Back and Forth

Hello Everyone,

 Well if you can believe it as of today I am officially done with my academic semester! I have less than 20 days remaining and the day after tomorrow I will be leaving with two of my friends on a nine day journey across the Southern coast of South Africa!

 The weather here the last several weeks as gotten increasingly warm. It is so strange for me to be in a place where warm weather is common considering I've never spent significant time beyond New England. A couple of weeks ago I went skydiving in Cape Town! It was an absolutely beautiful day and an amazing experience. We jumped at 9,000 feet and the whole plane ride (very small plane) up we got to see the coast. The jump was so much fun and in my opinion way better than the bungee jump. It's long enough that you actually get to enjoy the experience and the views were incredible. My tandem buddy even let me steer the parachute! So awesome!

 Halloween here is mostly nonexistent. In our small town of Stellenbosch there was nothing happening, but there were probably more things occurring in the cities. I was surprised how hard it was to be away for Halloween (one of my favorite holidays) and the Fall festivities. I just have to keep reminding myself I will never be in this situation in South Africa again and I must take advantage of every remaining moment.

 That being said, the remaining month I am in South Africa has brought up a lot of emotions. Everyday is a mix between feeling so close to home that I just want to be there and being extremely upset that I have so few days in South Africa left. I will be happy to be home, but can't imagine not being here in South Africa any longer. I continue to worry about the transition back home and the things I have not done here in South Africa. I just try to think of it as motivation to come back one day. 

 Last week I spent a few nights in Cape Town. I hiked Table Mountain, went to the aquarium, did some souvenir shopping, saw some live jazz, took a double-decker city bus tour and met quite a few characters at our backpackers. It was a nice chance to be out of Stellenbosch for a bit, but I really wish I had more time to explore the city. 

 All in all things are going very well. Truly can't grasp the fact that after a year of research and anticipation, my study abroad experience is coming to a close. I will do my best to experience new things while I can (like driving here) and maybe send some of our warm weather back home. I love that is doesn't get dark until 7 or 8pm and it's still extremely warm out when I go to bed. How strange it'll feel to wake up back home to Fall weather. 

 May next journey (and laundry) awaits! Can't wait to tell you about my vacation when I return!

Until Next Time,

Meaghan 

T.I.A. (This is Africa)

Hello Everyone,

 I apologize for it taking so long since my last post. I know I am avoiding post updates because it only solidifies the fact that I have less than a month remaining. This feeling reminds me much of the one I had when preparing to say good-bye to my friends who graduated last year. Avoidance. 

 The reality is; however, that I do have less than 30 days here in South Africa. The past month has been crazy...filled with travels and copious amounts of assignments. The AIFS program traveled to Hermanus several weeks ago for a whale festival. It was beautiful weather, but sadly no whales. How unlucky! Apparently on the other days people saw several whales, but nothing like the hundreds they told us we'd see, haha. A few weeks later our program went to Boulders Beach and Cape Point. We got to see penguins at Boulders Beach and then saw baboons at Cape Point! As soon as we got out of our vehciles a family parked next to us was getting into their car. A dad was pushing his daughter in a stroller and then a baboon ran over and tried to grab her! Luckily the dad grabbed her just in time so the baboon jumped in their trunk and stole a bag of chips and once it was done it went into the interior of the car! It was mayhem and their three children were screaming crying...crazy. Yesterday was our last AIFS excursion. It was a very nice event where we went to our directors house, which was beautiful, and then went out to dinner at an amazing restaurant. It was filled with memories (a slideshow) and thoughts for the future.

 I wanted to mention a few random things I have noticed since being in SA that I keep forgetting to bring up. One is the fact that there is clearly not a seat belt law. People pack into the cars here and most often in trucks people will just be sitting in the back while the car is speeding down the street. Second is the wonderful treat of grocery shopping on Sunday and getting to see people dressed up in their church clothes. Big hats, beautiful dresses, and fancy shoes. It's so wonderful to see and an interesting contrast to the States. Third is that people use umbrellas here when it is really hot and sunny out to protect themselves...how innovative! Fourth is directed that the foreign students who study here. I think it's great how we still find ordinary things (cows, notebooks, etc) so intriguing simply because they are in South Africa! 

