Pop!

I’m aware it’s been awhile since I’ve updated. So here’s what’s new. It’s past my one month mark in Cape Town! The list of things that I miss has dwindled to Tostitos chips and free WiFi. All four of my roommates and I cannot manage to find them anywhere. Go America.

Last weekend we stayed in the township of Gugulethu. Talk about popping the Catholic school bubble. Back when I went to talk to a woman at Arcadia about the program, I specifically remember her telling me that the area surrounding UCT was no worse than being around Temple. I would beg to differ with her. The townships are where colored people were pushed to during the time of apartheid. Since then,some of the shanties have been developed into real homes. Now, majority of the population living in shanties have moved in from the Eastern Cape to find work in Cape Town. Rather than going back to EC when they can’t find work, they build more shanties.

None of us had any idea what to expect. The only bit of the townships I’ve seen have been on the way back from the airport. The “houses” I saw then consisted of four walls and a tin roof. We were dropped of at the Jl Zwane Presbyterian church. After meeting with some of the kids from the youth group, Be You to the Full, there,we had a light lunch at Knoxy’s house and listened to a woman talk about her experiences with HIV/AIDS. It wasn’t until Sheldon brought it to my attention did I realize that this lady was the first person I’ve ever known to have HIV.Being in South Africa, I have heard the typical “AIDS” story about 15 times in the past month and was kind of tired of it. This time was more intimate. When she finished reading excerpts from her autobiography about her being gang raped,everyone just sat there. After watching a movie in health class or hearing lecture about AIDS, you’re not required to look the story in the eyes. Although this lady managed to smile after finishing the story, she’s still going to have HIV tomorrow. What do you say to someone who was humiliated and then exiled from her own community? We came up with nothing.

I had spent enough time at Knoxy’s house and was ready to get out of there. My host, Titi,came and picked up me, Michelle, Sheldon, and India. It was so nice to get one of those priceless mom hugs! It was dark by the time we pulled up to the house,but the four of us looked shocked. Titi’s house had a nice green lawn. When we walked inside, there were couches, a TV, stereo, everything that a normal house would have. I was impressed and embarrassed by my own thoughts. It was small, three bedrooms, a kitchen, bathroom and family room,but just Titi and her daughter lived there. We had a huge delicious dinner. I swear I ate better in the townships than I do at 11 Bollihope! I ate my little heart out at Titi’s while we sat and watched some soccer. Titi was quiet so we didn’t find out too much about her story other than that she has been living inthis house for 20 years now. Her daughter, who’s name I forget because it’s Xhosian, works in Stellenbosch and was telling us some good places to go to in the area. It was almost refreshing getting out of Bollihope. We even watched Knocked Up. The whole time at Titi’s felt pretty normal. Every detail down to the bed I stayed in! I slept great!

The next morning we were to go back to the Jl Zwane for service. When we walked out the front door we took a look around in the daylight. Just beyond the fence of Titi’s yard were the shanties that I saw on the way back from the airport. How did I sleep so well with this in the backyard?! Sheldon pushes me along and just tells me to get in the car. I’ve been to a few other services that weren’t Catholic but as if it wasn’t enough that I’m used to the driest form of prayer known to earth, this service was also in Xhosa. Thankfully the woman sitting next to me at least tried to explain what was going on! Just don’t ask me details about it. After the service, we met up with the youth group again. They were so excited to talk to us and ask us so many questions! “What are celebrities like?” “Do you have a car?” “What’s your favorite element?” “Can you dance?” What?! Some of the questions were so random I just had never thought about them so I didn’t know how to answer them! My favorite element? As time got closer to when we were to leave, we took out our cameras to get pictures with the group. Like a moth to a flame, but faster,these kids were in front of us posing, smiling, throwing up West Coast signs with their hands. One little boy got a hold of my camera and just went nuts. I now have numerous pictures on my camera that look like the person taking them was drunk and on the floor. As we sat around and talked, he sat on my lap and pushed every button imaginable. I’m afraid to turn on my camera again to see what he did. I eventually just had to take the memory card and batteries out of it so I could put it away.


After sitting around for awhile, we went outside where it was warmer than it was inside. With the rising child obesity rates rising in America, I could not imagine this going on back at home. They would just draw different games into the sand and could hop around for hours! It reminded me a lot of being at camp, just dancing around and singing. I took out my camera to take pictures again and the same little boy ran up to me to grab the camera back like it was his! I didn’t let him take pictures, so I took some of him. We left the property because some of the kids wanted candy so we bought them some.

Being from the family I am from,I had some candy on me I could just hand out. As we walked the feeling of being a drop of rain in the desert came back. It’s one thing when kids are staring at you but when people who are your elders are staring at you its intimidating. I felt like I had to constantly be on guard not knowing where I was or if people were going to try to take things from me. When we came back to the church,there was another little boy walking around inside the gate. We kind of ignored him and kept playing games. He would walk up to everyone in the group and beg for money. He couldn’t have been older than 5.

When our bus came to pick us up, all of the kids ran around and gave us hugs. They asked when we were coming back. I would like to go back, but I don’t know if we will.

I came back home. Jumped in bed and flipped open my laptop to check my email but what are those kids doing now?