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Cribs: Sunshine Plaza Residence Edition

Hello HopeTV, and welcome to my crib

*cue slow motion shots*

Many of my fellow international students were forced to find affordable hostels in sketchy parts of Chinatown. Meanwhile the TEAN program ensured its programees a three-bed, three-bath in the illustrious multi-purpose complex that is Sunshine Plaza. The moment I entered the room, I knew I had scored the jackpot.

My three other housemates and I were situated on the seventh floor with a patio window facing a large wave pool, complete with a waterfall design and a jacuzzi (although it didn’t actually heat up; it just made bubbles). All utilities, electricity, water, and AC, were paid for by TEAN – we only had to concern ourselves if the AC usage went over budget. Otherwise, we also had our own washer and dryer. The living area was sort of separated into three spaces: a desk area near the door, the dining table, and the area with a TV, two modern-style couches and a coffee table. Considering the beautiful view, which effectively opened up the room, I’m not one to complain about the not-so-spacious living arrangement. Besides, it was the perfect amount of space for four residents.

When they told us not to overpack, I should’ve listened.

TEAN uses this apartment for every group of visiting students so either past students or our beloved RD have left kitchen appliances like a toaster, a coffee maker, and a water kettle as well as bowls, plates, utensils, knives, pots and pans, measuring cups, a water filter pitcher, a dish rack, and whatever else a kitchen could have. We later went out and bought a rice cooker to add to the growing generosity of kitchenware. There were already two cartons of milk in the fridge and some snacks including laksa-flavored ramen, green tea Kit Kats, and Oreo straws in the cupboards and on top of the microwave.

Out in the living area, a closet was filled with other miscellaneous items like an ironing board, an iron, a vacuum cleaner, another lamp, and even spare cabinets (although some were broken). A desk against the wall at the entrance also had spare notebooks, adaptors, pencils, pens, paper clips, and so on.

Our rooms were also decorated and maxed out with supplies. On our beds, they had lain out a body towel, a face towel, more Singaporean snacks and treats, hand wipes and tissues, and a welcome note from the RD and RD’s Assistant. In our wardrobes, they gave us each our own clothing hampers and hangers as well as extra pillow covers. In our bathrooms and underneath the sinks, we were given cleaning supplies, sponges, and soap, and we have both a tub and a shower area. Just had a nice hot tub session, and I can say it does wonders for neck pain.

In addition to the supplies, appliances and fully furnished rooms, TEAN also invested in some minimal interior design; fake plants, paintings, fancy lamps, and even an Asian conical hat decorated the walls and tabletops.

The building itself, as I said before, is multipurpose, which means while it is an apartment, it also has office space, and at the ground floor, Sunshine Plaza boasts its own mall. If you walk around the block, you’ll find restaurants and general stores in close proximity. It’s also about a two- to three-minute walk to the blue line, which goes almost everywhere, and the yellow line, which will take you to some tourist destinations but more importantly Suntec Mall where you’ll buy groceries and school supplies, visit the post office, and attend to other daily needs. From Sunshine Plaza to SMU, it’s about a five- to ten-minute walk depending on which building you’re heading to and how long you have to wait at each crosswalk.

Now these are the good aspects about the apartment, which I believe greatly outweigh the negatives, but I feel like the negatives should be made known for future students’ benefit.

I share a room with a wonderful roommate, but I did come second and got second pick when it came to beds and wardrobes. One bed is slightly raised and has a backboard and some cabinet space attached to the side. The bed I ended up with, on the other hand, was more like a glorified cot. I could feel and sometimes even see the coils and springs. A few days into my first week, I had to borrow a mattress pad from one of the other rooms due to the morning back and neck pains (hence the hot tub sessions).

Moreover, don’t bring or buy a lot of clothes. We do have wardrobes, but while one of the wardrobes does have a little bit of storage space, the other only has hanger space (guess which one I ended up with). I had to fashion my own storage space using plastic bags and a hanger. The rooms are pretty small, so they recommend bringing only one luggage bag. As for the other two rooms, one room is possibly larger than the master bedroom that I was in, while the other is more akin to a closet with two beds jammed inside. Harry Potter wouldn’t envy it. In other words, first come, first serve. We do get the option to switch rooms halfway through the semester, but that’s up to the residents.

