reallyreallyreally overdue-SPRING BREAK

Okay- I'm going to play catch up for the past month (sorry)....

So, as many of you know, I spent my spring break trip in the Namib Desert. We booked our trip through STA travel's Nomad Adventure tours and really did not have any expectations before we took off on our journey.

We arrived on departure morning eager and ready to experience the 'real' Africa, because according to most South Africans, Cape Town is not the 'real' Africa. We were going for a week, so of course I brought one of my rolling duffels and filled it with anything I may want to put on while chillin' in the dessert. Needless to say, I was that girl with the rolling bag, while everyone else seemed perfectly content with their giant camping backpacks or small duffels. I'll know for next time what to bring ;).

Our home away from home was a giant over-lander truck -fully equipped with a fold-out kitchen, ipod speakers (which didn't work) and a 'cooler' for our water and alcohol (it was really just a metal box that we filled with ice every so often). Although the amenities were less than desirable, we were on our way to the freaking desert and were not expecting much! and we were off....We stopped at a grocery store to stock up on food and water (and of course wine) and drove all the way up the west coast to Namibia (stopping along the way for food, scenic views, and sleeping at some really cool camp sites, of course).

we spent the night on the Orange River, which separates separates Namibia from South Africa and met another overlander truck that would be following us to all of the same campsites for the rest of the trip! This was probably one of my favorite parts of my spring break. We met so many cool people who were making there way through Africa, some even around the world, on a motorcycle or a 4x4...or even through public transportation. These people had no idea where they were going to stay until they got there, and they made plans based off of advice from other travelers along the way, or from the Namibians themselves-all 1.8 million who populate the country.

We would drive for hours and hours and not see any living things. We spent a lot of quality time together, sharing stories, playing cards...sometimes the bus rides were so long and bumpy we even decided to play drinking games to take our minds off the amount of nausea we were feeling from the heat, bumpy dirt roads, and amount of processed foods we were putting into our bodies. I don't think I will ever eat a chip again!

Amidst all the driving, we really did some once in a life time activities. We went canoeing and swimming down the orange river, took a tour with a traditional bushman guide into the mountains and looked at some paintings on the rocks that had been around for thousands of years. Our guide told us crazy stories about how he used his own urine to wash snake venom out of his eye and pulled a scorpian and a big turtle out of his pocket in the middle of the walk! We went to fish river canyon, the second biggest canyon in the world, and ate dinner on the edge of the cliff and watched the sunset. Now I can say I've been to the 2 biggest canyons in the world! We stayed in a town with a population of 15 people-that's right-15! The name of the town was Solitaire-how fitting. The Namibian camp sites were not at all like the camp sites I had stayed at on my 4n4 trip across the West Coast of the US with Camp Echo Lake 6 years ago (still not over the fact that that trip being 6 years ago). Instead, they were very well maintained, with beautiful views, bathrooms nicer then the one in my apartment in Cape Town, a unique looking and well stocked bar, and the company of travelers from all around the world. This aspect has really made me realize how much of the world I have yet to see and I am now very excited to see what else it has to offer.

Our final destination in Namibia was Swakupmund- the second largest city in the country (big deal, I know). Our guides, Pilani and Suli had been fueling us with excitement about the 'big' city of Swakupmund and telling us all about the clubs we were going to go to. It really wasn't as 'lively' as they had described, but it was nonetheless a great time. We stayed in a hostel which was a nice upgrade from the dessert floor! We explored the city and went to lovely dinners at night. On our last day in Swakupmund we went sand boarding and quad biking, which I was surprisingly not horrible at! We took lessons with the same people whom we had been traveling with all week so it was nice to see some familiar faces. We also met a couple of guys who were back packing form Kenya and making their way down to Cape Town and are actually going to meet up with us when they come down here to Cape Town!

I think we were all dreading the long-ass bus ride back to civilization-not because we don't all love Cape Town, but because we had 2200km to drive in two days-it was horrible I won't lie. But this made me all the more happy when I came home to civilization. the night we got home, I fiddled with my blackberry for about 2 hours, took a nice hot shower and got ready for dinner. I had heard alot about a restaurant called Beluga-a nice place in Greenpoint with a beautiful atmosphere and great food. Although usually on the pricey side, I had also heard that their sushi and cocktails were half price on Sunday nights-We decided it would be a perfect treat for the end of our 'roughing it' trip through the desert-and it was.

a recap...

So I'm getting really bad with my posts....but at least that means I am keep busy right? I think I will break this post up into a few different parts.

