Hamba Ekukanyeni

The few days I have spent so far at my service site, Walk in the Light Ministries, have been some of the most powerful days I've spent in South Africa this semester. The week after we finished our 2 elective classes (Biology and Human Growth and Development), we began the second component of our study abroad semester - service. The 53 of us were divided up into 5 different service sites around the Pietermaritzburg area. I joined the team that was to serve at Walk in the Light (a.k.a. Hamba Ekukanyeni in Zulu).

Some background on Walk in the Light: The founder and leader, Bruce, started Walk in the Light right in the middle of a successful career in the business world. After the near loss of his young daughter a few years ago, Bruce said it was time for him to start serving God's people in need. Somehow, he ended up on the outskirts of Pietermaritzburg where he founded Walk in the Light in the township of Haniville. Today, Walk in the Light encompasses a few acres on the side of a highway road across from Haniville. A church, pastor's house, greenhouses, vegetable gardens and sugar cane fields are all a part of the ministry that works to benefit the people of Haniville. What I've found so amazing about Walk in the Light is its strive toward self-sufficiency. By growing rose geranium plants and sugar cane on site, the ministry can raise money for projects such as clothing donation, clinic transportation, youth programs and even local employment. From day one, I have been stoked to be a part of this incredible organization.

Over the past several days, the 20 or so of us have been hard at work helping out with the various projects going on at Walk in the Light. We have been able to help out with clearing land for the vegetable gardens, digging an irrigation trench, as well interacting with a women's group and youth groups that meet at Walk in the Light. It's been truly awesome to get to know the people of Haniville and become a part of the community there - even if its only a small, 4 week part of the community. I have already learned so much about what it means to be a part of a community, and what it means to be truly in need. I am learning how to show love to people who have experienced nothing but brokenness for their entire lives.

Coinciding with our Principles of Community Engagement class taught by a brilliant Kenyan man, Francis Njoroge, our service at Walk in the Light is the field extension of the models we are learning about in class. Francis, a middle aged grandfather with a permanent smile on his face, has devoted his entire life to developing communities across Africa. He is a total storehouse of wisdom, peace, intelligence and friendliness. I am nothing short of honored that I get to be one of his students for a few weeks. Francis has been teaching us how he views community engagement, and what works and what doesn't work in community development. I am learning how real community development must directly involve members of the community for the entire process. The role of outside help is not to develop, but to empower the community to develop solutions themselves. This model promotes self-sufficiency and maximizes the positive effects of development for a community. Learning about it in a book is one thing - listening to it from a man like Francis, and then going into communities and practicing it is completely another.

Today, I worked alongside Bagie, Michael, Tish and a few other locals from Haniville to work on building a house for a man named Mandla. Mandla is crippled from the waste down. He was stabbed by his daughter's boyfriend, and spends his time laying in his bed within his one room house made of mud and iron. On top of his paralysis, Mandla is HIV positive and is infected with Tuberculosis. The mud walls of his house are crumbling, so Bruce and his staff at Walk in the Light have committed to building a new house for Mandla. We hope to be done by this Friday.

Mandla's story is just one story out of hundreds within Haniville. This is a community that is only minutes from half-a-million dollar houses and a modern shopping mall, yet has slipped through the cracks of society where the well-off have turned a blind eye toward the impoverished. There are so many people in need, and the solutions are so available and present. How is it that a man can easily buy 4 meals a day for himself, yet a woman can barely provide 1 meal for her children in the same city? Every day that I work at Walk in the Light, I am reminded how truly blessed I have been for my entire life. But more importantly, I am slowly realizing that after my experience here, I will no longer be able to simply ignore the situation of the broken in this world. Much more to come from my time at Walk in the Light...

Toyi-Toyi and Camping

Last weekend I had the opportunity to go on an overnight backpacking trip in the Drakensberg Mountains with about 10 other students from our group of 53. I'm never one to turn down an invitation to a camping trip, so as soon as I heard that we were organizing some kind of trip in the Drakensbergs, my mind was set. The plan was to drive about 2 hours toward the Lesotho-South Africa border, and overnight in a part of the Giants Castle Nature Reserve called Wonder Valley. I must say, this was one of the best weekends I've had in South Africa.

