We headed home and met our host mom, Daisy, who is exceptionally sweet. We were also introduced to some of the rest of the family, including energetic, four-year-old Cole, whose dad correctly told us would provide our weekend entertainment. Ocean View is situated on an upward sloping landscape, so a few of the houses higher up, including our family’s, actually do have a view of the ocean. For many, the name Ocean View is a mean irony, as those living in the area often came from places that truly did have ocean views. Their house has two stories and is quite nice, especially compared to other living arrangements around including project-like flats, which house many people in Ocean View.
My host family's home
Our host father worked very hard growing up and was in the Navy, which has a base quite nearby. I was confused by a picture on the wall of white Navy men in uniform, but Daisy pointed out our host father in the back, one of few coloured people at the time in a higher ranking position.
Our family explained some about what it was like to be forced to move to a new place. When they first moved in, the area was nearly empty, and they had no electricity and few resources. My host parents explained that they had to leave behind any belongings that could not fit on the truck that moved them, so they lost items in the move. They said that it was extremely hard for people to get to their jobs, which were now inconveniently far away. While some attempts by the government to compensate those who lost their land have been made, my family said that the monetary compensation was small and opportunities to return to the areas they came from are futile since these areas are now too expensive for them to afford. One thing that became clear, however, was that my host family has worked hard to move past this drastic change in their lives. They have amazing attitudes in the face of injustice, explaining that they are grateful for what they have and where they are now. I also learned more about how Apartheid and the ending of Apartheid was experienced by coloured people. There is a sense that during Apartheid, coloured people were not white enough, but now they are not dark enough. Some, including my host father, do not feel represented by the government today.
Saturday, we woke up to a huge breakfast that felt more like three breakfasts and went for a walk with Cole and our host father. We wandered around, seeing more of Ocean View and picking up lettuce for lunch. We got to see the internet café that our host brothers run. It has many computers and is quite nice inside. Bringing computers and internet access to people, especially students, seems really valuable to the community. Next, we had an enormous lunch. Daisy put an exceptional amount of time and effort into assuring that we were well-fed, showing how much she cared that we had a comfortable stay at her house. We went on another walk around, this time with our host mom, visiting several of her friends and family members. I noticed that people spend a lot more time outdoors and from our walks, it seemed as if our host family knows nearly everyone in Ocean View. It was really neat being welcomed into so many different homes and meeting more people. Everyone was so welcoming- even strangers on the street who knew by the color of our skin that we were visitors, said hello.
After a short nap and dinner, we went to the Multi-Purpose Centre in Ocean View with our host brother Jerome. On the way there we heard "I Will Always Love You" blasting from one of the flats- the people here seem to adore Whitney. At the Multi-Purpose Centre we saw ‘Ladylicious’, a trio of girls who sang and danced. Some of the people in the crowd were super enthused and I suspect that there isn’t a person in Ocean View that doesn’t love to dance. While it was not my favorite musical genre, it was fun to interact with everyone and to see so many people having fun.
View of Ocean View from the upper porch of my family's house
Sunday we played outside with Cole- we had a race down the street in which he was victorious. We continued our tradition of walking; our host father loves to go for walks every day, which could explain how he looks about ten years younger than he really is. We went to the home of a seamstress who is sewing our host father a new robe to wear in church. My host family’s Catholic faith is very important to them and I noticed that it played a big role their daily life and the positive way they often viewed the world.
Sunday lunch is quite a big thing to many people here, although all of our meals in Ocean View were incredible. After nearly begging, our host Mom finally let us help in the food preparations for our last meal, making it feel more like a family endeavor. We eventually had to say goodbye and made our way back to the high school to catch the bus back to another place called home (it is hard to keep track now- is home in Buffalo, Nashville, my house in Rondebosch?) I definitely hope to travel back to Ocean View at some point before I leave. Daisy tried to give us some cooking pointers, so I’d love to come back and try my hand at making the family a meal.
Our wonderful last meal (yes Dad, this plate has cabbage, beets and lentils!)
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