It's been one week since I've moved to Cape Town. Am I a changed person? Probably not. Am I happy here? Yes.
I've written about why I made the move and how I got to my current family, so I won't elaborate any further on the subject. I will say that I am thrilled with my new family, the Meilechs. I met them on Tuesday, when they picked me up at the Hofmans, the people with whom I stayed when I arrived in Cape Town. When we arrived at their (or our?) home, I couldn't believe it. When you look out of the windows in the family room and kitchen, you can see Table Mountain, the Ocean, and all of Cape Town. It was quite a change from living in Heiderand, Mossel Bay. Compared to my surroundings with my last family in Mossel Bay, this is palatial. Actually, this home is palatial for anyone's standards. I have a room in the basement, which is literally the size of a house! I have a massive bathroom to myself that is bigger than my bedroom at home. Seriously!
The past few days with my new family have been really fun. I've met some of my host sisters friends, went to the Waterfront (think Navy Pier, all you Chicagoans), and have enjoyed the last few days of the vacation. I'm starting school on Monday. Yes, that's correct. As a second semester senior with less than eight weeks until graduation, I am starting a new school. Perhaps it wasn't what I planned on when I signed up to go on an exchange, but I'm okay with it. The lesson I've learned since going on exchange is to be flexible. If something isn't working out, only you have the power to voice your feelings and opinions to change the situation. I did, and I'm much happier now.
As exciting as all these changes are, I am beginning to miss home. Maybe it's the two or three month blues. I'm not sure. I think that as long as I keep myself busy, I won't miss home. This can be hard during vacation periods. I would not trade this experience for anything, though. Like anything in life, living away from home in a foreign country can be challenging. This experience will prepare me well for college this fall.
I'll be sure to post some pictures soon!
South Africa
Friday, April 13, 2012
Sunday, April 8, 2012
Capetonian
Hello from Cape Town, my new home!
Yes, I now live in Cape Town. I've never been so enthusiastic to call a place home. Why? Cape Town is perhaps one of the most physically and culturally diverse cities I've ever been to in the world. Now I understand why it receives so much attention as an international destination. It's an amazing city.
I'm getting quite ahead of myself. Here's a bulleted list of things I have done in the past twelve days. It's also a quiz to see if you can understand South African slang.
Yes, I now live in Cape Town. I've never been so enthusiastic to call a place home. Why? Cape Town is perhaps one of the most physically and culturally diverse cities I've ever been to in the world. Now I understand why it receives so much attention as an international destination. It's an amazing city.
I'm getting quite ahead of myself. Here's a bulleted list of things I have done in the past twelve days. It's also a quiz to see if you can understand South African slang.
- Rode in the back of a bakkie
- Went to not one, but three braais
- Went on a game drive
- Ate a Naartjie
- Saw Table Mountain's veil
- Rode in a lift
- Traveled in a coach
- Ate milk tart
I'll let you non-South African readers try to figure out what I did. First one to email or comment me gets an acknowledgment in my next post!
Like I mentioned earlier, I am now living in Cape Town. In short, I love it here. I'm currently with a temporary family until Tuesday, when I move in with my new permanent family. I'm very excited to meet my new family! I had the pleasure of going to a Passover Seder at Temple Israel, in Cape Town. It was a bit different than the Seders I've been to in the past. Interestingly enough, they used the same Haggadah that my family at home uses. Small world? Perhaps.
I apologize for the briefness of this post. I will post pictures of the activities shortly. The internet here isn't fast enough to let me post.
Cheers!
Danny
Wednesday, March 28, 2012
You say Kaapstad, I say Cape Town
Greetings from the Rainbow Nation!
As the title implies, I spent this past weekend in Cape Town. I had an awesome time. The reason of my trip was not just to see the amazing city, but also to connect with the local Jewish community. I'll explain why, what happened, and what it means to me in this post.
