Wow

So the first rule to writing a good blog post– at least as I see it– is to come up with some sort of unifying theme that elevates anecdotes to an interesting level for readers. Well, for now, I’m going to ignore that rule. Because here’s the thing: I’ve had so much fun in my first two days in Cape Town that I really want to write. But the problem is I haven’t really done or seen much yet, so trying to talk with any confidence about my impressions of South Africans, the city, or the university would be absurd. So, instead, I’ll let everyone know why I’ve been so impressed

First and foremost: the unparalleled beauty of this city. Of course, I’m still in a hotel and have been bussed around with the other students to different locations without any clue where I’m going. But I have seen quite a bit. Our hotel sits on a hill overlooking the coast and much of the enormous city. At night, the lights seem to stretch endlessly– I had read that Cape Town was huge, but it’s tough to comprehend a city of four million people without being there.

Yesterday, the group journeyed to Table Mountain, the gorgeous landmark that the city surrounds. We weren’t able to take the cable car up due to heavy winds, but the views were absolutely stunning. From one side of the lookout point, we could look down the rocky cliffs to the water below. We also had a nice view of Robben Island, home to the infamous prison where Nelson Mandela and others were held. On the other side, we watched in awe as the white clouds formed and rolled over the mountaintop. I didn’t take many pictures yet, but you can see from these few why I was excited. There aren’t many places in the world with the natural beauty to leave people speechless, but Cape Town and Table Mountain in particular is assuredly one of them. (I’m having some trouble getting the pics up right now– but they’ll be here as soon as I have another minute to try to upload them.)

And the university! We visited UCT for the first time this morning. It literally sits on the edge of the mountain and is separated into three campuses (lower to upper) climbing up the rocky edge of the mountain. I can’t tell you how many times I heard students say things like, “Why don’t I go here all the time?” or “Okay, I’m going to transfer here.” With weather in the mid-60s to mid-70s and little to no rain for the next six months, I’m not sure at all how we’ll manage to pay attention in class with such a beautiful campus waiting for us outside.

And for all of the overwhelming scenery, the people I’ve met have been just as impressive. True, right now is still a bit awkward. After all, there are about 140 students in my program, and meeting people once is not really enough to remember names. I am trying, though, to meet more people now before everyone settles into smaller groups and it becomes weird to make further introductions.

The UCT students who are our mentors have been the most interesting to meet. I have to confess that I probably didn’t do enough homework on the University of Cape Town before coming. I knew it was a large and prestigious school, but I had no idea that it attracted a student body from such a diverse array of African countries. I’ve met students from all over South Africa (Johannesburg to Durban), Zimbabwe, Kenya, Tanzania, and others

And I will relate one observation I feel prepared to back up. The students and program directors here follow American news much more closely than Americans follow the news in any foreign country. This is not exactly a shock, but it is still a little surprising to come halfway around the world and hear Sarah-Palin jokes, exuberance about President Obama’s inauguration, quips about corrupt Chicago politics, and observations about Hurricane Katrina. From what I’ve been told, it seems that views here toward Americans have improved remarkably since Obama’s election, though I don’t yet have any real experiences or conversations to back that up

One thing I would like to accomplish with this blog, though, is try to offer to the readers insights and updates about South Africa’s upcoming election as I learn and hear more about it. It may be the first competitive election since the end of apartheid (until now, the ANC has completely dominated, as blacks face the choice of voting for a likely corrupt ANC or the vestigial parties of the apartheid system.) That way, maybe together we can make a little progress away from being stereotypical Americans. I always prided myself on not being one of those, but after these first few days, I have a new sense of urgency. Basically, I never want to be the target of a rolled eyes and “Typical American” line. Maybe it’s unavoidable…we’ll see.

Again, I do apologize if the post has seemed unfocused. But I think that goes a long way toward describing my state of mind right now. There is so much to take in so quickly, but everything really has been amazing. So in a way, then, I suppose this post does have a theme: simply, WOW!