The kitchen area and the bathrooms open up to Singapore, so we always have to close the doors to these areas in fear of wasting precious AC. This isn’t so bad, but it’s staying in these places for a long time that will leave you panting and sweating, especially when the steam from cooking or showering adds to the hot, humid air. There’s limited kitchen cupboard and refrigerator/freezer space (don’t buy too many groceries) and not a lot of counter space for cutting vegetables or other cooking needs. The washer and dryer, which are adjacent to the kitchen, are also tiny. They can only wash about a half-week’s worth at a time and both squeal like tortured squirrels if you try shoving in more than they can handle.

And while the open window to the pool area is nice, you might accidentally make eye contact with a neighbor from across the way who also happens to have a patio facing the pool. In fact, you might make eye contact with several neighbors… The first few days are uncomfortable and awkward but you get used to it the more you live there because the residents mostly mind their business and don’t care if you’re watching National Treasure at twilight hours.

With exception to the few nuisances, the first few weeks living in Sunshine Plaza has been something of a resort vacation. I only remembered I was studying abroad, and not just abroad, when the first week of classes hit.

Bo-Kaap Cuisine

Yesterday we got the chance to visit Bo-Kaap, a neighborhood in Cape Town, for a tour and cooking lesson. Bo-Kaap originated back in the late 1700s as a neighborhood of rental houses for slaves from Malaysia, Indonesia, and other African countries to lease. When under the leasing rules, all houses had to be painted white. When this rule was eventually changed, the residents were able to purchase the houses and claim ownership. They celebrated by painting the houses various bright colors as a way for them to express their freedom.

We met our tour guide, Zayed, at his house and he walked us around the neighborhood to give us a chance to see all of the vibrant, colorful houses and explain some of the history of Bo-Kaap. It’s a very beautiful and unique neighborhood. Zayed explained that the neighborhood is still mainly inhabited by people of Malaysian, Indonesian, or African descent, but that it is becoming a place that White South Africans and Europeans are starting to move into. Because of the brightly colored houses, location, and exciting culture of the area, the housing taxes and prices are increasing drastically, making it harder for the families that have lived there for generations to afford their houses. This is causing these families to have to sell their houses and move out of the neighborhood, which is a heartbreaking reality. In addition, there has been an increase in new development in the area, which takes away from the traditional Bo-Kaap styled homes. The residents are trying to have the neighborhood designated as a historical and cultural neighborhood in order to prevent new developments, but so far the government has not done anything about it. Soon plans will start to build a 19 story hotel in the Bo-Kaap area, which they are trying to put an end to by reasoning with the government. Hopefully they will be able to declare Bo-Kaap as a historical neighborhood before breaking ground on the hotel project.

After walking around and looking inside one of the corner stores, Zayed brought us back to his house where we began a cooking class! The class was led by his wife who taught us how to make different Cape Malay style dishes. We started off with chicken curry using various spices. What makes this chicken curry specific to Cape Malay is the group of spices called the Mother-in-Law or Father-in-Law masala. The Mother-in-Law is apparently very hot, so we used the Father-in-Law in our curry. The curry included the spices, onions, tomatoes, potatoes, lemon juice, and chicken. We mixed it and let it sit while we made the rest of the food.

We then made dough for rootie, a traditional flatbread. This process involved a few steps. We first had to mix the dough and roll it out. Once it was evenly rolled out, we twisted the dough into a ball and let it sit for a while. After about an hour or so we rolled out the dough again into circles. They were then ready to be cooked on a frying pan with oil, flipping over every 30 seconds until it was done. After getting the rootie off the pan, we had to smash the rootie together to make it flakey. We put our hands facing each other on the edges of the rootie and clapped them together, smashing the rootie as a result.

While the dough for the rootie was sitting, we were shown how to make daltjies, or chilli bites, and learned how to make samoosas. Daltjies are balls of fried dough with onion, spinach, and chillies. They seemed very easy to make and were absolutely delicious. They are usually eaten cold, but we ate them right out of the frier and with some different sauces. I had to stop myself from eating too many and filling myself up, otherwise I could have easily been happy eating those for the rest of the cooking class.

The daltjies and sauces with the rootie dough sitting after being twisted.

The samoosas were also delicious. These were triangular pockets filled with either a ground beef mixture or a potato mixture that were made. We were taught how to fold the samoosa pastries in order to create the perfect pocket and keep everything from falling out of the samoosas. It seemed tricky, but after a couple of tries I got the hang of it. Once all of the samoosas were folded, they were fried and ready to eat!

