The Whole World is Here in PE

Here I am with internet in Annie's Cove, and after spending an hour just trying to upload photos to facebook, I am finally getting to writing the stories behind all of the photos I've been snapping this week. What a crazy few days it has been. With the rainy week we had when we arrived, I was not prepared for the rays of the African sun that would burn me this past weekend. I have to say, though, I certainly don't mind being a little burnt from the sun -- this IS Africa, after all!

All of that nonsense aside, the past few days have been some most adventurous times I can imagine. To start with, Addo Elephant National Park was just a dream come true. We drove through the enormous land reserve in a bumpy bumpy van, with our cameras and binoculars handy for sighting elephants, kudu, warthogs, jackals, zebra, ostrich, antelope, and so much more. For the first hour, our tour guide Geoff was assuring us that we would come across some elephants. I honestly was losing hope until at last, we turned the corner to find a line of cars stopped in their path, and a herd of about 15 elephants weaving slowly, calmly, through the vehicles to eat the vegetation and make their way. It was remarkable. For once in my life I witnessed the most majestic creature, in my opinion, completely in control of its surroundings. Without any humans guiding it, the elephants were thriving in their natural environment, completely happy and aware of their role on the reserve. The humans were actually becoming quite petrified around us.. Geoff was a source of serenity and told us that as long as we turned our engine off, the elephants would ignore us. We turned off our engine, as did most other cars around us, and simply listened to the very surprisingly soft footsteps of the elephants as they passed us by. If  I had stuck my arm out of the window, I would have been able to graze their skin, they were that close. They paid us no attention and went on their way, as if they were giving us their blessing to visit their home and watch them. I will never forget how small, yet secure and peaceful I felt when I saw those elephants in front of me.
Of course, all of the other sightings of animals were awesome, too. Kudus, who both taste delicious to South Africans and make some very nice jewlery, grow more beautiful with age. Their horns grow another spiral with every couple of years they age, and the oldest males have these Dr.Seuss-looking twirly horns on their head. Quite interesting!

I have to pause right now to note that as I am writing this, in my head I am speaking with SOME sort of accent- anything but the natural American one I have. I guess this is a good time to speak about the culture of Annie's Cove and PE, and how I am constantly interacting with people who speak another language before English. I love it! I will be having a discussion with people, and all of a sudden, a few of them will break out in German. I must look crazy because I continue to attend to their conversation, even though I have NO idea of what they're talking about! They laugh and translate for me, but I really don't mind. I think all of the languages I hear are beautiful, and if it is only Tuesday of my first week and I am already thinking in a European accent, I'd say the chances of me walking away from here tri-lingual are pretty high!.. baby steps.
Annie's Cove is a wonderful place to live. You walk outside and just introduce yourself to anyone, and they will be friendly and kind and BAM! you've made a friend. It's the perfect place I can imagine myself being without anyone else from home, because in every instance I've walked up to a stranger or knocked on someone's door, I've been instantly welcomed into the group of people, invited to walk somewhere and felt as if I belong. I feel really lucky to be here with such an open and diverse group of people. After a while, you don't even realize that you're from a different country. Tonight, there were about 100 people in one house, from many different parts of the world. You're constantly identifying yourself as an American or from Massachusetts, and it's pretty cool. I've never felt so much ownership over being American before, because it's never been something different about me. Now that I am sometimes the only American in a group, people will turn to me and ask me what I would call certain terms or how Americans do certain things. You learn a lot about your culture once you are not in it anymore!

