Rina's final blogs combined

Time to Leave

Now that I'm actually at the airport/ on the plane, I feel like I'm ready to go home.  My last day in CT was beautiful.  I woke up on a cloudy Saturday at Lion House, and Amariliz and I went, one last time, to the Old Biscuit Mill in Woodstock (an event only open on Saturdays for food-lovers and hipsters alike.)  They have everything there, from crepes and waffles, gyros and ostrich burgers, to pizza and pesto.  As we left, the sun came out and we took a minibus back to Observatory.  We shopped around on Lower Main Road, and spent the last of our Rand at Instangu Boutique.  We said our goodbyes to everyone we could, and packed our bags and ourselves into the cab.  I couldn't stop feeling like I'd forgotten something.  I kept thinking about all the things I didn't get to do, what I wished I had done, differently maybe or maybe not, and then a crazy, fast-forwarded reflection of the entire trip, or certain moments in time that stood out.  I loved thinking back to all the valuable interpersonal experiences I went through during my time here.  Once at the airport, I think about what's to come when I get home, and this summer.  How much I missed my family all of a sudden.  How I feel happy, even though I am leaving.  As much as I don't want to leave, the trip has to end at some point, unfortunately!  I know I will be back to ZA someday, hopefully soon.  I feel blessed to have been able to experience everything I did, and so very grateful.  No waterworks, no bawling my eyes out, just this feeling of peacefulness that is comforting me as I say goodbye to my Cape Town.  

Life back in the States

Being home isn't as terrible as I had imagined it being.  It's good to be home, and see my family and friends again.  But I miss Cape Town whenever I find myself looking for something to do around here (central Connecticut). 

It's weird when they ask me to talk about my trip... I ask them what aspect they'd like to hear about.  Just the "good stuff."  (All of it was the good stuff.)   Or they say; anything.  Too vague, I don't know where to start!  I love talking about my trip and the things I did, what life is like there, and all that I learned.   I could talk about it for days, but sometimes I find myself wishing I didn't talk about it at all.  I can't fully explain experiences, people or places to them, because they've never been there, so they will never be able to fully comprehend... skewing the story.  I feel like my pictures aren't good enough to illustrate what I'm trying to explain.  (Wish I took more pictures!) It's weird when people don't realize how much a semester abroad can affect you, because they have never spent a semester studying/volunteering in a different country (My entire family, and the majority of my friends).  It's worse realizing most people don't really want to hear what you experienced abroad, asking about the trip just to ask.  I'm much more aware of my surroundings, the differences, the things I've taken for granted I can really appreciate, and I try my best to keep the Capetonian in me alive.  

Being a Capetonian means 

-Looking and being smart-casual.  

-Slowing down to enjoy the simple and sometimes monotonous things/tasks of our day-to-day

-Acknowledging that we are all brothers and sisters, and helping one another

-Sincerely asking another person 'How are you?' or "Howzit?" as they say in CT

-Being unique

-Spreading love/warmth

-Hugs and Kisses!! 

-No worries

-Faith, hope, determination, motivation, perseverance

-Forward struggle

-Ubuntu (I am what I am because of who we all are) 

Rina's good Monday

Mondays are the most hated day of the week, because they mark the end of the weekend, and the beginning of a new work week.  This Monday, however, was a beautiful Monday.  I woke up at 8am in Obz at a friend's place, only a few towns over from Rondebosch.  It was warm and sunny weather so we had breakfast outside, in the garden- coffee with scrambled eggs and some toast and a glass of orange juice.  

