The Long Walk to Where I am Walking To: PART ONE

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Howzit everybody!

I hope this post finds you all well. I have realized from past experience (ahem) that frequent brief postings are not my style. Therefore consider this entry on the second half of my time in South Africa a preview of my forthcoming nonfiction piece, “Elena’s Long Walk to Where She is Walking To: A Journey in Southern Africa” (expected in stores this holiday season)😊 Enjoy!
I am currently sitting in my house in Newton contemplating how overdue this post is and how much I still want to send it out! I have split up this final entry into two separate entries so it will be slightly easier to read and I will send out the second entry later. I have had a lot of time to consider how my journey in SA has impacted my life since I returned so in many ways this entry is very current! A friend of mine who studied abroad in Cape Town several years ago said that Cape Town has a way of making you feel lucky just to be. After living, studying, and traveling in South Africa I have been reminded of aspects of myself that I admire and want to better understand as well as found ways of being I didn’t imagine I was even capable of. This all sounds hyperbolic and abstract probably but I will try to make it more concrete for you all!
The second half of my experience was characterized by finding a feeling of home and comfortableness in a new place and in myself as well. After spring break I began to realize how much more I felt I had to discover in this country and acted on that realization. Though my flight was originally booked for December 1, I changed it to December 18th because I wanted more time to simply live in this new place and not feel I had to cram all my experiences into a shorter period of time. This decision made it easier for me to enjoy the big and small adventures during the last half of the semester and later.

Living up to the new South Africa at UCT:

Since I returned home several people have asked me if tensions, particularly those around race, can still be felt in South Africa today and I answer with a resounding yes. Though race is a socially constructed notion, the idea of race is firmly entrenched in South Africa and continues to shape policy and individuals’ lives to different degrees. I also found that inequalities around gender and sexuality are also prevalent in the country. The term “new South Africa” is often applied to the post-1994 dispensation in the country, and though great progress has been made it is clear to me just from being on UCT’s campus that the new South Africa is still struggling to break from the old. Though UCT is considered one of the most socially and politically liberal universities in the country there is certainly a great deal of work left to be done so that all identities are valued equally. In all these reflections on SA and specifically on UCT, I know there are similar challenges in the United States and at Bryn Mawr where I go to school.
For instance, it was brought to my attention by other study abroad students that students at UCT often are only seen hanging out with others of their own racial background, and sometimes along ethnic lines as well. This self-segregation was discussed in a documentary, “DiVarsity,” made by a group of UCT professors and students to discuss identity issues on campus. The documentary was shown during “Other” Week, a week of awareness-raising on campus around issues of diversity.
One of the most shocking and sobering events of the semester occurred during “Pink Week”, a series of events organized by Rainbow UCT, the school’s LGBTI student society, to raise awareness on prejudice faced by members of LGBTI people in SA. During the week the organizers installed a cupboard on the main area of campus in front of Jameson Hall and painted it pink to symbolize the pain of being unable to express one’s identity. The morning after the closet was installed students walked on campus to discover its charred remains surrounded by yellow caution tape. Throughout the day rumors circulated about the burning of the closet and flowers and other trinkets were placed on the remains. During my sociology discussion section that week we discussed the event in relation to the relative mobility and immobility of people to change their status in society. Though South Africa’s constitution is hailed internationally for its progressive nature (for instance, anyone is free to marry in SA, regardless of sexual orientation), it was obvious that some laws existed in words only as many groups continue to experience marginalization. When I labeled the burning of the closet as a hate crime several students disagreed with me and called it simply a bad joke. I have grown accustomed to hearing views in SA that do not echo those of the very politically correct atmosphere in which I was raised and I feel that this has helped me better assess and understand my own views and better articulate them to others. I disagreed saying that the burning of the closet was a violent act and on some level, meant to intimidate students in support of LGBTI rights on campus. As the marginalization of this community is not widely recognized on campus it seems more acceptable to see the incident as a joke, however I believe the act could be justified as a hate crime. Students and administration reacted immediately to the event and the week garnered a great deal of support later on but the memory of the act remains shocking to me.

