Christina missing South Africa

It’s been exactly two weeks since I’ve been home now and my computer is still running on South African time. I wish I was still running on South African time. It’s been a weird transition to say the least. On one hand I thought I was ready to leave. I thought that missing my friends and family were enough to make this move easier, but in reality, sorry mom and dad, but I think I miss South Africa more.

The first week was definitely the hardest. I went straight to UConn because many of my friends were graduating and I wanted to see them before they ventured off. I figured if I went straight to campus where things were going on and I would be kept busy and entertained by seeing all my friends, it would be enough to distract me from the reality of what actually happened. But of course as I saw everyone for the first time in months, their first question was, “how was South Africa?!” How do you even answer that question? It was impossible. For some people a, “it was great!“ was just enough. But for my best friends, the people I wanted to tell it all to, I had no idea where to begin. I told them highlights and even at that I know I forgot some stuff but I settled on, “it will all come out later.” I know that random things here will trigger the memories of stories and events that have happened to me abroad. But to lay myself out there, all 3 ½ months of adventures, emotions, activities, it was just impossible for me to do.

I’ve also found myself weirdly more emotional than before I left for South Africa. These overwhelming feelings of nostalgia and pure homesickness take over my body to the point where I don’t know what to do but cry. And I don’t know why I’m specifically crying except for the fact that I miss my life in South Africa. There I felt such a purpose to my being. I got up each morning and no matter what it was, even running errands to main rd. or down town, I had something to do. And now I’m almost faced with the exact opposite, I’m jobless, for the time being hopefully, and I’m back in my uneventful hometown and I sort of feel lost.

Right now I’m stuck in between. I’m in the States and this is my life again. But I don’t want to let go completely of what I was in South Africa. I don’t want everything that happened to me there fade away and just become a story, because it was all so much more than that. Cape Town, South Africa is apart of me and I’m trying to hold onto it for as long as I can, for forever hopefully, I’m just having a hard time balancing everything and keeping South Africa alive

In the distance: Devil's Peak, Table Mountain, Lion's Head

Christina contemplates going home

Throughout this entire semester, we’ve focused on race and gender in Marita’s class. During our studies we have learned about a lot of stereotypes and gender norms especially. Women normally do this while men do that. It’s been going on for generations and has become normalized on many levels. For example, in my own experiences, men usually pop the question and propose to their significant others. One might say it’s even tradition, yet I’m not even quite sure how or when it originated. But just the other day at work I experienced someone defying that gender norm. A girlfriend of a co-worker of mine comes in occasionally to volunteer at the aquarium. One day when she came in, we got the opportunity to join the collections team out on the boat while they were busy collecting kelp. During the time the divers were underwater we got to chatting about her relationship. They have been together for two years now and the matter of marriage has popped up a few times. He wants to wait a few years, but knows he wants to ask her. Her mentality on the other hand is that neither of them are getting younger, she’s 29 and he’s 33, so she wants to ask the question herself. Apparently there is a tradition regarding leap year that allows a woman to ask a man. This was unheard of by me so I did a little research.  According to old Irish history or tradition, believe what you may, St Brigid struck a deal with St Patrick to allow women to propose to men every four years. The reasoning behind the myth is that it came into place to balance the traditional roles of men and women in a similar way to how Leap Day balances the calendar. To be honest this woman seems like she would ask him to marry her even if this tradition didn’t exist, but I found it very interesting and empowering that she was planning on doing it. She has everything planned out including the proposal happening at the aquarium and although I enjoyed hearing about it because I am a helpless romantic, I couldn’t help but be intrigued by how confident and excited she was to make such a big move that is traditionally a man’s role in society.

Another thing we’ve focused on this week has been the reality of going home so soon. It’s crazy to think that 3 ½ months have gone by. I also have been dealing with how I feel about it all. I have very mixed emotions in a sense that at times I feel ready and okay to go home because I have accomplished so much and have seen and experienced more than I could ever imagine. But then I’ll have a really good day at work or something will just make me so happy like the mountains or looking at the ocean and then I’ll get an overwhelming feeling of sadness and nostalgia about leaving this place that I have grown to love so much. Cape Town is my home. I can officially say that I have lived somewhere else other than Brookfield, CT. And at moments that realization alone is enough to terrify me to leave. Going home will certainly be a process, and adjusting back to life will be an even bigger one that I am not looking forward to. There are many challenges I am anticipating on facing when I get home. How I deal and handle those challenges are something I can think of and prepare myself for now. But how I react for sure is a mystery until the time comes. Until that time though I am going to enjoy every last minute here in my beautiful city of Cape Town.

