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This will be my last blog entry for my trip to South Africa! I am home now sitting in my living room as I was for my very first blog entry. It's also 6:30 am because I'm on South Africa time in my head (I also checked online and saw that 5 other of my fellow South Africa travelers are up and online at this time too! 

Anyway, Thursday night was our last night together so we had a Braai (a BBQ) to celebrate and thank all of the people that have helped us make this experience practically flawless. It was really nice for all of us to spend the evening together as a huge group talking about everything we have done over the past 3 weeks and how much we want to come back and do it all over again. We gave the interstudy staff and the JL Zwane staff enlarged matted photos of our group signed for them so they can see us anytime they want! We feasted on lamb, potatoes, onions, garlic bread, salads, and desserts as well as sharing a few bottles of wine. There was laughing, crying, and photo taking like crazy - it was great!

Friday morning seemed like a drag... seeing the houses empty out and our suitcases lining the hallway packed and ready to leave. We headed off to the airport and watched Cape Town disappear behind us. Oh, and when we went through security at one of the airports Brian had his carry on bag checked and the security officer pulled out Brian's "warm fuzzies" (we all wrote each other warm fuzzies on note cards before we left) and was looking through them like they were some kind of security risk. We all told Brian that he should claim his warm fuzzies on his customs form when we entered the U.S. haha!

I really hope that our group stays in contact because we developed relationships that are indescribable. To try and explain my experiences in the townships or the scenery that Cape Town has to offer (to name just a few of the many things I absorbed from the trip) is nearly impossible. Stories and photos help, but no one really understands unless you were there, so to have people to share the experiences with is priceless. 

Now that I am home, I am adjusting pretty well - except the falling asleep at 9:00 pm part, but thats ok! My first American meal (besides the pizza at JFK) was some pasta from Green Mill - I had a hard time with the African cuisine, so I was really looking forward to some American food. Today is Father's Day, so I will be able to see my family and show them pictures and try to explain to them the experiences I had. Luckily, they are very understanding and have always really tried to figure out what's going on in my head!

Thanks for reading my blog! I hope I was able to capture my experiences as best as possible, but honestly, you still have no idea.

The Market and Other Things

Monday and Tuesday were spent on Long Street near the market and other shops. The market is quite an experience, and I think we were pegged right away as suckers. There are no price tags at the market so you have to negotiate with the seller a price for their merchandise. Some things that were always on my mind during this process were, "Their asking price really isn't that bad, but I know I can get a better deal if I negotiate" and "this may be the only source of income for these people so I better not go too low." Those things were always pulling me one way or another, but I don't feel that educated on the market environment like I want to be. For instance, all of the sellers claim that their things are hand made, or that they made them themselves, but then twenty feet away another person will have the EXACT same thing for sale. It makes you wonder if the market is just one big scam or if these people are actually putting a lot of hard labor into their merchandise. One of the advantages we had, as buyers, was that if we saw the same thing at two different places we could say, "well that guy over there is willing to charge me only 40 Rand" when the price of the other person's is a lot higher - that was a nice trick to know.

Also on Monday we checked out a store called "Monkey Biz." This store contains all handmade beaded artwork that the women in the townships make and sell. Everything in the store has a price tag with the artist's name on it so that the profits go directly to that women. This is a great job opportunity for the women in the townships who can really use the income. The store was amazing too. When you walk in and look around, EVERYTHING is made out of beads - the talent to do something like that is way beyond me. I can't imagine how long it would take to make a lot of the things that are sold there. 

Today (Wednesday) we were supposed to check out Table Mountain, but it rained. That was disappointing because the last week we have had gorgeous weather and today it was rainy off and on. This was also disappointing for those in our group that had planned on going sky diving (I wasn't one of them...I figured shark diving was my adventure). The sky diving trip was canceled and there isn't any time for them to reschedule. So today we had the afternoon to do whatever we wanted in place of the Table Mountain trip. Six of us (including me) decided to check out the Holocaust Museum. I am really glad we did because it was really neat to check out. I have always been interested in learning about the Holocaust so seeing this exhibit was pretty cool. After that we went to the V & A Waterfront mall to get some last minute shopping done before we have to leave (yes, we actually have to get back on a plane on Friday - time has really flown!). Now I am relaxing and finishing up some things around here so I can relax for a while. 