The finished samoosas and the final step of making the rooties: cooking in the frying pan

After snacking on the daltjies and samoosas, we moved into the dining room to try our rooties and chicken curry. These were served with white rice and a dish similar to a salsa that is used to make dishes more mild. All of the food was amazing and it was fun knowing that we helped make such a good meal. We were sent home with a recipe book and a packet of spices for the chicken curry, so hopefully I will be able to recreate some of the flavors and foods I learned how to make yesterday! At the very least, as long as I can master the daltjies, I’ll be happy

Our final meal including the chicken curry and rooties that we made

It was a really fun and educational visit to Bo-Kaap. Learning about the history and the current struggles of the area made the visit more special, rather than just going to see the colorful houses. Hopefully the government will understand their worries and help make Bo-Kaap a historical area in order to preserve the neighborhood and its culture, including its delicious foods.

Food, Food, and More Food.

Chileans not only eat a variety of different meals than we eat in the United States, they also have a slightly different meal schedule. A day in Chilean life still calls for three complete meals; however, lunch is to be the largest meal of the day – and I mean very, very large. Lunch is typically the only meal during which meat is served, making it an exciting time of the day for someone who loves meat as much as I do! In most traditional Chilean households, the mom only cooks one meal a day, normally lunch, served at 2 or 3 o’clock. This clearly leaves a pretty large gap of time between breakfast, which is eaten around 8 o’clock in the morning, and the afternoon meal. And no, snacking is not really a habit here in Chile, meaning you patiently wait until lunchtime to eat.

Meals are almost always served and eaten with the entire family present, with lunch lasting anytime between one and three hours. Families value this time together, seeing it as an excellent opportunity to share about their days and enjoy one another’s company. Coming from the U.S., this was quite the adjustment for me, as I had become accustomed to quick meals in Phelps or in fast food drive-throughs! Although a challenge at first, lunch is now one of my favorite periods of the day. I truly value this time with my wonderful host family.

Breakfast in Chile usually consists of tea or coffee, hot bread with jelly, sweet fruit, and, occasionally, eggs. However, every once in a while, you may be served a sandwich or salad for breakfast. Although I find it normal to eat certain foods at certain times, Chileans do not seem to feel the same; any food is fair game for any meal. Yet, a typical dinner happens to be almost identical to a typical breakfast: some type of bread with some type of topping (whether it be jelly again or chicken-flavored spread), veggies, and tea. An unreal amount of bread is served and consumed in Chile. Chileans view bread just as I know Mexicans view tortillas… like precious gold.

Two staple meals unique to Chilean culture are empanadas and chorrillana. Empanadas are large masa (dough) pockets, deep-fried and stuffed to the brim with an assortment of cheese, meat, veggies, olives, and many other ingredients, served to your liking. Buying empanadas on the street is a regular practice here in Chile, and they are extremely cheap! Empanadas are a must for anyone visiting this beautiful country.

Of all the meals I have been served thus far, chorrillana is my personal favorite and my new obsession. Essentially, it is a massive pile of salty French fries loaded with glorious goodness. The fries are topped with juicy strips of beef, salchicha (they say it’s sausage, but I am 99% sure it’s just chopped up hot dogs), onions, and scrambled eggs. As if that weren’t delicious enough, chorrillana is always paired with mayo. Chileans value mayo like Americans value ranch, so I’ve learned that mayo can and does go well with absolutely everything. EVERYTHING.

SHAWCO Health

As part of my Community Health in Context course, I am required to participate at a service learning site to complete 40 service hours. Since this is a health related course, our service learning site is supposed to help us experience aspects of health care system in Cape Town. I am volunteering with a program at UCT called SHAWCO Health. SHAWCO stands for “Students’ Health and Welfare Centres Organisation” (and yes, they use British English spellings here, which has taken some getting used to when writing essays).

SHAWCO Health is a program mostly for med school students and pre-med school students to have an opportunity to use their clinical skills and learn from a licensed doctor. Every Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday night, a group of UCT students will take a mobile clinic to a township and provide primary health care for people in that township who cannot afford a private health care doctor or who do not have the time to go to a public health care doctor. In South Africa, there is free public health care for all South African citizens. However, the system is not well structured, so in order to see a doctor it is first come first serve. Doctors see patients daily from 7:30-4:30, but patients will start lining up outside of the clinics hours before opening in order to ensure they are able to be seen. This can be problematic for South Africans who can’t afford private clinics and don’t have the time to spare waiting in line all day at a public clinic. If they work, they may not be able to spare a day at work to come stand in line.

