Orientation and More

Orientation was long but not as bad as I thought that it would be.  The first day we talked about things like culture shock and safety.  We then had a special drum performance where they taught the 500 study abroad students at UCT how to play the drums.  It was a very fun way to start off orientation.  There is a video of it on the UCT website.  (I am actually in the video for a little).  We also had to take a standardized test for some reason.  It took 3 hours long and it was very pointless.

 The next few days of orientation were all about picking classes. It was a pretty tedious and long process because they don’t use a computer system—it is the old fashioned way where we physically have to go to each professor and get pre-approved for a class.  A lot of the lines to get approved for class and make our official schedule were very long and frustrating.  I am as of now signed up for a 6 credit political science class called Policy and Administration, a 4 credit political science class called Introduction to Political economy, and a 3 credit African Dance class. The political science classes transfer perfectly back to Wisconsin so I will be pretty much done my major.  I am also really excited to finally learn African dance and a few girls who live in my house are taking it with me. 

The people who have been helping us getting adjusted and with Orientation are called OLs (Orientation leaders).  These are students that go to UCT who are about our age and who are soooo nice.  It is a great way to meet students from South Africa.  They are also very diverse when it comes to ethnicity and race, which shows a promise when it comes to the future of the country. 

We are very lucky because we now have this next week with no classes and a lott of free time.  We have spent most of our days catching up on sleep, taking the train to beautiful beaches, and exploring some of the areas of Cape Town.  Today (Jan 31^st) we went to a part of Cape Town called Claremont, which has a great shopping center/mall.  The shopping was very similar to the US and it was nice to be in an area that was similar to home.  At night we have been hanging out with the people in my house and checking out the areas on our street.  There are a lot of cool hang out places and bars, which has been very fun. 

Last night a group of students who live in a house nearby had a "braai" aka a South African.  It was delicious and was outside in the beautiful weather.  Some of the OLs were there to show us what an authentic braai was really like.  We want to host one at our house soon!

One thing that I have noticed about Cape Town is how laid back everyone and everything is (the perfect place for my mom).  Going out for a meal or even “fast food” is at least an hour long process.  It is nice to have a real dining experience for every meal.  If someone says “now”, it really means in an hour.  It is taking some adjusting but it is a very nice change of pace.  Everyone is relaxed and not rushed like in the US.

First Few Days

The flights were extremely long but not as bad as I thought they would be (they offered tons of movies and TV shows).  On my connecting flight in Amsterdam we met a lot of people on my program at the airport. We got into Cape Town at around 11:00 pm but once we pt our bags down we went exploring the town around the University!  The next day I got a tour of the University and I still cannot get over that I am attending a school that can be so beautiful.

The first two nights we stayed in the University dorms but then the 23^rd we moved into our off campus housing.  I live in a house with 17 other American students—it is a pretty big house. We each have our own room and it is very comfortable living conditions.  There are 7 boys and 10 girls and everyone is extremely nice and fun.  I am already really close with three of the girls and a few of the guys in the house.  Many of them actually go to University of Wisconsin but the school is so big that I didn’t really know them until now!  I live in a part of Cape Town called Observatory, which is about a 5-10 minute bus ride from campus.  It is a really funky/hip area with tons of shops restaurants and bars.

We have been very busy and active these first few days—this is the first break that I’ve had!  Two of the days we went to gorgeous beaches—the weather is perfect.  The nightlife is also so much fun and actually a lot better then I expected it would be.  Two nights ago we all went to a place called Long Street, which I hear, is pretty comparable to Bourbon Street in New Orleans.  It seems generally safe but just like in any big city I need to be cautious and I always make sure that I am with a large group of people.  Last night we actually had a party at our house.  A lot of people from our program came including many international students.

Today we went on a 7 hour tour of the Peninsula of Cape Town.  We visited a few beaches including “The Boulders” where we were able to see dozens of penguins on the beach—it was one of the coolest things I’ve ever seen.  We then went to a township called Ocean -----.  This township is a part of Cape Town where some of the poorest South Africans live. Even though we were Americans, they were so nice and friendly and told us a little about the situation they are in.  I am already learning so much about the socioeconomic conditions in this country and I am really excited to learn more.  It is crazy to see beautiful mansions when 10 minutes away there is a community that looks like it is made out of cardboard boxed.  Our last part of the tour was a hike at Cape of Good Hope, which is one of the most southern parts of Africa.  It is also where the Atlantic Ocean and Indian Ocean meet.  It was a great hike and I took amazing pictures.

The food here is delicious—I don’t think I have had a bad meal yet.  It is very comparable to American food but everything seems fresher and less expensive.  The fish is amazing and they have TONS of sushi restaurants.  Just on my street there are about 5 places to eat sushi (my favorite).  A few of my friends and I went grocery shopping today so we will try to cook as much as possible.

The next few weeks we have orientation at the University where I will be picking classes and things like that.  We then have a week off before school starts where I am going to be doing some very fun activities.  I am planning on hiking devils peak, kayaking with penguins, going on a bike and wine tour, and going to a rugby game. I want to be very open-minded and try as many new things as possible.