The first thing I noticed on my trip through South Africa was on the bus ride from Gaborone to Johannesburg. Immediately after leaving Botswana is was incredible to see the difference in housing. The houses we saw on that bus ride were gorgeous, even by American standards. It was almost like you were nowhere near the African continent. Quite a change from something which I had grown used to for the previous 2 months (but also cool to see some nice things). It is obvious the European influence on the architecture in South Africa. Many of the homes had red tile roofs which I would typify with what I imagine the Netherlands looks like (Dutch influence obviously). It is so easy to see, though, the dominance that Europe had over South Africa when compared to the rest of Africa.
However, one of the worst things that I saw while in South Africa was also the slums which we passed on bus and train. In Botswana there is low income housing, but there is nothing like the slums of South Africa. I can only think of the scene in Blood Diamond where Leo and Jennifer Connelly visit the second largest slum in Africa and all you can see for miles is tin roof after tin roof with walls made out of plastic, often times just so to distinguish one home from another. It was incredible to see the difference between rich and poor in the most developed country in Africa. Even in Cape Town, if you take a 10 minute ride west, you will pass slum upon slum and try to understand how it is possible that people are living in such dire conditions when one of the world's most fascinating cities lay 5 miles away.
Definitely one of the things I could feel most was the way people looked at me, especially in the Train Station in Johannesburg. Although South Africa has a larger white population than any other place in Africa, the people there know who is African and who is not. Obviously we were not going to hide with our huge backpacks filled with a weeks worth of everything, but the typical white person dresses in the stereotypical way in which we would think of someone on a safari - loose fitting white button down shirts, khaki pants or short greenish/khaki shorts, and boots that come halfway up the shin. And many times they have that safari hat on. All of the white people seem to drive some version of a 'safari'-ish truck or old school Toyota LandCruiser and it just makes the stereotype even worse. However, I began to wonder why and/or how the people who colonized South Africa changed their style from conventional European apparel to their current choice of clothing. Personally, I find the European dress far more enticing...
We arrived in Durban on Sunday morning when we met the most bizarre taxi driver EVER. He instantly told us to get into his car, which, with the exception of a sticker in the windshield, was not marked taxi in any way and even I was a little hesitant. He then proceeded to take us to the wrong hostel (or backpackers as they like to say in RSA), and almost swerved off the road multiple times having taken his hands of the steering wheel to praise George Bush and what a wonderful job he did as our president (the first, and probably only, time you will ever hear that in Africa). He finally got us to a different backpackers which was a bit unclean, but was just a 4 block walk to the beach and the rooms were just fine. We spent the two days in Durban relaxing on the beach and swimming in the Indian Ocean. I don't know the last time I went to the beach in March and felt completely relaxed and at home. The water was incredible - warm, clear, and most of all clean. On Monday we went to Moses Mabhida Stadium - the World Cup stadium in Durban - and it was absolutely phenomenal. The stadium was picturesque with a view of the city out of south end of the stadium. It had been completely redone for the World Cup and, in my opinion, greatly outdid Cape Town Stadium.
We arrived in Cape Town Tuesday morning after flying out of Durban at 7.30am. We got settled and decided to check out the city. We ended up at Greenmarket Square in the middle of the City Centre where there are probably close to 100 vendors trying to sell you anything from a bottle cap magnet to incredible life size statues. The vendors kept telling us they would "make a nice price" for us because it was hot that day, but we just thought it was because they were trying to get our business. It was not until we found some internet that we learned it was 97 degrees our first day there - and they were probably still trying to get our business anyway. After sitting down at a sidewalk-ish cafe we made our way back to the hostel to get some much needed rest.
