June 18-24, work and Allison's Birthday

So the week was usual and nothing exciting really happened throughout the week. I was feeling a bit under the weather for a few days but by the end of the week was ready as ever to celebrate Allison's birthday. Friday morning we woke up and of course I had to go greet Allison with a big "HAPPY BIRTHDAY". We decided to go back to Langa to pick up a few things that we wanted there the weekend before. On our way there our driver got lost. It was quite obvious he had been drinking a little so we think he may have just forgotten where it was. We ended up about 45 minutes away by the airport. All around us were the squatter camps, which had homes the size of a small bathroom. This was the moment for me. At this time I finally realized that this was all real, that people really lived this way here. The saddest part was that the camps went for MILES!!!!! I thought to myself, "this would never happen in America, ever." Although we have homeless people and people living on the streets, we don't have it to this extent. I've never felt so heartbroken, knowing that there were children raised in these camps that would never see the outside. I knew there was nothing I could do, so I just prayed. Maybe someday, someone would take these people out of their misery and give them the homes they deserved. (I was quite hopeful.) I knew that I just had to be grateful for what my family has provided for me, and after seeing all of that I definitely am grateful.

*I wasn't able to take a picture of the camps, but in all honesty I don't think it was something you would want to see. If you are really curious just go on Google and type in "squatter camps, cape town".

After our trip to Langa we headed home to take a nap before we went out for Allison's birthday dinner. We decided to go to this restaurant called TrenchTown Beer Garden for dinner, and boy was that a great decision. The restaurant was covered with a tent, somewhat like a circus, and it had a really fun atmosphere. Our waiter tried to convince us to get bubblegum tequila shots since it was Allison's birthday, but none of us seemed up to it. Instead we got some Miami Vices and ate chilli poppers (jalapeno peppers stuffed with feta and cream cheese than deep fried) and a mexican burgers, which were like tacos but on a burger. After dinner some of my roommates got milkshakes, and sure enough the waiter not only spiked Allison's milkshake, but made her a special blue drink for free. We then went home and spent the rest of the evening in quietly.

Saturday morning we woke up ready to explore. We first decided to go to Hout Bay, knowing there was a really cool market there that everyone had been telling us about. As we arrived to the Hout Bay Market we got a beautiful view of the mountains and the ocean. Of course we had to take plenty of pictures, but the wind was extremely cold so we didn't stay outside too long. The market was so cool, with little stands set up with many different items. I got this really beautiful wooden bowl, and a present for my sister since her birthday was coming up the next day. I also got a really cool necklace that had a pendant, which was carved out of stone. The pendant had a special meaning behind it: the sharing of knowledge and wisdom; that everyone is interconnected and in some way infinite. It was amazing to say the least. There were stands with all different types of foods, juices, and desserts. The tables were all family style and people were sitting next to people they didn't know. There was a band playing music in the corner for all of the people to listen to. I absolutely loved the feeling of this place, and although it was somewhat big, it felt homey and small. Allison and I got these delicious "paninis" for lunch. They used some type of oat or wheat and sprinkled it on top of cheese, chicken, and basil pesto. It tasted nothing like a panini but was a million times better. We also got samosas, of course I couldn't pass those up. After my delicious lunch I got some fresh juice, which had mango, pineapple, apple, carrot, and passionfruit in it. It was really really good and perfect instead of dessert. After hanging out at the market for a while we decided to walk down the street to the harbor. As we were walking over there we heard a loud siren go off, which I was told was the signal for a shark sighting. I sadly didn't get to see any sharks, but I did get to see some seals at the harbor. In fact, one very large, fat seal name Peterboy swam up to us while we were sitting on the edge by the water. One of the little boys at the harbor was feeding him fish, and compared to the little baby seal that swam up, Peterboy was HUGE!!!

Hout Bay

Harbor in Hout Bay

Peterboy

On our way back home our taxi driver decided to take us through Clifton to Camps Bay. Clifton is one of the richest places in South Africa, and is sadly somewhere I could only dream of living. All of the homes were huge and overlooking the Atlantic. The each had a lot of terraces and many windows (something my parents would have loved). We finally made it to Camps Bay and pulled up to this beautiful white sanded beach with massive rocks in the high tide. We walked out on the beach and took pictures of the beautiful mountains behind us known as the 12 Apostles. We climbed out on the rocks and watched as the waves crashed into the ones further out into the water. No matter how cold the weather is here, I can never get sick of the beautiful beaches. The all are so unique, each with their own character and beautiful views. We also drove past Sea Point, but it wasn't somewhere I think I would stop. The massives waves were perfect though for the drive past. Later on that evening there was a Springbok rugby match, so we went back to TrenchTown to watch it. We hung out for awhile and watched the game then headed back home for a girls night. As lame as we are, we had a super fun dance party in our kitchen with just the girls, and I tried to teach them how to bellydance (they tried to say the least, and were able to do some things haha).

