A Brief History Lesson

SA's Flag

In an effort for my blog to be better understood, I think it is important to explain a little about apartheid in South Africa. Some may already be well versed regarding the topic and may likely be better educated than me, in which case please feel free to skip the brief history lesson. I hope that the following does not come off as a reductionist look at the rich history of the country, as I intend to merely put some of what I have been privileged to experience in context.

Apartheid was a government implemented system of racial segregation that took place in South Africa between the 1940s until 1994. Racial segregation took place before the 1940s, but was adopted as official policy following the election of 1948 during which the National Party came into control. Under apartheid, racial divisions became further institutionalized.

Four distinct racial groups were created: White, Black/African, Coloured and Indian. For Americans, the term ‘coloured’ sounds both old-fashioned and racist, but in South Africa it is still used and in my interactions I have found that most people classified as Coloured still openly refer to themselves as Coloured. For this reason and the purpose of explanation, I will use this term as well as the other racial classifications, although somewhat warily. It is difficult for Americans to grasp the difference between Black and the term Coloured, a classification given to people of mixed descent. Given the long lines of ancestry all humans have, it seems that most people have a ‘mixed’ descent of some sort, but that is another topic.

The Group Areas Act (consisting of three parliamentary acts put in place during the 1950s and 1960s) assigned racial groups to different residential and business areas in South Africa, restricting the best land for Whites. Non-Whites on these pieces of land were forcibly removed from their homes and moved to areas that fit the racial classification they were given by the apartheid government. Voting rights were denied to non-Whites during the apartheid era (with variation throughout, including voting rights for Coloureds and Indians before the first truly free election in 1994). Acts during this time period made mixed marriages illegal, the education system cripplingly unequal, and issued forms of identification that limited where non-Whites could travel. The government used wide-sweeping legislation including the Suppression of Communism and Terrorism Acts to imprison individuals involved in resistance movements.

A string of factors including protest and intense internal resistance, international pressure, and a floundering economy, led to negotiations, which concluded with elections in 1994 in which all races could vote. The African National Congress (the ANC, still in power in most of South Africa today) led by Nelson Mandela, came out victorious. It is impossible to view South Africa as I am experiencing it today outside of the context of its recent apartheid past. The election in 1994 and the new constitution, often regarded as the most liberal constitution in the world, has not fixed all or even most issues of inequality and the country faces an array of challenges today, some of which are considered directly rooted in apartheid.

I will write more soon on my experience in a homestay over the weekend in a place called Ocean View, a place that can be much easier understood with some of this background knowledge.

A painting on the wall near the Cape Town train station

Upon completion of my second week of class I am still unsure of how academics compare to back home. Most classes seem to go by in a flash since they are only 45 minutes long, compared to 50-75 typically at Vanderbilt. We seem to have even less assignments, so the difficulty of grading will be up in the air for a while, although everyone attests that grading is quite tough.

I’ve come to the conclusion that all societies here (what a fancy name for a club) simply exist as a front for their actual purpose: parties. Although the wine society seems more suitably geared toward this, we’ve found that many other organizations at least partly play the role reserved for fraternities back home. Friday we went to the first event for the wine society, which took place at the top of Jammie steps, which are almost always packed with students lounging in the sun between classes. It was not technically a “wine tasting” but rather a group of people walking up to tables, picking red or white, and rapidly drinking to the tune of booming club music. It was slightly less sophisticated than I anticipated, but fun having the opportunity to talk to other UCT students outside of the classroom setting. Apparently there are actual "tastings" but I will believe it when I see it.

Jameson Hall (and Jammie steps leading up to it)

I am working with the same organization that I worked with over the summer when I was here, SHAWCO, which organizes various education programs within some more impoverished areas around Cape Town. At the orientation Saturday morning I was excited to catch up with Cyril, who organized the summer program I did in the community of Manenberg. My first day at SHAWCO was on Tuesday. I am in an area called Kensington, working with 7^th years. They were all exceptionally energetic, and the tiny room we were confined to was not too conducive to this. It was fun getting to meet all the kids, although I am a little rusty on all their names still as they decided to give us made-up names on our first attempt to learn them. I’ll be going back once a week and I’m really excited to get to know all of them better.