Orientation week is in progress, and today I took a tour with other students of Port Elizabeth. Our guide, Bradley, grew up in a township in PE, and became a teacher here. He knew everything there was to know about the city, the townships, the people and culture, and was really inspiring. He put such an emphasis on visitng the townships when we are here, and when we walked around one and met the people, I understood why. In the townships, areas that were created for the housing of poor "whites", "blacks", and "coloreds" were given government grants. The conditions still today are very poor, and a person typically only makes about 1500 rand a month. That is not a lot of money, especially when school for the children costs almost half of that. (note that I may not have the figures right, but that's the general idea.) The townships were split among the races to create a divide, so that the British settlers and upper class white people would not have their power challenged. Driving from first world PE to the townships is like crossing into a different universe. In PE, you almost feel as if you aren't in Africa at all. The beaches are pristine and there are guesthouses that have chandeliers and 5-star restaurants in them. In the townships, the houses are powered with solar energy, they are squished together in very tight quarters, they're made out of rusty tin and the schools are built with asbestos sheets. The grass is not very lush and there is trash everywhere because of the poor waste systems. People cook outside and may not even have a bathroom close by, so they have to use the 'bucket system.' People sell vegetables and fruits out of a stand in their yard to make money, and some start businesses like barber shops or shoe stores as well. As we drove through this area, everyone waved to us and yelled out things to us. I don't know why they were yelling to us, and quite frankly, expected them to be hostile to a huge double decker tour bus with "Hakuna ma tata" written in neon letters on the side, but no. They were waving and smiling, so we all did the same back. The simple gesture felt nice, but did not come close to helping me understand why it is that they live in these conditions, while I am so fortune enough to live in the conditions I have.
When we got out of the bus, we greeted some children who were walking along the street, and then went into the Red Location Museum. So much history to retell, all I have to say is that the significance of the South African history that everyone should know, goes unheard of in school. Horrifying stories were told of the injustices that occurred among the working class, and how many of the victims of the oppression are still living with haunted memories.
After the museum, we went into a community kitchen where three "Mamas" spoke to us. We didn't know it at the time, but this was the first time they had ever spoken in front of a group. They were beautiful women who had been unemployed, and now educated tourists about the culture of their townships. They consider everyone their children in those communities, and look after one another. They even called us their children, after us being there for only 5 minutes. This is how it is in the townships, they have a strong sense of community, and they form bonds with anyone who shows them care and love. They know all of their neighbors, and I spoke to one Mama about how I wished it was like that at home. I have had hallmates just a few doors down from me at school who I did not even speak to more than maybe once every now and then, if at all. These people are one family, and share their love with so many more people than I can imagine. It seems like such a better way to live, yet I can think of very few times in my life, besides among family and close friends, where I am in an environment where I consider everyone around me to be a loved one. With them, it is like this all the time.

It is hard to believe that I could continue to write for so much longer, and yet I've only been here one week. South Africa is beautiful, as chaotic and limitless as it is at times, and I am trying my best to absorb every bit of it whenever I step outside. I must say, it takes a lot out of you to take on this many cultures at once, but I've never had an experience like this before. Thank you for reading!

The Sun Will Come Out Tomorrow!

It's been just a couple days in PE and so far, I love it!! It's been very hot here the past couple of weeks, which is why we've gotten a few days of rain, so I've been told. This weekend should clear up in time for Mom & Dad and I to go to Addo Elephant Park tomorrow, where we'll take a drive around the park and see the Big 7 (Elephant, Rhino, Lion, Leopard, Buffalo, Right Whale and Great White Shark)!!! On Sunday we're planning to finally have a beach day! The beaches are beautiful and I can't wait for the next hot sunny day!

While it has quiet and calm around here due to the rainy weather, I've still met so many lovely and kind people, it's unbelievable. Everyone here is just so friendly; they want to know where you come from and what brought you to PE. There are taxis that cater mostly to students, and the drivers (I've met two so far who have driven me to the stores at Summerstrand Shopping Center, Annie's Cove - the flat where I am living, and to the hotel my parents are staying at til Sunday) are always giving me advice, telling me where I can buy essential items for my flat, how to stay safe, offering tips and information that will help me this semester. The hotel staff are also so kind and very generous. People here are very hard workers, I've noticed. In every industry, whether it's at the hotel, in the restaurants, taxis, shops, they are very eager to help you and have your every need met. They're willing to bargain with you to make sure they make some sort of profit, and they do not give up on trying to sell. In the parking lots, people will help cars back out of the spots for a small tip, and there are vans that drive up and down the streets constantly looking for walkers who may want a lift. I think it's really inspiring; that so many people here have so much energy and motivation to work and support their families as best they can. Nobody simply asks for money, it's always in exchange for services or goods, and even then, it seems like I always got more for the money I paid.

