More bitter than sweet at the end

I can't believe my time here is over. I will have an hour or two in the morning to run my last few errands before getting into a cab to go to the airport. It feels like I've been here for only a short nap during which I had many crazy dreams. Now that I'm actually leaving, I'm not so sure I'm ready to go. Last week, I said that these three months would fulfill my SA fix for a while. Now I'm not sure how long I'll be able to stay away before returning again. When explaining my second trip to South Africa, I told people that there is something happening on the ground in South Africa that is unique and special, which I want to witness. The next time I come back, I will tell people that I came back not exclusively because of what is happening in South Africa, but also because of what happens to me when I'm here. This place prompts growth and thought and drive that I fail to feel at this level of intensity elsewhere. I'm afraid to leave now because I don't want to stop the growth I've seen in myself while living here. I don't want to cut myself off just as I'm starting. I don't want to go home and settle back into a comfortable life (as nice as it is) that does not challenge me.

I also don't want to leave because packing stinks.

Here's to hoping for a safe and smooth trip home. See you soon.

Two sides of the same city

Below are some photos from the two vineyards Ari and I visited for wine tastings on Thursday. At both locations, we were given a tour by the managing director (aka the head winemaker) around the grounds  and then he guided us through our tastings.

On Friday, Ari and I went on a half-day township tour, which included a guided walking tour in Langa, the oldest township in Cape Town. We also visited a creche (daycare/preschool center) where the kids sang and danced for us. The last photo is a great shot of the schizophrenic nature of South Africa's landscape: on left side of the street are homemade shacks and on the right side are middle and upper class homes. This is exemplary of the gigantic class divide in the country. 

This weekend has been filled with mostly food (nom nom!). Pictures will be posted soon.

Back from holiday to start another holiday

I'm back in Cape Town and must say I am relieved to be in familiar surroundings. I wrote in a journal while I was in Durban and Gaborone; I plan to transcribe those notes and post them to the blog. The trip was fun, challenging, uncomfortable at times, and empowering. But you might have to wait for the full details until I'm back home because I'm busy enjoying all the touristy things Cape Town has to offer with Ari!

We were surprised to find each other at the gate for the same flight to Cape Town in the Jo'burg airport; somehow we missed that we were flying the last leg of the trip together. I thought he was set to arrive in Cape Town an hour later than me and assumed we might overlap in Jo'burg by 20ish minutes. I had a plan in my head that I'd go to his gate, if I had time, and sneak up to where he was sitting and ask, 'Is this seat taken?' But when I arrived at my gate and saw him sitting there all plans went out the window and I just ran up to him and stood there like an idiot with a big grin on my face. He was equally shocked and confused at my appearance. 'Twas a joyous reunion.

So far we've visited the organization's office in Kenilworth, hiked most of Lions Head, been to the the self-proclaimed best vegetarian restaurant in town, fed the crazy squirrels at the Company Gardens, and enjoyed afternoon tea at the Mount Nelson Hotel. I think we're off to the a good start. Tomorrow we're going for a full day of wine tastings in Somerset West and Franschoek.

The beginning of the end

With a few random exceptions, I am all packed. I have a backpack ready and an itinerary printed for my trip to Durban, South Africa and Gaborone, Botswana. I have a suitcase, which is heavier than I remember on the trip here, and a travel backpack filled with all the clothes, books, dvds, and other odds and ends that made the guesthouse feel like home for the past 2.5 months. This is my last night sleeping in this bed, sleeping in Kenilworth. Yesterday was my last day with the organization. Now it's just travel and then touristing around Cape Town. It feels surreal that my time here is almost up. While I can't wait for Ari to get here and then to go home, I'm also starting to feel bittersweet about leaving this experience behind me. I'll be away from the internets for the next nine days while I'm traveling. Don't miss me too much. I'll be home before you know it.

Will I come back to Africa?

