Today completes the first round of blog posts from all 15 students. For those who have been following their entries, I trust you have been as impressed as I with the insight, style, energy and excitement of each post. I have laughed and cried reading their posts and have once again felt honored to have the opportunity to share this experience with such a great group.
Each student has managed to capture a small but astonishing part of their Cape Town experience thus far. I imagine each person who has read all 15 posts will find a different phrase or description that speaks to her or his heart and/or head. As for me, I loved reading every student entry and each has provided me with at least one profound insight:
• Hannah’s description of ‘South African time’ captured the essence of what I have come to know and love about a way of being here
• Dan’s excitement over planning & participating in his first ever protest was certainly appealing to someone who has long found inspiration in such meaningful events
• Stephanie’s explanation of being excited, scared and nervous was reflective in a way that helped me know her better as she was so obviously getting to know herself
• Rachel’s captivating smile is mirrored in her amazing excitement and sheer delight at having been so welcomed at Christel House School
• Cassidy’s honesty about her homesickness ‘hitting her from nowhere’ will no doubt resonate with many who have been in similar situations
• Jordan's description of the pre-ride fears as contrasted with the actual joys of minibus taxis transport surely captured the feelings of many foreigners who have decided this is a great way to travel
• Emily G’s candor in describing her growing awareness regarding the complexities of HIV in ZA, as well as the challenges of NGOs in securing funding, was thoughtful and informative
• Jill’s great overview of the work done at Christel House and her growing realization of the optimism of the people, demonstrated how much can is learned within just the first few days at such a placement
• Faina’s description of Tshepang, the play I mentioned in an earlier blog, presented a far more detailed and nuanced description than I had offered.
• Steph O’s description of how her hope and optimism had been ignited along with her belief that “everyday people like you and me change the course of history” speaks to the heart of what being in Cape Town offers for many of us
• Kevin’s description of his internship as a time when he is away from other U.S. students and is ‘completely immersed in a South African working environment’ highlights one of the unique aspects of this particular study abroad program
• Julie’s description of her first days at Thandokhulu supplied a glimpse into how her initial fears turned to hope for the future as she recognized the many opportunities for “unlocking the virtually unlimited potential” of the students with whom she will interact
• Emily A’s account of the opening assembly at Thandokhulu made me sorry I had not been there to share in the students' feelings of pride and accomplishment, but extremely happy that she had been there to share it with us
• Michelle’s moving description of her overwhelming feelings of happiness and gratitude, coupled with her ever-growing comprehension of UBUNTU, reverberates with me in a special way
• Chelsea, the extraordinary photograph/journalist of the group, records sights and details that I certainly would miss, even as I continue to strive to be in the moment (for anyone who has not read Chelsea’s incredible personal blog, I highly recommend you do so at http://capetown2009.blogspot.com/
So here we are, just completing our fourth week in Cape Town and as you can read, the lessons learned to date have far exceeded expectations—and dare I say, the best is likely still to come--so stay tuned . . .
The blog posting assignment as listed on their syllabus is:
- “At least six times during the semester you will be responsible for submitting a short entry that will be posted on the Cape Town Study Abroad Blog. These entries are to include insightful comments that serve to make connections between your experiences in Cape Town (both at your internship and beyond), your course work (readings, classroom discussions, videos, guest speakers, etc), and current events.
- Although not every entry will include all of these elements, the six entries taken together will demonstrate a broad range of integration of theory and practice, insight and awareness, in addition to challenges and achievements. Entries may include pictures, links to related online material, or other creative material you deem acceptable.
- Blog entries are to be submitted in essay format and written for an audience that has not been to South Africa or taken a course on race and gender. During our first class you will sign up for 6 days on which you will be responsible for writing a blog entry. “
That means we can all look forward to another 75 posts from these bright, engaged, intellectually curious, articulate students as they continue on their journey to become better informed and more well-connected global citizens.
As someone who has coordinated an internship program at UConn for over 15 years I am well aware of how beneficial internships are in enabling students to integrate their academic learning with personal & professional experience. However, having such an experience in Cape Town adds a dimension that, as with everything else here, is beyond anything we can imagine, and, I am sure, will continue to unfold for years to come.
