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October 31 I jumped out of a plane 😱

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Protests//Skydiving

           Hello my fellow follower(s). My grandma emailed me reminding me to post a blog, so here I am. It has been a hectic couple of weeks (they say hectic here all the time).  Classes started getting disrupted by students protesting an increase in fees for next year. This is known as the Fees Must Fall movement, and it started back in 2015, where students demanded free higher education. The struggle is still ongoing, as evidenced by the fact that last week I was chased out of a building by a student holding a fire extinguisher. My classes were cancelled every day except for Wednesday of last week, and unfortunately African Drumming has been cancelled for the rest of the semester (there is only one week left in the semester, but I’m still mad because we didn't get to perform our song we learned on the xylophone). For the most part, since classes only started getting disrupted near the end of the semester, the lectures we missed we aren’t responsible for knowing the material. All of our assignments are still due, just online. If the protests continue into this week and lectures get cancelled again, then the professors will probably record themselves and put it online. Since this is the third year of protests, UCT has gotten smarter in dealing with the disruptions. The lecturers have contingencies such as online lectures and tests that can be implemented at any time, and the university hired private security to help mitigate the damage. The students are angry that the university hired private militarized security, which only fueled their fire. This morning, I had mandatory tutorials and class, and when I was walking home from campus I walked by SAPS (South African Police Service) in full riot gear with the riot shields and everything. If anyone is interested in the minute-to-minute updates regarding the protesters you can look at the Twitter account Varsity UCT news, they follow the protesters and the way UCT is trying to handle the situation. As insensitive as this is, this impromptu break from school is giving me and my friends a chance to do some bucket-list items before we leave in 24 days (!!!!), including going to a beach where you get a full view of Table Mountain, a champagne sunset cruise, and, last but not least, skydiving.

           Anyone that knows me is going to wonder how the hell I got myself to jump out of a plane from 10,000 feet in the air. The answer is I don’t know. My friend Hannah, who also goes to Chapman and lives in Penrose with me, walked up to me and said, “want to go skydiving?” to which I replied, “sure”. And so there you have it, folks, the beginning of my insanity. The first time we tried to go skydiving, it was cancelled due to the wind. The second time, wind and rain. At this point, you'd think we would come to our senses and give up. But Hannah was adamant about plunging to our deaths, and so, third times a charm, Maeve, Hannah and I get in the Uber at 7:30am and drive 45 minutes to the Skydive Cape Town, down a dirt road to a building that has one man sitting outside. The Uber driver tells us that there aren’t Ubers out here, so he offers to wait the 2-3 hours in order to take us home. The Uber drivers here, at least the ones that don’t hate Americans, are very friendly. When we get out of the Uber, the one man sitting there tells us that we should have received a notification that we are on “standby” because of the weather, and we might have to reschedule for another day. Not satisfied with this answer, Hannah takes a seat and urges him to find another solution. If we didn’t jump today, there’s no way we would take the R450 Uber back to this place. We finally convince him to call in the pilots so they can decide whether or not it’s safe to jump. 20 minutes later, we’re in the air. Climbing. Higher and higher. That was the worst part of the whole experience, because all you could do in the miniscule airplane was think about the fact that you were about to jump out of it. The ride itself took about 20 minutes, and then all of a sudden the door opens and out jumps Hannah, then Maeve, and finally, me. Falling out of the plane was a surreal feeling, and it was so fast that I didn't even have time to think about what was happening. All I remember is that my breath caught and I had to physically remind myself to let air into my lungs. For what felt like forever, all I could do was watch the ground get bigger, and then I looked around and it was beautiful. When he pulled the parachute, we were about the height of Table Mountain, 3,500 feet. The view on the way to the ground was incredible, all of Cape Town was spread out before me. Skydiving was the most incredible thing I think I have ever experienced, and I am excited to do it again someday.

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PENGUINS//Devil’s Peak

           Last weekend we rented a car to go to Boulder’s Beach in Simon’s Town. Boulder’s Beach is where the African penguins reside, so it’s a must-see when you’re in Cape Town. From our house, it is about a 40-minute drive to Simon’s Town, so it is cheaper to rent a car than to Uber, which is our usual mode of transportation. So, we rented a car and off we went to see the penguins.