At about 9:30 I walked to the main road and caught a taxi (minibus taxi) for R6 to Mowbray bus station, where I met Nombulelo and we boarded an NY108 bus together to 108- the township called Gugulethu.  We stopped by her house where her brother and his family live, and picked up some materials to take to the school.  We also picked up Nombulelo's nephew, Sibusizo, who is two years old, and we were babysitting this morning.  We walked up and across the street to Intshinga Primary School at around 11 am, just as the children were having their first short break.  Today was hygiene day, and so I helped set up the spare classroom that we use, to look like a health center.  I arranged the desks in a circle and in the center, I put out all the health and hygiene materials that we had brought, things like combs, hairbrushes, toothbrushes (to be given to students to take home), cotton swabs, nail clippers, bandages, etc.  Some students that are members of the Children's Movement also helped prepare, and set aside two washbins of soap and water for the children to wash their hands in.  Multiple classes of students filed in and out, and I along with some of the student members were assigned six children each.  We had to check if their nails needed clipping, cleaned the dirt out from under their nails, bandaged up any cuts on their arms and legs, and brushed their hair.  Nombulelo and another student member stood by the washbins and helped the children wash their hands.  We were going to have a yoga session, but the students forgot to bring a change of clothes, so yoga was cancelled for this week, and postponed until next week.  

After we cleaned up the materials and dropped Sibusizo back at home, Nombulelo saw me to a taxi, which cost me R10 to get back to Mowbray.  The taxi was headed in a different direction, so they stopped on the side of the highway, and continued onward, and I had to walk the rest of the way home- up the exit ramp, and through Mowbray, Rosebank and then to Rondebosch.  About a 15-20 minute walk, I arrived home around 4:00, and found out we had a house meeting at 6:30.  I put in some laundry, made some chai, and had a sandwich.  (I had forgotten to bring my lunch so I was starving!)  I made a quick run to Pick 'N' Pay for ingredients to make dinner.  I relaxed for a little while until about 6:00 when I had to walk over to the "big house," on Loch Road, a 30 minute walk, when you cut through Rondebosch Commons.  At the house meeting, we went over things that needed to be accomplished before leaving, such as taking inventory and making sure all beds, blankets, towels, cups, plates, and spoons and forks are accounted for.  It's times like these when I am so happy that I don't live in the big house, because although we need to take inventory as well, we are in a much smaller, flat with much fewer people.  

The house meeting only took about 30 minutes, but because it took a while for everyone to convene in the common room of their own house in a timely fashion, I got home around 7:00.  Greta drove us home, and then I made dinner for Becky and I, pizzas with green peppers and onions.  Yum!  Becky did the dishes, and I wrote my blog entry reflecting on the events of the past weekend.  Girl talk with Greta, until it was way passed bedtime.  It was a good monday.

Rina's Vacation in Paradise

Vacation from Paradise

We're back from an adrenaline-packed adventure in Plettenburg Bay, one of the stops along the Garden Route.  The views of lusciously green, mountainous landscapes, and beautifully blue oceans were quite stunning.  We booked our own private transport and stayed for three nights at a backpackers, which is basically a hostile.  The place had multiple bedrooms with bunk beds, and a fully equipped communal kitchen.  From the balcony you could see the view of the ocean, and the backyard with all its hammocks and swings, and a fire pit.  I never thought I would need a vacation from Cape Town, but this place was my ideal paradise.  As much as I love the city, it was nice to get away for a weekend, and enjoy a different sort of lifestyle.  Venturing out through the forest and into Silver River was just as exciting as it was peaceful.  One moment, we were walking along the large river rocks, and the next, we were floating on our backs through the mountains.  Our kloofing guide, Steven, told us when and where it was safe to climb up and jump into the river.  We went off jumps ranging from 5 to 11 meters.  We had to push ourselves and each other to jump off a cliff-edge into the water, and continue on our way down the river.  The whole experience was extremely exhilarating, and truly a team-building exercise for the twelve of us that went.  

The next day, we woke up early to go bungee jumping off Bloukrans Bridge, which won the Guinness Book of World Records for the highest commercial bungee bridge in the world!  I was so proud that everyone was able to conquer their fears, and followed through with the jump.  A couple of us adrenaline-junkies actually jumped a second time, backwards!  What scared me more than bungee jumping backwards and cliff jumping was what happened saturday evening.. 