Our preparations for the trip, after we had settled on a location, began on Friday night as we gathered together 11 sleeping bags and all of the necessary backpacking equipment we would need for our relatively short 6 km hike. Rudi, the general manager here at African Enterprise and avid backpacker, volunteered to hook us up with hot dogs, snacks and way more food than we would ever need for a one night trip. I went with him to Mdeni Meats, a butchery in downtown PMB to pick out some hot dogs. I found out that hot dogs don't exist in South Africa, but "viennas" do. The viennas Rudi picked out for us slightly resembled the American version, but definitely weren't the classic Ballpark Franks. I was a little unsettled by the fact that they were BRIGHT red yet supposedly pre-cooked. My mind was already thinking up plan B for dinner, as I didn't expect the "viennas" to be received so well by everyone. I made sure that we packed an extra supply of peanut butter and granola just in case.

We loaded the van with Reagan, one of our group leaders, and were on our way toward the Drakensbergs at around 9 am on Saturday morning. Somehow, I let my mind wander, and let myself believe that the trip would be smooth and delay-free. I forgot T.I.A. About 45 minutes into our drive we approached the small town of Mooi River. Still on the M3 highway, about 100 meters in front of us, I saw a huge crowd of people gathering in the middle of the road. Traffic became super congested, until we came to a complete standstill behind a mass of police cars. This would turn out to be my first toyi-toyi - a protest, dance, march and song all in one. People of all ages gathered together in the street, blending a dance and march together with political chants in Zulu that none of us could understand. Banners supporting the African National Congress political party and cardboard signs in Zulu popped up all over the crowd of about 100. Apparently, the people of Mooi River were protesting the use of government funds in the region, which manifested in the form of a toyi-toyi. I think everyone in our group of 11 was a little unsettled about the fact that we were only a few dozen meters behind an unhappy mass of South Africans. But Reagan assured us that this sort of thing is pretty common, and we had nothing to worry about. He explained how since the end of apartheid in 1994, the government has insured that every South African has the right to assemble a protest, even if it happens to be in the middle of a highway. I have to say, my adrenaline levels were high, and I couldn't stop snapping pictures and listening to chants as the crowd slowly made its way up the highway. If that wasn't a true South African cultural experience, I'm not sure what is. Luckily, Reagan happens to be an amazing bus driver, and found a detour for us after about 30 minutes of delay.

The remainder of our journey to the campsite lasted about 3 more hours, complete with backtracking, bad directions and bumpy dirt roads. We were all very ready to get on the trail wehn we finally parked the bus. We divvied up the food, viennas and all, and were on our way toward Wonder Valley. We would be staying overnight in a cave that overlooked the valley, so we only needed our sleeping bags as far as shelter went- no tent this time. Our hike began with a river crossing toward a valley that wrapped itself around the boundaries of the stream. The trail pointed us deeper into the valley, as we slowly gained elevation, hugging one of the sides of valley. An overcast marked most of the day, with limited raindrops, so we were blessed with comfortable weather for the duration of our hike. As we hiked along the side of the valley, we walked through thick green grasses with occasional flowering shrubs popping up here and there. We were gifted with canopy cover for parts of the trail, as we crossed one of the small creeks that fed into the river down below several times. The elevation gain got steeper and steeper, until we eventually emerged out of the wooded portion on top of the valley's edge. We reached a vast open area at the top of the valley early afternoon, and were met by stunning scenery. The sun burnt off most of the overcast, so we were able to see a huge section of the valley below, in the foreground of the majestic silhouettes of the Drakensbergs. The valley was more of canyon upstream from us, as the hillsides we climbed up were steep cliff sides a few kilometers up the river from us. The trail continued through the grassy open area on top of the valley for about a kilometer, until we eventually began to drop elevation into Wonder Valley, the valley adjacent to the one we began our hike in. The grassy area turned into canopy cover eventually, just as it did on the other side of the valley, and Wonder Valley came into full view as we reached our cave. We arrived just before sunset, so we decided it would be best to explore and snap photos tomorrow morning.