 There is also a lot of homeless people here and I have never been approached more about giving money than I have since I've been here. One story related to this is something that happened to my flatmate and I a few weeks ago. We were eating muffins outside of the student building and a homeless man approached us asking for money. He began speaking to us in Afrikaans and later transitioned to English when we told him we didn't understand. He then asked us where we were from to which I responded America. This was my initial mistake because the assumption is that if you are American you have a lot of money. I gave him five rand and my flatmate gave him a granola bar. He was not satisfied. We began to get uncomfortable and just needed him to leave so we offered to buy him bread and milk for the 7/11 inside. He was very excited and followed us in. He also picked out an expensive pack of deli meat and simply to move things along we agreed. As we waited in line he told us to also asked the cashier for a bottle of alcohol. We promptly said no although he insisted. As we checked out the cashier looked at us knowing we were clearly nervous and just trying to help the situation out. He was asking for a bag (which is additionally) and the cashier said no and asked if she needed to call security. He followed us a bit more after we checked out and then we explained that we need to go the other direction and that was that. Quite the experience.

 This entry has been a random compilation of thoughts, but the amount of time that has passed since my last entry is substantial. I forgot to mention that a few weeks ago we went to our friend's Drew improv show. Drew is one of our drivers hired through AIFS, but the fact that he invited us shows that he is more than just a driver he is our friend. This is the case with all of the people I have met through AIFS and I couldn't be more pleased with the group of people I got to know!

 As we are approaching November the weather has made a significant change...it is so hot! Hard to believe that home in Maine and people at school in Vermont have already experienced some snow. That'll be quite the transition home. It's been a lot of fun for me because I have never been South of Rhode Island so this weather is a whole new experience for me and makes me feel like I'm on vacation all the time, haha. It has been an adjustment, but it's incredible. The flowers continue to blossom and the smells that fill the air are indescribable! 

 I will be done with school work very soon and begin my November travels (I don't know what they are yet!). This means that everyone in our group will be scattered and doing their own various travels until our departure on November 20th (although several students are extending their stay). This is a harsh reality that we are all struggling with. We've had many discussions about things we won't have enough time to do, people we wished we had gotten to know better, and worries about whether or not we will get a chance to return one day. I truly do not know what to expect in these final weeks or in the first month or so back home. I don't think there is any way to prepare for it, but to be aware. I'm trying hard to embrace the final days I have here in SA, but sometimes it's still very hard to live in the moment. 

 I'm so proud that I made the decision to study abroad and that South Africa became my destination. I could not be happier with my choice! 

Meaghan 

Euphoria

Hello Everyone,

 Sorry it's been so long since my last post, but I'm finally at that point...the one they tell us about before studying abroad when showing us a 'culture shock' graph...a series of curves to describe the emotions we'll go through and I'm happy to report to be at the peak. I just got back from a week long holiday touring through the Garden Route of South Africa! As I mentioned in the previous post the holiday consisted of countless activities including feeding elephants, petting cheetahs, a surprise performance by a local rasta band, and as I conveniently left out from my last entry...the world's tallest bungee jump! As a note to future students who study abroad, I find it is best to not tell parents about "extreme activities" you are going to do beforehand...it induces unnecessary stress for the parents and makes for a better surprise when you return safely later that day with the stories!

 The week of group travel was a great way to see another part of South Africa, we traveled through the Western Cape to part of the Eastern Cape, and spent quite a bit of time by the water! It's amazing to me to have mountains right next to the ocean...what an excellent combination...a beauty unto itself. All and all the trip was great, minus the stomach bug that got about 80% of our group sick for two days, and I can check many things off my 'to do' list. I love doing all the unique activities, but sometimes I find the most interesting part to just be the travel itself. See the countryside is amazing, but it also provides a chance to see how locals interact. I love that while driving there is this constant transition of people passing each other (there is no dotted line to indicate when this is allowed or now allowed), but that nearly every time someone does they blink their hazard lights as a 'thank you'. Simple yes, but intriguing. Sadly; however, we did witness the result of a terrible car crash on our return home from what appeared to be cars trying to pass each other, but not being quick enough before vehicles in the oncoming direction caught up. Very scary. My last point in relation to cars is this seemingly odd reality that almost every car in this country is white! I do not understand it, but I could guess that 90% of the cars I've seen are white...I wonder why.

