Onna's reflections on time

Last week Marita assigned us an exercise where we were to reflect on our personal and work values in life. She also assigned various articles focused around multitasking and American values. At home I feel distracted by everything- what assignment I have to do next, who I have to text back, what my plans are this weekend, what classes I have to take to graduate, what I am even going to DO after I graduate? There is this incredible stress on time that I find myself worrying about so much that I don't even realize I'm worrying about it. I recognized that throughout my college years I have placed so much emphasis on what has to get done than actually enjoying the process of completing something.

However after reading the articles, I have learned that time is not just something that I worry about, it is a value that is of the upmost importance in American society. While this could be seen as an awesome thing if you are thinking in terms of productivity, at the same time it could also distract us from opportunities such as developing a new relationship, recognizing how beautiful that rhododendron bush outside your house looks with the sun hitting it, or how pleasant your cashier at Stop & Shop was. 

Cape Town has definitely given me a break with this whole time thing, by living on that sweet, sweet African time (where time is an extremely flexible and relaxed concept... expect things to be done at least 15 minutes after it is supposed to be done). I have taken the time to stop and chat with the homeless people outside my work everyday, to draw in my sketchbook, to write a little poem, to stop and buy flowers from the woman on the corner, to chat with the person next to me while in line for food. And I am not allowing time to consume my thoughts. After all, worrying is only planning for a negative future, right?

I also questioned from the list I created of things that I value (positivity, thankfulness, creativity, equality, openness, community.. just to name a few), how often am I acting on these? This weekend 12 of us went to a small music festival "The Flamjangled Tea Party" outside of Cape Town on a beautiful farm called Elandskloof. On Saturday Caitlin, Dani & I discovered this beautiful stream (a scene that could EASILY be in a fairytale) while we were exploring the grounds. Luckily I packed my watercolors, so we each took a seat and painted the beautiful landscape while conversing about our thoughts and feelings about our trip in South Africa thus far and what we have learned. It was extremely refreshing to not have anywhere to be but the present- to not worry about planning skydiving, scuba diving, or hiking trips. I've always been a firm believer of always living in the present, but at times in our society it almost too easy to become distracted. 

Although deciding my top 10 values for Marita's assignment was a bit difficult (I could write a list of 1000 things if you'd let me) I am super thankful that she gave us this assignment to complete because it has grounded me and reminded me what I truly place close to my heart in a world full of direction and distractions. 

Julia's exciting weekend and enlightening conversations

This weekend Becca, Bernie, Molly, and I did the Garden Route. It was a pretty adventurous weekend that included walking with lions, feeding and riding elephants, petting cheetahs, and even bungee jumping for a brave few (not me). I think my favorite parts of the weekend were petting the cheetahs and being with the elephants. At first my experience petting the cheetahs was a bit scary. When I went to pet one of the cheetahs, another one came up behind me- so I was surrounded by these cheetahs. I slowly got up and walked away cautiously. Once the cheetahs were settled I got to try again and this time neither snuck up behind me. The elephant ride was also a little scary for me since I don’t like heights or things I can’t control. Joe, the man with me on Jabari, had to constantly talk to me and tell me stories so I wouldn’t freak out. In then end, it was an awesome experience and I am glad I did it. The only thing that bothered me during the weekend was the questioning of whether these encounters were ethical and if the animals were treated right. I am pretty certain the cheetahs were treated with love- you could just tell by the way they loved humans and how affectionate they were towards their trainers- almost like dogs. I think the elephants were treated right, but it’s still not natural for them to be giving rides and doing these circus type tricks. The only ones I really don’t think were treated right were the lions. The men that train and keep an eye on the lions were sort of mean to them and would hit them with a stick to move- lightly, but still not the nicest way of doing things. Also, I think they must feed those lions a lot in order to train them when lions really aren’t supposed to eat that much because their food is stored as fat. Lions can go a few weeks without food, so by eating so much food to train, they have unnecessary weight on them that can’t be healthy.