The cave made for a perfect campsite. It was located in a naturally hollowed out cliff side overlooking Wonder Valley, and was complete with flat areas carpeted with hay - perfect for sleeping bags. With some difficulty due to the damp overcast that day, we got a fire started and prepared the viennas for dinner. Fortunately the sun had set, and there wasn't enough light to see the color of the vienna - I don't think they would have been eaten had everyone seen the BRIGHT red color of the dogs. Color aside, I took my first bite of a South African vienna, and had to immediately repent for doubting the quality of the sausage. They were fantastic! Somewhere between a hot dog and a bratwurst, viennas are the perfect camping food. Placed in a soft chewy roll picked out by Rudi, I couldn't think of any better meal for the evening. We kept the fire going for a few hours, until we eventually crawled into bed, and gazed out into moonlit valley from our sleeping bags.

The next morning, we were woken up by Reagan who had a small fire going for breakfast. We had a couple viennas left over, so I made sure to include one of those in my breakfast of granola and peanut buttered toast. Now that the sun was up, we could see into Wonder Valley (which was appropriately named). The steep grassy sides of the valley transitioned into forest near the bottom, where the stream meandered through cascades and natural pools. We hiked a little ways further from our cave, until we saw a natural pool down at the bottom that looked perfect for swimming in. We eventually reached the pool, which looked like something a millionaire in Beverly Hills would put in his backyard. It was spectacular. A small waterfall poured into a crystal clear pool about chest deep, and was surrounded by an oasis of greenery and smooth rocks. I could have spent the whole day there. But since it was Sunday, we had to be on our way so that we wouldn't be back too late, as we all had service sites to go to on Monday morning. We cleaned up the cave, gathered up our belongings, and were on our way back to bus around 11. The hike back was just as amazing as it was on the way up. Each valley was saturated in natural beauty, and I simply couldn't get enough of the South African landscape. It was definitely a trip to remember, no matter how short or delayed it was. I knew as soon as I climbed back into the bus that I would be back someday to take in the magnificence of the Drakensbergs again.

A Little Bit of History

The 53 of us spent the last weekend touring 4 battlefield sites here in the KwaZulu-Natal province. We packed for an overnight trip, lunches included, and loaded up a chartered bus that would be driving us around for about 5 hours on Friday, and about 6 hours on Saturday. The rumor was that this is the same chartered bus that the Brazilian national soccer team will be using while they are here for the world cup this June. Who knows how true this was, but I didn't mind telling myself I was sitting in the same seat as Ronaldinho or Kaka. At 7 AM on Friday morning we loaded up the super-comfortable bus with our tour guide, Tony Jones - a 75 year old South African gentleman who knew the history of South Africa like the back of his hand. His sprite, old man sense of humor and occasional grumpiness would make for an interesting weekend.

I found my seat at the rear of the bus, next to the ice maker and bathroom. About half an hour into the drive, my body reminded that I get really car sick on buses - especially sitting in the back. Not to get too graphic, but lets just say I spent a little extra time in Ronaldinho's bathroom during the first drive on Friday. Despite the barfy bus ride, I enjoyed checking out the boundless grasslands of KZN though our windows, and taking in the vast openness of South Africa. After a few hours' drive, we arrived at our first battlefield: Spion Kop. This battle took place in the Anglo-Boer War around 1900, where the British invaded and annexed the Afrikaans-speaking, independent Boer republics. The fighting took place on Spion Kop, Dutch for Spy Hill, a strategic lookout point in the Natal countryside. We walked the path to the top of the hill from the bottom where our bus was parked. It was hard for me to imagine having to run up this hill with a gun, and bullets flying all around me. The battle has a special legacy in South African history, as the un-uniformed Boers beat back a much larger force of British Imperial regulars. The top of the hill had been converted into a mass grave for all of the fallen. It was definitely a humbling place to stand.

Our second battlefield on Friday was the Battle of Blood River. Also located in KZN, this battle was fought between the Voortrekker Boers and Zulus in the mid 19th century. After failed negotiations, including a brutal betrayal of the Boers by the Zulus, a force of about 500 Voortrekkers moved into Zululand. They were soon met by a force of about 10,000 armed Zulus. Incredibly, the Boers were able to beat back the massive Zulu force, killing about 3000 - and suffering only 3 wounded. The Boers accomplished this amazing victory by forming a laager (D-shaped circle) with their covered wagons. The deeply religious Boers made a vow to God stating that if they emerged victorious, they would forever dedicate the day as a day of remembrance. The defensively minded Boers managed a crushing victory over the hoard of Zulus, and effectively established their presence in Zululand. The monument at the site included a small museum, as well as a life size replica of the laager made by the Voortrekkers. The monument was humbling ground to walk on. It was bewildering to imagine what the Voortrekkers and Zulus faced on the day of the battle. To this day December 16 is marked by a day of remembrance by the Afrikaners, although since the end of Apartheid in 1994, the Day of the Vow has since been recognized as the Day of Reconciliation.

