Courtney Explores South Africa: For Mama...

Since one of my classes got canceled for this week, I have some time to kill tonight. So I figured I would take time to get everyone completely caught up on my life... or at least mostly. I feel like I always start writing and never seem to have enough time to actually fit in everything I want to share! I'll start off with some promised pictures from shark cage diving, thanks to my friends!

One of the first sharks we saw off the boat.

An awesome underwater shot. Photo cred to my friend Caitlin.

Another underwater shot. Yes, the sharks were that close. And the black line is part of the cage, FYI.

Last Sunday, my friends and I went to Kirstenbosch Gardens. Kirstenbosch is a National Botanical Garden that is believed to be one of (actually, probably the most) beautiful gardens in Africa and one of the greatest botanical gardens in the world, with its incredible location at the foot of Table Mountain. I did not have enough time to wander the garden while I was there, but I plan to return soon since it is a short 10 or 15 minute cab ride from where I live! Every Sunday during this season, Kirstenbosch holds a summer concert series featuring all genres of music, from the Cape Philharmonic Orchestra to rock. We saw a really great Indie Rock group named Zebra and Giraffe. There were people of all ages at this concert. We brought blankets to sit on and enjoyed a dinner picnic and some wine (again, I have a tough life). It was a beautiful atmosphere, and definitely worth every cent of the 70 rand ticket (which is about $10).

Not a bad venue for the concert, huh?

Last Wednesday, I had tryouts for the UCT club soccer team. I had no idea what to expect, and it turned out to be..... well.... a joke, quite honestly. I hate to sound rude, and I am definitely not conceited about my soccer abilities considering the little amount of playing I've done since my knee injury, but soccer in America is much more competitive than here (at least women's). They do not have a varsity team, so this is the closest thing to it. It was about half Americans and half South Africans, and by the end of the night, the coach separated the group into essentially the first team (consisting of ALL Americans) and the second team (consisting of ALL others). While this could have served as a confidence booster, it really left me feeling pretty frustrated. It just shows yet another example of the great opportunities we are given in America. If I were South African, I may never have had the chance to even know that I have such a passion for sports, particularly soccer. I hope that I am wrong and that there is more opportunity than I am aware of, but I have a bad feeling that there's not, especially considering I am at UCT (the best university in Africa in this prime location). This will definitely make me appreciate my experiences with athletics/soccer (the good AND the bad) that have helped me grow throughout my entire life.

As you all may or may not know, the Trinity program in Cape Town requires that each student has an internship during his or her semester abroad. We were given a list of about seven internships to choose from. As I explained in my first blog post, Dad came across an article in the Philadelphia Inquirer about a foundation called CTC Ten. I won't be too repetitive since I did write about this before, but I would like to point out a few things. Chris Campbell, a soccer native from Narberth, PA (very close to our home) played at Franklin & Marshall University. He tragically died the day before his senior season. Long story short, his parents asked that donations be made to Franklin & Marshall's "South Africa Project" but his teammates and coaching staff decided to take it several steps further. They memorialized him with a field in a township just outside of Cape Town, called Khayelitsha. One of his best friends, Ryan McGonigle was quite literally thrown on a plane after graduating, and told to "figure it out" in Africa....pretty much by himself. He became the overseer of the construction of a turf field and the contact to and from America throughout the entire process. Campbell's former girlfriend, Amy Cawley graduated in '09 with Ryan, and once the field was built, the two of them pretty much built this project from the bottom up. When Dad brought home this article in August, it solidified my choice to study abroad in Cape Town. As corny as it sounds, I saw (and still see) this article as a sign that I did choose the right place for me. This foundation brings together so many of my main goals and interests: soccer, children, and working townships. I've been in contact with Amy for the past seven months, so when she kindly picked me up to take me to the field last week, I was eagerly awaiting the short trip!

Let me try to paint the picture of Khayelitsha for you (although I do not think it is really possible to do so in words, especially since I am no writer). In less than 40 minutes, I left the beautiful area of Cape Town, drove on a highway past several townships, and arrived to one of the most (in)famous townships in the world. This township is where MILLIONS of people live; there may be any number from 1 to 3 million, but it is impossible to know the exact number since people are constantly moving in and out of Khayelitsha. It is my understanding that anywhere between 100 and 200 people share a single water pump here. That means that 100-200 people use the same small supply of water to bathe, use the bathroom, cook, eat, etc. This makes absolutely no sense to me, considering that the Western Cape is essentially SURROUNDED by water. It gave me an almost guilty feeling, driving past shack after shack... it just seemed endless. Then, in the midst of all of this poverty, there is an impeccable turf field- as nice as any field I've ever played on. The thing that attracts me most to CTC Ten is their overall goal: to provide a safe haven and foster a sense of hope in this community. It has already been successful in keeping many people off the streets and away from crime. The other aspect that I think is so great is that by June, Amy and Ryan will both be leaving. They do not want this project to be a bunch of white people forcing their ideas onto this black community. They are looking to hire an African by June and gradually hand over all responsibility, creating a self-sustaining environment in Khayelitsha. It's amazing how its residents have embraced CTC Ten and really see it as part of their community. From what I can see, it is a unique foundation with goals that separate it from others. It is also pretty neat that this is literally the only time I could possibly get involved at this field. I am not sure what exactly I will be doing there yet, but I hope to plan that soon. In the couple hours I spent there last week, I pretty much explored the complex and played with all the kids. They were so loving and affectionate towards me, mostly because I'm a white girl with blonde(ish), smooth hair that they LOVED stroking. It was pretty hilarious at first... I had no idea what to expect. I heard that they would automatically love me because there is this sense of the "white ideal" in Africa. But all of a sudden, the kids noticed me, and they actually started charging at me, jumping on me, hugging me, kissing me, playing games with me, etc. And I loved every minute. Who doesn't love that kind of attention? I can't wait to get started. The one major drawback is that I do not speak their language, Xhosa. I can definitely find ways to communicate with them, but I feel that I could be so much more involved if I could speak their language; then I could even coach them which would be really fun. But there will be plenty to learn, both for me and for the kids.

I'm just amazed at what a great thing came out of such a sad event. It really gives new meaning to the saying, "When life gives you lemons, make lemonade." I promise I will take pictures and show them to you later.

Now back to stories of the "good life" I am living here in Cape Town. This weekend, I decided to hike Lions Head with some of my friends. We spent the day on the beach in Camps Bay, and then hiked in the early evening, so that we would be able to watch the sunset. This was the first hike I've been on since being here, since my knee has been acting up. But it's been feeling much better recently, so I decided to take advantage of that; plus, Lions Head is supposed to be the easiest hike in the area. I'm a rookie hiker and definitely no expert, but it was pretty tough- some ladders, some rock climbing, etc. But it was so much fun. The views during the entire hike were awesome on every side; we saw the gorgeous beaches, downtown Cape Town and all of its surrounding areas, the Waterfront, Sea Point, Robben Island, Table Mountain, and so much more. And the sunset wasn't too bad either.

Note to self: the way up is more tiring, but the way down is way scarier.