It has been an interesting past few days full of both excitement and unpleasantness. Knowing that the sunny, clear days are numbered, I joined my housemates in skipping out of work early of Tuesday to climb Table Mountain. Ascending Table Mountain is probably the number one item on every Cape Town visitor’s list, but somehow, work schedules and bad weather prevented me from making it to the top last summer. When I returned in May, I was determined to climb…even if it meant playing a bit of hookie.

We climbed to the top via the Platteklip Canyon Trail on the side of the mountain facing the main city bowl. It was a beautiful hike, and the higher we climbed, the better the view of the city we got. On this particular route, there are steps carved into the mountain to make it a bit easier. Still, imagine 2 hours of climbing steps…not exactly a walk in the park. Thankfully, most of the trail was in the shade so it wasn’t too hot.

The view from the summit of Table Mountain was simply spectacular—and worth the nearly one year wait it took for me to finally make it to the top. To the south, you can see all of the Cape Peninsula through Cape Point. To the west are the many suburbs of Cape Town and the winelands in the distance. To the north is the downtown city of Cape Town, Robben Island, and Table Bay. Stunning panoramic views like that one prove just how beautiful and scenic a country South Africa is. And since we didn’t start climbing until late afternoon, we were able to enjoy the beginning of the sunset over the Atlantic Ocean before taking the Table Mountain Cable Car down from the top.

Since Tuesday’s triumphant mountain climb, things have gone a bit downhill. I fell ill with a sore throat, fever, and headache, and after a visit to the doctor’s, was diagnosed with Strep throat. Fortunately, I am on antibiotics and am starting to feel better.

My sickness forced me to miss 2 days of work, which put me a little bit behind schedule. Luckily I was able to make it in today for the whole day and start to get back on track. In addition to my own research, I was also tasked to help design a permanent display case for the museum at the Cape Town Convention Center. If done well, it could help to attract the convention center’s many visitors to the museum. With little guidance, I was told to create a 3-D model of what the display should look like. Lacking it arts-and-craft skills, the “model” I constructed looked like a diorama from an elementary school science project or book report. Thankfully the responsibility for the final design does not rest with me!

This weekend should be fun, as I am driving along the southern coast of the Western Cape to a game lodge. Hopefully, I will get to see some cool animals and enjoy a new part of South Africa.

And lastly, happy one year to the World Cup!! (Thursday marked the one year mark until the kickoff of South Africa’s World Cup on June 11, 2009, and the city was abuzz with excitement. It’s hard to imagine what it will be like for the real thing.)

Here’s a link to the research template I completed last week:

http://docs.google.com/Doc?id=dcnznx25_135gm3ppsfg&hl=en

It outlines my research questions and methods, so you should read it if you want a better idea of the work I am doing with the District Six Museum.

This article was on the front page of the NY Times online. It does a nice job explaining the economic situation here in South Africa and the tensions between the business community, President Zuma, and the powerful Congress of South African Trade Unions (COSATU).

Here is the link:

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/11/world/africa/11jobless.html?_r=1&hp

After a week of rain and clouds, the sun and blue skies have finally returned to Cape Town. It’s amazing how beautiful this city can be—when the weather is actually nice. This past weekend was very relaxing, and the break in the weather allowed us to enjoy the sights of the Cape. Saturday afternoon, I went on a wine tour with several of the other students living in my lodge. Although I have already traveled to the renowned winelands of the Western Cape, I got to visit some new wineries and see some different scenery. The highlights from the day include a winery that had unlimited wine and cheese for only 12 rand ($1.50) and another winery that uncorked a bottle with a saber! (I got a really cool action shot of it.) I have to admit that I still can’t tell what is “good” wine, but I enjoyed all of it nonetheless, especially the prices.