12 Apostles

Camps Bay

Sunday morning we woke up to the boys making us french toast. I was getting pretty used to the idea of having breakfast made for me on the weekends. It was nice since Jenny and I made most of the dinners. Allison, Jenny, and I got ready for our big day at Waterfront and in the HELICOPTER!!! Allison's boyfriend was so sweet and bought her a helicopter ride was three people for her birthday. Lucky for me I was chosen to go with her. Matt and Boyd decided to come down to Waterfront with us and hang out while we went on our joy ride. We went to this super fancy restaurant for lunch and all got seafood. I got delicious yellowtail sushi and even tried my first mussel ever, which I have to say was absolutely delicious. Afterward, we rushed down to the helicopter pad so we wouldn't miss our flight. I had an absolute blast!!!! It was only a 30 minute flight but those thirty minutes were the best 30 minutes ever. The view from the air was beautiful and we got to see so many cool things, including our house. I got some really cool pictures too.

 

After the helicopter ride, we went back to Waterfront and got some gelato and walked over to The African Trading Post. When we got home we made mac and cheese and chocolate cake for Allison's birthday. We then watched Bridesmaids together which was a lot of fun. Monday was another day of class, and Jim had a man come in and speak to us about Cape Town Jazz. he told us some pretty interesting things and I learned more about Jazz than I ever knew. We stayed home for the rest of the evening so we could relax and we watched another movie, Water for Elephants (one of my favorites) to end the night.

xoxo,

Alexandra

June 17, District 6/Langa Tour

Monday morning we woke up early and were picked up at the house by our tour guide, Sally. We all piled into the van and made our way to District 6. We drove past an area where all of the houses were painted with vibrant colors. Theses houses were known as the slave homes. They were so beautiful and the streets were full of color. These were some of the first images that I saw on Google before coming to Cape Town, so I was excited to see them in person.

After stopping to see the colorful houses we headed to the District 6 museum. As we arrived at the museum I was surprised to see that District 6 was in the city (downtown area). I was expecting it to be in the middle of no where or by the townships. To give you a quick background on the District 6, it was an area in the downtown region where many colored (mixed race) people lived. The government designated it as a white area and told all of the colored people that they had 24 hours to evacuate from their homes. After all of the colored people were evacuated they destroyed and tore down the neighborhoods. The people were forced to move to the outskirt settlements and leave everything behind. The people created this museum as a rememberance of the area they lived in. The museum was beautiful and in an old church. It had pictures and items that were donated by the people who previously lived in these neighborhoods. The man who gave us the tour was a former citizen and told us many stories about the area. They were all very interesting but also very sad. After walking around the museum for awhile we went outside and got a tour of the District 6 area. They showed us the areas where homes and buildings used to be. Now it is just empty land with little remains of the buildings. In one of the fields there was a giant palm tree that they named the remembrance tree. It was most definitely an amazing experience and I learned so much while on the tour.

Map of District 6

Street signs from District 6

After we left District 6 we headed to Langa, the oldest township in Cape Town. We arrived at the community center at the entrance of Langa. That is where we met our tour guide which was one of the residents of Langa. He first brought us through the community center and introduced us to all of the projects that were there. The projects were designed to get the people and children out of the "dangers" in the community and give them something to focus on. The projects ranged from pottery and artwork to music and dancing. I bought several things for family and friends there especially since it was all so unique and beautiful. We left the community center and headed for the neighborhoods and housing. As soon as we stepped out of the bus all of the children ran up to us and were grabbing our hands. It was nice to feel so welcomed and loved by all of the kids. We got to walk around with the children and get an outside view of the homes. Then we got to go into one of the "homes". It was like one big house with a lot a bedrooms. These bedrooms were then turned into the homes and the living room was the common area for all of the people. You had to be in the home by 8:30 before theu closed and locked the door for the night. I guess this was a preventative measure to reduce crime. The bedrooms, or houses, had several beds to a room. The one we got to see had three small beds, a stove, all of the kitchens supplys, clothes, and there wasn't even glass over the window to keep them warm, just bars to protect them. It made me horrbily sad that people lived in these conditions. The saddest part was that these were actually nice and the squatter camps were ten times worse. We also got to see a home that was a bit nicer and had rooms, a bathroom, and a kitchen/living room. It was all extremely eye-opening.

Community Center

Pottery project

 

Later on we went to another part of the township to watch the children dance. All of the children in the neighborhood came out to either participate in the dancing or watch the dancing with us. The dancing was amazing. The boys did some sort of stomp routine with rubber boots on. The girls danced to drums. The vibe was extremely fun and all of the kids were having a blast. After they showed us their dances, they asked if we wanted to learn one. Allison, Jenny, and I (the brave ones) went up on the stage and got to learn one of the stomp routines. This was honestly one of the best things I have done since I have been here, especially since it gave me an insight into the art culture.

Below I have included some videos of the dancing. I hope you enjoy!!!!

