Wow. I think I might be suffering from culture shock. Everything here is incredible in a very unfamiliar sort of way. I miss a lot of things about home. Being so close to all my family and friends, driving wherever I want, free internet, not smelling weed every time I opened my bedroom door...the list is quite long. I also know that this is the only place for me. I am experiencing things that I would never be able to from home.
My first day here...from what I remember, I was really suffering from jetlag, I went on a tour of Cape Pointe. That is where many believe the Indian Ocean meets the Atlantic. It was absolutely breath-taking. It was difficult for me to truly appreciate it though, I was in such shock that I am actually here in Africa for 4 and half months. I saw a lot that day, wild ostriches, a whale, and penguins at boulder beach. I also went on a tour with SHAWCO, a volunteer group organized through UCT (University of Cape Town) of a local township, Nyanga. It was heart-breaking. I have seen poverty before, but not like this, not on that scale. The shacks...if you can even call them that... went on for what seemed like forever. As soon as i got out of the van I was hit violently with the smell of decay. The meet markets (huts with recently slaughtered animals hanging) were difficult to even look at. As I went through the homes of these people all I could think about were the holes all through their ceilings and walls. All that could even fit in these things were mattresses and they be totally moldy from the rain. The children were so incredible though. They ran at us like we were celebrities, it was such a surreal experience. The unemployment rate here is over 30% so there are literally homeless everywhere searching for work.
I signed up with SHAWCO today to do their "lawco" program. I will be going to schools in townships and teaching teens about their constitutional and human rights. These poor people are taken advantage of daily and so it is incredibly important for them to be aware of their rights. I am soooo excited to do this! My training starts this Saturday morning. I met another girl from Delta Gamma here, who seems like such a nice girl, and she is doing the program as well. Other than that, I started classes yesterday. Those have gone pretty well, I will have a ton of reading, but that's to be expected as a political science major. One of my professors is from Ghana, a few of the others seem to be from other places as well, but I haven't figured their nationalities out quite yet. I am so excited to get a totally new prospective on politics here.
Other than that...I miss home and all my friends and family a lot! My throat hurts, I am half way through Great Expectations by Charles Dickens, I watched X men with my housemates last night, andddd I got my laundry done this afternoon :] Oh darn I forgot to write about the farmer's market...hmm well, it was amazing! everywhere I look here there are mountains and they way the sun hits them is poetic. I am dying to hike Table Mountain, but I heard the hike is a little dangerous so I am going to wait until September when the weather here is nicer. My house is freezing!! I need wool socks and my snuggie!!
<3