Sunday morning, the two other Duke students and I headed to the J.L. Zwane Church and Community Center (www.jlzwane.sun.ac.za) in the Gugulethu township to see Mel (the Duke Divinity Alum) preach. When I first walked into the Church, I was impressed by the building. Since it is located in the townships, I expected it to be a bit run down, but it instead was a large well-equipped and well-decorated brick building (we later learned from Mel that it was built in 2003 by the University of Stellenbosch, ironically the university where the concept of apartheid was first developed).

The church service itself was a bit interesting. Most of it was spoken in Xhosa, so I had absolutely no clue what was going on. It was especially frustrating when, at the end of the service, the head of the church gave a thirty minute speech about self-empowerment. Thankfully, he threw in a few words in English so at least I had some idea of what he was talking about. It was interesting, though, to see how the Church service became an opportunity not just for religious celebration but also for community gathering and improvement. For me, however, the most memorable part of the 2 hour long service was the music. Everyone in the Church was actively singing along, and it was by far the best Church music I have ever heard.

After Church, we went with Mel to visit one of the families that she has become close with over the past year. The mother has taken seven foster children, including one with disabilities. She has to care for them herself, since her husband left her. It was truly an eye-opening experience to meet these kids who have gone through so much yet still maintain a positive attitude and are excelling in school.

When we left their house, we headed to Mzoli’s Meats for lunch. Located in the township, Mzoli’s has quickly become a popular destination for locals and tourists alike. It is truly an experience. You go into the butcher’s room, and select how much meat you would like. They then weigh it and place it in a bowl, which you take outside to be grilled. When the food is cooked, it is placed in another bowl and ready to eat—without plates or silverware. The meats—steak, chicken and sausage—were incredible, and I really enjoyed getting my hands dirty and bringing out my inner carnivore.

Visiting the townships again was such a sobering reminder of the stark gap between rich and poor, black and white and just how deeply these inequalities are embedded in everyday life. It’s ironic how one day you can enjoy the beautiful, nicely manicured wine estates of Stellenbosch, and the next day drive through dirt roads past one room concrete houses and shacks. South Africa is truly a land of contrast.

Monday, I finally hammered down the details of my research plan for District Six. I have set a timeline for my work and have started the data collection phase. I will try to post my research template to give a better sense of what I will be up to.

During the Spring semester, I was contacted by Duke Magazine to write an essay about student civic engagement for their 25th Anniversary issue. It just came out this past week. Here is the link to the article:

http://www.dukemagazine.duke.edu/issues/25/student/3.html

The picture of me, in my opinion, isn’t very flattering, but I hope you enjoy the article.

This week has flown by…it’s hard to believe that it is already Friday. For the most part, I have been pretty busy with work researching the different tourism plans for Cape Town for next summer’s World Cup. To augment this data, I have also made contact with several German museums. Since Germany hosted the World Cup in 2006 and since the country, like SA, has a painful and contested history, I think that any advice or perspective museums there can offer will be very interesting in helping us to think through the District Six visitor experience and how it can be adapted for 2010. In addition to my own research, I was able to attend an oral history seminar for the 10 or so museum staff members. I really enjoyed it because it gave me the opportunity to hear first-hand about the role of oral history in crafting some of the museum’s current exhibits.

Outside of work, things are going well. A week ago, one of the girls who lives in my house (and goes to Duke) saw another girl at the gym wearing Duke shorts. They struck up a conversation, and it turns out that the girl (her name is Mel) graduated from Duke Divinity School in 2008 and has been working in one of the townships outside of Cape Town for a year now. What a small world!  Last night, us Dukies went out to dinner. Aside from a nice meal, we also received an invitation to attend Mel’s church this Sunday. I am really looking forward to the experience of an African church service…I will keep you posted on how it turns out.

