from buffalo to cape town

i go home tomorrow!

(sorry for the lack of updates since eons ago - i got way busier than i ever want to be again)

will post back dated pictures and GRADUATION PICTURES when i get home!!!

No none of the work I have to get done still is done. I've been working feverishly on it all and have only 1 section left on my big Senior Seminar paper, and after I write that I can turn it into power point slides, and after I have a completed powerpoint I can construct the presentation that goes along with it. I’d like to think I’ll have that done by tomorrow evening. That will leave Moodie’s big interview paper, and the UWC Gender studies final and I'm done.

Friday Shaun swooped me out and away from UWC, and, having earlier decided on pizza, we got to ordering. I'm very particular about my pizza and contrary to all of South Africa, enjoy a very thick crust, an outer handle, perhaps some bubbles to bite into…I’ll stop since I'm hungry but anyone from home knows what I'm talking about. (This will no doubt be my first dinner, one whole pie and some bleu cheese please) I pick a veggie one (that comes with onions and pineapple, both of which are specifically asked to be removed) and Leonor forgets to order the thick base. Sad point number 1. It takes nearly an hour to arrive, and is congealed and with a large array of onions and pineapple to boot. Sad points number 2, 3, and 4.

We finish up and head out to Rondebosch Boys High School to catch Freshlyground. We get lost for a bit (not too long) and find it, the “Bosh Bash”. They rip us off 50 Rand at the door, and we’re 20 minutes into FG’s set. They’re amazing, nonetheless, and I fall more in love with the lead singer cause she’s adorable and tiny with an amazing voice and the prettiest face. The pictures turned out kind of crummy because it was outdoors, the lights were bright and the fog machine was in full swing.

It was also very peculiar to be at a high school bash. I wish my school had been so cool to have high profile local bands play outdoors with all sorts of other cool stuff going on. But it was weird because even though the kids there were obviously so young – you could tell by their faces and clothes – they didn’t want to seem to be kids. They were stoic and protective of their various girlfriends and boyfriends. They had short skirts and high boots and far too much makeup and cell phones fancier than I’ll ever need and were just, trying to be too grown up. Maybe it’s because I miss those days when things were simple and everything was as predictable as I was, but I just wanted them to be kids. To laugh at stupid jokes and not act like they were already married – just be 14, 16, 17, it’s ok.

We left from there and as always the night got more interesting. We met Shaun’s friend Leroy and his girlfriend Selena at a bar through which you entered via an alleyway between two buildings off Long St. More of a club, less than a bar, called Miam Miam, it as at 196 ½ Long St and had large, close-up pictures of ostriches in a field on the wall. Tiny blue lights flickered in the ceiling and large 3-dimensional stars glowed bright yellow. Leonor and I had our own conversation full of witty observations, old stories of broken hands and promises to come visit the states. We left there and headed back to Somerset West with the hope to climb the mountain the next day.

Of course, our plans were dashed by mother nature and weather.com’s ineptness. Despite the fact it had promised only partly cloudy and low 70s, it was in fact, fully cloudy and raining, much cooler than that prediction. We consulted the cable car station who confirmed our fears, “Low visibility, cool temperatures, low wind” woohoo low wind! Plans we cast for later in the week, but we’ll see.

We spent a good portion of the morning tying up the wireless internet glory as I poked around all the old favorite message boards. We rounded the troops (Shaun and I) to meet his friend Zayin for Mugg and Bean breakfast, where I reveled in one of their enormous banana muffins.

I only wish I didn’t wait 3 days later to recount an interesting conversation I had amidst Shaun and Zayin about South Africa. Noting that several million people would be dying in the next decade, both Zayin and Shaun agreed this was not necessarily a bad thing. They insisted it was not the whites who were causing the contemporary problems such as crime, HIV/AIDS and corruption but rather all of the non-whites and perhaps the disease was just a population control method. They sound more callous than they are, but it’s my newly formed belief that there are a majority of white people who think this way. Leonor mentioned that evening on the way to her house that HIV could very well reinstate a white rule, but without the white people having had to do a thing. Instead so many Africans will be killed, whites will have to step in to control to essentially “fix things” – did they do such a good job before though? It was all very interesting.

