So what’s the story with South Africa?

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