 

 

We all then got back into the bus and drove through the township to a restaurant where we were eating a late lunch. The restaurant was in a home and when we walked in I was honestly shocked. It was absolutely beautiful! African art on the walls, white table cloths, wood floors, and much more. It was nothing like I expected it to be. We were fortunate enough to meet Sally's family (husband, son, daughter-in-law, and granddaughter Zola) and the foreign exchange students that were staying with her family. We first got to listen to some marimba music while we waited for the food to be set out. Finally we got to eat. The food was all homemade and absolutely delicious. I honestly can't really tell you what any of it was because I can't remember the African names. I do remember the name of the dessert though (malva pudding) because it was absolutely delicious. Malva Pudding is basically a sponge cake with a caramel sauce that has soaked into it and then it is placed in custard. Oh my Lord, it was my favorite sweet treat so far and I'm definitely making it when I get home. After dinner we got to learn how to do some African dancing, how to play the marimba instruments, and watch a play. It was so much fun and I hope I can go back before I go home. They made me, and I'm sure everyone else, feel like family. It was a wonderful experience and a true highlight of this trip!!!

xoxo,

Alexandra.

June 15-16, Fish Hoek and Long Street

Saturday we decided to sleep in and get a late start. Boyd made us girls breakfast: cheesy eggs, sausage, and toast. It was great to have breakfast made, because I don't even eat a breakfast like that at college. It made me really miss my family because they always make the BEST breakfast. We then decided that we were going to go to Fish Hoek for the day. We thought the best way to get there would be the train because a taxi would be too expensive. When we went to the train station, which is not even a ten minute walk from our house, I was expecting to pay around R100 for a return ticket. We got return tickets for R24 each, that's about $2.40. SO CHEAP! I honestly was shocked and decided I was going to be taking the train everywhere from now on. We got on the train and it looked almost like the rapids in Cleveland, but not as many seats. It was an interesting experience and I loved being able to see all of the different areas that the train passed. As we started to get closer to Fish Hoek the train began riding right along the coast. The view was absolutely spectacular and the beaches were beautiful!!! The sand was perfectly white and the water was so blue. There were a lot of people out surfing since it was such a nice day.

Jenny and I on the train

As we arrived in Fish Hoek we got off the train and headed for the beach. My first time seeing the Indian Ocean was perfect. The water was so blue, the sand was white, and the mountains with houses up the side was the cherry on top. It was everything I imagined it to be and more. The water of course was cold, but not nearly as cold as I expected it to be. We walked around and looked for shells, and watched snails wiggle their way into the sand. After hanging out at the beach for awhile we walked to one of the oceanfront restaurants and sat outside to eat. I just got something simple to eat that day (chicken sandwich) since I wasn't feeling too adventurous. We then decided that we were going to walk to Boyd's family friends' house. He told us that it was quite a walk, but I honestly was excited for it since I haven't exercised much. It ended up taking us quite a long time to walk their, but it was worth it. The Hudsons were so sweet and welcoming to us all and provided us with biscuits and tea. We talked about our adventures so far and what we were still looking forward to doing. After a long day, Erin Hudson and her boyfriend drove us back to the train station and we made our way home.

  

 

Sunday, we woke up and once again Boyd decided to make us all breakfast, but with Jenny's help. The pancakes were huge and absolutely delicious. After breakfast we relaxed for awhile and then did pilates, since Allison is an instructor. Chris and Matt finallly arrived home from their weekend on Table Mountain. After they freshened up and everyone got ready, we all went down to Long Street. We made the mistake of going on a Sunday, and forgot that everything was closed (also because Youth Day was Monday so most people took Sunday off as well). We went into the few shops that were open and I got a beautiful scarf. We then decided to get dinner and found a restaurant called The Diplomatic Bar and Restaurant. This time I chose to be adventurous. I got boerewor (sausage soaked in a warm tomato salsa) for an appetizer and lamb curry for dinner. The lamb curry was not the best of choice. I'm not really a lamb person, but I figured I would try it since it's popular in South Africa. The day was somewhat wasted, but we learned a valuable lesson: don't go shopping on Sundays.

xoxo,

Alexandra

June 14, Saartjie Baartman and Girl's Night

Friday finally rolled around and I was lucky enough to go to one of the other NGOs for the day. I decided to join Allison and Jenny for the day at Saartjie Baartman Centre for Women and Children. The day was already starting out good when I was able to go into work a little later than I normally do. When we got to the center we went into one of the rooms and I was able to meet some of the other interns that are working with Jenny and Allison. After realizing that we had nothing to do for the rest of the day, we decided to eat our leftover Chinese from the night before and watch Despicable Me with some of the boys. The boys were so cute and lovable but I was slightly afraid after hearing the stories Jenny had told me about getting peed on and the other intern getting pooped on (ew). Most of the staff was leaving early, so they told us we could leave around 12:30. It was nice to have a shortened day, and being at the center was a good experience. Our driver picked us up from work and decided to take the three of us to the University area. We went to this little cafe for lunch (even Jenny and I already ate) and smoothies. The smoothie that I got was super delicious and hydrating. We were fortunate enough to meet our driver's daughter who is a year younger than I am. She was super nice and the coolest thing about her is that she is going to school to be an opera singer. I've never heard of anyone doing anything like that before. She told us girls that she would take us out one night and show us a good time. I'm definitely holding her to that!

Later that evening we (the girls) decided we wanted to go do something, but we didn't really know what since it isn't too safe for women to be out at night without any men. We thought we could just walk to Station Road in Obs (Observatory) and get some dinner at Pancho's. We got all dressed up and did our hair and makeup. I did all of the other girls' makeup too, which was a lot of fun. We walked to Pancho's and all of the restaurants on the way looked empty so I was worried Pancho's would be too. I was completely wrong! It was absolutely packed and they actually have two seating times for Fridays so we only had about an hour to eat, which was plenty of enough time for me since I was starving.