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On a more personal note, I must admit my sister was correct when she insisted that if I had students take over writing the blog she would no longer get daily updates from me. Although I tried to assure her otherwise, insisting I would start a personal blog just for family and friends, as usual, my perceptive sister had me pegged.
And now, not having provided a personal blog entry in two weeks, there is no way I could begin to capture, even in abbreviated form, what I have seen, done and experienced. so what follows will be but a brief, incomplete at best, overview!
All but family and friends may choose to skip the next section as it is my humble attempt to provide an alternative to the personal blog i promised, which seems unlikely to ever get set up.
As students have so often written, everything here---the scenery, the people, the experiences--everything, defies description, even by the most talented among us. And, truth be told---- although I do take random notes in a little notebook ---and write long rambling journal entries on a non-regular basis—I have yet to put all of these into a cohesive, comprehensible form.
As students have so often written, everything here---the scenery, the people, the experiences--everything, defies description, even by the most talented among us. And, truth be told---- although I do take random notes in a little notebook ---and write long rambling journal entries on a non-regular basis—I have yet to put all of these into a cohesive, comprehensible form.
It continues to amaze me that, although the days in Cape Town are marvelously long, the time just keeps flying by! And since it is said that ‘time does fly when one is having fun’--- it must mean I am having fun!
Since there is no way I can provide a chronology of the day-by-day events, what follows are just a few random thoughts on things I have done and enjoyed with perhaps a few additional revelations, that continue to astound me.
Since there is no way I can provide a chronology of the day-by-day events, what follows are just a few random thoughts on things I have done and enjoyed with perhaps a few additional revelations, that continue to astound me.
The one constant:
On Thursday mornings and afternoons, I have and will continue to attend both the Politics of South Africa class taught by Vincent Williams, and the Research Seminar taught by Vernon Rose. Although I sat in on both classes last year, I never tire of listening to, or fail to learn from, these two incredible people whom I have come to greatly value as wonderful colleagues.
On Thursday mornings and afternoons, I have and will continue to attend both the Politics of South Africa class taught by Vincent Williams, and the Research Seminar taught by Vernon Rose. Although I sat in on both classes last year, I never tire of listening to, or fail to learn from, these two incredible people whom I have come to greatly value as wonderful colleagues.
My class:
Generally, on Thursday evenings my 15 co-educators and I meet at my flat, over dinner, for the final class of what is admittedly a very long day. (Hopefully the students find both the format and the content as enjoyable as I do). Last week we had a change of pace when we met for class at the Book Lounge in town to hear author Ida Susser speak about her new book AIDS, Sex, and Culture: Global Politics and Survival in Southern Africa, which is clearly relevant to many of the internships as well as to our class topics.
For this week’s class we will be joined by Molly Blank, film maker extraordinaire, and three of the students who appear in her film Testing Hope . The three students, Noluyanda, Babalwa, and Mongamo, will talk to us about schools in the townships as well as their personal journeys, while Molly will provide insight into what she learned in the making of the film. (if interested, the film is available for purchase on the http://testinghope.com website).
So what have i been doing?
I generally seem unable to answer that question adequately. Although i am always peacefully busy, certainly never bored, when I attempt to put into writing what it is that I am actually doing, it never seems to be quite enough ---and yet, it totally takes all of my time.
For starters, many of the things the students have written about in their blog entries I have also participated in, such as the incredible braai at the Rose home last Saturday, and the opening of Parliament on Friday.
In addition, Ben & I have begun taking one student a week out for dinner with just the two of us. A chance for us to visit with each student 'far from the deafening crowd' and for each student to have one meal they don't have to buy or prepare. So far we have very much enjoyed having some relatively quiet time with Jordan, Rachel, and Chelsea, and this week we will be joined by Emily A.
A few of the recent things I have done that did not include students:
A few of the recent things I have done that did not include students:
- took return trips to Robben Island, District 6 Museum, and the Slave Lodge, all of which continue to inspire me and at which I never fail to learn more of the profound history
- had dinner at Addis, the Ethiopian restaurant where the students ate during orientation on an evening I was unable to join them
- spent a beautiful day in Stellenbosch which included breakfast at a wonderful berry orchard and visits at two wineries.