We stayed overnight in the small town of Dundee, in the northeast countryside of KZN, at the picturesque Royal Inn. This place was the definition of a British bed and breakfast - complete with a rustic lounge filled with British war collectibles, a cozy pub room, banquet hall, courtyard and library. We were spoiled with a delicious dinner, and capped off the night with a Q & A session with Reg, our head coordinator. We asked all kinds of questions, with topics ranging from South African history to theology. Every word that comes out of Reg's mouth is full of wisdom, compassion and intelligence. He's definitely the manifest of who I want to be when I grow up.

We awoke to yet another delicious South African breakfast, and were on our way to the final two battlefields of our weekend. Our first destination was the site for the Battle of Isandlwana, fought in the Anglo-Zulu War. Perhaps the most famous battle of the war, a British force of about 1500 was defeated by a Zulu army armed with spears and cowhide shields. Led by a prideful Victorian gentleman, the British ignored the tactics of the Voortrekkers and faced the Zulu force head on, and experienced total defeat. It was a pretty incredible story to hear, especially from Tony, who couldn't have been more passionate in his description of the battle.

Our final battlefield tour was about 10 minutes down the road from Isandlwana at Rorke's Drift. This battle took place immediately after the devastation at Isandlwana when the Zulus crossed the Buffalo River into British territory, thirsty for more victory. It was not to be for the Zulus, as a resilient outnumbered British defense held up against a Zulu onslaught. The British victory marked a turning point in the Anglo-Zulu War, as the aggressive British eventually conquered Zululand. Each battlefield had its own unique story of bravery and valor, and each contributed to overall picture of South African history. This land may be stained with blood, but the incredible history that forms the foundation of South Africa today makes this a country with a powerful story to learn from. Next: I'll begin my community engagement course with a few lectures, and eventually start my service at Walk in the Light, an organization that operates in one of the townships in Pietermaritzburg.

Lesotho

I'm only 19 years old, but I'm beginning to understand that some moments in life stand out above the rest. Some experiences, some places you visit will stay with you in your heart and mind for a long time. For me, Lesotho is that place. While I only spent about 1.5 days in the Basotho highlands from last Thursday to Friday, my love for Lesotho and its people could not be any higher. Completely landlocked and surrounded by South Africa, I expected Lesotho to be just another part of South Africa that just happened to be a different country. But what I actually experienced was something totally unlike my expectations.

I had the opportunity to go to Lesotho (pronounced Le-soo-too), the tiny mountain kingdom in the middle of South Africa, for a field trip with my psychology class. Our goal as a group was to study the Basotho people that have lived in the Lesotho highlands for generations, raising cattle and surviving some of Africa's harshest winters. We were to do this by driving up the only mountain pass that accessed Lesotho from this part of S.A, spending the day on horseback through the highlands, and meeting with the local Basotho people in their villages to get a glimpse of how they live. Of the 53 total APU students here in South Africa, only 10 others were in my psychology class, so I felt pretty fortunate to be able to go on the field trip.

After driving about 2 hours to a border town on the South African side, we loaded up our packs and sleeping bags onto 2 tour guide vehicles that were going to take us up Sani Pass and into Lesotho. Despite being totally surrounded by South Africa, Lesotho is still a completely independent country, so we made sure we brought our passports in order to cross the border. So there we were, 11 American college students sitting in the bed of a Land Rover truck, ready to experience Lesotho.