Class Discussion Today:

Today we had a morning class where we discussed leadership and referred to our textbook for some things. It was sort of a strange transition to go from learning everything hands on, discussing, and self-reflecting all of the experiences here, and to switch gears to using the text book was sort of tough. We did end up in a pretty intense discussion about what the difference between self interests, values, and passions are. Everyone seems to have a different opinion about the matter and others would debate each other. For me, I had a lot of thoughts about the subject, but everyone was so heated in the conversation at hand that I didn't express my opinions. 

This is what was going though my head though. Values are the root of everything you do and every decision you make. For me, family, friends, education, entertainment, and laughter are my values (just to name a few). Self interests are what are stemmed from those values. In my case, learning about health care/nursing goes with my value of education, spending time with my family and friends which almost always includes entertainment and laughter. Passions on the other hand are similar to your values in that everything can be tied together and is the core of what we do what we do, say what we say, and feel what we feel. My passion is always love. I love my family, friends, and the environments in which I surround myself. Love ties everything together for me. All of my values together equal love, and that is the motivation behind all that is me. Without love, I am lost. If I didn't have the people I love in my life, I would have a hard time having the self interests that I have. I don't know if any of that makes sense, but it does in my head - and sometimes it all comes out in some random stream of consciousness, but I tried! haha. 

Finally the blog is updated: TODAY: SHARK DIVING

Today was an incredible experience - we spent the day on the Atlantic Ocean shark diving! We went out on a boat to a popular shark area; it is the place where the Discovery channel films their shark documentaries. They picked us up in a van at 5:30 am and we drove for about 2 hours to our location where we were fed breakfast, given some instructions and safety information, and then we were off to the ocean! This adventure was optional for our group, so only seven of us went, and I am really glad I did!
This is how the shark diving works: six people in wet suits climb into the cage at a time. The top seven inches or so is above water so we can come up for air (there is no oxygen tanks involved in this type of cage diving because the sharks stay so close to the surface that the cages don't need to go below it) and extend about 7-8 feet under the water. The crew members would throw bait out on a rope into the water to attract the sharks (and other fish by default).
The first picture is my pre-dive excited face... in case you didn't get that.




Laurie, Erin, Nate, and I went together with two other people in the cage. We bought underwater cameras (which I really hope turn out) to take pictures of them. The water was slightly cloudy so when we were under water it was like the sharks would appear out of no where - very exciting. We had sharks swim right up to the cage, and even bump into it. The other half of our group went later and a shark actually had his teeth around the cage when it was chasing the bait. I saw it from the boat and it was super cool to see from there too. The sharks can get up to 5 meters long (yes, everything here is in the metric system so I am constantly doing math in my head) and we saw Great White Sharks today (p.s. it is their mating season so the males were extra aggressive today). It was such a thrilling experience and I would recommend it to anyone! On our way back to the shore we saw a humpback whale and a baby calf which was also really cool to see because I don't think I have ever seen one before. The ride back was REALLY cold because we were wet and it was windy, but overall it was an awesome experience.

When we returned to shore they fed us lunch and took us back home. Just about all of us napped on the ride back; we were exhausted.