Amariliz and I decided that it would be fun to go swimming at the beach when it had started to rain.  The waves were huge, and you could tell a storm was brewing..  but that didn't stop us from swimming.  We were alone on the beach besides a few courageous (and probably experienced) surfers, and three fishermen that stood on the rocks alongside the beach.  I had never felt so scared for my life until that moment that I couldn't reach the bottom of the ocean anymore, and I realized I had swam out too far.  I tried to swim back to the shore, but I found myself struggling to stay above the water, with the waves crashing over my head, and pulling me backwards.  I called out to Amariliz for help, and she directed me to swim diagonally, parallel to the shore.  I tried as much as I could, but I was already exhausted, and beginning to panic, and lose hope.  Despite all the EMT training she'd been given, Amariliz came in to help me, but only to get herself caught in the riptide as well.  That's when we started to scream for help, and the fishermen were waving there arms trying to get some attention from the surfer, but with no such luck.  I was really struggling to stay above water and avoid swallowing more seawater, when Amariliz realized the fishermen were waving us to come toward the rocks, which were closer than the shore... We changed directions and swam for the rocks.  Finally I could feel dirt under my feet and I grabbed hold of the nearest rock.  I looked for a bigger rock and just when I hugged it, a huge wave came crashing down, I warned Amariliz to brace herself and we both got washed up against the rocks, cut and bruised, but alive.  I have a newfound appreciation for rocks.  I have never been so scared of the ocean, or considered how dangerous it could really be, even though it may seem like common sense.  I think drowning would be the worst way to die.  You're seriously fighting for your life until there comes a point where you just can't anymore, and you have no choice but to give up.  We didn't give up; it wasn't our time.  I hate that I put my best friend's life at risk but I feel blessed that we both made it out.  I am so grateful, and I thank GOD that we are still here, with some minor grazes.  Amariliz, I love you, you are my lifesaver, you are my rock.   

Rina's nightmare

So I had a dream that it was time to go home, and thinking about it makes me really upset, and scared. 

I didn't think it would be scary to go home, but it is definitely going to be a culture-shock.  I dreamt that I was back at school, and they had built a functional wall of lockers  around our campus, which I hated.  But here, there are walls around everything; most houses have cement walls around them, and all the schools have walls topped with barbed wire, even my apartment complex has this kind of security.  Living here for three months has made me realize that we could do away with many of the things we have at home that we think are necessities, for example, air conditioning, and a dryer for laundry.  Little things I will enjoy going back to however is having one faucet that mixes the hot and cold water, and not having to use a key to lock the door from the inside.  It's upsetting to think about going home to a place where I can't just take a minibus taxi to town, or a train to a beautiful beach and go surfing.  I'm scared that what I have learned here will not be as important to others as it is to me.  I'm scared that people won't understand or be willing to listen to what I experienced.  My biggest fear is that I'll go home and assimilate back into the messed up society that we live in, when people don't consider what I wish to change as a priority in their lives as well.  I am excited to go home, and see my friends and family, but I need to come back.  

Not knowing when I will come back to Cape Town gives me nightmares.  Cape Town, don't leave me.

Rina getting far more than you give

While a significant portion of the population here in Cape Town faces extreme poverty, a small percentage are extremely wealthy.  Of the richest 10%, almost 40% are black.  (Wikipedia.org, 2011)  We live in Rondebosch, a very affluent suburban area where the majority of cars you see people driving are Volkswagens, BMWs, Audis, and Alfa Ramaos.  I notice that in this area, reside whites, blacks and even Indians.  I know that Indian people have struggled in South African history, as slaves, and knowing that the Indian currency, the rupee, has such little worth compared to the South African rand, I was surprised to see Indians making a wealthy living.  Of course I know that not all Indians are poor, and many are successful, but in my experience, I have been surrounded by mainly middle-class Indian families, including my own.  In South Africa, however, I am rich.  This idea puts me in an uncomfortable situation... because while I am trying to give back as much as I can, everything in this world has a price.  I have been accustomed to looking for ways to save money in every situation.  

Being in South Africa though, is like being on vacation; we're allowed to splurge.  I feel guilty coming here because it is costly, however the experiences I'm going through, and the impact I'm making here is priceless.  

Something Theresa said gave me this idea of feeling guilty for taking the opportunity to come here.  We're volunteering as interns in a place where someone could potentially be working, and making a living off the money we are not making.  Yes, we are saving the organizations money by offering cheap labor, but at the same time, the money we spent to come here could have paid a year's salary.  

