Ringing in the New Year Cape Town style was definitely a night I will always remember. I've never experienced a warm new years eve! To start off the night all 25 of us went out together. We basically all took over one club and rang in the new year in the street which was filled with people singing Ole and hugging each other left and right. It was a great bonding experience with the entire group and I had such a fun experience.
After the New Year it was time for work to begin here in Cape Town. We started off the 2011 by taking some tours of very important historical places including the District 6 Museum, St. George's Cathedral, and the Slave Lodge. Everyone felt mixed emotions that day and it was definitely quite a shock for my self. These were all places dealing with the apartheid, which is still very real and prevalent in Capt Town today. We also started our classes here, which have been very interesting thus far.
Another place we were able to go was the Green Market Square. This is where many street vendors sell all sorts of items. It was interesting to see all the intricate woodcarvings and all the other hand made things they have. Because I love to shop, I definitely enjoyed this experience!
Today was by far one of my favorite days. We began working with the children at the MaAfrika Tikkun. It was so fun interacting with all the kiddos, after all this is the main reason why I'm here. When we first arrived they had prepared a dance performance for us, which was beyond adorable. They then taught us the dance and we spent some time just playing, talking, and enjoying their great energy and happiness.
Here in Cape Town there has been a record high heat wave passing through. Today it got up to almost 100 degrees! It's been very hot and sticky, but I'm not complaining...soon enough I'll be back in the freezing cold again.
One last note...I still have yet to see a baboon!