 

Christina's whirlwind week

This past week has been a whirlwind of activities that have flown by just as quickly as the past three months. We recently came back from our excursion to Johannesburg and the Kruger.  After flying into Jo'burg, we settled into our nice wifi-working hotel to relax a bit after the trip in. That evening we went to an awesome Mediterranean restaurant called Pappas where we ate good food with great company. We even got a little risqué and tried some escargot… not my favorite. The next day was the real start of the Johannesburg portion. We went to many museums and historical places over the course of the week including, the Apartheid Museum, Nelson Mandela’s house, Constitution Hill, Sharpeville, the Hector Peterson museum in Soweto, and Freedom Square in addition to a fun day spent at the boys and girls club.

The Apartheid Museum was very interesting and eye opening. As soon as we arrived we each received an entry ticket like any other museum except on our tickets was a pre-decided fate that classified you as either “white” or “non-white.” We entered through two different doorways and walked through a room with identification cards which basically constituted your life at that point in time. And although we have learned all this information before and you can hear it time after time again, it doesn’t compare to the pictures and stories of real accounts when you are in the place where it all happened.

Another place we travelled to was Sharpeville where the burning of the passbooks took place led by Robert Sobukwe, also the leader of the PAC. This was a very monumental event in South Africa’s history because what started as a peaceful demonstration turned into a massacre with 69 known deaths, two of them being children ages as low as 12. With nothing to defend themselves but rocks, police shot and killed protestors as they were running away. Walking along those same sidewalks where blood was shed, seeing the graves where innocent souls lay to rest, it was all so bone chilling experiencing the history, picturing the events as they happened where I stood.

Out of all the places we visited while in Johannesburg I have to say that I liked going to Soweto the best. Once there we went to the Hector Peterson Museum. Hector Peterson was the first person shot and killed at the Soweto Uprising. Children refused to go to school and learn under Afrikaans and peacefully protested in the streets until the police open fired on young children. The museum included pictures, recordings, and many testimonies of what happened that day. Reading the memories and stories of those who were actually there was terrifying. Children even warned their own parents to not go to work that day because they knew what was to come. Friends and family members saw one another get shot and killed. The brutality that took place during those events are ones that should of never happened and should never be repeated. Young children standing up in what they believe in only to literally get shot down is so frustrating and saddening and a number of different emotions all at once. It’s hard to even know what to truly feel because it’s hard to fathom all of this really happening.

One of our days was spent entirely at the Boys and Girls Club, which is also in Soweto. I have a friend back at home that is very involved with her local Boys and Girls club and absolutely loves it and now I can see why. The kids are all so helpful and loving it’s hard to picture them living in such poor situations or involved with the local crime and gang violence. But that’s why the Boys and Girls club is so important. It’s a safe haven for these children where they can be just that. Kids being kids enjoying each other and playing outside with the older ones looking after the younger ones. It was a fun experience I will cherish forever.

 We also went to the  Theatre on the Square to see the play Hinderland about Cecil John Rhodes, a very important man that contributed greatly to the University of Cape Town (UCT), but was a bit of a racist at the same time. There has actually been a huge debate back on campus if the Rhodes statue should be knocked down or not because of his racial discrimination. As it turns out it was taken down and has since been removed from campus. Anyways the show was very well done and Johannesburg was quite fun but the Kruger was what made me most excited for the trip.

The last time I went to South Africa I stayed in a place called Djuma Game Reserve where one of our borders was shared with the Kruger so I have seen it, but have never been in it. This time I was lucky enough to stay deep inside and get a real sense of what the Kruger was all about. Our first game drive was almost surreal bringing back many fond memories from the previous summer. Species’ names rushed back to me along with random facts about the plants and animal’s behaviors. I was in my element. We saw elephants and immediately I reflected on a spectacular sighting I had with a herd. But the major difference between this experience and my last was I no longer felt the need or obligation to take pictures. This time around I sat back and just enjoyed the beauty around me. As dark covered the land and the spot lights were flicked on, within the first five minutes of holding a flashlight I spotted three lions laying in the grass. We veered off the road into the bush to get a better look. It never gets old being so close to a wild animal so big and majestic, capable of such power and ferocity. The next morning we woke up at 4:30 to be ready for another game drive at 5. Early and tired we set out to see what we could find. After a rather slow morning we stumbled upon a herd of at least 300 Cape Buffalo with two lions scoping out the scene. In the frenzy to see not only buffalo but lions too Jill somehow managed to drop her phone.  In a setting like that where going out of the vehicle could really be a matter of life and death it was hard to not find the comic relief in it all. Thankfully a car was passing us by and stopped to create a sort of alley between the cars to shield a man who got out to retrieve it from the lions just across the road. It was an unexpected event in an unforgettable setting. The rest of the time at Kruger was awesome, including us driving close enough to the Mozambique boarder to see the other African country. 