           Fun Fact: penguins smell awful. I mean, hold-your-breath, gag if you get too close situation. Who knew such cute little creatures could induce such a vile stench. But it was definitely worth it. It was a beautiful day and the penguins were basking in the sun. The coolest part to me was that the penguins were there of their own volition, they chose to be on the beach with people walking too close to them and taking selfies with them. The penguins were just chillin on the rocks, not caring about the little kids swimming around or Hannah chasing them to try and get a cool underwater GoPro video. Sunset was beautiful, and the penguins were posing for the perfect picture (see penguins @ sunset pic). Overall it was a great day and I got to experience smelly but wonderful penguins and great friends.

           On Sunday, Hannah and I were going to go skydiving, but due to wind it was cancelled. So instead we decided to hike Devil’s Peak. Devil’s Peak is a very steep hike, and if you’re like me and haven't worked out all semester, it’ll take a while to get to the top, with many breaks to catch your breath. The whole way up is beautiful, so my excuse for the multitude of breaks was looking at the view. So far, Devil’s Peak has the best views in the Western Province (I haven't done Table Mountain yet). When you get to the top, if you don’t collapse from exhaustion, you get a 360° view of Cape Town. On the way up it was pretty windy, so we were worried about getting to the top and blowing off the mountain, but when we finally made it 2 and a half hours later there was no wind, not a cloud in the sky, and the view was breathtaking. This was only my second time hiking here, and it made me want to hike much more, but I might need to hit the gym a couple of times first.  

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Spring Break// Durban

           In case you didn’t already know this, I am on the southern hemisphere. That being said, it just became spring. Hence, spring break. After a couple of hectic weeks writing papers and tests, this was much needed. This school is so hard our program curves our grades for us, so a 75 is an A. This is turning out to be more of a challenge than I expected, especially trying to balance school with my friends and doing other adventurous activities. Needless to say, spring break was a necessary reprieve. That being said, as we got closer to the week the weather decided to rain on our parade, literally. Six of us from the house went to Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, which is on the other side of South Africa.

A short 2-hour plane ride, and our vacation commenced. The trickiest part of the trip was getting to The Bluff, where our Airbnb was, from the airport. It is unsafe to call an Uber because the taxi drivers regard the airport as their “turf”, and there has been a lot of violence between the two, so we hopped in a taxi and made our way. The house we stayed at, when we got there 45 minutes later was insane. Two dogs, Phoebe and Ben, as well as the wonderful owners greeted us. This house sits on the edge of the Bluff, and has a view of the ocean just below it. It was breath taking. The best part of the house was the infinity pool overlooking the ocean. We were there for 7 days, and though the sun only decided to show up a few of those, it was still an amazing trip. If you know anything about me, you know that I have an inordinate ability to chill. Which is what I did, for the most part. I laid by the pool, laid by the beach and laid on the couch looking at the ocean. Every day, I would stare at the ocean until I saw either whales or dolphins, or both. The dolphins would put on a show, jumping out of the waves and flipping mid-air. One day I saw a whale fully jump out of the water, it was one of the most incredible things I’ve ever witnessed.

On one of the less sunny days, we went to Durban’s version of Sea World, where we saw sharks feed, as well as dolphins and seals perform. It was pretty cool, though I don’t like to gain entertainment from the inhumane imprisonment of helpless animals. The dolphins in the ocean gave me a better show than the dolphins at the aquarium. After that, we walked along the beach to a waterfront restaurant, and then back to the Bluff. On another not very nice day we went to Entertainment World, where we won 300 Rand (about 23 USD) on the slot machines in the casino and bought ourselves 2 rounds of drinks with it. Overall, very entertained at Entertainment World. My favorite day was the day we walked the 7 minutes from the house to the beach and swam in the Indian Ocean, laid in the sun, and played bocce ball.

This experience wouldn’t have been nearly as awesome without the amazing people that accompanied me and made this the best spring break I’ve had. I can't thank them enough for just being them and putting up with my not wanting to do anything except lay outside. Going back to reality and having to write two papers the day I got back was less than ideal, I was already missing the infinity pool. To conclude, Spring Break 2k17 was a success, and very much needed. I now feel refreshed and ready to take on the last two months of the semester.

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Gugulethu//Molo

Gugulethu (Gugs for short) was an unforgettable experience. Between the history of the township, the hospitality of our “mama”, and the incredible food, I am grateful for this weekend. Gugulethu is the epitome of the struggle for freedom under apartheid, and an integral part in its downfall. Many people have died being relocated, fighting for their rights, and even just hiding from the police. It was interesting to see how many people live in such small shacks and homes, but at the same time they are still lively and the kids are playing soccer in the street. When they saw us driving by they would either run along side the bus or smile and wave.

