Today was crazy! In South Africa, I’m getting a totally different experience from most of the other people around the world who are studying abroad: working at service sites, not being allowed to drink, and not using any public transport systems. I’ve enjoyed this semester so much up to this point, and wouldn’t trade any of it away, but there’s days like today which make me feel like I’m studying abroad.
This morning, I woke up to my watch alarm at 8 in my too-small bed. I woke up Matt, and we walked downstairs to a breakfast prepared by Thelma that was already prepared. After breakfast, we walked out to a point where we saw the bus driving away from the meeting point. I started freaking out, because we were only a couple minutes late, but they were just making a u-turn after just arriving, and we weren’t late. So we hugged Thelma goodbye, and we got on the bus for our first day of school (or that’s what it felt like).
We drove to Table Mountain, one of the most beautiful places I’ve ever seen. I was so excited to hike it, but it was really windy. They “advised” us not to hike, and a group of 15+ people was ready to hike the mountain, until one of the leaders said we weren’t allowed to hike it. Technically, they told us they didn’t feel comfortable with us hiking the mountain, and that we were driving somewhere else. Everyone who was set on climbing the mountain was frustrated (some people have felt stifled by the semester, with no transportation and so many rules). They drove us to downtown Cape Town, right down the mountain, dropped us off, and expected us to walk around the area shopping and such.
Some of us were feeling defiant, some of us motivated, and some of us adventurous, so we hatched a plan. As soon as we got off the bus, 8 of us walked over to the taxi station and took a taxi to the base of Table Mountain. We then proceeded to have a photoshoot on top of the most beautiful place I have ever seen (or at least top 3) and enjoyed the view looking out in every direction. After that, we hiked down and tried to hitchhike back. There wasn’t anyone with room, so we took a taxi to the train station. We grabbed fish and chips at a restaurant right next to the train station, and brought that on the train we took to the Bible Institute. On the train I talked to one guy at the end who was curious as to where we were from, and had a friend who had emigrated from South Africa to Carlsbad a couple years ago. Shelli and I were the ones who found the right stop, and helped 12 or so other students get off (along with the 8 of us). We walked back to the Bible Institute of South Africa after that, which was right down the road, and hung out there for a couple minutes. Some of the guys from the BI started a game of pick-up rugby, so I joined with Tyler and Logan and Zach for a couple minutes. I had to leave shortly, but not after I realized that I love everything about touch rugby. We drove back to the homestay, and Matt and I talked to Lanthu (?) and another man for a couple of hours. The guy was really cool: he knows a lot about soccer, has a developed view of the Bible, wants to be a Bible student, is very articulate, works for multiple ministries in the area, and is a funny and relational man. I wish I remembered his name or the name of the ministry he works for, because it was really interesting, but we had some great conversation. We talked a lot about America, because he’s been to New Jersey for a summer camp for a couple months. We watched the ManU Man City game, and ManU lost (thank the Lord!). And now, it’s 10 in the evening and Matt is snoring up a storm right above me while I finish my blog and head into some reflection time in my day.
Thought of the day: Living in direct violation of an authority figure’s wishes, but never actually violating instructions, bartering a taxi so well the driver is grumpy with you the entire drive, hiking a mountain quickly, enjoying the mix in the view of houses, mountain, beaches and ocean, taking bare-ass pictures with fellow men, the most epic bro-hug of the decade (at least, possibly the millennium), hiking down even faster, trying to hitchhike, taking another taxi for twice the price because you lost all leverage of running to the taxi’s competition, getting a burger made with just a bun, fries and barbecue sauce, taking a train, saving people from overshooting the exit, striking up random conversation with people around you in the train, or in other places, walking from the train station to your dorm, and playing touch rugby with some college students are all ways to feel like you’re studying abroad. Do it with a beard and in a trucker hat, and you will feel as collegey as can be. Today was a truly great day.
No comments:
Post a Comment