The drive up Sani Pass was out of this world. Like I said before, we sat in the back of a truck, while our driver cruised down the dirt road toward the bottom of the pass. Once the road started to get rocky, and the curves became sharper, we began to gain elevation. Sani Pass is 1.5 lane dirt road (an improvement from the previous .5 lane road) that provides access between KwaZulu-Natal province and Lesotho. The pass winds up the side of a stunning valley, full of granite cliffs and steep green hills. As we slowly transitioned from farmland into a mountain environment, I began to see another side of Africa I hadn't seen before. Far from the savannas of the game reserves, the landscape here rose fiercely toward the sky, as the cliffs seem to taunt anyone who passed by with their extreme stature. The clouds crept closer and closer to the ground, until they blanketed the tips of the bright green hills with chilling effectiveness. Looking back toward the bottom of the pass, the countryside looked like a folded green blanket covered in brilliantly dark gray patches. We meandered to the top until we finally arrived at the modest Lesotho border post. With relative ease, our passports were stamped and we were ready to begin our Lesotho horseback adventure.

Sani Top Chalet marks the top of Sani Pass, and is the highest pub in all of Africa in terms of elevation (around 9500 feet). The rustic outpost sits literally on the edge of Lesotho, majestically overlooking the pass. We were greeted by our Basotho guides with horses ready for the 11 of us, and we were soon on our way toward Thabana Ntlenyana, southern Africa's highest point. The 6 hour ride would take us through the highlands and pastures of the Basotho, and climb toward the Thabana Ntlenyana. My horse was a specially-bred Basotho mountain horse - short but very strong. I hopped on the saddle and were soon on our way, with our guides Martin and James, who both spoke about as much English and I speak Sesotho. My horse was incredibly obedient and responsive, so I was able to pretty much put on cruise control and take in the scenery around me. I felt like I was well matched with my horse, as it was perpetually grabbing a bite to eat for almost the entire trip.

The first leg of our journey took us through a vast, wide-open valley. A small stream flowed about 2 kilometers away from us as we trekked on a small path wrapping around the side of the valley on a hillside. It was truly incredible to look around and see absolutely nothing but green fields, rolling hills, and tiny yellow flowers. It was frustrating because no picture I took could quite capture the beauty and solitude of the landscape. The vastness, greenness, and clearness of the land were too much for one picture to contain. We passed a few isolated Basotho shepherds tending their flocks, and we were generally greeted with a shy smile and an occasional wave. After a quick lunch break about 3 hours into our ride, we began our climb toward Thabana Ntlenyana.

Our unbelievably resilient horses made the climb a slow but steady process. Unfortunately, due to a late start and some sketchy weather, we had to limit our journey to an overlook of the mountain, as we did not have enough time to summit and get back before dark. At the overlook, our group ran into several Basotho shepherd boys, who shyly approached us at first, but were soon laughing with (more likely, at) us. Due to the extreme climate of the Lesotho highlands, the Basotho people are practically dressed in warm clothing. Each shepherd was dressed in what looked like a thick wool blanket, and a cloak that covered their entire body. The closest reference I can come up with is the Sand People from Star Wars. After a few incredible minutes of intercultural communication, we were on our way back down the, hoping to make it back to the chalet before rainfall or darkness. In turned out that we didn't need to rush, so the ride back allowed even more time for taking in the beauty of Lesotho. We even had time for a few gallop sessions through some grass fields. I felt pretty blessed for having the opportunity to gallop on a horse through an African meadow. If you ever get the opportunity to do it, I highly recommend it.

We arrived back at the pub, about 6 hours after we left in the late morning, and had just enough time to get cleaned up and moved into our lodge before dinner. Our accommodations were humble but cozy, as we got to experience a night without electricity. Dinner at Sani Top Chalet was fantastic. The cozy mountain pub provided a great atmosphere for eating (my new favorite) curry. We sat by the fire and digested the day.

The next morning, we enjoyed another cozy meal at the pub before heading out to meet with a Basotho guide in the local village. Our guide Edwin explained how life in the village works, and how the Basotho cope with their harsh natural environment. The Basotho are a mountain people through and through. They build their housing out of mud and bricks, with a thick thatch roof that provides a great amount of insulation for the Lesotho winters. Even in February, summer, temperatures can dip to near freezing. They either raise all of their food, or buy it from a the nearest town about 50 kilometers away. If a family doesn't make a lot of money, the children become shepherds after primary school. Life for the Basotho is about subsistence and survival, but they do not live bitterly or angrily. We were invited into a house to watch 3 Basotho women perform a dance and song for us, and we were greeted with smiles and waves from the local kids. While they may still have some things to learn about managing pastureland, I feel like the Basotho can teach me way more about life than anyone could teach them about agriculture.

