classes and her 21st birthday

Baboon Mountain

This week was one of the greatest weeks I have had thus far. I had the opportunity to go back out into the field and meet more people that work for HWS and see what they do in the field. Also while out I got to see my first instance of baboon-human conflict. While at a dam close to one of the troops home range I couple was approached by a baboon. From across the dam we could see them backing away from the baboon. Instead of going over an intervening one of the men yelled across for them to stand their ground and to start shouting at the baboon to go away. I thought this was brilliant because people need to learn how to handle themselves if they are going to be using the same space as wildlife. After this couple got rid of the baboon they were able to continue on with their activities, which is great because now they will know what to do in the future and will be less frightened. Also by them doing this they are taking responsibility for their own safety and will be able to educate their friends.

In addition to my internship having class is great. Usually when I have a long class my mind wanders, but these classes keep my attention the whole time. Learning about the history and politics of South Africa, and reflecting on the similarities between here and back home keeps me present. Since our classes are not solely lecture based it is easier to understand the material and we all feel more comfortable expressing our opinions. Also I think having discussions in class helps in understanding where other people are in their knowledge of topics and helping each other get a better understanding.   

Celebrating my 21^st birthday in South Africa is an experience I will never forget and am so grateful for. Originally I didn’t want to do anything for my birthday but I am so grateful for everyone that ignored me and made sure the day was special. Everyone that is on this trip with me made sure to wish me a happy birthday and show that they cared, which is amazing to me because we have only known each other for a short period of time. Even at my internship, where there was a lot going on that day, my coworkers made the time to bring me cupcakes and flowers and take a second to get to know me better. Getting the time to talk to my coworkers and just relax was one of the best parts of my birthday because I was able to get to know them better as well and break the ice between us more. 

However learning about the South African tradition to give a person a key for their 21^st birthday to represent entering adulthood and receiving a key myself was amazing and something I would cherish forever.