Wednesday, July 8, 2009

Day Two - Observations/Update

Observations

Grocery stores: Yesterday we hit a Pick and Pay for some breakfast things and one dinner's worth of food. Even with the so-so exchange rate, food is actually 1/2 the price that it is in DC. The two main grocery stores are located in the same mall, and many people (of varying races and wealth but especially children) shop barefoot.

Apartheid: People here seem eager to talk about their memories and perceptions of apartheid (which is great, since it seems like a strange thing for an American to ask about). Our driver from the airport talked about living in a colored township growing up and told us he had gotten to meet Nelson Mandela three times because his classmates kept dying in protests. Malcolm, who is white, described a complete lack of awareness growing up of the violence and living conditions even 5 km away from his house. He said the media was so controlled, he didn't know anything about any of the anti-apartheid movement (and the deaths involved) until after 1994. Amanda's sister, who's the youngest of her family, actually told me quite directly that she thinks the absurd rate of rape in South Africa is a consequence of apartheid. Malcolm and Amanda (and her family) are definitely quite liberal, so I haven't seen any racism among white South Africans yet.

Michael Jackson: Last night in the pub, the Michael Jackson funeral was on E! on TV. Our waiter told us Michael Jackson hadn't died yet since nobody's seen his body. Clearly, he's going to be the next Elvis, but it reminded me that Michael Jackson's racial ambiguity makes him SUPER popular here.

Update

Today, after massively oversleeping (must. beat. jetlag.) we headed out to Kalk Baii, a fishing town next to Fish Hoek. Lots of neat bohemian shops- the hipster thing has definitely caught on down here. Some of the shirts were totally bonkers- a mock vacation ad for Robben Island (where anti-apartheid activists were held as prisoners) was a little twisted. Sitting on the beach we got nuzzled by a scraggley dog (from behind, which triggered a momentary panic while we figured out what was going on). This dog LOVED seaweed. Loved it. He was chopping through a huge piece and refused to move on with his master. Also, grabbed a snack-here they put scoops of ice cream INSIDE crepes which is delectable.

Tomorrow, we're heading up to Simons Town, a naval town, to poke around, and we're perhaps going on a baboon trip. If you've got a minute, check out the site of Baboon Matters: Sustainable Solutions for Managing Baboons. It's an absolute riot.


Here is the peak we climbed by the house. Find Sean!

2 comments:

  1. This is incredible, Liz. I hope you're having a sick time- it sure sounds like it!!

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