I already ranted about the White people (The Afrikaner) here, but I haven’t really discussed the Black people. Things aren’t all great.
Black students at the university that I meet are very nice to me. They like to talk about Black issues and chill. We just sit around and have a great time. However, I find that Black people who aren’t students ARE RUDE! They are completely rude to me. Anytime I go to like a store and there is a Black person working there, they are usually mean to me in some kind of way. They will not help me. They snap and/or whistle at me if I go the wrong way and/or they want to get my attention. I’m not a DOG! Usually, it’s just the women. Any Black woman knows when another Black woman is getting an attitude with her. It’s like a 6th sense… and I can tell when they are purposely being impolite. Also, if a white person is in the store, they will completely ignore me and help the White person. They stare, and sometimes I feel like they are following me through the store. Not everyone is like this, but more than often they are.
The men are usually trying to get with me. They whistle and make kissing noises. But, it’s the women that kind of hurt my feelings, because as Black women, we share the heaviest load, experiencing racism and sexism (and also classism). I wanted to bridge a gap, and instead, I discovered an even bigger gap.
My friend Brittney said it’s more about classism. When they look at me, they can tell I have money. When they hear me talk and hear that I am from America, they think I am rich. I’m unfamiliar to them. Because I am not poor… and I don’t speak the language, I’m not Black to them. These little girls at Kayamandi were talking about my friend Cassie, who is like darker than I am. The teacher told Cassie that they were trying to figure out whether Cassie was Black or White because she didn’t speak Xhosa. If you or I looked at Cassie, she’s obviously Black, but here being Black is more than just a skin tone.
I guess I can understand why they aren’t nice to me (I am different), but I don’t understand why they have to be rude to me. It just makes me think about us… “African-Americans” … We aren’t African. We aren’t American. Like.. the term “African-American” seems like it was meant to bridge a gap between the two worlds. In a sense.. we are a bridge between Africa and America. The term suggests that we are supposed to be both. But often, I feel like it’s a lonely word. We’re neither completely African nor completely American.
The other day, when I was waiting for my train in Johannesburg (a trip I will talk about in another post) back to Stellenbosch, this drunk, older, African guy gets off of the cheaper train speaking in Xhosa. He says something to this White Afrikaner lady sitting next to me, and she just ignores him. Then, he starts saying something to me as he’s walking away. I didn’t want to be rude, so I simply said, “I’m sorry, I don’t speak Xhosa.” He was like, “You don’t speak Xhosa?!” Then, he started saying more things in Xhosa.. and then told me that I had forgotten my roots.
Now, this could have been a real Sankofa moment. In the past, I probably would have felt he was right. I still think that part of every Black American that comes to Africa, goes to reclaim some part of their identity. But, the truth is, that belittles Africa; Africa hasn’t just been put on pause for hundreds of years. It’s changed. The “authentic” Africa, an Africa untouched by the West like in the movie Roots, doesn’t really exist anymore. Anyone coming here looking for that will be a little disappointed.
And the whole idea of Africa being the roots of Black people in America. This is true, but the institution of slavery was so unique, especially in America. You have many generations of slaves that were forced to forget their customs in efforts to weaken their souls. Also, you just have the process of natural assimilation. I’m not saying that all Black people in America have forgotten their pasts; it’s just that… it’s really hard to remember with so many things working against you. Plus, now coming to South Africa, it seems that people here have forgotten their pasts! Now, if some people in Africa have forgotten their past, how can they expect people abroad to remember?
It’s this idea of roots. It bothers me. Yes, my roots are in Africa… but in America, WE ARE ALL MIXED UP. We got “roots” in Europe, Africa, America (Native American), Asia… Black Americans have all kinds of blood in us. That’s just the truth of the matter. As much as it seems that White people (and Black people) try to only give Black people African ancestry, we have all kinds of ancestry. So… it’s just like… If I were to really sit down and learn the language of all my roots, I’d be learning like 20 different languages. That’s ridiculous.
So, I basically didn’t pay that drunk guy any attention. And, a few other Black people waiting for the train said, “I wish he’d shut-up and go away,” which also reassured me to not take him seriously.
It’s just like… Black people here don’t see me as truly Black, and using their definition, they are right. I am a Black American. My roots are here in Africa and on other continents as well. I’ve lived a different life than most Black people here in South Africa; we share the same burdens that come along with our skin tone, but we’ve experienced them in different environments. Black people in America have taken our African roots, our other roots, and our environment and created a completely different culture. As much as I want to truly connect with the Black people here, that’s just the fact of the matter.
Showing posts with label stellenbosch. Show all posts
Showing posts with label stellenbosch. Show all posts
Men and the Club Scene
I guess I haven’t been fair to the men here in my past posts. The men that are usually disrespectful to me are the poor men and the construction workers. The male students and guys that I meet are actually really conservative acting and nice. I meet many guys at the club we like to go to called Lush! They love us really. We know the club owner Dylan. He always lets us in free, takes our coats and makes sure they are safe, and gives us free drinks. He is really sweet. I think we have a pretty good buzz going there too. We’re the Black American girls that come and dance and get “crunk! “ The guys aren’t touching all over me or being disrespectful. They don’t grind… they usually dance with a girl face to face doing little moves and stuff. They are really nice.