Mountains and Memorials

During the second half of the semester I felt more invested in and involved in my courses and in life at UCT. During the last couple months of classes I dove into papers and projects on topics that I had been introduced to while I was here. In my history course I studied the ways museums and other tourist locations in post-1994 South Africa recognize and interact with the country’s past. As a self-defined perpetual tourist, this became a personal interest for me as I came to question the ways history is laid out in these locations, often simplistically with political motives in mind. Though this is neither surprising nor necessarily a bad thing I came to see how these spaces must be questioned and visitors must be asked to look beyond what they see even in places that purportedly present an “official” version of history or representation of culture. My interests continued beyond the classroom and even the academic year as I visited many of Cape Town’s best known museums, such as the Slave Lodge and the Bo-Kaap Museum up until my last weeks in SA.
I also became more involved in student organizations at UCT, particularly the Mountain and Ski Club’s Outreach club, a student volunteer group that brings students who live in the townships on outdoors excursions. I participated in two of these volunteer events and spent quality time with learners who live in the townships of Khayelitsha and Philippi and learn in the South African Education Environmental Project (SAEP- check out the link at the end to learn more!) as well as other UCT students. The first event was in October and consisted of setting up an orienteering course (a fast-paced scavenger hunt) in the Tokai Forest for the learners to complete. I have come to believe after living in another country that people are essentially the same everywhere as they have similar goals and needs but often different ways of achieving them. Even after a couple months on SA the word “township” still brought up negative images in my mind- I still could not see it as simply a place where people lived that experiences challenges and celebrations like any community. However, the students from SAEP proved to me that much more that some things don’t change because they reminded me of so many other young people I have worked with, whether in Boston, Philadelphia, or Salt Lake City. While the learners waited for instructions on the scavenger hunt and at the braii we held for them later I saw flings spring up before my eyes, kids just listening to music boom box-style from their cell phones(when Jason Derulo’s “Ridin’ Solo” came on I couldn’t help singing along with them😊, and sleeping under the trees.
It was especially awesome then to see many of the same learners later in the month for a hike up Table Mountain to stay overnight in the Mountain Club of South Africa’s hut on the Table. It was a hot day and most of the twenty learners who came did not have proper footwear, enough water, or bags that they could comfortably hike in while carrying sleeping bags. When they stopped I tried to keep encouraging them to keep going despite the heat. However, despite the heat there was still a little humor to go around- when the entire group stopped at one location over Camps Bay and one of the leaders from SAEP looked below and asked which informal settlement we were seeing below us I cracked up- Camps Bay is one of the most exclusively expensive areas in the city. Everyone was relieved to reach the top of the mountain and we had fun hanging out playing games in the hut that night. That night I slept outside under the stars for the first time in my life and though it was cold, it was utterly beautiful- though we were still in Cape Town, I felt far away on top of that mountain. The next morning we began our descent in higher spirits than yesterday which was clear from the singing of a group of girls in the program. I felt so happy under the sun and blue sky listening to their voices carry over rocks and reservoirs. However, after walking along for some time we encountered something that broke the peace of that singing and made me feel so angry. I was near the head of the line as we were descending a steep area of the trail and I saw that a couple of the UCT volunteers who had been ahead of me and the students they were with had stopped and were standing with an older white man who was alone. I stopped as well to see what was up and the other volunteers told me to tell the rest of the group to gather as best they could near the man. While we waited the man pleasantly asked us who we were and when we told him we were volunteers with a group of learners from Philippi he said we were doing good work. However, I was next shocked when he asked us volunteers if the learners spoke English in front of them. None of the learners were white and some in SA still assume that many blacks do not speak English or speak proper English. Though English is a second language for many blacks, it is the language of instruction in schools and many learn it early on. We answered yes, trying to ignore the man’s prejudice but his words only made me angrier when the entire group stopped and he exhorted the learners to be quieter as the mountain was a sort of “church” for those who came to it and that one did not make so much noise in church. My friend scoffed next to me and mumbled, asking what kind of churches this man has been to, but we did not say anything as he wished us a good day and continued hiking. I felt powerless in that moment because I felt that this man had disrespected the learners and volunteers but as I was not one of the Outreach coordinators or even South African, I felt it might be wrong to call him out on what I labeled racism, at least in the case of his reaction to the learners. In the moment I told the learners to ignore him and that they hadn’t done anything wrong, but I wonder what lessons the learners and the man left with that day.

Homework and Songs at Leliebloem:

After spring break I began volunteering with SHAWCO (a UCT volunteer group) at Leliebloem Home in Crawford, a suburb outside of CT. Leliebloem is an NGO and residential center for children ages 4-18 who have been removed from their families by social workers due to neglect or abuse. The center focuses on reunifying families over time. I do not have a lot of experience with tutoring younger children and the work was often frustrating, particularly because most of the kids could speak Afrikaans and would often speak over me. Sometimes I felt lost trying to control them until I distracted them by asking them to teach me some words in Afrikaans (but don’t ask if I remember it- it is a COMPLICATED language). Class sizes in South African primary schools are often very large and learners get very little personal attention so our tutoring services were needed but I often wasn’t sure if I was actually making an impact in the math or reading skills for the children because I worked with different kids each week. The task seemed even more overwhelming with kids crammed into a small room with about five SHAWCO tutors.
However, our last day at the home helped me put the experience into some perspective. Though all the other children were outside playing one girl asked if I could help her with her homework. I asked her several times if she wanted to take a break but she wanted to stay and soon I realized I was there to help her achieve something because she wanted to achieve it. When she was finished we went outside to play and had a great time. Again, I was reminded of how people are essentially the same everywhere when one little girl came up to me and we began singing. I found out she really liked “High School Musical” and since I didn’t know many songs from the series I asked her to sing them for me. As she sang I was reminded of my mom’s friend’s daughter who is currently 12 and used to love HSM, or of my campers at Camp K in Utah where I worked as an Americorps volunteer. In that moment SA did not seem so exotic or different- it was actually a place where I felt very much at home.