We first ordered some strawberry margaritas. They were delicious and not too strong either which was perfect for me since I don't really ever drink. I've never seen anyone use sugar instead of salt around the rim of the glass though, so that was something new for me. We also ordered some chips and salsa (they don't bring them out for free like they do at the Mexican restaurants back home). We discovered that all of the food in the restaurant is homemade and the chips and salsa were so good, so I had high expectations for the main course. I went simple and ordered the D.I.Y. tacos. I made a GREAT decision. They gave me shredded beef which was soaked in some type of barbecue sauce and provided me with two salsas, avo as the call it (guacamole), sour cream, and all of the other expected toppings for tacos. I'm so happy I made the decision to get that and we have decided that we are going to have girls' night on Thursdays at Pancho's for the rest of the time we are here.

xoxo,

Alexandra

June 10-13, Advancement Academy and work week

Sorry about the late posts, but it's been a hectic week. I decided that I'm going to write about all of my work days in one post since I don't really do enough during the week other than work.

This past Monday we had class and walked around Observatory for awhile. After that I went to bed, knowing that I had two really big and long days ahead of me. On Tuesday and Wednesday, Boyd and I were participating in or NGO's Advancement Academy. It was a long two days but I learned so many things. On Tuesday, we arrived and heard some opening speeches. Afterward we participated in a masterclass on leadership in non-profits. Although I was not the CEO or director of a non-profit, I still was able to participate and learn a lot about leadership. I realized that most of the things I learned could be applied to anything in life, and I'm hoping that someday when I have a real job, that I could apply what I learned and be a leader myself. Throughout the day we attended several other speeches and of course, had amazing food. It was nice to have food provided for a day, that way I didn't have to go out and spend more money. During the academy, I met Sandra Ambrose. I was fortunate enough to hear Sandra's story and how she started her own non-profit. Sandra told me about her son and how he has a disability: this then became her inspiration when starting the NGO, The Disabled Children's Action Group (DICAG). Not only does Sandra's organization help children who are disabled, but they also offer advice and support for the families of the disabled child.

If you would like to see more on Sandra's organization, click below:
DICAG

The went by so fast and by the end I was exhausted and preparing for another long day. Wednesday was a little shorter than the first day, and the masterclass I attended was M&E, or Monitoring and Evaluation. It was definitely different than I expected it to be, but the "teacher" of the class (Dugan Fraser) was quite vibrant and had a lot of energy, which made the class extremely interesting. I learned a lot about non-profits, and honestly after that class I could probably start my own if I wanted to. The day came to an end, as well as the academy. I gained a lot of knowledge and made a lot of connections. I'm extremely happy that I got to participate in the Advancement Academy.

Thursday went by fast since it was just another day of work. I did not go out at all for most of the week because I was extremely tired for working and such. My weeks, most likely, will not be very exciting from here on out, but I'll definitely include all exciting things that I do.

xoxo,

Alexandra

June 9, Robben Island and Waterfront

I'm just going to warn my readers that this is going to be a pretty long post. It's hard to talk about Robben Island without going into the details and stories. It may get somewhat graphic, but I'm only describing the truth of what happened on the island.

Sunday morning we woke fairly early, around 7 am, so we could get to the harbor on time to catch the ferry to Robben Island. As we arrived to the harbor we walked over the the "entrance way" to Robben Island (where the ferry picked us up). We boarded the ferry and made our way to the island. Of course I started to feel sea sick while we were on the ferry, so I went to the outside part and let the fresh air hit my face. It made me feel a little better. On our way to the island we saw penguins, seals, and dolphins. No sharks though, sadly. As we reached the island I started to gain a feel of excitement but sadness at the same time. We walked to our bus that was going to take us on the first part of our tour, the driving tour. We made stops at all of the significant parts of the island. One of them was the limestone quarry, where Nelson Mandela was forced to work. Most of the men who worked there eventually became blind or had problems with their eyes because they had nothing to cover their eyes, which allowed the limestone to get in them. Nelson Mandela has sensitive eyes and has destroyed tear ducts, which restricted people from using flash photography around him. We also stopped at the smallest prison on the island, which was built to house one man. Robert Sobukwe, former leader of the PAC, was placed in a single man prison because the guards thought that Robert was good an provoking and instigating, and they were afraid he would influence the other prisoners. He died in his fifties.

Robert Sobukwe's prison

After seeing many sites on the island, we stopped for a quick break. We were able to get a perfect view of table mountain. The waves were crashing onto the rocks just below us and the the water was SO BLUE! It was beautiful, and what a shame that these prisoners kept on the island never got to see this beautiful water and view while in the prison.