Wednesday was the opening of Parliament and the State of the Nation address by newly-elected South African President Jacob Zuma, which closed off many of the streets of downtown Cape Town and filled them with uniformed soldiers. Before the address, which took place in the Parliament Building, Zuma and other officials drove through a parade route accompanied by bagpipers, marching bands, and mounted military officials. It was so cool to be able to walk a few blocks from work and witness such a special occasion. Seeing all of the soldiers lining the streets standing at attention to greet their democratically elected president was especially moving, since the military for so many years played a huge role in brutally crushing anti-apartheid resistance and reinforcing the policies of the racist National Party. Despite the persistent poverty and political corruption, it is truly amazing to think about how far this country has come in the fifteen years since democracy.

On a side note, this past week I booked a flight to Pietermaritzburg, small city just outside of Durban that I spent a month in last summer. I will be traveling there the weekend of June 26 with this year’s Duke Engage in South Africa students (they arrive in Cape Town this Sunday). I am looking forward to seeing some old friends again and enjoying the beautiful rolling hills of the province of KwaZulu Natal. And let’s be honest, the delicious breakfast at the Aberfeldy Bed and Breakfast is high up on the list too!

It’s been a rather low key past few days in Cape Town. Friday during the day, I accompanied the director of the District Six Museum, Bonita Bennett, to the World Congress on Civic Education at the Westin Waterfront Hotel. I wasn’t really sure what to expect from the convention when I arrived, but I was immediately impressed by the elegance of the hotel. When I headed into the main ballroom to listen to Bonita’s keynote address, I was interested to see where all of the delegates had come from. While some hailed from a variety of African, European, and Latin American countries, the vast majority of the attendees were Americans. So much for the “World” part of the convention’s title.

After Bonita’s speech, the convention broke up into smaller groups. In 5 different meeting rooms, children from various schools across South Africa were going to give presentations on their involvement with Project Citizen, a program run by the Department of Education that teaches high school students to identify problems within their community, identify possible causes, and formulate and enact solutions. When this was announced as the next activity of the convention, something struck me as a bit off. It seemed weird that instead of the delegates venturing outside of the gilded confines of the waterfront area into the students’ community, the school children were coming to present at this posh hotel. Moreover, the presentations were entitled “showcases” as if the children would be performing.

Bonita and I followed a crowd into a small meeting room, where a group of female high school students from Durban would be presenting on their project focusing on the recent xenophobic attacks in South Africa. Their self-confidence and public speaking ability was impressive, but they appeared to be speaking from memory and repeated trite sayings, such as “We are going to change our province, our country and our world.” However, as the girls gave their very scripted presentation, the audience oohed and aahed.

In the question and answer period that followed, American after American got up and praised the students. One woman, who looked like an exact replica of my ninth-grade English teacher Mrs. Smith, gave a five minute speech thanking them for allowing her to understand a topic that, because of her own race, she could not possibly understand.

Hearing these comments, Bonita and I looked at each other in disbelief. What was going on? Sure, these girls gave a decent presentation, but these Americans were waxing on and on. It felt like the South African children were on display—in a “showcase”—for the foreign visitors to marvel at, experience “racial difference,” and fulfill some need for an “African encounter.” It felt as though the Congress were held in South Africa only to give the delegates a nice vacation and experience an exotic location. The whole experience left me feeling a bit disgusted.

I do, however, have to say that I did very much enjoy the buffet lunch. It was delicious and by far the best meal I have had in South Africa so far this summer.

Friday night was very interesting. After enjoying a rather bountiful sushi buffet (once again, I overate…big surprise), we joined the Observatory (aka Obz…it is the neighborhood I am living in) Bar Crawl. We were expecting it to be a large event that would allow us to make friends and explore the area. Instead, it was only 5 students from my house and a group of students from a community college in Tennessee. Although it was dominated by Americans, the bar crawl was still a lot of fun, and we got a free t-shirt out of it.

