(Vineyards in Stellenbosch, see below)Hello All, It is Monday night, and we're back on-line. Our internet at home went down on Wednesday, and it took until today for us to get back on-line. Many many calls to Telkom (the South African phone system) finally resulted in some action, and our line was repaired. So, lots to report on. I was thinking of doing a long blog related to service learning--as that is what I'm supposed to be doing here. BUT, so many other interesting things have happened in the last week, that I'll just touch on a few random topics, and save an in-depth blog on service learning till later.
Moving on Up to Constantia...
Well, after some difficult moments wondering whether it was the right move or not, we have decided to move on up in the world! As of September 1, we will be moving to Constantia, a suburb about 10-minutes south of here, where we will be taking care of the house of a UCT professor who is going to be at Yale for the year. The house is gorgeous, on an acre of land, with a beautiful pool and a jacuzzi off the master bedroom. So, for those of you who were hesitating about visiting, thinking that we wouldn't have the room to put you up, hesitate no longer. As of September 1, we'll have plenty of room, and of course, we're all about sharing!
While Constantia is only 5-10 minutes south of where we are now, it is one of the most elite suburbs in Cape Town. When we tell people that we're moving to Constantia, the response is always something like: "well la di da... How did you make that happen?" Constantia is home to the oldest vineyards in South Africa, planted in the mid 1600s. The area today reminds us of Carmel Valley: vineyards, beautiful large homes, horses, baboons in the forest...OK, there are some differences. In any case, we can't wait for the move. The house is really lovely, and we're going to be very happy there --not to mention the fact that we'll be saving some money. We're definitely getting a good deal, spending less for our new "mini-estate" than we have been spending here. Here is a link to some pictures of our new place: 27 Duckitt Avenue, Constantia, 7806, Western Cape, South Africa: http://sabbaticalhomes.com/Home_Rental_House_For_Rent_Cape_Town_South_Africa_35887.htm
Also, there is a great gym and a tennis club very close. So watch out. You are going to be looking at a couple of "buffed-up 50-year-olds" when we return!
Xhosa Class at UCT
Last Wednesday, Naomi and I started a Xhosa class at UCT. Xhosa is the second most widely spoken language in South Africa, behind Zulu. It is spoken throughout the countryside in the Western and Eastern Cape --the homeland of Nelson Mandela. There were about 20 people in the class, all staff and faculty from UCT. The language has 3 different clicks, which makes it really distinctive, and fun to learn. Hopefully, we'll get the chance to use it. Definitely NOT in the gym in Constantia!
Activists, Religion, Social (and Personal) Change: Dinner with Jeff and Wadida
Saturday night we were invited to dinner at Jeff and Wadida's house. Jeff is chair of the department at UCT where I will be working. He is married to Wadida, and they have a daughter in 11th grade at Alex's high school, and a son in 7th grade at Maya's school, and they live just a few blocks away. They invited us over to dinner with another family, Peter and Leigh, who also have two kids, one in 11th and one in 9th. What a fascinating dinner. They all met in the 1980s, as activists working with the United Democratic Front (UDF). The UDF was created in 1983, as an organization mostly of Coloured, Indian and White activists. At that time, the African National Congress was banned, so much of the anti-apartheid actions were being organized by the UDF. For a history of the UDF, check-out: http://www.anc.org.za/ancdocs/pubs/umrabulo/umrabulo19/history.html
Well, Jeff is white and Jewish, and his wife Wadidah is coloured and muslim. So, over dinner, I asked them how they met. Wadidah was quick to say: "He was one of the whiteys who came to our house after my brother was arrested." It turns out that Wadida's brother was the head of the UDF in the Western Cape, and spent a number of years in "detention." Jeff was active in the UDF, and they met through the struggle. We saw pictures of their wedding, in 1990 --the same year that Naomi and I got married. At that time, it was ILLEGAL to marry outside of your race. Whiteys had to marry whiteys. Blacks had to marry blacks. Coloureds had to marry coloureds, etc. So, Jeff and Wadida were not allowed to get married legally. But they could have a religious ceremony. BUT, the religious leaders had all signed documents stating that they would not perform "illegal" marriages. So, there was an easy fix to this situation. Jeff spent a year in the process of converting to Islam, and then, they got married! They are now raising their kids in the Muslim faith.
The other couple that was there were also activists with the UDF. Peter, who is now a computer programmer for a large South African bank, was a mechanic at the time, and arrange and fix-up cars for the ANC. He would borrow cars from his white liberal friends, and lend them to the ANC for various actions. Then, after the actions, he would do the necessary repairs, and get the cars back to their rightful whitey owners in "just-as-good" condition. His wife Leigh teaches at the local Waldorf school, where she focuses on "life skills for the New South Africa." Go Waldorf! Peter is Christian, and Leigh is Jewish. Peter converted when he married Leigh, and they are raising their kids in the Jewish faith.
Not that we're keeping score, but... notice how both men converted to marry and raise their children in the faith of their wives! So, who's got the power?
An Afternoon in Stellenbosch with Trev and Jessica
On Sunday we drove out to Stellenbosch, a wine-growing area 45 minutes from here. We were invited by Trevor, who is a history prof from San Francisco State, and has been here since January as a Fulbright. Tevor is actually South African, though he lived much of his life in the US. His parents left South Africa during the apartheid era, though they have both stayed connected. Trevor's dad is an applied mathematician at UC Berkeley, and does work throughout South Africa in game management; and his mom is a teacher who organizes partneships between schools in Marin and schools in South Africa. So, clearly we have a lot to learn from Trev!
So are we really in Africa? Stellenbosch reminded us a lot of Marin, with a dutch twist. Vineyards and gorgeous homes and wineries.
We met Trevor for lunch at a great italian restaurant, and then strolled through town for a cappuccino and then a gilatto, before heading back to Trevor's home in a gated Stellenbosch community. We also met Matty and Sadie. Matty is one of Trevor's students from SF State who is here on a study abroad program; and Sadie is her childhood friend who is a student at USF, and here for a 5-week visit. It was great to hear their perspective on life as young people in South Africa. They've clearly had very powerful experiences, getting to know life in the townships --the "Black Label" tour (the local beer) as opposed to the Merlot and Pinot Noir tour that Naomi and I have signed up for.(A typical Stellenbosch home)
So, Is this Africa?
Wineries, vineyards, gilatto, and beautiful farmer's markets. Pools, hot-tubs, and gated communities. Is this Africa? Clearly, it is not Mali, a land still dominated by subsistance farmers. But it is an Africa I am coming to get to know: still trying to come to terms with the legacy of colonialism; massive inequality; building a nation that brings together very modern and very traditional cultures.
Gotta go to bed. Blog ya later.
