Final words on CT

Much like my time in St Lucia, I don’t know how the last four weeks went by so quickly. I know musing about the passage of time has become a recurring theme in my posts but man can you blame me? Two and a half weeks or so left till I’m in cold, freezing London; a thought which only accentuates my paranoia with the sand-through-the-hour-glass-like flow of time. Anyway, I’m still savouring the experience and making the most of what’s left of my time on the road

With Christmas drawing closer, a lot of my work has been accordingly themed and I’m reminded of how much fun this time of the year can be for the younger ones. The kids at the crèche had their end of year ceremony, which involved a performance of sorts and a graduation ceremony. We dressed them as all sorts of animals, which involved some face painting (man than was a ball!) and mask creation (I tell you, my creative skills, or a lack thereof, have been seriously tested in the last week). The performance itself was splendid; the parents, the teachers and I were full of chuckles and cheers as we watched these little people bring the house down! That was at the end of last week. We’ve spent most of this week decorating Christmas trees and talking about what the holidays mean to us. We’ve been singing carols and really swinging with the holiday mood…it almost feels like Christmas is next week :D. Anyway, seeing as school ends next week, the Christmas obsession at this stage is perfectly understandable (or maybe I’m just in denial of how close Christmas really is)

I finally got to see the summit of table mountain and boy was it an experience! The mountain is well over a thousand feet tall and the sight from its lofty heights is beyond words; CT in all of its splendour, visible from all angles. Few sights make me say “wow” and this was definitely one of them. I hiked across the mountaintop to catch the view and while there are only so many photos one could take, I went all out!

Last Saturday, a couple of the other volunteers and I got on a tour bus to see the rest of the city. We visited the city centre and drove by some museums (which I’ve earmarked to visit this weekend) and other important landmarks. The highlight of the tour for me was when we drove through Camps Bay, which is a gorgeous strip of beach on the other side of table mountain. It’s such a beautiful place though the vibe in that area is very Miami-like – lots of bikini-clad bodies on the beach and walking the streets, loud-music-driven cars, bars and restaurants suitable for a wide spectrum of people, etc. While the vibe was not to my liking, the scenery and food on offer more than compensated for that. The mountains nearby were covered in expensive, luxury homes supposedly owned by the rich and famous in South Africa. For the yet-to-be-famous, a trip to CT is incomplete without a trip to Camps Bay

Sunday was a more relaxed day. Slept in [read: woke up at lunchtime] and said goodbyes to a big group of fellow volunteers who were done with volunteering and journeying on home or continuing with their travels. As the house emptied, my imminent departure dawned heavily on me. Rather than depress myself with morbid thoughts, I got on the train and met up with another volunteer to check out a street concert that was being held ahead of the switching on of Christmas lights throughout the city later that night. It turned out to be rather anti-climatic – the streets began to crowd up very quickly soon after we arrived, with the bulk of the population being of the chav breed and a few of them looked like they enjoyed causing trouble. Needless to say, we were out of there way before the sun considered setting

The plan this Friday is to go see the final draw for the team groupings in the FIFA world cup. There is a concert being held in commemoration of it and have to confess that I’m more interested in that than the actual draw. I’ll be seeing a couple of museums in town on Saturday, then going for an open air concert in Kirstenbosch Gardens on Sunday. In between those activities, I must make time for packing as I head over to Jo’burg on Monday to meet up with Miss M for the holiday phase of the trip. The plan is to visit Namibia and Botswana over a 10-day period after which I shall spend my last few days in SA with Miss M and her family before I head home

I’ve thoroughly enjoyed my time in CT and as previously mentioned, think it an apt end to my volunteering experience. I will miss the city and think I will be back someday to relive my tourist experiences here. Saying bye to the project will be especially hard because this goodbye will be the real one. An end to a truly amazing experience

Surviving Cape Town

Since I’ve already established that CT cannot be considered part of Africa, it is easy to explain why my work-life balance has tilted ever so slightly to the “life” part. I HAVE been working; don’t get me wrong but nothing as challenging as my previous volunteer experiences. Funny enough, I did not factor the potential for this into my thinking when I booked the trip so it’s worked out rather nicely for me. I’m having a mini holiday before my real holiday, which would mark the end of the trip…which I will not whine about at this stage but can’t deny that when the thought crosses my mind unpleasant things happen inside me. Now, waffling aside, the real point of this post is to talk about my recent activities in CT so here goes