Saturday we took the opportunity to explore downtown Cape Town. Several of the other people in my house work in the suburbs, so they have not made it to the city. As a result, I ended up assuming the role of the tour guide since I work downtown and am quite familiar with it. Sunday was a rainy, cloudy day, so we headed to a nearby mall to walk around and watch a movie. Instead of catching a Hollywood blockbuster, we chose to watch a South African documentary titled “Hidden Heart.” It focused on the story of Christiaan Barnard, the University of Cape Town doctor who performed the first heart transplant in 1967. It revealed that his efforts were greatly assisted by a black man named Hamilton Naki, who never was formally trained in medicine and was never given credit for his role because he was black. It’s amazing to think about all the men and women during the apartheid era who never achieved recognition for their efforts or who never had the opportunity to fulfill their potential simply because of the color of their skin.  Although at the same time, the same could be said of the US during the majority of the twentieth century.

Work this week should be pretty productive. At the museum on Monday, I began reading tourism reports published by the Cape Town tourist bureau to get a sense of what type of visitors (demographics, country of origin, interests) the city should expect next summer. Hopefully the information in the reports will help get the ball rolling with my research, and I can make some real progress.

After a string of beautiful days in Cape Town, winter has finally arrived.  I was woken up in the early morning hours yesterday by rainfall slamming down on the roof of my house, and the dampness and cold lingered throughout the day.  Despite the sudden turn of weather (which this year I am prepared for, equipped with waterproof shoes and a nice rain jacket) and despite the long hours, I am enjoying my first full week at work.

Each Monday, the museum closes early at 2pm for some sort of staff development activity.  This week, we all headed to the Greenpoint Commons Visitor’s Center, the site of Cape Town’s World Cup stadium that is now under construction.  In addition to getting a bird’s eye view of the construction effort (the stadium looks really nice and is slated to be completed in Dec 2009), visitors to the center are also treated to a one-man show about the history of the Greenpoint Commons area and its role in the development of soccer in Cape Town.  It was the site of the first soccer match in the city back in the late 1800s, and up until the height of apartheid, it served as a major gathering space where teams from across the region came to play soccer on Saturday and Sunday afternoons.  After the enactment of forced removals, these social networks were disrupted and soccer at Greenpoint Commons became only a memory of the past as soccer clubs were split by race and relegated to their respective settlement area. (This is actually the focus of the “Fields of Play” soccer exhibition at the District Six’s Homecoming Center).

Tuesday and Wednesday were focused on developing my research project for the museum.  After discussions with the staff and some initial planning, we have decided that for the next seven weeks or so, my research will center on how best the museum can integrate its main building exhibition with the soccer exhibition (which is located in the Homecoming Center two blocks away) in anticipation of the World Cup next summer.  In answering this question, I will be examining the visitor experience at the main exhibition, surveying tour operators and tour companies about their plans for 2010, investigating larger tourism efforts undertaken by the city of Cape Town and the province of the Western Cape.  The project is a difficult one because the District Six Museum is more than just a “tourist museum.”  Instead, it is a site of conscience with priorities greater than profit and crucial stakeholders like the former residents of District Six.  In essence, any plan for next summer must balance many factors and competing interests.  It will be a lot of work…wish me luck in the process!

Thursday, the museum hosted a luncheon meeting for the “Seven Steps Club,” a group of former residents of District Six.  Aside from serving a social function, the meeting also allows the museum staff to disseminate information about its current initiatives and seek input for improvement.  This month, the meeting featured a presentation from the museum director and an architect about the future plans for the District Six Homecoming Center, which is halfway completed.  A former factory and warehouse, the building has been renovated of the past years.  Parts of it, like the area housing the soccer exhibit, are completed.  Others areas, still need quite a bit of work.  The final plans, which were presented yesterday, look pretty impressive and will provide a warm, welcoming community space that will help to further preserve the memory of the District Six community.

