My Last Weekend in Cape Town

Just a short note to say that my last weekend here was a fitting "ending." Saturday was spent in the largest township, Khayalitsha, working on a Habitat for Humanity house with a very large group from many of the area churches. We started seven houses, and in just about four hours times we dug the foundation, mixed the cement and laid the foundation. It's unbelievable what teamwork can get done!

On Sunday my friends Stacey and Jean and I spent the day with our driver Shamil, who took us about 3 hours outside Cape Town to Cape Agulhas, the southernmost tip of the continent. The rock formations there, though large, look more like huge pieces of driftwood--beautiful. We also waded, despite the cold, in the Indian Ocean near Cape Agulhas. We ate lunch, then drove through farmland and semi-desert to Hermanus, one of the few places in the world where you can stand on shore and see whales come very close. We saw them by the dozen, and I could have stood on that point and watched them all day.

Placement is still wonderful. I've learned so much about education in South Africa and gotten to know some wonderful teachers, staff, and learners. We really have made progress on the library, though I am leaving it with so much still to be done. . .

This Weekend in Cape Town

After a very busy week at placement, spending time with the other volunteers (including a late night yesterday of eating out, partying, and karaoke at the local pub because over half the volunteers are leaving this weekend), and cultural activities, I am looking forward to the weekend. Tomorrow I am working all day on a Habitat for Humanity home in a township. On Sunday three of us have hired a car and driver for the day. We are going the coast to Hermanus to whale-watch and have lunch, then to Cape Agulhas, the southernmost tip of Africa, and back to Cape Town over the mountains. The views are supposed to be spectacular, and Hermanus is one of the few places in the world where the whales come almost up to the shore. This is my last weekend here,and this one is sure to be memorable.

Exotic cultures, exotic cuisines

One of the best things about being here with CCS is conversation with the volunteers. We currently have 16 volunteers living in my homebase (though 5 will leave this weekend), ranging in age from 16 to 59. All have compelling life stories, and all have interesting perspectives. A discussion this afternoon with Kara (an attorney from Portland, Oregon, and Jean, a legislative aid in DC), for example, concerned the belief among Americans that the US is truly multi-cultural, but the realization that multiculturalism in America is minor compared to South Africa. Nowhere is this more evident than in language--SA has eleven official languages, and many more unofficial ones. Nearly everyone we meet is multilingual, usually speaking three or more fluently, and every time we are out we hear at least that many spoken around us within a few minutes' time.



A second way that these (to us) exotic cultures are evident is the food. The variety here is extensive, and I truly believe that if I lived here for decades, I would still have frequent opportunities to try something entirely new and outside my previous food experience. So here I will write about some of the foods I have tried lately.



Last week our placement director Tahira introduced us to Cape Malay culture and cuisine. Let me digress for a brief explanation of Cape Malay history and culture. Shortly after the Dutch East India Company set up a colony at the Cape of Good Hope in the 1650s as a provisioning station for ships sailing between the Netherlands and the East Indies, the governor decided there was a need for slaves to help work the land. Unable to subdue the indigenous Khoi-San (also known by the derogatory names Hottentots and Bushmen) population and deeming a good trade relationship necessary, Governor Riebeeck asked for slaves to be sent here. Some were brought in from other parts of Africa, principally Madagascar and East Africa, but most eventually came from what is now Indonesia. Malay was the lingua franca of trade in southeast Asia and was the predominant language of the slaves. Over time many of these slaves mixed with the local Khoi-San population, who were a "brown," rather than "black" population, and with both the white population and the black population, creating a mixed race known as "coloured." After the English came to the Cape of Good Hope and challenged the Dutch-descended settlers, many Dutch and some coloured moved inland in a migration known as the Great Trek to settle away from the English. Those coloured who remained became known as the Cape coloured. A large segment of the Cape coloured are Muslim, and these are known as the Cape Malay. The so-called coloured population speaks Afrikaans, as distinct language based on 17th century Dutch mixed with elements of African languages, as well as Indian languages and English.

