Lesson Learned.

Its been almost one week since I arrived now, but it feels like so much more. The last few days have been just as exciting as the first, but now that the initial whirlwind has settled I am beginning to learn a few things about this place and my place in it. 

Lesson 1: Whoever said that South Africans speak English took a very liberal approach.

Once I figured out that the robots people kept directing me towards in the streets were nothing more than traffic lights and the weefee they tried to put in our house was actually just internet, I began to realize that even between english speakers many things can be lost in translation. A bru is not a beer and black label is not whiskey, lekker is a good thing, they don’t barbeque- they braii, and the Aggies are not a school mascot but a violent South African gang (safe to say I won’t be wearing that sweatshirt again...). The accent is wonderful, and although difficult to understand at times its all very fun to learn and even more fun to imitate. My goal is to have at least one conversation with a local before I leave without them knowing I’m American. 

Aside from English, Cape Town is a rich blend of about four main languages: Afrikaans, Xhosa, Zulu, and Sutu, and they are all much more prevalent than I anticipated. Everyone seems to speak at least two, but its still a very interesting and  influential social divide around the Cape and more broadly the country that often coincides with racial divisions. I signed up to take Xhosa (pronounced with a click), so *Enkosi Kakhulu!

Lesson 2: In a country with one of the highest rates of theft in the world, I just might be my own worst enemy.

Despite the dozen or so safety lectures and travel advice I got before leaving and upon arrival I’ve decided that the best way to avoid theft is to rid myself of everything worth stealing. Thats why I left my laptop behind at JFK security last week and also why I gave that taxi driver my wallet last night. Pure strategy. 

Lesson 3: We underestimate our luxuries. 

I don’t mean this in the “its my first time in Africa, these people have so little” way,  but rather its the unanticipated difficulties that I’ve come across that I find noteworthy. Internet is the first and most frustrating one. Did you know there are only TWO fiber optic cables coming in to the entire continent of Africa? Wifi is hard to come by, free internet is nonexistent, and all internet is limited. Its been harder than I would have thought to get used to not being able to look up a phone number or an address or check my bank account or contact my family at the  push of a button. On the bright side, it looks like I’ll be able to break my facebook addiction...

Another one I have had some trouble with independence. While living here I don’t have the luxury of walking to the store by myself or sitting in a coffee shop past dark. What I do and when I do it depends on who is around to go with me, which is a concept I never had to grasp in the states. I suddenly appreciate the safety of my neighborhood both at school and at home in ways I never did before.  

There are lots of other notable ones- printing, being eco-friendly, electricity, being germ-o-phobic, GOLD (UCSB’s online registration system), and spare pillows to name a few.

I could go on, I learn more and more on a daily basis and its truly wonderful, but these entries are already too long and I am going to lose my fan base if I ramble. Love you all!

PS. Pictures are coming soon... I have taken a good amount, but despite my earlier comments I’m not ACTUALLY trying to lose everything valuable to me on this trip and I would rather not bring my camera to the cafe. 

* Means thank you in Xhosa... makes no sense in context but its the only word I know.