Everyone thinks that we're all doing something so great and wonderful, volunteering here and "giving back" to the community, but how much are we really helping?  We are only here for such a short period of time, it's hard to believe that we can really make a significant impact in anyone's life.  Marita pointed out that by volunteering, the persons we are helping the most are ourselves, because of the way this experience impacts, influences and changes our lives, (and personalities and ideals/beliefs/morals).  We get more out of it than we give.  So I guess we should feel guilty, but rightfully so, and rather, that we should really appreciate it.  My favorite part about being on this particular study abroad program is just that, and the opportunities it opens up for us to have interesting conversations with such a diverse group of people, inside and outside the program.  

Rina's excursion experince

We just returned from excursion, and it was just like a family vacation; being forced to spend each and everyday together, like a dysfunctional family.  The museums were very informative and extravagant.  I enjoyed going to the apartheid museum, and learning about Nelson Mandela's life history (even though much of it was taken from his book, Long Walk to Freedom).  However, there was so much to see, and not enough time, I wished we could have spent the entire day there.  One thing I noticed was the great emphasis on Mandela, and while he is the icon for leading the struggle against apartheid, there were many other people involved.  There was a separate room in the museum for Robert Sobukwe, and we had very little time to read his story.  One thing that caught my attention in this room was the guest book, that visitors may sign and write a comment.  There were two people who had written their gripes.  They wondered what kinds of people come to the apartheid museum; they'd observed a group of young black people that entered the room, asked, "Who is this guy?" looked around for about two minutes, and walked out.  The couple left their race anonymous at first, then admitted to being a white, and a colored.  I also considered the people that come to the museum, but now I wonder, does it matter?  It is important for everyone to see what happened in South Africa's history, but maybe more-so for the people that live here.  They should know about their history, because it is so prevalent in the present day, and it affects their everyday lives.  

Kruger was the highlight of the excursion! The drive from Jo-burg (Jozi) wasn't too long, as we drove through Mpumalanga.  The game drive's were exciting because we didn't know if we were gong to see anything, but when we did, it was magical.  I won't list off what I saw, but I will brag that I saw the BIG FIVE.  :)  I wish we could have stayed in Kruger longer, the stars were amazing and the chalet's we stayed in were luxurious, equipped with air conditioning.

Rina: Changing everyday

I'm changing everyday, I hope everyone at home is able to keep up!  The past two weekends have been incrediblly fun, emotionally taxing, and not to be cheesy, but two of the most life-changing experiences yet.  One thing I like to think about is that every experience I go through, day by day is life-changing, because every experience changes you in some way or another.  Some may not affect you as much as others, and these past two weekends have been extremely influential on me.  

The first weekend get-away was to Malmesbury, a place about an hour away from Cape Town, where we spent our weekend at Goedgedacht, an olive farm.  It was almost like a bed and breakfast, but with homemade olive oils and salad dressings.  However the purpose of our stay at Goedgedacht was not to relax, but to actively learn about human rights, and how to become an educator/facillitator of human rights training workshops.  There were about twenty other people also attending the human rights training workshop; some were a part of Africa Unite, and all were from various parts of Africa, with their own individual reasons for being on the weekend workshop.  We did many activities as well as some informal lectures involving human rights principles.  What I enjoyed most about the weekend was the interactions and connections I had with the other people outside of our UConn circle.  Each person had something unique to offer, and their own goals and visions for Africa, humanity etc.  It was extremely encouraging and empowering to be around so many people that shared the common interest of equal human rights for all.  Talking to some people like Lucinda and Ashley, I was inspired, because even though they know how corrupt and unfair the government and its systems may be, they weren't discouraged.  What was frustrating to me, was knowing what was wrong and knowing the solutions, but the fact that everything takes so much longer to process here.  South Africa is extremely laid back, and getting things accomplished quickly and efficiently is a major challenge.  Regardless, they are patient and willing to deal with it in order to create a better Africa for everyone to which it is home.  Spending the night in the company of our new friends, and star-gazing were just added bonuses to top off the weekend.  