I especially enjoyed the meeting for two reasons.  First, I have not really had a chance to meet many of the former residents of District Six.  Having worked at the museum and read about many of their stories, it was incredible to hear about their experiences first hand.  The second reason is a bit comical.  Each former resident was issued a “Seven Steps Club” membership card, and I was put in charge of taking each person’s picture for their card.  When explaining that each person would be having their picture taken for their membership card, the museum director joked that the photographer (me) had come all the way from the United States just for this.  The joke didn’t register, as everyone in attendance thought that she was being serious.  They then began to give me a round of applause.  Apparently, at the end of the meeting, one of the residents asked Bonita, the director, when I would be returning to take pictures again.  Needless to say, all of the staff members and I shared a laugh about this when everyone had left.

Outside of work, things have been doing well.  Tuesday night, I went with a few people to the University of Cape Town Symphony Orchestra concert.  The students were very talented, and visiting the UCT campus gave us a chance to meet some South African friends.  Wednesday night we went to a bar to watch the UEFA Champion’s League Final between Manchester United and Barcelona.  Thankfully, the team I was rooting for (Barcelona) won 2-0.  It is interesting to see just how passionate South Africans are for sports, especially soccer.

Before I conclude, I just want to talk about one thing that has been on my mind a lot this past week.  Last year, I frequently wrote about the stark wealth and racial inequality prevalent in South Africa.  I still find it unfortunate but fascinating to observe.  Some South Africans (mostly whites) are incredibly wealthy and enjoy a standard of living that rivals and even surpasses that of most Americans.  They parade around with expensive 25-Rand lattes, designer watches and fancy clothes.  Others South Africans live in shacks inadequate housing and survive on nearly 25 Rand a day.  And while the worlds that they inhabit are in different in so many ways, there are places that they meet: on trains, in parks, and on the streets of Cape Town.  It is in these shared spaces that the new South Africa is brought to life, and it is in these shared interactions that hope for the future, however bleak at times, still resides.

My first weekend back in Cape Town was pretty low key but still rather enjoyable. After work on Friday, I hung around the museum for the Cape Cultural Collective’s monthly music and poetry gathering. Because today (May 25) is “Africa Day,” in celebration of the formation of the African Union, the theme for the performance was “Africa Alive!” Various artists and poets from around the region filled the museum hall with lively, energetic music and beautiful and insightful verses. The packed house clapped and danced along, and everyone in attendance (including myself) enjoyed the evening. When I hear the vibrancy of African music, it makes me sMy first weekend back in Cape Town was pretty low key but still rather enjoyable. After work on Friday, I hung around the museum for the Cape Cultural Collective’s monthly music and poetry gathering. Because today (May 25) is “Africa Day,” in celebration of the formation of the African Union, the theme for the performance was “Africa Alive!” Various artists and poets from around the region filled the museum hall with lively, energetic music and beautiful and insightful verses. The packed house clapped and danced along, and everyone in attendance (including myself) enjoyed the evening. When I hear the vibrancy of African music, it makes me so upset that many South African youth dismiss their traditional (and high quality) music in favor of imported American rap, R&B, and hip-hop.

After sleeping in on Saturday morning, I went with some of the other students living in my house to climb Lion’s Head, one of the mountains opposite Table Mountain. It was an incredible experience, especially since I did not have the chance to do it last summer. As we made our way to the top, we were afforded stunning views of the City Bowl and the shoreline. Although it was a bit cloudy outside, it was still an enjoyable experience. At the top, we met a South African guy who we visited with on the way down. It was interesting just to talk to him about his life experiences and hear his opinions about the country and its direction. I did, however, get the impression that, because he lives in a well-to-do seaside suburb, he was a bit out of touch with the Cape Flats area, where most of the poorer Capetonians reside. Later on Saturday, we headed to Long Street for dinner and music at Mama Africa’s, one of my favorite restaurants in the city.