 I have less than two months remaining and am not at all ready to return; however, I know that the day will come and therefore have started to somewhat prepare myself emotionally for the transition home. Earlier on in the semester, a bunch of us were talking a South African student who interacts with international students a lot and he mentioned to us that it seems as though, especially with American students, the study abroad experience often makes us more American when we return. I can see what he is saying. Although students are enjoying their time abroad, often times that is in the company of fellow Americans. I think his point was to encourage us to interact with locals and challenge those around us so that we can get the most out of our experience here. We all studied abroad for different reasons, but we all decided to come to South Africa and should embrace it! That being said, I think I am trying to take in the experience as much as I can; however, I find myself sometimes wishing I was home only to know that when I'm home I'm going to wish I was here. I anticipate the changes that will have occurred back home with my family, my friends, my school and how I will adjust to those changes. I hear this is the most difficult part of studying abroad and I don't doubt that. I'm doing my best to take to students who have already gone through the experience to get some insight, but truly I think it's not something one can prepare for, but it's all apart of the process.

 As I mentioned I have less than two months remaining which equals 17 days of classes including finals! That's crazy to be done with academics before Halloween! My classes are going very well though and I had my first Afrikaans exam which went very well! I have two oral presentations as part of my finals for Afrikaans and Xhosa, a big paper for my history course, and group project about developing a new product for Kenya in my marketing course. Lots of work ahead, but certainly worth it. 

 As of a few days ago, the beginning of Fall started back home and the beginning of Spring started here! The weather is getting warmer although the rain continues. I am also surprised about the winds here...so strong! I actually love the wind (perhaps a strange statement) so I've enjoyed it, but I just can't believe it's strength. So far no major damage minus some branches down. With Spring upon comes the Hermanus Whale Festival which our group attended last week. This is a weekend long event and do my great surprise there were no whales..well there was one. Apparently in past years there has been at least 80 many of which come very close to the rocks. I asked one of our coordinators Mike and he said the in the six years he's done this, this had never happened. He guessed it was too early in the season this time. Disappointing, but to make up for it he made a pit stop for us at a penguin colony! They were very cute and we'll get to see more of them in a few weeks on our second to last excursion to Boulder's Beach! I have to say as happy as I am to be getting the warmer weather (since my summer was cut so short back home) I am surprisingly missing Fall back home. Always my favorite season and a feeling that I can never really describe. I think of Maine and Vermont with the beautiful leaves, the wonderful smelling air, pumpkins, cider donuts, apple picking, and of course Halloween! I just have to keep reminding myself that I have the rest of my life to experience those Falls and I should embrace Spring in SA! 

 Another thing I experienced for the first time since I've been here was the craziness of grocery shopping at the end of the month. My flatmate Angie and I went to Pick 'N Pay as usual and were shocked to find mass amounts of people everywhere with grocery carts filled to the top. We assumed it was some kind of reopening of the store with lots of sales or something. There were not even enough baskets or carts for everyone. Check out lines were all the way down the aisles and people where pushing through like it was a competition. I was so overwhelmed and also so curious to understand. We later learned that many people get paid at the end of the month and so this is when they restock their food supply. Mayhem utter mayhem.

 Lastly, November is just around the corner. Two of my friends and I have been planning our November trip. We intend on renting a car (and learning to drive standard on the other side of the road) and driving up the Western coast of SA into Namibia and perhaps into Angola! We've looked at activities like white water rafting, camel rides through the desert, hot air balloon rides at sunset or sunrise in the desert, going to lots of beaches, and who knows what else. We have a lot to plan I can't wait! I would love to explore more parts of SA as well, but time and money just won't allow for all of that. I feel it gives me yet another reason to return to SA someday soon!

 Sorry for the very long post, but I have been terrible about keeping up with my blogging and so much has happened! I hope everyone is doing well and settling into classes or a new job is making a smooth transition.

Until next time!