However, there has been a few creepers. There was this one guy who was pretty nice looking or whatever, but he was all in my grill. I HATE BEING SMOTHERED BY ANYONE. Ugh.. it gets on my nerves. He was all over me… rubbing my leg, not in a sexual way either. He was rubbing my leg like we had been dating for years… in a caring, familiar way. It creeped me completely out. I ducked and dodged my way away from him. And, when I was dancing on the speakers (you know I have to be seen!), here he come trying to get a dance. He was like “Come down here and dance with me!” I was like, “Nah.. this my jam!” Hahaha… I played it off real well I suppose. But, he was definitely a creepy one. I saw him looking for me all night.
Then, there was this guy the other day who picked me up and drove me home when I was walking home with groceries. He seemed real nice until we got closer to the dorm. He was trying to get my number and set up a date. I gave him my number, because in South Africa, you can’t give people the wrong number. THEY CALL YOU RIGHT THEN AND THERE AND MAKE SURE YOU GAVE THEM THE RIGHT NUMBER! So, basically.. he’s called my phone at least six times in two days. Ugh…
But like I was saying, most of the guys are really nice and respectful. Here’s the thing about students and wealthier men here. They can D-R-E-S-S dress! They dress a little too good for my tastes. And, they LOVE LOVE LOVE their jeans to be a little tight. Like… the one thing every guy must have is FLARED (yes bell-bottom-ish) LEVI JEANS! Those are the must-haves for any man here. They do look nice though, but it’s not my taste.
I don’t know if I’ve mentioned this about the club scene here, but it’s basically unofficially segregated. There are two Colored clubs and the rest are White clubs in Stellenbosch. There are no Black clubs here. Lush is a colored club. All the clubs play hip-hop for about an hour, then switch to something else. The biggest music here in South Africa, and apparently in Europe too, is house music, which basically, to me, sounds like techno music. It sucks! I’m getting used to it though, but I cannot stand listening to songs with absolutely no words. I still have fun when I go out though. I like to go to Cubana’s, this restaurant that has really good food and drinks. It’s like an open space, with music, and a nice lounge feel to it. We go to Cubana’s and eat (and/or drink, which I don’t do anymore) and then head to a club to dance. I really have a good time. I just like to dance and chill. I like to go out on Wednesday nights now. Like, Wednesday night is perfect! Lush is always packed and fun. I get to have my weekends to do other activities and do my homework instead of being too tired. And, we just have fun!
However, there has been a few creepers. There was this one guy who was pretty nice looking or whatever, but he was all in my grill. I HATE BEING SMOTHERED BY ANYONE. Ugh.. it gets on my nerves. He was all over me… rubbing my leg, not in a sexual way either. He was rubbing my leg like we had been dating for years… in a caring, familiar way. It creeped me completely out. I ducked and dodged my way away from him. And, when I was dancing on the speakers (you know I have to be seen!), here he come trying to get a dance. He was like “Come down here and dance with me!” I was like, “Nah.. this my jam!” Hahaha… I played it off real well I suppose. But, he was definitely a creepy one. I saw him looking for me all night.
Then, there was this guy the other day who picked me up and drove me home when I was walking home with groceries. He seemed real nice until we got closer to the dorm. He was trying to get my number and set up a date. I gave him my number, because in South Africa, you can’t give people the wrong number. THEY CALL YOU RIGHT THEN AND THERE AND MAKE SURE YOU GAVE THEM THE RIGHT NUMBER! So, basically.. he’s called my phone at least six times in two days. Ugh…
But like I was saying, most of the guys are really nice and respectful. Here’s the thing about students and wealthier men here. They can D-R-E-S-S dress! They dress a little too good for my tastes. And, they LOVE LOVE LOVE their jeans to be a little tight. Like… the one thing every guy must have is FLARED (yes bell-bottom-ish) LEVI JEANS! Those are the must-haves for any man here. They do look nice though, but it’s not my taste.
I don’t know if I’ve mentioned this about the club scene here, but it’s basically unofficially segregated. There are two Colored clubs and the rest are White clubs in Stellenbosch. There are no Black clubs here. Lush is a colored club. All the clubs play hip-hop for about an hour, then switch to something else. The biggest music here in South Africa, and apparently in Europe too, is house music, which basically, to me, sounds like techno music. It sucks! I’m getting used to it though, but I cannot stand listening to songs with absolutely no words. I still have fun when I go out though. I like to go to Cubana’s, this restaurant that has really good food and drinks. It’s like an open space, with music, and a nice lounge feel to it. We go to Cubana’s and eat (and/or drink, which I don’t do anymore) and then head to a club to dance. I really have a good time. I just like to dance and chill. I like to go out on Wednesday nights now. Like, Wednesday night is perfect! Lush is always packed and fun. I get to have my weekends to do other activities and do my homework instead of being too tired. And, we just have fun!
i love kristen kirksey!
I'm nearing in on my last month here in Stellenbosch, South Africa. I love South Africa. It's so beautiful here, and I know that one day, probably soon, I will be back here to vacation, live, learn, and aid the people here.
