Before we got to South Africa, I was feeling a little bit down about the port. I wasn’t going on a safari, I wasn’t shark diving or sky diving. But then I remembered that I don’t have to do what everyone else is doing to have a great time. I don’t need very much to have lots of fun. So as soon as we woke up at 6:00am and I headed up to the top deck and saw Table Mountain looming in the distance, I knew just being there was more than enough. I felt ridiculous for even allowing myself to think negatively for even a minute. One thing about SAS is that a lot of the kids live very unrealistic lives. Each port we go to is about doing the craziest and most expensive things to write home about. I’ve found that this is an absurd way to travel. Some of the best experiences I’ve had thus far have been just sitting and talking to locals. When we all get back on the ship and everyone is talking about what they did in port, I listen and more and more I realize that some of us are visiting these countries and some of us are traveling these countries. Travel is more about getting the feel for a place and meeting the people and having an authentic experience. I am traveling. On the first day, I went on a township tour of the former district 6. This is where black and so-called colored people were relocated during apartheid. I have to say that although we had learned about the poverty in Cape Town, nothing could have prepared me for what I saw. It was so different from Brazil in the sense that we were completely up close to it all. We were inside the ghetto and it was a surreal experience- especially because that night I went to the theater to see a play at the University of Cape Town. The building was an architectural treasure and once inside we were met by a massive banquet table full of food and wine. I couldn’t believe the stark difference between the two places I had been in one day. More and more I’m starting to understand how lucky we are. It was a roll of the dice that resulted in my birth in the United States. I am wealthy and privileged by chance, not because I deserve it, much in the same way that the barefoot South African child on the street is there by chance, not because he or she deserves to be starving. These are the things that really started to make sense to me while I was there. Of course Table Mountain was beautiful and the waterfront where we stayed was like a tourist fantasy land, but these things seemed to fade into the background for me as the days passed by.
On the second day Katie, Aja and I all went to Long Street, which is the cool place for young people to work and live (kind of like the east village). We went to the Green Street Market (at the bottom of Long Street) where there were crafts and clothes and jewelry for sale. We all bought a few trinkets for our friends and family and headed up the street to where the music was. Lucky for us we landed in Cape Town just in time for the big street festival. They close the whole street off and there’s music and dancing everywhere for a week. We ended up at this tent where these DJs were spinning. They were promoting an album they’re about to release so we ended up staying and dancing for a while. It was really funny because people were walking by and taking pictures and videos of us (assuming that we were locals). Katie and I both wanted to stay longer but we had the Jazz Safari so we rushed back in time to make it. I’m SO glad that we did because the Jazz Safari was hands down the most amazing thing I’ve done on this voyage. We started off at a famous music school right in the middle of district 6 (it’s the ONLY cultural building in the entire district) where we got to see two new and hot young musicians perform. The bass guitar player was legitimately one of the most talented musicians any of us has ever seen. This ended up making sense because we were soon informed that he plays regularly with Robbie Jansen (the godfather of jazz- he brought African jazz to the United States). Before I even knew what was happening, we were on our way to ROBBIE JANSEN’S HOUSE FOR DINNER. Yes, that’s right: I ate dinner with Robbie Jansen and his family. We ate African food that his wife’s mother cooked for us and Robbie performed on the saxophone. We ate and we drank wine and we TALKED. Now I understand what dinner parties are supposed to be like. I don’t think I’ve ever had such wonderful and thought provoking conversation as I did that night. By the time we left, we were all practically in tears not only because of what we learned about apartheid and racism in Cape Town, but also because we felt so blessed to have gotten the opportunity to have had such a wonderful night. We took pictures and hugged and said our goodbyes but still I miss Robbie and his wife because they reiterated the point I’ve been learning all along. People in other parts of the world communicate and they’re good at it! Everyone in South Africa was so open and eager to hear what I had to say. This was really quite strange for me because I’m so used to people telling me to stop talking or to be quiet. When Robbie’s wife hugged me and said “I’m so glad to have heard about your family and your life. Now I can see why you are such a wonderful and warm person,” I realized that she was right. I am great and I’m only starting to recognize that in myself. And by great I mean that I’m a good person. I’m honest and receptive to unfamiliar places, people and situations- something that many people can’t say. When we got back from dinner, we headed over to Mitchell’s, this really amazing microbrewery that was right where our ship was docked. After some old wobbly (the house beer) and conversation with the Norwegian members of Parliament (who were the most hilarious and rowdy bunch of politicians) some SAS kids convinced Katie and I to head back over to Long Street. Since the music was on the street and free we decided we would even though it was starting to rain. We spent the rest of the night dancing in the streets as the rain poured down.