It brought back some nostalgic feelings of my great times in the bush last summer but I have to admit that getting out of the city life and into the bush was a nice change of pace but had me longing for home, Cape Town. 

Christina's half marathon

So yesterday I ran a half marathon! I’m so proud to say that I got to accomplish my first half marathon here in Cape Town with some of the friends I’ve made on this trip. Since day one there have been a solid group of girls that have been registered and have been training. Meanwhile, Bernie and I have debated it always going back and forth on the matter. Neither of us have done one before and although we’ve been running frequently together and alone we’ve never really officially trained for it, at least I haven’t been. So the week of the marathon finally approached and honestly the day before Bernie and I decided to go for it!

Bernie & Christina

The morning of the marathon we had to wake up at 4:30 to be dressed and ready to leave. We had a cab come but because of all the traffic due to the marathon we had to get out early and walk to the starting line in Newlands. Already at 5am the streets were crowded with marathon runners and you could feel the excitement in the air. People were dressed in matching outfits, face paint, flags, and even rabbit ears for Easter weekend. Finally we got to the starting line and the gun went off and so did we! I never thought I would be so excited to run but there was music and fans already lined the streets cheering and taking photos from every direction. Bernie, Caitlin, and I all started at the same time but shortly after we started we lost Caitlin. It was up to Bernie and I, both first timers, and we were on a roll. The whole race almost seems like a blurr because it was done in Kilometers each time we passed a checkpoint I was trying to do the calculation in my head to see how many miles we had left. But even as the race was going on we would run through water stations and little points where radio stations would be, or bands, or tv stations. It was awesome, we would run by a camera and Bernie and I would see ourselves dancing by to the music. I was actually really surprised by the marathon and the ambiance through out the whole event. Having people on the side cheering and music playing really helped to motivate us and once we saw that we had one kilometer left we booked it. Bernie and I sprinted all the way through UCT and once we stopped running I was suddenly flooded with emotions. It was completely unexpected but Bernie and I hugged and I felt myself tearing up. I felt so accomplished and proud of myself and shocked quite honestly that I got overwhelmed with emotions.

           

Running a half-marathon was an amazing experience that I am so thankful to of accomplished here and share with my friends from UConn. 

Christina will cherish her Cape Town experiences forever

This past weekend a group of students and myself went away to a music festival out in the countryside of South Africa. It was about two hours away and the drive was beautiful as we drove away from the city into the fields and forests across the mountain. It’s amazing to drive just a few hours away and come in contact with a completely different environment from that of Cape Town. It just goes to show how beautiful the land is here. The mountains and beautiful beaches we have access to all the time here in Cape Town. Opposed to the rolling fields and thick forests just on the other side of the mountain.  Anyways, the music festival was a nice break from the so called fast-paced, if I can even say that here in Africa, city life of Cape Town. While there, Onna had a friend meet up with us, from UConn also, that was studying on the program Semester at Sea and was currently ported in Cape Town. It was really interesting talking to him and seeing his outlook on studying abroad because he has seen so many different places along the semester, but he’s also spent a lot shorter periods of time in each place.

           

We talked a lot about how he liked his program and if he had the opportunity would he choose a different one. He emphasized on how cool it was to see so many different countries that one would normally never have the opportunity to. This semester they traveled from the west coast of the US around Asia and down and around Africa all the way to Europe. He visited 5 or so places in Asia and said they were all amazing in their own way. If it weren’t for the semester at sea program that he’s doing he said he probably wouldn’t of gotten the chance again to go to some of the places he’s visited. But then the question I had was how was it going to each country for such a short amount of time? Since the time frame for each port is so short, he only really got to do the really touristy mainstream things in each place. Also, things seemed rushed and very scheduled. In my opinion I would never want to spend my semester bouncing from one place to the next because with each trip you lack depth. Here in Cape Town, I’ve had the opportunity to truly immerse myself in the culture and the communities that surround this beautiful city. I have had time to explore and venture around to find my spot and local places that I enjoy going to just like I do at home. With this program I have made Cape Town not just destination, but my home and I can’t be thankful enough to be on this program spending my whole semester here gaining experiences that I will cherish forever.