 

Jenny and I

After going on the driving tour, we went into the maximum security prison, which is where Nelson Mandela was kept. The man who led our tour was actually one of the former prisoners in the maximum security prison on the island. The first room we went into was the first stop for most prisoners. There used to be bunk beds in rows across the entire room. That's where the prisoners spent most of their time, and later they were moved to single cells. The first set of single cells we came to had single pieces of paper hanging on the walls. On the paper was a story about one of the prisoners who stayed in that cell. The story I read was quite sad. The man, or boy I should say, was very young when he was sentenced to Robben Island. Part of his job at the prison was to fill a wheelbarrow with rocks and push it to the dump zone. The boy wasn't quite strong enough and could not push the wheelbarrow. The guards laughed at him and decided to punish him. They dug a pit in the ground and told him to get in it. they buried him up to his neck in dirt and sand. Only his head was sticking out of the ground. They then made the other men urinate on him. This helpless man was buried and could not move while these men tortured him. They then unburied him and put him in the wheelbarrow. They then sodomized him. I felt so sad and disgusted after reading this story. I didn't understand why such horrible things had to happen to people who were there because they were political prisoners, not criminals. Hearing these stories makes you truly appreciate the life that you have been given.

 

Former prisoner/tour guide

 

Throughout the next parts of the tour we got to see the courtyards and much more. The final part of the tour was Nelson Mandela's cell. I pushed my way up front so I would be able to get a good picture of it. It was so small. The bed was on the floor and there was barely anything in the rest of the cell. It amazes me still that this man lived in that tiny cell for so many years, and when he was finally released he had no anger toward the men who kept him there. You would have to be a wonderful person to forgive the men who tortured so many of the people in that prison.

Nelson Mandela's cell

Although the tour was very depressing, which in a sense it is meant to be; on the other hand, it was a great story, because in the end the men were released and it was like a story of triumph. For the last 10 minutes or so on the island we walked over to the penguin boardwalk. I got to see some super cute African Penguins which made my day less sad. On our way back to the mainland I got splashed by lots of sea water, mainly because the waves were kind of big. This British couple went to the front of the boat (near where we were sitting) and pretended to be Jack and Rose from The Titanic, where they stand on the edge of the boat with their arms out. It was super cute so I felt like I needed to mention it.

Penguin Boardwalk

Hard to see, but it's an African penguin

For the rest of our day we stayed at the harbor. We ate at a very American restaurant that had steak and burgers. We then decided to go shopping, yayyyy! We went to this store called The African Trading Post. They had some amazing stuff in this store. Everything in the store was made in Africa, and they had a whole section upstairs of huge statues and bowls and such that weren't even for sale. Everything was beautifully crafted and a lot was made out of ebony. I found some amazing things for my friends and family in this store. I'm extremely happy with my purchases to say the least. After that we went to a craft and wellness market. I thought it was kind of strange that they put crafts and wellness in the same place. A lot of the shops were really cool and most of the stuff was handmade. There was this one shop that had mosaic things like plates, bowls, crosses, and much more all made out of crushed ostrich egg. They were absolutely beautiful and the money went to the single mothers that made them. I thought it was an interesting business concept. Another thing that I saw there, that seems to be very popular down here, was carved ostrich eggs that are made into lights. They are soooo pretty, and if I can I definitely want to buy one to bring home.  After the market we headed over to the big ferris wheel by Waterfront Mall and listened to some live music that was being played there. Jenny and I ended up buying the CD. I let her keep it though since all I really wanted was the music on my computer (I don't really use CDs anymore). It was a marimba band, so the music was very cheerful and upbeat. All of my other roommates joined us a little later and we went and got ice cream, then watched the band some more.

After a long eventful day, full of a lot of different emotions, we headed home. I went to bed fairly early that night since the day wore me out. The week was about to begin so I definitely needed the rest.

xoxo,

Alexandra

June 8, Imhoff Farm

I'm sorry that I've been a little delayed with my blog posts. It's been hard to find time to write. The past few days have been crazy, so I'm now finally getting time to relax and just write about the past weekend. Thank you for being patient with me.

Saturday morning we all woke up and were struggling to decide what we were going to do. We knew there was so much we wanted to see but the weather was crappy and most of the things we wanted to do were outside. I made a list of all of the things I wanted to do before I leave and chose one off the list for Saturday. I decided on Imhoff Farm, which is a tiny area with little unique shops and restaurants that overlooked the moutains and ocean in the distance. There were some animals there and a lot of dirt so I guess that's why it's called a farm. We called the taxi to take us out there and on our way we had some beautiful views. There was one road that went up the side of the mountain. For the first time I honestly felt like I was going to have a panick attack as we climbed the mountain. It literally looked like we were going to go over the edge, and it was a straight drop to the bottom. I knew that I've always been afraid of heights, but this was the first time that I honestly felt very scared (maybe it was because I wasn't driving). After we got into the mountains we turned around a big curve and out of no where a pretty little rainbow popped up over a town. It was picturesque to say the least. The rainbow was right in between two mountains over a small city with the ocean in the background. It almost sounds unreal, but trust me it was as real as it gets.

If you look closely in the center, you can see the rainbow.