So now that I have come to the realization that cape town is more than just a vacation...I have developed some favorite hangouts. First, there is Cocoa Wawa, where I am sitting now. Cocoa Wawa is always crowded with an embarrassing amount of American study abroad students seeking some free internet and good food. I come here to do homework all the time (like I am supposed to be doing now) and come at least every other day for lunch....the fact that it's a 30 second walk from my house is just a bonus.

Then, there is Babbo's in Observatory. for the past few weeks, my friends and I have been regular attendees on Wednesday nights after our Arcadia core class ends at 9. We eat some of the best pizza I've ever had (and i've had some great pizza) and watch the soccer game (really I just sort of cheer when everyone else does because I always end up talking and forgetting to pay attention) and then we head to Stones for a little while before calling it a night.

Another event that I am beginning to implement into my weekly routine is the Old Biscuit Mill farmers market on Saturday mornings. Now people-this is not your typical farmers market-this is one of the coolest markets I have ever seen. In fact, I wouldn't even call it a market. Located sort of near the city (in all honesty I have no clue how to get there) there are lamp stores which also sell jewelry and gifts; house-ware boutiques that sell yummy bread and all of these different kinds of pesto. There is this incredible bead factory that takes my breath away everytime I walk in (how sad is that...literally I couldn't speak and my friends didn't know what was wrong with me...i was literally in a euphoria). This is just a fraction of what this place had to offer There are are 2 giant tents-one with local designers-clothing, shoes, jewelry, artwork-literally everything, and the inventory changes form week to week because it is all sold so quickly! The other tent has all local food vendors. The amount of delicious sights are overwhelming. You have to get there really early or you wont be able to see anything because it gets so crowded! Seriously, if they had this in Fairfield it would be featured in the Connecticut section of the NY times and mentioned in all the lifestyle magazines-its amaaazing and so worth waking up early for!

So enough about food. I joined a local gym! I have been searching for a gym that closely resembles the Southport Racquet Club that I am so comfortable with. Virgin Active is a top-notch athletic club in South Africa and I think in many other countries as well. There are so many reasons why I love it. First of all, there are no American study abroad students. It is a place where I can fully become fully immersed in everyday South Africa and really feel like I am living here. My time at the gym has become time away from my crazy roommates and from my friends that I am with at all the time. The gym itself is also one of the most incredible buildings ever-and it literally has the nicest facilities I've ever seen. The state-of-the-art cardio equipment looks over an olympic-sized swimming pool. There is a whole section for circuit training, at least 20 classes to choose from each day and this giant lounge with free internet-the showers are also nicer than the one in my flat-and the air conditioning is not to shabby either! It's strange because although I am surrounded by South Africans, the gym is so nice and it doesn't actually feel like I am in Africa while I am there!

Moving on...I mentioned in my last post (which feels like ages ago) that I had begun SHAWCO. I am still loving it, but something sort of funny has been happening the lsat couple of weeks. So during my first experience, I fell in love with this little boy named Lamla who helped me pronounce everybody's name and was just the sweetest kid. Well, 2 weeks ago, little Lamla was wearing a pair of extremely feminine, pink shorts. I was really confused and didn't know if Lamla was a boy or a girl. My friend, who shares a classroom with me convinced me that Lamla was still a boy and probably just had these little shorts as a hand me down from somebody. Still, I was skeptical. I developed this master plan to divide the class girls vs. boys for the following week. I didn't even have to do that. When I went to Shawco yesterday, I was greeted by Lamla, clad in a blue skirt and pink jacket....with fur trimming on the hood. Lamla is officially a girl and I am officially an idiot.

Although I am now leading a somewhat typical life down here, I am nevertheless taking advantage of some really cool opportunities. A couple of weeks ago, our program assistant, Emma drove a few of us out to Long Beach (not in Long Island, Dad) to watch the sunset and the full moon. As you can probably tell by the pictures, it was unbelievably beautiful. We sat on one of the big rocks, made a couple human pyramids and took about a zillion pictures altogether. People were really jealous when they saw our pictures! (I mean that in the least pretentious way possible I swear!)

In terms of trying something new, (and I mean really new) I went to my frist death metal concert last weekend. After our weekly braii (term for South African Barbeque) some of my friends and I headed to Observatory to hear Emma's brother's band play....I had never felt so out of place (except for maybe that time on the train). First of all, you should be briefed on the scene. In a sea of Gothic 20 somethings dressed head to toe in black with piercings and crazy long hair ...I was wearing a white skirt and a button down top from J-crew. I was the epitome of a needle in a haystack. But I went with it. Rocking my head from side to side until I had such a head ache from the music that I needed to get the hell out of there. Good times.

