Seven of us were just on top of the table fearing the lovely cockroach that ran across the room. We're still in search for that little bugger...kind of worried it might appear in my bed with me tonight. Anyway, today I tip-toed into the Indian Ocean for the first time and the water was freezing. I never actually thought I'd have the chance to step foot in that ocean, but I am so lucky to get the opportunity through this program. The day was great, and we had the time to just relax and see a bit more of Cape Town. We took the train into Muizenberg, and we were greeted on the train by a street band consisting of four men playing a saxophone, banjo, and 2 guitars. It was nice to hear something other than American music and something so real that these men were passionate about. I really enjoyed that small piece of South Africa. When we got to the beach, I was amazed by the vibrant, different colored small changing houses that ran the shores of the ocean. They're so darn cute! And not to mention it was close to 80 degrees today which always puts a HUGE smile on my face, especially in December. Don't get me wrong though, it got awfully chilly in shorts and a tank top when waiting for the train back to our houses at 7pm, but it definitely beats the 20+ inches of snow and negative degree weather back home. One thing I've learned is that the drivers in mini cabs are not actually whistling at us, they just want our business. For how many cars are on the road, they sure know how to make a lot of noise. Recently, our group is "trying to look less American" as Charles from InterStudy puts it. We tend to stick together, which is a good thing, but you can imagine how touristy we look walking down the street or into the store 24 strong. We are all trying to find our way around this place, and it's hard to just venture off in a city, let alone a completely different continent. I'm confident that in the next 3 weeks this place will become somewhat of a second home. I'm excited for the upcoming days and to get more involved in our course topics through the classes, and to also see the part of South Africa we haven't seen yet-- the poverty stricken neighborhoods and the children who have dealt with so much already. I know I can learn a ton from the people in this group too, and I can't wait to take it all in.