Meaghan 

-the pictures will not upload on my post, sorry!-

 

Continuing the Journey

Hello Everyone, 

 I have nearly hit the two month mark! I feel like so much has happened since my last entry. We are officially at the end of the academic term as of today which means our Spring Break is about to begin! Before I get into that I just want to bring up the last two weekends. 

 Through the AIFS program there are many planned group excursions. Two weekends ago all of us plus five South African coordinators went to the Cederberg Mountains for three days. It was honestly a much needed and an absolutely wonderful weekend! For me it came at a good time when I was trying to get over some homesickness and needing some re-encouragement about South Africa in general. The weekend was filled with braai-ing deliciously prepared traditional food, amazing star viewing (including shooting stars), a very intense and breathtaking hike which involved literally squeezing up the mountain, beautiful cabins, smores, a wine tasting, and excellent conversation!! It was a perfect weekend. The trip provided a great chance to get to know our coordinators better and also bond further with the other students. Not to mention we got to see zebras and baboons on the long drive to the mountains!

 The following weekend, again through AIFS, we traveled to Cape Town to visit Robben Island where Nelson Mandela's prison cell was. It was a beautiful and somewhat hazy Spring morning when we took a boat out to the island. It was a wonderful ride seeing Cape Town from a different perspective and a chance to enjoy the beauty that surrounds us (plus I was so happy to be by the water again!). We took a tour through Robben Island with roughly 200 other people. Our tour was guided by an ex-convict which was very interesting, but also very difficult to listen to. At the end of the tour we had a little bit of time before the boat was going to leave so two of my friends and I stumbled upon a 'penguin boardwalk'. We were very excited, but also highly pressed for time. After about 5 minutes of walking we spotted the adorable black and white creatures; however, our excitement came out as joyful screams "penguiiinss!!!" and the little animals quickly scurried away. This would not prevent us from obtaining our goal. We hurriedly searched high and low, literally sticking our heads underneath the boardwalk, and finally found them again...but our excitement continued to be too much. Noticing that we only had a few minutes until the boat would depart, with the next one leaving two hours later, we ran along the boardwalk...as we got to the very end we came across a colony of penguins! They were so cute, but sadly the moment was short lived. We ran to the boat passing bunnies everywhere and wild lilies. It was wonderful!

 So as you may be able to tell...things here are really turning up! I am loving South Africa so much and constantly worrying that I do not have enough time to do everything that I want. However, starting tomorrow I will get to check a lot of things off my list. For spring break AIFS is taking us on a week long vacation on the Garden Route. This means that we are traveling roughly 8 hours West along the coast. We will be staying in Buffalo Bay for the first few days and seeing monkeys and elephants, climbing through caves, and possibly riding ostriches! Then we will continue on West to Jeffrey's Bay. We will get a chance to do a canopy tour on zipline, surf lessons, sandboarding, sea kayaking, a whale watch, horseback riding on the beach, a township tour, and of course experience the wonderful beaches! There is so much to do and seeing how the weather has been much nicer the last week or so I can predict that this is going to be an absolutely amazing week!

 I can't wait to come back and share all my stories and pictures with you guys! It's funny to me that I just experienced summer in Maine a few months ago and then experienced a chilly winter here in SA and now the heat is coming back again. It's wonderful to see all of the flowers starting to bloom and the new baby animals! It is truly amazing here!

Until next time!

Meaghan 

Time Flies

Hello Everyone,

Can you believe it? I've been here over a whole month! I can't believe how fast time is going. It's hard to believe that I am already so far into my program where many of my fellow study abroad friends haven't even begun their journey for the fall semester; however, I know many are getting ready to leave in the next week or two. I wish the best of luck to everyone! Additionally, I am seeing pop-ups left and right on Facebook of all the SMCers counting down their days to return to school...so soon it's crazy!