That’s where SHAWCO comes in! SHAWCO clinics visit the townships at night around 6:30pm so that patients who may not be able to take off work to go to the public health clinics or who may not be able to transport themselves to a public clinic then have easier access to health care. A licensed doctor also accompanies all of the med school students to the site to sign off on the final diagnoses, referrals, and prescriptions for the patients.

Photos by Jim Witmer — A typical township street in Cape Town

The past two weeks I have gone with SHAWCO to the township Browns Farm. Here, I am partnered with a UCT medical student and help them take notes and ask the patient questions about their condition. After the med student completes their evaluation and performs any tests necessary (HIV, urine glucose, pregnancy, etc.), they call in the doctor and explain the condition and any findings in order for the doctor to make the final diagnosis of the patient. Once the final diagnosis is made, the doctor prescribes any medication or referrals needed and the next patient is called in.

This has been a really eye-opening experience so far. Being able to learn about the brokenness in the government and public health care system is hard to see. Knowing that the majority of South Africans live under the poverty line, can’t afford to get the health care they deserve, and don’t have easy access to the health care that they can afford is hard to wrap my mind around, but SHAWCO is helping make health care a little more accessible for those who need it. Its also a great exposure to what goes into diagnosing a patient and how the med students communicate with the patients. Although I am not going into general medicine, I will still need to learn these skills for physical therapy. SHAWCO also helps me learn about and experience all aspects of Cape Town during my semester here, instead of only doing “touristy” activities. I am able to learn about the parts of Cape Town that aren’t as picturesque, experience the culture of townships, and meet the people. I am getting a feel for the less well off parts of the city and seeing for myself the stark contrast between the rich and poor. Cape Town is a beautiful city, but some of its history is not so much, and the ramifications are still very present today, affecting the poor and their access to health care. I’ve still got 32 hours of service left to go, and am ready to keep learning about these issues that South Africa, and Cape Town especially, are facing.

The Flight

Twenty hours. That’s fourteen hours from San Francisco to Taipei, about an hour at the terminal, then another five till Singapore.

If you’re like me and haven’t ever flown for this long, then twenty hours seems impossible. I’ve been flying back and forth from California to Michigan and can’t even stomach four-hour flights. This is also the first time I flew out of the States alone. For some reason, I decided my first transcontinental flight was going to be to the other side of the world. So you could imagine my mental state when I hugged my parents goodbye and made my way through the security checkpoint.

Everything went smoothly, at first. Like always, found a seat with a charger at my gate, filled my water bottle, went to the restroom, and so forth. The line slowly inched forwarded as my fellow fliers boarded the plane. My seatmates were two middle-aged, kind gentlemen. I settled in.

T-10 hours:

The plane seat cushion was pushing my head forward. I tried my best to scoot to the side so that my head rested next to the window, but now my neck was tilted at an awkward angle. The characters on my phone screen yelled at each other and ran away from an explosion. I rubbed at my neck. The man beside me snored and tilted precariously closer. I shifted in my seat again. He swayed and landed on the other passenger who snorted in his sleep.

The flight attendants carried in plates of food. I picked the braised chicken and potato, which was delicious, and stored the fruit and dessert under my chair for later. A few minutes after I had finished, the yellow seatbelt sign flashed and ticked above us as the plane trembled against the wind. My stomach turned. I sat straighter, looked up, and prayed that I wouldn’t be that one passenger who had to use the small paper bag.

Once the nausea subsided, I popped some pills for motion sickness.

T-8 hours:

I woke up and checked my phone. Perhaps we were close to Taiwan by now? Two hours! I had only slept for two hours; there were still eight to go. I turned on my phone and pressed play. On cue, the characters jumped and punched and dodged. After a while, the image blurred so I put my phone down. At least I wasn’t getting motion sick anymore, but I was getting bored and needed to go use the restroom. To my right, both men were still asleep but I decided to bother them later when they were awake. I wondered how they could sleep so comfortably for so long.

I reached down for my bag to pull out a pad of paper to draw or write on – and nope, my stomach churned angrily. Okay, so I wasn’t feeling up to par yet. Maybe I should wait it out. I pressed play on the phone and let my eyes glaze over.

T-5 hours:

Somehow I managed to sleep again, which was a blessing. Another three hours shaved off and now I was more than halfway there.

