 |
| Aimee expanding her horizons |
For
our second week of orientation, we took the first three days to tour everyone’s
internship sites. I think it’s really important that we all have the knowledge
of what our peers are doing so that we can share stories and support one another.
It gives a greater perspective of the issues that exist in South Africa today.
After visiting my own internship site I became more eager to work there a few
days later. The thirty of us also split into groups for a transportation
exercise to be sure that we know how to safely travel to our internship
locations when the time comes.
After
an exhausting but crucial three days, a group of us decided to spend our first
day off at Muizenburg beach. Our friendly and helpful neighbor accompanied us
on our first Cape Town train ride to get there. Once we arrived at the beach we
all stood in awe of the contrasting beauty of the shoreline and the nearby
mountains. The day was relaxing and most of us even swam in the ocean (making
sure not to get hit by surfers). Unfortunately in addition to this beauty,
there were also many poor and homeless people walking around the beach while we
were having a great time. I could tell that some people probably came to the
ocean just to shower and relax from whatever crazy journey they were on. Also,
almost everyone in our group got badly sunburned. Oh well, we learned our
lesson.
Approximately
five hours passed by and we were all ready to return home. It just so happened
that the next train to Mowbray was at 5:04. If we had thought this through a
little more we would have realized that the 5:04 train at peak commuter hours
was not the best idea. By this time our neighbor had already left because of a
previous engagement. We got on the train and it was slightly crowded. After
passing through more stops the train was so packed you couldn’t even move.
People trying to get off the train were pushed back by people trying to find
their way on it. As our stop came closer I did my best to nudge my way to the
door. When the door swung open, I grabbed onto my friend and assisted in the
effort to make it to the door while others were pushing the opposite direction.
All of a sudden my friend is pulled outside of the train and I lose my grasp. I
feel myself panicking just as I see an arm reaching out for me. I won’t forget
the person’s face who pulled with all their might to get me off the train. This
experience just reinforced the great sense of community and bonding between
individuals in this country. I am grateful to be learning so much more about
what it means to be a part of something greater than myself.
An
official welcome to Cape Town was given at Vernon’s braai on a pleasant
Saturday evening. The food was absolutely delicious and I loved spending time
with such a loving family, native to Cape Town. I feel so blessed to be a part
of this family and be treated like a member of this city. I want to make my
professors proud, my family proud, my peers proud, and myself proud. I hope
that I can make each day the best it can possible be despite struggles or
conflicts I may face.
Furthermore,
I was able to find a Catholic Church near my house to attend on Sunday morning.
It was nice to find another community to be a part of and continue to grow in
my faith. I also felt so blessed to be able to attend Vernon’s Church later on
that morning, where he was giving the sermon. Faith communities are such a big
part in the lives of many people in Cape Town. The energy and great trust in
God and each other is so inspiring. Sunday night was the Swedish House Mafia
concert we had all been eagerly anticipating. We got there at 4:00pm and did
not get home until 2:00am because of traffic. It was an amazing time and was
held on an ostrich farm. I would definitely say this was another very musical
day. If you love music, Cape Town is the place to be.
No comments:
Post a Comment