Where the Streets Have No Name

I kicked off the week with a spectacular hike in one of the nearby mountains with Dara, Dave and Zach, all AIFS students here at Stellenbosch with me. As we made our way up the rocky dirt roads to the trail, we laughed at the roll-down windows and faulty tape player, which we tried to use to blast U2s “Where the Streets Have No Name.” (It’s a fitting song, really, since the streets really aren’t labeled except for on the sidewalk curbs. This, in addition to the fact that they’re still unfamiliar Afrikaan names, only adds to the confusion for directionally-challenged people like myself…) The scenery on the trails was absolutely gorgeous and I found myself reaching for my camera every couple minutes to try and capture the beauty of my untouched surroundings. However, these pictures couldn’t begin to describe the excitement we had upon finding our very own waterfall “watering hole” that we took advantage of for a refreshing swim. I felt like we were walking through a scene in Lost and joked around that we were searching for ‘the hatch’ and avoiding the black smoke.

This week has been a time for exploring not only the rolling hills around campus but also the interesting sights and sounds in Stellenbosch. I’ve managed to forgo the map as much as possible and play the “Follow the Local” game to begin to orient myself with the strange-sounding street names (try pronouncing “Soeteweide” and “Skone Uitsig” with a straight face when asking for help with directions. Not easy. I’ll be taking an “Afrikaans for Beginners” this semester, so hopefully I’ll be able to master some of these words by the end.) The University of Stellenbosch actually makes up the town and there isn’t much of a divide between on- and off-campus, although most of the shops, markets and nightlife are a short walk downtown. Crossing the streets is also an acquired skill here -we’ve been playing a bit of “Frogger” (and I thought Rhode Island drivers were dangerous…).

This week we had “Braii –Take II” on Tuesday night, this time with a bit more success. The grill was still monopolized by the guys (what is it with boys and fire?!) but we all enjoyed sausage, chicken, pineapple and my contribution of grilled eggplant (mmm). We also discovered “Braii Biscuits,” which are like pre-made garlic bread rolls that melt the butter inside when heated. Genius. And delicious. I think we might have been on a grilling kick, because the next day at the beach, our sunscreen marinades (or lack thereof, for some) didn’t quite hold up to the South African sun. Roasted Americans, anyone? 

Campus is finally starting to fill up as the upperclassmen are returning and MAD2 week is in full swing. Each of the residence halls (set up Greek style) has been practicing a performance all week for the first-years to put on. Thursday night’s “Vensters” showcased these dances on various street stages across campus and after being woken up to Rihanna and Shakira blasting outside my window at 7am for the past week and a half as they practiced (making for some very annoyed and very cranky Concordia residents), I was interested to check out the dances. So wild! And the costumes! Zombies, gypsies, and traditional tribal gear. It takes some getting used to the huge number of students on campus –just about 25,000 in comparison to PC’s 4,000 –so it feels almost like a town in itself. At the same time, everyone has been super friendly and always asks, “Where in America are you from?” even if I’ve just said hello. Is it really that obvious? haha

With all these beach days and braiis, it feels like I have been on vacation since I’ve been here. At the same time, I’m starting to feel a bit lost without a set schedule or classes yet. This relaxed and easy-going pace is the South African way of life, says my abroad officer, “Mama H,” and hinted that Americans would do well to copy it once in a while. So here I am, doing one of my favorite things in the world –sitting out in the sun (don’t worry Mom, I’ve got plenty of sunscreen!) on the green at the student center. As I’m writing I get to listen to a conversation in Xhosa –complete with intricate and exotic clicks. I’m still trying to figure out how they click while they’re talking! Time to go listen…