Hello!
It took a while, but at last I am writing another diary entry in English. I wanted to do this before, but well.. there are other things in life :-). Anyway, I hope you'll read and enjoy this.
It's three months ago that I arrived and although some of the post-arrival excitement is gone now, I am still very happy to be here. South Africa is beautiful, different and interesting.
"See the world in one country", that's what the South African tourist information advertises with in Holland, and I guess it is true. South Africa combines the best and worst of different worlds. There are the townships, but also the beautiful towns built in Cape Dutch architecture. There are people begging in the streets while at the same time others (mostly whites) live very luxurious lives. And then there are all the different peoples with different languages and cultures; there are all kinds of landscapes... Yes, it is a cool country. I you'd ask me if I wanted to live here I'd probably say no, but it is a very interesting country to visit.
Although apartheid is officially over, segregation in society is still obvious and omnipresent. The inequalities that result from this history are shocking, but at the same time it is amazing and scary to see how easy it is to ignore the problems and to lead a western style life. I am taking courses at Stellenbosch University, a very rich mainly white Afrikaans university. When I walk around the beautiful campus, I find it hard to imagine that only five minutes away there are 30, 000 people living in the township of Khayamandi, many of them who have AIDS, are unemployed and have relatives and friends to take care of. It is also disappointing that there is so little you can do as a visitor. Luckily the international student organization runs a program in Khayamandi to do English and computer tutoring and to play with the kids. This is very rewarding. Never have I seen kids who were craving for attention so much. Their parents often have enough problems and do not have the time or spirit to spend time with their kids. When the international students come to the township, dozens of children are waiting already. The program in the township is also a unique way of seeing the country from another perspective. After all, the majority of black and colored people in South Africa (who make up over 80% of the population) live in comparable situations.
South Africa has its better sides as well. Stellenbosch itself for example is a beautiful little town with great architecture, nicely set between the mountains and it has a lively atmosphere. I have also travelled around a bit already. In my spring break I did the Garden Route along the south coast. This is a very popular tourist destination, but some places have not yet been spoilt by mass tourism. The stretch of coast reminded me a bit of the east coast in Australia. Nice beaches, picturesque little bays, large forests, cool national parks, whales, etc. I’ve also been to Cape Town several times, which is only 50 kilometers from here. The table mountain is of course pretty cool, but also the nightlife, its beaches and the Cape Peninsula, south of Cape Town are great. The rugged landscape, high cliffs, Cape of Good Hope, zebras and baboons; all very cool. The previous weekend I went skydiving in Citrusdal, a nice valley in the Cederberg Mountains. This was an awesome experience. I did two solo jumps and yes, I may just get addicted haha. Also cool is the surfing and hanging out at the beaches close by. False Bay is only 25 kilometers from here and beaches like Koeels Bay, Bikini beach and Muizenberg are great.
Sometimes I nearly forget I am actually here to study... Of course, my studies were merely an excuse to go to South Africa, but I’ll have to do something as well. Fortunately, the semester is short and within a few weeks all classes are over already. I am taking some classes in Political Science here (International Marketing, International Relations Africa and International Organizations). Not really what I study at home, but well.. That’s okay. I have some exams coming up in November, but before and after that I am going to travel around the country and pay a visit to Lesotho, Swaziland and possibly Namibia as well. I can’t wait to go traveling. The only thing that bothers me now, is that it is all going so fast: only two and a half month to go and then I’m flying home already. It’s not only time that is flying by.. My budget is running out pretty quickly as well. Even though the country is relatively cheap, making the most of your time somehow demands quite a lot of money..
Okay, I guess I leave it at this. This entry was supposed to become some kind of summary of what I have done here so far, but I am too far behind with this diary for that. Anyway, this summation of experiences and impressions might give you some ideas what it is like over here..
Ciao!