- attended another play at Baxter Theatre—Where the Boys Are, a musical comedy (the music was great but since most of the spoken word was in Afrikaans, I unfortunately missed the majority of the humor—which according to audience reaction was quite hysterical)
- reconnected with a few people I had gotten to know last year, including lunch with a young woman lawyer who currently works for the Office of the Chief State Law Advisor, and who, in the coming weeks, will speak in our class about women’s rights and the spirit of Ubuntu
- enjoyed a wonderful evening at a jazz club where folks from the area jam on Monday evenings—not sure which is better, the music or the sheer love of music that seems to radiate from the musicians as they play
- hosted a few dinner parties--well, not quite sure they would qualify as dinner parties since I have neither a dining room nor a very large array of cooking or serving utensils—but at least fun get-togethers where the conversations were great and the evenings among my most enjoyable
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And a few additional random thoughts:
Having lived in either New York or Connecticut my entire life, I never truly understood when people talked about how cold/reserved/etc. New Englanders were---I always thought people were just fine wherever I went--- BUT being in Cape Town ---where everyone is sincerely friendly, talkative, affectionate, eager to help, and adept at marvelous story telling— it truly is different from any place I have ever been!
As I mentioned in a previous entry, the response to ‘thank you’ is not ‘you’re welcome’ but “pleasure!” “Pleasure!” said in such a way that I truly believe it has been. And in my experience this is true of everyone-- taxi drivers, clerks in the post office, servers in restaurants, tour guides in museums, people selling crafts----whether they are getting paid to be of service or just being kind, as in the people you stop on the street to ask directions—it all adds to an atmosphere that is quite amazing and truly pleasurable!
Every single day, no matter what else is on the agenda, I have no doubt that I will be privileged to have at least several fascinating, educationally stimulating conversations. If I ask a question (and it seems I am always asking questions)—such as where someone is from, what they think of COPE (the newest of the many political parties), why they are doing what they are doing, or just about any conversation starter --- I will get an answer —and most often the answer will include a detailed, personal story resulting in a conversation that leaves me feeling better informed and more inspired.
Although in the states I consider myself to be a fairly friendly person, perhaps I am a bit more outgoing in Cape Town and that is what promotes more frequent and interesting interactions----Perhaps---- but if that is the case, then there must be something about being here that just seems to bring out the best in me! Whatever the reason, I continue to meet wonderfully friendly, talkative, warm, affectionate people who amaze me at their ability to keep hope alive ----and who never fail to help me to do the same!
By the way, have I mentioned lately how very much I love it here?!?!?
Having lived in either New York or Connecticut my entire life, I never truly understood when people talked about how cold/reserved/etc. New Englanders were---I always thought people were just fine wherever I went--- BUT being in Cape Town ---where everyone is sincerely friendly, talkative, affectionate, eager to help, and adept at marvelous story telling— it truly is different from any place I have ever been!
As I mentioned in a previous entry, the response to ‘thank you’ is not ‘you’re welcome’ but “pleasure!” “Pleasure!” said in such a way that I truly believe it has been. And in my experience this is true of everyone-- taxi drivers, clerks in the post office, servers in restaurants, tour guides in museums, people selling crafts----whether they are getting paid to be of service or just being kind, as in the people you stop on the street to ask directions—it all adds to an atmosphere that is quite amazing and truly pleasurable!
Every single day, no matter what else is on the agenda, I have no doubt that I will be privileged to have at least several fascinating, educationally stimulating conversations. If I ask a question (and it seems I am always asking questions)—such as where someone is from, what they think of COPE (the newest of the many political parties), why they are doing what they are doing, or just about any conversation starter --- I will get an answer —and most often the answer will include a detailed, personal story resulting in a conversation that leaves me feeling better informed and more inspired.
Although in the states I consider myself to be a fairly friendly person, perhaps I am a bit more outgoing in Cape Town and that is what promotes more frequent and interesting interactions----Perhaps---- but if that is the case, then there must be something about being here that just seems to bring out the best in me! Whatever the reason, I continue to meet wonderfully friendly, talkative, warm, affectionate people who amaze me at their ability to keep hope alive ----and who never fail to help me to do the same!
By the way, have I mentioned lately how very much I love it here?!?!?
