Unconsciously I realized that I somehow assumed that all people have the same general desires and concepts of life, to be loved and wanted being at the top of the list. Although I do think there are universal desires, everyone achieves those universal needs in different ways, which is why I have loved meeting absolutely everyone, and listening and learning about all of the differences in people. I do struggle sometimes with not finding someone who I can fully relate to and be very real with, but I also am learning to take joy in the differences as well. In the end, people can be polar opposites, but the one thing we all have in common, that all of our lives turn around, is wanting to be loved and to give love back in return, so even the most unlikely stranger can actually have the exact same fundamental principles of needing love and giving love in return, there is in reality much in common.
Actions here speak much louder then words, but that statement is lived out completely in this place of differences. Walking along a sidewalk by one of the beaches, there were a group of kids playing Party Rock Anthem and dancing their hearts out. They must have only been 4 or 5 but they were just dancing whole heartedly for all to see. Hearing the music and seeing the dancing, I had to join them, how could I not?! So as I stood there getting my groove on with all of the kids I saw the response of not only them but the people around me as well. The kids started laughing and dancing even more energetically and as I glanced underneath a nearby tree I saw the children's' family lounging under the shade, and knowing that we wouldn't be able to communicate, I flashed her a smile and a wave, catching her eye as a sort of thank you for letting me be a kid again, dancing in the side walks with a bunch of other children. She smiled back and laughed, seeing that it was such a funny sight, full of life, the life of a child. It was in that moment we made eye contact, and although I didn't speak her language, I felt like we had connected in a much deeper way than words could speak.
We toured campus again today, reminding me yet again that although I though I was in pretty decent shape before I came here..I've got nothing on the South Africans who climb this mountain every day on the way to campus. Out of breath and panting, I was happy for the tour to be over and the adventure for the day to commence. Hannah and I headed back to the house and relaxed for a bit, looking up the locations and logistics of how to get where we are going. Kelsey, a girl in our house on the year long program, has already been here for a semester, and has been the best comfort so far. Her knowledge and street smarts is something I have tried to mimic every time she is around, and she came along on our journey today. So Hannah, Kelsey, and I got onto a mini bus.
I may have mentioned this before, but every time I ride is just a different, crazy experience. Basically the mini busses are public transportation where people are packed in seat to seat, and even sitting on a crate with a pillowcase placed on the floor. No one wears seat belts because there isn't enough room in the cars to put them on, and as the bus speeds through town we just hope we don't fall off of our seats. There is a person crammed in the bus with a cloth bag, and he is the one who collects money from every and also jumps out of the car, or shouts out of the window to get people to hop on the bus. It really is a crazy experience and something to get used to, a few things happened on the mini bus that I am still processing, but it is definitely nothing like we would find in the states. When we arrived in Cape Town, a man came up to us, harassing us, asking for money, the works, and I was just so caught off guard as to what to do, because it's basically a safety issue, depending on how the situation is handled. Kelsey immediately took on a harsh tone, "No, we don't have any, we don't have any, sorry no" As we picked up the pace a little, he spoke more, following us, until finally we shook him off. Kelsey told me that usually they won't follow you around like that, and they wouldn't try to harm us in such a public area with all three of us plus the passerby's. The street smart side of me definitely took over for the rest of time in Cape Town, and as my heart became a bit more hardened, and I kept watch with everything I did, every word I spoke, trying to be less American, culture shock hit me.
It was definitely a lot to take in today, don't worry mom and dad, you are probably freaking out reading this, but I promise you I've been and will be smart about everything I do, and I am learning the streets quickly. Aside from those experiences I got time to relax as we walked to the music shop where I got to play the test piano as my friends were looking at the ukulele's. The guy we talked to who worked in the store was really friendly and pretty helpful to us, which was surprising at first as most people here are pretty hostile towards Americans, but he was so friendly and I definitely will make it a goal to go back there.
We made our way to The Waterfront, and I felt like I was in San Francisco with the street music playing, boardwalks on the ocean front, a giant ferris wheel, markets, and restaurants spotting the docks. We ate at a great outdoor restaurant right by the ocean, and I got grilled squid which tasted so fresh, I am in love with the seafood here. It was relaxing and we finally made our way back to the mini bus to hopefully make it to our drum workshop and free dinner we had awaiting us. We got caught in rush hour but made it for the end of the drumming workshop which was a blast.
The beat and the rhythm of the African drum pulsed in my heart and body and eventually translated to my hands onto the drum skin. It was beautiful to see, hear, and be surrounded by music and rhythm. We made our way back to the houses for a game of 30 seconds and egyptian rat screw. Overall it was a very successful day. love to you all, my brothers and sisters in Christ -mia
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