Month: February 2016

It’s been over a month since I got here and it didn’t take long for this beautiful place to start feeling like home.  That being said, there is always something new to find, try and explore.  This may not sound like “home,” but there is something about this area that makes you feel so connected to it.

Here are a few pictures of my room and my roommates!  They’ve helped make our apartment feel extra home-y.  They are a pretty awesome group of chicks and I’m stoked that I get to spend the semester with them.

from left to right: me (Maryland), Alide (Germany), Haley (Colorado) and Gillian (Nova Scotia)

Classes started a few weeks ago and I’m beginning to get into a routine.  Clubs and extracurriculars have also started and will definitely keep me busy once they are in full swing.  I’ve got classes Monday through Thursday which gives me a chance to take a 3-day weekend trip, go wine tasting or just have an extra day to catch up on sleep.  I’m taking four classes: Beginners Afrikaans, Photography, HIV and AIDS, and Sociology: Political and Cultural Change in South Africa.  They’re all really interesting (although I occasionally doze off in my sociology course).  Afrikaans is very similar to Dutch, but seeing as I know no Dutch, it’s been interesting trying to grasp the fundamentals of the language.  There are three main languages of the Western Cape: English, Afrikaans and IsiXhosa.  Most people I’ve encountered speak either Afrikaans or IsiXhosa in addition to English.  Knowing one of the local languages will be super helpful and I hope that I’m able to pick up on it relatively quickly.  Here are some little phrases I’ve learned so far… “Hoe gaan dit?” (hoo haan dit) is literally translated as “how goes it” but is about the same as asking “how are you?” “War kom jy vandaan?” (Var comb yaay faandaan) means “where do you come from?” and a very popular one “lekker” which is slang for cool, awesome or very good.  My Afrikaans class will also go on outings to practice speaking the language… something that I can’t imagine happening back in the U.S.   I’m really excited to be taking a photography class.  This is something I’ve wanted to do for years and years and now I’m finally getting the opportunity.  I’ve never had any formal teaching on how to compose pictures or adjust settings to get the best result- so I’m looking forward to the quality of pictures I’ll be taking by the end of the trip.  We also have a few practicals and get to go on trips with the class to take pictures which is super exciting!  Overall, classes have not been too stressful yet.  I’m currently working on an 8-page paper which has by far been the biggest assignment I’ve gotten.  None of my professors have really explained how exams work in their classes (like the format, what type of notes we need to take, etc) which is a little worrisome but I’ve tried to stick to what I know and would do back home.  Hopefully it’ll be good enough to get me an A!  The grading system here is also different.  I’ve heard that professors grade more critically than we’re used to and because of that, different number grades equal different letter grades.  This might give you an idea… 90+ is an A+, 80-89 is an A, 75-79% is an A-.  Then you don’t start getting into the C range until the low 60s.  One of the other theories I have as to why students get such “low” grades here is because life in Stellenbosch is one big party that seems to never end.  But I guess we’ll see as the semester continues and I start doing more work!

While we’re on the topic of party, let me give you an idea of what the alcohol scene is like down here.  This country is so laid back and nonchalant about alcohol consumption.  It’s not unusual to see someone having a beer or a glass of wine with their lunch during the middle of the week.  Since Stellenbosch is literally full of vineyards, going wine tasting is a casual afternoon activity.  I’ve also walked through campus, the student center and stood in line at the book store with a friend after we went to the liquor store… I had a six pack of beer and he had a bottle of brandy is his hand because we didn’t have anywhere else to put it.  I didn’t feel weird about it or get strange looks from anyone.  I couldn’t imagine that scenario playing out the same way in College Park.  And alcohol is pretty cheap for the international students, so that’s always nice.

Here’s a run-down of my last few weeks!  A lot has been happening and I’ve been quite busy.

