Something to think about . . .

For my poetry class I have write about 3 different experiences that I have during the trip. For one of them I wrote a poem about the children in the Townships that I visited. I thought I'd share. It is hard to describe these children, but I think this poem is closer than my previous description.

 

 

To Those who Need a Place to Play

 

For one day I was a human jungle gym.

Children running, they all wanted in

on the fun. Tiny mud splattered hands

grasping me instead of snatching Rands

and cries of happiness instead of

the typical pain. Turn into a dove

and fly away to the top of the tall,

white, unbalanced human seesaw.

Innocence regained with the pumping.

One, two, three, and the thumping

loops them over the top of the swings.

For once they feel like Kings.

Much can be learned from these small

unwavering hands, unable to fall

from the human jungle gym. Release,

get down, away from the playground, but please

take a monkey bar or two. 

Names already etched into the white metal

The human jungle gym can never forget you.

 

Delay

So, we were supposed to leave Cape Town at 8pm two nights ago, BUT we got delayed. Go figure. The winds were too strong, making the waves too rough for us to get out of the port without our stabilizers on (you must have your stabilizers off while entering/exiting ports). We didn’t end up getting out of the port til 8am the next day, putting us 12 hours behind. I hope we make it to Mauritius! I spent all day yesterday either in class, sleeping or cramming for our first Global Studies exam which was today. It was 100 questions multiple choice, and everyone was freaking out. I am still so warn out from South Africa, and it probably doesn’t help that I am sick. Yesterday I napped for 3 hours! And today I am probably going to sleep the whole day because I have no classes, only the exam. You are supposed to work hard and play hard, but I did the reverse. Play hard in Namibia and South Africa, work hard yesterday, and sleep hard today!  I woke up at 5:30 today to study for the Global exam. I don’t think I have ever studied so hard for an exam before. They told us that about 40% of people fail the first exam, so we are all freaking out. At least all 700 of us have to study for the same thing. I had the breakfast of champions this morning. Croissant with ham, eggs, cheese, and some fruit on the side. So delicious. Oh yea, and tons of coffee. Just have to keep reminding myself that . . . Only 2 more days after today until Mauritius, until paradise! And then the day after Mauritius we have our Sea Olympics which is a whole day of fun. Can’t wait. Then after that four days until India. Gotta love it. 

 

I miss South Africa so much. I miss the food, the scenery, the people. I miss the restaurants, the nightlife, the weather. *SIGH*

 

Chrissy Mathues

South Africa, my future home ;-)

 

Two nights ago a group of 11 of us went to the rugby game. On the way there our taxi got pulled over for hopping a median. It was frightening for a minute until we figured out what was going on, and then it was fine. The game was the Vodacom Chargers (the home team) vs the Reds. The game was amazing. People are nuts about their teams! It is equivalent to soccer (futbol) here. The venders served chips, soda, beef jerkey, and then men walked around with donuts and heated containers of hot chocolate strapped to their backs with a tube connected to it to pour out and he carried cups and marshmallows. It was so funny. Also there was no drinking at the game. Surprising, huh? Rugby is such an awesome game to watch. The clock never stops, so there are never breaks. The refs barely do anything, and as soon as a player gets tackled someone snatches up the ball and the game continues. I love it. We ended up winning 27 to 24. To get a “touchdown”is 5 points and to get a “field goal”is 2. It was a good game.

 

After the game we came back to the area and went to the brewery at the waterfront. I was really tired, though, and I have laryngitis (no voice at all) so I wanted to sleep it off. I got some nachos and then left. On the way back to the boat a man roared at me. I think he was off one of the other boats, and was extremely intoxicated. As we passed he just stared at my faced and roared. It was fascinating. I knew there were lions in South Africa, but I didn’t know that there were some in Cape Town! It was strange and gave us a good laugh.

 

Yesterday we did a wine tour. It was probably the most beautiful landscape that I have ever seen. The wineries are in the area of Stellenbosch, about 45 minutes outside of Cape Town. We started at the Stumble Inn, a backpacker’s inn in the town. At 10:30 the group of us and others who were staying at the inn loaded into two buses and headed for the first winery. After two wineries we ate lunch, which included wine. After lunch we went to two more wineries. At each winery we tried 5 different wines, so we tried 21 wines in all (including lunch). I was being tasteful, though, and either spat or poured out most of the wine. My favorite are the sparkling wines, followed by the rose, and then sweet white . . . So good!

 

Last night a group of us had a girl’s night out, and attempted to go to this club called Tiger Tiger but you had to be 21 to get in for females and 23 to get in males on Saturdays, so we obviously couldn’t go there. What is that about though, we aren’t in the US! Gr. We ended up going to a bar close to that or a while and then going to Chrome on Longstreet, where I had been a few nights earlier. I had the best time there. It was an amazing night. Lots of dancing, lots of fun. I will never forget that night.

