Week 3 - Personal Blog (19-2-2012)

Almost every day, my flat mates and I have a moment when we just look each other and ask if ‘this is actually real’. Living here so far has almost seemed like a holiday and with having no class, seeing the sights and meeting a lot of people, you could be forgiven for forgetting that this isn’t actually a holiday and you aren’t returning home in a week or two. However, now that we have finished our third week here, we are starting to settle into the lifestyle and culture of South Africa, and it’s starting to feel like the home it is going to be to us for the next four months.

This week saw the start of our classes at University, which is giving us a great insight into the education system and culture of South Africa both from the lectures and through talking to lecturers and other local students. Classes here don’t run quite as smoothly as they do at home, both technologically and organisationally. Already this week it has been a common thing for a student to be asked to come up and show the lecturer how to begin the powerpoint or for us to arrive at campus at 915 just to be told that the lecture has just been cancelled, which has given me an unusual appreciation of lectures at Stranmillis. However, class has given us the opportunity to meet more locals, rather than international students, which has been refreshing and has provided opportunities to experience some ‘real South African culture’ with friends from class. I was invited to a Braai at the house of one of the locals on Friday night, in which they have a built in braai area outside their house which consisted of a thatched roof and seating area, which made it clear how much of a tradition it is within the South African culture. This gave me the opportunity to try some South African food like boerewors, which is similar to a sausage but longer and made with local game meat, and some local wine. I can safely say I am quickly adapting to the South African food and  life style.

With it being Valentine’s day this week, I could not believe how big a deal people made out of it here compared to at home, however it was not the flowers everywhere or everyone greeting you with cheery ‘Happy Valentine’s Day’ outbursts that made it memorable, but a music night that was hosted for us in the bagpackers lodge in the township that we visited during our City tour last week. Two full buses of international students were transported down for a night in the township in which we had no idea what to expect, and were greeted by almost one hundred children waving excitedly at us as we got off the bus. I was blown away by how excited the children were to see us, despite the history between black and white people, and as they performed several dances for us it was not an atmosphere of hostility or tension, but complete hospitality. After the children had performed for us, we were ushered inside to listen to some traditional South African music and dance and they offered us some of the finest local food and wine for a small price. As we were served Goat tongue, and some other substances that I still haven’t identified, on a plate, I tried to hide the horror on my face. Eating the food (which was surprisingly tasty!) was a close reminder of how different life is here, and as we were leaving the township it was difficult to accept that those people don’t leave, that this is their lifestyle every day. The bagpackers lodge was set up by a group of local ladies (also known as Mamas) who wanted to put an end to the men drinking (as the lodge is a former beer hall) and rather bring success into the area. They were inspirational women and it was a privilege to talk to them about their lifestyles, and truly humbling when we compare them to our own.

Travel in South Africa has been interesting so far, to say the least. To get in and out of the town, everyone uses combis, which are like run down minibuses that travel along with a man hanging out the window whistling and shouting at anyone he can spot. Our most memorable combi journey was this week as the driver stops for as many people as he can find, and managed to fit 19 of us into a 12 seater combi and still managed to know who exactly had or hadn’t passed their money up the bus. Multi-tasking to a new level. Again, the public transport system at home is something I remember with a strange fondness. On another of our combi journeys this week, we left a man off in a very remote area where it was quite clear he was living in the bushes, as it was all swept and well kept. The driver told us that the men in that area tend to steal all they can from people to keep them living. It’s little things like these that remind me that poverty is a very real thing, both here and at home, and it’s a sobering thought that as we are loving our time here in South Africa, these men are living in bushes with only the money they can find or steal to keep them living.

On a brighter note, this weekend we decided it was time we went to see some animals. We had previously been warned that there was a chance we would only see the tame lions at the end of the game drive, so you can imagine our excitement at spotting zebras and giraffes around the first corner. Seeing these animals so closely in their natural habitat was incredible, and gives a great understanding of their true strength and how amazing they are. At the end we were delighted to be given the chance to stroke and play with the lion and tiger cubs, (despite a number of us walking away with a few war wounds from the cubs’ claws!) which is something I would never have experienced if I hadn’t been here. Just driving through the park and taking in the scenery around us made this weekend feel rather surreal and only now are we realising that we are, in fact, in South Africa.  We also went to a rugby match on Friday night in the new stadium in Port Elizabeth, and even being there gave us an understanding of how big a part of life sport is here is South Africa. The Stadium was very impressive, and although the local team lost, it was an incredible atmosphere and a great game. As rugby is not a big sport in America, I was (somehow!) left to attempt to explain the rules to them. As time goes on I feel like I am learning so much about different cultures and interests of all the international students and unfortunately I feel like I am slowly losing my accent.

There are plans for travel to Jeffrey’s Bay and a trip to a township school next week, so I am sure there will be many stories to tell.

Hoping all is well at home.

