The first few days here in Rondebosch, South Africa have been exhilarating and intimidating all in one.
Exhilarating: I am living in an all new community. It’s similar to a small, hi-rise city close to the University of Cape Town. To be exact, it is a one mile hike straight up hill from my dormitory and it is a HUGE hike. It is a very nice residential area that provides living for UCT students and professors along with international students. My dorm is a flat with 3 bedrooms and one bath. There are five of us sharing a shower and a kitchen. It makes me nostalgic of good ol’ freshman year. The culture here has been affected by western, American society. You can walk a block and right at your fingertips are KFC, McDonalds and Potpies. I have found comforts in eating at Sticky BBQ and Cocowawa at least once a week.
So far, I have been learning about the constructs around ‘development,’ and how it pushes the environment in a Western assimilated culture. I am so close to UCT’s campus that sometimes I find it hard to experience everyday South African culture. I find that the farther you get from campus, the more immersed you are, which makes it easier to learn about society here. Flattop Mountain is the epicenter of life in Cape Town and the one mile surrounding it includes the wealthiest 10% of the population, and they control 90-95% of South Africa’s money/assets (Orthofer, 2016). The other 90% of South Africans are spread across the country. This is due to the lasting effects of apartheid and colonization.
South Africa’s heritage is very diverse and dynamic. The people here are dealing with intersectional issues of race, gender and ethnicity, which further complicate the issue of identity; however, South Africans find great pride in their identity and inherently contribute to the world of globalization.
Original Photos by Me
Until Next Time,
Jordan C.
Wild Child Thoughts 
Wow, what a great learning opportunity. Your life will never be the same.
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