I am writing
this blog in disbelief that we have been here for two weeks already! I’ve
realised that sixteen weeks will in actual fact fly by, especially with the
sunny weather we have been getting! This week has been very busy, with almost
every day bringing a new activity so we were happy to be able to just chill by
the pool when the weekend arrived.
Moving to South
Africa has been a big change, especially when leaving family and friends at
home, however I believe it is a change which has already helped us to
re-discover who we are and what we stand for. The opportunity to learn from and
interact with other cultures and people makes you question your own point of
view and see life from another perspective. At this stage we are well adapted
to our new lifestyle in PE. Living in a complex with over 90 international
students has allowed us to make friends with people from all over the world,
bringing a culturally diverse atmosphere to our experience, which I personally
find very enriching!
We have embraced
many local traditions including the South African braai (BBQ) which has quickly
become the main method of cooking here in Annie’s Cove. Everything from burgers
and chicken to vegetables and garlic bread are cooked most days on the braai.
There is a great social aspect to cooking together in the open air as it gives
everyone an opportunity to get to know each other. We have become good friends
with many of the residents here along with the girls from Minnesota next door,
and we have unlocked the door between our kitchens to create one flat. We often
laugh at each other’s phrases and sayings which usually results in me breaking
down my sentences into bite size pieces!
PE is renowned
for its great waves and its warm Indian Ocean waters and so on Thursday myself,
Lynsey and another friend went for surfing lessons along the beach front. I had
never been surfing before and incredibly I got up first time – I was instantly
hooked and we together booked five more lessons.
On Wednesday we
went on a tour of PE organised by the University. The tour was personally very
challenging as we seen firsthand the economic differences which divide the
people here – a legacy from the Apartheid era. We were shown how the city used
to be split into separate residential areas for white, black and coloured
people. Although the Apartheid rule is over, segregation still exists in the
form of economic circumstances. It was difficult to see how peoples living
conditions can be so contrasting in the one city. We visited a museum in the
township which explained the story of the freedom struggle. Possibly the most
powerful image from that day is a room full of files containing the details of
innocent people killed by the former regime with the label ‘Inquest Findings:
No person Liable’. We also spoke with people who were directly involved in the
struggle, some of whose stories were very compelling. In the township we
visited a new initiative set up by some residents called Red Location
Backpackers which is aiming to be proactive and innovative in the community by
providing a unique African township experience offering accommodation for up to
120 people. It was personally very inspiring to see how people in that
community were coming together to make a difference in an area where crime,
unemployment and drug and alcohol abuse rates are so high.
I’m truly enjoying
my time here, embracing both the new culture and lifestyle and making friends
along the way. Ready for another action packed week!
Glenn
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