On Wednesday we went on a bikes and wines tour in Stellenbosch where I finally got to see Joe! On our tour were two MBA students from Georgetown who were in South Africa to have meetings with professors about their theses. Nicky and Shimon (a man's name) were close to 30 and had done a lot of international work prior to going to Georgetown. Probably two of the more influential people I have met so far this semester. Shimon had done Peace Corps in Togo about 6 years ago working with and HIV/AIDS clinic and trying to set up clinics in rural parts of Togo. I spent a good amount of time talking to Shimon about the Peace Corps and his most recent work with USAID and he definitely gave an insight as to what the US is trying to do to combat poverty and the HIV/AIDS pandemic in Africa. Firstly, he mentioned that the wealthy in South Africa have done absolutely nothing to try and help the impoverished people and that until the rich do something to help the poor, the problem of poverty in South Africa will always exist. The US has implemented many agencies and projects in South Africa to alleviate the problems of poverty, but it is impossible for one country to completely eradicate poverty in another country when it still has so many problems inside its own borders. However, South Africa has relied on the US for aid and humanitarian work for so long that they are not quite sure what to do with the poverty themselves. Shimon was also a bit cynical about what is happening in Africa and I originally had though that it was him thinking he was smarter than everyone else, but then I realized that the guy must know what he is talking about given the amount of poverty he has seen in his life, primarily in Africa. While we like to think that the problem of poverty is being reduced each year, there is not much that can be done to help the people who live in drastic situations. It is something that over many centuries may change, but there is not a real possibility for eradication of poverty in the near future. Nicky was a psychology and sociology major during her undergraduate time and spent the last 5 years doing various volunteer work. I have been a bit concerned that there won't be much for me to do in the future given the broad fields of psychology and political science which I have chosen as my majors. However, what I took from her is that you can literally major in the two broadest fields in the Social Sciences and still end up as an MBA student at Georgetown - it definitely made me feel better about future prospects.
Another day we went to the Cape of Good Hope which was awesome. Being able to see water on basically all 4 sides is quite something. On the way back to Cape Town we stopped at Boulder's Beach to see their famed penguins. However, I came away being a little upset with what I saw. Before tourism and development it was a place where the penguins were able to survive together and now they are entirely fenced into a certain area just so that the gawky tourists can get a glimpse of a penguin in its "real habitat" even though this place may not even be its true habitat anymore. We, as humans, being smarter and better than all other animals in the world, decided that this place is where we found penguins so this is where they will forever live. Even if the land becomes a place where the penguins can survive, people will make it so the penguins can live there. What was once probably an incredible thing to see now brings a feeling of disgust to me. (And you have to pay to see penguins in the place where the penguins live!) (And I know we do this in the USA too and it really started to annoy me.)
We spent the rest of the time exploring all the Cape Town had to offer - Table Mountain, Green Point, the Waterfront, and a very cosmopolitan livelihood. One thing we were not expecting while in Cape Town, however, was to be caught in the Gay Pride Parade which ended at Cape Town Stadium which we happened to be touring the same day. It was actually pretty awesome to see a group of people who are normally discriminated on (especially in Africa) freely dance around in the streets and on floats. We also ended up in McDonald's with about 50 of them and...needless to say it was quite an experience.
South Africa was a much needed break from Botswana and school. It was kind of nice to be back to school though, and in a place I have become familiar with - although I could still do without the school aspect of it.
Lastly, tonight I went to a talk given by a dude named Peter who is currently a Peace Corps volunteer in Botswana. He was in Uganda for 2 years working in a very remote village while trying to "build communities among the people," given to him because of his Public Relations degree. After his talk we began talking about his experience in Uganda and the difference between Uganda and Botswana. Surprisingly, or perhaps not surprisingly, the differences he talked about were very similar to those which I have experienced between Rwanda and Botswana. Anyway, he talked about the relationships he had built with the people he lived with for 2 years and how it was so hard for him to leave. I asked him what he hopes he was able to accomplish in Uganda and his response was incredible to me. He said that if the people who he lived with and met over the course of 2 years look back and talk about how they were lucky to meet him and they remember him then he feels he accomplished all that he could. Going back to Three Cups of Tea and Stones Into Schools, it just reinforced in me that building real relationships with people is the greatest thing you can do in life. And to be surrounded by people who truly care about you is the greatest gift you can receive. I hope that I can live my life in a way that people will remember me not just for what I do for myself, but for what I do for others.
