Let it begin

Today marks a week since I left for Cape Town!

The experience thus far is a bit difficult to word process, but to say that this will be the best five months of my life is certainly no hyperbole.

I think I’ll start with how thankful I am to be with such an inclusive and fun loving community of people. There are 21 of us on this program – we are here with IES, or the International Education of Students. It is a group diverse in character and rich in spirit. There are four boys…Most people are from the coasts (although there is one girl from Kansas) and most people didn’t previously know each other, although there are five of us from my home institution, the University of Rochester.

This week has been orientation and it definitely reminds me of the kind of wild nights that are supposed to be had during college orientation, the ones that set the tone for the year with a proper amount of enthusiasm. We’ve been doing everything all together and hey, it turns out that we love each other. (sweet)

I’m used to having a 24/7 hangout lounge and it’s kind of hard to not have one place where everyone is centrally located (although most of us are connected because we live in the same apartment complex) but luckily two of the boys have an apartment with a living room with couches and a sound system and they love having people over. That has been the nightly gathering spot; the watering hole, if you will.

Anyway, everyone I’m with is really cool. Not a moment to waste.

Okay, so now I’ll start at the beginning.

I got in at 11pm. The airport was sparsely populated and it didn’t take long to get my things together. I was to be picked up by my couch surfing host, a guy named Shane Smart who turned out to be one of the most considerate, generous and humble people I’ve ever met. A good person to give you your first impression of Cape Town. He took me driving around a little bit, through the city and up to the top of this hill with a view that overlooks the Atlantic, the new stadium, the whole of Cape Town and the beautiful and majestic Table Mountain. The mountain was lit up with big spot lights at the base of it. I guess they do that sometimes, in this case for the World Cup, which was to end the following day.

This is a good place to marvel at the mountain for a moment, which is kind of hard to do since breathtaking life doesn’t transfer onto the typed page very well. It’s breathtaking. Every time I round a corner and see the grandiose mountain it trivializes everything I’m thinking about or doing completely. The words ‘wow’ and ‘ah!’ and ‘awe!’ and all those other exclamations are born from this very sort of thing. And you can see it from everywhere (including my balcony). Yes. A positive affirmation of everything that is.

Shane had another couch surfer staying with him when I got there, a lovely Argentinean woman named Corina. On Sunday, (the following day) the three of us went all over together. Shane took us around the Cape peninsula. Holy crap, man, I think I’ll just let the pictures speak for themselves as far as the scenery goes. It’s unbelievable. Ridiculous. My reaction to it emotionally resides some place in that gray area where fury and passion and awe mingle to stir your inner mysterium tremendum, if you will.

The towns and little bay areas we stopped at were all cool and cute and there were many independently owned shops with beautiful and interesting things. Each place reminded me of a small oceanside town along the Pacific Coast… Except these places were along the Indian Ocean.

That’s right, the Indian Ocean. I can’t believe I’m seeing it. Que bueno, no?

We saw the penguins and the southernmost tip of the Cape. We saw a lot of greenery, a lot of ocean and a lot of sky. Shane took us to a lot of beaches to check out the surf because he is a water surfer in addition to the couch kind. I liked seeing lots of beach spots. I can’t believe the juxtaposition of ocean and mountain. Thank you thank you thank you, what a grace. The weather is totally fine, considering that it’s winter. It’s extremely variable. Yesterday I was wearing a short sleeve shirt and jeans and other days I have had to wear at least 5 layers. So basically it is like late March in Rochester… which is completely alright with me because every day it is only going to get better and better and better and better and better exponentially.

After we drove around the Cape we went into the city to get into the Fan Fest for the final match of the 2010 FIFA World Cup. One of the most amazing experiences I’ve ever had.

Mmmm….Ooooo……Mmmmmm…..Oooooo…..Mmmmmmmmmmmm…. yeah.

I’m not a very good estimate, but there must have been close to 25,000 people there. And yes, you could see perfectly – the screen was huge! There were vendors and food and drinks et cetera. The spirit of the crowd was super high and excited. It was very internationally represented, although most people seemed to be South African.

‘South Africans.’ Talk about diversity. I mean, America is a melting pot or whatever…but not really. People surely interact with people of cultural backgrounds than their own, but here there is what you might call proportional representation everywhere you go. Thank God. I think it is because they consciously did away with segregation in such a modern era. Obviously things take time to change, but people are shamelessly forthcoming about race and really everything and I love it.

So the World Cup was really fun. I met a lot of people because everyone was friendly and nice. Shane’s friend Mark was there and he was a really funny happy guy in a red aloha shirt. Spain won. You could see the mountain and Venus.

Venus is here! I’m so surprised. Venus and I became well acquainted during my time in Phoenix because I would go outside and look at her every night. I guess she is over the equator so she is visible from both hemispheres. Man, the first time I went outside and saw the stars was an exciting moment, indeed. I think I saw the other half of the Milky Way! WOWOWOWOW!!!!!

Venus, the mountain, the people, the football… We had gotten there four and a half hours early, too. There were bands and stuff in the time preceding the game. Ayoba, ayoba, that’s what you say here. It’s kind of like a South African version of sababa, maybe. It can mean whatever you want, but basically the gist of it…well, I don’t want to swear, but sometimes all you can say is ‘fuck yeah.’ (Shout out to Cait Munro right here)

I guess that’s pretty much the reader’s digest condensed version (Mr. Kelly) of Sunday, July 11^th.

Monday was my day to move in. Corina and I spent the morning walking around Shane’s neighborhood. He lives in a place that is hard to pronounce but is on the north side of the bay. Which is SWEET because while it is extra rad to be nested at the base of the mountain, I think the mountain view from across the bay is a necessary and equally glorious supplement.