I went to a beach called Kogel Bay (Kogel baai) with a bunch of friends on the fifth.  It’s been my favorite beach so far… it was like this little nook of heaven cut off from the rest of the world.  The beach was big, beautiful and clean.  The waves were so calm and for once, the water was warm!  There were no buildings, lights or anything around it- no sign of civilization (the closest town was not far though).  And get this- there are baboons that live right there on the beach, in the rocks and caves.  I wasn’t sure if my eyes were playing tricks on me when I got there because my friends were standing around, playing on one side of this rock and on the other side of the rock there were a couple of baboons just chillin.  The baboons never got aggressive towards us but they did steal some people’s food 😦 A large group of people ended up staying on the beach for the night but I went home after it got dark.  I almost wish I had stayed (although I had no interest in sleeping with the baboons) because that night, I saw more stars than I’ve seen in my entire life.  It was the coolest thing ever and I wish I’d had my camera with me.  I’m sure pictures would not have done it justice though.  There were so many stars that I couldn’t even look up at them all at the same time.  I can’t wait to go back there.

The next day, I went to my first wine festival (wyn fees)!  We paid an entrance fee and got a wine glass, which we could take to any of the vendors and get as many samples as we wanted.  Some were better than others, and some of the companies had food paired with their wine.  I went to this one stand about ten times because they had this tropical guava white chocolate that was to die for.  One of my favorites wines was this one that was fruit infused.  They had three different kinds and I’ve been on the hunt for them ever since, but can’t find them anywhere.  There was also live music, several places to buy food and a huge stand to purchase bottles of wine.

That following Monday I attended my first rugby game ever!  Maties (Stellenbosch U) won by a lot, but I don’t remember what the score was.  It’s fun to watch these massive men play rugby, but the games are also huge social events so we were able to make some new friends! I’ve quickly realized that I love going to rugby games.

I started volunteering at an elementary school once a week and it’s been a little hectic but completely worth it.  The kids are so eager for the university students to get there and to play.  We are able to do pretty much whatever we want with them during the time we’re there.  I’m working with a second grade class of 40 students with one of my friends, Amanda.  Most of the other classes have four university students but it ended up being just the two of us.  Luckily the teacher is really cool and helps us out with the outdoor games and crafts we do with them.  Amanda and I have a lot of fun stuff planned for them to do as the semester goes on.  Don’t worry- I will definitely keep you all updated!  I’ve been taking lots of pictures but I’m not sure if we’re allowed to put them up on the internet yet, so here is a picture of the group of university students volunteering their time!  This experience has already been really eye-opening and I’m excited for where it’s going.

The weekend of the 12th, 13th and 14th I went to Cape Town with some friends.  We did a little shopping at this massive mall outside the city, then stayed at a B&B for the night, and went to a burger festival the next day.  Let me just tell you, I ate so many delicious burgers that I died, went to burger heaven and then ate more burgers there.

The following day was Valentine’s Day, which I spent with all of my girlfriends and it was so much fun.  We did a little shopping during the day, then got dressed up and went to dinner at an Italian restaurant, and then met up with the rest of my friends at our apartment to drink wine and eat chocolates.

Last week the PGIO (Post-Graduate and International Office) threw a mini World Cup tournament, which was a blast.  It was really cool to get to see people from different countries come together to play soccer and just hang out.  The only thing that sucked was that there weren’t many girls who came out to play- most teams only had one or two girls.  I played in the tournament so these pictures were taken by my friend Bia!

On Friday we went wine tasting at a vineyard that also had big cats! It felt a little weird to walk around and see these cats that were in cages, but the rest of the place was beautiful.

On Saturday we went hiking through Jonkershoek Nature Reserve (Yonkers-hook).  There are two waterfalls within the reserve but we only were able to find one, so we’ll be heading back soon.  It was a beautiful hike.

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Sunday we went to Somerset West, a nearby beach, and then out to dinner!  This beach was more touristy than others that we’ve been to and not my favorite, but the water was really nice and we had a good time.

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Then, on Monday I went to the second home rugby game of the season!

So this post was extremely, extremely long.  For those of you who read all the way to the bottom, thanks a bunch!! I promise I’ll try to do better and post more frequently so they’re not as long.

I hope that everyone is healthy and happy back in the states! I miss you all!

xo

Kim

Now that I caught you up on what I’ve been doing, I want to share all of the things I’ve picked up on since arriving.  The first is the concept of what people call “African time.”  People around here are pretty laid back and things kind of get done when they get done.  No one is really in a rush (unless they’re driving) and it’s pretty refreshing.  South Africans seem to prioritize the quality of time rather than the quantity.  The most prevalent place you can see this would be in a restaurant.  Don’t wait until you’re hungry to go out.  It can take easily over an hour or hour and a half after you’ve arrived to get your food.  That might sound like a big deal especially since restaurants in the U.S. are all about getting the food out as quickly as possible, but it doesn’t take long to adjust to.  The way I see it is as long as I’ve got something to drink, I’ll be fine until the food comes.  You get so distracted talking to everyone you’re with that the time passes quickly.  I really, really like it and I already know it’s going to be hard to adjust to when I go back to the U.S. and especially to work.  Life here is so laid back and all about enjoying your time!