Since we were so exhausted from the night before and still smitten about our Robbie Jansen encounter, we decided to have a chill out day on Sunday. We went to this giant flea market at the rugby stadium where we ended up meeting these brothers from Ghana who own a drum store. Every Sunday all of the artists and other crafters head down to the market to put their work on display. I knew I wanted to buy drums ever since Brazil but I hadn’t found any that were right. Then I found this tent full of the most beautiful drums I have ever seen. They were all hand-crafted and carved and I couldn’t help but ask if I could try one out. The next thing I knew, I was in a drum circle playing beats and rhythms that I had no idea I was capable of playing. It was so exciting because not only was I learning so easily, it sounded so good. All of these American tourists were stopping to watch and listen and they were all buying drums! After about an hour in the drum circle, Katie and I both bought the drums we had been playing. We headed back to the waterfront because the two young musicians we saw the night before were playing with Robbie at a local jazz club. What was so crazy about this was that I really didn’t think things could get any better but just like they always seem to do on this trip- they did get better. A huge group of us went to dinner at the jazz club. As we relaxed and listened to the music, I realized that happiness is so simple and attainable. Like I said before, it doesn’t take much to make a person happy- we just need to find the little things that do. After three gratifying sets, we headed out to Mitchell’s for some drinks. I ventured upstairs and got to see the brewery. I learned that it takes a lot of space and work to make beer. I felt so sad that dad couldn’t be there to see Mitchell’s. He would have loved everything about it and the beer was so amazing. I couldn’t figure out a way to send beer to dad and everyone was really sick of hearing me talk about how much he would have loved it so we all went home for some much needed sleep.
By Monday we were all starting to feel the effects of exhaustion. The problem with being in port is that sleeping feels like a huge waste of time. There is so much you could be doing rather than sleeping. Katie and I hung out at the waterfront and just enjoyed the sunshine and the people. That night we hung out with Emily since she was leaving for her safari the next morning. We went to this place right on the water and sat outside for a long time just talking and appreciating each others company. After dinner I went home to sleep since I had to get up for a trip in the morning. The next day I went on my Brown Paper Studio Trip. It was led by my professor (for my class with the same name) and it was I think one of the most eye-opening experiences I have had thus far. First we went to a community center where one doctor has single-handedly organized an educational program for the youth in Cape Town. They teach the students basic skills and eventually enable them to open small businesses. He said that watching a hardcore gangster sit down with a needle and thread and complete a sewing project is the reward for all of his work. His students learn to be proud and have confidence in the things that they create since many of them are accomplishing things for the first time. We then headed over to an elementary school where we got to see Brown Paper Studio in action. My professor created this theater project when she was living in Johannesburg a few years back. It’s supposed to break down the barriers of communication and insecurity between people. For a while I really didn’t get the point but when I saw it in the school, I realized what a huge thing she has done. It keeps the kids in school because they actually have fun and want to learn. For a school where classrooms are overcrowded and the dropout rate is so high, this is an amazing thing for teachers and administrators. We ended the day at University of the Western Cape where we met the acting troupe who keeps Brown Paper going while Judy is away. They were all so talented and smart and I felt so lucky to get to meet all of them, including Judy’s son who studies there. After the trip, we went back and met one of our new South African friends at a restaurant where he is the manager. We hung out there and then went to a really neat little local place called Buena Vista. I ended up talking to this big group of young people who were all living in Cape Town. Some of them were locals and some of them were there just working but I was AMAZED at how eager (once again) they were to hear about our trip and the United States.
The next day was my birthday. Katie and I went on the Cape Flats Nature Project trip. We visited a nature reserve which is kept going by a small grass roots organization. Its focus is to provide locals with jobs while at the same time promoting environmental awareness to young people. We then drove through another one of the districts and learned more about how the shacks there are built and the desperate conditions many people are faced with. Our last stop was the famous Kirstenbosch National Botanical Gardens. I immediately felt like I was in an enchanted forest. When I say that this was the most beautiful place I have ever been, I am not exaggerating. It was a giant sprawling garden that backed up to Table Mountain. We spent the rest of the day just getting lost on the crazy paths. A lot of the gardens were interactive like the perfume garden where you could just walk around and smell all of the different plants. There was also a useful plants section where there were herbs and remedies for everything from the common cold to the symptoms of AIDS and TB. After that we went back to the waterfront where ten of us went out to dinner for my birthday. It was such a nice night because everyone really made an effort to make it special. I was astounded at how much these people I’ve only just met really cared about making me happy. Everyone ordered tons of wine and they even bought a birthday cake earlier in the day that they had to restaurant hold until we got there. No one would let me pay for a thing and everyone gave me really nice cards and little meaningful gifts. We ended up splitting up after dinner and Katie and I headed to Long Street. We danced to some electronic music at this club called Fiction but that got boring so we ended up at Zula. All of the clubs and bars are really cool because they’re on top of the stores so each of them overlooks the street with a huge balcony. We danced there for the rest of the night. On the last day I was so exhausted that all I could do was just wander around and say my own goodbyes to Cape Town. I was really sad about leaving and subsequently was in a very odd mood all day. Around 5pm I ran into my friend Chris and we decided to spend our last few hours outside at the waterfront. Three hours later and three bottle of wine later I realized how much better I felt after talking about everything that I was feeling. Something that causes so many of us on this trip to bond is that we can understand where everyone is coming from. He knew exactly what I was talking about. We’re all experiencing the same things and are feeling the same way. These last few days have been really busy. Everyone is all roughed up in one way or another from Cape Town (exhaustion, illness etc…) so we’re all just trying to get our work done before we land in Mauritius, an island paradise. I can’t wait to see what this next place has in store for me. I’m excited to apply my new outlook on humanity to my experiences in Mauritius- this new outlook being that people are people. Skin color means nothing and any form of class or status is a social construction and when you really see it first-hand you realize how absurd the very idea of race is. I never realized until I was in South Africa how programmed we are to be unconsciously aware of race and stereotypes which is just absolutely ridiculous. We are very unaware of how easily we allow stereotypes affect our opinions and behavior. We are all PEOPLE. Nothing else, nothing more.