Saturday we went into the Castle of Good Hope, which was built by the Dutch East India company in the 1600s, and today houses many exhibits, including a military museum.

Inside the Castle of Good Hope (with Lion's Head in the background)

We then took a short walk to the Company’s Gardens, a park in the middle of Cape Town. It reminds me of areas around the National Mall in Washington D.C., with a lot of green space and several museums. We went into the Iziko South African Museum. The place is massive, so we only saw some areas, including exhibits focusing on South African human history, an awesome collection of nature photography, and some huge whale casts and skeletons that hang from the ceiling.

The Iziko Museum

A whale!

The Many Sides of Cape Town

Last Thursday, a big group of kids from the CIEE program went to a community in Mitchell’s Plain to deliver and serve dinner. There were way too many of us to perform that task, so many of us spent the time simply talking to people in the community. I was shocked at how open many of the people were about themselves and how they were living. The group we met had been relocated in the past year to a spot right near a train stop. They live without access to water or electricity and we did not meet anyone who had stable employment. There was a lot of trash strewn about and one of the men told us that no one from Cape Town even comes there to pick up garbage. One man was very friendly and even showed us inside his home, which was a single room with a bed. From his description, it appeared that several adults and many children all share this small space. While it is unclear to me that I performed any significant service to the people I met, I’m glad I went, simply for the chance to have some great conversations. We talked to two sisters who doubled over and hooted with laughter upon learning that Kevin and I were not siblings but rather a couple. After talking to many people it became almost easy to disassociate them from their poverty and forget the differences we have. I hope to get the chance to return there again.

I saw the whole of Cape Town lit up on a moonlit hike up a small peak called Lion’s Head. Hiking in the dark was a little spooky, but fun. At the top it was quite windy, with sand whipping into my eyes and an irrational fear that I could be blown away.

Saturday morning Old Biscuit Mill is bustling. It houses tons of different food vendors and some shops, all targeted toward a higher class audience. Kevin and I took a mini bus taxi and attempted to walk the few remaining blocks to the location, but our directions led us astray, allowing us to see the sharp distinction between the less wealthy people who live around the area and those who lavishly enjoy it on Saturdays.

Inside Old Biscuit Mill

We saw more of the area called Observatory, eating dinner at a Mexican restaurant called Panchos. A surprising number of people don’t know that Observatory is actually named for the observatory that is in the area. The second Saturday of every month, the South African Astronomical Observatory opens up to the public with talks and tours. We heard a lecture on new radio telescopes (one being built in the Northern Cape is called MeerKAT), which will help study the evolution of galaxies. We had a little tour but unfortunately clouds prevented any stargazing.

Sunday there are concerts in Kirstenbosch gardens. This week was a blues show called Going Back to the Crossroads, with several different artists singing music spanning from the origin of the Blues until today. We came prepared with a picnic dinner and blanket and enjoyed the show immensely. I think the Kirstenbosch gardens have officially trumped ArtPark as the coolest outdoor venue I’ve ever been to.

The stage and backdrop at Kirstenbosch

Going Back to the Crossroads

Monday, classes finally began for UCT undergrads. I had just one class, Southern African Hunters and Herders, on the first day, but have since had my other two classes, clinical psychology and health psychology. So far they all seem relatively interesting, given that the first few classes of any course are typically pretty boring. Similar to most classes at UCT, mine are all in relatively large lecture halls: my health psychology class has nearly 300 students! It is strange getting back into the swing of classes after not having them for so long. Without too much work during the first week, the most rigorous task seems to be trekking to campus, which is an uphill but quite pretty journey.