I want to preface this post by saying that as rewarding as an exchange is, there are low moments. Is it bad? No. I think it's natural. Is it fun? Not at all, but it's life. Sometime during my third to fourth week I became somewhat homesick. Why? I'm not too sure. I think that it's because my surroundings are no longer new, and they are now the new norm. That is how it supposed to be. However, you start to miss what is familiar to you. An example in my case is food. I don't really miss American food, because South African cuisine is quite similar. However, I had a moment last week when I would have been willing to pay 500 Rand for a Chipotle burrito. Anyone who knows me knows that Chipotle has found it's way into one of my food groups. Last week I think I had withdrawal. How did I get over it? I had some of the best fish & chips I've ever tasted. You see, the idea of cultural exchange permeates through all facets of a student's life abroad. While I missed a familiar food I discovered a delicious new one.
Back to Kaapstad, I mean Cape Town. I had been in contact with a Jewish congregation over the last few weeks and they invited me to spend the weekend with a Jewish family in Cape Town to observe the Sabbath. The last two weeks or so have been quite difficult for me so it came at a good time for me. My hosts, the Fine family, were very gracious. They had a big group of people come for Shabbat which was overwhelming for me but also really cool. Interestingly enough, they served most of the same food my family would eat on a Friday night. I suppose Jewish food is universal. Even though I was 8000 miles away from my home I felt as if I had never left. The remainder of the weekend was spent touring Cape Town. The highlight was spending Sunday morning with the congregation doing the "Signal Hill Challenge." It certainly was a challenge. I imagined a bunch of families walking up a path on a hill and then returning to the starting point. I couldn't of been more wrong. The walk started out easy. We went up the many steps and steep roads of the City Bowl. After that, it was up the hill. They call it a hill but in Chicago we would say it's a mountain. There was really no path, so it made for an interesting trek. I had a lot of fun doing it. Once we made it to the top we were rewarded with spectacular views of the entire city.
The real reason for going was to also find a new host family. Many of you know I no longer live with my first host family. I am with a temporary family that can only host for a few weeks. Therefore, my natural family and I took the opportunity to seek out the Jewish community to help. The weekend in Cape Town allowed me to network with congregants and their families to peak their interest in hosting an exchange student. While it still isn't settled yet, I should be moved to Cape Town in about two to three weeks. I'm really satisfied with how the weekend went. Besides the networking opportunity, it was great to see and experience somewhere different than Mossel Bay.
Here are some pictures from the weekend!
As the title implies, I spent this past weekend in Cape Town. I had an awesome time. The reason of my trip was not just to see the amazing city, but also to connect with the local Jewish community. I'll explain why, what happened, and what it means to me in this post.
I want to preface this post by saying that as rewarding as an exchange is, there are low moments. Is it bad? No. I think it's natural. Is it fun? Not at all, but it's life. Sometime during my third to fourth week I became somewhat homesick. Why? I'm not too sure. I think that it's because my surroundings are no longer new, and they are now the new norm. That is how it supposed to be. However, you start to miss what is familiar to you. An example in my case is food. I don't really miss American food, because South African cuisine is quite similar. However, I had a moment last week when I would have been willing to pay 500 Rand for a Chipotle burrito. Anyone who knows me knows that Chipotle has found it's way into one of my food groups. Last week I think I had withdrawal. How did I get over it? I had some of the best fish & chips I've ever tasted. You see, the idea of cultural exchange permeates through all facets of a student's life abroad. While I missed a familiar food I discovered a delicious new one.