However, one of the worst things that I saw while in South Africa was also the slums which we passed on bus and train. In Botswana there is low income housing, but there is nothing like the slums of South Africa. I can only think of the scene in Blood Diamond where Leo and Jennifer Connelly visit the second largest slum in Africa and all you can see for miles is tin roof after tin roof with walls made out of plastic, often times just so to distinguish one home from another. It was incredible to see the difference between rich and poor in the most developed country in Africa. Even in Cape Town, if you take a 10 minute ride west, you will pass slum upon slum and try to understand how it is possible that people are living in such dire conditions when one of the world's most fascinating cities lay 5 miles away.
Definitely one of the things I could feel most was the way people looked at me, especially in the Train Station in Johannesburg. Although South Africa has a larger white population than any other place in Africa, the people there know who is African and who is not. Obviously we were not going to hide with our huge backpacks filled with a weeks worth of everything, but the typical white person dresses in the stereotypical way in which we would think of someone on a safari - loose fitting white button down shirts, khaki pants or short greenish/khaki shorts, and boots that come halfway up the shin. And many times they have that safari hat on. All of the white people seem to drive some version of a 'safari'-ish truck or old school Toyota LandCruiser and it just makes the stereotype even worse. However, I began to wonder why and/or how the people who colonized South Africa changed their style from conventional European apparel to their current choice of clothing. Personally, I find the European dress far more enticing...
We arrived in Durban on Sunday morning when we met the most bizarre taxi driver EVER. He instantly told us to get into his car, which, with the exception of a sticker in the windshield, was not marked taxi in any way and even I was a little hesitant. He then proceeded to take us to the wrong hostel (or backpackers as they like to say in RSA), and almost swerved off the road multiple times having taken his hands of the steering wheel to praise George Bush and what a wonderful job he did as our president (the first, and probably only, time you will ever hear that in Africa). He finally got us to a different backpackers which was a bit unclean, but was just a 4 block walk to the beach and the rooms were just fine. We spent the two days in Durban relaxing on the beach and swimming in the Indian Ocean. I don't know the last time I went to the beach in March and felt completely relaxed and at home. The water was incredible - warm, clear, and most of all clean. On Monday we went to Moses Mabhida Stadium - the World Cup stadium in Durban - and it was absolutely phenomenal. The stadium was picturesque with a view of the city out of south end of the stadium. It had been completely redone for the World Cup and, in my opinion, greatly outdid Cape Town Stadium.
We arrived in Cape Town Tuesday morning after flying out of Durban at 7.30am. We got settled and decided to check out the city. We ended up at Greenmarket Square in the middle of the City Centre where there are probably close to 100 vendors trying to sell you anything from a bottle cap magnet to incredible life size statues. The vendors kept telling us they would "make a nice price" for us because it was hot that day, but we just thought it was because they were trying to get our business. It was not until we found some internet that we learned it was 97 degrees our first day there - and they were probably still trying to get our business anyway. After sitting down at a sidewalk-ish cafe we made our way back to the hostel to get some much needed rest.