We finally reached Imhoff Farm. When we got there it was exactly what I expected. All of the stores were really unique and had a lot of local made products. I don't want to say too much about the stores though, because I got some things for my family there and I want them to be surprised. I did go into their main store though and bought myself some hot sauce. It's called "Black Mamba" and it comes from Swaziland. It sounded pretty interesting to me. For those of you who don't know me as well, I have a huge obsession with hot sauce and I've been finding some really cool kinds all over the place. (To my family...you better expect me to come home with a lot of it.) We went to dinner at this little restaurant called Blue Water Cafe. I got a pizza that had chorizo, pepperdews, peppers, and asparagus on it. For the millionth time, it was delicious! I feel like I'm getting repetetive when it comes to the food, but honestly I can't stop talking about how good it is.

After the farm we went home for a semi-relaxing night. It was a good, fun-filled day to say the least, but we needed to go to bed early for our busy Sunday that we had ahead of us.

xoxo,

Alexandra

June 7, Rose Memorial

Friday we woke up, went to work, and did the usual. At lunch, Boyd and I went to The Deli, which is where we went the first day of work for lunch. When I say that the food has gotten better each day that I have been here, I truly mean it. I got a chicken pie and it came with three different types of salad. The chicken pie was just like a pot pie but extremely fresh and filled with all kinds of vegetables. After work, our driver picked us up and decided to take us with him to go get everyone else. This would be my first time out in the townships. As we drove to pick up Jenny and Allison I got a feel of what the townships looked like from the outside. Kids were running everywhere and people were selling stuff in the middle and sides of the road. The homes were TINY and it was almost unbelievable that a whole huge family could live in them. There was trash everywhere and you could tell it just wasn't the ideal living situation by any means. We picked up the girls from their NGO and went on our way to pick up the other boys, Chris and Matt. Their NGO was in the middle of a township, so we got to drive through the township to pick them up. It was a different world inside. The houses were pilled on top of eachother with no yards and only dirt for the kids to play in. All of the people were so excited to see us, especially the women and children. They all waved and were extremely kind. It made me sad that such wonderful people have to live in such a horrible area.

After Chris and Matt arrived, we left and went on our way to get Jasmine. Her work was closer to our house so it was in a nicer area. After getting Jasmine, we dropped our stuff off and headed up the mountain a little to see the University and Rose Memorial. The University was absolutely beautiful! It reminded me of something I would see in the Mediterranean. The roofs were red and the buildings had large columns and red and green ivy growning on the walls. The view from the University was beautiful since it overlooked the city. It was so amazing that I honestly contemplated why I wasn't going there (I love UK way too much).

We headed up the mountain a little more and came to a park with paths that led all the way up to the top of the mountain. We walked over toward this big building and as we walked around the corner we came to the front of Rose Memorial. OH MY GOD! It was breathtaking. I will try to explain what I saw the best way I can but it's almost impossible, and pictures don't even do it justice. As you walk down the huge stone steps there are statues on either side of you. You are looking forward and see the amazing city. On one side is the Indian Ocean, and on the other, the Atlantic Ocean. There are mountains behind you and mountains far in the distance in front of you. The sky was as blue as could be. There was someone paragliding in the distance. It was picturesque and serenity. I have heard many people say that they think this Earth is Hell. Let me tell you, after looking at that I could never believe that theory. Whether you believe in God or not, this Earth is too beautiful to be anything other than a Heaven. I will forever have that image in my head and I hope that each one of you will someday be able to go stand at the edge of Rose Memorial and see what I saw.

After Rose Memorial our driver, Waldon, took us to a private club. The club was amazing of course, but I felt a little out of place in my jeans and sweater. We went to the bar and got some wine, then went back out to the courtyard to talk for awhile. Once it started to get dark we went into the restaurant for dinner. It's quite funny how the food seemed to be expensive for people who live in Cape Town, but a steak or burger was about R70-R80 which is like $7-$8, and delicious. Dinner left us exhausted and ready for a good nights sleep. We watched a few movies and went to bed, ready for our next day and to see what it would bring us.

xoxo,

Alexandra

June 5-6

Wednesday was my first real day of work! I was so excited to start working on things and to learn more about the organization I am working for. I had several induction meetings to get to know more about each department in the organization. For most of the morning I was in those meetings, but then I was able to meet with my supervisor and she gave me my first assignment. I was required to profile certain universities and people who work at the universities, who could be prospective speakers for and Alumni Relations Workshop. I started working on it for awhile than decided to take a lunch break. For lunch we went to this tiny little deli and got some of the best food since I've been here: a chicken and potato meat pie and curried beef and cabbage samosas. I can honestly say that for the past few days that I have been here, I have not had a single bad meal. I went back to work and began profiling some more. I had about four pages done by the end of the day, and right before I was about to leave I accidentally overwrote my entire work. I lost everything that I had worked on that day and needed to start from the beginning. I was pretty frustrated as you could imagine, especially since I thought I was doing pretty well on them. I decided that it was best if I just relaxed and worked on it a little when I got home, so I wouldn't have so much to do the next day. Later that day the rest of my roommates came home and we decided to go out. We heard that Wednesdays here are like the Thursdays in Lexington, so I was looking forward to a stress-free, fun night. We walked to Station Rd. in Observatory and decided to go to Obz Cafe for dinner. The food was amazing of course. They took a long time to bring us our bill, but honestly I didn't mind it. It was refreshing to just relax and talk after dinner, and not rush everywhere. I feel that Americans are always on the go, and do not really spend much quality time with one another. People here truly live in and for the moment, which is quite an experience for me.

