A few days in...

Its beautiful and sunny here in Stellenbosch. If anything, it reminds me of the valley. The water tastes more chlorinated, but then again, I'm not using a fridge or Brita filter, so it might even taste the same. Most of the gardens have the same flowers as home, its the most bizarre thing ever. Like, the exact same flowers.
Its been pretty quiet in Concordia, where I am living, but apparently now that the big group of Americans has arrived, it will get much louder. I have my own bedroom and my own bathroom, and share a living room/kitchen with 3 other flatmates. But they haven't arrived yet, so its mostly just me in a pretty large area. I picked a room with a nice view, and in the morning, I hear all sorts of new bird calls. The pidgeons are more reddish and louder here, but otherwise look like pidgeons.
One boy Sander and I had the same shuttle into Stellenbosch, so we're basically the only people we know. He's Dutch, but he can't understand Afrikaans either. He can read it though. I can sort of read it, and I'm picking more up slowly. Most people speak Afrikaans to us, until we have a confused-enough look on our faces that they switch to English.
All the food is very cheap. its amazing. and the dollar is strengthening, so its now a little more than 10 rand to a dollar. (easier math for my head).
We've gotten somewhat lost multiple times, and I have never really had a good sense of direction, so the rule is, go the exact opposite direction of my first instinct. The University is big and beautiful, and immaculately gardened. The freshmen/first years arrived today, with all their parents in tow, which has been sort of amusing to watch. Once everyone else arrives too, the number of people on campus will probably be overwhelming for a bit. Our orientation starts Wednesday, and we are pretty limited on what we can do before then. There's lots of bureaucracy/paperwork/registration/fees involved with getting internet set up, so I'm writing this out of the Internet cafe in the Neelsie.
So its sort of just like home, except for the wind. There's always a breeze of some sort, and during the night, it gets stronger. Its the crazy-powerful wind of November in Spokane, but warm! There's no AC inside the buildings, but if you keep the windows open, its stays cool. Its blissfully beautiful, but I'm looking forward to Orientation, where I can meet more students, and learn a little bit more about how to get around and where to go. Also, it'll be nice to have my ISEP money set up, so I can use that for food instead of my money.
I feel like this post is pretty disjointed. I was hoping that as I adjusted my prose would flow a little easier, but I guess I am not yet to that point. Much love to the Western world.

Trans-atlantic flight and London

I arrived at the boarding area 4 minutes before pre-boarding began. My mother and I had arrived early in San Francisco in order to sqeeze in some lovely wanders through both Golden Gate Park and Ghiradelli Square. We didn't quite figure on how long it would take to get to the airport. It all worked beautifully though, and I am now even further convinced that Spokane has the silliest security system, seeing as I basically walked through SFO. My bag weighed 23.8 kg, which translates to more than the 50 lbs I had mentally converted the limit too. I'm not sure if the baggage people were being nice, or if the limit was 24 kg. Either way, it was no problem.
I watched Mamma Mia on the plane, and tried to sleep as much as possible. I was the only one in my little ABC row... which was cool.
We arrived in London airspace around 10:30 GMT (cuz I'm in the same country as Greenwich, how crazy is that?), but didn't land until 11:05. They had already turned off the in-flight entertainment system, but I was plenty entertained by trying to piece together all the holes in the fog into one cohesive city.
kyle-your favorite song ever-live your life, just came on the radio in this cafe. haha. win. (ok, you kinda win because I just used your vocabulary). also, get facebook already.
all- I took the express train to paddington station, and then the circle/court/yellow line to Westminster, where I've been wandering. I sat in on a debate in the House of Commons about Britain's future involvement in Iraq. I really like the parliamentary system. There were also shouting protestors outside (no, mother and everyone else, I didn't join them), and I saw one get arrested while another video-taped and shouted at the top of his lungs. I love how freaking old all these buildings are. I also realized that those historical books that I get every year from Aunt Tracy have taught me a lot about UK history. Between those (think Phillipa Gregory), the Roberts' and AcaDec, I recognized most all of the names/sculptures/paintings. I also walked along the Thames a bit, possibly humming the song about a girl named nell from A Knights Tale (aww... heath...)
Currently I'm in Trafalger Square for a bit, and then I'll wander back to Westminster Abbey/Chapel, and then I'll hop back on the underground, and catch my train to Heathrow in plenty of time.
Next stop, CAPE TOWN!

3 days left

Today is a beautiful sunny day in Fresno. Still cold, but my brain functions better when the sun is shining, so I am happy.
I finally started my goodbyes, and I'm ready to leave soon.
I love the calm of goodbyes. Somehow there is a grace and peace that comes with accepting the change that is coming. Goodbyes cement relationships into their proper place. I've started goodbyes to people, and Fresno too.
Today the paper ran a good opinion piece by a Hmong activist. I cut it out, to help me remember home. Apparently there are some references to things that happened while I was in Spokane that my mom explained to me later, but thats okay. Fresno is such a beautiful mess of poverty and wealth. I am so thankful that I got the opportunity to enter into a tidbit of Hmong/Southeast Asian culture when I worked at FIRM last summer. It helped me see Fresno a little more completely, and also complexly. I had the opportunity to enter into a few high school girls' lives. That opportunity touched/changed me more than anything else. I think I'm going to come back this summer to work for FIRM's Family Festival. I love those kids, and those leaders.
I know this blog is supposed to be about South Africa. Its important to me though, that the world not be so black-and-white.
I am going to a wealthy secluded corner of the richest country on the continent of Africa. I am coming from the city with the highest concentrated poverty in the country that has the largest economy of the world. I live in a state that would be the tenth largest economy in the world, if it were independent. There is still a lot of economic disparity in both countries. Definitely worse in South Africa. It'll be interesting to see, for sure.
I don't know how I'm going to react to the poverty and wealth I see in South Africa. I've done my good poli-sci student research. I know about the political parties, and the history. I will definitely learn more once I am there, but I feel somewhat intellectually prepared. In Fidens' words though, "You can never be prepared for Africa"
I'm so excited.

6 Days Left

And then I am hopping on a plane in San Francisco, wandering London (safely and intelligently) for a day, then hopping on another plane to Cape Town. My university is picking me up at the airport, and then driving me to a hostel in Stellenbosch. I will stay there, free of charge (through ISEP), and work on my tan and get used to my surroundings. And go to the beach.
Then orientation will start on January 20th. Lectures begin 4 February.

I'm taking a module on community-based service learning: and this is an excerpt from the syllabus:

COURSE CONTENT IN BRIEF

The theoretical component of the course includes a study of South African social demographics; a focus on poverty and the need for community based development; the approaches, principles and processes of community development; community based research methods; and various case studies, applications and debates in the field of community development to enrich the course content.

The service learning component focuses on the various aspects of service learning methodology; the unpacking of theoretical concepts within the context of the specific community practice settings; essential skills development for community workers; guidance with assignments; group work activities; and most importantly, it provides an infrastructure for structured reflection.

The community service-learning component refers to the contact between the student and a community of choice where the service-learning experience will take place. Students learn while rendering a needed service to the community. Students will be placed at partnering service organizations. They will spend allocated time on site for ten weeks according to a service-learning action plan and schedule under the supervision of a site supervisor. The placement will be a carefully directed learning experience, including thorough preparation of both community partners and students prior to placement. University transport will be provided between campus and placement sites.

If you're interested:
isep.org
http://www.sun.ac.za/
http://www0.sun.ac.za/international/acad.php?page=certificate