The kids at the pre-school have been my main preoccupation work-wise. As with all my crèche/pre-school experiences, this has been equally enjoyable. In fact more enjoyable simply for the fact that the kids speak near perfect English (in addition to Afrikaans and Xhosa (pronounced: click-sound-osa; will let you have fun with that!) – very impressive especially considering they are age 4 on average) which makes communication all the more easy AND interesting. Some of the things they do and say take me right back to my childhood and it’s odd how easy I can relate given that I’m over twenty years older than them. One 6 year old has a Michael Jackson obsession and he randomly breaks out into song (more so recently when he noticed that I sing along with him; fun!) and has moonwalking and break-dancing down to an art. Some of them have started to develop wit and perceptiveness - we were talking about weight the other day and one of them pointed out that I can’t be considered fat but ALMOST fat. The other teachers and I could not help but burst out laughing at this rather astute observation - just got to love it! A few of them are rather naughty and taming them can pose some challenge but their lovely, gregarious ways more than over compensate for these frustrations. These kids are beautiful, full of life and each talented in their own way. I pray they grow up in a South Africa that allows them to flourish

Helping out at the orphanage has also been fun! The work I’ve been involved in so far has mostly involved running reading and Math workshops with the kids as a supplement to what they are taught at school. As previously mentioned, these are terrific kids who have an abundance of resources (certainly in relative terms) at their disposal. They are in want for nothing and have an existence akin to any regular kid in SA (or the West, I dare say). Being around them always puts a smile on my face - from their sly antics to their jokes and vivacious personalities

A funny observation has been made in the time we’ve spent working in Masiphumelele. On one of its more deserted streets, there is a colourfully painted wall protecting a small wooden cottage and right in the middle of the wall is a white coloured slot. The words: “Baby Rescue” are boldly emblazoned on this wall. Add this to the slot and someone came up with the theory that this could be a shelter of some sort where mothers who don’t want their babies, for whatever reason, can deposit them (through the slot) thereby maintaining anonymity. Apparently, under the slot dwells a nice, comfy baby cot that the abandoned babies would fall into and is checked once a day. The flaws with this theory [which was parroted as the truth for a while] are manifold but the one that first sprung to mind was: “what do these poor babies do if they get “dropped” off hours before the cot is checked?” Or “what if three or four kids are dropped off before the cot gets checked; do they just climb over each other and play house?” Anyway, it turns out that after all the debates this baby rescue place has nothing at all to do with rescuing babies. We still don’t know why it’s there but humour lies in the fact that we spent time, nearly each occasion we drove past, debating something that was so ludicrous an idea to begin with!

The fun side of things commenced on my first weekend. Friday afternoon (we tend to have these off work) was spent checking out the infamous Waterfront area after a failed attempt to climb Table Mountain (for weather-related reasons). The area has an eclectic mix of malls, arts and crafts shops, restaurants, cafes and a large arena for various entertainment acts. It is quite the tourist destination and most of the people there were whipping out their cameras for shots at every corner. Dinner that day was at a cozy restaurant called the Octopus Garden in one of the nearby towns called St James. The owner had gone through a phase in the past where all visitors were allowed to write on the walls of the restaurant. Reading these random scribbles made by people in days gone past was one source of entertainment. The other was when one of our fellow volunteers sat at the piano in the middle of the restaurant to display his, hitherto unknown, musical talent. The whole restaurant was singing along to various ballads soon enough…of course this was way past the main course, dessert and drinks…pure comedy!

The Saturday was spent with a bunch of the other volunteers on a tour of vineyards around CT. The wine connoisseurs amongst you will know that SA, specifically CT, is famous for its relatively recent wine history and offering. We got to see vineyards in the Stellenboch, Franschoek and Paarl areas and have to say, it was pretty good wine and though I’ve never visited a vineyard or wine factory, they all seemed well run. We were also taught the art of wine tasting, which was an interesting [read: humourous] experience. It was a whole day affair and after all the wine tasting and gallivanting, we were ready for a big meal and bed!