So, last week Tahira spoke to those at our homebase about her culture--the Cape Malay culture, as we were served a lunch of traditional Cape Malay food. Then, on Monday night of this week, six people from our homebase had an oppotunity to eat dinner in a Cape Malay home, in Bo-Kaap, the area of Cape Town that was given to the former slaves when the British governor of the Cape Colony freed the slaves in the 1830s. This opportunity came about because one of our drivers who takes us to placement and on excursions has a sister-in-law who, for a small fee, invites tourist occasionally into her home to learn about Cape Malay cooking and eat a traditional Cape Malay meal. We arrived in time to help make the samoosas and the roti and to learn how she prepared the rest of the meal. We left the table during dinner once during call to prayer and went out into the courtyard behind the house. The house sits among five mosques--the largest concentration of mosques in South Africa--and we could hear the call to prayer coming from all of them. It was beautiful, haunting, and moving, all the more so for me because I had spent all afternoon with two other volunteers at the South African Jewish Museum and Holocaust Center. A multicultural day indeed.

So Cape Malay cuisine is a unique blend of Malay, Indian, and Dutch cuisines. Here are the fabulous Cape Malay foods that I have eaten: samoosas, filled with either a savoury minced beef or a spicy cheese and corn mixture; small meat pies; chevra and slangethies, which I can best describe as a Malay version of party mix; dhaltjies, also called chilli bites, spicy deep-fried puffs of bread; incredible chicken curry; breyani, a kind of curried layered stew; biscuits or cookies, similar to shortbread but spiced with anise or nutmeg; and koeksisters, doughnuts without the holes with cinnamon, cloves, and allspice, dipped in a sticky coating and coconut. It is all fabulous.

I've had two more major eating experiences in the past week. Nineteen of us went to a restaurant called the Africa Cafe, which serves foods from the length of Africa in a family-style setting. Wait staff explained everything we were served, including soup, appetizers, main dishes, starches and vegetables, and dessert. We were seved over 30 different foods and could ask for seconds on anything we wanted. The restaurant is huge (we ate in the Morocco room), and the presentation is perfect. Dinner lasted for nearly 3 hours. In addition to all the food, I had rooisbos tea, a glass of wine, and sparkling water, and my bill incudling tip was about $30. Google the Africa Cafe in Cape Town to see the incredible menu. Second, today the entire group of CCS volunteers went to a shebeen, a traditional restaurant in the township of Guguleto. We ate grilled meats, mealy pap (sort of like grits, but smoother and not gritty) with tomato gravy, African pot bread, and a mess of greens that would not seem unfamiliar to anyone from the South of the US. We ate outside under an awning, with an African band playing, and although all we had to do was look around to know we were right in the township, I never felt uncomfortable. I did notice that we had large male drivers and other CCS staff who seemed to stay on the outskirts of our group.

Just a note: we are having some problems with the internet connection in our homebase and that, along with being busy, has kept me from posting as often as I would like. I'll try to do better in future. Also, there are major email problems, and only last night a bunch of us realized that emails we had sent back home never got through. Some of you may think I haven't been keeping in touch, but I'm trying and it isn't always working. Be patient with me. It will get done, African time. Also, to everyone in CMS, I can't even access CMS email at all, so if you have emailed my CMS address, I won't see it until I am home.

Finally, I've bought the Cape Malay cookbook that was recommended to me, as well as the Africa Cafe cookbook. I hope to cook an African feast when I get home. Y'all come!

Cape of Good Hope and Rugby

Friday night I saw my first rugby match, sandwiched between stops at a pub near the Newlands Rugby Stadium. Newlands is South Africa's largest rugby stadium, and people here are passionate about rugby. We sat behind the visiting team, in the sixth row and couldn't have had better seats. Amazingly, they cost the equivalent of about US$6! We at at the stadium, and I had a boerewor and chips, that is, what I would call a South African version of a bratwurst and French fries. The people sitting around our group of 14 Americans were quite willing to explain the nuances of the sport. The game is a much faster sport than American football, and the players wear no protective equipment. It's exciting, and the fans cheered passionately. Unfortunately, Western Province (the home team) was soundly trounced by the Sharks (from Durban). I discovered to my surprise that I really enjoyed the match and would like to see rugby again.

Yesterday, six of us hired a driver and explored the Cape Peninsua, driving down the Atalantic side to Cape Point, where we ate lunch in a wonderful seafood restaurant. My seafood platter was so beautiful that I photographed it. Then we drove back up the Indian Ocean side. Because we stopped frequently in towns or to take advantage of the beautiful weather and breath-taking views, the trip lasted from about 8:30 am until 7:00 pm. We stopped at "World of Birds," an aviary in Hout Bay, as well as the Hout Bay waterfront, where I fed a seal weighing about 560 kilos. We saw a troop of wild baboons on the side of the road, including two babies, and all kindly posed for us. From atop Cape Point we watched four Southern Right whales swin across a bay. We also saw some kind of bok, probably gemsbok but it was too far away to be certain. We saw wild ostriche, and we stopped just outside Simonstown on the Indian Ocean side to see a penguin colony. We were able to walk right through their nesting area and stand with them all around us. Last night I rested but some went out to enjoy the nightlife.