One of the few horizontal portions on the walk to campus

Garden Route Jaunt

Here is the promised update on our trip:

Last Friday while Kevin’s housemates prepared a wonderful braai for a huge group of friends, a few of the rest of us scrambled to both begin and complete preparations for our trip along the Garden Route, a popular route through many neat towns along the southern coast of Africa. I made a bunch of calls to backpackers (places here seem to go by “backpackers” rather than “hostels”) and easily found accommodation for the nine of us venturing on the trip.

Saturday morning we actually left a little before our goal time of 9 AM. Slight issues with the GPS forced us to make a few lucky directional guesses, but we somehow ended up on the right track. Driving a huge manual van on the “wrong” side of the road led to less disaster than I expected. Kevin’s housemate, Tom, drove fabulously the entire day (with a few requisite scary moments, of course). We drove along the N1 to Oudtshoorn, racing against the GPS clock to get to the Cango Caves by their last adventure tour of the day, at 3:30. We miraculously arrived at 3:34 and coaxed the woman at the ticket desk to allow us to catch up to the tour, which had already left. The caves were exceptionally beautiful and certainly delivered the promise of adventure as we squeezed through tiny spaces and our guide “accidentally” made a habit of turning off the lights, giving us an idea of how Jacobus van Zyl, the first person to go down into the caves, must have felt.

The Throne Room inside the Cango Caves

We drove about an hour and a half to the town of Wilderness to Fairy Knowe Backpackers. The place was great, with a pool table, bar, fire burning and a wonderful view that only became apparent in the light of the morning. After breakfast, we hiked right along a trail leading to a nice waterfall, which provided a well deserved cool-down.

Mural Map of Wilderness National Park at Fairy Knowe

Packing back into the van, we drove to The Crags. While some of the group went to the neighboring Elephant Sanctuary, Kevin, Tom, and I went on a tour through Monkeyland, a reserve for primates who have come from overcrowding in zoos or the pet trade. We got to walk through the large reserve and even found ourselves quite close to many of the monkeys. At one point we walked across a long, somewhat rickety, rope bridge, on which many monkeys swung.

The singular ape at Monkeyland, a Gibbon named Atlas

A Squirrel Monkey noshing on a peanut

We ended up in Nature’s Valley at a backpackers called Wild Spirit, which could definitely be classified as a haven for hippies. They had a much greater emphasis on recycling than any place I’ve been to yet in SA. Our whole group stayed in the “family” suite, with all 9 of us sharing one big room with a nice balcony. The view from Wild Spirit's "Eye"

Monday was a day of adventure, starting with bungee jumping at Bloukrans Bridge, the highest commercial jump in the world. One of the scariest parts was actually the walk to the spot where we jumped, because the path is questionably sound and you can see through it down, down, down below. Once we got to the jump location, they started blasting music, which was effective in calming me down. After trying to delay by asking a multitude of safety questions, I found myself, feet bound, toes hanging over the edge and looking down into the huge gorge. Just imagining it makes my stomach do some cartwheels, but once I began to fall it was amazing and certainly worth all the nerves.

Bloukrans Bridge, we jumped off right at the middle

Me, hoping to feel the resistance of the bungee soon...

Next we were on to zip-lining at Tsitsikamma Adventure Park, which our guidebook deceiving deemed for “adrenaline junkies.” Perhaps going directly after bungee jumping made this activity doomed to fall short of my expectations. It was definitely fun, though, and the views as we zig zagged across waterfalls were quite nice.

Levi zipping down one of the slides

We ended up back at Wild Spirit on a mini hike to a waterfall close by (waterfalls seem to be a theme to the trip…) We came back to venture to the costume closet in order to properly dress for the evening’s event- a Midsummer Night’s Dream themed wedding being held at the Wild Spirit that all guests were invited to attend. We gave our best shot at this theme, incorporating leaves and flowers as best as possible, but were certainly shown up by other attendees in fairy wings and pointed ears. We even spoke to the groom, who revealed that he and his wife were actually married eight years ago, although they never signed any legal papers, at a wedding that was apparently more unconventional than this one. It was a beautiful and entertaining evening that I’m sure I will not forget.