Lynsey

Week2- Personal Blog. (12-2-12)

Before leaving for South Africa, many people asked how long we were going away for. It was always great encouragement when they paused awkwardly, avoided eye contact and passed comment on how long a time it was when I told them it was a four month exchange. I can honestly say I cannot believe I have been here for two weeks already, the time is disappearing so quickly and suddenly we are realising how quickly the four months really are going to pass!

Having been away from home for two weeks now it is safe to say that we are no longer in the comfort zone (or bubble) that we are so used to in Stranmillis. Coming from a campus where everyone is pretty much best friends with everyone else, moving into a complex of 90 international students and knowing only one of them is somewhat intimidating at times.  This was a big change, as we had to be sure to make the effort and go out and meet our neighbours. Thankfully this hasn’t been a difficult task at all for us as it seems that everyone has a strange fascination with the Irish accent. There have been a number of times Glenn and I have been having a conversation and then realise that there are a number of people just listening to us with a strange expression on their face! There have been countless entertaining conversations over Irish slang, most of which I have never even heard of (Which I suspect Glenn is making up on the spot!) but we have quickly become friends with most of the students from Annie’s cove, especially our four flatmates from Minnesota who are trying to convert us to listen to country music! We have quickly settled into Annie’s and the longer I spend here, the more it reminds of Stranmillis Halls in that there is always something going on and always someone about to help avoid doing anything productive. We have quickly been introduced to the popular South African Braai, which is another word for a BBQ, something that has happened almost every day in Annie’s cove this week. This is always a lot of fun here as most of the students come out to the braai area, cook and eat together as we sit by the pool. This is quickly becoming a tradition that I think I could get used to. Glenn and I are slowly becoming more adventurous with our food on the braai, progressing from single burgers to marinaded chicken,lamb and pork. Being over here has certainly removed us from the comfort zone of relying on our parents for money, and I have acquired a new awareness of how much everything costs. This has finally taught me to budget my money, something many have been trying to convince me to do for years, but has now become a necessity.

This week we had registration for our classes, which we quickly found out is a much longer and more complicated process than the hour long one that we often complain about in Stranmillis. There is a lot more independence here and we are expected to know where we are supposed to be and when we are supposed to be there, which has been a challenge as we are used to being ‘spoon-fed’ at home. Thankfully we finally managed to get registered after two days of walking around and asking many questions!

On Wednesday we went on a day long tour of the City which probably shocked me more than anything else I have seen here so far. We saw a lot of the sights within Port Elizabeth and were taught a lot about the history of the City and the connections with the British. (We were surprised to find a statue of Queen Victoria near the centre of the City!) What struck me the most was the huge difference between the main part of the City and the townships which are only a ten minute drive from where I am staying. We learnt a lot about the tensions between the black and the white people and as the tour guide used to live in the township, he was able to tell us his own personal stories which made it so much more real to us all. Something I noticed about each of the international students was that despite our many differences in culture and beliefs, it was in this area that we were all united in shocked silence. Almost everyone that I later spoke to also wanted to help volunteer in township areas after hearing the stories and seeing the poverty which was a reminder that despite our differences, we are all alike in ways too.

As we have started to meet some of the locals now, it quickly became obvious to us that a common local hobby was surfing, and so Glenn and I and another friend signed up for a set of five surf lessons this week. Our first lesson was much more successful than any of us expected, and after the hour long lesson we were all happy with our ability to ride a few waves in to the shore already, and went home to suffer with sore muscles for the next two days! Watch this space for further improvement.

Having befriended so many international students, I’m fascinated at the number of the students who can speak two languages. Thankfully there hasn’t been any sort of problems or barriers as everyone has very impressive English, which has challenged me to think about learning another language when I get home.

Already I have seen a huge change to my lifestyle since I have moved here. My much loved morning lie-ins are no longer existent as South Africans can’t understand why you would ‘waste the morning’, and so I have become used to getting up early which I am (surprisingly) enjoying, it makes the day seem much longer. Not having a car has led to us walking a lot more, yet surprisingly this doesn’t lead to the panic of getting there on time as no-one here seems to rush for anything. I love the relaxed attitudes here, everyone has time for a conversation and classes never start on time (this comes in very useful for the international students who have a half hour walk to class).

We are yet to get internet in our rooms which is really starting to be a frustration now as we have to travel to the internet café for any internet that we may need, but hoping to get that sorted next week. There has been a lot of time for the international students to chill out and get to know each other this week as we have yet to start class and so there have been a couple of days that consisted of us getting up, going to the beach to chill out (and tan!), come back to Annie’s Cove for a braai and spend the afternoon by the pool in the sun, and throwing a ball about. This week some of the Americans have been teaching me to throw an American Football, which I have pretty much accomplished, and in return I have been teaching them my very limited knowledge of rugby. (Shout out to the boys at home who taught me how to throw a rugby ball this time last year, people think I know what I’m talking about!) We have been given a provisional timetable for this semester, and at the minute it seems that we have seven hours of class a week, best wishes to those at home soon starting into their six weeks of placement. Next week we are starting into classes, valentines night spent in the township at a music night, more surfing and hopefully a rugby match in the new stadium and some travel at the weekend.