           

On the trip, a Saudi Arabian man and a German woman joined us. A few things they said and talked about got me thinking. The German woman, Natalie, had spent a few months in Cape Town last September through December as an au pair and student learning English. She was now back on holiday. You would think that having spent so much time in Cape Town that she would know the townships, but it turns out she didn’t even know what Manenberg was. Manenberg is one of the most dangerous townships in Cape Town, only competing with Hanover Park. It seemed like she hadn’t even visited a township in all her time spent in Cape Town. I can’t imagine coming here and not seeing all sides of Cape Town- especially the way the majority lives. It made me so grateful for the way this program really sets us up to experience and gain knowledge about the society. Cape Town can just be a fun tourist city, but you really won’t understand the people unless you know how they live and what they’ve been through.

           

Abdullah, the Saudi Arabian student learning English, made me feel both defensive and ashamed of the U.S. He mentioned that he could not go to the U.S. and when I asked him why, he said it was because he was Saudi Arabian and that’s where the terrorists are from. He said the American embassy in Saudi Arabia denied him entry. This didn’t really shock me, but it hit me hard to actually hear this happening directly from a person it happened to. I hate that even our government generalizes people and therefore encourages stereotyping. Until now, I’ve never had the opportunity to speak much to a born and raised middle easterner, so I took advantage of it and asked one more question: how did Saudi Arabians react after 9/11? He said everyone was very sad and it wasn’t just Americans that died because of it. Then he went on to say, though, that he believes that the U.S. government knew of the attack before hand. He thinks that with the technology we have, there should be no reason we didn’t know. Although I didn’t express my defensiveness, I definitely felt it. Although it’s a decent argument, I just can’t believe that a government would sacrifice the lives of thousands like that. Even though I am constantly being challenged here with questioning the integrity of my own country, I’m glad to see in some way that I still believe in it.

           

Lastly, today at the GEU, I was helping out with a video for the mentoring program. The video interviews the mentees on what they think about their community- Elsie’s River- and how they can improve it. It’s a poor community and has their share of violence. What surprised me most about the interviews was how these children thought due to the environment they lived in. If we were to ask these questions to American children, their responses would lack the substance these children provided. For a kid living in my hometown in Connecticut, the only thing I would’ve been able to suggest in order to improve my community is to fix the sidewalks so I don’t fall off my bike. But these kids were giving answers adults would give in analyzing the U.S. Faced with seeing and living through police brutality, crime, and poverty, they don’t care about measly sidewalks. One response was the challenge of ShopRite- because it’s too expensive to afford. Another was the fear of going to the store because they might get robbed on their way. One girl mentioned that God gives us everything but then goes on to say that she’s afraid of the day when she realizes that God is giving more to some people than others. I’m awful at predicting age, but this girl was less than thirteen years old. I know at that age I barely knew inequality existed. I also didn’t have much faith because I had everything I needed. Faith really wasn’t a necessity for me to live in a sense. In many ways these kids have more experience than I do in life. I don’t doubt that their struggles right now will be greater than mine will ever be. It’s so hard to digest that this is the way people live their lives- being the group that God doesn’t give as much to.

Taylor L learns some things are just not funny

The other night I went to Cape Town comedy club. We saw this venue a few weeks ago when we were exploring the Waterfront and I knew I wanted to check it out. The rest of the group went to see Titanic at the outdoor cinema, so just Taylor and I went.

I have never seen live comedy so I didn’t know what to expect. It was a small venue but I enjoyed it because we were able to get food and watch the comedians walk in! There was a headliner, a supporting act, and then an open mic comedian. I was excited that the comedians were all female. However my excitement turned to disgust when one of the white female comedians utilized racist stereotypes in her skit. Not only was I super uncomfortable, but the audience seemed to be as well. The venue was pretty silent. In class we have talked about how some people use comedy to discuss the racism that they endure, but I had never heard of someone using it so much to make fun of other people. Although I am sure it happens, maybe now because of my education and experiences in Cape Town, I am a little more tuned into it.