While there, we went to a women and children’s shelter to donate some food and toys for the kids. The kids were delighted to see us, and when we had to leave they chased after us waving goodbye and showing off their beautiful smiles. It was heartwarming to see how happy and energetic these kids were after having what I can assume was a not so great coming up.

After that, Mama Noxie gave us a very warm welcome with some delicious South African food. It seems like meat; especially red meat is a vital part of the South African culture. There were 3 or 4 different kinds of meat, and this was just for lunch. We gorged ourselves on the delicacies, and then went to work in the Garden that I wrote about in an earlier post at the school in Gugs. The Garden is a wonderful place to work because we are helping these kids not only eat healthily, but also teaching them sustainability and how to cook and prepare food for themselves.

In Xhosa, one of the eleven South African languages, when addressing an older female, you call them “mama”, so if you want to say hello, you would say “molo mama”, and if they reply with “unjani”, which means “how are you?”, you say “Ndiphilile, unjani wena?”, which is “I’m well, how are you?” And that is the extent of my knowledge of the Xhosa language. This language is complex and intricate, including clicks (the “x” is a clicking sound) and other interesting noises. I am hoping I get to learn more as I am hearing it everyday on campus and around town.

When we got to Mama Nondombi’s house (our host for the night) she was incredibly welcoming. She introduced herself and cooked us a wonderful meal. She was incredibly kind and warm, and in the morning I did not want to leave her home. The South African culture is extremely hospitable; almost everyone I’ve encountered has been kind and a genuinely good person. I keep falling further in love with this place.

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Cape Town, South Africa: University of Cape Town//classes

           University of Cape Town is stunning. Every day I try to walk the 30 minutes up to campus because I can’t get enough of its beauty. Keep in mind that UCT is on the base of a mountain, so it’s quite a climb. Every day I arrive to class sweaty, but it’s worth it. From campus you can see the mountain looming over you, and if you look the other way you can see Cape Town stretching far into the distance. The buildings on campus are rustic and elegant, which makes getting lost kind of fun because you get to explore new places, even if you are late to your first ever tutorial. Since it is winter, it has been raining a little bit, which makes walking to class and around campus slightly miserable, but South Africa is in its worst drought in 123 years (climate change strikes again), so winter here seems to me like a pleasant Seattle summer. Some days it is 55° F and raining, while other days its 72°F and sunny. For the sake of South Africa, I wish it would rain more. But for my own selfish reasons I enjoy the warm sunny days.

           UCT is the best school in Africa. Like, all of Africa. They warned us coming in that the classes are going to be hard, there will be a lot more reading than we’re used to, and we’ll more likely than not fall behind and get super stressed out. I am experiencing some of that. There is an insane amount of reading expected for each class, and I am falling behind because reading is not my forte. However, the classes don’t seem that hard to me. It could be because one of them is African Instruments, where all we do is drum and dance for 2 hours a week. But I am also in Social Psychology and Intergroup Relations, Introduction to Clinical Neuropsychology, and History, Culture and Politics of South Africa. Social Psych is incredibly interesting because the professor is very passionate about what she’s teaching, and the students in class are interactive and, sometimes, confrontational. The subjects we are learning are very controversial and turn into heated discussions/debates. For example, the subject we are learning this week is Racism and Prejudice. The first day of this topic was 50 minutes of debate on what racism is and what our role should be in changing the narrative on racism. I like this class because it covers not only interesting topics, but also relevant ones to South Africa. So, while I am in a social psych class and it is counting towards my minor, I am also learning about the implications in South Africa, which helps me gain a better cultural understanding of where I am living for 4 months.

           The other class I am in, Neuropsych, is probably going to be the second most interesting class I have ever taken. The first being physiological psychology. Clinical Neuropsychology is applying what I learned in physio psych with clinical cases and applications. This might not be interesting to some people, but to me I’ve never experienced something this fascinating. It will probably end up being my career path. It’s a really good feeling to finally have something you’re passionate enough about to want to do it for the rest of your life. But who knows, maybe I’ll end up working as my sister’s maid like she always imagined.

           UCT is a wondrous and fascinating place, and I can’t wait to learn more so I can share it with you (grandma Pat).