Mike:

During the second half of my time in SA I let myself be affected more by my surroundings as it began to dawn on me (yup, a couple months in) that I was actually living in CT and not on some sort of educational vacation. Situations I took for granted at home cropped up in SA as well and I was able to see them in a different way. When I let myself be affected by my surroundings I also considered more about how I affected them. That’s where Mike comes in. Mike is a young man around my age who has been living on the streets near my neighborhood in Mowbray since he was 8 years old after he ran away from his mother’s alcoholism and her abusive boyfriend. Since then he has learned to get by on the streets somehow despite the violence that occurs there and his own health problems with epilepsy. My housemate Flo studied at UCT for a full year and got to know Mike last semester by chatting to him and sometimes buying him the milk and bread he so often asked for. Growing up near a big city I am not unaccustomed to seeing homeless people but didn’t quite know how to react towards them and certainly did not know any individuals experiencing homelessness personally. When I met Mike through my housemate, Marika, who had met him through Flo, I did not expect him to remember me or even approach me again because I did not think he would feel comfortable doing so. However, whenever I walked on the streets of Mowbray from then on I could usually count on a hello or a hug from Mike. Often he would follow this interaction with a request for me to be him bread or milk and I felt that same uncomfortable feeling emerge again. I never gave him money but bought him food a couple times and brought him food from the house or food I had received for free at events on campus.
Throughout the semester Marika helped Mike out on a deeper level. She organized for him to meet with monks in the Silesian church who operate an intensive street outreach program for homeless youth. Mike initially seemed very interested in the prospect and agreed to enter the program. However, we were disappointed on the day he was supposed to leave the streets because he never showed up to get the ride Flo promised to give him to the center. Though it was frustrating to learn later that Mike did not wish to enter the program after all we began to understand his position after considering how long he had been on the streets and how difficult it would be to enter the program. Marika and I saw Mike in the weeks before I left and was sure to show that we did not blame him for his decision. I do not know where Mike is now- he was taking courses at a shelter in a nearby neighborhood where he also pays around two rand per night to stay ( a large sum for someone from the streets but this is the only shelter option for most people on the streets in CT). When I think about him I think about how much meeting him has meant to me and that I will very likely never see him again and his future is unknown. However, I hope we made an impact on his life as well- particularly Marika and Flo who showed that you do not have to know someone well or even have the same background in order to care about them.

The Best Finals Weeks of My Life: Brunch, Hiking, and Vuvuzelas:

Classes ended in late October and then we had two weeks of studying and exams... and some great times in between! It was especially great to have more time to spend with my housemates at Selby House who I grew to appreciate very much. There was always someone to talk with, watch movies with, or cook with and we spent a lot of time doing these together. These weeks were bittersweet because we knew we may not see each other for a long time after we left SA so we made the most of it by just enjoying each other’s company. Two highlights are making a beautiful brunch and eating in our garden and hiking Table Mountain! On the last day of exams several of my housemates and friends experienced some of the World Cup awesomeness, a few months late. We went to a friendly match between Bafana Bafana (South Africa’s national team) and the United States at the Cape Town Stadium! From walking the Fan Walk from Long St. to the stadium in Green Point to doing “the wave” in the stands, we had a great night! The stadium was buzzing with vuvuzelas and the stadium was a sea of yellow shirts!
Here concludes my first entry of two! Look out for the next one that will give the fabulous adventures of my last month in SA! Believe me, you will want to read it- it features a trip to the Place of Gold, a snake, “Waka Waka,” and an update on what I’m doing next! Hope you enjoyed the entry and of course I’d love to hear your reactions!

Links:

-South African Education and Environment Project (SAEP) http://www.saep.org/index.php
This organization operates programs for young people from townships to learn academic, leadership, and life skills partially through environmental lessons
-A link to a website I worked on with two friends in my sociology class! It focuses on xenophobia, a prevalent issue in SA. http://theintersectionalityofxenophobia.weebly.com/index.html
-For more on the incident during Pink Week at UCT http://www.rainbowuct.org/category/tags/news

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Photos

Mountain People
At the top of Devil's Peak! We literally began our hike from our house in Mowbray and walked up to the summit at 1000m (3281 ft) from an entrance to the peak near UCT, and back down again!