I am really looking foward to coming home though. Like, I am SO glad that my friend Kristen is studying abroad in the Dominican Republic too, because otherwise, I feel like NO ONE would understand where I was coming from right now. After talking with her, I felt so relieved that she was feeling the same way. I had to talk about it on the blog so that my family and friends can know exactly how I've been feeling. At first I wasn't going to write about it, because I know that people in my program look at my blog too and I didn't want it to be big deal or something. But, whatever. This is for my friends and family; I must be honest.
I MISS MY FAMILY. You guys are crazy, silly, and so supportive. I miss feeling cozy. I miss making fun of my momma with Greg until she makes both of us leave the room. I miss going to my dad's and Tomyra's house watching crazy movies that no one has ever heard of and playing PHASE 10! Thanksgiving will be really special for me this year; I am thankful to have you guys in my life.. although yall are crazy.
Missing my family has come natural. What I didn't expect to be so strong is my longing for my friends. I MISS YALL! Like so much. I cannot believe I am lucky enough to know these people! People here... I don't know how to explain it without it seeming negative. They are like my temporary friends. Like, I don't trust them that much. Not through any particular fault of their own, but I just can't trust people I barely know. And, sometimes I get the feeling that if you weren't there for the conversation, you were the conversation. I found myself talking about people behind their back, and I am just not like that at home. So, I kind of tried to stop doing that. I think I've been doing a pretty good job at it.
I was at first going over my friends' house like everyday. But, after Spring Break.. after doing so much and spending, what was probably, too much time around the same people, I took a good look at myself. I am just not the type of person to be following folks around like that. I am too independent. I'm usually the hermit crab. I first and foremost need my privacy. I don't like the whole world knowing what I am doing. When I would be alone in my room, it would be lonely, because I always had David to light up the room back in Nashville. But, now, all of a sudden in South Africa, I needed to be around people!!??
Uh.. no. That's just not me. So, since then, I haven't been going there as often (not at all really, and I guess I should have transitioned that better because some of the students there are like "WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN? WHAT'S WRONG?"). I've still been doing many activities, getting out and doing stuff everyday, and having fun with other people. I've met many South African students since then, and I really like it. It's amazing how much they know about America. I like going to my room at night and just chilling. At first, I was like spending the night over there and having to run back to my room and take a shower before class and doing all this stuff.. like ridiculous. Who was that girl?
What it is is when you get here, they stress being social and making friends. So, you get into "make friends immediately" mode. When, in my usual world, I don't care about other people like that! I really don't. I know who I am, and I know how I can be percieved. It's not that you need to tell me what you think about me... NO.. I know what you think. I'm not oblivious to what you think... I just don't care what people think about me. My close friends are the ones that can actually make me upset and hurt me or make me happy and cheer me up.
Like, I care about the friends I've made here. If they needed me I would try my best to be there for them, because I am not heartless or anything. I am Christian, and I try to do my best. I feel like when people have needed me (when they're sick, or drunk, or having troubles), I've been there. But, at the end of the day, I don't expect them to do the same things for me. The only thing I expect from them is to have a good time with me. That's it. We can go out... party... have a good time... hike.. shop... have lunch.... or whatever. But, at the end of the day, I know not to expect them to be a David Law or a Kristen Kirksey. There are a few people that I hope I can keep in contact with; they're cool people, and I learn a lot from them.
I feel SO GOOD since I've realized this stuff. I mean.. I feel like I've gained piece of mind. I don't know what I was thinking about before. I came in thinking we'd be getting matching tattoos and stuff and that I would have some kind of unbreakable bond or something with everyone. I was so naïve. I guess I do sort of share a bond with them; we've expierenced South Africa together. But, I am definitely not getting the tattoo! Hahaha.
I am really looking foward to coming home though. Like, I am SO glad that my friend Kristen is studying abroad in the Dominican Republic too, because otherwise, I feel like NO ONE would understand where I was coming from right now. After talking with her, I felt so relieved that she was feeling the same way. I had to talk about it on the blog so that my family and friends can know exactly how I've been feeling. At first I wasn't going to write about it, because I know that people in my program look at my blog too and I didn't want it to be big deal or something. But, whatever. This is for my friends and family; I must be honest.
I MISS MY FAMILY. You guys are crazy, silly, and so supportive. I miss feeling cozy. I miss making fun of my momma with Greg until she makes both of us leave the room. I miss going to my dad's and Tomyra's house watching crazy movies that no one has ever heard of and playing PHASE 10! Thanksgiving will be really special for me this year; I am thankful to have you guys in my life.. although yall are crazy.
Missing my family has come natural. What I didn't expect to be so strong is my longing for my friends. I MISS YALL! Like so much. I cannot believe I am lucky enough to know these people! People here... I don't know how to explain it without it seeming negative. They are like my temporary friends. Like, I don't trust them that much. Not through any particular fault of their own, but I just can't trust people I barely know. And, sometimes I get the feeling that if you weren't there for the conversation, you were the conversation. I found myself talking about people behind their back, and I am just not like that at home. So, I kind of tried to stop doing that. I think I've been doing a pretty good job at it.
I was at first going over my friends' house like everyday. But, after Spring Break.. after doing so much and spending, what was probably, too much time around the same people, I took a good look at myself. I am just not the type of person to be following folks around like that. I am too independent. I'm usually the hermit crab. I first and foremost need my privacy. I don't like the whole world knowing what I am doing. When I would be alone in my room, it would be lonely, because I always had David to light up the room back in Nashville. But, now, all of a sudden in South Africa, I needed to be around people!!??