Stine and Tom

Kevin and me (note those serious wings in the background)

Wild Spirit's nightly fire show

Tuesday we drove home along the N2, stopping at the Botlierskop game reserve on the way. From a massive, open safari vehicle, we got to see zebras, giraffes, lions, elephants, rhinos, kudu, and more. It was quite amazing to see them all, but since it was a sanctuary, the place felt more like a glorified zoo. We trekked on home, stopping once for pizza and gas, finally back to Rondebosch before midnight.

Lion yawning at us

Mixed race Impala group, including the rare Black Impala

While I have never been compelled to share my life story online, recent coaxing from fellow study abroaders and the realization that communication while abroad can be complicated, I am officially delving into the blogosphere.

It is hard to believe that it is just over two weeks since I left Buffalo. So far, Cape Town has felt quite similar, but also different, compared to the impression I had when I left after a six week trip this past summer.

I suppose it is best to start from the beginning. Traveling with Kevin, I left home Monday, January 23^rd, and arrived in Cape Town on the 24^th. Aside from a lack of comfort and sleep, the voyage went quite well. The longest leg, 14.5 hours between JFK and Johannesburg, was as exhausting as expected, but chock full of movies and food. Kevin and I split at Cape Town’s airport as I ventured off with my study abroad program, CIEE, to the Graca Machel dorms at the University of Cape Town.

The rest of the week we were inundated with orientation activities. Wednesday, after talks about safety and rules, we trekked around Cape Town, seeing this spellbinding, seagull-loving woman at the V & A waterfront...

That evening, we were rewarded with a trip on the cable car up Table Mountain. Not knowing how I’d feel after having ventured up once before, my amazement with Cape Town was reaffirmed as the stunning views managed to take my breath away once again (pictures below).

Thursday we learned about various service organizations we can get involved in during our time here. CIEE attempted to drain us of all energy via the “Amazing Race” around UCT’s campus. With a slightly enhanced knowledge of campus, my team finished respectably by not being in last place. Friday we visited several service sites around Cape Town, all of which seemed quite interesting. While it is both exciting and overwhelming to have so many options, it is also harrowing to see why all of these organizations must exist. We ended the day with dinner at a restaurant called Moyo, which had delicious food and beautiful, although questionably authentic, African décor.

Moyo

Saturday we bid farewell to the dorms at Graca Machel and headed to our new digs. I am living in Rondebosch, in a 30 person “house” that really consists of three connected houses. The house has a modern feel, everyone has singles, and it is close to many restaurants, grocery stores and to campus. Kevin and I tried to go for a run up to Rhodes’ memorial, which proved too steep to classify as a run, but afforded a great exercise nonetheless. My house came together for an evening braai (a barbecue!) with plenty of scrumptious food and mingling.

Braai preparations and food

Handed off from CIEE, my orientation withdrawal symptoms quickly subsided as UCT orientation began. Sunday we went on a tour of the Cape Peninsula, seeing penguins, experiencing the hospitality of a community called Ocean View for lunch and entertainment, and seeing the Cape of Good Hope. We snuck in some trips to the beach in the beginning of the week, taking the train to windy Muizenberg and venturing on minibus taxis to the beautiful beach at Camps Bay. Minibus taxis are large vans that wiz down the street, hollering at pedestrians to use their quite cheap, albeit cramped, method of transport. One night I enjoyed homemade pizza with Kevin’s housemates and went to play pool at “Pig and Swizzle” a bar quite close to my house that is approximately as classy as its name suggests.

Kevin and me at Camps Bay

Penguins at Boulders Beach in Simon's Town

The end of the week consisted of meetings to learn how to preregister and register, and then learning how to entertain oneself during massive lines during actual preregistration and registration. I got an idea of how enormous the student body at UCT is at the “Freshers’ Braai” for all new freshmen and international students, which filled up an entire rugby field.

Shaky planning led to an amazing trip on part of the garden route, beginning last Saturday, and getting back Tuesday night. This post is overwhelmingly long, so I will work to catch up in the near future on the trip!