Today gave me a lot of food for thought. Enough that I'm having trouble even starting this blog entry. So maybe I'll give you the canned "what we did today" version, and perhaps later I can organize my thoughts and get back to you.
This morning our group went back to the City Center to visit some historic sites. We began at the District Six Museum. It commemorates the expulsion of thousands of non-white South Africans from the heart of Cape Town to outer areas (townships) of the city. Our guide was a gentleman who was born in the city and expelled when he was in his late-20's. His passion and firsthand knowledge was captivating. He brought the experience so much to life that I felt sadness and frustration through his storytelling. The exhibits were comprised of donated materials from past District Six residents. As I was looking at framed recipes (many embroidered works) of varied, local dishes, a young German man struck up a conversation with me. He was looking for a specific curry recipe and wanted to know if I saw it on the wall. I was of no help, unfortunately, but it was fun telling him why our group is here. Sidenote: He thinks German is way harder to learn than English. (Uhh....yeah! Thank you, German fellow, for the validation!)
After that, we went to St George's Cathedral, where Archbishop Desmond Tutu used to preside. Apparently, he still attends worship on Fridays. It is easily one of the most beautiful places of worship I've ever seen. Its history as a sanctuary for all races during apartheid was fantastic to learn in detail. Plus, it doesn't hurt when two older ladies with thick British accents are leading you around. too cute!
On our way out of the cathedral we came upon the beginning of a parade put on by the Cape Minstrels, a variety of groups of Coloured musicians. They were supposed to put the parade on on New Years day, but were denied... This was their protest of sorts. Nothing beats an unplanned event like this one. The outfits were colorful, the faces were painted and the music made you want to dance.
Next, we went to lunch at a lovely outdoor café. We had to walk through the Company's Garden to get there. Kind of like the equivalent of Central Park in NYC. Super beautiful and completely full of people. Anytime we go out to eat, we have quickly learned that with almost 30 people it will be quite the long event. Today was difficult because we had a giant table of starving people and one server. We knew it wasn't going to be quick or easy. Eventually, we all ate though and continued on.
Our last stop was the Iziko Slave Lodge, also located in the same area. It is where slaves from South Africa and neighboring and non-neighboring countries were housed. Know American South history? Real, real similar. Families were divided. Many died of disease, starvation or murder. It was also very saddening. Once slavery was "abolished," the structure was turned into a government building. Which is exactly what it looks like today. It's really very beautiful, but with no remnants of its original past... until the museum came to be.
Part of the group continued on to Green Market Square to do some shopping. I went home with the rest. Souvenir shopping another day for me, I suppose. I'm still being a bit of a tightwad. Tonight we have another talking circle, where we get together as a large group and each person gets to say anything that's on their mind. I think I'll be saying something about my appreciation for my mom.. At the District Six Museum, there was some discussion on the great roles women had, because men were working and never in the home. Of course, everyone's responsibilities were immense, but the women carried huge burdens of providing and caring for their families. Granted, my family never underwent anything of this magnitude, but it gives me an even stronger appreciation for what my mom has done for my family in the past and still now. Which is, honestly, too much.
So, uh, this was long. And seriously, I could say so much more. Tomorrow, service-learning orientation.. we're all very excited. Now, reading and journal writing.
CanNOT believe I wrote this much...