Somewhere along the way, I had lost the tiny pillow they had given us. I checked under my seat and noticed the food that I had stored for later was also missing. Great. I tested reaching for my bag and my stomach stayed silent. I had some vitamin gummies and checked the time again. It was an automatic motion. Every few minutes I would take a peek at the screen and slowly the dread in me was building. What was I going to do for five more hours?

I didn’t need to go to the restroom anymore, almost like my body was slowly realizing its reality and started adapting. Rummaging around my bag, I pulled out my pad of paper and sketched my seatmate, who was of course still sleeping. I wondered if he ever woke up this whole flight.

T-2 hours:

They brought out the food again: an omelette with sausage and broccoli and raisin bread, yogurt, and fruits for side dishes. I wasn’t aware of how hungry I was until I peeled off the foil and the smell of fried egg hit my face. I scarfed it all down and, as scheduled, the plane shook from turbulence and the nausea set in. I popped some more pills and checked the time. Two hours is manageable.

For the first time on the flight, I cracked the window open and looked out. It never got old. The vast expanse of ocean that met the sky, spotted with white rippled reflections from the sun and dark shadows from the clouds floating beneath us. In the distance, a silhouetted stretch of land.

Taipei:

At last, I had made it on the other side of the world. My first order of business? Restroom.

After I relieved myself of fourteen-hours’ worth, I joined the line at the security checkpoint and entered the terminal. The Taipei Airport was amazing. There were tiny museums and displays, a flower garden, themed gates, and even a tea ceremony area. I pulled out my camera to take it all in.

To Singapore:

The plane was the famous Hello Kitty plane. Everything from the screen animations to the pillows to even the puke bag was Hello Kitty-themed. Needless to say, I was impressed and dying from the cuteness of it all.

Compared to the fourteen-hour flight, this five-hour was nothing. I had my nap. Ate just enough. When the plane trembled, I took my pills. I also played around with the screen in front of me. Tetris, bowling, chess. I settled on Monsters University, which I had seen before, but nothing beats a classic.

At last the plane swooped onto the track and slowed to a stop. I looked out the window and met Singapore face-to-face.

Peninsula Tour

Another weekend, another IES trip! This time we traveled down the Cape Peninsula towards Cape Point, the most southwestern tip of Africa. We started our day by heading to Hout Bay, a neighborhood south of Table Mountain and along the Atlantic Ocean that is home to the Hout Bay Market. Along the dock at the bay, there were some street stands and a couple cafés that we peaked into before boarding a boat taking us to Seal Island. About 20 minutes out to sea are some large rocks that jet out of the water just enough for seals to have a nice place to rest and lay out in the sun. I don’t think I’d ever seen so many seals at once! There were tons of seals laying out on the rocks, as well as some flopping around in the water putting on a show for us.

Screen Shot 2018-08-05 at 6.53.54 PM — The seals at Seal Island

After being entertained by the seals for a while, we made our way back to shore and on the bus to our next stop. As we drove away from Hout Bay, up on the mountainside, we passed several viewpoint stops along the highway, until we got to the best one. We hopped of the bus to snap a few photos of the beautiful view. It seems like no matter where you go in Cape Town, there’s always a breathtaking view of a mountain!

My friend, Noelle, and I at the highway viewpoint

The next stop was Boulder Beach, which is famous for its wild penguins! The African Penguin can only be found on the southwestern coast of South Africa and mainly Boulder Beach. Unfortunately, we couldn’t go onto the beach with the penguins, but we were able to walk along a boardwalk and get pretty close to them! Winter is when a lot of the babies hatch, so we saw quite a few feathery penguins. Their feathers don’t become water proof until they’re about 3 months old, so it was easy to spot which ones were the babies. Definitely a highlight of the day!

Screen Shot 2018-08-05 at 10.42.48 PM — The penguins at Boulder Beach

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Even though I could probably sit and watch the penguins waddle around and dive into the water for hours, we left Boulder Beach to grab lunch and head to our final destination: Cape Point. The most southwestern tip of Africa is at the tip of the Cape of Good Hope within the Table Mountain National Park. We spent a few minutes at Cape Point on the beach taking in the views and capturing some quick photos of the edge. But, the better views came once we started an hour hike up to the Old Cape Point Lighthouse which is at the highest peak. Along the hike and at the top by the lighthouse, we looked out over the ocean and at beautiful mountain landscapes. Every direction you turned was a spectacular view and once we got to the top, it almost felt like we were in a cloud.