Uh.. no. That's just not me. So, since then, I haven't been going there as often (not at all really, and I guess I should have transitioned that better because some of the students there are like "WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN? WHAT'S WRONG?"). I've still been doing many activities, getting out and doing stuff everyday, and having fun with other people. I've met many South African students since then, and I really like it. It's amazing how much they know about America. I like going to my room at night and just chilling. At first, I was like spending the night over there and having to run back to my room and take a shower before class and doing all this stuff.. like ridiculous. Who was that girl?
What it is is when you get here, they stress being social and making friends. So, you get into "make friends immediately" mode. When, in my usual world, I don't care about other people like that! I really don't. I know who I am, and I know how I can be percieved. It's not that you need to tell me what you think about me... NO.. I know what you think. I'm not oblivious to what you think... I just don't care what people think about me. My close friends are the ones that can actually make me upset and hurt me or make me happy and cheer me up.
Like, I care about the friends I've made here. If they needed me I would try my best to be there for them, because I am not heartless or anything. I am Christian, and I try to do my best. I feel like when people have needed me (when they're sick, or drunk, or having troubles), I've been there. But, at the end of the day, I don't expect them to do the same things for me. The only thing I expect from them is to have a good time with me. That's it. We can go out... party... have a good time... hike.. shop... have lunch.... or whatever. But, at the end of the day, I know not to expect them to be a David Law or a Kristen Kirksey. There are a few people that I hope I can keep in contact with; they're cool people, and I learn a lot from them.
I feel SO GOOD since I've realized this stuff. I mean.. I feel like I've gained piece of mind. I don't know what I was thinking about before. I came in thinking we'd be getting matching tattoos and stuff and that I would have some kind of unbreakable bond or something with everyone. I was so naïve. I guess I do sort of share a bond with them; we've expierenced South Africa together. But, I am definitely not getting the tattoo! Hahaha.
Bad Weather and Sore Throats
All of the students began getting sick. People have gotten everything from bronchitis to pink eye. This guy named Matt had to get surgery, because he had an absess in his throat and it had to be drained! So, when Maggie's throat began to hurt, I was worried. She went from firecracker to old maid in just a few days. Finally, I made her get out of bed and go to the doctor. It turned out she had a serious case of tonsilitis. However, the antibiotics she got from this doctor only worked for about a day. After two days, she was back to feeling bad. I mean, she couldn't swallow... talk.... laugh... it was too painful. So, she had to go to the emergency room. They gave her like SERIOUS antibiotics, and she's begining to feel better. At the same time I was trying to be play "doctor" to Maggie, Jayden came down with flu-like symptoms, and I myself began to feel a little sick.
I had to walk about 20-30 minutes with 2 heavy bags of groceries in the dark,rain, and cold from the grocery store, so when I began to feel sick, I wasn't surprised! I had already had a sinus infection weeks ago, so this wasn't the first time I had gotten sick, however, this time it was a little different. It felt like mucus from my nose was just dripping directly into my throat, and therefore, I had a sore throat. I couldn't blow my nose, because the mucus was so far back that it was basically already down my throat. Luckily, I brought Vapor Rub with me, so that stopped the mucus. I also bought some little over the counter medicine to help as well. My flatmate Lacey took care of me too. She gave me her last sleeping pills, when I couldn't go to sleep, and made me the most soothing cup of tea I ever had in my entire life. Now, I am hooked on tea.
The tea they have here is called Rooibos tea, and it is DELICIOUS. I am going to bring some back to America! It smells like cooking turnip greens or collard greens, but it tastes so good. I go to restaurants and order cups of tea now! Like, there's nothing better than drinking some Rooibos tea on a cold day.
Speaking of the weather, IT IS COLD AND HAS RAINED FOR TWO WEEKS STRAIGHT! I am not joking nor exaggerating. It seriously has rained for two weeks. Everyday.. rain! It's partially the reason why everyone has been getting sick. The weather has been just awful. It's hard to have a good day when the sky is gray.. and it's cold.. and wet. It's just been even harder not to be homesick. I miss the sunny skies of Tennessee!
I had to walk about 20-30 minutes with 2 heavy bags of groceries in the dark,rain, and cold from the grocery store, so when I began to feel sick, I wasn't surprised! I had already had a sinus infection weeks ago, so this wasn't the first time I had gotten sick, however, this time it was a little different. It felt like mucus from my nose was just dripping directly into my throat, and therefore, I had a sore throat. I couldn't blow my nose, because the mucus was so far back that it was basically already down my throat. Luckily, I brought Vapor Rub with me, so that stopped the mucus. I also bought some little over the counter medicine to help as well. My flatmate Lacey took care of me too. She gave me her last sleeping pills, when I couldn't go to sleep, and made me the most soothing cup of tea I ever had in my entire life. Now, I am hooked on tea.
The tea they have here is called Rooibos tea, and it is DELICIOUS. I am going to bring some back to America! It smells like cooking turnip greens or collard greens, but it tastes so good. I go to restaurants and order cups of tea now! Like, there's nothing better than drinking some Rooibos tea on a cold day.