On a related note, the food here is absolutely delicious! Pizza, burgers and chips (aka fries) are the main courses at many restaurants in Stellenbosch.  When we went into Cape Town for a few days, we were able to stay at a B&B just up the street from tons of ethnic restaurants.  The food was all authentic and it felt like we were able to visit a different country with each meal. We’ll definitely be going back there.

The fruit here is so fresh and full of flavor.

My first meal out in Stellenbosch. This was the Led Zeppelin burger at Sgt. Pepper in Stellenbosch. The size of the burger surprised me and it was delicious.

Kauai, Stellenbosch.

The traditional South Afrikan food we were served at the International Students Welcome Dinner.

Prego Roll at Slug and Lettuce, Stellenbosch

I forget what this was called, but it’s Roti with chicken and other spices that I found at a place in the Neelsie (the student center), Stellenbosch.

Open croissant with scrambled egg and bacon, Cape Town.

Apple juice, Cape Town. The apple juice was freshly made and tasted so good- it was like they just crushed the apple and gave it to you!

Thai, Cape Town

Croissant with Nutella, Cape Town.

Italian, Cape Town

Red velvet cake waffe, Stellenbosch.

Beef and chicken nachos, Balboa, Stellenbosch.

Pizza with mango, ham, chicken among other things, Balboa, Stellenbosch.

Chicken burger with bacon, avocado, aoli, feta, lettuce and tomato. So good! Stellenbosch.

IPA from Craft, brewed in Stellenbosch.

Desserts from Craft, Stellenbosch. A lot of the desserts I’ve had here are on the dry side but these were so good.

The massive Bar One Shake I got at Hudson’s, Stellenbosch.

Pizza from Hudson’s, Stellenbosch. Bacon, chicken, basil, tomato and garlic.

Not to mention that the alcoholic beverages are great too.  It’s wine country so of course you have a huge assortment of good wines to choose from when you go out.  The beer is also wonderful and I have fallen in love with Hunters Gold, a type of hard cider. I’m definitely being spoiled here and my stomach is very, very happy.

Another thing is that people here are so friendly.  They will really go out of their way to help you, whether it’s giving you directions, telling you where to eat, giving you the scoop on the local attractions and when to go… everything in between.  A lot of people can tell that I’m American just based on my accent- it really makes me stick out.  I’m not sure whether that’s a good or bad thing but it’s always funny when I go places with my American friends and just know that people are looking at us thinking “those Americans.”  However, these people have all been very warm and welcoming! Something that’s really surprised me is that when South Africans say that they want to hang out, they actually mean that they want to hang out.  It’s not like in the U.S. when people say “oh, we should hang out or grab lunch!” and never actually do.  People stick to their word here and won’t offer unless they genuinely want to do so.

South Africans smoke.  A lot.  It’s hard to go out for the night and come home not smelling of cigarettes.  I was really surprised my first night out when we were in a club and someone was smoking a cigarette while dancing.  They actually bumped my friend with it, but luckily it was a little touch and didn’t burn her.  The smell can get so overwhelming in some places that it’s nauseating.
This is probably my least favorite thing about the country so far.  It’s really hard to escape and makes me really grateful that we’ve got laws in the U.S. that prohibit smoking indoors.  It might sound a bit high maintenance of me but I really like my air tobacco-free!

It’s hot here.  Very hot.  Today I was snapchatting my sister (hey Kel) and there was a 65 F degree difference between here and Greenbelt, MD.  I don’t know about you but that blew my mind.  The first week and a half here was consistently in the 90s and then things cooled down a bit, but this week the temperature has been right back where it started! The high today was about 96/97 F.  February is supposed to be the hottest month of the year so hopefully that means I’ll get some good beach days and tanning in.