The following weekend a group of 9 of us went to Ocean View, an impoverished township where many colored people had been forced to move to during the apartheid government.  We paired off and stayed with different host families, and they opened their homes and hearts to us, treated us like family, and fed us (too much!)  Kristin and I stayed with Aunty Katie, her husband, and their son; their two daughters were moved out and had families of their own.  One night, it was Aunty Katie's grandson's birthday, and so he had a few of his friends come over, and we had a braai.  Something I realized, talking to his friends, was that some of the colored people in Ocean View really disliked the idea of black people moving into their community.  We tried to explain to the guys that if they were a black family moving into OV, they would want to be treated with fairness and kindness.  Although they agreed, they still argued that black people have been benefiting more after the end of apartheid, compared to the colored people, who have been neglected.  It made me mad that they didn't understand how their way of thinking was the exact way the apartheid government wanted them to think; to turn against each other, divide and conquer.  We tried to explain that it might be better to have some allies, that way maybe some change could come of it, if coloreds and blacks worked together.  The only way to begin is to integrate and allow them into the community.  What frustrated me the most was knowing that this was likely how many of the young people in Ocean View also grew up, believing in these racist, and prejudiced views.  It was sad because these guys were all around our age, and so I knew that they would grow up thinking this way and then pass it along to their children, creating a viscous cycle.

The next day we went to church at Hillsong International, in Canal Walk.  There was an event where hundreds of women were invited from various townships, and provided transportation to Canal Walk.  Had transportation not been provided, however, there would not have been nearly as many people there.  The group of women ranged in age, color, size, and economic background, which amazed me, because everyone was at the same level, in church.  The place hardly looked like a church, though.  It looked like a mall, and the auditorium was a large concert hall, where a band played different religious songs and everyone sang along as the lyrics were being played on giant flat-screen TVs everywhere.  The concept of Hillsong seemed wonderful at first, it seemed like a great charity project, they colllected money to donate to India, and gave out prizes for free dinners and manicures.  The pastor gave a sermon about rising up, and being a strong independent woman.  The only problem was, she never mentioned anything about rising up as a community, and helping each other.  The whole time, everything seemed really fake; there were posters everywhere that read, "You look beautiful," and "Hey pretty lady!"  Afterwards, Kristin and I spent the evening with Bonita (Katie's daughter) and her friends, Roseanne and Sharon.  The women were around our parents' age, but I found it refreshing that we could have a great time with them, chatting, despite the age gap.  We spoke about God and our image of "Him," or if God is even a man, or human for that matter.  We decided that God is in each of us, and that we need to first believe in ourselves before we can help others.  We also chatted about education systems, the government in South Africa and the US, but also about family, friends, and Facebook.  I enjoyed hanging out with Bonita and her friends, and I could easily compare her relationship with her friends to the one I have with mine.  It made me happy to see they had stayed friends for so long, and grown their families while staying in touch.  It was inspiring.  

Rina on opening her mind

Cape Town has been treating me well, but it also has me thinking a lot about what the future holds for me.  The fact that I haven't decided what I want to do when I graduate, has been something I have been grappling with, but I've accepted it.  I know that I need to continue to build up experience so that when I do decide, I can have some background in the field, or at least a starting point.  If all of my plans fail, I plan to go to culinary school, move back to Cape Town, and take over Charly's Bakery.  I can bake and bake and feed the homeless or at least the hungry.  It might not be the most lucrative, but I know I'd be happy doing something I'm passionate about.  

I have always been one to seek out the best option, and tried to be the best, but why does everything have to be a competition?  Many of the South Africans and non-American people I've had the pleasure to converse with, have mentioned that everything in America is always about competition, everyone is very competitive.  And not just in school or sports, even the littlest things, like a courting between two people.  We're always playing games, and toying with emotions and feelings.  One thing I wish I could change about most people is to shift the emphasis from competition, to cooperation.  Competition is all about trying to be better than one another, when in reality, no one is really "better" than anyone else.  We may be better off, because of our privileges that we've been born with, or the experiences we've been privileged to encounter.. but we are all human and not one being is truly better than another.  

This is something I feel the need to keep in the front of my mind, as I come across people with viewpoints, ideals, values and morals that differ from my own.  This is important because it is easy to believe that our own views, ideas, values and morals are right, and the right way of doing things.  Rather than trying to persuade people to agree with us, it is better to present our own side and allow others to decide for themselves if they accept it or not.  I have always thought myself too keep an open mind, but Cape Town is opening my mind more and more each day... 