Speaking of the weather, IT IS COLD AND HAS RAINED FOR TWO WEEKS STRAIGHT! I am not joking nor exaggerating. It seriously has rained for two weeks. Everyday.. rain! It's partially the reason why everyone has been getting sick. The weather has been just awful. It's hard to have a good day when the sky is gray.. and it's cold.. and wet. It's just been even harder not to be homesick. I miss the sunny skies of Tennessee!
home sick.
i know this is lame, but i am getting homesick. like, i feel like "i came... i saw... i expierenced... and now i am ready to go home."
things have reached a plateau. without all of the activities, i have gotten home sick. i miss familiarity. i miss seeing something funny, turning to arielle or david law, and not having to say a word because they saw it too. i miss truly knowing people and having them truly know me. i feel like everything i say and everything i do is being examined with a fine-toothed comb because everyone is trying to figure out who everyone is. it's driving me nuts. there is no way someone is going to truly know me in 4-5 months. just quit trying and have fun with me instead.
i hate school. i am just sick of learning things. i should have taken a break after highschool or something. i am just sick of the education enviornment. am i really supposed to remember all that stuff anyway?
i miss my family. i miss david, paige, and pam. i just miss things that are familiar.
things have reached a plateau. without all of the activities, i have gotten home sick. i miss familiarity. i miss seeing something funny, turning to arielle or david law, and not having to say a word because they saw it too. i miss truly knowing people and having them truly know me. i feel like everything i say and everything i do is being examined with a fine-toothed comb because everyone is trying to figure out who everyone is. it's driving me nuts. there is no way someone is going to truly know me in 4-5 months. just quit trying and have fun with me instead.
i hate school. i am just sick of learning things. i should have taken a break after highschool or something. i am just sick of the education enviornment. am i really supposed to remember all that stuff anyway?
i miss my family. i miss david, paige, and pam. i just miss things that are familiar.
Smoke, birds, and men (witty observations)
EVERYONE SMOKES! I mean...EVERYONE! All of my professors... all of the South African students.. EVERYONE! Just to get to class, I must walk through a cloud of cigarette smoke. I don't want to judge people who smoke. My dad smokes. It's just that I didn't expect for everyone to smoke. The students from other countries also smoke a lot too. I think that only in America has smoking become unfashionable. Anyway, I'm sure my lungs are brown just from being around all of these smokers.
The birds here do not chirp. They have rhythm. It is the funniest thing I've ever seen and heard. I remember learning in African Music class at Vanderbilt that in Uganda, one of the instruments they use there is meant to mimick the sound of a particular bird there. I believe that the reason Black people are so rhythmic and musical is because of the birds in Africa. Each bird seems to have its own song here, and I'm sure the Africans couldn't help but pick up on the birds' music. Although waking up to some bird literally singing every morning gets annoying, I know I will miss their songs when I am back in America.
African men are... (looking for a nice word).... aggressive. Not all of them and definitely not the educated ones. The ones that are working class are the ones that scare me. When I am walking, they always whistle, honk, make kissing sounds, etc. This one guy had to have broken his neck looking at me when he drove past. The other day, this guy says something in Xhosa, which he realized I didn't understand. Then he goes, "Hey baby!" (sounds like "aye bah-bee"). It's not that men in America don't do the same thing, but here it happens everyday. I've had whole truck loads of men kiss at me and stuff. Even when I feel like I am looking ugly, I still get harrassed. It's ridiculous and scary.
The birds here do not chirp. They have rhythm. It is the funniest thing I've ever seen and heard. I remember learning in African Music class at Vanderbilt that in Uganda, one of the instruments they use there is meant to mimick the sound of a particular bird there. I believe that the reason Black people are so rhythmic and musical is because of the birds in Africa. Each bird seems to have its own song here, and I'm sure the Africans couldn't help but pick up on the birds' music. Although waking up to some bird literally singing every morning gets annoying, I know I will miss their songs when I am back in America.
African men are... (looking for a nice word).... aggressive. Not all of them and definitely not the educated ones. The ones that are working class are the ones that scare me. When I am walking, they always whistle, honk, make kissing sounds, etc. This one guy had to have broken his neck looking at me when he drove past. The other day, this guy says something in Xhosa, which he realized I didn't understand. Then he goes, "Hey baby!" (sounds like "aye bah-bee"). It's not that men in America don't do the same thing, but here it happens everyday. I've had whole truck loads of men kiss at me and stuff. Even when I feel like I am looking ugly, I still get harrassed. It's ridiculous and scary.
Oh Stellenbosch...
Things are becoming a routine and time is starting to speed up a bit, which is good.
Classes are pretty good. They are kind of depressing though. All of them deal with Apartheid in some way. The only class that doesn't deal with Apartheid is my Photography class, but it still makes me depressed. For one thing, this class is not on campus. It is located across town, so I have to catch a van at 9:30 a.m. in order to get there. If I am late for the van, I miss the class. The second reason why I don't like this class is because I don't have a professional camera. I can't do the projects right, because my camera does not do all the things she asks for. It makes me mad because I usually like to try my best on things... and with this camera, I am not able to do all the things she tells us to do. The last reason why this class sucks is because the teacher is boring. She has to talk for 3 hours about photography. I learn stuff, but it's not terribly interesting. The class is just too early and too long. But, Josiah does not want to be the only Black person in the class for some reason, so he has convinced me to stick with it.
