TIA (This Is Africa)

So I first heard this term used in the movie Blood Diamond but my tour guide this weekend used it to describe our train which was over an hour later (and eventually never showed). Apparently Africans used this term to describe anything of dysfunction or corruption as if to say, “Oh well, it’s Africa, what can you do?” I think it’s going to be the theme of my trip because this is one wacky place. TIA!

For instance, I have never tried so many different foods before. Last week we dove right in to African cuisine and ate at a beautiful place called Mama Africa on Long Street. My friend Danielle ordered ostrich, I ordered the crocodile and we split the dishes. Ostrich is just like steak and crocodile really does taste like chicken. They eat a ton of lamb here and I have to say, I have thoroughly enjoyed it-Dad was right. The cooks at the house come up with the wackiest combinations of food to put together but they are always on the ball. My favorite was this salad of cucumber, avocado, onions, and a Greek dressing. I’ve tried curry and Indian chicken pizza and next week we are being cooked a traditional Cape Malay lunch since they have such a prominent influence here.

One thing I cannot stand (and all of the CIMBites can probably sympathize with me) is the milk here. The milk they serve here is not fresh cold milk from a refrigerator. It comes in a cardboard carton and they keep it in the pantry. So far I have used it for my coffee and nothing else. My roommates will testify that I can go through a gallon of milk in three to four days so I was having a panic attack that I wouldn’t have any milk, or therefore cereal, for two months but yesterday we made a quick trip to the store and I found fresh milk. Saved.

**It has been brought to my attention about the incredible amount of grammar/spelling errors in my entries. Unfortunately I have been writing these in the wee hours of the night when I have finally found time to myself in the quiet den once everyone else has gone to bed. So I apologize for my poor writing and I’ll proofread the heck out of my next entries. Kerry-how many exclamation points have I used so far? I know you’re keeping track.**

Back to Africa-it has been cold and rainy and miserable these past few days. I am so ashamed to say it but after our first intense week of nonstop go-go-go the girls and I spent nine hours in the den watching season four of Sex & the City. Cape Town is the kind of city where everything you want to do is outdoors so this weather really does us no good here. We just needed a day to cool down and be bums and eat all of the strange African junk food we could find. Since James (a 25-year old computer whiz from California) is our only boy I really do feel like I’m back at Sigma Kappa. Communal showers, bunk beds, and long evenings in the den chatting and laughing and laying.

Tomorrow there is nice weather forecasted, only rain in the morning, and about 60 in the afternoon. We plan to climb Table Mountain in the afternoon after placement and lunch. Table Mountain got that name because it has a flat top. The clouds cover it like a tablecloth on a rainy day. We can see it from our backyard and it’s absolutely stunning, just like being back at CIMBA at the foot of Mount Grappa. Table Mountain is about a sandstone mountain and about a 2 ½ hour climb. It is 3,500 ft so many people take the cable car back down. From what I hear they may be a post office at the top for me to send postcards so please do leave me a comment with your address if you want me to send you one. I would be more than happy to drop you a line after a nice hike!

Speaking of hiking and exercise, I have learned that I hate riding bicycles. Stellenbosch, a town right outside of Cape Town is like the Napa Valley of South Africa. South Africa is famous for it’s wine, especially a blend called Pinotage. We knew we had to take a tour and what better way to see the vineyards than a biking and wine tour? So we took the tour to three estates with a tasting at each one as well as lunch in the middle. Well, I am also certain that my bottom is bruised and I never want to see another bike ever again. Don’t infer anything yet-there wasn’t enough wine to affect our riding abilities but I guess I am extremely out of shape (I guess….ok, I KNOW). We were huffing and puffing and panting during what was supposed to be a “leisurely” ride through the countryside according to the web site. At one point I just got off and walked my bike! Our group was five of us from CCS and then about 9 people from Johannesburg, South Africa. They just so happened to be marathon runners and every year most of them run a 90 kilometer uphill race that takes about 10 hours. I was humiliated because one of them would come up beside me every so often and ride next to me with one hand on my back and help push me up the hills. Loved the wine, hated the bikes.

My favorite activity here however would have to be something we like to call ‘Abusing the Rand’. The currency exchange here is about eight rands to the dollar we get a whole lot of bang for our buck. A taxi ride to downtown Cape Town will cost us each about two dollars when split it in a taxi of five people. I was able to get a 20 oz. bottle of Coca-Cola Light (definitely does NOT taste like diet coke) and a small bag of chips for under a dollar at the Woolworths organic grocery store. When I took a surfing lesson last week it cost me 11 rand (about a dollar and a half) to take a 45 min. train ride round-trip to the beach and 200 rand (about $25) for an hour lesson, a wet suit, and a board. Abusing the rand really is a fun little game over here and I plan to continue to do so these entire next two months. London may have put me out a bit but I have plenty made up for it here.

I have a cell phone now but I don’t really know how you have to dial it from to US to call me. Denise has that information so I’ll put it on here in my next entry which I PROMISE will be about Luthando Educare and all of my precious children. They have worn me out already, I have to come home each day and take a short nap. Perhaps I’ll treat my self to an $18 hour long massage down at the Waterfront….