Hope everyone is well at home.         

Flatmates.

Lynsey 

Week 1 – Culture shock! ( 6-02-12)

“The World is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page.” St Augustine

As I am sure many of my friends will tell you, when it comes to travelling, nothing ever goes to plan for me. Leaving for South Africa was no exception. The torrential rain and gale force winds of Dublin on Sunday afternoon made leaving home, Stranmillis and friends behind significantly easier despite my initial discomfort of the unknown, reminding ourselves that in less than 24 hours we would be basking in 30 degree heat in SOUTH AFRICA! (Or so we thought.) The journey that began so smoothly, with no tears from any mothers, no lost passports and no missed flights (despite a final call for our flight from Dublin) soon came to a standstill. A simple fog in Abu Dhabi led to a closed airport, a random detour through Doha, Quatar, flight cancellations and delays, a grand total of 10hours of waiting in airports, two nights in 2 different hotels and arriving in Port Elizabeth two full days later than planned. Despite all of this, we managed to befriend three young South Africans who were also trying to get to Johannesburg and so the introductions and ridiculing each other’s terms and phrases began, a theme that soon became very common throughout the next week.

The tiredness and boredom of travel soon wore off as we flew into Port Elizabeth on Wednesday morning. Taking in the views of the stunning coastline of Port Elizabeth as we landed confirmed to us that we had, in fact, finally arrived. You can imagine the disappointment as we stepped off the plane to heavy clouds, light rain and a strong breeze, which we soon found out is very much a part of the ‘windy city’ of Port Elizabeth, as we were told several times on our first day by locals. However, we were quickly whisked away to Annie’s Cove, and we soon settled into our new homes and began to meet a few of our many neighbours.

After a day of unpacking, catching up on sleep and brief introductions to countless people, the time had come to go to the university to find out what exactly we were supposed to be doing and where we should be. Something that has quickly come to our attention is how much more laid back the people of South Africa are compared to Northern Ireland. It seems that it is a completely different pace of life here. ‘South Africa Time’ is a concept that we will need to become used to. A task that should take half an hour at home literally takes a full morning to complete, and no one seems to rush or panic about anything. This is an aspect of life I feel that I could definitely get used to, as running late is something I don’t find difficult and it is a very refreshing change to the up-tight, rushed lifestyle we have become accustomed to in Northern Ireland.

We spent our first weekend at an orientation weekend at an adventure centre with 90 international students from all across the world. We spent the weekend zip-lining down a natural waterfall, hiking the hills, being taught African drumming, eating local food along with many team building activities. A personal highlight was being caught in an African rainstorm during a hike and with it being warm, just continuing our walk, completely soaked to the skin. There was something very natural about walking the hike with the incredible views in the pouring rain and this relaxed attitude is very different to the culture we have at home as people generally do all they can avoid the rain at home. It was a very surreal weekend as I found myself befriending people that I would probably never have come across or talked to if I had not been in South Africa. I was blown away by the different lifestyles of people that I came across this weekend; I met people who had been thrown out of their homes at 16, involved in things I didn’t even think existed, came from violent homes and have been through more than I could have imagined. In one weekend I have become hugely aware of how sheltered a life I have experienced, and how much the lives of young people from different countries differ. Surprisingly, we have found that we have met more people from many other countries than we have South African people, and already we have been learning so much about their living styles, culture, language and education systems. We have met students from Sweden, Germany, Norway, Finland and quite a few from the United States and it has struck me how alike we are in ways, and yet how we differ in others. Already I’ve found my own personal stereotypes of people from certain countries being broken down and I have been surprised countless times by the people I have met so far.

During the weekend we were taught a lot about South African culture and history, making it a lot easier to understand the tensions and conflict between black and white people.  At times I could see similarities between this and the situation in Northern Ireland between protestants and catholics in the past but on a different par. We were also taught of people being classed black, white or coloured and how they decided which group people belonged to. We were made aware of the difficulties the people of South Africa faced and why the University of NMMU feels that internationalisation is so important to the young local students and the importance of us mixing with the local students. It’s difficult to believe that some of the students we meet here in the next four months will never leave this country, and so it is so important that we get to know them and give them a chance to experience internationality at some small extent.  I feel like understanding this will be vital in successfully teaching in schools here, helping to relate to both students and teachers.

Another culture change for me was the work students put in to ensure they get into university. At home, university is something that almost everyone does now quite easily just for the sake of doing it. Here in South Africa, students work so hard to have a chance to get into university, it is a great privilege for them and their education means so much to them. This is also refreshing to see as so many students from home, including myself, are sometimes so apathetic to their work for University.

It’s hard to believe that our first week here is over already, and it’s becoming clear to us how quickly the next four months are going to go and the need to make the most of every opportunity here. It is obvious that the next four months should be very eye opening and will transform my views on many different aspects of life. We look forward to a week of tours and orientation this week and a weekend of getting to know the area. Until next time…

Lynsey