I think it was the following morning that the Arcadia program took us on a field trip type of adventure to a bird and monkey museum and to the famous Seal Island. While this would have been the perfect trip for my brother Eric (an animal enthusiast), it wasn't my favorite. to be frank, the monkeys were kind of smelly and rude (they peed on 2 of my friends!). And I have a somewhat fear of birds-I won't be going back there any time soon.

My latest excursion was this past Monday-to the UCT verse University of Stellenbosch rugby game. Now,I give tours at the University of Rochester, and when prospective families ask me about the school spirit, I usually try to change the subject. AKA I have never been able to support my school at a big college sporting event. UCT and Stellenbosch are ranked as having the top 2 rugby teams in South Africa. Needless to say it was a big game. We took a fan bus from the UCT campus...which was insanely fun. People were going nuts. There was a rush to get into the packed stadium and I don't think people stopped cheering and screaming and beer-showering one another for a minute of the game. We lost, but that didn't matter to us.....the game must have taken a lot out of us, because we passed out after about 4 seconds on the bus ride home- a successful night to say the least.

I think that's all of the highlights! Congratulations to you if you have made it to the end of this lengthy post, then you are all caught up! I can't believe it is already nearing the middle of March. I am getting ready for my spring break trip through Namibia (not Nivea....or Numbia, mom) and will be sure to post on all of my exciting adventures!

Missing everyone very much!

I'm actually living here...

So it has been 10 days since my last entry and I realize that old habits die hard and that I am not being as diligent as I would like. However, life here has actually been relatively normal, which is strange to me. I have finally realized that this is not a vacation and that Rondebocsh (my neighborhood) will actually be my home for the next 5 months. Classes have started and I have finally began to adapt to a daily routine.

Every weekday morning (except wednesdays) I wake up and catch the Jammie (UCT shuttle) and go to 2 classes from 11-1 and then take the Jammie back to Main road to meet my friends for lunch....or I go to the beach depending on the day. On Tuesdays and Thursdays, I go to African dance, where I make a fool of myself for about two hours. On Wednesdays, I have no class in the morning which is a blessing! This Wednesday (tomorrow) I will begin SHAWCO in the afternoons. SHAWCO is an after school teaching program for UCT students and students living in various townships. I have not really learned a single thing about what I will be doing, so my first session will be interesting to say the least. Then after SHAWCO, I have my Core Class....where all the students on my program sit in a lecture room for 3 hours and learn about everything South Africa. For now, it is something I flat out dread on a weekly basis. But I know that I will come home and have actually learned something which will be exciting, especially seeing as I sadly knew very little upon my arrival.

And that is my life here..very simple for now. It is strange having time during the day. Usually at school, I fill my schedule with as many clubs and jobs and activities as I can...but it is nice sometimes to just decide to have a last minute surf lesson, or go for a quick hike after dinner. I just love that there are so many things to do.

and now that I have been here for about a month, I think I have a pretty good idea of my favorite and least favorite part about this place. We played a game at dinner once called Rose and Thorn, where we have named the highlights and low-lights of our time in Cape Town so far. Here are my top 5 roses and thorns of Cape Town, South Africa

ROSES (in no particular order)

1. The views: the back drop of a huge thriving city is the coolest and most beautiful mountain that I have ever seen

2. The weather: waking up to a warm sunny day every is the best thing ever. I love coming home from the beach and looking through my friends pictures wearing jackets in Europe or seeing pictures of my friends trudging through the snow up in rochester-how to students get anything done at the university of Miami?

3.THE EXCHANGE RATE. no explanation necessary

4. the people. I have not met an unfriendly South African since I have been here. whether I am on the wrong bus, lost on campus or wondering the which best mueseli to buy (all of these things have happened) there has been a South African ready and willing to help!

5. The nightlife. There is literally always something going on. being of legal drinking age is never a bad thing either ;)

THORNS

1.public transportation: I am sure the trains and busses run on a legitimate schedule, but my friends and I have yet to figure that out. I feel like I have wasted hours running around bus stations asking where it stops and then having to repeat myself 4 times over because I was not understood the first, second or third time. Although cheap, they are just not my cup of tea. However, a ride on the train or bus will teach you very quickly about the race and class issues that are still VERY prevalent down here.

2.not being able to go anywhere alone. If I want to go someplace at night and my roommates want to go some place else, I am forced to go with the majority. Whether it is going home early or staying out late, I have to plan who I am going out with ahead of time so that there will be somebody to share my cab home because you cannot take one by yourself.