Saturday Vineyard Tour

Back to a different kind of reality. Saturday we spent the day touring two vineyards which included some educational background about wineries, wine tasting, and wine shopping. I felt like we did a 180 going from the townships and seeing how the people live there to touring a vineyard. To top that off, we drove passed another township on the way to and from the wine tours, Khayelitsha, a township with more shacks than actual houses and a population of over one million people. It was really hard to drive passed the shacks... they seemed to be never-ending.
The wine tour was really interesting - not totally switch gears again, but it was. The tour at the first vineyard was really interesting and I feel like I learned a lot more about wine than I did before. For instance, at this vineyard they planted rose bushes at the end of the rows of grapes because roses are more sensitive to disease. If the roses are noticeably diseased, they know that there may be something impacting the grapes as well so they can act quicker to save them. He also showed us where the wine is processed and stored. He explained that red grapes actually have white juice, but the skin on the grapes causes it to turn red for red wine.
After the tour we all sat together in a beautiful dining room and he showed us what to look for when inspecting wine using our eyes, noses, and taste buds. Following the tasting we were all able to purchase the wines we preferred, and they were really inexpensive compared to the United States!





The second vineyard we went to didn't include a tour, just tasting and purchasing. There were a few other shops nearby that we went to as well. Overall, it was a really relaxing and interesting day. Still, I always had the townships on my mind. Every once in a while that day I would think about what the people were doing there. Aaron scheduled this vineyard trip purposely the day after we returned from the townships to see what our reactions would be to the extreme change in environment. For me, I did enjoy the day, but I think I am more aware of the large differences in the two worlds. It makes me really conscious of how lucky I really am and makes me feel like I should be doing more to allow those who are less fortunate to feel even half as lucky as I am.
Speaking of which, a few of us dropped our laundry off to be washed for us, and it only cost me 28 Rand ($4) a load. It feels strange paying someone to do my laundry for me - and only four dollars to wash, dry, fold, and package it. We also have a cleaning lady that comes once a week. That is also a strange feeling to have, but Aaron says that it creates a job for her do so, so I guess I should feel better about giving her a job opportunity at least.... still seems strange too. And finally, we have two drivers that come get us and drop is off places whenever we call them. We have called them at 2:30 am to pick us up from checking out the night life in Cape Town and they came - no questions asked. They are paid through the interstudy program we are involved in here, but to be on call 24/7 to drive students around seems hard - they pretty much have to put their lives on hold it seems, and they are always so nice!

Friday 6/7/08 - last day in Guguletu

Friday was our last day in the townships. We spent this day doing a service project at Timbalethu, a school for children with disabilities. When we arrived there we were instantly greeting by students and staff. They all congregated into their cafeteria and we introduced ourselves and I could see the excitement escalating in the students as the minutes passed. The students at this school include students in wheel chairs, using walkers or crutches, some with mental disabilities, and a wide range of ages. After our introductions that student choir performed for us and they sounded great! I could really hear the passion in their voices when they sang.
The 18+ of us split up doing various tasks around the school. Some did arts and crafts with the students, some filed paperwork, some cleaned up the basketball court, some did other activities with the students to facilitate their learning, and some, like me, helped clean up their playground so it could be usable again. Four of us went to work out there weed whacking the grass, pulling weeds, picking up trash & broken glass, mowing the lawn, and raking up grass clippings. By the time we left, the playground looked ten times better and usable once again. Some of the students even volunteered to help is out there so they could be a part of making their school a better place. Edwin explained to us before we left that this is one of the schools in Guguletu that is struggling the most. It is difficult to staff properly with children with needs such as theirs, and the conditions of the school are rougher than the government funding can help with. The staff was so grateful for our help that day that they made us sandwiches, prayed for us, and even did some dancing with us... everyone in this township dances; I think it is a requirement to live there, haha. It was a nice experience to see the school and see how excited the kids were when they saw us.



Friday night we were back in Cape Town. All of us agreed when we were driving away that it is going to be hard to living so close to this township for the next week and live a completely different lifestyle. Guguletu is only 15 minutes away from our houses in Cape Town, yet it's like being in another world.

