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Published: August 31st 2006
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the handless jesus in regina mundi
gun shots in one of the churches in soweto. this was one of the main places where students were safe to meet- but the police came in there too. Apparently saying "I know what time it is" a cool way to say you know what's up. Or they just like to see us all look ridiculous. But in reality I have no clue what time it is. it seems like I've been gone for ages...when in reality I haven't even been gone a week. But I'm sure you all miss me so much that you think so too. Or at least I'll keep telling myself that.
It's been a crazy whirlwind first several days. We had two birthdays in the first three days, have been to two different cities, several speeches and about 3 museums
We got in Sunday evening after 18 hours flying...which I was happily surprised with. I didn't feel too tired, my luggage all showed up and even though my seat was somehow nowhere near anyone else...the time still passed quickly. There are 6 of us from UNC and 12 other people from various universities-mostly in the midwest. It's an awesome group of people...I'm pretty excited about getting to spend the next 3 1/2 months with them. For most of our time in Johannesburg we're staying in a convent turned guesthouse which is definitely interesting,
the hostels in dieplopf
one of the areas of soweto that was and is for single men only who are migrant workers. but really pretty nice. We each have our own little simple room, the grounds are really pretty and they cook for us for most of the meals. Each breakfast so far has been a bit of an adventure though...yesterday morning our breakfast was baked beans on toast and fish sticks. A bit hard to stomach at 7:30, but hey it could be worse.
So we're spending our first ten or so days in and around Johannesburg focusing mostly on apartheid. It's been somewhat frustrating when I realized how little I know about apartheid...I think literally the most we were ever taught about it in school was the definition of the word. It has been incredible though, because the way we are learning is so real- it's nothing you could ever learn in a classroom. Our guide/instructor/generally the coolest person I've ever met is incredible and has done most of the talking for this part. He grew up in Soweto and took a really active role in the student movements- so much so that he lived on the streets from about 1985-1993 because he would endanger his family if he lived with them. His stories are unbelievable.
We spent
a day doing a driving tour around Soweto, which is the Southwest Townships and is made up of about 30 some different townships. It is nothing like what I had pictured- general slums in a fairly small area. There are 3-4 million people living there- 2x what there will be in the entire country of Namibia. So it is hard to describe in one sense, since it is an entire city to itself practically. There are plenty of rough areas, temporary housing and not all the problems have been resolved...but there are also plenty of everyday neighborhoods of families that aren't poor. I hate that I pretty much only took pictures of the bad parts- partly because that only perpetuates the image that it is all like that...and partly because it was horribly uncomfortable that we were turning their poverty into a tourist site. I know that we were all going to talk about this and that it was a learning experience...but at this one point- the worst slum we saw- numerous tourist vans stopped, people gawked, got out and took pictures, and drove away. It's a weird feeling.
Our days have been packed...making it seem like we've been
taking pictures in soweto
why it was slightly unnerving to be there... here forever. I just realized that there is no possible way I could try to write about it all so here it goes in brief...
-we visited the apartheid museum and also the Hector Pieterson museum which commemorates the student riots during apartheid. Both were really powerful- the apartheid museum was made by the same people who made the Holocoust Museum, and they were kind of similar in that way. The apartheid museum was pretty overwhelming because of the HUGE amount of information and history, so I think I would have enjoyed it more if I had some background going into it.
-I totally underestimated it being in the Southern Hemisphere...I knew it would be 'winter' but I didn't want to pack a lot of cold weather clothes, since it will be hot weather most of the time in Namibia. So we've all done our share of shivering and whining...and for the most part as long as you're in the sun, it's nice and in the 60s. But we did see this morning that it was 2 degrees celcius and yesterday morning the water in the bird bath was frozen...so we aren't being total wimps.
-It hasn't
all been serious. We had two birthdays in the first 3 days, so we've had some fun. For Erica's birthday we went to a club in Soweto. That alone is pretty cool- how many American's can say they've been clubbing in Soweto?! (just throwing in one more statistic...over 70% of white south africans have never set foot in a township...for various reasons, not many of them good.) It was something we'd never been able to do without our guides who are from there. So in roll 18 Americans at 7:00 on a Monday night (we needed an early bedtime. ha.) Party central, right? Well it was so much fun. Highlights include our 50 some year old Namibian/American professor dancing, learning dance moves from some of the locals who frequent the place and the birthday girl getting champagne poured all over her. So much fun.
-I also made an awesome first-ish impression in typical Erin style by having water come out of my nose during dinner one night from laughing so hard. Unfortunately nobody else was laughing, or even found it funny, and I was sitting at the same table as my professor. Oh well.
-I wanted to be
all the girls
in front of parlaiment in pretoria adventurous when Molefi told me to try the 'tripe' at a restaurant we went to. He told me it is what they've made contestants on Fear Factor eat in the past. That should have been sign number 1. It is the lining of cow intesting and like one of the guys put it..."wouldn't have been too bad if it didn't smell like elephant poo." It was pretty awful- but hey I've tried it.
-we've been to a mall everyday...usually for food or internet, but none the less it's a little weird. it's definitely more developed than I expected.
I'm going to try and wrap this up. Right now we're in Pretoria for a couple of days, which is the capital and about 45 minutes from Joburg. It's a very heavily Afrikkanner populated area- the first language on most things is Afrikkans. This morning the Namibian High Commissioner to South Africa spoke to us and then we went to the Vortrekker monuement. It's a monument celebrating the struggle of the white Afrikkaners. It's huge and dominant and completely the opposite of everything we've been learning about. It was a good thing to see- but slightly uncomfortable to go to. This week end is homestays in Soweto...so that should be a great experience. You're a champ if you actually made it this far...once I get settled I'll have better access, but for now it's here and there. I'll also put up some pictures at some later point when I have time. So hang in there. But that doesn't mean you shouldn't send me emails...send me lots and you can here the fun stories that didn't make this for various reasons.
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Adrienne
non-member comment
apartheid-did i spell that right??
this is going to be quick cause i have to get ready for class, but you said you were frustrated by not learning much about apartheid. well we studied pretty indepth in 7th grade and my best friend in 7th grade was from south africa. anyway we had a man come and speak who was from south africa, black, and lived their during apartheid in the ghettos and townships and wrote a book called kaffir boy. it is one of the most amazing books i have ever read. i own it and have read it possibly 8 times. and the best part is the author lives in kernersville. anyway, if you are interested you can def read it when you get back, or if you are abmitious at all i can mail it to you? anyway, i'll send an email later when i have time, but i just wanted to get that out there before i forgot! anyway let me know, and keep having an amazing time! ~ad