My dear family and friends! Most of you know that I recently arrived in South Africa (safely and with minimal difficulties, praise God!) and will be here until late November utilizing DU’s fantastic study abroad program. It will probably be difficult to stay in touch with everyone individually, so I’m going to try my best to post my adventures here regularly so that anyone who wants to can stay updated. PLEASE keep sending me updates on your lives in the States, and know that I will be reading and loving them even if I don’t always respond! You can reach me by email, Facebook or Skype – keep in mind that I’m eight hours ahead of Colorado time! I also pay for internet by the megabyte, so even these will be more limited than at home. And before you ask, no, I did not get to go to any of the World Cup. I landed in Cape Town around the same time the final was starting in Johannesburg (where I had been earlier in the day – the airport was deserted), and I made it to my residence in time to watch the last few minutes on TV. I saw the goal, so that's all that really counts, right?
A little context (the next few paragraphs are a little textbookish, so I won’t be offended if you skip them): South Africa as a whole is very culturally and racially diverse. It has 11 official languages, the two most popular of which are English and Afrikaans, and almost everyone speaks at least one of the two. In fact, I have yet to interact with anyone who does not speak English, though it’s normal to walk down the street and hear tons of conversations I can’t understand. Most people are Black, White or Coloured (people who would be considered lighter-skinned Blacks in America but are actually a different race here), though other races are certainly present. Yes, these are all politically correct terms and it is ok to call someone “Coloured” if they are. After the apartheid was officially over in 1994, there was a country-wide healing process (the equivalent of which doesn’t seem to exist in post-segregation America). Although there are still distinct differences among the racial subcultures, the races are fairly well-integrated. Most people are incredibly open to talking about race and apartheid (unlike in the US) and are very friendly (much like in the US). On the plane from Johannesburg to Cape Town, I sat next to a Black Afrikaner who grew up in the northern part of South Africa and goes to university in Cape Town. He was very kind, curious about American culture, and excited to share South African culture, and we talked almost the entire flight about everything from our religion and favorite music to Nelson Mandela and Jacob Zuma.
I am staying in Stellenbosch, a smaller (and safer) town in the Western Cape. It is about a 40 minute drive or an hour train ride from Cape Town and is close to the beach. The drivers here are crazy, but there aren’t many cars on the road since people can and do walk everywhere they need to go. There are tons of shops and restaurants in the blocks around campus, and I’m slowly but surely learning my way around. Most of the restaurants have tables on the sidewalk that are popular at lunch time, and people in Stellenbosch like to enjoy the sun, walk slowly, and not worry too much about being on time (this is my kind of place!). Stellenbosch is known as the wine capitol of the Western Cape, which is internationally renowned for its wine; vineyards and wine tours are plentiful. The drinking age is 18, and alcohol is readily available and is a big (but well-controlled) part of the culture.
I’m studying at Stellenbosch University, one of the top universities in the country. At about 20,000 students, it is quite a bit bigger than DU, but it doesn’t really feel like it (granted, most of the students aren’t back from winter holiday yet). It used to be a solely Afrikaans-speaking university but has introduced English in more recent years and, as a result, has experienced a more diverse student population, including many students from abroad. The shift has created some tension, mostly because it will severely limit the opportunities for non-English-speaking Afrikaners should English become too dominant (Stellenbosch is one of the only Afrikaans-speaking universities). Today, each class is specified as being taught in Afrikaans, English, or a combination of both, and students can register for any of them.
I am doing a service-learning program in community development, and everyone who knows about it tells me it is a very good program. I am registered for four classes: Service Learning in Community Development (which will include about 60 hours of service at a sister organization), Economic and Developmental Problems in South Africa and Africa, Sociology: Politics and Cultural Change in Contemporary South Africa, and Afrikaans for Beginners. I guess it’s up to me to learn South African English on my own (I knew flat = apartment and holiday = vacation, but robot = stoplight?).
I’ll also be working on my undergraduate thesis while I’m here – hopefully a comparative study of some aspect of Catholic culture in South Africa versus in Colorado. There’s a Catholic Church close to campus which has Mass almost every day, so I’m excited to find it soon and get involved with the community, both for research and, more importantly, personal reasons. Christianity is popular here but is split among many denominations. Jaen, our program mentor says that there are many Christian churches and student chapels near campus, so I’m interested to see what kind of Christian/Catholic culture and groups exist on campus.
I’m settled into my new home in the international student and upperclassman residence. It’s one of several student residences in a gated and guarded community just across from campus and is very safe. I share a two bed/one bath flat with Sam, a wonderful girl from Washington State. She is studying English and was so sweet when she knocked on my door and found me bawling on my first night (turns out I’m not the only one). It has been so good to have her and the other American students as we learn the ins and outs of living in Stellenbosch, from figuring out banking, to blowing a circuit in our flat with our crazy American plugs and waiting hours for our electricity to come back, to buying more airtime for my phone (don’t call them minutes – they look at you like you’re insane). Oh, and the light switch for the bathroom is just outside the door, which I always forget until I’m actually in the bathroom.
It’s currently winter here in the Southern Hemisphere. Online it says it’s typically 40-60˚F in South Africa during winter, which doesn’t seem very cold to a Coloradoan. Well, it has been around 50˚F and I will be the first to admit that it is COLD here! It’s a heavy, wet kind of cold that sinks into your bones as soon as the sun starts to go down. I have been sleeping in full sweats and under about 100 pounds of blankets and still wake up in the middle of the night shivering (did I mention our flats aren’t heated?). I broke down and bought a little space heater for my room today, so hopefully tonight will go better. It does get quite warm during the day, though, and we have had no trouble walking around and eating outside in light sweaters or shirts.
There are about seven South African rand to every US dollar, so I have a mini heart attack every time I look at prices, then remember to divide by seven (if nothing else, my mental math skills will certainly improve while I’m here!). In reality, everything here seems to be a bit less expensive than at home, and I have been impressed with how cheaply we’ve been able to eat and shop.
Sometimes I’m able to pass as a local – my new friend on the plane was surprised to hear that I was just visiting from the US, and a girl that boarded the flight with me said she lived in Cape Town and asked if I did too – and sometimes not so much. Last night I went to dinner with a couple other American students, and our waitress quickly switched to English after simply greeting us in Afrikaans and receiving blank stares. Just now the guys that live in the flat next door came to introduce themselves. The first thing they said after shaking hands and exchanging names: “Oh, you’re American? I can hear it.”
Everything here is comfortingly familiar and alluringly different and new at the same time. Evergreens and aspens stand right next to palm trees and lush undergrowth that would never survive Colorado’s dry climate. The campus sits right next to a beautiful mountain range that reminds me of home. The other day Sam and I saw a foreign bird that looked like a giant kiwi with wings, and this morning there were pigeons in the parking lot. Cars look the same but drive on the other side of the road, and street names are painted on the curbs instead of posted on signs. Popular music is either American or sounds like it could be, and the fashion trends are almost exactly the same, except that people tend to be a bit more fashion-forward on a day-to-day basis (no t-shirts here; people look like they stepped out of a magazine). The food selection is much like that at home – almost every type of cuisine is popular, but always has some kind of twist that makes it just a little bit new… and it’s delicious! It’s like South Africa takes the American “melting pot” idea to the next level – it is actually diverse – and its European colonial history, African identity and proximity to the Middle East/India are all evident in the unique culture. And the accent is pretty sweet.
Oh, and the mascot: we are the Maties, and Stellenbosch University is nicknamed Matieland. I’m still not really sure what a Matie is, but I tend to picture a flying squirrel – think Rocky from Rocky and Bullwinkle….
peace and love
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