The Lesotho trip was powerful, and on so many levels. Not only did I get to experience one of the most pristine landscapes in the world, but I was able to interact with and learn from a people group with a completely different lifestyle form my own. Lesotho is a special place, where I found a sense of spiritual and mental peace that I haven't experienced anywhere else. I think that you can see and hear God in places where it is quietest, where you can experience His presence free from human influence or distraction. For me, this place is Lesotho. The harsh green hills and cliffs of the Basotho highlands demand a constant peace, that penetrates the mind and spirit in a way that cleanses the soul at its deepest point. I am already looking forward to my return to the mountain kingdom of southern Africa.

Game Over

Moral of the story: make sure you don't plug in American 110V appliances into South African 240V outlets. Especially when you're getting a haircut, because it will start smoking and break. Then you will have half a haircut, and no hair-cutting appliance.

Drakensberg

After a busy week of classes, papers and a biology field trip, I was ready to have a low-key weekend full of rest. It was not to be, but I can't say that I was disappointed. Saturday morning, all 53 of us loaded up the buses with our packed lunches, sunscreen, water and cameras. We were headed to Giant's Castle in the Drakensberg Mountains northwest of Pietermaritzburg. Our destination was a historical site within the Giant's Castle nature reserve - cave paintings created by the San Bushmen people of South Africa, thousands of years ago.

Our drive into the Drakensbergs was incredible. As we drove northward out of PMB, the suburbs slowly faded, and the rural side of South Africa came into view. We slowly gained elevation driving on the 4 lane highway, and the surrounding landscape revealed pockets of forest among the bright green rolling hills. The occasional squatter camp passed us by, full of children kicking a soccer ball around or women carrying heavy bags on their heads. The road became more and more narrow, and I soon realized that we were no longer driving on a highway, but a single lane road ripe with potholes and farm animals. Our driver Phillip must have had a tough time dodging goats in between the potholes.

Our arrival into Giant's Castle came about 2 hours after we left A.E. As I got out of the packed bus, the scenery was absolutely stunning. Towering green hills surrounded us inside a valley that extended toward the even steeper mountains just north of us in Lesotho. A few cliffs revealed several waterfalls that drained into the stream at the base of the valley, meandering peacefully alongside light brush, beneath a bright blue sky. Our group of 53 was a little too big to hike into the caves where the paintings were, so we split into two groups. One group would eat lunch and wait for about an hour while the other hiked to the caves. So I munched on my pb & j sandwich and explored a bit while the others viewed the paintings. The hour went quickly, and we were soon on our way toward the caves.

The 1 or 2 kilometer hike to the paintings itself was worth the drive. It had been a while since I threw on some hiking shoes, so I was happy to be out on the trail again, no matter how short the distance. We began the hike at a slight uphill grade on the side of a hill looking down to the stream, and up to the edge of the valley. We hiked without canopy cover for about 3/4 of the walk, until we eventually crossed the stream at the bottom under a nicely shaded covering. we stopped for a quick tree-climbing break, then hiked up the hill eventually reaching the caves.

A tour guide greeted us at the beginning of a walkway that led us to a viewing platform inside the caves, which were essentially naturally hollowed out cliff sides. The exhibit was set up with life size models of the San people, who were no taller than 5'8". It was amazing to see how evidence of humans who lived over 2000 years ago still clearly existed. The roof of the cave was charred black from fires that burned thousands of years ago. Incredibly, the artwork of the San remained intact on the rocks of the cliff side. Red and orange shaped that resembled humans and animals stood out sharply on the dull gray rocks. It was hard to believe how paintings made from completely natural materials could survive that long. The hunter-gatherer San of thousands of years ago have left their mark on the history of South Africa.

As we descended the cliff side toward the river we were ahead of schedule, so we decided it was a good time to test out the swim-a-bility of the stream. My experience with mountain streams taught me to expect a freezing cold rush of whitewater and a pretty miserable soaking. The stream in Giant's Castle however, was much warmer than a Rocky Mountain river, and was perfect for swimming. The sun was out in full force, so it was a perfect time to go swimming, and a perfect ending to a South African summer day.

