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Thursday was not too much of a thrill.  We nailed down our IES research projects and I will be working in “Maitland” Garden Village doing water audits and helping educate and empower individuals to think in a more globalized mindset.  

Friday was a great way to start the weekend. I needed a little time to myself so, I headed down town to the “Design Indaba” which is basically a trade show, (comparable to Christmas Magic/Christmas in Cowtown) but it was by far the nicest one I’ve ever been too. It featured only South African designers and definitely catered to a more upscale clientele. (I was the only American, walking around with trendy SA supermodel types) I met some really cool people and enjoyed listening to their stories. The best find of the day was a bakery that is out of Observatory, which is only 2 suburbs down.  They have chocolate tarts, which is code for a personal sized chocolate chess pie.  WOOHOO with that and a glass of fresh lemonade, I was in heaven!!! From there, I went to the mini bus station which is always an adventure.  There, I was yet again the only American and the only white person! Using public transportation at 5 p.m. made me realize how many people are actually in this city.  Everyone was trying to get home and  the queue for the train was wayyyy long, and when I got to the mini bus station and it was even LONGER! I met some really nice ladies who rode home with me and I learned all about the ins and outs of being a driver on the route from Wynberg to Cape Town.  The night ended gloriously as a group of us feasted on sushi. ...Good friends, good times...

Saturday morning a friend and I sat out in search of the Rondebosch Organic Farmer’s Market.  To our surprise what we thought was going to be a huge market full of options, was actually a little row of goods all from a lady named “Dee.”  It was good to scope it out and get a feel for what she had. We will definitely have to go back again and stock up.  Our IES Eco Justice class left for field trip number 3 at 9 a.m.  Our day was focused on “change.” We traveled 1 1/2 hours up the east coast to a town named Langebaan. It was a small community on the edge of a lagoon.  There were a couple of golf courses and a plethora of nice holiday homes.  The atmosphere was very similar to the Cliffs at PK.  After we did some reading on the beach with our teachers, Liz and Lynette, we drove a couple Ks up the road to a fossil park.  The park is an old phosphate mining site, where fossils of short neck, long horned giraffes have been found, as well as african bears.  It was cool to hear the history behind the land and their plans for the future.  The last stop of the day was by far my favorite.  We went to a home of a local fisherman.  There were 4 men and a woman who gave us their side of the story from a “colored/black” perspective.  Crazy enough, these men grew up by the sea and fishing has always been their way of life.  During the Apartheid times though, they were forced to move further inland and their rights to the sea and where they could fish were taken away.  Even though Apartheid ended in ’94, they are still struggling to gain back their rights and way of life. Hearing their personal stories and seeing the passion, frustration, and longing for help really made my blood boil.  They are honest, hard working men who have been stripped of their livelihood and source of food/income because of the color of their skin and the size of their boat (money).  It was very eye opening to the real underlying issues that this country is facing.  

When we got home that afternoon we made a quick change and headed down to the Grand Parade for the Holi One Concert/Festival.  It was an outdoor electronic concert where people released a different color in the air every hour.  (basically, a color run without the running aspect!) Or, if you were like us, just threw it on each other for fun! A good time was had by all and we were all quite exhausted at the end of the day! 

Sunday Funday was celebrated at the beach.  Haley and I had lunch at Knead before we went to nap in the sun.  When we came home everyone pitched in and we had a community wide breakfast for dinner extravaganza.  Our contribution was eggs and the boys whipped up homemade blueberry pancakes!!! Church tonight was great.  On the walk over the sun was setting between Table Mountain and Devil’s Peak.  ... beautiful... It is been a week full of God’s abounding love and mercy.  Even in the tough, sucky, unwanted situations, He is on His throne.  

Thoughts/Reflections

Since I’m semi out of the tourist phase and have become pretty much local, it has been shocking to observe the role that race plays in everyday life.  It is insane to me that I went to the Indaba and everyone was white, and I go only a couple streets over and was the only light skinned person any where around.  Apartheid ended almost ten years ago, but the hold it still has over this country is beyond me.  Yes, in the states there is a poverty gap, but here it’s more like a poverty gorge. IES really has done a fabulous job of immersing us into the culture and exposing us to things we would never get the chance to experience.  I live right outside the Rosebank train station, which seems like it would be very practical way to explain to other people how to find my flat.  BUT IT’S NOT! White people here, that have grown up in Cape Town their entire life have no idea what I’m talking about for the most part when I give those directions.  I’ve lived here a month and can tell you every train station within 5 miles both ways.  It was also just so eye opening to see the influence if race in Langebaan.  The locals have no voice and it is quite sad.  That is/has/will be their home for generations and generations but they do not have the “power/money” for their opinion to be heard/considered.  I look forward to getting to talk to more locals, both white and colored and hearing their side of the story. 

Cheers! 

Sushi Sushi Sushi 

Langebaan

Fossil Park

Cow Bone Vs Fossil

Catch of the day!

Out Cold. 

The Grand Parade 

Pretty as a post card 

Holi One

Walking Rainbows