My schedule is like this...
Monday - South Africa and the Literary Imagination (9-11:50 but he always ends early)
Tuesday - Three African Women Writers (2-5)
Wednesday - An Overview of South African History (2-5)
Thursday - Social and Economic Problems in Africa and South Africa (2-5)
Friday - Photography (catch van at 9:30 and class is from 10-1)
I have a little problem with all of my classes except one. In "Three African Women Writers," the professor is a little too excited about the class and has way too many requirements. In the history class, the professor goes off-topic the entire time. The "Social and Economic Problems..." class would be perfect if it was smaller, but there are like 40-50 people in it, which is not condusive for discussions. And, I've already vented about Photography class. The only class that I really enjoy is "South Africa and the Literary Imagination," where I get to not only read good stories, but talk about South African politics and culture at the same time. I really like the class.
I must confess... I eat McDonald's like every other day. It's not that I don't like the food here. The food here is really good. I eat at McDonald's for the same reason I ate at McDonald's at home... because it's cheap and fast! I also eat at this place called Debonair's often. They have some of the best pizza I've ever tasted! There is this one place called The Hungry Lion, which is similar to Church's Chicken in America... the chicken is greasy and the prices are way too cheap. They don't have biscuits though. They don't have biscuits ANYWHERE in Stellenbosch. There is a KFC here, and it doesn't even have biscuits! When I'm not trying to eat cheap... I enjoy rice and chicken curry, pancakes (they are really more like crapes), sushi, bacon-banana-cheese toasted sandwiches, pastries with some kind of meat (or possibly bean) paste in the middle and all kinds of other items. I'm glad I am not allergic to eggs anymore, because every restaurant seems to serve omelettes all day here.There are many deli's and restaurants in town. I hope I will get to try them all.
The one thing I miss about home is the food! I MISS TACO BELL! I MISS CHINA GARDEN! I miss going to Cracker Barrel or Herman's with my dad and step-mom after church. I miss going to Red Lobster (Jasmine has an expensive taste in food) or Chili's with my momma. I miss Moe's burritoes... and cheap, salty popcorn from Target. I miss going to Ci Ci's Pizza with David. I get home a few days before Thanksgiving.. and between then and Thanksgiving, I plan on gaining at least 10 pounds. And, on Thanksgiving day, I plan on gaining another 10 pounds. Before I left the U.S., my pants were getting a little harder to get over my thighs. Now, they are loose and I'm already having a hard time keeping them on my hips. I need to buy a belt!
My friends' still like to go out partying too much. As a matter of fact, the whole school seems to go partying too much. They start partying here on Wednesdays, and they keep partying every night until Sunday. Everyone here is really social. So, people just go to bars and pubs to socialize and drink beer. Stellenbosch is a small town though, so the party scene is not that good, especially for anyone looking for a hip-hop club to dance in. All the good hip-hop clubs are in Capetown.
But, I do hear many cars blasting hip-hop music, and it's never a Black person driving the car either. It's always some White guy or girl blasting hip-hop music. Every store I've been into plays music too. Not that calm, elevator type music we play in America. They play real music. It's no thing to be at a grocery store and hear some Mary J. Blige or something. It's crazy. Also, people are big into techno music, and I can't understand why. We went to this one club and they were playing techno music... it was awful. And, people were actually trying to dance to it. Like.. they were bouncing up and down! It was funny.
I think I already mentioned how important wine is in South Africa, but let me just repeat that. WINE IS VERY IMPORTANT IN SOUTH AFRICA. Not only does everyone drink it and every restaurant sell it, but it's important to the South African economy. We went to the Wine Festival. There had to be over a hundred wine estates there giving out free samples of their wine. There were also people giving out samples of cheese, chocolate, jams, and other things. Now... I am NOT a drinker. I have a really low-tolerance level, and it doesn't take much for me to get drunk. Basically, I got drunk at the wine festival from all the glasses of wine! Everyone was making fun of me too because I got drunk off of wine! I can't help it.. I don't usually drink.
But hey, now I know that I cannot just drink wine lots of wine. Hahaha.. that's a good lesson to learn.
Classes are pretty good. They are kind of depressing though. All of them deal with Apartheid in some way. The only class that doesn't deal with Apartheid is my Photography class, but it still makes me depressed. For one thing, this class is not on campus. It is located across town, so I have to catch a van at 9:30 a.m. in order to get there. If I am late for the van, I miss the class. The second reason why I don't like this class is because I don't have a professional camera. I can't do the projects right, because my camera does not do all the things she asks for. It makes me mad because I usually like to try my best on things... and with this camera, I am not able to do all the things she tells us to do. The last reason why this class sucks is because the teacher is boring. She has to talk for 3 hours about photography. I learn stuff, but it's not terribly interesting. The class is just too early and too long. But, Josiah does not want to be the only Black person in the class for some reason, so he has convinced me to stick with it.
My schedule is like this...