So since my last entry I have been busy with many things. There was a big wine festival in Stellenbosch which was held for an entire weekend. We just went for one day, but we were able to sample numerous wines (South Africa is highly regarded for their wine making) and there was a lot of food from local restaurants! There was even a fashion show! I also went back to Cape Town and hung out at the beach. It is absolutely serene there and although it was a little too cold to go in it didn't stop all of the small children! There were also people selling local crafts to those hanging out on the beach and a photo shoot occurring! A highlight of my time in SA so far was my Shark Cage Diving trip! Myself and a few friends signed up for a trip and were picked up at 5am to drive several hours away to our launching point by Dyer Island. We had the challenge of squeezing into wet suits in the middle of a boat of strangers, but it was beyond worth it! Sharks and fish surrounding us...and ironically we went at the beginning of 'Shark Week' on the Discovery Channel! I also went to an international event put on by the town which was a great night of meeting local people, eating traditional food, listening to local music! Lastly, I finally started my volunteering at Kayamandi, the local township, where I am working with 7th graders in an after school program. Most of the students speak Xhosa and I could tell they were messing with me making up silly names and who knows what else, but I can tell it's going to be a great experience for everyone involved!

Now that we are getting more into the groove of school and life in beautiful SA I am noticing how many of my fellow American students are feeling ashamed of their nationality. People tell us they can identify an American because we say 'like' constantly and perhaps this is true. I guess it's just funny to me because yes the European women are dressed very nicely everyday, etc., but we can't help if we are American. So many people seem surprised at the negative stereotypes others have about Americans, but hopefully people see it as an opportunity to show others that what is often believed to be true, is not. 

As I mentioned, it seems that people are starting to deal with somewhat of a 'identity crisis' and I think that is perhaps in part due to homesickness. I know that for me the previous week was the first time I really felt homesick. I was surprised that it hit me the way it did, seemingly out of nowhere, but I think adjusting to only having one or two classes during the day and not much else to do is a contributing factor. It's very easy to get in a funk and isolate yourself when you are feeling homesick, but the quickest cure is forcing yourself to get out and socialize. It's good to talk to friends and family back home about it, but the reality is that there is not much they can do. You are here now and there is no time to waste. I happily report that I think I am over the first (and perhaps only) leg of homesickness. However, I already predict that once my friends return to school in the States I will have lapses of that feeling again.

On a happier note, I forgot to mention before how things are going with my program. AIFS has been excellent. It was clear to me from the beginning of orientation week that we were more prepared and also more pampered than any of the other international students. AIFS did a great job of taking care of a lot of the logistical issues before we arrived and those that had to wait until our arrival were dealt with in a very efficient and organized fashion. Additionally, they have planned a ton of weekend and day trips for us throughout the semester! The only downside to AIFS in my opinion is that it's great to have a group of familiar people to surround yourself with, but I think it also hinders meeting other international and local students.  People aren't pushed as much to go out and meet others because they have the comfort of a group of friends from the program. My advice is to have your core group, but get out there and hear the stories from the locals and learn about the culture from its prime source!

I think that's about all for now. I am still in the process of finding an internship at a local NGO and in the scary process of looking for a job for after graduation in May-yikes! I'm including the link to my Facebook if you guys want to check out photos:

http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=173702631&ref=profile

Sala Kakuhle (Remain Well)

Meaghan

 

Zulu Dance

Xhosa Singers

Two Weeks in Already

Moloweni Everyone!

 

'Moloweni' is how you say hello to a group of people in Xhosa! It's hard to believe, but I have already been in South Africa for two weeks! So much has already happened and I am truly amazed at how much I have learned.

After about 2o hours of flight (Boston->DC->Senegal->Johannesburg->Cape Town) I finally arrived! I sadly discovered that one of my luggage bags did not make the journey with me from Johannesburg to Cape Town. My family says I had this coming because I brought three bags when I was only allowed two, haha. However, I was very fortunate to have the coordinators of AIFS diligently working to find it after about four days my bag did turn up.

My initial impression of South Africa? It's freezing!! I knew that it was winter in South Africa, but I guess my prediction was that it would feel like spring in New England, but this felt like the beginning of winter in Vermont! Luckily in the last week the temperatures are rising and the chilly rain has lessened. 

So after settling into my dorm-which consists of having my own bedroom and bathroom, but sharing a living room and kitchen with three other girls in the AIFS program- the first day of orientation began at 9am the next day! Although a very tiring beginning the orientation was very helpful.  The week consisted of an orientation for all 250 international students. We had a guided tour through Stellenbosch, a campus tour, information about classes and societies (clubs), instructions about safety and security, a day trip to Cape Town, and many other activities to keep us busy.