Back to Kaapstad, I mean Cape Town. I had been in contact with a Jewish congregation over the last few weeks and they invited me to spend the weekend with a Jewish family in Cape Town to observe the Sabbath. The last two weeks or so have been quite difficult for me so it came at a good time for me. My hosts, the Fine family, were very gracious. They had a big group of people come for Shabbat which was overwhelming for me but also really cool. Interestingly enough, they served most of the same food my family would eat on a Friday night. I suppose Jewish food is universal. Even though I was 8000 miles away from my home I felt as if I had never left. The remainder of the weekend was spent touring Cape Town. The highlight was spending Sunday morning with the congregation doing the "Signal Hill Challenge." It certainly was a challenge. I imagined a bunch of families walking up a path on a hill and then returning to the starting point. I couldn't of been more wrong. The walk started out easy. We went up the many steps and steep roads of the City Bowl. After that, it was up the hill. They call it a hill but in Chicago we would say it's a mountain. There was really no path, so it made for an interesting trek. I had a lot of fun doing it. Once we made it to the top we were rewarded with spectacular views of the entire city.
The real reason for going was to also find a new host family. Many of you know I no longer live with my first host family. I am with a temporary family that can only host for a few weeks. Therefore, my natural family and I took the opportunity to seek out the Jewish community to help. The weekend in Cape Town allowed me to network with congregants and their families to peak their interest in hosting an exchange student. While it still isn't settled yet, I should be moved to Cape Town in about two to three weeks. I'm really satisfied with how the weekend went. Besides the networking opportunity, it was great to see and experience somewhere different than Mossel Bay.
Here are some pictures from the weekend!
Pitstop on the way to Cape Town. South Africa's natural beauty never ceases to amaze me.
Me at the V&A Waterfront in Cape Town
Waterfront.
Cape Town, from Signal Hill
Driving through Cape Town. Mountains everywhere!
Trekking up Signal Hill
The easy part of the challenge--shmoozing
Representing UBC in South Africa!
Saturday, March 17, 2012
"Welcome to South Africa"
...is what my friends say when I talk to them and discover a cultural difference. It always gets a good laugh.
I'm so sorry for not posting recently! I took a break from the blog to immerse myself in what South Africa has to offer. The more time on the computer is less time to be part of this dynamic cultural mosaic.
In my last post, I talked about the differences I noted between school here and at home. Now that I've been at Point High School for three weeks, I feel that I have a lot more perspective on how education here is different than home.
My humanities classes here are quite different than they were at North Shore. Here, you sit down, take notes, read from the book, summarize it all, and then take a test or exam in a few weeks time. There is no real discussion or debate about any topic. At North Shore, I would spend entire class periods deliberating over the validity of Muhammed Yunus' ideas and plans to eliminate global poverty. Here, it is not like that.
I celebrated my 18th birthday here in South Africa! It was certainly different to have my class sing the traditional birthday song to me during my first period and tourism classes. It was no "happy birthday", but equally fun! I've never celebrated my birthday away from Chicago, or my family. I did miss my family on the special occasion but I will see them when I return to Chicago!
Other than school, I have been hanging out in the town of Mossel Bay with friends, getting to know my host family, and just settling into my life here. I am glad that I made the choice to spend my second semester of senior year on exchange. Everyday I learn something new and different. Last night I went to "The Buff", which is a big motorcycle rally that comes to Mossel Bay each year. It was really cool to see all the bikes, as well as the bikers themselves! We got soaked in the pouring rain but it was an awesome time. The other day I went to Hartenbos with some friends. What is Hartenbos? It is the equivalent of Panama City or South Padre Island for Johannesburg-ites. It is just down the road from where I live but it's a world away. It's a holiday resort right on the beach with a lot of fun stuff happening all the time. The beach, by the way, is probably one of the nicest ones I've ever seen. I'll post pictures soon!
Currently I am in a transition. What kind of transition, you may ask? I'm in the process of changing host families. For privacy reasons I will not say why, but I think it is a positive move on my part to be involved in this change. Right now I am living with my contact person and his family in Mossel Bay. For the next few weeks I am going to continue to be in this town and attend the same school. Come April, I will be moving to Cape Town! I don't know where or with whom yet but I am happy about this change.