On Wednesday we went on a bikes and wines tour in Stellenbosch where I finally got to see Joe! On our tour were two MBA students from Georgetown who were in South Africa to have meetings with professors about their theses. Nicky and Shimon (a man's name) were close to 30 and had done a lot of international work prior to going to Georgetown. Probably two of the more influential people I have met so far this semester. Shimon had done Peace Corps in Togo about 6 years ago working with and HIV/AIDS clinic and trying to set up clinics in rural parts of Togo. I spent a good amount of time talking to Shimon about the Peace Corps and his most recent work with USAID and he definitely gave an insight as to what the US is trying to do to combat poverty and the HIV/AIDS pandemic in Africa. Firstly, he mentioned that the wealthy in South Africa have done absolutely nothing to try and help the impoverished people and that until the rich do something to help the poor, the problem of poverty in South Africa will always exist. The US has implemented many agencies and projects in South Africa to alleviate the problems of poverty, but it is impossible for one country to completely eradicate poverty in another country when it still has so many problems inside its own borders. However, South Africa has relied on the US for aid and humanitarian work for so long that they are not quite sure what to do with the poverty themselves. Shimon was also a bit cynical about what is happening in Africa and I originally had though that it was him thinking he was smarter than everyone else, but then I realized that the guy must know what he is talking about given the amount of poverty he has seen in his life, primarily in Africa. While we like to think that the problem of poverty is being reduced each year, there is not much that can be done to help the people who live in drastic situations. It is something that over many centuries may change, but there is not a real possibility for eradication of poverty in the near future. Nicky was a psychology and sociology major during her undergraduate time and spent the last 5 years doing various volunteer work. I have been a bit concerned that there won't be much for me to do in the future given the broad fields of psychology and political science which I have chosen as my majors. However, what I took from her is that you can literally major in the two broadest fields in the Social Sciences and still end up as an MBA student at Georgetown - it definitely made me feel better about future prospects.
Another day we went to the Cape of Good Hope which was awesome. Being able to see water on basically all 4 sides is quite something. On the way back to Cape Town we stopped at Boulder's Beach to see their famed penguins. However, I came away being a little upset with what I saw. Before tourism and development it was a place where the penguins were able to survive together and now they are entirely fenced into a certain area just so that the gawky tourists can get a glimpse of a penguin in its "real habitat" even though this place may not even be its true habitat anymore. We, as humans, being smarter and better than all other animals in the world, decided that this place is where we found penguins so this is where they will forever live. Even if the land becomes a place where the penguins can survive, people will make it so the penguins can live there. What was once probably an incredible thing to see now brings a feeling of disgust to me. (And you have to pay to see penguins in the place where the penguins live!) (And I know we do this in the USA too and it really started to annoy me.)
We spent the rest of the time exploring all the Cape Town had to offer - Table Mountain, Green Point, the Waterfront, and a very cosmopolitan livelihood. One thing we were not expecting while in Cape Town, however, was to be caught in the Gay Pride Parade which ended at Cape Town Stadium which we happened to be touring the same day. It was actually pretty awesome to see a group of people who are normally discriminated on (especially in Africa) freely dance around in the streets and on floats. We also ended up in McDonald's with about 50 of them and...needless to say it was quite an experience.
South Africa was a much needed break from Botswana and school. It was kind of nice to be back to school though, and in a place I have become familiar with - although I could still do without the school aspect of it.
Lastly, tonight I went to a talk given by a dude named Peter who is currently a Peace Corps volunteer in Botswana. He was in Uganda for 2 years working in a very remote village while trying to "build communities among the people," given to him because of his Public Relations degree. After his talk we began talking about his experience in Uganda and the difference between Uganda and Botswana. Surprisingly, or perhaps not surprisingly, the differences he talked about were very similar to those which I have experienced between Rwanda and Botswana. Anyway, he talked about the relationships he had built with the people he lived with for 2 years and how it was so hard for him to leave. I asked him what he hopes he was able to accomplish in Uganda and his response was incredible to me. He said that if the people who he lived with and met over the course of 2 years look back and talk about how they were lucky to meet him and they remember him then he feels he accomplished all that he could. Going back to Three Cups of Tea and Stones Into Schools, it just reinforced in me that building real relationships with people is the greatest thing you can do in life. And to be surrounded by people who truly care about you is the greatest gift you can receive. I hope that I can live my life in a way that people will remember me not just for what I do for myself, but for what I do for others.
