When you’re having fun. I guess I must be having fun as it is two months to the day since I arrived on the Western Cape and my feet have barely touched the ground since. I don’t know where the time has gone, one minute I was strolling around Cape Town, very much as a tourist; the next I was on orientation here in stellies; and as I sit here now I have completed my first module and today embarked on the research for my thesis (which will occupy many months to come!)
I’ve been having a lot of fun too. The weekend before last was spent in Cape Town at the Holi One Colour Festival- an event where you spend 10 hours throwing different coloured powder at each other (I am just about clean, which is more than can be said for my dress!) followed by a Sunday spent recovering by strolling around Cape Town, chilling at the Waterfront before partying again at the Goldfish sunset concert at Kirstenbosch gardens- definitely one of the highlights of my time here so far. I know that they played a successful set in St Andrews a few weeks before, but nothing can compare to having Table Mountain as the backdrop as the sun creeps down behind it, into the ocean. The weekend was nearly ruined, however, when I was confronted by two men asking for money just as we approached our backpackers. I said that I had nothing and buzzed for the security gate to be opened. But just as I raised my arm to open it, one of them took my purse out of my bag, which foolishly I had unzipped. Fortunately, my friend saw it and told him to give it back, but it certainly threw me and made me realise that I needed to be less laissez-faire about crime here. Although in Stellies we may blend in, people automatically assume that you are tourists in Cape Town and therefore prey on you. I lost count of how many people demanded money from me over the weekend.
I’ve been having a lot of fun too. The weekend before last was spent in Cape Town at the Holi One Colour Festival- an event where you spend 10 hours throwing different coloured powder at each other (I am just about clean, which is more than can be said for my dress!) followed by a Sunday spent recovering by strolling around Cape Town, chilling at the Waterfront before partying again at the Goldfish sunset concert at Kirstenbosch gardens- definitely one of the highlights of my time here so far. I know that they played a successful set in St Andrews a few weeks before, but nothing can compare to having Table Mountain as the backdrop as the sun creeps down behind it, into the ocean. The weekend was nearly ruined, however, when I was confronted by two men asking for money just as we approached our backpackers. I said that I had nothing and buzzed for the security gate to be opened. But just as I raised my arm to open it, one of them took my purse out of my bag, which foolishly I had unzipped. Fortunately, my friend saw it and told him to give it back, but it certainly threw me and made me realise that I needed to be less laissez-faire about crime here. Although in Stellies we may blend in, people automatically assume that you are tourists in Cape Town and therefore prey on you. I lost count of how many people demanded money from me over the weekend.
Before the fight
And after! (sorry Amelie)
I have also, finally, met a fellow Brit (we think there are only the two of us!) and together we represented the UK at the International Food Evening held here last Thursday. We had to cater for 150 people (which we didn’t realise when we signed up for it) and decided on a ‘Strawberries and Cream Afternoon Tea’ theme, consisting of: scones, Eton mess, vanilla strawberry shortcakes, tea and Pimm’s. I am pleased to report that although we didn’t win, we have well and truly converted the Stellies crowd to drinking Pimm’s on a scorching day (which basically is still every day)- I write this whilst mopping my brow! Amazingly, we didn’t have to call on Mary Berry and Paul Hollywood to bail us out, in fact it was surprisingly easy to bake for that number of people, albeit rather time consuming, so I won’t be hurrying to enter again. Unfortunately, we were beaten by the French (whose team I originally was going to join, sorry Dad), but it is probably the only competition that they are going to win this year! A personal triumph, however, was recreating - in typical Blue Peter- style- the balcony scene from the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee (I even managed to squeeze Philip in). Next semester though I will definitely just go along for the tasting as there was some really interesting food on offer, especially from the African competitors.
I am still volunteering at the school in the local township, Kayamandi. I really enjoy it, although it is sometimes a bit frustrating not being able to fully communicate with the children. Saying that, it is also amazing just how much you are able to communicate through mime and play. This week we are due to teach them shapes and colours, so we are going to be throwing ourselves back into our childhoods with ‘I can sing a rainbow.’ This evening I am going to the township to watch a show called ‘Amazink’, which is dance and music put on by the people who live there. There is also the opportunity to sample some traditional South African food in the township restaurant which I am particularly looking forward to, I may even have some recipes for my next blog post (fingers crossed).
As these first two months have flown by, it has made me realise that if things continue at this pace my time will be drawing to a close before I know it. A bit of a contrast from those days of nerves and fear just before I left, where I was worried that 11 months would drag and I wouldn’t know what to do with myself! I am beginning to get itchy feet for travelling, with Mozambique (hopefully for my birthday) and Mauritius (perhaps wishful thinking, but Dad, fancy calling in that offer?!) top of my list- for the moment I think I may have to console myself with the Garden Route- although I don’t think this can really be seen as a rotten consolation prize!!
Until next time, Totsiens!
As these first two months have flown by, it has made me realise that if things continue at this pace my time will be drawing to a close before I know it. A bit of a contrast from those days of nerves and fear just before I left, where I was worried that 11 months would drag and I wouldn’t know what to do with myself! I am beginning to get itchy feet for travelling, with Mozambique (hopefully for my birthday) and Mauritius (perhaps wishful thinking, but Dad, fancy calling in that offer?!) top of my list- for the moment I think I may have to console myself with the Garden Route- although I don’t think this can really be seen as a rotten consolation prize!!
Until next time, Totsiens!
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