Remember, if you have any comments or questions please feel free to comment or send me an email! I'm more than happy to share my thoughts and perspectives about my experiences abroad.
Here are some pictures of my adventures around Mossel Bay and Hartenbos!
"The Cliffs"--This spot doesn't actually have a name but my host sister Bea gave it the name.
Hartenbos, where Afrikaans culture is vibrant
Me at the point in Mossel Bay
In the middle of nowhere. Still, it's picturesque.
Santos Beach, Mossel Bay
Saturday, March 3, 2012
It's been one week...
Ah yes, the opening lines of one of my favorite songs, "One Week", by the Barenaked Ladies.
Yes, it's been one week here in South Africa. Actually, it's been one week here in Mossel Bay. Seven days, a bad sunburn, and lots of Afrikaans phrases later, I can honestly say I love it here.
In my last post I discussed the differences between school here and at home. Yes, it is different. Even at home, schools vary widely. Point High School is different than North Shore but I don't feel that it represents every school here in South Africa.
That brings me to my next point: generalizations. We all have them. Before I left, my friends joked around with me thinking I would be going to school next to elephants and giraffes, and that I'll live in a clay hut. Obviously, it is not the case. Mossel Bay resembles a Caribbean island, like Curaçao. There's a great deal of history, charm, and culture here, while situated in a sub-tropical locale. The architecture is more Dutch than it is "African". I like it a lot. My friends at school ask me if I've seen famous people in the street. The concept is lost upon them that Chicago is 2,000 miles away from Hollywood, and our only real celebrity is Oprah, whom I've never seen in person. Shocker. Therefore, generalizations go both ways. My image of South Africa before I left is obviously very different than the reality. I'm happy with the reality of it. In many ways it is like home but in other ways it is quite different. Beautiful estates are only a few kilometers away from abject poverty. Dichotomy is a reality here.
I'm starting "hockey" next week. No, not ice hockey like back home. This is field hockey, and yes, guys play it. Should be interesting! Need not to worry, there are no skirts!
I'm not sure if I posted this, but I found out the day before I left that I got into my top choice college, the University of British Columbia. It's in Vancouver, Canada and I can't wait to go in September! Life is good. South Africa today, Vancouver in September. Can't wait.
I hope all my friends and family are doing well back home. I miss you all but I'm having an amazing time here and it only gets better everyday! I noticed on my ClustrMap that I have 211 visitors....wow! Also, the diversity of countries represented of those visitors is amazing as well! I feel so international.
Feel free to comment or ask me a question! My email is danny.schur@gmail.com
Yes, it's been one week here in South Africa. Actually, it's been one week here in Mossel Bay. Seven days, a bad sunburn, and lots of Afrikaans phrases later, I can honestly say I love it here.
In my last post I discussed the differences between school here and at home. Yes, it is different. Even at home, schools vary widely. Point High School is different than North Shore but I don't feel that it represents every school here in South Africa.
That brings me to my next point: generalizations. We all have them. Before I left, my friends joked around with me thinking I would be going to school next to elephants and giraffes, and that I'll live in a clay hut. Obviously, it is not the case. Mossel Bay resembles a Caribbean island, like Curaçao. There's a great deal of history, charm, and culture here, while situated in a sub-tropical locale. The architecture is more Dutch than it is "African". I like it a lot. My friends at school ask me if I've seen famous people in the street. The concept is lost upon them that Chicago is 2,000 miles away from Hollywood, and our only real celebrity is Oprah, whom I've never seen in person. Shocker. Therefore, generalizations go both ways. My image of South Africa before I left is obviously very different than the reality. I'm happy with the reality of it. In many ways it is like home but in other ways it is quite different. Beautiful estates are only a few kilometers away from abject poverty. Dichotomy is a reality here.
I'm starting "hockey" next week. No, not ice hockey like back home. This is field hockey, and yes, guys play it. Should be interesting! Need not to worry, there are no skirts!