After dinner we went to Stones, a billiards hall/bar. When we first got there it was pretty much empty. There were about four other groups of people playing pool, or billiards. After about two hours there were so many people there that it was hard to even play pool because people were in your way. I had an absolute blast!!!! It was the first time since I've been here that I actually felt at home. Everyone was friendly and all there just to have a good time. Chris, Jasmine, and I left earlier than the rest because we were exhausted and ready for a good nights sleep.

Thursday started out well. I already had done some of the work I had lost. Luckily I remembered where I got most of the information so it was easy to restart, and actually revise it and make it better. I actually learned quite a lot while doing the profiles. It was interesting to see what these universities have done to advance themselves further, which actually had a very positive effect on the environment and society. One of the universities launched a green project, where students, staff, alumni, and other corporates met at a location and planted over 10,000 indigenous trees. The people here seem to truly care about their environment, which they should. They environment they live in is so beautiful and full of life, to destroy it would be a shame.

Later on Boyd and our coworker Vivienne walked about 20 minutes from our office and went to lunch. We got Gatsby sandwiches, which are really popular down here. In case you're wondering, the sandwiches are basically a whole meal. They come in so many different kinds, but ours had lettuce, tomato, fried bologna, french fries, and peri peri sauce all on a sandwich bun. We walked back and saw all of the kids walking home in their uniforms. It reminded me of NDCL, my high school, a little. By the end of the work day, I was able to finish all of my work (10 pages, of which I'm very proud of).  We drove home and rested for awhile. The rest of the night we didn't do much but watch a movie and order Nando's! My favorite meal so far I'd have to say. It's just simple chicken, but it's soaked in your choice of sauce and absolutely delicious. No chicken in America can compare to this. If you ever get the chance to come to South Africa, you need to try it. Over the next few days I'll be going to the Aquarium and Robben Island, so look out for my posts on those exciting adventures!

xoxo,

Alexandra

June 3-4, first day of class and work

Yesterday was our first day of class. We met in our kitchen for class which was nice since I just had to roll out of bed. During class we talked about a lot of interesting things about South Africa including the history, politics, and the people of SA. We talked for a long time then decided to go get lunch in the downtown Observatory. We went to the market to get food and I ended up getting a sausage roll and a cornish, which was like a tiny pot pie in a calzone shaped flaky bread. DELICIOUS! Then we went back to grocery shop which was an overly complicated thing for seven people to do. Finally we came home and I made a delicious dinner for my fellow roomates: spaghetti noodles with zucchini, cherry tomatoes, kalamata olives, feta cheese, and greek dressing all mixed together. It was not a very busy day and we ended up staying in the rest of the night.

This morning I woke up extremely early, 6:30 a.m., compared to what I'm used too. We left for work at 8:30 and headed to my internship, Inyathelo. I was expecting to get started with all of my work today, but I guess they did not really have anything planned. I sat around on the computer, reading their website and going to little meetings for about five hours before I heard anything about what I was going to be doing. Finally I was able to talk to my supervisor who explained to me what I would be doing for the course of the internship. She told me I was going to be profiling prospective speakers and businesses to participate in the conferences at the institutions, but I don't really know what that means. I'm supposed to be learning more about that tomorrow, so I'll be able to let you all know then. Even though I didn't do any work, I met some wonderful people and learned all about philanthropy within the organization. I was able to watch a video about their philanthropy awards: every year Inyathelo holds an award ceremony for the philanthropies of NPOs. Over 100 people are nominated for their work, and only around 8-10 get an award. It was inspiring to see how one person could make such a huge impact on a community. I encourage you all to go watch some of these short videos on Inyathelo's website.

Video Gallery of Inyathelo Philanthropy Awardees

I had a very informing day to say the least. When I got home I walked into my room and smelled something really strange. I searched my entire room and could not find anything until I looked on to the bed. Sure enough, Delilah was not only nice enough to leave Matt a present, but nice enough to leave me one as well. She left a giant poop in the middle of my blanket!!!! I don't know what it is about this cat but she loves to leave disgusting presents. I should have closed my door. Poop on the bed once, shame on you. Poop on the bed twice, shame on me. I guess I learned my lesson.

A few hours later we decided to go to the grocery store again to get dinner. I got fried chicken (reminds me of Kentucky), salad, and couscous. Once again I made dinner for my roomies. They are always nice enough to help out or clean up afterwards. God love 'em! We just sat in the kitchen all night and talked politics, war, click languages, big murder cases, and the show "Locked Up Abroad". Pretty interesting stuff. It's always great being in a room with people who can debate (we must all be geniouses or something). After getting ready for bed and talking some more, our power went out. We are pretty sure we blew a fuse, but we ended up fixing it after about five minutes. The night started to go well again until Boyd, one of the house mates, made the wrong decision of putting the detergent straight into the washer instead of the tray that is meant to hold. Our washer overflowed and bubbles covered our kitchen floor. It seems that today was just not our day, even though we laughed each time something horrible happened. I'm hoping tomorrow will be better and filled with a lot more work and adventure. Stay well!

xoxo,

Alexandra

June 1-2, First weekend in Cape Town

I began my weekend on my flight to Cape Town. Yesterday morning I was on the plane during sunrise. I was fortunate enough to see one of the most beautiful sunrises that I ever witnessed. As the sun was coming up over the continent of Africa the sky turned all shades of pink and orange. The sky looked like a fire underneath a bed of dark purplish clouds. I couldn't have asked for a more beautiful view.

