5 March 2008

Water Polo:

So again I was walking through campus and came upon another event option. So these random guys were walking around in Speedos and handed me a flyer for their Water Polo match against the University of Cape Town. Knowing that one should never turn down an invitation from such people, I gathered up some people and we all went to the pool at about 8pm last night. First off, I have no idea how they can play such a sport. I would surely drown before the end of the first period. Anyone who has the chance to see a match should out of sheer respect for the physical fitness of the players. Anywho, so there was about 400 people at this match all gathered around the pool cheering on the Maties (the name for our team- derived from wearing the color red and looking like tomatoes).There was also a streaker who jumped in and out of the pool completely naked at half time and a group from Cape Town doing a beer bong next to us. It was quite the experience on the whole!

Campus AIDS Campaign:

So this week they are trying to get as many people as possible to become educated and test their HIV/AIDS status. The process in a collection of three bracelets, each has a different letter (A, B, C) on them. I got the A for "asking" at the information table. The B was for "booking" and appointment, and the C was for getting "counseling" while being tested.The last one was the most interesting to get. I walked into this large room with camping tents set up everywhere. I go in the tent that my counselor pointed to and proceeded to go over the risks and facts about HIV/AIDS. It was weird talking about what I would do if I tested positive and if I had a support network that I cold turn to. I never really thought of this before for the fact that I take for granted the people I have in my life. While there is absolutely no chance that I could have AIDS I still felt a huge relief to know how many people I have here and back home who I could turn to if anything were to happen (it made me miss home a little more). So, I got tested and waited the results for about 5 minutes. I don't think I have ever been so nervous. I don't know why considering that I could really only have one result considering my lifestyle, but still there's was this person in the back of my head telling me how my life would change. I now have a huge respect for the people who go and get tested who are at risk, and with that I better understand why so many choose not to. Not knowing is so much more comfortable than facing the facts. I encourage anyone who ever has the opportunity to get tested to do it for the fact that you gain a huge respect for the whole process and for the people who come out positive.

March 7, 2008

So as a last minute decision Anna, Alex, and myself went on a bike wine tour. We picked up a map from a local tour company and went in the direction we thought had the best vineyards (according to other people). We eventually found one called Vrisenhof which we didn't attend to go to, but having biked up a killer hill the least we could do was get a wine reward. 2 hours later we had 8 different wines and a new friend (Nicky). He's this really cool guy who went to school for wine at Stellenbosch and is now working on this farm that belongs to a friend of the family. I asked him why he got into wine and his response was, "because it's the only was to work with science and art"

From there we got lunch at another vineyard which was surprisingly up another very large hill. But the food was good and not too expensive so we were happy campers (R49- 7USD).Then we went to one that Alex was told gave out chocolate with the wine, but it was all for a hefty price. We got five tastings and 3 small pieces of chocolate for the same price of the meal we had just had. We accepted the tourist rate, however and took it as a lesson that the smallest farms are the best and most reasonable ones to go to. In the end we made it home with only two damaged flower bushes (from getting distracted and running into the them) , very soar legs, and one bike crash (when the person in front of you stops, you should do the same… justside note).

March 9, 2008

TIA (THIS IS AFRICA) so when we went to take the ferry out to Robbin Island on Saturday we obviously couldn't make it because the boat's engine had water in it.L So sadly we were left to wonder the wharf district for a few hours. It was cool and gorgeous, but a little touristy for my taste.

After our disappointment we went to the Islamic area of town for lunch where we had a huge buffet. I don't think I have been that full since I got here, so it was quite amazing. It was also nice to just walk around the area and see the bright pastel color houses and culture of the area.

Then, we went to the District 6 museum. It made me feel like I was on the fellow trip we look last January to Alabama all over again. But the brief story behind it is that District 6 was a multi racial area in Cape Town before the apartheid. Then when the races were forced into separation everyone in the community who was of color was pushed out into townships or to the other side of the mountain (where there isn't much protection from the weather coming off the sea). The area was then dull dozed to the grown with a few public schools and churches being allowed to remain (but without people to fill them they were not functional for very long).A once happy inter-racial community was completely destroyed because the government and some people decided that Italian could not live next door to an Indian or a Zulu. Now the museum is an old church full of street signs and messages from the people who once were there.

Rounding off the weekend a group of us decided to stay in Cape Town at a hostel on Long Street. Long Street is kind of like the High Street of South Africa. It's basically a long line of bars, shops, and hostels (perfect for the young tourist). We first went to a Hawaiian party with the guy who was had been wine tasting with the day before, Nicky. Everyone was really welcoming and went all out for the theme, it was great just hanging out with a bunch of South African and some other international students in a small house party setting. The funny thing is that two of the guys who live there are in animation and I told them all about Jimmy and Alex's little trip to California last summer (they were quite jealous). After a couple of hours we headed back to Long street to hang out at backpackers and couple of bars before heading off to bed. Sleep was very difficult though since it's about 36 C outside with no breeze and I would wake up every hour or so dripping with sweat. It was quite miserable. However, we woke up to a nice morning full of market bargaining and Mexican food J

Things I miss: not sweating, real pancakes, cook-out, BBQ (the stuff here is nothing like what we cook with in the states), obviously all the friends and family, chips and salsa, being able to walk around alone at night, driving, my king size bead, Saturdays with my rugby team, and ice cubes