3.the crazy drivers. If there is one thing I learned during my time here so far...it is to be careful while crossing the street. Pedestrians do not I repeat DO NOT have the right of way down here. the drivers WILL run you ever

4. All of the stores close here WAY to early. 3:30 is closing time for many stores and 5:30 for all the rest. This is in part to avoid much of the crime that comes full force at night, but frustrating nonetheless

5. the crime. Although I have been lucky enough to have come through unscathed as of yet, I still have 4 more months to go. I have heard terrible stories of pick-pocketing, muggings, robberies and violence, from American students but also from people who have lived here all their lives. You are always at risk here.

And I think that is it for now. I will try my best to write more often.....and even harder to make good memories that worth writing about!

a different view of the city

So it was Monday afternoon and my roommates came into my room and said, "Hey, wanna go skydiving tomorrow?" and I said "sure." Just like that. It was the one thing I had explicitly promised my parents I wouldn't do...but they couldn't come down here and stop me! (I also chose not to tell them because they would have totally guilted me out of it).

The whole night before and day of I was surprisingly calm. I researched to make sure Skydive Cape Town (I think the most popular place down here) was a reputable company....but there was no way I was watching any of those sample videos...what I didn't see wouldn't hurt me. We got there, picked a partner to go up with and waited our turn as if we were going to visit the doctor. Naturally they called me first....and then I started to freak out. I tried to appease myself with the seriously beautiful views of the city in 2ft plane we were squished into...but the pictures say a thousand words....I was anything but appeased.

My friend, Amy, went first. When we hit 12,000 ft above sea level...they strapped her to the parachute and she just jumped out of the plane. and I screamed "OMG AMY YOU JUST JUMPED OUT OF A PLANE" and they said "okay danielle let's go," and I asked if we could just wait a minuteso that I could catch my breath and process what was going to happen. "Nope," they said, and before I knew it I was screaming my head off, free falling 4,000 feet in the air. The free fall part lasted about 30seconds. Those were 30 of the best seconds in my life ( Missed the first 5 though because me eyes were closed) The feeling is indescribable.

Before we had jumped out, my guide told me exactly what to do. Where to put my arms and when....and how to position my legs in between his like a banana. I totally understood. But when I jumped out of the plane...I did not do one single thing he said. My style included more of the arms flailing about and legs kicking in the air type of thing than anything else. When the parachute opened..everything was silent. I could see everything. The Indian and Atlantic oceans, Table Mountain, the city, the beach I was at a few days ago....everything. I learned how to fly myself (which made me extremely nauseous) and before I knew it I was learning to land. I think the best part was being able to cal my parents and say "Guess what I just did." I'm glad they didn't have heart attacks over the phone.

I will try posting photos later....there is a video as well that is definitely worth watching but I don't think there is a way to post it here but I will do my best to try!

busy busy in cape town

Obviously being in a foreign country hasn't changed my habits of putting things off until the last minute....aka I am not doing a very good job at being up to date with my blog entries. My days here have been jam-packed with sightseeing activities as I try to acclimate myself to such a different place.

On Friday, we climbed table mountain, South Africa's most well-known natural symbol. We picked a trail that had a sign at the bottom which basically read "you will die if you climb this." It was full of ladders and rocks which you had to pull yourself onto and was sososo much fun. It is something I plan on repeating multiple times. At night we had a delicious dinner in Observatory, which is an area pretty close to our flat, with cute restaurants bars that are a little more laid back from the ones on Long street.

Yesterday, we decided to explore Boulder Beach, known for its beautiful views and very cute penguins. We were told that the best way to get there was by train. This was an unforgettable experience. We were shuffled onto a train that was WAY too crowded to be legal. As we stood, holding tightly to the handles high above our head, we noticed that we were the only white people on the train. After 20 minutes, I snagged a seat and the women next to me noticed my ticket. she notified us that we were ripped off basically. We thought R17 for a round trip train ticket was an excellent price. Apparently, the ticket is only supposed cost R8 (equal to about $1) Not only that, but we had also apparently paid for "metro plus" which is the trains equivalent of a first class ticket. We found it mortifying that the patron saw a group of white-middle class 20somethings and just assumed we wouldn't be able to "hack" it in economy. When a drugged-up schizophrenic man got on the train and started wailing at us, we figured the woman had assumed correctly. Needless to say, we were sure to find the the "metro plus" car upon our return, which was a much more pleasant experience.

