sorry!

i’m sorry i have not been posting regularly! it’s still o week so my schedule is random and its hard to find time to sit and write about my day. here are a few of my first impressions/feelings/thoughts about rhodes and grahamstown.

i really like it here. i wouldn’t be able to tell you exactly why, it’s more of a feeling. the people so far have been really nice. south africans in general seem to be a verrry outgoing people. i remember when i first got here and got thrown into the house meeting before i could even put my stuff in my room, i noticed how comfortable all the girls were with each other. i assumed they came already having known one another only to find out that they had only met earlier that day. i felt very welcomed by the girls in my house.

south africans speak their mind. so far i have been to two plays on campus, both very controversial. one was about HIV and sex and one was about clashing cultures on campus. both were followed by a workshop-type discussion. i was blown away by how open everyone was speaking. there was no judgment either if some girls knew more or less than the others. the play about clashing cultures was about coming to rhodes and the different situations you might encounter. there were some heavy topics and i expected people to shy away from them. i know i did. speaking openly and easily about race is something i really struggle with, but these people just went for it.

people tend to stick to their own groups. i dont mean its like in your face or anything and this also tends to happen everywhere.  its more of a subtle, natural thing. in res (residence house) everyone hangs out and everyone is cool with each other. but i have noticed as this week progressed that when you go out at night people tend to stick to the same people and the same bars. when you ask anyone about it, they all seem to give the same well-oiled speech. apartheid ended and they worked it out and now there is no more issue. and it doesnt seem like there is an issue, it just seems to be what people are more comfortable with. 

we went to the townships (poorer areas around grahamstown) today and ill post about that soon. it was a very weird experience. on another note, my health is improving yay!