Views along the hike towards Old Cape Point Lighthouse

Views from the Old Cape Point Lighthouse

This trip was full of incredible sights and fun excursions and made me ready to explore more of South Africa!

Arrival in Sydney

The first taste of Sydney that I received was as the plane was touching down from Dallas, the pilot who came on the overhead speaker greeted us with “Welcome to Sydney, Australia, the most beautiful city on earth, although I may be a little biased.” Unfortunately, I needed to get on my flight to Cairns before I could actually see Sydney which felt like a tremendous tease. Now; however, I have been living in Sydney for a week, and I have been impressed. I should mention that Sydney isn’t exactly what I expected it to be, a lot of the preconceived notions about what living in Sydney would be like have actually been turned on their head quite quickly. Firstly, because Australia is in the southern hemisphere it is currently the middle of winter which means that the weather isn’t always all that warm, and daylight hours are short. I was expecting the less than warm weather and had packed accordingly. It’s worth mentioning that during the day the temperatures are still plenty comfortable, typically in the sun it gets to the mid-60s or so but in the mornings and evenings the temperature gets down to about 40 degrees which is plenty cold but like I mentioned earlier I was prepared for cooler temps. What I was NOT prepared for has been the short daylight hours! The sun begins to set around 3 o’clock and it is dark out by 6 o’clock, which has been just absolutely brutal. I just keep reminding myself that the daylight hours will only increase while I’m here and that thought alone has helped me push through.

Macquarie University, where I am studying this semester is about a half hour outside of Sydney’s central business district or CBD and is the home of Sydney’s second largest business district in the city. Within the first week I have already gone downtown three times and I made several other observations that I was not expecting prior to landing in Sydney. Sydney is not nearly as flat as other major cities that I have visited. While portions of the CBD are fairly flat, Macquarie, and many other parts of Sydney are extremely hilly. The other aspect of Sydney that I noticed which I had not expected is that Sydney, and I believe much of Australia, has a much larger Asian influence than I had expected. Once again if I were to take the time to logically think about it, this makes sense. Australia is far closer to Asia than it is to Europe and despite the initial colonization by Great Britain, in today’s globalized world it would only be natural that Australia would be influenced by the countries that are closest. This has led to an impressive Chinatown in downtown Sydney, as well as some of the greatest Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and Indian food (amongst others) that can be found outside of those countries. Needless to say, I am quite excited to test that claim.

This pig statue is just outside of the Royal Botanical Garden and rubbing it’s snout is supposed to give you good luck.

I accidently got lost but that gave me the opportunity to walk through Darling Harbour where a street artist was working on this piece in chalk!

One of the great aspects of living in Macquarie rather than actually downtown in the CBD is that I am living around much more nature and national parks. In fact I have one national park that is just about a five minute walk from where I live! I have been able to explore some of these areas and other areas outside of downtown Sydney but more of that will be included in later posts. Nevertheless, having so much nature so close is helpful in that it allows me some space from the fast pace of city life. It’s worth noting that Sydney is not as hectic and fast moving as cities like New York. In fact one night a couple of friends and I were trying to find our way back home because we hadn’t realized that most trains stopped running after midnight and so at around 1 o’clock we were walking around the city trying to find the bus stop and at that point the city had become significantly quieter. I noticed few cars on the street and few people walking around, whereas New York it seems that cars and people are a constant presence regardless of the time of day.

This was on the top of a rock outcropping (there are LOTS of those here) in Lane Cove national park which is only a five minute walk from my apartment.

Walking around downtown I naturally was immediately drawn to the two major buildings that Sydney is known for: the Opera house and the Harbour Bridge. After seeing it up close, I have decided that the Sydney Opera house is my favorite building in the world. From any angle you look at the Opera house the building looks fantastic and at any time of the day. I also learned that construction on the house was expected to take four years but actually took fourteen years to complete. The building also cost over fourteen times the originally projected amount. I was able to meet up with a friend of mine who is a part of Hope’s dance troupe and was on tour in Australia at the time, and we ate on the terrace of the museum of contemporary art to watch the sun go down over the bridge with the Opera house in the background. On another day a different friend and I walked through the Royal Botanical Gardens and climbed atop a rock outcropping to once again watch the sunset. In both instances the view was spectacular and I couldn’t help but be awed by the beauty of this city. Before we went our separate ways, my friend from Hope said to me “I sure hope you never get sick of sights like this.” I’m pretty confident that I never will.