I'm not sure if I posted this, but I found out the day before I left that I got into my top choice college, the University of British Columbia. It's in Vancouver, Canada and I can't wait to go in September! Life is good. South Africa today, Vancouver in September. Can't wait.
I hope all my friends and family are doing well back home. I miss you all but I'm having an amazing time here and it only gets better everyday! I noticed on my ClustrMap that I have 211 visitors....wow! Also, the diversity of countries represented of those visitors is amazing as well! I feel so international.
Feel free to comment or ask me a question! My email is danny.schur@gmail.com
Tuesday, February 28, 2012
Jammer?
..that means "sorry!" in Afrikaans.
What am I apologizing for? Well, it has been a long time since I posted and a lot has happened.
Six days ago I was waiting in the sterile airport terminal in Chicago, waiting for my flight to La Guardia. Typically before I go on a trip, I indulge in Starbucks, Red Mango, or something else delicious in the terminal. This was not the case. During the few days leading up to my departure, I became very nervous. When I mean nervous, I mean almost at the point of becoming sick. It's very unnerving to leave your home and culture for six months, and to resume life in a completely different one. That aside, I had a safe journey to my orientation in New York. During my time there AFS gave the other student and me the rundown on how to act appropriately on exchange. We even got to go to a South African restaurant in Brooklyn–it was delicious!
Friday, we arrived in Johannesburg. First, I want to thank South African Airways for its outstanding service. There were always flight attendants coming down with coffee, tea, food, and anything else to make the arduous journey easier. Once we arrived in Johannesburg I became rather alarmed. There was no AFS representative present as promised. Instead, I asked the police to make an announcement on our behalf. I was told nothing can be done. That statement became an indication of the attitude many South Africans have, which is "sorry, not my problem". Eventually, we met the rep and we went to the arrival camp. At the arrival camp there were students from various countries and we did activities that helped us familiarize ourselves with South African culture.
Saturday, I arrived in George and met my host family and new friends at the airport! It was so great to finally meet them after talking on facebook and email! I really like my family; they're very nice. We went to meet Mindi, my host sister who lives with her husband on a farm. After that, we went to the mall in George to have a bite to eat and do a little shopping. I tried Bobtie, a traditional South African dish, for the first time, it's lekker(good)!
Sunday, my host sister Bea and I went down to the beach here in Mossel Bay. It's really nice and only a kilometer or two away from home. We also went to the point, which is a dramatic cliff/rocky area a little bit further down the road, which was equally spectacular.
Today was the first day of school. I don't think that North Shore Country Day could be any more different than Hoerskool Punt. School starts at 7:40 and only lasts until 1:50. There are no free blocks, class meetings, advisory, or community gatherings at this school. There isn't even a lunch period! You have seven classes with two 20 minute breaks during the day, and you eat your sack lunch then. There are no such things as off-campuses. I had a hard time explaining the oddities of North Shore to my peers at my new school. The uniform is...well a uniform. I'm not the biggest fan of it but at least you don't have to worry about what to wear in the morning! My classes are in "English" but the ones with Afrikaans students tend to be taught more in Afrikaans. Afrikaans, by the way, is probably the most difficult language to learn. My host family speaks it and I honestly have no clue what they're saying. I shall learn soon enough!
Now I'm going to sit outside on the patio that overlooks the ocean and do some schoolwork.
Bye!
What am I apologizing for? Well, it has been a long time since I posted and a lot has happened.
Six days ago I was waiting in the sterile airport terminal in Chicago, waiting for my flight to La Guardia. Typically before I go on a trip, I indulge in Starbucks, Red Mango, or something else delicious in the terminal. This was not the case. During the few days leading up to my departure, I became very nervous. When I mean nervous, I mean almost at the point of becoming sick. It's very unnerving to leave your home and culture for six months, and to resume life in a completely different one. That aside, I had a safe journey to my orientation in New York. During my time there AFS gave the other student and me the rundown on how to act appropriately on exchange. We even got to go to a South African restaurant in Brooklyn–it was delicious!