Sunday was a bit of a lazy day. Earlier in the week I stumbled upon a Catholic Church literally a block away from where I was living. Since fate seemed to bring the location to my attention, since it was so close, and since mass was late enough in the morning (11am) for me to be able to get up for it, Catholic guilt compelled me to attend mass. To be honest, this was the first Catholic service I had attended in South Africa. Last summer, there were no churches within access of where I was staying, and the only church service I was able to attend was a Methodist one. Needless to say, mass in South Africa was a bit different than mass at Saints Peter and Paul in Hamburg, NY. Aside from the obvious racial differences (seeing as though you would be hard pressed to find a single black person at SSPP), what really stuck out to me was the fact that the homily turned into more of a basic history lesson about various Christian schisms. I am not sure if the information was new to the other people present, but I found the experience to be a bit frustrating since I would have appreciated something with a little more depth. Plus, as a history major, I do have to admit that I was a bit annoyed by his butchering of historical details. At least the music was good…perhaps better than the Saint Pete’s Choir (sorry Mom).

Well, I should get back to work. I have a busy week ahead with my two research projects. To everyone back in the US, Happy Memorial Day! Enjoy the beginning of summer while I endure the beginning of another Cape Town winter.

As the plane began its final descent towards Cape Town International Airport and the majestic Table Mountain appeared in the distance against a clear blue sky, the first thought that came into my mind wasn’t how beautiful a view I was experiencing. Instead, a sudden panic came across me as reality began to hit. What was I doing? Why did I choose to spend, of all places, another summer in South Africa? Why was I subjecting myself to another Cape Town winter of endless rain? Why was I going to force myself to see the uncomfortable pain of poverty on a daily basis? Why was I going back to a city and a country that is still desperately struggling with racial conflict, economic disparity, high unemployment, and prevalent crime?

So as I landed on Wednesday morning after more than 30 hours of travel, I wasn’t exactly prepared. Two straight days of overnight flights left me unbearably tired, and I didn’t feel ready for my summer to begin. It didn’t seem real that I was back in South Africa, and I felt like I should have spent more than 4 days at home before heading off again. Moreover, I really had no clue what to expect from my housing situation, and I feared being stuck by myself in a dirty, substandard apartment.

Wednesday afternoon, after dropping my baggage off at the house where I am staying, I headed off to downtown Cape Town to pay a visit to the District Six Museum and let them know that I had arrived. I caught a minibus taxi on the main road leading into town (unlike last summer, I am living outside of the city center and cannot walk to work), and jumped inside. The three rows of seats were jam-packed with black and colored South Africans, and as a white American, I was out of my element. When we got to the taxi station downtown, I got out and had to walk through a large outdoor marketplace where street vendors were hawking everything from produce to clothes to electronics. And when I had finally arrived at the museum and spoke with my boss Mandy, we sat down in the museum’s café with some of my co-workers, and a political debate about the recent national elections erupted.

Feeling racial difference, seeing the sights of South Africans going about their daily lives, and hearing the passion and fervor of my co-workers when they spoke about local and national politics—real issues that they believe impact their lives at a personal level—I was reminded what I love about this country. My doubts and questioning seemed to fade a bit, and I felt at home, as it I had never left.

While I am feeling a lot better about being away from home, some misgivings linger. I am a bit daunted by the amount of work that lies ahead with both my research for my history thesis and my work for the District Six Museum. And on the home front, my housing situation is a bit of a mixed bag. The room that I am staying in is not that nice, but the kitchen is very large and has been recently remodeled. Plus, there are several other students from the US (2 from UNC) and Germany living here, so I have some sort of a community. However, Mandy told me that the 100 Rand a night price tag is too high, and she is looking into alternative places for me to rent. I’ll keep you posted on what happens there.

For the most part, I am adjusting to life back in South Africa pretty well. Jet lag wasn’t two bad (especially after a 14 hour sleep my first night here), and I am quickly re-familiarizing myself with all of my old favorite restaurants, shops, and bars. Overall, I am excited to see what the next nine weeks have in store.

Here’s to hoping that my first weekend back in SA goes well…I will post after then.