I'm not in Acton anymore...

       Today was incredible.  We went as a group (all 18 of us) to visit three of the service sites we will have a chance to work with.  First we visited a high school in a ‘black neighborhood.’  In South Africa the color of your skin used to define your rights and today we are still seeing the effects of these years.  Black townships were treated with fewer rights than the colored (meaning one parent of black decent and one of white or a similar mix—not just black skinned.  Also, these people were seen as superior to just blacks).  Whites were superior to all during the apartheid years.

Driving into the school we passed through the townships.  Homes were small shacks built of simple materials.  Walking into the high school I was all of a sudden aware of the color of my skin—something that had never struck me as being so utterly different before today.  We walked into the library during the schools recess with kids starring at us.  Some of the male students whistled, while other students stared at us with eyes full of hope.  The reality of the situation immediately hit me like nothing I have ever experienced before.  Next we visited the primary school in a colored neighborhood.  All of the kids here waved and smiled at us.  They looked at us with bright eyes, hoping that we would choose their school to come help at.  We were told that their class average was at leas 40 students per classroom.  This made crowd control a major problem teachers face everyday, with only 20% of the total day spent teaching.  Next we saw the youth prison.  We still have two healthcare clinics to visit and a week or two to decide on our final placement.  Each program has its own draw and it is definitely going to be a difficult decision as to where I should spend my semester doing service. 

This evening we were told we would be going out to dinner with the other 164 Arts & Sciences CIEE students about 40 minutes away in the wine country.  We were however unaware that this would turn out to be one of the best meals and restaurants that any of us had ever dined at.  The food was simply amazing.  A buffet of many different classic African cuisines was all of a sudden in front of us.  Complete with African music and dance for all!  Additionally, the grounds were amazing.  Trees were continuous throughout the property with lanterns hung amongst them (the pictures simply do not do it justice).  The sky was clear, allowing for an evening full of stars.  The night was simply full of magic (something Asher always reminded me was always around) and good friends!

Love to all,
Catie

'The Big House' (where I live in Cape Town)

(Dinner in South Africa wine country)

(Dinner tents)

(More dinner tents)

(Flowers in our gardens)

(Homes in the townships)