Friday, we arrived in Johannesburg. First, I want to thank South African Airways for its outstanding service. There were always flight attendants coming down with coffee, tea, food, and anything else to make the arduous journey easier. Once we arrived in Johannesburg I became rather alarmed. There was no AFS representative present as promised. Instead, I asked the police to make an announcement on our behalf. I was told nothing can be done. That statement became an indication of the attitude many South Africans have, which is "sorry, not my problem". Eventually, we met the rep and we went to the arrival camp. At the arrival camp there were students from various countries and we did activities that helped us familiarize ourselves with South African culture.
Saturday, I arrived in George and met my host family and new friends at the airport! It was so great to finally meet them after talking on facebook and email! I really like my family; they're very nice. We went to meet Mindi, my host sister who lives with her husband on a farm. After that, we went to the mall in George to have a bite to eat and do a little shopping. I tried Bobtie, a traditional South African dish, for the first time, it's lekker(good)!
Sunday, my host sister Bea and I went down to the beach here in Mossel Bay. It's really nice and only a kilometer or two away from home. We also went to the point, which is a dramatic cliff/rocky area a little bit further down the road, which was equally spectacular.
Today was the first day of school. I don't think that North Shore Country Day could be any more different than Hoerskool Punt. School starts at 7:40 and only lasts until 1:50. There are no free blocks, class meetings, advisory, or community gatherings at this school. There isn't even a lunch period! You have seven classes with two 20 minute breaks during the day, and you eat your sack lunch then. There are no such things as off-campuses. I had a hard time explaining the oddities of North Shore to my peers at my new school. The uniform is...well a uniform. I'm not the biggest fan of it but at least you don't have to worry about what to wear in the morning! My classes are in "English" but the ones with Afrikaans students tend to be taught more in Afrikaans. Afrikaans, by the way, is probably the most difficult language to learn. My host family speaks it and I honestly have no clue what they're saying. I shall learn soon enough!
Now I'm going to sit outside on the patio that overlooks the ocean and do some schoolwork.
Bye!
Friday, February 17, 2012
Five Days
I'm leaving in five days. Every time I stop and think about it I freak out a little bit. In my last post, I talked about how hard it was to say goodbye. Now I am focusing on starting the next chapter, and saying "hello" to what is coming up. Also, I've begun to have begun to think about organizing myself both literally and figuratively for my exchange. I ask myself, "do I need ...?, what about ...?, can I bring ...?" and other related questions. Preparing to leave for six months takes more thought than I initially realized.
I just heard today that I am now ready to pick up my visa. THANK GOD. My mom and I (mostly my mom) have been worrying about this for quite some time. Our combined efforts have paid off! My mom deserves a strong drink once I'm on that plane and left; she deserves it.
Right now I'm in Ohio visiting my grandparents and my friend Morgan. I'm glad to spend the last few days I have with people that mean a lot to me. I feel very privileged. However, it's a little strange to be distant from the home I am about to leave. Perhaps this speaks to the scope of my travels and the distance between the people who matter to me and myself.
I noticed that I have 82 hits on my blog! Thanks all you readers, I really appreciate it!
I just heard today that I am now ready to pick up my visa. THANK GOD. My mom and I (mostly my mom) have been worrying about this for quite some time. Our combined efforts have paid off! My mom deserves a strong drink once I'm on that plane and left; she deserves it.
Right now I'm in Ohio visiting my grandparents and my friend Morgan. I'm glad to spend the last few days I have with people that mean a lot to me. I feel very privileged. However, it's a little strange to be distant from the home I am about to leave. Perhaps this speaks to the scope of my travels and the distance between the people who matter to me and myself.
I noticed that I have 82 hits on my blog! Thanks all you readers, I really appreciate it!
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