Monday - South Africa and the Literary Imagination (9-11:50 but he always ends early)
Tuesday - Three African Women Writers (2-5)
Wednesday - An Overview of South African History (2-5)
Thursday - Social and Economic Problems in Africa and South Africa (2-5)
Friday - Photography (catch van at 9:30 and class is from 10-1)
I have a little problem with all of my classes except one. In "Three African Women Writers," the professor is a little too excited about the class and has way too many requirements. In the history class, the professor goes off-topic the entire time. The "Social and Economic Problems..." class would be perfect if it was smaller, but there are like 40-50 people in it, which is not condusive for discussions. And, I've already vented about Photography class. The only class that I really enjoy is "South Africa and the Literary Imagination," where I get to not only read good stories, but talk about South African politics and culture at the same time. I really like the class.
I must confess... I eat McDonald's like every other day. It's not that I don't like the food here. The food here is really good. I eat at McDonald's for the same reason I ate at McDonald's at home... because it's cheap and fast! I also eat at this place called Debonair's often. They have some of the best pizza I've ever tasted! There is this one place called The Hungry Lion, which is similar to Church's Chicken in America... the chicken is greasy and the prices are way too cheap. They don't have biscuits though. They don't have biscuits ANYWHERE in Stellenbosch. There is a KFC here, and it doesn't even have biscuits! When I'm not trying to eat cheap... I enjoy rice and chicken curry, pancakes (they are really more like crapes), sushi, bacon-banana-cheese toasted sandwiches, pastries with some kind of meat (or possibly bean) paste in the middle and all kinds of other items. I'm glad I am not allergic to eggs anymore, because every restaurant seems to serve omelettes all day here.There are many deli's and restaurants in town. I hope I will get to try them all.
The one thing I miss about home is the food! I MISS TACO BELL! I MISS CHINA GARDEN! I miss going to Cracker Barrel or Herman's with my dad and step-mom after church. I miss going to Red Lobster (Jasmine has an expensive taste in food) or Chili's with my momma. I miss Moe's burritoes... and cheap, salty popcorn from Target. I miss going to Ci Ci's Pizza with David. I get home a few days before Thanksgiving.. and between then and Thanksgiving, I plan on gaining at least 10 pounds. And, on Thanksgiving day, I plan on gaining another 10 pounds. Before I left the U.S., my pants were getting a little harder to get over my thighs. Now, they are loose and I'm already having a hard time keeping them on my hips. I need to buy a belt!
My friends' still like to go out partying too much. As a matter of fact, the whole school seems to go partying too much. They start partying here on Wednesdays, and they keep partying every night until Sunday. Everyone here is really social. So, people just go to bars and pubs to socialize and drink beer. Stellenbosch is a small town though, so the party scene is not that good, especially for anyone looking for a hip-hop club to dance in. All the good hip-hop clubs are in Capetown.
But, I do hear many cars blasting hip-hop music, and it's never a Black person driving the car either. It's always some White guy or girl blasting hip-hop music. Every store I've been into plays music too. Not that calm, elevator type music we play in America. They play real music. It's no thing to be at a grocery store and hear some Mary J. Blige or something. It's crazy. Also, people are big into techno music, and I can't understand why. We went to this one club and they were playing techno music... it was awful. And, people were actually trying to dance to it. Like.. they were bouncing up and down! It was funny.
I think I already mentioned how important wine is in South Africa, but let me just repeat that. WINE IS VERY IMPORTANT IN SOUTH AFRICA. Not only does everyone drink it and every restaurant sell it, but it's important to the South African economy. We went to the Wine Festival. There had to be over a hundred wine estates there giving out free samples of their wine. There were also people giving out samples of cheese, chocolate, jams, and other things. Now... I am NOT a drinker. I have a really low-tolerance level, and it doesn't take much for me to get drunk. Basically, I got drunk at the wine festival from all the glasses of wine! Everyone was making fun of me too because I got drunk off of wine! I can't help it.. I don't usually drink.
But hey, now I know that I cannot just drink wine lots of wine. Hahaha.. that's a good lesson to learn.
The first week
I've spent my first official week at Stellenbosch. I'm a little scared, because I swear it feels like a month. I feel like I've been here for a month!
I started classes. It's a little weird though. In America, most classes are Tuesday/Thursday or Monday/Wednesday/Friday. Here, all of my classes are once a week. So, I have one different class everyday! So, I hope, that leaves me with a lot of free time. I haven't met many South African students, but I hope to meet some soon.
The food in Stellenbosch is pretty good and cheap, but when I'm at the grocery store, I get a little nervous. I'm scared of the deli meats. Can I really buy ham that's laying next to something that says "tongue"? And, there is no such thing as beef hotdogs here.. at least, I didn't find any. They also have salsa, but don't sell tortilla chips. Milk lasts about 4 days here because it doesn't have any of the preservatives and stuff that our milk has in America. And, they're cereal selection is heartbreaking. All they have is Corn Flakes... Frosted Flakes (which are called Frosties, but still have Tony the Tiger on them), and an assortment of bran flakes.
The driving here is bad, but not as bad as in London. I do feel the danger of getting run over though. Everyone drives a stick shift, so they are more reluctant to stop, because it's a lot of work. Stop signs here seem to mean pause. I saw someone get in a wreck today! He was on a motorcycle and nipped the front of a truck. He flew off his bike, but luckily, he was wearing a helmet. He seemed fine, but it was just scary. South Africa has the most automobile deaths in the world... mostly due to drunk driving. I will not be getting behind the wheel anytime soon.