The rest of the flight did not go too well. The food they provided was extremely weird looking and I hesitated to eat it. After taking a few bites I realized that I should have gone with my first judgement. As we were landing in Cape Town we hit a lot of turbulence. The plane dropped and it felt like my stomach was going to come out of my mouth. The turbulence, mixed with the few bites of food I had, left me feeling extremely queezy. After getting sick a few times I felt much better. I arrived at the airport and got to customs. The men checking passports were not friendly at all and quite honestly I was extremely afraid that I would be questioned deeper. Luckily, they just stamped my passport and I moved on to meet Jim, my director. As Jim drove me to the hotel, where two of my fellow travelers, Chris and Jenny, were waiting I saw some very interesting things. My first sights of Cape Town were actually very sad ones. The homes were built out of pieces of cardboard and metal sheeting. They were the size of a half bath and potentially housed families. Further down the road Jim explained to me that the houses coming up were part of government housing. I was expecting to see decent homes built for the average family. What I saw was quite different. The homes were not much larger than the small shacks I saw before them and each home was probably not even five feet from the next. They actually had small shacks attached to them. I was told they would live in the shacks and rent out the homes to bigger families. This made me feel very fortunate to have what I have. I have been blessed with a beautiful home with a large yard, never having to worry about needing space.

I arrived at the hotel to meet Jenny and Chris. Jenny was kind enough to let me use her shower for the first time in a few days. I felt miserable still at this point, still feeling queezy from the food/plane ride and extremely exhausted. Jim told me not to take a nap because it would mess with the jet lag. So Jim took Jenny, Chris, and I to the harbor to explore for a few hours. On our way I got to see the city, which is extremely big and somewhat modern and trendy. Obviously with every beautiful part you get dirty and run down parts as well. Parts of the city were filthy but for the most part it was absolutely amazing. We sadly couldn't see the mountains which surround the whole city because of the low clouds, but we could see the ocean!

We arrived at Waterfront which is an extremely swanky shopping plaza. Since we were all starving we went to a restaurant called Primi. They sat us at a table which overlooked the ocean (rarely could you find a cheap restaurant with that view in the U.S.). The food was amazing: I had pizza which tasted straight from Italy. We walked around Waterfront for awhile and right before leaving we went outside in the horrible weather and got to see the harbor.

Waterfront

After the harbor we came back to the house and relaxed. The three of us sat in the kitchen (our living room) for seven hours just talking and watching youtube videos. For dinner we used this thing called Mr. Delivery. You can order food from any restaurant on their website and they will pick it up and bring it to you. We were able to get two huge burgers with fries, a slab of ribs with fries, and the delivery charge all for only R300 or $30. It was an awesome experience and the food was delicious. Later that night Jasmine arrived and soon after arrived we all went to bed. Jenny slept with me last night because we were both kind of afraid and extremely cold. Oh yeah, by the way our house is sooooooo cold and they have no heating here.


My bedroom

We woke up around 10 this morning when Allison arrived. We sat around a little and talked than got ready for our day. We waited for Boyd to arrive which was around 3 and then got a taxi to do some shopping!!!! We decided to go to Canal Walk which is a less expensive version of Waterfront and ate at Mugg and Bean. Jenny and I shared a Cobb salad that was delicious!!!!!!! After we ate we walked around to shop. In case you wanted to know the size of this mall, when it was first built it was the largest mall in the Southern Hemisphere. We went to a lot of different stores and got our essentials. I also found a really pretty carved hair stick with a butterfly on it. While buying things we noticed that we were getting charged for the bags. Recycling is really popular in South Africa so most places don't use bags. When we went to a store to get drinks we found huge jugs of water for $1 and wine for $3 (good wine too). Jim told us that you can get a reallyyyyy good bottle of wine for $10, little did we know that alcohol isn't sold on Sundays. We left to go home and the final member of our group, Matt, showed up. We couldn't get dinner since everything is closed on Sundays and we have no food in the house so we ate cereal and bread with peanut butter on it.

food court in Canal Walk (reminds me of Tokyo)

By the way I forgot to mention that we have a cat at our house. The people who lived here before us found the cat and forgot about her. Jenny, Chris, and I decided to name her Delilah. She is super cute and cries when she wants to go outside to go to the bathroom. When Matt got here he went to his room which was the last one left and sure enough Delilah left a present on his pillow. She took a MASSIVE poop on his pillow. What a great welcome gift for Matt haha.

Now I'm just sitting in our kitchen and talking with some of my roommates. Tomorrow is our first day of class so we are all going to get some rest tonight. Goeie Nag, or good night in Afrikaans.

xoxo,

Alexandra

P.S. - If you all would like to see more pictures you can go to the gallery tab.