This morning was lazy--I caught up on emails and rested a bit. This afternoon we shopped at Green Point Market, a flea market-style craft fair that runs along one side of the still-under-construction soccer stadium for the 2010 World Cup. I bargained and got some good buys, including a traditional African dress that I will have to alter to fit me. It will be great for teaching and making presentations on my trip.

Tomorrow is Monday, so I will be starting my second week at placement (Blossom Stree Primary School). I can't believe time is flying by so quickly, yet I have seen and done so much in this short time. I am afraid it will fly by.

Of National Anthems, Scary Stories, and Discarded Library Books

Just a short post on my placement today: the children in grade 6A "interviewed" me, which was funny, with questions as to whether or not I have met any celebrities, what my favorite sport is, favorite car, favorite country, etc. They asked me to sing the US national anthem. Being only somewhat brave, I offered to sing the first half of it because the last half has too many high notes. I don't remember the last time I sang a solo without going flat and even was applauded. Then, they all stood and sang the South African national anthem in such clear, beautiful voices, that I actually had chills. We talked about stories that we all like, and someone said he liked the Goosebumps stories. I asked if they believed I could tell them a story that would scare them. I told The Gunniwulf, one of my favorite jump tales, and they all jumped and screamed at the appropriate time and then laughed . I am ordered to tell more stories next week.

Kara and I worked in the library today. Nearly all the books are second-hand donations, many discarded from other libraries long ago. Back home, school librarians "weed" their libraries regularly. I couldn't help but think of the books I have weeded in the past five years: they would have been a treasure here. Kara and I are determined to organize book drives when we get home so that these children can have books that are up-to-date. One that I did throw away today was a book on modern aircraft published in the 1950s. Our task here is daunting, but we are convinced we can make a difference.

Tonight, I'm off to my first rugby match . . .

An amazing day in Cape Town

We all get tired sometimes, but there is a "good" tired and a just plain miserable tired. Every night I am feeling the good tired because my days are full and stimulating. Today was my second day at placement, and I couldn't be more excited about what I am doing. The school serves children in grades R (what we call kindergarten--I must ask what "R" stands for) through 7, with about 560 learners (what they say instead of students). They arrive at 8:30 in the morning, have class until 10:30, when they all eat outside in the "yard" (which we would call playground). Someone on staff supervises the children, but I believe it is only one or two people, and all the teachers go to the staff room for tea break.

What is striking is that we are all able to fit into the tiny staff room--there are not more than 16 or 18 people, including the principal, assistant principal, assistant principal, teachers, secretary, and 4 volunteers. That's because the classes are packed, and class size is something that is talked about by the teachers; one of their first questions was what our class sizes are. At Blossom Street, classes average over 50 learners, packed into the rooms like sardines. The school was built in 1962, is very clean and orderly, though there are not the modern conveniences and teaching resources that we have at home. They are rightly proud of a brand new computer lab, but the classrooms don't have any of the technology we are used to.

The 4 CCS volunteers at Blossom Street arrive at 8:30 and stay until 12:30 because most afternoons we have presentations such as yesterday's on HIV/Aids, or language lessons in Afrikaans and Xhosa. I am taking Afrikaans lessons because that is what about 2/3 of our learners, who are called coloured, speak. They live near the school in the suburb of Athlone. Now, it must be understood that suburb isn't what we generally think of but more what I would call neighborhood. Athlone is not strictly a township but rather a neighborhood of what appear to be modern homes. However, many children here live in poverty. Very often, behind the house in the back yard, there is one or more shacks, which house additional families, all extended family members of the modest home facing the street. The other third of our learners speak Xhosa and come from the shanty towns or informal settelements, as they are called here. These are the destitute people who have moved to Cape Town from rural areas of South Africa. The school is taught in English, with all learners attending an Afrikaans class.

I am assisting a 6th grade teacher until break, after which Kara and I are working to set up the library. I will devote a later blog just to that, but the most exciting thing I learned today is that schools here use the Dewey Decimal System--the same as at home.