Rina: looking for the unseen

Rina & Kristin

Something we've been discussing in Marita's class about a reading assignment titled "White Privilege: Unpacking the Invisible Knapsack," by Peggy McIntosh.  The article compares sexism and the ways in which men benefit from being the dominant group, to racism and how white people also benefit.  What was interesting is that many men are unwilling to admit that they are in fact privileged, and in doing so, they are protecting their privilege from being lessened.  Similarly, whites are taught not to notice their privilege, perhaps in order to keep these unseen benefits.  Some of the benefits McIntosh listed were as follows:

• I can be pretty sure that my neighbors in such a location will be neutral or pleasant to me (because I am white)
• When I am told about our national heritage or about  "civilization," I am shown that people of my color made it what it is
• I can swear, or dress in second hand clothes, or not answer letters, without having people attribute these choices to the bad morals, the poverty, or the illiteracy of my race. 
• I can easily buy posters, postcards, picture books, greeting cards, dolls, toys, and children's magazines featuring people of my race. 
• I can choose blemish cover or bandages in flesh color and have them more or less match my skin.
• I can be pretty sure that if I ask to talk to "the person in charge," I will be facing a person of my race.

Many white people never stop to think about things like this, and many deny these privileges just to avoid being seen as racist.  Peggy McIntosh advocates that whites must give up these benefits in order to create equality, as well as men giving up some of their privileges so women can also have equal rights.

When we discussed these issues as a group, many people admitted that they were also blind to see these benefits, and for the first time, they were feeling what it was like to be the minority, here in Cape Town.  For many students, it was the first time they were consciously aware of their skin color.  This was amazing to me, because I recognize that I am "brown," and how it affects almost every aspect of my life.    

The article frustrated me very much because I am Indian, and not a part of the dominant group.  I felt cheated, even though I am just as much an American as every other person in our group.  Talking about it, and my frustration with Amariliz, who is Ecuadorian, and also non-white, we realized we are at an advantage because of our disadvantages.  The fact that we are both in minority groups, we are able to appreciate the few opportunities provided exclusively for minorities, for example scholarships.  Our disadvantages teach us lessons, that many non-whites may not have learned; compare a white child's upbringing to a non-white child's upbringing. 

At our community meeting later in the week, Ben, our resident assistant, reinforced the ideas of unseen privilege in regards to being a study abroad student.  We realize that we're very fortunate to be able to come here, study at UCT, and intern among various NGOs, but what are some of the benefits that we cannot see? This is something I will be keeping in the back of my mind, and looking for, as I experience these next three months here in Cape Town.

Rina on visiting placement sites

Ryan, Rina, and Kristin upon their arrival in Cape Town

Today we visited the various internship placements where our peers will be working.  We started at the State Attorney's office, Brittany's placement.  Everyone introduced himself or herself, briefly stated what they were studying and where they would be interning during our three month stay here.  (This became a monotonous task, as we had to repeat this information at every internship site that we visited.)  The woman that Brittany will be working with explained what type of tasks she would be responsible for, such as filing and reading some cases which can be based on sensitive matters, so confidentiality is important.  She also told her what form of dress would be appropriate, and what time she is expected.  This placement requires a person with a strong personality, someone who will take charge and won't get walked all over; and the one person who I thought was best fit for it was Brittany.

The rest of the day followed the same routine; we visited the other internship placement sites, introduced ourselves and the person who was going to be working there, and learned a bit about each one.  We were able to ask questions and it was a good way to understand what our peers would be doing and even gain a perspective on different NGO's.  Many were not very well resourced, and especially so in funding.  Regardless, the people that worked there were very passionate about the driving factor, the cause behind each organization, which was the people.  It wasn't about the pay, which was a great thing to see, as money seems to be the only factor of concern in the US.

