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February 14, 2005
Ready for the Week
I had a spectacular weekend, which started off on Friday night with the event which left something to be desired. President Mbeki spoke, but he is a much less dynamic speaker than I envisioned him to be. The crowd obviously shared my sentiments, as they kept talking right through the grand total of 30 minutes of speeches. It was a beautiful evening and an educational experience, so I'm not complaining a bit.
I woke up bright and early on Saturday morning to catch a boat to Robben Island, only to discover that the tour was sold out until the afternoon. So we flip-flopped our plans and headed to Kirstenbosch in the morning. Kirstenbosch was gorgeous and I had a great time walking around, looking at all the flora, and chatting with friends. We then left that scene to head to an island where politial prioners were severely mistreated, juxtaposing beauty with incredible injustice--something that is starting to become the definition of South Africa for me.
Sunday was a very relaxing day, since almost nothing at the University is open on Sundays and I was therefore forced against my will to relax and spend most of the day doing work. (I know, Becca doing work? I couldn't believe it either...) In the evening I joined 8 of my classmates for dinner at my professors' flats, which was absolutely the most wonderful thing I've had here in a very long time. I came home with lots of leftovers that won't make it past dinner tonight...
So I'm starting to settle in here: the dorm life is becoming more routine, the campus isn't so confusing, and a few familiar faces are starting to pop up. The kitchen situation has almost been completely solved, aside from the fact that we're still awaiting copies of the keys in order to enter. Once I start cooking for myself and shopping on a regular basis, I will have very few complaints about life here.
Posted by rgutwin at February 14, 2005 03:10 AM
Comments
Is it Valentine's Day in that country, too?
"I was a beautiful evening and an educational experience..." -- yeah, see? You'd make some guy very happy.
Kidding, you know. But it was an appropriate Freudian slip for the occasion. :)
Posted by: Diana at February 14, 2005 08:32 AM
Yes, I am offering a general apology for the many inevitable typos that will litter my posts. I don't really re-read the things I write...
Posted by: Rebecca at February 14, 2005 11:59 AM
No no, that was a good typo. I appreciated that one.
Posted by: Diana at February 14, 2005 02:48 PM
So pleased to hear that your weekend was "spectacular," and that you were sated at long last. Did you get to chit-chat with any locals about their views at the democracy event?
Becca, I saw your post about fire safety (I'm a little behind - just got back from helping Linda and Paul move - Lucas and Jack say "hi"!). Your concerns are well founded and should be checked out -- I strongly encourage you and/or your profs to find out what the exit plan is in case of fire (there should be a couple of different routes), and the location of fire extinguishers (near things like laundry and kitchen) in the building. There may be other exit doors you're not aware of. They should have oriented you to this when you arrived. If they don't have fire extinguishers you should make a fuss or get your own. Fire safety should never be taken lightly - it's amazing how quickly the most innocuous thing can get out of control and people die for the most ridiculous, preventable reasons. (My mom worked in one of the country's top 10 burn centers so I am a bit of a fire freak!) Please do check this out a little further.
On that note, your comment about "perceived safety" is apt because we can never assure our safety 100% and being cognizant of this reality is so helpful in living a balanced and sane life.
Glad you're having fun over there!
Posted by: Beth at February 14, 2005 11:12 PM
Someone from HWS visited UWC this weekend, and after I alerted her to the fire safety thing, she spoke at length with some important people at the University. There should be a fire inspection soon and an orientation for our building on what to do in the event of a fire. It's somewhat concerning that it took a group of American students making a fuss in order to get the issue addressed, but hopefully the University will become a safer place for everyone.
Posted by: Rebecca at February 15, 2005 02:39 AM
That's great Becca! See, one person speaking up can make a difference ... Nice job.
Posted by: Beth at February 16, 2005 07:55 PM