 

Today I woke up and realized that my camera is broken. There is a lens error. I think that I tried to turn on the camera and had my hand over the lens, and that messed it up. Although this is a simple repair, time is of the essence here. I had to buy a new camera, which are about double the price here as they are in the US. I bought almost the same camera as I had before. It is sad because I had just gotten my other camera for a Christmas present from my parents, but I figured that pictures are invaluable and I don’t want to compromise good pictures for a cheap camera. I want to get my old camera fixed when I get back to the US, and then sell one of them. 

 

Today was my last day, and it was an awesome day but sad. I do NOT want to leave yet. I still have so much to do and to see. I spent the day around the J&A Waterfront, spending my leftover Rand, using the internet, and hanging out with someone who I had met a few days before. We just hung out, watched the seals, enjoyed the company and admired how nice of a day it was out. I am really in euphoria here in Cape Town. Some Semester at Sea students already bought tickets to the 2010 World Cup which is to be held here. Other students are planning graduation trips to here. I don’t know when I get back, but I hope that it is soon.

 

Right now I am sitting on the ship in the Piano lounge. We were supposed to leave Cape Town 10 minutes ago, but there are high winds and rough seas. It is going to be a puke fest when we actually do end up leaving, sometime before 11pm tonight. You must have your stabilizers off while you exit the port, and that means that we will be rocking and rolling. There were some injuries last time we rocked, so I think we are trying to avoid it the best that we can. Anyway, I’ll say it again. I will very much miss South Africa and the unforgettable people I met.

 

Oh, life.

I am taking today to catch up on some much needed shopping. It has been over a month now since I had been to a mall and bought something nice, so I am having tons of fun doing that. I stopped at the MAC makeup store and treated myself to some nice non-smudge eyeliner and some shadow to do the smokey eye. I didn't bring all of my eyeshadows and stuff, and I have been finding that I want to do different things with my makeup when I go out at night, so I wanted to stuff. They also did my makeup while I was there, which is nice. I also found Cadbury Hot chocolate! I bought some and am saving it for back in the states. I am also by myself for the first time in a month. It is refreshing. (Don't worry mom, the US Embassy people said that its perfectly safe to walk around the harbor area by yourself during the day). Its also nice to blend in for once. There is a high white population in South Africa, so no one can tell me from them. We get free WIFI outside of the mall area so I am sitting here listening to some African music, working on a paper, just relaxing. I love it here, I can't say that enough.

Cape Town, Day 2

Do you know those rare moments when you feel indescribably alive? I had one of those today. Today I did a SAS tour called Operation Hunger. Operation Hunger aims at feeding malnourished children and adults, as well as providing education on how to better their situations. A bus of 44 of us left the dock and drove about a half hour to our first Township. Townships were set up during Apartheid, when blacks were forced into poverty. These individuals have been unable to pick themselves back up and remain unbearable situations. The first Township that we went to was shocking. None of us knew how to react as we stepped off of our air conditioned bus into a community with no electricity and inadequate shelter. Then, it happened. Before we say it, we heard it. Children, laughing and playing. After an introduction to the head of the community we had some time in the newborn – 3 year old play area. It was set up in what used to be the school, a single room with no electricity and tin walls and roof. Blankets covered the floor. In this small township there were 30 babies in this room! This township also has a system where everyone takes care of everyone else and their children as well. Every child is looked after. If a child’s parents leave to find work in a nearby town, other families will take this child in and share what little they have. It is inspiring. The unemployment rate there is 80%. The dilapidated houses were pieces of scraps held together with a few nails. Our job here with Operation Hunger was to weigh and measure the children. These measurements are then used to compare to previous months measurements in order to assess the progress being made. There were so many children of all ages, and we got to play with them for hours. I jumped between the infant/toddler room and outside, where the other children were playing and running. These children loved us. They wouldn’t let go of us as they jumped on our backs or just sat in silence and held them. Some spoke some English, some did not, but that didn’t matter. A smile and a laugh are universal. I have never seen such well behaved children. They were all angels. Each distinctive face told such a story. And to look into the eyes of one of these child was to discover the real truth, the poverty. But on the outside these were the happiest children I have ever seen. These children seriously have nothing material value, but their smiles were more valuable than the biggest diamond. All 44 of us fell in love right then. As the bus pulled away we waved at the innocent kids, hopeful that someday a generation will succeed in ending this poverty. We all donated a little money and collected over $200 US to help buy school and craft supplies. The second township we went to is the site of a soup kitchen which is ran 2 times a week. As we pulled up it looked much like the first township, except the houses were a little bit more stable and the Township was set up much more like a neighborhood you would see at home. Everyone came out to greet us. As we rounded the corner to the soup kitchen I just saw throngs of kids, sitting on the ground with an empty bowl in their hands. They were waiting for their meal. Before we came to this second Township the bus stopped at a store and most of us bought a few loaves of bread. One loaf only cost one dollar US, and it just goes to show how seriously impoverished these individuals are. A line was formed outside of the soup kitchen. Children were first, and then adults behind them. After they collected their meals we interacted with the children. We also talked to the adults here, a lot more than we had at the other Township. I met a fourteen year old who wants to be a doctor. He says he wants to practice in Durbin. He told me that they get free education through grade 12, which is excellent for a Township. After I took a few pictures, it started. Every child wanted to have his/her picture taken, and also wanted to take pictures. The children were absolutely fascinated with cameras! As we left this township an elderly couple came up to me and asked me to take pictures of their faces. They were so happy when I said sure. It was almost like they wanted their faces, their existence to live on to be shown to others. They wanted to be someone. The elderly women gave me a blessing and said thank you thank you. She told me that not only did we come, but that we came and helped them to live another week. I told her “you are all our inspiration,” but she just nodded her head no and said, “no, you’re an angel.”

