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February 06, 2006
Cape Town Wonderfulness
Cape Town is amazingly beautiful. I've never been anywhere like this before, but the landscape is just incredible. Yesterday's orientation event was one of two options (to which we were assigned), and my assignment (along with half of the 400 other international students here at UCT) was to go to Robben Island, the site of the former maximum security prision of the Apartheid Era (Nelson Mandela was kept there). However, after all 200 of us arrived by bus at the site to catch the ferry, we found out that the tours for the day were cancelled due to rough seas. However, we were given new tickets for next Sunday, and then a bunch of the kids from my program decided to go to the beach instead. The beach was so much fun and was so gorgeous; the skies are bright blue, the water is beautiful blue-green, and the sand is a clean white; interesting rocks jut up out of the sand, and cliffs surrounding parts of the beach create an interesting contrast. Then behind the beach is the wonderful backdrop of Table Mountain. Again, I'm slow on the pictures, but probably sometime this week I will post shots of this amazing place.
Today I'm still in orientation with some info sessions on issues such as HIV/AIDS, culture shock, and security, among other things. I am really looking forward to the African drum workshop tonight, though, because I will get to dance (and everyone knows how much I love to do that).
It is clear that this country has its problems, as do all countries, but it is truly an incredible place. One thing that has really caught my attention is that people with more economic/political/social power seem to actually care about helping people with less, which is definitely a contrast to many people from the States. Obviously not everyone is a wonderful person, but it does seem to be the general trend, which is fortunate considering the circumstances surrounding so many people's lives here. It really is a different feeeling than I get at home, especially at Case, and I appreciate it.
Posted by jcg24 at February 6, 2006 07:17 AM
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Comments
I wanna go!!!!!!!!!!
Posted by: Anonymous at February 7, 2006 07:26 PM
are you gonna do the wavy thing with your arms like you do to drum and bass, when you dance?
Posted by: vic at February 7, 2006 10:00 PM
are you gonna do the wavy thing with your arms like you do to drum and bass, when you dance?
Posted by: vic at February 7, 2006 10:01 PM
vic - nice visual about jac. sexy!!!
Posted by: Natty at February 12, 2006 11:53 PM