Braai, Curry and T.I.A-ing in Umzinto

This past weekend, all 53 of us traveled to the coast near Durban for our Intercultural Communication field trip. Before we left, all we were told is that we would be "camping" near the beach by Durban, and we were going to meet up with some of Indian community of the region, and go to church with them on Sunday. So Friday afternoon comes along, and we begin to pack up for the weekend stay off campus. Our planned departure time was 2:30, but as this is Africa, we ended up leaving around 4. This was just the beginning of it.

As I wrote earlier, South Africans have a saying, T.I.A - this is Africa. One of the biggest things I learned about South African culture this weekend is that people view time during the day as just an unfolding of events - circumstances control people, people do not control circumstances. Essentially, fatalism runs the culture here in an often obnoxious time-wasting way. It's a bit of an adjustment for me, a time-is-money, always-hurried American. Due to about 5 unplanned stops, including one 3 hour delay because of car failure, the normally 2 hour drive took us about 6 hours. By the time we arrived in Pennington, the "camping" spot by the beach, dinner was done and over, and everyone was going to bed. Even though we were staying at a beautiful, amenity-stocked cabin near the Indian Ocean, it was a little hard for me to stay positive because of all the T.I.A shenanigans. I ate some leftovers, and looked forward to a new day.

The new day did arrive and with it, a new outlook on the weekend. I was able to walk around our cabin community in Pennington, which looked a whole lot more exciting in daylight. We ate breakfast, swam in the pool for a bit, then got ready for our drive into Umzinto, a rural community near Pennington. A 20 minute or so delay later, we were on our way to Umzinto for a 45 minute walk-around experience. Umzinto was a fascinating place, full of stereotypical African street vendors, small shops and a crowd of people who looked nothing like the 53 of us. Indian and black crowds flocked toward grocery stores and clothing vendors. Beggars and unemployed vagrants crowded the alleys and gutters. Traffic through the central business district was a thick mix of taxis, beat down trucks and pedestrians. To say we stuck out like a sore thumb would be an understatement. Nonetheless, we walked around browsing stores and buying nick-knacks and souvenirs, all while taking in a truly foreign culture.

We concluded the day by driving down to a small beach town named Scottburgh for a dip in the Indian Ocean. Being only the second ocean I'd swam in, I noticed both similarities and differences to California beaches. Just like any other beach on a Saturday, people crowded the grass elading up to the sand, which was marked by a busy scene of beach soccer, sunbathers and kids playing. As soon as I took a step into the water, however, I felt like I had just stepped into a warm, extra-salty bath. The water was unbelievably warm! As I got deeper, and finally went submerged, I got a taste of the saltiest water I've ever tasted. Despite the hot saltiness, I had a wonderful time at the beach, and even got to play a pickup game of rugby against a few local South Africans. Best part - we beat them! As you can imagine, they weren't too thrilled about losing to Americans in rugby, but they were good sports through and through and we all had a great time.

The evening came along, and we began our braai (South African barbecue) under the supervision of our Intercultural Comm. professor. Later on, when the meat was sizzling and the air smelled of curry and grilled chicken, we met up with a local group of Indian-South Africans, whom we invited over for dinner. They were very shy at first, but as soon as we brought out all of the food, everyone was laughing and having a good time.

Our final day in Pennington was Sunday, so the 53 of us were divided into groups to attend local churches in the morning. The church I ended up going to met in an old movie theater with no air conditioning - I was warned the temperatures could get up to 30+ degrees Celsius during the service (85+ Fahrenheit). Nevertheless, I threw on my long sleeve button-up shirt and jeans, and got mentally prepared to fight a heat stroke. They weren't kidding either - I've never experienced temperatures like that indoors, apart from the times I've burnt my hand on the oven at home. Despite the heat, it was a great service, and such a good experience to attend a church completely different than my church back home. We were warmly greeted, and even invited to an authentic Indian lunch after the service. I am now seriously addicted curry.

The dreaded drive back to Pietermaritzburg was approaching fast, and we all prepared for another 10 hour voyage inland. While we were a little late leaving, our drive took us exactly 1 hour and 45 minutes from Pennington back to campus in PMB. I guess we'd had enough T.I.A for one weekend. I hope this post doesn't come off as too complainy, because I really did have a great weekend. T.I.A is definitely something I'm still adjusting to, but it's surely teaching me something about patience and adjustment. Now, I've got to go find some curry to munch on in between classes.