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Welcome to Our Blog

WELCOME TO OUR BLOG

As anyone who has participated in UConn's Education Abroad in Cape Town will tell you, there are no words to adequately explain the depth of the experiences, no narratives to sufficiently describe the hospitality of the people, and no pictures to begin to capture the exquisite scenery. Therefore this blog is only intended to provide an unfolding story of the those co-educators who are traveling together as companions on this amazing journey.

As Resident Director of this program since 2008 it is once again my privilege and honor to accompany another group of remarkable students to this place I have come to know and love.

In peace, with hope,
Marita McComiskey, PhD

(marita4peace@gmail.com)

Tuesday, March 8, 2016

Amelia realizing how little time she has left in Cape

Last week was a very chilled laid back week. I was still recovering from my long weekend of Ultra music festival and Mzoeli’s, however I had a good week at my internship because I facilitated my first human rights training to a group of students at one of our school clubs. It was fun but it was slightly difficult because most student’s first language was Xhosa and they were only in grade 8 so they didn’t have a strong background in human rights. However it was good exposure into seeing some of the difficulties I would encounter while facilitating.

I also visited the Company Garden right next to the Slave Lodge on my lunch break with one of my coworkers which I was appalled I hadn’t been to before this day! It was an extremely beautiful park with animals everywhere. Some would even compare it to the South African Central Park (although it’s significantly smaller). What I found so interesting is how many different plants Cape Town has! Never have I been in a place where there are pine, eucalyptus, bamboo, and other various types of trees in one place. It’s a very nice place to clear your head and talk with friends or loved ones.

This Thursday a group of us attended First Thursday’s art galleries, which is when art galleries in the city open up their shops to the public until the night. It was a very nice time because I usually don’t go to art galleries but it was amazing to see the many different types of art that locals create. The one piece that really spoke to me was in a gallery that was inspired by using recyclable materials from the streets such as soda cans. There was a poster that outlined the shape of the world but it was covered in rows of hats, sneakers, supermarket aisles, and it was just made to show how consumerism has taken over the world. I found it so powerful because you could only really tell what the photos were when you right in front of it and in a very simple way made such a bold statement. However the event was so strange because it reminded me of SoHo in New York City with people everywhere dressing nicely and drinking at trendy bars. I was only reminded I was in Cape Town when I saw the art and people begging on the street.

Lastly on Saturday we went to Old Biscuit Mill for breakfast where I tried my first poached egg (which I did not enjoy) and a chocolate honey shot which was delicious! I was sad when leaving though because I tried on the cutest bathing suit but didn’t have enough cash to buy it so I’m hoping when I go back it’ll still be there! We then made our way to hike on Table Mountain to find the caves. It was a very hot day and the hike was all uphill so it was difficult but a great workout. However we realized half way through that we made a wrong turn that resulted in us hiking the entire mountain for 6 hours instead of 2…but it was a beautiful sight and was just a stepping stone to fully hike Table!

Overall it was a very relaxing weekend but as I began the following week I started to realize how little time we have left and how much more I want to see so hopefully I can start planning better in order to accomplish all my goals!


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