On Sunday, a few of us hired a car and drove out to the Kirstenboch National Botanical Gardens, which was a far better experience than I envisaged. The garden is littered with SA’s national flower – the protea in almost every colour imaginable. The lawns are all green and perfectly mowed; various ponds and statuettes scattered across its uneven layout. CT’s full mountain range is in close proximity and appears to loom over this picturesque haven. There were different species of birds floating about and we even spotted an owl and its young, resting in a friendly tree. It was a perfect day and many a family were making good use of it – picnicking in the greens, playing Frisbee, kids chasing butterflies, everyone seemingly blissful. It took us a few hours to tour the whole garden and we retired to one of its restaurants for a scrumptious lunch. We then drove around Cape Town and made our to one of the towns on its outskirts [can’t quite recall the name now] to spend our evening listening to Joyce Meyer speak. I didn’t really know who she was prior to this and as I haven’t been to church in a while, have to say that she did have an inspiring thing or two to say, obliterating my initial apprehension at tagging along with the other volunteers to this event. All in all, it was a great day!

The following weekend was relatively tame: Friday afternoon was spent checking out the popular Boulder’s Beach, located in Simon’s town, which is close to Fishoek. Boulder’s Beach is home to the African penguin and we spent half an hour or so watching these little fun creatures frolic about on the shores of the Atlantic. We then made our way up to Cape Point and Cape of Good Hope, apparently the south western most part of Africa. The view from the clock tower at the tip of Cape Point was absolutely stunning; pictures just don’t do it justice I think! For the umpteenth time, I found myself swept away by the beauty of this country

On Saturday morning, I hopped on the train (yes, these folks actually have a train system that works!) and spent some time in the buzzing CT metropolis having a wander around and sorting out my hair, amongst other things. I then met up with one of my volunteer friends for lunch in the town centre and a trip back to the Waterfront. We hopped on to a boat cruise, which took us round to see all of the CT harbour area, with Table Mountain in clear view from the ocean. Our tour guide was funny and witty, making the experience all the more fun. We stumbled upon a rather entertaining, FREE open-air concert thereafter, ending our day with a bang!

Sunday morning was spent checking out Robben Island, previously home to many a political prisoner, not only from SA but actually worldwide. The boat ride across lasted 20 minutes or so and we were given a full tour of the island, including one of the prisons, where we saw the tiny cell Nelson Mandela spent 18 years inhabiting. Our tour guides described, in detail, the morbid circumstances under which the prison was run and gave us a good history lesson of the roles various countries played in South Africa’s history, specifically in the evolution and abolishment of apartheid. The island, very beautiful and rich in history has become more of a tourist attraction and some of its buildings are used to host international conferences and such. We got home late that afternoon and had a barbecue to celebrate our sun-filled existence and again, ended our day with a bang!

As you can see, I’ve been very hard at work. Having fun is not always easy, but someone has to do it! I will try to “survive” the rest of my time in CT :D

T-I-N-A...methinks!

I’d been told Cape town (CT henceforth) would be THE South African experience but have to say that it has completely taken my breath away. From its azure skies to its beautiful white sand and stone beaches, not to mention its astounding mountainous perimeter; its nothing short of paradise. CT [and its surrounding towns] is laid across mountainous plains with the largest mountains (including the infamous Table Mountain) forming its boundaries; or at least so it seems, looking from the inside out. It’s also home to world-renowned tourist attractions like Table Mountain, Robben Island and a myriad of vineyards. I will be sure to update you guys on my views of all the aforementioned

Since my arrival in the area, I’ve had to remind myself on a number of occasions that I’m still on the continent and haven’t been magically swept away to the Western world. I mean other parts of SA have had the Western feel but can’t say it’s anything like this. CT is what I imagine a fusion of Colorado and San Francisco would look like. CT city is something of a commercial hub for the southern part of South Africa and is well endowed with glossy, tall office buildings, large shopping malls, hotels, well-tarred roads and all the mod cons. The surrounding suburbs have lovely homes scattered across hills and mountains with meandering [again, well-tarred] roads that reflect the uneven plain. The view driving through any of these towns is very eye-catching: formidable mountains in the horizon, surrounded by the perfectly blue ocean and as one drives up or down any one of the many mountains in the area, there is ample opportunity to appreciate the view of the city