After lunch at homebase, 12 other volunteers and I took a ferry to Robben Island. Think Alcatraz, but in Table Bay. This is the infamous former leper's colony that housed political prisoners, where Nelson Mandela spent most of his 27 years in prison. Our guide was a fomer political prisoner who spen 11 years years there with Mandela and has so many stories to share. Robben Island was declared a Unesco World Heritage Site in 1999 and is one of the must-see attractions in Cape Town. The visit, including the ferry ride, lasted three and a half hours and was inspirational. You might want to visit the website.

Tired is good, but I am definitely tired tonight. Tomorrow is casual day at school, when learners don't have to wear uniforms (although I am told some will becuase that is all they have to wear), and teachers wear jeans. This is good for me because Kara and I anticipate a lot of cleaning in the library.

Impressions of Cape Town

This is the most difficult post for me to write so far because at the moment I am overwhelmed. There are so many experiences coming my way and so many utterly new sights and sounds that there is no time to process anything before something else I see or hear knocks me over. Let me try to give you some ideas.

I reported to homebase (the place where I live while volunteering here) on Saturday. Ours is the largest group of volunteers CCS South Africa has placed, so instead everyone living in the regular homebase, that is for this summer called homebase 1, with 31 volunteers living there. I am in homebase 2, housing 21 volunteers in a rental house. We are in a suburb called Rondebosch, home to the University of Cape Town. My roommate Pat is my age (we are the oldest of all the volunteers) from Saskatchewan, Canada. The people in our house are fantastic--interesting, engaged, and open, and it is truly like an extended family. The only downside so far is that our room had a mold infestation, and I am allergic to mold and became very sick yesterday. This is rainy season, and everything turns to mold or mildew. The workmen were here for a good part of the day cleaning and painting with an anti-fungal paint, so we shall see if that improves things.

Sunday and Monday were orientation days, with meetings and presentations and do's and don'ts, as well as tours. Cape Town is the crime capital of the world, so the don'ts were extensive and at times frightening. Many people in the townships travel in informal mini-van taxis, many of which are not road-worthy. Foreigners trying to travel in them could well end up anywhere and be subject to the actions of opportunistic--and often desperate--people. We are advised to take taxis from only one company. We are never to go anywhere alone, and preferably in groups of three or more. At night we are not allowed to walk anywhere but must take a taxi. The staff here definitely impressed us, and we are taking precautions as advised. We have also had presentations on HIV/Aids, the history of South Africa, and township life. We toured Cape Town and along a coastline reminiscent of the Pacific Coast Highway. We went to the top of a mountain called Lion's Head, just next to the famous Table Mountain, where the views were breathtaking (so was the ride up the mountain along hairpin turns on a crowded narrow road with no guardrails). We also went on a township tour, but that deserves a post all its own. I have seen houses of people who are extremely wealthy, middle class and comfortabel homes, modest suburbs, townships with what I thought the worst abject poverty imagineable until I saw the shanty towns with shacks that I could blow down with my breath.

Yesterday was the first day of our placement. I will be helping in a class of 6th graders and also helping to set up a library in the school. They have a room set aside with the only television and VCR/DVD player in the school, but the room is full of furniture stored there, and the books on the shelves are old donated books just thrown on the shelves in no particular order. Another volunteer, Kara, an attorney from Oregon and I are going to try to figure out what they have and get it organized so that it can be used. The head of the school, Mr. Davids, is very happy to have us do that.

No one went to placement today because Cosatu (the Congress of South African Trade Unions) was on strike, and there were marches in all South African cities against rises in prices of electricity, oil, and food. The teachers in my school were planning to march, so I am eager to hear about it tomorrow. Several of us spent the afternoon at Kirstenbosch National Botanical Gardens, rated as one of the top five botanical gardens in the world. It was even more beautiful than I thought it would be.

Must sleep so that I am ready for tomorrow.

Safely arrived and soggy in Cape Town

Just a short note to let all know that I arrived on Wednesday night, have been seeing sights these two days, and report to CCS tomorrow to begin my program. It is rainy season here--cold, hard rain, but the city is beautiful and the people extremely friendly. I've already eaten some new foods--samp, kudu, and malva pudding (find a recipe and make this dessert--it is fabulous!)--and hope not to weigh a ton when I return. I'll write a real post for you early next week.