We went to the

•  Network on Violence Against Women (Theresa's placement) which was a welcoming place, that I hope to visit when they host events. 
• Black Sash, (Meika's) is an NGO that offers paralegal advice, mainly concerning labor issues.  It was sad to see that due to low funds, they had to close down three of their other locations from seven to four offices. 
• Thandokhulu High School (Becky, Maria, Kelsey) is a public secondary school, where many children travel great distances from their homes in the townships; some have to leave as early as five in the morning, just to make it to school by eight.  Although it is a public school, they still have to pay fees, not to mention transportation costs.  Because the school is not well funded, they only focus on academic subjects like math, life sciences, geography, history, and English.  Fine arts, music and other subjects of the like are not offered. 
• City Mission Educational Services (Erica, Dan) is another school in Bridgetown, another township, but this school is special because they take students that have fallen behind in their classes, or are not up to par with other students in their age group, so they can have a second chance at receiving an education.  The students may have dropped out or fallen behind for a number of reasons, maybe family issues, or transportation troubles, but this school is designed to help the children move forward regardless of their age.  The students range in age, and they have only grades eight, nine and ten.  The school also provides the learners with a hot meal because many do not have this luxury at home.  I really liked this about the school, because it is important that the children are not going hungry at school, as it can be a major distraction from learning.  Another thing about this school which was great was that they did provide dramatic arts and music as classes.
• Maitland Cottage Hospital (Kristin) is a hospital that specializes in orthopedic and pediatric services.  This was the last stop and a very difficult one for myself and a few others.  As soon as we entered the boys ward, my eyes flooded with tears upon seeing the rows and rows of beds, all filled with broken boys.  Many of them had broken femurs because they had been hit by a car on the street.  It was sad to see how many there were.  The nurse told us that many of their parents did not have the funds to come visit them regularly, which was hard to hear.  She also assured us that the children settle in quickly, and they did seem especially happy to have any kind of visitors.  I approached the cribs of two young boys, about three or four years old, but when I tried to speak to them , they would only speak in Afrikaans or Xhosa.  All I could do was reach my hand in between the bars, to hold their hand. The boys immediately grabbed my hands and were so excited to talk to me, pulling me in both directions.  They would not let go, even when I had to say goodbye; one refused, and pulled my arm further into the crib.  In the girl's ward, many were also bedridden, with their legs either elevated, or probed with metal bars and other devices.    I felt so bad I couldn't approach any of the girls' beds because I didn't want to choose one girl over another.  I'm sure they would have loved to talk to anyone, but I couldn't decide, and I also didn't one girl to feel left out if no one approached their bed.  It was a tough situation, and I felt bad that we had such little time to spend there. 

I hope to revisit many of the internship sites, because I liked each one that we visited.  I wish I could help out at all of them, but it's easier said than done.  I hope I love my internship placement as much as I loved everyone else's.  As each person found out more about their internship, I grew more nervous and excited about mine, at the Children's Resource Center, which I will be visiting tomorrow.  I hope that I won't feel completely clueless when I get there, as I expect to be teaching a class on environmental conservation.  The best part about the placements though, is that each person is well suited for their own internship; so although I am nervous, I assume it will be a perfect match for me.

Rina's Intro

Rina Patel; Junior (third year); Biology major

Hello everyone! I thought I’d list out the top three important pieces of information so I can get to the good stuff! I am super excited about going to South Africa, especially so because of the study abroad program that I’m participating in; Uconn in Cape Town.  This specific program offers more than just living and studying in a different country, but also valuable experiences and opportunities. 

 I wanted to study abroad with this program because it combined many of my interests.  Learning about other cultures is something I enjoy, and a better way to learn is to immerse yourself into it! I love traveling as well and I place importance on helping others- because we are so lucky/blessed/fortunate, I think we should “share the wealth.”

I hope to learn more about myself, and refine my ideas about my life goals and the steps I need to take in order to achieve them. This program is the best fit for me because it will help me to better myself.

I’m nervous but excited about my internship.  My placement is with the Children’s Resource Center, teaching students about environmental conservation.  This is another connection with my interests and future, because I hope to be involved with these types of efforts. 

I’m the most excited about the activist project.  I hope to do something artistic with the South African children, maybe with poetry.  I also want to help out at a clinic or with the Red Cross. 

            

I can’t wait! Let’s go already!