I’m staying in a little town called Fishoek, which is about an hour’s drive from CT. It consists of a decent stretch of beach, a town centre with a few shops and amenities, with the rest of it being residential. The set-up is pretty much as described above and the view from my room in the house if of the ocean and a series of mountains as well as the rest of the town; our house is up on a hill. It’s a lovely home to approximately 20 volunteers and we are in need of nothing; at least to my mind. I share a room with 4 other girls and it’s very comfortable; certainly one of the most comfortable accommodations I’ve had on the trip. Traveling to CT ended up being a whole day affair as my flight from Richard’s Bay was cancelled so I had to wait a few hours to catch a later one and finally arrived in CT at about midnight. My appreciation for the level of comfort the accommodation had to offer was at its height on that day – I curled up into that soft bed and slept like a baby

Needless to say, my work out here has been the least challenging. Most of our work is done at an informal settlement and a township, both near the Fishoek area. The informal settlement is called Red Hill and consists of makeshift houses that are thus because the settlers are forbidden to put up any permanent structures as the government has plans to relocate them…these plans have been under implementation for 16 years or so with no real evidence that they will ever materialize. There is definitely an income gap between the folks in Red Hill and those in Fishoek but it’s not as wide as some of the places I’ve seen. We teach at a couple of crèches in the township and the kids are all healthy and appear to be well looked after. They are not particularly disadvantaged and the crèche works like any other – a decent establishment where parents can leave their kids while they attend to their jobs. The kids speak good English and are happy and thriving. I enjoy being around them and helping to educate them. The age range for the kids is 1 – 6 years. There are about 35 kids in total, all very adorable. We are currently in the process of refurbishing the other crèche and spend several afternoons a week working on that. From what I’m told, there are many more kids at the other crèche and the school requires a lot more help from volunteers than the one I work at
The other township - Masiphumelele (Masi for short), is in a more developed setting – tarred roads, proper houses, decent amenities and shops etc. It’s however more crammed compared to Fishoek and has fewer mod cons to offer; the majority of the population there is black South African. It is difficult to say with any certainty that set ups like Masi are a legacy of the racism and segregation that came with apartheid, but that would be my guess. That said, walking through the streets of CT, one has to note how multi-racial it is and the general feel is akin to that in any major Western City

We work at some of the Masi schools (in a teaching capacity) and some of the clinics in that locality. There is a vet shelter for stray or abandoned domesticated animals, which a couple of the other volunteers work at. There is also an orphanage for kids infected or affected by HIV, which we do some work with. In all frankness, the children at this orphanage are in want for nothing. Their every whim is taken care of. In addition to the basics (i.e. good food, comfortable home, parental attention and guidance, good, clean clothes), they get extra help with their academics (through us – we help them with reading, math and homework), swimming lessons, piano lessons, help with any sport/thing they express an interest in…the list could go on. The set-up is truly impressive. I’ve seen a few orphanages in the last 6 months, nothing like this!

We run a reading and art workshop at one of the libraries in Masi, which some of the kids attend on a daily basis. They are mostly enthusiastic about the sessions and it’s one way of keeping them busy doing something creative and productive. I love these sessions!

HIV/AIDS awareness in this area is nothing like what I encountered in St Lucia. They are probably where St Lucia will be in a few years to come, if AI’s and other efforts are far-reaching – the subject is no longer taboo; education initiatives have taken root such that AI’s help is not even needed. Most people view HIV testing as the norm rather than something to be ashamed of or treat in a clandestine fashion. I don’t have any of the statistics for the region at hand but will be really surprised if it is anything like the dire levels noted in the KwaZulu-Natal province

If I ever needed concrete evidence to rule SA out as a typical African country, CT has offered that evidence. I’m sure some, if not all of you will agree with me after reading this post that This Is [definitely] Not Africa!