11 comments:
Jamie, I enjoyed every word and every thought..you are truly a traveler...and you are getting the most out of this deep experience...And you are a very expressive writer, as well.
Gretchen
Jamie, what a wonderful experience you're having!! As "Blog Mom" I try to read all of the postings and I have to tell you that your ability to express yourself is awesome. Thank you for sharing with us - I'm so glad you're allowing this trip to "happen" to you.
Hi Jamie,
Below I cut and pasted an article from CNN.com about global warming and its effects in the near future. Read it please.
WASHINGTON (AP) -- The harmful effects of global warming on daily life are already showing up, and within a couple of decades hundreds of millions of people won't have enough water, top scientists will say next month at a meeting in Belgium.
At the same time, tens of millions of others will be flooded out of their homes each year as the Earth reels from rising temperatures and sea levels, according to portions of a draft of an international scientific report obtained by The Associated Press.
Tropical diseases like malaria will spread. By 2050, polar bears will mostly be found in zoos, their habitats gone. Pests like fire ants will thrive.
For a time, food will be plentiful because of the longer growing season in northern regions. But by 2080, hundreds of millions of people could face starvation, according to the report, which is still being revised.
The draft document by the authoritative Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change focuses on global warming's effects and is the second in a series of four being issued this year. Written and reviewed by more than 1,000 scientists from dozens of countries, it still must be edited by government officials.
But some scientists said the overall message is not likely to change when it's issued in early April in Brussels, Belgium, the same city where European Union leaders agreed this past week to drastically cut greenhouse gas emissions by 2020. Their plan will be presented to President Bush and other world leaders at a summit in June.
The report offers some hope if nations slow and then reduce their greenhouse gas emissions, but it notes that what's happening now isn't encouraging.
"Changes in climate are now affecting physical and biological systems on every continent," the report says, in marked contrast to a 2001 report by the same international group that said the effects of global warming were coming. But that report only mentioned scattered regional effects.
"Things are happening and happening faster than we expected," said Patricia Romero Lankao of the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Boulder, Colorado, one of the many co-authors of the new report.
The draft document says scientists are highly confident that many current problems -- change in species' habits and habitats, more acidified oceans, loss of wetlands, bleaching of coral reefs, and increases in allergy-inducing pollen -- can be blamed on global warming.
For example, the report says North America "has already experienced substantial ecosystem, social and cultural disruption from recent climate extremes," such as hurricanes and wildfires.
But the present is nothing compared to the future.
Global warming soon will "affect everyone's life ... it's the poor sectors that will be most affected," Romero Lankao said.
And co-author Terry Root of Stanford University said: "We truly are standing at the edge of mass extinction" of species.
The report's findings
The report included these likely results of global warming:
Hundreds of millions of Africans and tens of millions of Latin Americans who now have water will be short of it in less than 20 years. By 2050, more than 1 billion people in Asia could face water shortages. By 2080, water shortages could threaten 1.1 billion to 3.2 billion people, depending on the level of greenhouse gases that cars and industry spew into the air.
Death rates for the world's poor from global warming-related illnesses, such as malnutrition and diarrhea, will rise by 2030. Malaria and dengue fever, as well as illnesses from eating contaminated shellfish, are likely to grow.
Europe's small glaciers will disappear with many of the continent's large glaciers shrinking dramatically by 2050. And half of Europe's plant species could be vulnerable, endangered or extinct by 2100.