My friends are partying way too much for me. We've partied 3 times already and it's barely been a week! Last night we went out and it seemed as if all of Stellenbosch was drunk! It was crazy. Tomorrow, we're off to the Cedarberg Mountains! Wish me luck!
I started classes. It's a little weird though. In America, most classes are Tuesday/Thursday or Monday/Wednesday/Friday. Here, all of my classes are once a week. So, I have one different class everyday! So, I hope, that leaves me with a lot of free time. I haven't met many South African students, but I hope to meet some soon.
The food in Stellenbosch is pretty good and cheap, but when I'm at the grocery store, I get a little nervous. I'm scared of the deli meats. Can I really buy ham that's laying next to something that says "tongue"? And, there is no such thing as beef hotdogs here.. at least, I didn't find any. They also have salsa, but don't sell tortilla chips. Milk lasts about 4 days here because it doesn't have any of the preservatives and stuff that our milk has in America. And, they're cereal selection is heartbreaking. All they have is Corn Flakes... Frosted Flakes (which are called Frosties, but still have Tony the Tiger on them), and an assortment of bran flakes.
The driving here is bad, but not as bad as in London. I do feel the danger of getting run over though. Everyone drives a stick shift, so they are more reluctant to stop, because it's a lot of work. Stop signs here seem to mean pause. I saw someone get in a wreck today! He was on a motorcycle and nipped the front of a truck. He flew off his bike, but luckily, he was wearing a helmet. He seemed fine, but it was just scary. South Africa has the most automobile deaths in the world... mostly due to drunk driving. I will not be getting behind the wheel anytime soon.
My friends are partying way too much for me. We've partied 3 times already and it's barely been a week! Last night we went out and it seemed as if all of Stellenbosch was drunk! It was crazy. Tomorrow, we're off to the Cedarberg Mountains! Wish me luck!
i'm here (PART 2 - South Africa)
Our plane arrived in Capetown, South Africa. I had a hard time falling asleep this time on the plane. British Airways has a lot of entertainment for their passengers on the planes, so I watched movies and cartoons the entire 11 hours flight.
After getting our luggage, we met Mike, the temporary director of the program, and we got on a bus that drove us from Capetown to Stellenbosch, where I'm staying. On our way to Stellenbosch, we saw townships, residential developments where during Apartheid Blacks were forced to live. These are those shack towns that you see on Feed the Children. THERE WERE MILES AND MILES OF THEM! They stretched the entire 30 minute drive from Capetown to Stellenbosch. I recorded it with my camera....
It was crazy. On one side of the highway, they government was renovating its airport. And on the other side, thousands were living in shacks.
There are mountains everywhere you turn! It's absolutely beautiful here. There are also many wineries. And, ALL the buildings are WHITE, including all the buildings on campus and all around town. The town is really clean.
After getting our luggage, we met Mike, the temporary director of the program, and we got on a bus that drove us from Capetown to Stellenbosch, where I'm staying. On our way to Stellenbosch, we saw townships, residential developments where during Apartheid Blacks were forced to live. These are those shack towns that you see on Feed the Children. THERE WERE MILES AND MILES OF THEM! They stretched the entire 30 minute drive from Capetown to Stellenbosch. I recorded it with my camera....
It was crazy. On one side of the highway, they government was renovating its airport. And on the other side, thousands were living in shacks.
The first thing I got excited about were the beautiful mountains that surround Stellenbosch.
There are mountains everywhere you turn! It's absolutely beautiful here. There are also many wineries. And, ALL the buildings are WHITE, including all the buildings on campus and all around town. The town is really clean.
The second thing I got excited about was the McDonalds! 
After seeing those townships, I needed to see something American! As soon as we got to Stellenbosch University, we were moved into our rooms. I thought I was going to ask Satcher to be my flatmate, but somehow, when it was time to choose flatmates, I ended up wit no partner. I felt a little bamboozled, you know? I was like, "Dang.. when did everyone ask somebody?" It felt like I had been left out of an under the table deal. This girl named Lacey didn't have a partner either so we decided to be together. I didn't know Lacey that well. The only thing I knew about her was that she was Mormon, so I was a little nervous about her. But now I am so GLAD she is my flatmate. She is so sweet and sassy. After the kind of sneaky roommate deal though, I decided it was a little too soon to be trying to really make friends here. Not everyone is a David Law, Arielle, or Kristen (my best friends). I kind of removed myself from that little situation.
Flats house 8 people. There is one big conference looking room that connects all the people in the flat to the main exit. However, each pair of people has their own little area with a kitchen (so that's 4 kitchens per flat). The only thing Lacey and I share is a kitchen. I have my own room and my own bathroom (for the first time in my entire life!). I usually go over to my friends' house. They are with my program too, but they were forced to live in a house because no one else wanted it. We were all wrong though. The house is the better option. The house is called the Hillbilly House, and it has a lot of rooms. Not only do the students on my program stay there, but also other foreign students stay there. There are students from Germany and Namibia. It's like my 2nd home, because I go over there everyday just to chill out. After the whole housing thing, I was a little hesitant to be friends with folks, but I really like the people who live in the Hillbilly House.
That's Jayden, Josiah, and Maggie. They all live in the Hillbilly House. I like em'. I'll try to get more detailed about Stellenbosch and my adventures in my next post. Until then, Buh BYE!
If you want to see more pictures of Stellenbosch, click here!