One thing that surprised me about this comedian was her statement about apartheid. She was only about 11 when apartheid ended, so she did not really understand the extent of what happened. She realized that there was a switch in government because the flag switched. She said she was happy that apartheid ended, not because of the violation of human rights, but because the flag was a lot easier to draw. I wish this comedian had known her audience kind of like Eminem knows his audience and shies away from using certain words. There are so many other things that this comedian could have included in her skit, and its saddening that she turned to racial stereotyping to try and make people laugh.

Dani's reflecting and learning

As the weeks seem to be flying by, I have been reflecting upon the things I have learned in Cape Town so far.  I have learned so much about South Africa, and also about myself.  Last week in Vincent’s class, we watched a film about the role of music in the struggle against Apartheid.  Music has always been very important to me, so seeing a film with this perspective really stuck with me.  I never realized how much of a difference music can make when getting people to work together for a cause.  Additionally, we watched a film in Marita’s class about women from different backgrounds discussing various issues.  It struck me that no matter what background a person is from, everybody has their own struggles and their own triumphs as well.

Being in South Africa has helped reinforce the notion that everybody has their own intricate life story, and everybody has hardships that you may not be able to know just by looking at them.  I have come to understand that it is so important to hold back initial judgments and really try to learn somebody’s story, because everybody has something amazing to say.  I have also understood that I have been given many privileges, and it is hard for me to grasp this, because I have been wondering what makes me worthy of the life I was given, when so many others are less fortunate than I?  Knowing this makes me want to continue to get to know as many peoples’ stories as possible, and help others as much as I can so that everybody can enjoy their lives to the fullest.

Taylor P's week of many lessons

Last week I finally got scuba certified! During one of the qualification dives I sat down and had a really interesting talk with one of the scuba instructors. She told me about how in high school she thought physiotherapy was 100% what she wanted to do with her life. She applied to UWC and got accepted as a regular student so she tried for nursing and was accepted! Although it was her backup plan she thought it was still a good choice for her. However, a few days after hearing about her acceptance, she was contacted again and told that she was no longer accepted because the nursing programs student dynamics had to match the outside of the surrounding area. Basically she took it as not being accepted because she was white and there were probably already too many white students accepted. I understand her logic and the way they told her was unprofessional. However, if being rejected from something that was her second choice led her to find her passion, I count it as a win. She quickly dropped out and eventually discovered her passion for scuba diving. She told me how much she loves diving and is currently training to further advance and become a dive master. It’s really amazing to hear about how she wakes up and just knows her day will be filled with what she loves. Her story is really inspiring to me because recently I have been struggling with what I want to do after I graduate and the instructor and other people I have encountered are showing me that passion trumps any sum of money that could be made. I should focus on doing something that I love and that makes me happy rather than something that will possibly lead to a high-paying but miserable future.

On Thursday Taylor and I went to a comedy show at the Waterfront. We figured going in that a few of the jokes would go over our head because we aren’t locals but the show wasn’t exactly what we expected. The first comedian was a 31-year-old white local Capetonian. Her entire set was based on racist comments that couldn’t even be considered jokes because they weren’t funny in the slightest. We weren’t the only ones that felt this way because you could tell by the audience’s reaction that they were rather uncomfortable. I do realize that comedians frequently use race as a source of jokes but she just took it too far. The audience was mixed races and when I looked around no one really knew how to react, there were only a few chuckles here and there. It got me thinking about being a bystander in racist situations, which I definitely was in this case. Now I probably couldn’t have exactly told her to stop but I could have gotten up and left but I was really just too shocked and wasn’t sure what to do. It really shows that not everyone finds racist jokes funny, even in a comedic setting. In some ways it gives me hope that South Africa is moving slowly but surely away from its racist past.