Two Months. Whaaaat?

I have officially been in South Africa for two months. I have no idea where the time has gone. Well, I do. I am still shocked by how time is flying past me. It feels like yesterday I nervously boarded through a glass jetbridge at JFK having no clue what would be in store for the next six months.

If you have been following my blog then you do know what I've been up to so far. Since I last wrote not a whole lot has taken place. I started my new school, Herzlia, which is located in Cape Town. I was a bit nervous to start at a new school group and meet yet another new group of people. After having been at Herzlia for a week I can say that I have adjusted well.

On Saturday, I had the great pleasure of waking up at 6:30. If you know me you should know how much I adore waking up early. Alas, I should stop digressing. My host mom, Astrid, along with my sisters, Yael and Abbi, and I got in the car to Stellenbosch. My host mother's nephew had a rugby match there, and so did my host sister's boyfriend. A South African high school rugby match may appear to be different than an American high school football game, but the two have quite a bit in common. There is a bunch of rahurrah at the beginning, with singing and chanting, followed by other traditional festivities. Really, it didn't seem much different. It was pretty interesting from an intercultural, as well as sports fan's perspective. It's probably something I wouldn't volunteer to attend again early on a Saturday but it was definitely something to see. A visit to Stellenbosch would not be complete without walking around the town. I took a stroll through the town for a few hours. There's a great deal of European architecture and influence in the university town. Pictures are to follow. Before I left, I made a point of indulging in what makes Stellenbosch world-famous–wine. Not that I am a wine expert, but I found the South African varietals very nice. The car ride home felt a bit more unusual than it did going there earlier that morning!

On Sunday we had a braai for my host dad's birthday. It was fun, and most importantly, delicious. People at home tend to grill using charcoal or gas. Here, people literally use fire. I'll let you go to wikipedia to figure out what I mean. A braai is central to any family related event. It brings people together, like American summer barbecue. Cultural differences are just as much cultural similarities. 

Pardon the length of this post. I've been sick today so I found more time to write.


Here are some pictures from the last month:

 V&A Waterfront. The lego-looking guy is actually made out of Coke crates!

 "Proof" that I'm in Africa. Taken on my game drive last month.

 An autumn day in Stellenbosch.

 Is this Africa? 

Me in Kalk Bay, a part of Cape Town 

08H00 rugby

View from Kalk Bay looking inland. 

In Cape Town you get four seasons in one day.