Now its been almost 2 weeks since arrival in Cape Town, and we have reached the point where everyones desire to spend time in the sun has been temporarily suspended while our original sunburns have started to peel. But that is not all bad, because there is so much more to do in Cape Town and South Africa other than relaxing on the beach. One night this past week we ventured to Camp's Bay to a place called The Bungalow. This was probably the coolest restaurant I've been to yet, with incredible views of the ocean, the beach, Camp's Bay and the mountains. A very upscale restaurant with a relaxed feeling made it quite a place to hang out at for a few hours.
A photo from The Bungalow Restaurant overlooking Camp's Bay, snapped by a friend of mine.
While we were not out getting burned, or hanging at trendy posh bars, this week was spent on UCT Campus for international student orientation and course registration. I have decided to stray from my undergraduate majors of Economics and Environmental Studies and focus on more place based courses. I will be taking a course on Political Philosophy studying what the role and job of governments and politics are and how that differs. I believe this is an imperative subject for all voting individuals to answer when they determine who they support in all political matters. I believe it is often forgotten exactly what a governments job is, particularly in the United States. I will also be taking "The Making of the Modern World Economy," which will focus on the continents of Africa, Asia, Europe and America integrating over the 20th century. The effects are felt very differently based on which perspective is taken on, and I am interested to take this course on the continent of Africa where the impacts have been much different than back home. I will be taking a classics course titled "Word Power," which focuses on the etymology of words and the change in meaning of words over time. Lastly, I will be taking a course in music called "African Instruments." This course is taught by
Dizu Plaatjies, a professor at UCT and member of
Amampondo which happens to be on of Nelson Mandela's favorite bands.
Dizu Plaatjies, my music professor
This course work will give me a unique opportunity to learn subjects relevant throughout the world from the perspective of Africa, with African professors. I am pleased with my classes, and schedule which allows me to enjoy my afternoons, but will include some early mornings in order to do so.
This week was less overwhelming with new sights, people, tastes and sounds, but we still managed to venture out into various parts of Cape Town to experience wonderful places. One of the best meals I've had down here was a such restaurant in Green Point called Beluga. The food was delicious and the area was very interesting. They have 50% off cocktails and sushi every Sunday, so that has become a venue of choice on Sunday nights. Tuesday was a beach day, we headed off to a popular surfing beach called Muizenberg.
Muizenberg Beach
The wind was strong but the water was warm (some currents from the nearby Indian Ocean make it so), and the sun was out in full force. An important lesson was learned this day, while we sat out in the sun all day with little water or attention paid to our hydration levels. On the way back home, we rode the train which is a quick and easy was to commute to this particular beach. It was very hot on the train ride home, and the 5 o'clock crowd packed the trains coming home from work. My good friend Laura Belair, who attended Lawrenceville with me was standing across from me on the train, when she started to feel faint. Moments later she lost consciousness and had a seizure, blacking out for several moments. We rushed her off of the train and fed her water, until she regained consciousness. I could tell the second she regained consciousness because I was directly in front of her face and her eyes changed from blank to surprised to see my face in front of her. We got her water and fruit and had to find another mode of transport home. She ended up being fine, and has been checked out by several doctors. Formerly epileptic, this had happened to her before, but was very scary. Thankfully she is fine, but the claustrophobia, lack of water and hot sun all contributed to the episode I believe.
The next few days of the week were pretty relaxed, and included events such as going out to dinner with another Lawrenceville classmate, Abby Andrews, who is here on a program from Stanford for their 3rd quarter. We had a nice mexican dinner with them just down the road at The Fat Cactus. We made it out Friday night for a trip down to Long Street, and hit up Dubbliners and the Neighbourhood, two nice bars with balconies overlooking Long Street. Saturday brought the weekend and gave us a full day to do what we pleased. Luckily locals and past study abroad students gave us many suggestions for how to spend this free time, and where to go and what to do. The recommendation that was common among study abroad students and locals alike was the Saturday morning market at The Old Biscuit Mill. Since we were at the horse race the previous Saturday, many of us had not been to the Old Biscuit Mill yet.
Mobs swarm the Old Biscuit Mill on Saturday Mornings, searching for everything from Eggs Benedict to Ostrich Burgers
It was incredible, food, drinks, fruit, cheese, crafts, art, clothes. In a very cool old area, many locals and tourists come every Saturday to enjoy delicious breakfasts and lunches and shop for food, art or other crafts. We spent the morning into the afternoon enjoying local foods and drinks and enjoying all of them. I had an Ostrich Burger for lunch, and thought it was delicious. I can envision my sister Sarah thinking it is among the greatest places in Cape Town, she loves things like this. Soon enough I will have the opportunity to bring her and my brother to the Old Biscuit Mill and see if she agrees. Still with one week until classes begin, I am trying my best to see as much as I can see, next week I will briefly depart from Cape Town and travel East along the coast of South Africa. One more week of adventures before an academic routine will be instated, best make the most of it. So, for now all there is to say is Go Pats.
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