This morning, I popped in to the office to say hello to everyone before I began the process of packing and cleaning. L, a Zimbabwean intern who is soft spoken and incredibly intelligent, asked me if I would come back to Africa. My initial reaction was, 'most definitely.' But then he clarified: would I come back to Africa to work? I told him that I might come back to work for a year, maybe two, but I don't see moving here permanently and even figuring out the logistics of a year would be difficult. The main reason being that my home is in the USA. That is where my family - both by blood and by choice - is. That is where my life is. It amused me when people kept telling me before I left that I wasn't allowed to stay, that I had to come home. For me, that was never an option or even considered. South Africa offers an amazing place to learn and grow, but it is not home and I doubt it ever could be.

Observations of the Mother City

Before leaving for South Africa, I was asked what South Africa looked like and what the people wore and what kind of food was eaten. My answer was usually vague and generalized. These are hard questions to answer because there is no blanket answer. South Africa is a conglomerate of many different cultures and backgrounds and nationalities. It is similar to the U.S. in this respect. It would be like asking the question: What do people wear in the U.S.? Answer: clothing. The same is true for South Africa.

The other reason I was hesitant to answer these questions is because they come from a place of ignorance about South Africa, and possibly Africa in general. The person who asked these questions was looking for an answer that described something exotic and unknown; she wanted to learn about the natives' costumes and bizarre food. This judgement of the asker might be a bit harsh. I know I'm sensitive to the issue of stereotypes about South Africa and Africa, but I can only assume, because she asked these questions, that she assumed South Africa would be different from home. And based on news coverage of and general beliefs about Africa, I can only assume she thought South Africa would be different from home in a way that is different from how Paris, for example, is different from home.

Cape Town is a city and very similar in many ways to any other city. Cape Town, like Boston, has big buildings and restaurants that serve food from all over the world and lots of people and public transportation and homelessness and dance clubs and all the other things that define what a city is.

While I try the neutralize the Africaness of Cape Town, the reality is that it is a city in Africa and there are differences from other cities I've visited on other continents. Here is a list of observations about things I've seen or heard or tasted or experienced in Cape Town. Disclaimer: None of these should be extrapolated to be about South Africa or Africa in general. These shouldn't even be assumed to be set-in-stone truths about Cape Town. They are just things I've noticed. Hopefully this will give you a better idea about what life looks like in the Mother City.