Whale of a Tale
Ok, so this is not a whale's tail but I gasped every time I got a glimpse of some part of one of these huge mammals.

Tie Dye rocks!
We saw these rocks at the cliffs while whale watching in Hermanus and as a lover of tie-dye, I really appreciated them :) You're lucky I have only put in one picture of rocks here- I have been taking tons of photos of geological formations since I got here:)

A view from the rocks
My friends and I climbed on top of this rock to look over the cliffs at Hermanus. We saw a whale in the distance and a seal below, plus sea anemones in the tide pools- it was beautiful

Monsieur (ou Madame..) Baboon
While volunteering with the UCT Mountain and Ski Club Outreach group in the Tokai Forest, we ran across a horde of baboons! Baboons tend to be fierce but in the early morning they all seemed to be chilling out as we walked by. That was until one of the volunteers left his jacket lying on the ground- a baboon snatched it up and a park ranger had to chase it to get the jacket back!

Orienteering
The flags we set up around the Tokai Forest for learners from the South African Environmental Program to find on a mini orienteering trail.

We are the Champions my Friend
A group of students from SAEP with their prize from the Tokai Forest Orienteering event with Outreach!

NO VUVUZELAS???
Actually, vuvuzelas are a soccer tradition in SA so they weren't allowed at the rugby game I saw in Newlands. In any case, the fans made enough noise so that we didn't miss the beehive too much!

WP Jou Lekker Ding!
Check out the video from the WP vs Sharks game! Just remember to turn down the volume- its a little loud:) It was so awesome. People were chanting "WP jou lekker ding" (pronounced "yo lecker dung") all around me- in Afrikaans it roughly translates to "Western Province, you are beautiful"- no one could tell me exactly what it means but its fun to say :)

In the zone
Got my face painted and everything! Its a little like going to a baseball game except instead of peanuts and cracker jacks there are boerewors and fries and instead of "Take Me Out to the Ball Game" people are chanting in Afrikaans..

Many flags, one nation
Over the centuries since it was built, the Castle of Good Hope has flown many different flags from those who colonized it, to its current independence. From left to right: the current flag of the Republic of South Africa, the flag of the nation under the national Party, the Union Jack of Great Britain,....
When my friend and I visited the Castle of Good Hope we were both surprised that these flags were being flown as we understood all but the most recent to symbolize colonial oppression and apartheid. However, recognizing the past is only one way the New South Africa has tried to create a nation in which healing and reconciliation is possible.

Queens of the Castle
It wasn't really a fairytale castle as we learned on the tour.. but here's my friend Karianne and me in fron tof the Castle of Good Hope in Cape Town!

Ready for the Mountain!
A group of high school learners from the SAEP and UCT Outreach volunteers before hiking on the Pipe Trail to the Mountain Club of South Africa's hut on Table Mountain!

Watching the mountain
A gargoyle-like geological formation on Table Mountain. Seeing the beautiful nature of South Africa gives me a new appreciation for all the beauty out there.

The Poet Within
Performing Maya Angelou's poem, "Still I Rise" at an open mic session at the Pan African Space Station, a satellite radio project in CT. Being in CT has given me quite a few opportunities to dig into the arts more, something I have missed from my life in the States.

Dig in!
The gatsby is a type of South African sandwich usually with some sort of meat filling (this one had fish- i am a pescatarian after all :)), sauces, and to top it all off, french fries! Needless to say, it is delicious and probably heart-attack inducing.. I also tried Iron Brew, a soda I have never seen in the US. I found during my time in SA that some of the best adventures were the simplest ones- just by trying new food- even if its junk food- its all culture:)

At the opera!
My housemates and I went to a production of "Lucia de Lammermore" at the Artscape Theater in Cape Town. One of our friends from UCT, a music major, was in the show so we decided to go support him! And it was a great opportunity to dress up!

Dancing to the beat of a different drum
Beginner African dance is one of the best parts of my experience with UCT. The class primarily covered Southern African dance traditions which was very new for me as I usually dance modern or ballet. It was a challenge to learn a different technique, however I soon began performing impromptu dance recitals everywhere, from my living room to sidewalks:)

Ushering in the new South Africa, one museum at a time
This is the Slave Lodge Museum in CT, one of the nationally supported Iziko museums. However, until 1998, this museum was known as the South African Cultural Museum and housed collections of primarily European and Asian furniture, toys, and weapons. These displays are now on the second floor of the museum while the first floor is dedicated to acknowledging South Africa's legacy of slavery, just one example of the way the national government has worked to embed the value of openness of the "New South Africa" in the cultural landscape.

No pain, no gain..
Studying before finals at my favorite spot on the patio at Selby House.

Standing on the Table
Standing at Maclear's Beacon, the highest point on Table Mountain.