Cate in South Africa

new schoolyear

Classes have finally started here! I was getting anxious and "stir crazy" last week. You know what I mean? So, I've only had Jewelrey-making and South African Music sofar, but it will get harder... I'm sure. I've never been so excited to read a homework assignment in my life! (just kidding.) Later on I'll be taking Shakespeare, Creative Writing, Photography, and "Outside Looking In," a Lit. class taught by a Fulbright Scholar. The interesting thing is that you can visit classes for the first two weeks of school and don't have to decide on your schedule until Feb. 18th. So I might add or drop a few.
A group of us went hiking again on Sunday. We biked an hour to get to the Jonkersoek Nature Reserve gate, another hour to get to the trail, and 30 minutes to hike to the waterfall. We started out with 8 girls and 5 of them turned around on the second trail because of the heat and terrible uphill ride. I didn't find out they were turning around till I had caught up with the fast group, so I had no option but to keep going. The waterfall was amazing! We hiked up even farther to the source of that fall and it was beautiful! It was this wide rock face covered with long green grasses with droplets of water coming down all over it. Really breathtaking. The sight of it was definitely worth the grueling bikeride.
Last night I went to a "pancake dinner" (an English tradition on Fat Tuesday). It was for fundraiser hosted by people at a church I've been visiting. The pancakes were great: rolled up and with crunchy cinnamon and sugar inside. But the hosts' house was what really amazed me! It's this old Dutch place with hardwood floors and 17 ancient family portraits on the living room walls! (probably from the 18th century or so.) On the hallway to the bathroom hung a framed letter from the Queen of England and a picture of someone in the host's family hunting with the Duke of so-and-so. They had a swimming pool and a pond with lily pads in their backyard. It was the nicest house that I've been in without having to pay to see. (I kind of did have to pay to see it, now that I think of it.) Here's a little irony: they live in this POSH house, in need of nothing, but the township Kayamundi (the poorest part of Stellenbosch) is only right down the road. And the fundraiser was to buy a new church window. I don't think buying church windows is bad, but maybe this money could be used for a worthier cause? I really think these people are very generous. It's a tough one.