This was from on top of some rocks just beyond the Royal Botantical Gardens.

This was the meal on top of the Museum of Contemporary Art. I tried kangaroo for the first time! I felt a little bad for eating it but it was delicious.

National Women’s Day in South Africa

On Thursday, August 9th, was National Women’s Day here in South Africa, so here’s a little history lesson for you all to start off this post! National Women’s Day is a public holiday that started in 1995 in remembrance of one of the largest protests in South African History.

On August 9, 1956, about 20,000 women of all races marched to the Union Buildings to protest the pass laws requiring women to carry a document similar to a passport in order to travel to different areas within the country other than their home region. These laws were first passed for men long before the 1950s in order to segregate the population, have more control over urbanization, and distribute migrant workers.

The laws restricted Coloureds (mixed race) and Blacks from moving to certain regions of the country and made travel and life in general much more difficult. These laws were then passed for women in the early 1950s but were not enforced until 1956. At this time, women from all over the country organized the march where they asked the prime minister to meet them and hear their petition. Although the prime minister refused, the march still went on and the women handed their petition to the secretary of the prime minister. They then began to sing a freedom song that declares “You strike a woman, you strike a rock”, which is now a saying that represents the strength of women.

Although the petition and march did not end the pass laws, it showed South Africa the strength and power that women had and brought all women together as a unified force. The pass laws were eventually repealed in 1986.

womens march

Because National Women’s Day is a public holiday, that means no school! And what a better way to celebrate the strength and courage of women than going on a rock climbing trip with the women of UCT Mountain and Ski Club! As a semester study abroad student I am allowed to join a few clubs while at UCT. One of the ones I joined is the Mountain and Ski Club, which plans hiking, climbing and skiing events throughout the semester. The first event I was able to attend was the Women’s Climb event to celebrate National Women’s Day. I went with a group of about 30 other girls at UCT to Higgovale Quarry right under Table Mountain. There are already bolts in the rocks and set courses so all we needed to do was set up the ropes and start climbing. I have only ever rock climbed indoors, so this was my first time trying on natural rocks. I was able to climb two routes, and it was really fun! It wasn’t as hard as I thought it would be either, and when I got to the top of the quarry I got to look out over the city and ocean! Unfortunately I couldn’t climb with my camera so I can’t share the view, but it made the climbing even more worth it 🙂

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This event got me excited for the other hiking and climbing events the club will host and made for an adventurous National Women’s Day. If you’r interested in reading more about the Women’s March or National Women’s Day in South Africa feel free to click on the link below!

http://www.sahistory.org.za/topic/1956-womens-march-pretoria-9-august

My Bustling and Colorful Walk to Class

It blows my mind that I have already spent two weeks in Valparaíso, Chile. The time has flown thanks to my wonderful host family and my extremely colorful walk to class. Living in the middle of the city of Valparaíso – commonly referred to as Valpo by the locals – has introduced me to many unique experiences and allowed me to immerse myself in a culture brand new to me.

Every morning, I am awakened by flocks of birds chirping as they fight for their food and by hordes of locals shouting as they sell any and every item you could possibly need. My walk to PUCV, the university I am attending while here in Chile, takes a short five minutes and covers only three blocks of the city, but it always feels as if I am walking through a whole new world.

Culture overwhelms me from the moment I step out of my door as street vendors approach me continuously, shouting the names and prices of random items they hope to sell, to the end of my first block. Cultural encounters continue as I move to the second block of my journey to school, which is by far my favorite. This block consists of tables and tables showcasing mounds of shiny, ripe, and juicy fruits and vegetables. As I walk, everything around me becomes a blur of yellows, oranges, reds, and greens. The area teems with life as people hustle to complete their early morning shopping. Here in Chile, it is tradition to buy only enough for two days maximum so that the food is always fresh (quite the opposite of most American families who shop to fill their fridges for weeks at a time). The sunlight reflecting the vibrant colors of fruits and vegetables, the scents of fresh food, the shouts of local Spanish-speakers, and the feeling of Chileans hurriedly brushing up against me are some of the strongest sensations I experience as I attempt to scramble through the crowd. I eventually break through the masses and begin walking my third and final block.