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Cape Town, South Africa: Cape of Good Hope//Lions Head

           UCT has a huge international program, so they had a weeklong orientation for just us. The best part of the orientation was the daylong peninsula tour. Six buses took all of us to Camps Bay, then Long Beach (where Monkey{less} Valley is), Chapman’s Peak (whoop whoop go Chapman), then the coolest of all- Cape of Good Hope. Along the way to the most southwestern part of Africa, we saw ostriches and elk, and then when we arrived there was a baboon sitting on a car grasping a water bottle. Before we got off, our tour guide warned us to leave all our food and bags on the bus. All of us were so excited to see a baboon, and then on the bus ride back the excitement had passed. I personally had only pleasant experiences with the baboons, so I would go back. I might not say the same for my friend Victoria, however.

Everyone got off the bus, and then proceeded up the hill to the lighthouse. On the way, my friend and I stopped to take a picture of a baboon that was just sitting there. She let us get really close. Then, without warning, she darted for a plastic bag that someone had in a stroller, grabbed it, and started ripping it apart. Unfortunately for the baboon, there was only a water bottle in it.

A few more incidents like this happened as we walked around, including a baboon grabbing someone’s drink from her hand, as well as my friends’ mug getting stolen. These baboons are ruthless; they will jump into an open car and start throwing items out looking for food.

Cape of Good Hope was stunningly beautiful, and insanely windy. We could only stay for a short duration because everyone was freezing.

The day before this tour, a few of us went to hike Lions Head. Lions Head is next to Table Mountain, connected to Signal Hill. According to the internet, Lions Head is only a one or two on the difficulty scale. Apparently they didn’t take into consideration normal humans. There was scaling involved. This is my favorite type of hike, but I would not categorize it as easy. There is a steady incline in the beginning, and then you look straight up and realize you have to climb vertically for the last 3rd of the hike. I wouldn’t recommend it for anyone scared of heights or ladders. But the view cannot be beat.

Right when you get to the trailhead, you can see a huge part of the city, Table Mountain, and the ocean. And that’s before you start hiking. As you go up, you get to see both sides of Lions Head, and then the view at the top is unimaginable. It is a 360 view of Cape Town, and it is insane. When I got to the top, I just sat on a rock and stared at the view for 20 minutes. If there hadn’t have been a drone circling my head, it would have been spiritual. This hike made me super pumped to join hiking club at UCT so I can experience more moments like this one.

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Cape Town, South Africa: The Garden// Biscuit Mill Market

Cape Town is the most eclectic city I’ve been to. Friday, we went to a school in one of the Townships, and it inspired all of us to start helping out there weekly. We are going to be teaching the kids to garden and harvest their own food so they can then cook and eat it. The main objective of this project is to teach the kids healthy and sustainable living. The man that showed us around the garden said that there is a direct correlation with the kids health and success. Hopefully, this school will be successful enough to then spread The Garden to more schools. I am going back Sunday with everyone to start brainstorming and we’ll hopefully get to work soon. I’ll talk more about this later when I have more information.

           Saturday morning we went to the Market that is held every Saturday in an old biscuit mill. It was raining and dreary outside, but by the time we got there it had stopped raining and the sun was peering through the clouds. The market was a conglomeration of everything you could think of; it had all types of food, little shops selling trinkets and clothes, as well as produce. All of the food looked incredible, and there was a jazz band playing music under a tent. It was an incredible vibe, and I definitely see myself coming here as many Saturdays as I can. I had Chinese food, dumplings and Bao zi, which was my favorite meal when I went to China. It was delicious. I can’t wait for next Saturday.

           The best thing about this place so far is the amount of stuff that is available to do every day. In the house, there are groups of people doing different things at any given time, and so you can choose whether you want to go to the beach and watch the sunset, or go to Trenchtown in Obz for all you can eat pizza and drinks on Monday. And that's just Monday. There are things to do every day. It is almost overwhelming, the amount of options I have. And naturally I feel like I should do everything so now I’m sitting in the library typing this with a sore throat. But oh well, you only live once.

           I wanted to thank Janet for encouraging me to write a blog, I know this isn’t super exciting for some people to read, but I will be able to look back on my trip and experience this all over again, and I will forever cherish that. I love you Janet, and I hope you know how much I appreciate you and your beautiful soul.  

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First three days!!