Advertisement
Published: March 2nd 2008
Edit Blog Post
Video Playlist: 1:
Rugby 13 secs
Langa
The group of international and south african students in front of Langa's community art center. Hallo!
So...just wanted to write about a few things that have been going on recently and some very exciting adventures to come in the next month.
First, I am very excited to let you guys know that I joined the Bhakti Yoga Society on campus. We meet every Wednesday for 2 hours in the evening for meditation/chanting followed by a discussion on a topic - the last two have been on reincarnation and the vedas. Then on Thursdays for one hour during lunch we practice yoga. Can I just say WOW. I have never done anything like this before - the chanting is an incredible experience. We begin by simply chanting the Mantra :
Hare Krishna
Hare Krishna
Krishna Krishna
Hare Hare
Hare Rama
Hare Rama
Rama Rama
Hare Hare
Then we bust out the prayer beads and we say this prayer for every bead - there are 108 beads :P Gosh it has been such a challenge to tame my monkey mind... Also, the club feeds us AMAZING vegetarian food. One day for fun I considered becoming a vegetarian . . . yah, it was fun to think about. 😉 especially in all places to become
Langa
One living area where families of six live in one room and share a common room with at least five other families. a vegetarian, this is NOT the place. South Africans are obsessed with meat.
Speaking of meat, I had the best meat since I've been here on Friday. An excusion was planned last minute and I was fortunate enough to be one of the few who signed up in time to visit two townships - Langa and Gugulethu. There were only 10 international students (only 2 people per country) and 10 south african students. It was great to have the chance to talk with locals about the apartheid and practice my Afrikaans. I found out that the way I pronounce "goemiddag" (good afternoon) I was actually saying something like "throw a day at you". whoops...of course the south african students found it amusing. I am trying more and more to speak Afrikaans whenever I can - the other day I was buying some notepads and I managed to get through a basic conversation with the cashier! woohoo!
Okay-back to the township tour... So, we first visited Langa, just 30 minutes from Stellenbosch. We walked around and saw the community's art center - anyone in Langa can come and learn how to make pottery and then sell their work. Interstingly as
The Gugulethu 7
the monument recognizing the Gugulethu 7 killed during the apartheid. we walked around I noticed that the Police Station is the most well developed builiding - nicer than the schools or the health center. hmmm...I couldn't help but think that this reflected Langa's priorties. (By the way, anyone reading my blog, feel free to comment on any of my observations...I would love to know what you think...) After Langa we drove to Gugulethu township and saw the Gugulethu 7 and Amy Biehl monuments. The Gugulethu 7 is dedicated to seven young black men who were innocently shot and killed by white policemen in the 1980s. The Amy Biehl monument is to recognize Amy Biele, an American student who was in the wrong place at the wrong time. She was in the township with friends and was dragged from her car, beaten, and killed in August 1993. The important thing to remember is that she was in an area where any white person was viewed as the enemy. It is an amazing story - when the three men who killed her came before the Truth Reconciliation Committee, her parents flew to SA and came to the hearing. They agreed to grant the men amnesty knowing that Amy would not want to
MEAT!
yumm this is the fabulous dinner we had at Mzoli's Meat-it was really fun-we ate with our hands! create more conflict among the races. In fact, her parents created the Amy Biehl Foundation that is running today-there is even a school named after her...just google "Amy Biehl" for more information about this.
After the monuments the group went to Mzoli's Meat - basically a braai resturant. It was awesome - you walk into the shop and there is TONS of raw meat that you choose from; then they take it and cook it on a the hugest braai I've ever seen. yummm it was sooo good!! It was a great day.
Last Thursday evening was big for my block - we hosted our first Block Five Braai! Some of my flatmates made the most amazing fruit wine punch...yum. I ended up leaving the party early-fighting a head cold-and it was sooo funny - around midnight I heard people screaming and when I looked out my window I saw that the security guards had turned the sprinklers on to get people to leave! haha.. it was pretty great.
Yesterday I went to my first rugby game! It was great! It blows my mind how beautiful south africans are...I find myself just staring - I can't help it!
dinner time
Stefanie and me ;P Anyway, the game was interesting to watch - I couldn't really keep track of the ball...basically you would see the ball for a second, then a mass of huge dirty sweaty bodies would pile on top of eachother fighting for the ball. I love how different it is from tennis - I love the idea of really getting in your opponent's face and scrambling around the field. Unfortunately (well i guess fortunately) there were no fist fights at this game. 😉
So today I cooked! I made chicken noodle soup! I cooked chicken, carrots, onions, potatoes, orzo, and rice. well, I tried at least- by the time it was all cooked, there was no more broth left.... did I add too much pasta? It was still very tasty and lots of leftovers.
For just a moment I have to brag just a little....for Valentine's Day my amazing boyfriend sent me a boquet of beautiful south african flowers! Thank you sweetheart.
Coming up in the next month!
--> Next weekend going to Robben Island and District Six
-->March 15-Cape Town Night on the Town - ISOS drops a group of us off at 8pm in the
My home
Block Five Represent! heart of Cape Town's nightlife and then we are free to eat, drink, and dance until they pick us up at 2:30am. AH soo excited! (I promise mom, safety first!)
--> and then one week later, is autumn break when we go for 5 days on the Garden Route Tour!!! around the time we get back....I will be halfway through my trip-yikes!
Phew! that's that big stuff...hope you enjoyed reading and I'll be sure to write after the Garden Route! love you and hope to hear from you soon.
Peace & Love,
Ashley
Advertisement
Tot: 0.252s; Tpl: 0.019s; cc: 6; qc: 44; dbt: 0.0401s; 1; m:domysql w:travelblog (10.17.0.13); sld: 1;
; mem: 1.1mb
april
non-member comment
YOU
I am learning so much from you. I love you and am proud of you.