I never thought about how much more comfortable I feel around people that are like me. It's pathetic to think about how much better I felt surrounded by more people of my race and socio-economic background. I finally realized what it is like to be of the minority (well, technically being Jewish puts me in the minority, but I certainly never feel like this at home).

The beach itself was BEAUTIFUL...we first ventured to Boulder National Park to visit the African penguins. I was surprised at how small they were in person, and how still they could stay! Then we ate a yummmmyy seafood lunch overlooking the water and took a nice nap on the beach. Before, of course, the tide came and made my towel soaking wet. Good times. That was a sign that it was time to leave.

Today we did some much needed shopping in Victoria Warf, an upscale mall by the waterfront. I was surprised at the number of American brands and stores featured, and also by the number of South African brands that were comparable to the ones I know and love at home. We ended our day by taking a cable car up to the top of Table Mountain and eating dinner at the restaurant at the top. This view was still unreal despite the fact that we were literally in a cloud and were told that the sights were nothing compared to what they would be like on a clear day. I have a feeling I'll be back there.

"africa is soooo cool"

This is a direct quote from my roommate Gillian, who has managed to leave her blackberry at the airport and run out of money because she forgot to call her banks before she left. I am the responsible one! For now at least.

After a night out on Long Street, we woke up early for a trip to Robben Island. We took a tour around the prison and got to see Nelson Mandela's prison cell. I could not get over the ireality of Apartheid and still can not get over how recent it happened. It wasn't until 1994 that the last prisoners were released. It is scary to think about such a huge human rights victory was happening as I was going about my business, making trouble in Kindergarten. All of the tour guides on Robben Island are former prisoners. It is almost funny to think about because although Robben Island was a prison where many political activist were sent, such as President Mandela as well as our tour guide, it was still a prison; meaning it still held burglars, murderers, rapists etc., some of which are now tour guides. Freaky.

When we got back to Cape Town, we took a nice, long walk around the waterfront and headed into various stores and markets. I will definitely be making some trips back there. Part of me is stressed out about taking advantage of every single opportunity here (tough life, I know). I want to see and do every part of this place. I sometimes forget that I will be here until June! I find myself trying to fit as much as I can in every day. But at least I know I'm doing it.

my new friend jeff

I still can't get over how beautiful this place is. Everywhere I look, I see something new. On Monday, we headed towards "High Africa" for some program bonding. We slept in cabins, participated in a high-ropes course and just hung around with each other. At night, we pretty much cleared out the tiny cash bar that was there and headed out to Stellenbocsh the next afternoon.

In Stellenbocsh, we made out way to Spier winery where we got in a cage with a cheetah, had our faces painted with traditional African designs and ate dinner at an incredible restaurant called Moyo, which was a all you can eat buffet that served about 30 types of meat and fish. It was seriously delish. I had never seen anything like it. We sat at huge round tables in a circus-like tent and watched African drummers.

We got home around 10 and got ready for our first night on the town....first to watch the soccer game at a local bar and then down the street to the PIG and Swizzle-a questionable establishment that apparently is not meant for international students. We'll keep that in mind for next time.

The next morning I met Jeff. Jeff is a South African man who lives down the street above the book store and cleans our entryway during the week. I bumped into him on my run the other day and he seems like a stand up guy. Gillian had never met him. That is, until she accidentally buzzed him in without checking. She ran to my room freaking out about the supposed stranger standing outside of our door. Naturally, I hid in the closet. Realizing I couldn't use that for protection, I asked again who it was and it was Jeff. Oops!

45 minutes later I knew everything about Jeff. His most interesting fact is his that he collects popsicle sticks that he finds on the street and makes decorative containers out of them. He kept offering them to us and I thought, "Wow! he is so generous!" Before I knew it, I was up to my neck in popsicle-stick towers (literally) and told him I would think about which ones we wanted. At the time, I didn't realize that he expected compensation and that he makes part of his salary off of these. He stopped by later that afternoon to say hi and I told him which towers we would like, and jokingly offered him 100 American dollars. Apparently Jeff doesn't understand sarcasm. He assumed I meant 100 Rand (South African currency). Because I haven't been her very long, I was having trouble realizing how much money I was spending on something I probably made for free at age 7. I said "okay, great". I didn't know what to do besides run to my room and get my wallet.....I think i need a lesson in bartering.

That night, we headed out on the town to Long Street. Long street is a very famous long strip of cool bars and clubs. It was so interesting to see the other groups of American students traveling in HUGE groups of the 20 people. I am sososooo glad that my program is smaller so that when we go out in groups, we don't make a scene and fall into the stereotype of being impolite and selfish...All in all I had a great night..