We returned to Shaun’s house, unwilling to venture much further into the crummy weather, to meet my challenge of Scrabble and potentially Monopoly. Here’s where things get messy. I discovered Hasbro.com has a little program where you can enter the letters you have and it will tell you the words you can spell. We started using this the first game and some ridiculous words were being put down, “eloin”, “elmy”, “ouzo”, so I figured since I was certain Shaun didn’t know a real word from a fake word, I’d try out my creativity by putting down “adeptors”, and finishing the game for sheer ridiculousness, “finore” (sounds French, eh?) we abandoned the game when Leonor returned from work, and started a rousing game of Monopoly during which Shaun met his most un-humble defeat at the mercy of myself. I owned many a property, many a hotel and many a dollar. Don’t believe him if he ever says I cheated at Monopoly – Scrabble yes, Monopoly I won fair and square.

I watched with envy, a friend of Shaun’s younger sister getting highlights put in, and it was then Leonor mentioned she would head home to shower and straighten her hair. I perked up at the thought of a blow drying and straightening my hair (for the first time in 3 months) and followed her home like a lost puppy. I met her parents who were very kind to let a random American girl bathe and eat in their home, and emerged with shockingly long and fabulously straight hair. I have a haircut scheduled for a mere 4 hours after I return to Rochester and I can’t wait.

In between having finished my hair and being picked up by Shaun for the second Freshlyground show of the evening I spoke briefly to Leonor’s father. Educated in history at Stellenbosch he flat out told me to go home. That South Africa was unsafe, and I was too young to be away from home. That he had no idea what our College was thinking sending us into Bellville for four months, and that if he were me he would have sued for breech of safety. He implied South Africa was going to the dogs, and that if he could leave he would. But he knew for one thing, he would never ever drive through Bellville, should he help it. South Africa was bound to go nowhere with the current people in government, and that nothing could possibly improve. I had to cut it short as Shaun arrived and we were already running behind for dinner, but I was certainly intrigued by his points.

We arrived at the Fat Cactus in Mowbray, very much near our old taxi depot. It was crowded and we had to wait for a table. During that time Asim and Claudine arrived and many commented on my new (or newly styled) hair. I glowed with appreciation and anticipation for both the Mexican food and Freshlyground.

Having finally been seated we chose our options, munching on warm tortilla chips and having continually stimulating conversation. Claudine agreed with Asim, South Africa was headed in the right direction, despite the current issues abound. Asim wondered whether I was able to speak to many academics and proposed that if I was interested he could set me up with some of the brightest people in the country doing contemporary research on the very same questions and concerns I was addressing. I have so little time left and still so many conversations to still have! I really enjoy the company of all the people I've met here, they’re all unique and intriguing and kind and hospitable in really beautiful ways.

Our food arrived and mine looked outstanding. If I had thought of it I would have photographed it. I had ordered the veggie fajitas and the vegetables were marinated and grilled to perfection: a mix of zucchini, carrot, and peppers. Little bowls of additional items were arranged around the sizzling frying pan: rice, beans, sour cream, fresh salsa, guacamole, and cheese. Three large, grilled tortillas arrived warm in their own little covered bowl. I was in my glory. I need to return before I leave. They were probably the best fajitas I've ever had. My mouth waters thinking about them. Oh Fat Cactus how I love thee.

We left in a rush, realizing Freshlyground started at 10:30 and it was already 20 past. I hopped out of the car and bounded into Zula, catching the end of the opening band, and securing a front row spot in a tightly packed room full of a surprisingly diverse crowd of male and female, black and white. They started and I again fell completely in awe of everything the band brought to the stage, but specifically the lead singer’s energy and complete joy. She moved with and grinned at all of her band mates, swaying her hips and clapping her hands along with the music.

They played a particularly wonderful cover of Britney Spears’ “Kiss me one more time”, that they played slowed down and with a carnival-music feeling. Wish I had booted that one. It grew in speed until she was practically shouting it, and slowed back down again, her grinning with excitement and sheer joy. I can’t imagine not being able to see them again so much that I'm going to see what I can do about spreading the Freshlyground love throughout the States. Maybe Ani will pick them up for a tour. That would be amazing.

The night waned on and I was just high from the show, so not much else penetrated the still fresh memory. I made my way back to UWC in anticipation for a day’s worth of work on Sunday, and did just that, rather uneventfully.

The week is already shaping up to be exciting. Stay tuned for the latest happenings, same bat time, same bat channel. Or something like that.

Play nice.

you know you're in south africa when...