Corina and I walked to the mall and I got a cell phone. Nokia, nice. We ate pizza! It was pretty good. Everything is spiced here. Philip, whom I sat next to on the airplane, told me I would think of him when I ate the food because he told me how much more flavor it has than American food, how everything has many spices and is just generally more complex. Well, he was right. And the food is mucho ayoba. I haven’t had a bad meal yet. It’s basically just a lot of dishes, many of them contained all sorts of prepared meat with sauces and texture.

We then went back to the apartment and Shane picked me up and took me to my very own apartment just below the university. (It is on a mountain, remember.)

What a cool apartment it is! Today I decorated it with rainbow colored tissue paper. I am in the process of making a Photosynth of my room but the internet is very slow here.

That’s one thing that is interesting – the Cape Tonians are super modern in some areas and extremely undeveloped in others. I consider that very positive because it means there is a huge potential for a positively booming market here.

In fact, mark my words – Cape Town will be the headquarters of the new world order. They have their problems right now, but the solutions that will come about to make everything all better are going to make this place the sort of heavenly abode that the world will naturally have to follow because it will perfectly harmonious. I’m so serious and it is possible (yes it is). Boom shankar.

I have a big room, big bed, big desk, a BALCONY and a couch! Yaaaaaaaay. My roommate is Amy and she is lovely and easy going and a good person with whom to share a flat.

Monday night our group met for the first time. I’m not going to lie, I was somewhat hesitant at first. I took on a very receptive mode and played myself with subtlety. My reaction was pretty much, ‘Half of these people I might normally spend my time with, the other half probably not.’ That might still be true, but I am nevertheless terribly overjoyed that we are all forced to one. It’s like a family. It’s like Phi Sig.

Our directors introduced themselves and boy are they the kindest and most lovely and caring people. Maxine, Naomi & Portia. We got cell phones and internet, ate a gatsby (like a garbage plate with spices and in a sandwich!) and were on our merry way for the night.

Monday night was the perfect blast off. We spent the whole time at a place on Long Street (the center of Cape Town’s nightlife) called the Dubliner. There was a dj who was playing a variety of nineties hits, Eurotek music and modern music and he was personally singing all the lyrics! Very amusing. I saw a woman pee in the sink in the bathroom. Everyone who went out had a blast, I think there were 11 of us that night. Also, my new friends Will and Ben and I took a ride with some girls who gave us an extensive explanation of all the places on Long Street that night which I will have to remember for the future. Hooray!

Tuesday we started orientation at noon. Sorcha (a friend with whom I worked teaching preschoolers back in Rochester this past year) and I went and bought groceries in the morning. There is a little neighborhood (kind of reminds me of Columbia City but slightly larger) down the street a little ways with shops and cafes and probably everything we’ll need. Rondebosch is what it is called.

Orientation was swell. Just filled with details we have to know.

Tuesday night we went to a place in Rondebosch called Side Bar where we met another group of American students studying abroad, CIEE. I must say… not to be boastful, but our program seems to be far superior. They are aren’t allowed to move into their residences until tomorrow (tomorrow is Saturday), they didn’t have cell phones yet, and after being in Cape Town for two days they still hadn’t met with their whole group. There are also around 130 of them. IES was a good choice.

Wednesday night we started at a place near us called Stones. It is a big place with maybe 18-22 pool tables. Okay, one weird thing – the billiard balls here are small and light! It made for a very difficult and long game at Side Bar the previous night. I’m no pool shark but I know it wasn’t just my skill.

Aaron Weissman, my friend from the U of R, studied abroad here last semester and is still here now! So he came to Stones with us (with his friend, also) and afterward we all went to Long Street together. We went to a place called the Waiting Room and cruised around to a few other spots as well. It was super cool to see Aaron, a nice little dose of home to verify my experience.

Yesterday ‘Mystery Sam’ finally showed up. He is the fourth boy who was absent from ZA for the first few days of our program. We were all kind of curious about him and now that he’s here it’s kind of exciting. We all ate at the Baxter theatre, a place very near our apartments (which are in an area called Rosebank).

Afterward all the U of R students minus Sorcha (Susie and Leigh and Charlie/Charlene) plus this charming and bright-faced girl from Chicago named Lilya and I walked down the main street and went in lots of stores. We walked all the way to a mall about a half an hour away. It was big and looked like a mall in the US. I was super tired after that and went home and napped for awhile.

Last night was probably my favorite night. We went to this place called Zula’s to see this dj spin some old school funk and r & b. The dancing is awesome here, I feel totally free and energized. Aaron and his friend Jackson came out with us again. It was quite enjoyable.

Today was the last day of orientation and this afternoon I decorated my room and worked on uploading things. This whole documentation thing is awfully hard, but I know it’s worth it. It’s also kind of fun.

So basically I’m in love and things couldn’t be better. Om namah sivaya, praise the Lord. (Shout out to Jessalyn)

Some terminology for the FYI element of life –

Black, white and colored. Colored people are the people who are not black and white, like Indians and Hispanics. It is not racially offensive. Good. I’ve always thought that if we use the word black we might as well use the word colored. I get that it’s about the stigma, but I think it’s time to get over that. So black, white and colored. And it’s not weird to talk about. Like I said, people are forthcoming.

Now, now now, and just now. Cape Town is another one of those places that chills with the clock. Now is sometime soon, just now is some time soon but with a lot of room for the future, and now now is somewhere in the range in between.

Okay. CAPE TOWN. Update number one.

Hope it wasn’t boring for anyone, I know that it’s pretty long. Pretty darn long. If I stop updating ever someone should email me and encourage me to continue because I don’t want to lose track of all this lovely life.

Rainbow nation indeed. Pictures soon to follow! For now I only have ones of the World Cup, but the ones of nature and friends are doubly spectacular.

World Cup Pics

paz y luz

jessie