Living, learning, and loving in the "Rainbow Nation"

Hello again from South Africa! I am still greatly enjoying life in the "rainbow nation," appropriately nicknamed for its colorful history and diverse political, cultural, social, and economic dynamics.

Here are some more of my insights, which I've tried to coincide with the title of this blog post:

Living:
It is hard to believe that I've already been here a week and a half. Where has the time gone?!??!? If I had to answer my own rhetorical question, then the time has mostly been spent exploring my new environment and getting to know more people. I've been really trying to take advantage of every opportunity that has come my way. So far, so good…

We had a long weekend over Easter, in which I was able to do some sightseeing. We (as in a group of friends from my program) started closer to home by taking a day to walk around the town of Stellenbosch, visit the Stellenbosch botanical gardens (which have just become my new study spot!), do some shopping, and enjoy each other's company. The next day, the group took Cape Town by storm with a full day of exploring, visiting the aquarium, seeing the stadium where the World Cup will be held, dining along the wharf, shopping, and meeting up with other Northwestern friends who are interning in Cape Town as part of their journalism studies. Cape Town is a beautiful city with a great cultural vibe. We were also able to enjoy the city at night, with a dinner at this wonderful restaurant that served traditional African dishes. My new goal is to get my hands on those recipes and learn to make them myself!

Later in our long weekend, we spent a day at a nearby vineyard and conservation center to get up close and personal with cheetahs and other wild animals. A few of us went on a walk around the property to take in the majesty of the South African countryside, which is absolutely breathtaking! We finished the weekend with some wine tasting. All in all, a great introduction to our new home!

Learning:
It was back to reality at 7 am this morning on my first day of class. Although, I really shouldn't complain, because what a great first day it was! We went to the "Sustainability Institute," a community of forty-five households designed to be economically self-sufficient, environmentally friendly, and socially diverse. This community is one-of-a-kind, especially considering South Africa's tumultuous social history of colonialism and apartheid (the community is comprised of people of a variety of races, professions, and economic backgrounds). At the Institute, we had multiple hours of lecture about the project, its current challenges and successes, future goals, and how this type of mixed living environment is a milestone for South Africa. The lecture raised many important public health topics that we will continue to grapple with over the next few months. It was a great lens in which we can begin to explore the tip of the iceberg of much larger social, economic, and cultural challenges.

Later in the afternoon, we were able to directly engage with community members and ask them what their lives are like, living in this unique place. I was able to speak to a woman named Rosalind. We covered everything from her transition from a victimized life in the township to becoming a proud homeowner within this community (and thus fulfilling her life dream of owning a house "that has an upstairs"). We also discussed her work as an elementary school teacher at the local school, her daily life in the community, and her impressions of the advances her country has made over the last decade. Rosalind is a very genuine, compassionate, and optimistic person; she holds great hope for the future of her country, even when she was quick to identify the many social problems that it currently faces. It was an honor to be able to learn from her.

Loving:
Every experience and opportunity I have had causes me to fall more in love with this country. In the short time that I have been here, I am constantly amazed by the friendliness of its people, the beauty of the land, and the incredible optimism that people generally have to overcome the plethora of their daily social, economic, and political challenges. South Africa is unlike any other place in the world, and it is such a privilege to be here!

More adventures to come. In the meantime, I'm wishing everyone the best!