By 2080, between 200 million and 600 million people could be hungry because of global warming's effects.
About 100 million people each year could be flooded by 2080 by rising seas.
Smog in U.S. cities will worsen and "ozone-related deaths from climate (will) increase by approximately 4.5 percent for the mid-2050s, compared with 1990s levels," turning a small health risk into a substantial one.
Polar bears in the wild and other animals will be pushed to extinction.
At first, more food will be grown. For example, soybean and rice yields in Latin America will increase starting in a couple of years. Areas outside the tropics, especially the northern latitudes, will see longer growing seasons and healthier forests.
Looking at different impacts on ecosystems, industry and regions, the report sees the most positive benefits in forestry and some improved agriculture and transportation in polar regions. The biggest damage is likely to come in ocean and coastal ecosystems, water resources and coastal settlements.
Africa, Asia to be hardest hit
The hardest-hit continents are likely to be Africa and Asia, with major harm also coming to small islands and some aspects of ecosystems near the poles. North America, Europe and Australia are predicted to suffer the fewest of the harmful effects.
"In most parts of the world and most segments of populations, lifestyles are likely to change as a result of climate change," the draft report said. "Net valuations of benefits vs. costs will vary, but they are more likely to be negative if climate change is substantial and rapid, rather than if it is moderate and gradual."
This report -- considered by some scientists the "emotional heart" of climate change research -- focuses on how global warming alters the planet and life here, as opposed to the more science-focused report by the same group last month.
"This is the story. This is the whole play. This is how it's going to affect people. The science is one thing. This is how it affects me, you and the person next door," said University of Victoria climate scientist Andrew Weaver.
Many -- not all -- of those effects can be prevented, the report says, if within a generation the world slows down its emissions of carbon dioxide and if the level of greenhouse gases sticking around in the atmosphere stabilizes. If that's the case, the report says "most major impacts on human welfare would be avoided; but some major impacts on ecosystems are likely to occur."
The United Nations-organized network of 2,000 scientists was established in 1988 to give regular assessments of the Earth's environment. The document issued last month in Paris concluded that scientists are 90 percent certain that people are the cause of global warming and that warming will continue for centuries.
Nicely put. I'm a Capetonian and I think you've connected with the soul of the place. Hopefully you can hop onto a flight to South Africa to see the place again sometime.
Hey Jamie, I told Alice about your blog and she was enchanted, plans to take Sheldon to Nigeria this summer. She is still working as an attorney for the poor in NYC, and she is about to graduate from Chef school. You can look forward to a very special meal this summer! Nicole is back safely. Kids are gearing up for Spring sports. Bella wants drum lessons so you may have to share. Loving my new job, everybody is so friendly, seems like we are having an in-office celebration every week. It took five years of drudgery, but I'm finally in the job I wanted! Have fun in the next port. Love ya
sounds like you couldn't have chosen a better semester abroad, what experiences. i googled robbie jansen,wow he's really a major player in SA politics and music. i hope you got some cd's. we are so happy for you. after all the apprehension the trips are incredible and it sounds like your friends will hopefully be with you for a long time. did you ever send the blog to the doctor at rutgers. she would love it. your writing is moving, but we knew that you would do a great job, still love and miss you . n & b
i just wrote the LONGEST thing and it got erased. I feel rage bubbling up inside of me.
Anyway, in short, I'm lying in my mom's room with her and we're reading your blog and we LOVE YOU!
Did you see Dave Matthews or Charlize Theron in SA...hehehehe....nope just a famous jazz musician! So cool that you had dinner with them. I bet they loved listening to your American stories. Too bad you weren't in South Africa when Leo was filming Blood Diamond there...(Just joking w/ you!) those are only the sort of things that I would want to see abroad hahaha...
hey jame! so glad you are getting to experience all these different people and cultures. i am happy that you finally see people as people and nothing more. race and class are really retarded and so many lives are lost over it everyday. i get to see this first hand everyday in the ER. i see the richest and poorest patients from every country imagineable at their most vulnerable state. the bottom line-they all have rectums and i have a finger. we are all the same. anyway, argentina was amazing. it was so beautiful and the people were genuinely nice. i got bella and kyle and zeb gifts and bella wanted to know if hers w was "stuffed". i told her it was a surprise and she just had to wait. she didn't like that answer too much but i was firm. then she tried to find out what i got kyle and promised she wouldn't tell him. very cute. she cracks me up. it's snowing tonight and your parents are coming into the city tomorrow to visit me. nothing else new here. can't wait until the spring. miss you love nicole.
in case anyone is wondering, Nicole works in the medical field, thus, the references to various body parts in her comment.
you sound like you are having such an awesome time! im so glad that you are having so many wonderful experiances, ones that open your eyes not only to the world but yourself aswell! i just wish i was there!
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