The Academics:
School is in full force and though I am in a beautiful city far away from home with great people, sadly I still have to deal with the pressures of being a university student. Essays, exams, and assignments are hitting us back to back. So far most of the other study abroad students I spoke with expressed an overwhelming lack of motivation. I don’t know if this is because of our setting or the dreaded Mercury Retrograde, but it definitely impacted me as well. I found myself struggling to do simple assignments, and instead laying in bed cursing myself for not being productive. The five of us in ecology powered through our first lab report a few hours before it was due, but we managed to get it turned in on time (well most of us). On the bright side, I feel myself coming out of my academic slump, partially because the next two weeks will be full of huge assignments and exams and my brain is going into survival mode.
Classes are becoming more interesting as we get deeper into the semester. My sustainability class took a neat field trip to Hout Bay where we learned about the local fishing community and Imizamu Yethu, an informal settlement. Imizamu Yethu was formed after people were relocated to a small area of land near the bottom of the mountains in Hout Bay. The community has grown significantly since then and now faces issues of overpopulation, pollution due to lack of proper sanitation and waste services, and wildfires that are difficult to contain due to the informal nature of the settlement. As is common in Cape Town, the settlement is surrounded by large expensive homes and the inequity is painfully obvious.
Last weekend we took a field trip to see the play “Master Harold”…. and the boys. The play was set during apartheid and showcased the complex relationship between a young white boy and two black men who worked in his parents store. Though the men all appeared very close with each other towards the end of the play things got tense, and the underlying racism and power dynamics embedded in their relationship are revealed. It was a very interesting play, though frustrating to watch.
Relearning about albedo
Global Change Ecology 2020 class pic!
My attempt at working after a verry long day of classes
I thought I was done with long complicated formulas 😦 at least the few was nice
The Fun:
On Wednesday we celebrated Linda’s 21st birthday at what we thought was a Chinese restaurant in WaterFront; however, when we got the menu there was only Indian food. We were very confused and decided to ask where the Chinese food was. To our surprise another menu was brought out which revealed an entirely separate set of choices comprised of different types of east asian food. That weekend we continued the birthday celebration at a karaoke bar in town and at 169, a club where we danced the night away.
Saturday we spent the day exploring Observatory, a little neighborhood nearby where we got smoothies and perused a few vintage thrift shops. I’ve also spent the past two weeks planning a March break (spring break in the US) trip along the Garden Route, a famous vacation road trip that many locals and foreigners love.
Celebrating my closest friend here!
Reflection:
This past weekend was the first weekend where I pretty much did nothing. I stayed in the house all weekend, except to make a grocery trip. Normally I wouldn’t mind a weekend like this, but it felt kind of strange after being so busy for the past two weeks. I watched in envy as my friends all went out for the weekend, and somehow I just ended up staying at home. Part of the reason was because of the amount of work I had to do, but also I found myself just feeling emotionally drained and stressed out. Though I felt like I missed out, I enjoyed the time to myself. Gladly this week, I think I am out of my emotional rut as well as my lack of motivation. I also have my boyfriend, Jadrian’s, visit to look forward to next Friday which is more motivation to get my work done early. I’ll update you guys if that actually happens or not!
Spotted sitting in a slightly anti-social, Cheyenne-sized spot on the stairs during lunch.
6 Months in Cape Town 