Christina shares adventures with family

This weekend has been so hectic and non-stop to say the least. At last the entire Marconi gang has made it to South Africa! It’s so incredible to have them all hear but also a bit strange since I’ve been living on my own without them for the past two months. But even though they were only here for a little bit over a week, I tried to show them a bit of everything so they can understand my life here.

We started the week off strong with a sunrise hike up Lion’s Head. Since I’ve hiked it before and I get to live with such amazing views everyday it’s hard to remember how it felt the first time I saw it. But the reactions my family had brought the memories flooding back as they gasped and awed in all directions. They couldn’t believe where they were, and neither could I. Right after the hike I wasted no time and brought them straight to the Old Biscuit Mill for a bit of shopping and great food. Then after a quick outfit change we were lounging on the beach at Camps Bay, and that was only day one…

Soon afterwards the days started to blend together but I distinctly remember Sunday because that’s the day we took a tour of the peninsula. What really made this day special was the fact that we got held up for about 20 minutes driving to Cape Point because a few baboons decided to climb on top of our car and just sit, and sit, and sit. As funny as it may sound, it was actually somewhat terrifying because whenever I would angle myself to see them on top of the car and made eye contact, it would actually lock eyes and start to climb towards me with their long narrow toes and pointy fingernails on the windows. We had become one of the main attractions in the park and as unexpected as it was, it certainly made the trip a lot more exciting!

 One of the last nights my mom and I were going through a tour book for Cape Town, which named the top 10 things to do, and for everyone she yelled check after. Parliament, Robben Island, wine tour, shark cage diving, beaches, markets, waterfront, Kirstenbosch, Boulder’s Beach, Cape Point, Lion’s Head, Table Mountain, the aquarium and a handful of great restaurants and more I’m probably forgetting. They did it all and what made me happiest out of their visit was how happy they were. They understood finally how I could fall in love with such a beautiful place and the best part about it all, they’re already talking about the next time we can go back!

Christina's busy week

 It’s been so hard to concentrate this week because my parents and sister arrive this weekend! I get the lucky pleasure to plan out their entire trip, which has proven to be a lot more difficult than expected. I’ve written down a list of must sees along with some fun things I’ve picked up along the way such as an awesome market on Saturday mornings, Old Biscuit Mill, and a nice beach day in Camps Bay. It’ll be difficult to squeeze in everything I want them to do in such a short amount of time but we’ll have to wait and see I guess!

           

When I haven’t been planning, I’ve been very busy at my internship this week. On Tuesday I got to accompany the collections team on a trip to Hout Bay. Hout Bay is a small town on the water where the aquarium sometimes goes to get some specimens for the exhibits. This time we were on a mission to get some shrimp. We suited up and headed into the water with a large net and dragged in various different batches onto shore. To just anyone it may not seem so special, but I loved every second of it. Anytime I’m out in the field I’m reminded of what I want to do with life and how happy and lucky I am to be studying something so fascinating, the ocean.

           

On Wednesday things really spiced up when we had to take out a ragged tooth shark to inspect for release. Bright and early a few divers went into a quarantined tank to retrieve the shark. A bunch of staff including the vet inspected the shark’s gills for nematodes, a type of parasite that can be harmful to the shark. We were supposed to release that shark in addition to another but it’ll need to undergo some treatment due to the remaining nematodes. It was such an amazing experience getting that close to a shark and actually examining it on a medical level and then getting to see the blood and gills in the lab.

           

By Thursday my parents had arrived and it was time to start their vacation! But not before long I had to leave them for a short while to go sky diving Friday morning!!! A bunch of students and myself got the opportunity to travel a bit outside of Cape Town and prepare to jump 9000 feet out of a little plane. Group by group we flew up for about 20 minutes until we reached the appropriate altitude. Onna and Jess were in my plane as well and I was the last to jump out. After seeing their faces right before emerging from the plane, my nerves finally kicked in. For a split moment I had a feeling of doubt and questioned doing it. But before long my legs were hanging out of the plane and we rolled out before I even had a chance to 2^nd guess myself. We free-falled at first and it was the most amazing feeling I’ve ever experienced. Once I got past the initial, “Oh shoot I’m falling from 9000ft in the air” feeling, I really started to enjoy it and feel invincible. I was essentially flying…. It was definitely one of the top three things I’ve not only done here but in my life.

           

As soon as I got home from skydiving my sister had arrived also and the whole family was finally in Cape Town to experience a bit of my new life!