Soaking up the culture

I feel like I should have written this about all the tours that we went to this week earlier. There was so much information about the history and the culture that I highly doubt I could be able to reproduce everything from my terrible memory. It was definitely interesting to learn about the history of this country and continent, since I don't remember learning anything at all about Africa through out all my school years in Vietnam, except for the fact that it is one of the existing continent in the world.

We did a tour on Thursday to a township called Langa. It is known as one of the oldest townships in the country. "Langa" means 'sun', and it is derived from a chief's name (I'm not even gonna try it, it is Langaliba… something 'l'… ). This town has a total different atmosphere than the main city of Cape Town. Here I could feel the "African" breeze, with the traditional architecture they maintained for tourism purpose. We also got to try a traditional food called "fat cake" (it also has an African name but beats me if I remember). To me it tastes like banh tieu in Vietnam, haha, except they stuff it with cheese instead of banh bo. 

It was a brief and condense tour that spanned 2 hours and covered almost all aspects of the people here: the history, culture, religion, art, politics and economics. I loved the art center where all the crafts are displayed. On a general notes, African crafts are really similar to that of Vietnam: bead jewelry, decorations made of coconuts and banana leaves, sand paintings, and so on. However, I think one thing that sets apart the two cultures is the color. The color palette here is hot and bright, exactly what we think of when we think of Africa: red, yellow, and green. And obviously, the theme depicted is different, mostly the safari and the wild animals like lions, zebras, giraffes.

At night, my roommate and I decided to go out for a taste of Africa at one of the most popular spots in the city called Mama Africa. I have always known from the start that I would have no problem with the cuisine here, since it is rather close to that of Malaysia and Indian, and maybe a little bit of Mexico. However, I had to say, dinner that night blew my mind. The food is extremely rich in flavor and texture, and the very fine wine just takes it over the top. The price is not bad either, for a hot tourism spot in the center of the city, the price $30 for a three-course meal with wine and live performance, for me, is unbelievable. I am glad that we made the decision to go out that night.

With all classes registered and school ID taken, I allowed myself to had a leisure and relaxed Friday afternoon and evening. I felt somewhat anti-social for not going out  with the rest of my group but I just was not feeling the excitement of drinking and clubbing, yet. In the end, my roommate and I came over to our neighbor's place for a "braai" (barbeque). I loved the chilled atmosphere, just enjoying our cool beer, standing by the warm grill and sharing our cultures. It seemed like everyone came from a different countries and background. I never experience so much diversity and I feel truly lucky to be able to listen to all these stories about different places in the world. Most of the people here also masters in Law and other crazy fields, it makes me feel like there are so smart and talented people every where I go. We had discussions on educational systems, food, music, dances, cultures and even stars and Shakespeare. I got to know this guy who studies Astrophysics  (ugh, sounds intense) and he promised me he would take me to an observatory night to see the stars and how they change and everything. Only then that I realized how the starlit sky of Africa, reminded me of that scene in Lion King, lol. Being able to make new friends and get along with everyone immediately made my night.

Early Saturday morning, a windy one, we headed out to District 6, the main area of the city with lots of museum and other historical places. Our first stop was the District 6 museum and I learned about the so-called "segregation" movement taken place in Cape Town that drove many people out of their home. Somehow I feel lucky that Asia countries such as Vietnam never really experiences intense discrimination based on skin color like in the US and here. We then stopped by a bazaar for a delicious Indian/Bunjabi/African lunch before headed out to the flea market. I'm still on the look for the perfect leather and fur handbag. The market reminded me a lot of home though, including all the cute street café shops. One thing about Africa is you get to experience music and dances everywhere you go. There are street performers doing dances and playing instruments at every corner of the streets, from various age groups. It feels like life here is always filled with drum beats and dance moves.

After a long walk through various areas of the city, we arrived at an area with a completely different atmosphere. As my friend told me: "Whenever you are out of the city by 30 to 45 minutes, and is close to a body of water, you know it's a rich neighborhood." It's so true. The houses here were gorgeous. There were expensive cars on the street. The clubs are fancier and the shops are more modern and urban. The mall, called The Waterfront, located right next to the lake and was breathtaking. It is definitely THE spot for tourists where they can find almost everything: local seafood, beer garden, aquarium, movie theater, and, obviously, the mall. We walked around for an hour or so before we decided to go home since everyone was tired after a long day. That feeling of shopping hasn't hit me yet, maybe because I don't have my partner in crime here with me. For some reason, I miss Lynna and our weekly trip to the mall so very much. There's no one that can be in sync with me in shopping as much as Lynna, and Lena. My goal for this semester will be finding someone as her replacement. 

One more day and it will be the end of the last free week before school starts. I am excited for school to start because I am dying for the feeling of being busy and also to meet new friends. However, I want to be able to still soak up as much of the culture of this place as possible. I want to check out the restaurants, the cafés, the boutiques, the markets and everything that screams of Africa.

  

[az]