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