A Day in the Life/Last weekend in Langa

Here’s what a typical day has looked like for me over the past three weeks:

6:00 – wake up and get ready for the day ahead

7:15/20 – picked up for school by Martin

7:45/50 – dropped off in Rondebosch

7:45/50-9:30 – exercise and shower at Zone Fitness, walk to classroom

9:30-11 – Xhosa lessons with Sandile

11-11:30 – first break

11:30-13 – lecture or excursion

13-14 – lunch break

14-15:30– lecture

15:30-17 – MWF Xhosa tutorials, TuTh lecture or excursion

17-17:30 – clean classroom, pack-up for the day, run errands

17:30 – transport back to Langa

This weekend was my last weekend at my homestay in Langa. I spent Saturday morning in Woodstock at the Old Biscuit Mill with friends and then headed into town to go to Mr. Price - the South African version of Forever 21! I got a floral pemplum t-shirt and a floral maxi skirt for my rural homestay. I'm so glad South Africa is able to feed my pemplum and floral addiction! On Sunday I woke up early to write a 5-page paper due Monday (worth 50% of my grade in one of my classes - yikes!) and then went to the homestay party at the Langa Sports Center with my makhulu, Yoli. It was so fun! Us students sang (mangled) two songs in Xhosa and "Build Me Up Buttercup", Kelsey Rae and Katie recited a poem, and Juan gave a speech in Xhosa thanking our families for welcoming us into their homes. Then the mamas and sisis stood up and sang songs in Xhosa for us. They were MUCH better performers then us! Afterwards the students served our families food and we all sat down and ate together. After the party I spent the rest of the evening watching TV with Yoli, my sisi Naso, and the baby. Naso and the baby left after a couple of hours of TV, but Yoli and I stayed up until 10:30 pm chatting. I've grown to love my family and home in Langa Township over the past three weeks so it was hard to say goodbye to Yoli, Mama, and the baby this morning, especially since my baby sisi held my finger and smiled at me for the first time today! Usually she just cries whenever I'm around and try to hold her. I left my family my address in the States so we can keep in touch and Mama said she'd find me on Facebook (LOL).

Mama Yoli and I at the homestay party

Today we're off to Simon's Town for two days to hang out with PENGUINS at the beach! Then Wednesday night we're boarding a bus for a 16-hour drive to Tshabo, a rural village in the Eastern Cape where we'll be staying with families for a week. Starting Wednesday we won't have internet for 10 days, so no new blog posts for a week and a half! Don't worry - I'll fill y'all in on my adventures when I get internet back!