I moved all of my things into Annie's Cove today. It is very comfortable and roomy! I've posted photos below. Each flat has 4 bedrooms, and there are about 30-40 units on the property. Nobody in my flat has moved in yet, so it was very quiet when I was there, but it sounds as though everyone else will be moving in this weekend. There was also a big group that left for weekend Orientation when I arrived. I'll be going to the weeklong orientation next week.

Last night, my parents and I went to Barney's, a restaurant that everyone has been raving about. It was delicious food, I had fish & chips, my dad had the fisherman's basket, and my mom had a chicken burger. (We all got drinks too.. SA drinking age is 18, so my order for a Castle Lite wasn't anything out of the ordinary there!) There was live music - some songs were in Afrikaans, some in English (Adele's Set Fire to the Rain was played, as well as that song that goes "Hey now, HEYYY now". The night before we ate at the hotel. Dad and I ate this appetizer - a Kudu spring roll. We weren't quite sure what kudu was, but we ate some of it anyways, thinking it was beef or something. Turns out, it's a huge deer-like animal, and the earrings I bought yesterday... made from Kudu bone. SO, it's safe to say that the kudu rakes in a lot of money for South Africans! And we also will possibly see one or two tomorrow at the park!! Here's the view from our table:

It's been lovely here so far, and with just a couple days left in there stay, Mom Dad and I will be making the most of this weekend at the Elephant park and on the beach. Then it's off to Orientation for me, and classes beginning on the 12th! I'm hoping to see a lot more faces around Annie's Cove once the weekend orientation is over, and getting to know more really great people!

I Flew Over the Entire Continent of Africa.

Hello everybody!

Thank you for the good luck wishes and positive thoughts. I'm currently safe in Port Elizabeth after a long journey from Boston to Zurich to Johannesburg and finally, PE! It's been pretty stress free overall with lots of helpful people guiding me to where I needed to go throughout the trip. This has definitely been one of the most exciting and surreal experiences of my life so far. Just knowing that at this moment I am sitting on the tip of South Africa is absolutely mind-blowing!! I am so happy to finally be here, and am trying to be as ready as possible for everything that's coming my way.

It was a little rainy in Port Elizabeth today, but apparently the weather is changing all the time, so we're hoping for sun tomorrow. Even in the rain, the beach is beautiful and the air is still warm. As I explore more over the next few days, I'll definitely be writing in more detail and positing photos. As for right now, catching up on sleep is a top priority!

Pre-trip Post.. 14 days left!

Exactly two weeks remain until my trip to Port Elizabeth, South Africa. I wanted to create this blog so that I can document and share the whole experience from start to finish, and have something to look back on when I return. I hope it helps to inform everyone at home of what I'm doing and learning, and please, if you like, leave comments/send emails in addition to reading!

I'm both nervous and excited.. but at this point, mostly excited. I expect that when it's time to move all of my stuff into my apartment, orientation begins, and classes start, I'll be feeling a bit more anxious than I am right now. (Reality usually doesn't hit me until after it should have.) Right now, all I'm thinking about is the exciting journey ahead, and spending the first week there with my parents. It's going to be an adventure for all of us, and I'm very happy that they will also witness first-hand the country I'll be spending the next 5 months in.

Over the next few months, I'm looking forward to a number of things: first and foremost, gaining a strong sense of independence, as I will be living in an apartment for the first time, and spending all of my time with people with whom I'll be able to form new relationships. This experience will undoubtedly test my confidence and put me in situations where I'll learn about myself more than I ever have. Secondly, I want to conduct a bit of anthropological work when I'm there. I want to experience and gather information about as many aspects of the culture as possible - the history, languages, politics, religions, food, sports, music, entertainment, wildlife, and so on. I'm completely expecting to be culture shocked, but I'm also ready to learn as much as I can about where I am by the end of the trip. Lastly, well, I guess I'm just looking forward to what I don't know! One of the reasons I am most excited about this trip is that I have absolutely no idea what to expect, how life is going to change, and what's going to come of it. All that I have right now are possibilities, and I love it!