• Cars drive on the left side of the road. Despite crossing streets here for more than two months, I still have not learned this. Though I have figured out that the driver's seat is on the right and stopped going to that door when getting into a car. I like to think I know to look right and then left, but an event today crushed any delusions I have about this. That event also crushed my toes. I walked into oncoming traffic and inadvertently put my left foot in front of a car's back tire, which proceeded to roll over each of my toes. Ouch! I'm guessing you think my toes are hurt. Not the case. It's just my pride. I was crossing the street to get to a minibus taxi, so the guys in the taxi saw me 'bump' into the moving car. K, the other intern who I was with, saw me. The driver saw me; he/she stopped after I hit him/her, but I just kept going for the taxi to avoid any conversation about my inability to cross the road. Luckily, I'm fine. I wiggled my toes around during the ride into town with no trouble. It doesn't hurt to walk. There's no bruising. It seems like I should have broken something, but the car was small and not moving very fast.
• There is a visible Muslim population in Cape Town. I have no idea if there are more or fewer Muslims than in Boston in terms of numbers or percentage of the population. I say the community is more visible because traditional Muslim head coverings are a common sight around town. It is not surprising to see women wearing hijabs and men wearing taqiyahs.
• Sweet potatoes are white instead of orange.
• Instead of saying 'you're welcome,' people say 'pleasure.' Also, 'darling' is said in places where I would think to use the word 'dear.' Often, when I exit a minibus taxi and thank the guy working the door, he will say 'pleasure, my darling.'
• I have not seen any quick-cook oats. It is a fine art to cook oatmeal in a microwave, which involves watching the bowl through the door's window like it was the most exciting television show you've ever seen. If you look away for a moment you risk the oatmeal bubbling over the sides and making a huge mess. I usually cook the oatmeal in three stages. The first stage is for 55 seconds and I don't need to watch it. The second stage is for 45 seconds and I squat in front of the microwave and eye the oats and water as they bubble up like a volcano in the bowl. The last phase is for 35 seconds, but I usually have to stop every ten seconds to stir the oatmeal. When I stayed with Johann, a CSer, the last time I was in Cape Town, I made a mess of his microwave while attempting to make oatmeal. I felt awful because I was rushing out the door to cash a flight to Jo'burg and didn't have time to clean up. It took me a couple of tries to get the procedure right this time around and I had a few messes to clean up, but now I'm an oatmeal master.
• When riding in a minibus taxi, it is more common to hear people speaking a language that is not English, mainly Afrikaans and Xhosa. It took me a while to get used to this. It initially freaked me out. It's hard to feel secure in an unknown situation when people are saying things you don't understand. But now I just enjoy the melody of the conversations around me. And hope they aren't plotting my death or making fun of me.
• Skinny jeans with ballet flats and waist-cinching belts are popular among the 20-something-year-old women. Older and middle-aged women commonly wear skirts that hit well below the knee and hats - mainly beanie-style hats. I've only recently in the past twoish weeks seen any young women wearing short skirts and shirts they think are dresses; I'm pretty sure this is because the new semester at the University of Cape Town has started and all of the foreign students have arrived, bringing their less modest fashion sense with them. It could also be that the seasons are transitioning from winter to spring.
• Electricity for homes and flats is prepared. When you run out, the electricity shuts off and someone must go to a local vendor - I know some grocery stores less it - and buy more. This happened only thrice while I've been here.  
• KFC is a popular fast food option in Cape Town (and Windhoek, Namibia). With the exception of one McDonald's I've seen, it's the only American chain here. I read about how Starbucks was constructing a temporary location for the World Cup for all the foreigners. Some local chains are Wimpy's, Nando's, Spur, and Kauai. I've only tried Kauai; it's a health-conscious chain with lots of veggie options and salads, wraps, and smoothies. I also want to try Nando's which is Indian-inspired fast food. The other two are just burger-and-chip joints.
• The most African thing I've noticed here, other than being in Africa and surrounded by Africans, is that many women - mostly black women - carry babies and small children on their backs by wrapping blankets and towels around the child and then tied in the front around their stomach and chest. I have no idea what kind of knot they are using, but those kids never fall or slide out of the wrap. 

I think that's enough. This is really just a random, not-exciting list of stuff I've noticed on the ground. This ongoing realization - that Cape Town is not necessarily as unique as I previously thought - has actually made me fall a little less in love with it. But that is neither here nor there.

To some up:
What to people wear here? Clothing.
What do people eat? Lots of different kinds of food.
What does Cape Town look like? A city of concrete and construction that happens to also be nestled between mountains and the ocean, making it one of the most beautiful I've ever seen.

Quotations

I might be quoted in a local newspaper later this week about the policy paper I wrote on the citizenship amendment bill. A reporter from the Cape Argus called the boss this afternoon looking for story ideas and he mentioned the policy paper. The reporter was interested. So after this conversation, the boss asked me to write up a short statement on the paper so that the reporter would have one or two quotes from me for the article. It took me about an hour to write two sentences. The writing process went something like this:

• Write a 75-word sentence that uses the word 'citizenship' four times and includes three clauses.
• Look at the Christian Science Monitor's photos of the day.
• Go back to the sentence, after being asked by the boss how much longer it will take, and delete half of it. Write a second sentence that uses the word 'citizenship' an additional two times.
• Look at the top news in my Facebook feed.
• Go back to the sentences because the boss asks me again how much longer it will be. I tell him I don't know what to say and ask for guidance. He starts talking about refugee children. I zone out after the first minute.
• Delete everything I've written. Write two sentences that only use the word 'citizenship' three times total. Send to the boss for feedback.
• Discuss the two sentences with the boss. He likes the second sentence, but thinks the first one needs work. We both edit the sentence out loud at each other and then on computers. He sends me his edited version. I edit it some more. 
• Finish.

Not the most effective process, but it got the job done. Eventually.

I feel much more comfortable being in a position of quoting someone instead of being the person providing the quote. But the boss was adamant that I be quoted and included in the article. While I feel awkward about serving in the role of spokesperson, it's nice to have my work acknowledged and see the issues discussed in the policy paper being brought into a more public space.