One of the things I struggle most with as the busy days continue is how my complaints (no time to myself, no internet, missing family) are so minute, so selfish-like, compared to folks who cannot put food on the table. Compared to folks who were enslaved, compared to women who are trafficked, compared to children forced to beg tourists for their parents waiting around the corner. Yet these thoughts/emotions are so habitual for me, no matter how selfish and victim-ish, that I struggle to throw them away.
I guess I've just always been someone who drains energy when around lots of people all day and recharges with quiet alone time. Not a bad thing, just a challenge with weeks like this.
Feel selfish even writing this, as this experience is the experience of a lifetime. But I am human, and the habits are slowly shifting. And I'd be lying if I wrote differently.
For now, I smile at the mountain. Take a deep breath, and chat with a student. All 23 of them are remarkably brilliant, after all. I look forward to learning from each and every one of them.
Here's our nutty schedule, including what we did this past week. We're halfway through, about to head to Loch Road house for a Braai (in the US, we call these BBQs). The students are communally in charge of this one, I look forward to what they come up with.
The breeze sounds out the window, and I feel reminded of why I'm here.
University of Connecticut
Cape Town Study Abroad 2011
Orientation Programme
Saturday 15 January
1:00pm Airport Pick up
1:45pm Depart for Loch Rd. Rondebosch and Malleson Rd. Mowbray
2:15pm Arrival and room assignment
3:30pm Meeting to go over House Protocols
4:00pm Malleson Rd. Pick-up
4:15pm Depart Loch Rd. to explore the Rondebosch area
5:30pm Return to Loch Rd and Malleson
Joint Pizza Dinner
7:00pm Malleson Rd. Students Return
Sunday 16 January
9:15am Pick up Malleson Rd Students
9:30am Official Welcome to Cape Town at Loch Rd.
10:30am Depart for Rondebosch – Shopping for necessities, ATM’s, etc
12:00noon Group Lunch at Nando’s
2:00pm Return to Loch Rd.
3:15pm Depart for Belville
4:00pm Welcome Braai at Vernon and Esme’s
8:00pm Depart for Loch Rd
Monday 17 January
9:15am Pick up Malleson Students
9:30am Depart Loch Rd. for University of Cape Town
10:00am Orientation and Safety and Security Briefing by the International Academic Programs Office
12:30pm Depart for Rondebosch
12:45pm Individual lunch
2:00pm Depart for downtown
2:30am Signal Hill drive
3:45pm Return to Malleson and Loch Rd.
7:00pm Pick up Malleson Rd Students
7:30pm Leave for Wetton
8:00pm Dinner at Swingers Jazz club
Tuesday 18 January
9:00am Pick up Malleson Students
9:30am Depart for down town
10:00am Tour of District Six Museum (Tour Guide Mr. Joe Schaffers)
12:00pm Lunch at Charly’s
1:30pm Cape Town Walk About (Ben, Vernon, Jessica and Parks)
3:45pm Return to Loch Rd
5:00pm Security Briefing (Warrant Officer Marilyn Jones)
6:00pm Return Malleson Rd Students
Evening FREE
Wednesday 19 January
7:00am Pick up Malleson Rd Students
7:15am Depart for the Waterfront
9:00am Leave for tour of Robben Island
12:30pm Individual lunch and afternoon at Waterfront
3:30pm Return to Loch Rd.and Malleson
7:00pm Pick up Malleson Rd students
7:15pm Leave for down town Cape Town
7:30pm Dinner at Addis Ethiopian Restaurant
10:00pm Return to Loch and Malleson Rds
Thursday 20 January
9:00am Pick up Malleson students
9:30am Depart Loch Rd. for down town
10:00am Tour of the Slave Lodge (Tour Guide: Lucy Campbell)
12:30pm Individual lunch on St. Georges Mall
2:00pm Depart for West Lake
3:00pm Briefing by the American Consulate
4:30pm Return to Loch Rd.
7:00pm Pick up Malleson Rd students
7:15pm Depart for Wetton
7:30pm Dinner at Blue Chip
10:30pm Return to Loch Rd
Friday 21 January
Public Transport exercise
7:00pm Communal Dinner @ Loch Rd
Saturday 22 January
9:45am Pick up Malleson Rd students
10:00am Leave for Durbanville
11:00am Visit Altyd Gedacht Wine Estate
12:30pm Leave for Stellenbosch
1:00pm Lunch at Moyo’s African Cuisine at Spier Wine Estate
3:30pm Depart for Loch Rd
Evening FREE (Optional activity)
Sunday 23 January
9:30am Pick up Malleson Rd students
9:45am Depart Loch Rd. for Gugulethu
10:10am Township Faith Experience (Sivuyile Baptist Church) ( Rev. Mtini)
12:30pm Group Lunch in Bridgetown
2:00pm Depart on Township Tour (Vernon/Mandla Majola)
4:00pm Return to Loch and Malleson Rds.
Monday 24 January
8:00am Malleson Rd Pick-up
8:30am Depart Loch Rd. on visit to internship sites
Tuesday 25 January
8:00am Malleson Rd Pick-up
8:30am Depart Loch Rd. on visit to internship sites
Wednesday 26 January
8:00am Malleson Rd Pick-up
8:30am Depart Loch Rd on internship visits
Evening Start of Marita’s class
Thursday 27 January - Start of Vernon and Vincent’s classes
Saturday 29 January
9:00am Malleson Rd. Pick up
9:15am Depart for Loch Rd. for trip around the Peninsula
10:00am Stop at Camps Bay
10:30am Depart for Hout Bay
11:00am Hout Bay Walkabout (Craft Market)
11:45am Depart for Cape Point
12:45pm Lunch at Cape Point
2:00pm Exploring Cape Point
3:15pm Leave Cape Point for Boulders Beach
4:00pm Visit the Penguin Colony
5:15pm Return to Loch Rd.
Sunday 30 January - Kirstenbosch Gardens: Concert in the park
Monday 31 January - Start Internships
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