It was a very overwhelming experience to meet so many people at once and trying to remember names was out of the question. It's like starting your social life all over again (as one of my veteran study abroad friends forewarned me) and all you can do is try to fight through the awkwardness and make a point to push yourself beyond your comfort zone. Easier said then done!

Observations:

One thing that I have found to be a theme in the these first few weeks of school is the focus on the misconception that Africa is like 'The Lion King'. We have been greeted by multiple lectures

beginning with a clip from the movie (which I love!) as a way to illustrate how inaccurate the movie is-there are no people in it! Perhaps an obvious point, perhaps not? I've also run into a lot of people who say Americans never talk about Africa with reference to their individual countries but simply as Africa...I was surprised how many people were offended by this observation. Additionally, as expected I have heard multiple times how easy it is to identify an American in a crowd...one reason being that Americans are apparently the only ones who wear sneakers for nonathletic reasons, haha. Also, I've noticed a lot of people walking around barefoot for no other reason, from what i can tell, than they just prefer to...this even means inside of cafes, grocery stores, etc.

Lessons:

As corny as it sounds I have already learned so much about myself by being away for just two weeks! My best friend bought me a journal and I am trying very hard to write things down so that come 5 months from now I will be able to take those lessons home with me. I also find that it is so easy to judge when you are in a new environment because everyone is so different.  However, I have quickly learned that although in the beginning I felt that I was so different from everyone else all it took was opening up to others to realize that that is not really the case.  Inevitably, you will meet people who are from different upbringings with different morals than you, but it is important (although sometimes very difficult) to keep an open mind and remember that everyone has something to teach you if only you allow it.

Tips:

If you use folders bring them with you from the States because I can't find them anywhere here! They sell 3-ring binders and big file folders, but not simple folders. Also, I advise staying as well rested as possible right from the beginning because I already see how many people are getting sick after just two weeks! Lastly, as nice as it is to use your computer and stay in touch with everyone from home it is also an easy way to isolate yourself and make it harder to be away from home. So bring lots of pictures, do stay in touch, but also go out and explore! This is a once and a lifetime opportunity and I promise you that everyone will be waiting for you at home when you return!

So this has been an extremely long post (I apologize) but so much happened in the first two weeks.  This is truly only a glimpse at everything that has happened, but I also don't want to spoil all the great surprises for those of you who choose to come to South Africa!  So for now I will leave you with a few videos from my adventures so far...I hope you enjoy!

Meaghan

Hiking up Stellenbosch Mountain 

Pumlani (Xhosa professor) loves to sing and dance while teaching!

Local dancers who performed after the French concert

Last Minute Preparation

Hello Everyone! 

It's hard to believe that my summer is nearly over and that in just six days I will be in flight to South Africa!  The study abroad process was a long journey to pick the right program and the right country and I am very excited for the journey to begin!  As a student at Saint Michael's College with an undergraduate population of 2,000 the transition to my first public school which consists of 20,000 undergraduate is bound to be quite the learning experience.  So now that I have all of my immunizations, received my student visa, and my plane tickets; all that is left to do is pack!  This is a much more daunting undertaking than I expected. I have very bad packing skills, but I like to blame that on genetics! Trying to figure out what the weather will be for the next 5 months in a country you've never been to is quite difficult and of course remembering all the little (but important!) things too like pictures, a journal, books, umbrella, camera, etc.

My family is also dealing with my preparation for departure. My brother studied for a year in Germany so luckily for me I know a little of what to expect from his time abroad, but inevitably they will have different concerns for me. Nonetheless, I am very lucky and happy to have their support and continually try to reinforce how important this is to me. 

I am surprisingly calm at this point.  I think the majority of my 'freaking out' stage occurred when I was still at school in the spring and was realizing all the things and people I would miss while abroad. Luckily for me I have absolutely wonderful friends who took the time out to make me a travel binder entitled 'A Road Trip to South Africa' where all of them wrote me letters of good luck and advice and also lots of pictures! So with that in hand and a few other sentiments from home I think I am ready to go.

The next time I write it will be from South Africa!

Meaghan

-entry written July 6th-