I'm finally moved into my house, set up my internet, and orientation has slowed down enough to allow me to write my first post. Most of this blog will consist of pictures and captions because I'm not witty enough to write interesting entries. However, since a lot has happened that I haven't gotten to take pictures of, I will give you all a brief overview of what has transpired since I arrived in Cape Town.
The first day I got in we did a lot of boring orientation things and I was so tired so I just went to bed but the second night I got out and explored Rondebosch (the suburb we are living in). About 40 kids from my program ended up at a bar called Cybar which was pretty fun and gave me a chance to meet more students from the program. Beer is cheap here and also has a higher alcohol content so being that we are in a recession, this has been my drink of choice. There is also a really good drink here called cider which is similar to beer but tastes like sparkling apple juice! Another one of my favs.
The food here is actually pretty good! And again, fairly cheap. Everything tastes a little different than what I'm used to, but I'm starting to get used to it and really enjoy it. The calamari here is amazinggg so I've been having that a fair amount. Last Saturday we had our first braai (South African word for barbeque) and it was so fun! They had amazing meat--which seems to be a South African specialty, bread, and salad. So far the weather has been nice. We had one day of rain but since then it has been pretty sunny, but still chilly. The cold + no indoor heating anywhere = flannel pjs and a sweatshirt to bed every night.
As of yet, I haven't been too homesick *knock on wood*. South Africa has places very similar to America so its easy to feel at home. Plus skyping comforts when I'm missing family and friends.
However, one night my housemate Teddy was teaching me how to dance and we did the pretzel (my Dad's signature move!) which made me a little nostalgic for father-daughter banquets at the WAC.
In the next couple days we get to sign up for classes and clubs we want to join at UCT. I can't wait to sign up for wine club, scuba diving club, and maybe even sky diving club! I'm also really excited to go bungee jumping even though I am terrified of heights. I'm also looking forward to hiking up Table Mountain and Lion's Head to watch the sunrise. The thing I'm most excited for at this point though is my CIEE volunteer work. I've decided to sign up with a group called YIP (Youth in Prison--one of five volunteer options given to us by CIEE). In this program I will be working with kids who have been incarcerated, giving them an outlet through art, writing, music etc. and trying to keep them busy throughout the days so they don't get into more trouble. This program is perfect for my psychology major so I'm super excited to get started!
Anyways, sorry that was so much information but I promise the rest of the posts will be pictures for easy viewing :)
Miss you and love you all,
Erin
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