The final block is flooded with college students passing time with friends between classes, soaking in the sun and breathing in the fresh air. I continue forward, approaching what seems to be an ancient castle, and find myself arriving at the beautiful Pontificia Universidad Católica de Valparaíso. The single building before me is the home of knowledge. Of growth. Of challenge. Of opportunity. It is a place that has already challenged and encouraged me in so many ways, and I know it will continue to do so.

I never imagined it would be possible to experience so much culture in three short blocks. I’ve recognized that my walk to class is more than just a walk; it is a journey through the most beautiful chaos that I have ever experienced. These few minutes allow me to forget everything else, to be present, and to soak in the beauty of Valpo’s culture as I prepare myself for another full day of classes and adventures awaiting. And to think, this is just the beginning…

UCT Academics

One of the biggest culture shocks I’ve had so far would have to be school at UCT. Even starting out at orientation and registration it was much different. In the US most schools have an online registration process near the end of the previous semester in order to sign up for classes and figure out your schedule. At UCT, however, the registration process involves various steps and needs to be completed in person after waiting in multiple lines. So, coming into the semester I didn’t know what classes I would end up taking. After standing in line to talk to an academic advisor and present what classes I was interested in taking, I was able to register for two courses and had to wait to seek approval from a faculty member for my third course. Then on the first day of class, I had to find the course convener for the psychology course I wanted to add, have her sign the course addition document, go stand in a line for 45 minutes to have an academic advisor approve the course, and finally go stand in another line to have someone manually input the course into my schedule. Although registration at Hope can be stressful, this experience made me very appreciative of registration at Hope and how quick and easy it is.

Now, after the first week of classes, I have a set schedule including three courses at UCT and one through the IES program. At first when deciding to go abroad, I figured I would be able to have a schedule that would allow me to have class fewer days each week and longer weekends, but little did I know that classes at UCT can meet up to 4 days a week and include an additional tutorial session. My Cognitive Neuroscience and Abnormal Psychology course has four 45-minute lectures and one 45-minute tutorial every week. The lectures are taught by the professor and have about 500 students, whereas the tutorials are taught by an assistant professor or post-graduate student and only include about 20 students. Being in a lecture this large will definitely take some getting used to since the largest class I’ve been a part of before at Hope was only 60 students. Having the tutorials is really helpful though because we are able to go over lecture material in a smaller group, making it easier to ask questions and get to know class mates.

The way professors and assistant professors grade in South Africa is something I will have to get used to as well. In the US, we are used to having points taken off for getting an answer wrong or not writing enough detail about something in a paper, for example. Here, however, points are awarded for doing something right or doing what the professor expects. Because of that, it is much harder to get a 100% on something here. Anything between a 75% and 100% here is equivalent to an A, and A’s are hard to come by at UCT. So, I will have to adjust my brain to not freak out if I get a 68% on a quiz or test because that would be a B+, not a D.

The size of UCT has also been an adjustment for me, as it has about 30,000 undergraduate students and much larger campus than I am used to. UCT campus is on the side of Table Mountain, which means it is uphill and has three different levels: lower, middle, and upper campus. To walk from my house on lower campus to upper campus can take about 20 minutes, and it’s not always a leisurely walk. They also have a Jammie shuttle that takes students from lower campus up, but you have to get to the stop pretty early in order to ensure you’ll get a spot on the bus. So, I usually just opt for making the walk up to class.

Part of Middle Campus on my walk back home

Even though there have been a lot of challenges in adjusting to this new learning environment, I am very excited for this semester and the courses I am taking. Three out of the four courses I am taking are focused on African culture or society. Probably the course I am most looking forward to is African Instrument, where I will be learning different African drumming styles and techniques along with other traditional African instruments! I am also taking an African Religious Traditions course which focuses on Indigenous religions, African Islam, and African Christianity. It will be interesting to see the similarities and differences between religion in Africa and in the US throughout this course. The third African focused class I am taking is through the IES program and is called Community Health in Context. This course focuses on the health care system in South Africa and how it has progressed and affected the community. This course also involves a service learning component, where I will complete 40 hours of service at a volunteer site and complete 20 hours of research throughout the semester related to my volunteer site and the health care system in South Africa. I will be volunteering with a UCT organization called SHAWCO Health where I will assist UCT Medical Students at mobile clinics that travel to townships around Cape Town. I am very excited and eager to be a part of this organization and not only experience medical care in South Africa but to meet individuals from various townships as well and be able to learn from them.

Academically, I think this semester will be challenging and something I have to adjust to, but I am looking forward to learning about South Africa in the class room!

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