The last big thing is that it’s been a struggle getting used to people driving on the left side of the road.  Some people rent cars to drive while they study here but I can assure you- that won’t be me.  I’ll leave the driving to the locals.  It’s so confusing when I cross the road or even if I’m just watching people drive.  And since people drive on the left side of the road, they tend to walk on the left side of the sidewalks and stairs.  I never know which side to walk on- and I usually end up having to move because I’m accustomed to walking on the right side.  But don’t worry Mom, I concentrate really hard and always look before I cross the roads! I’m slowly getting used to it.

There are so many more differences between this country and home, but these big points give you a better idea of what life is like down here.

I’m going to leave you with this quote that was out in front of a store at the V&A Waterfront, because I think it relates to how I felt during my first week here.  Things were tough but I knew it would all get better, and here I am now!

All and all, I can’t say enough how much I love South Africa.  The people are beautiful, the nature is beautiful, the cities are beautiful, the food is beautiful… I think you get the point.

xo

Kim

Hey everybody! This is a somewhat lengthy post so please bear with me!! I can’t believe that it’s been two weeks since I arrived in South Africa.  I can now confidently say that I’m getting adjusted to life in Stellenbosch! Every day I find new reasons to love the country and I am just so happy that I’m here.  I’ve been trying to get my photo editor to work but for some reason it won’t… so that’s why there’s been such a delay in my posts.  Here’s a little overview of my past two weeks…

We had a three day orientation and then we had a couple of days to ourselves before we went into Cape Town for a day trip.  We spent the morning at the Waterfront and the rest of the day at Camps Bay Beach, which is so beautiful.  The mountains in the background around the beach are called the Twelve Apostles.

Camps Bay Beach with the twelve apostles in the background. The view is absolutely breathtaking!

Camps Bay Beach

Camps Bay Beach

Camps Bay Beach

A couple days later, some friends and I hiked up part of one of the nearby mountains.  We only made it about half way but the view was spectacular.  There are a lot of false peaks apparently but once the weather cools down a little bit I’m going to climb the whole thing!

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Halfway up Coetzenburg.

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Then we took a 3-day trip into Cape Town so we could explore more of the city on our time.  On average it takes about an hour to get into Cape Town but it also depends on the method of transportation.  Uber and shuttles are pretty cheap if you go with a lot of people because you can easily split the price and it comes down to maybe 5 or 6 USD per person.  There’s also a train that runs between Cape Town and Stellenbosch and only costs a dollar but you have to be careful with the times that you take it.

Our trip consisted of a trip to the aquarium and the waterfront, kayaking in the Atlantic Ocean (while seeing seals and dolphins and even a whale), walking around the city, seeing the colorful houses of Bo-Kaap, going to the beach, visiting the indigenous penguins at Boulders Beach, spending a night out on Long Street and eating and drinking at numerous delicious restaurants (post about food to come soon).

Cape Town

Boulders Beach, Simon’s Town

Boulders Beach, Simon’s Town

Boulders Beach, Simon’s Town

Every year the university holds an event called Vensters (pronounced “Fensters”) which is where all of the first year students perform skits and dance for the town.  The first years’ entire first week at the university is dedicated to learning their routine.  Huge stages are set up all over the campus and anyone from the public can come and walk around while watching them.  It’s really entertaining and turns into a big party afterwards.

The next day my friends and I decided to throw a little braai (pronounced “bry”) which is a bbq.  It’s a really big thing here and lots of fun with good food.  It took us a long time to prepare the food, get the fire going and cook it all but it was so much fun that I don’t think anyone noticed.

This past Sunday I had the opportunity to go see Mumford and Sons in Cape Town.  It was a very last minute plan but absolutely worth it.  They are awesome live and would definitely recommend seeing them if you have the chance.  It was the perfect ending to my two week “vacation” before classes started.

So that has basically been my past two weeks! It really feels like I have been here much longer than that.  Now classes are about to start, which I’m both super excited for and dreading.  Although it means less time to travel and do things outside of Stellie, I’m going to be taking some really cool classes that will teach me about the culture here and help make me a better individual while also pursuing the subjects that interest me most.  I’m also planning on joining some cool societies and volunteering to get more involved with the community.
This was actually suppose to get posted on Monday but I wasn’t able to get it up- so another post is soon to follow!  I hope you all are surviving the snow back home.

xo

Kim