In case you didn’t know, I am in SOUTH AFRICA. It just really hit me the other day. It comes in waves. I have gotten into a routine here, that it does not feel much different than being at home or at CSB/SJU (I mean other than the fact that there is an ocean right across the street, I am a part of the minority racial group….) Really though, life isn’t that much different. We are having great and exciting experiences here but the day to day life kind of starts to feel natural and normal. A few weeks ago I got out of class and saw that it was 4:55pm. I thought to myself, “wow, class got out right on time. Now I have time to run and catch the 5pm bus to SJU.” It didn’t even hit me that I wasn’t at CSB or that in fact I was on a different continent.
Some things, however, do seem unnatural and they do snap me back to the reality that I am living in South Africa. These reminders are sometimes good and sometimes bad.
On our way to our service sites on Mondays and Tuesdays, we pass through the Missionvale township. We see homes made out of metal scrapes, boards and boxes. Many of them look like they are quite a bit smaller than my dorm room freshman year. And there are a ton of these homes. When you look around the small shacks are crowded super close together. It looks like they go on forever. The ground has hardly any grass, it is mostly dirt polluted with garbage. Scruffy looking dogs, cows, goats and pigs roam freely through the streets with their ribs clearly visible. It is crazy the conditions these people are living in. It is crazy to think of how my life would have been different if I were born in one of those homes instead of my own. It is just so crazy to me to think about all of this. Poverty is so prevalent in this area. What is exciting though is that these people seem to make the best of the situation. When we drive by I still see people smiling and laughing. Even though they have many struggles, they still find happiness.
Exciting side note….the TOMS shoes foundation donates a pair of shoes to people in need for every pair that is bought…well Missionvale is one of the receiving sites…we see many people walking around wearing TOMS shoes. It makes me so happy.
One of the more positive things that reminds me that I am living in South Africa is that i am surrounded by animals. As already mentioned we have Vervet monkeys on campus (super awesome!). We also have many animal park reserves nearby. This past weekend we went to SeaView Lion Park. They have over 50 lions spread throughout the park. They also had a few tigers and some other smaller animals in certain areas. The most exciting thing was that the park has giraffes that roam freely. Our car was stopped because there was a giraffe in the middle of the road about 6 ft in front of us!!!! I saw about 11 giraffes total. We also got to pet and play with 3 month old baby lion cubs. They were so cute. My apartment next fall may have a new addition to it. I am trying to find a way to bring Koby (one of the 3 mo. Old lion cubs) back home with me.
South Africa is great. It is beautiful. It is fun. It has so much to do and to explore. It helps you find yourself. It helps you learn about history. It teaches you its story, its pain, its struggle. You learn to appreciate the struggle and pain that so many people went through because of apartheid and poverty. It makes me appreciate where I have come from. It has taught me to trust, to love, to have faith, to be patient, and to be present.
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