Thursday 6/5/08

Thursday we went to a Presbyterian church to learn about the Zimbabwe refugees and their struggle presently. The church we visited is housing over 100 refugees, feeding them, and finding places for them to stay. We toured the hall where over 70 people sleep at night and met some of the volunteers that are helping collect food, clothing, and other needed supplies for the refugees. The church even created "waterproof sleeping bags" for the homeless in their community. The winter in South Africa is rainy so the homeless need a way to stay dry. They covered newspaper in plastic and folded it like a sleeping bag so they can put blankets inside them to keep them warm and dry at night. The minister at the church even said that some of the homeless in the area have jobs and some money, but prefer to live on the streets because it is more economical for them.

We had our last big dinner with our host families Thursday night. They decided for dinner that they would have a more traditional option to choose from as well as chicken (which I stuck to) - a smiley. In this case, it was a pig smiley. They call it a smiley because the mouth curls a smile when it is cooked. Erin, Nate, and Aaron decided to try the eyeball and the snout. Aaron had the hardest time getting it down and claimed that the hair from the snout was stuck in his teeth all night. The look on his face was priceless. Dinner was followed by this amazing homemade cake and custard....oh I could have lived on just that and been thrilled.



After dinner we all danced together one last time. Then we all sat together and thanked our families individually and the families thanked us individually. It was a great way to end the home-stays. Everyone was hugging and taking pictures, and we went home to spend our last nights together in Guguletu.

Class Discussion

We had a discussion this week about what we had been learning from our host families. We wanted to know, specifically, if they had any thoughts or connections with HIV/AIDS. Katie stated that her family said that people are now stealing ARVs from hospitals, pharmacies, and infected people who really need them and using them as recreational drugs. Apparently people are taking the flint out of a light bulb, crushing up the pills in it, and smoking them to get high. This was really shocking to me. It really highlights the importance of education on the subject of HIV/AIDS. It was only a year ago that South Africa was able to obtain ARVs for everyone who needs them, and if people are using them for recreational use, that is a huge step back for the fight against HIV.

Edwin, the reverend at J.L. Zwane joined our conversation to give us some of his thoughts and experiences with HIV/AIDS in the community. He confirmed what Katie said about the recreational use, and said this is something that is just starting to happen. Edwin then shared with us that those who are infected with HIV are getting medical aide from the government in order to support their families, and he says that people are now purposely infecting themselves in order to get financial support from the government as well. I think this is really sad, because people are not understanding the extent of this disease - as of today, HIV is a death sentence and it is terrible that people feel that it is the only way their family can survive is to be infected. 

The next story Edwin told us will stick in my brain forever. He told us the impact of HIV of children. He knew of schools where the kids would steal the teacher's keys after class and lock themselves in her classroom to have sex. The teacher was too short to see into the classroom window and was always confused why her keys went missing so often. She ran into another teacher who was slightly taller and saw into the classroom what was going on. Edwin says that kids are having sex by 4th and 5th grade and he has heard of kids performing sexual favors to each other to get people to do their homework for them. When we asked Edwin how the kids even knew about sex he stated that the township homes are close together and small. Some have no doors or windows and people can see into them. Also, some homes only have one bedroom for the parents and the children to share so they see their parents doing it right in front of them. Finally, the kids are exposed to rape and abuse all the time, so they don't know any better.

Finally, Edwin shared with us a story about a 9 year old boy he knew. He was living with his uncle because his parents had passed away and his uncle's girlfriend would use him for sex and sell him on the street as a sex object for money. He contracted HIV through this process and was finally sent to live somewhere safe. At the safe-house he was raped by the other boys and infected two other boys there. This is the youngest child Edwin has seen to be infected by HIV through sexual encounters. 

Hearing these stories was both sad and infuriating for me. I felt sad because people don't know any better because they have not been properly education on HIV and end up in terrible environments. I am infuriated because things like this happens to kids because adults are irresponsible. Maybe it is because they aren't educated on the subject of HIV, but I feel that it just just common sense not to use a child for sex...I don't know; maybe it isn't such common sense there.