Word do not describe today. The smiling faces and the laughter and joy of these children cannot be written. Wealth should not be defined by the number of things you have, but by the number of things you give . . . happiness is never superficial.

Cape Town, South Africa

When I woke up yesterday it was so foggy that you couldn’t see one foot off the ship. Every few minutes a fog horn was sounded. Although this was annoying, I understand the necessity. We had to wait off the coast of South Africa for about an hour because of this, so everything got delayed about an hour. At the diplomatic briefing they told us about all the safety regulations we should follow for the area. This is our first port that has a crime level of critical, the highest it can be. Also, crime is on the rise here, not the decline. When we finally pulled into port Table Mountain became visible, although clouds hovered over and sat on the top of this flat-topped mountain. Table Mountain is the best known landmark in Cape Town, and we plan to hike it later this week. The dock where we are is awesome. The last two ports have been industrial ports, with cranes and shipping boxes everywhere.  This port is similar to Baltimore Inner Harbor, but just a million times better. It is called the V&W Waterfront. There is a huge hotel right in front of the ship, and attached to it is a huge mall, almost as big as the Plaza at KOP. I mean this thing is massive! There is another mall about 2 blocks from that as well. Stuff here costs about 85% of what it would in the US. I have to be careful because it has been a month since I have done descent shopping in stores I know, and they have all of the upscale names within 5 minutes of the ship here! There are also some Curio shops and tons of restaurants and bars in the waterfront area. At noon I left to go to Robben Island on a SAS tour. We walked to the ferry and then left on a half hour boat ride to the island. Robben island is home to a prison like Alcatraz. During the apartheid era political prisoners were held here. Before that time normal citizens were held in jails there, and previous to that the island was used to house lepers so that they “didn’t infect the general population.” Most of the tour guides on the island are former political prisoners who have returned to help tell the story of the island, and our tour guide was one of these men. We took an hour bus tour around the area to see the geography of the island. There are also remnants from World War 2, when the island was used to protect Cape Town from a possible invasion. On the island there is also a 9-hole golf course that was used by the jail masters. This golf course, however, is now destroyed by the many rabbits that used to inhabit the island. A few years ago they had to kill 10,000 rabbits in order to control the population. After the bus tour we took an hour walking tour through the maximum security prison, where the political prisoners were held. We saw Nelson Mandela’s cell which was amazing to see. There is such history in one little cell block. Our tour guide was imprisoned for simply belonging to a political party. Political prisoners got sentences of 10 and 20 years, nothing in between and no one was ever let out early. They were fed poorly, treated poorly, and tortured. They were forced to do mining work that destroyed their eyesight, our tour guide included. Their mail was even censored to the degree that sometimes all that remained of the letter was Dear –and Love -. They also mentally tortured the prisoners by writing fake mail from the “wives”of the men saying that they wanted a divorce. Many men went insane. After this tour we went on Penguin Boardwalk and saw the many penguins that inhabit the island.  They are so cute! After the Robben Island tour I went back to the ship to get ready for the night, and then a group of us left for dinner. We ate dinner at a Steakhouse that served wild game, but the only exotic thing that was ordered was Alligator. I tried it, and it was quite good. Chewy, fishy chicken. I got a salad that had a mayo dressing, fried croutons, avocado, and this odd-ball cheese that was sweet. We managed to get free champagne because the restaurant next door was trying to get us to go there and offered us champagne. After dinner we went to a local brewery and there weren’t too many SAS kids there which was great. We tried this shot called the Springbok which tasted like mint and chocolate. It tasted like a milkshake. Delicious. I had an awesome first day in Cape Town, but I can tell that I am not going to even get to do half of what is available there. Miss you all and wish you could experience this too!

 

CAPE TOWN!

 

We just got to Cape Town, South Africa, and I couldn't be more excited. We are all so ready to get off the boat but we have to wait for customs to clear the ship. At 12:15 - 17:00 I am going on a Robben Island tour, and then a whole group of us are going out tonight. So excited. This port looks so modern and there are awesome colorful buildings. There are lots of shops and restaurants, and it looks like I could spend 5 days in just the port area alone! 

 

 

There is no passion to be found in playing small,  in settling for a life that is less than the one you are capable of living –

 

           Nelson Mandela