Party Shmarty

Alright, so with the boring but ever so mandatory update on school (aka: “the reason why I’m here”) out of the way, let’s get down with the real scene. Since school hasn’t gotten too serious, everyone still hits the bars almost every night, but Thursday was a real good time, especially. Shyia Alam, an awesome girl I went to high school with, is on vacation here with her family, so she came over and met some of the crew and then we were whisked away to Zula on Long Street for some serious tunes. Our friend/orientation leader/heartthrob Asher is the drummer in a band with his sister and two really talented dudes. So although the night started off with some bands that I wasn’t too into, once Asher’s sister came on stage, the whole night started lookin’ up. This chick was so bad ass - rockin dreads and Etnie’s and a ukulele, she did the first few songs by herself in a Kimya Dawson meets Lauren Hill style and then Asher and the crew joined her to fill out the sound and create a really nice blend of reggae and folk. Not only was her voice real and simple and clear (which I really cherish in a world where people try so hard to sound funky and effected) but her lyrics were powerful and interesting in a Rilo Kiley way that makes you think and smile and bop your head all at the same time. After them, a band took the stage that reminded me a lot of the Black Keys. They were really great and everyone just got down so hard their entire set. They had a saxophonist that I would have married, too, so that didn’t hurt.

And Saturday was the Fucking Stellenbosch Wine Festival (please note that this is a Step Brothers reference and not just a tasteless use of profanity). I took the train out there with a huge slew of people and, we ended up on the same train as the group of kids who went with our on-campus travel agency. It was an hour on the train but the time flew by while shootin’ the shit with such an entertaining group of hooligans. As soon as we got there, we had to get situated, find our hostel and eat. This wasn’t a pleasant time for us, so let’s skip that shit and fast forward to the fun.

First of all Stellenbosch is a small town just northeast of Cape Town and it’s known for its breathtaking views and wineries that are quickly being added to the greats of the world. It is home to Stellenbosch University and thousands of people that are just as gorgeous as the scenery. The closer we got to the venue, the more potent the vibe got, the more tangible the excitement. We had no idea what we were getting ourselves into. The first thing you see is the hoards of people. Young, attractive people. All of them. We thought to ourselves, since when does “Wine Festival” mean classy frat party? Imagine gauzy white tents on bright green, manicured lawns with spidery, Winter worn trees everywhere and a crisp blue sky and rolling hillsides as a backdrop. Amazing. Where were the upturned noses and receding hair lines and St. John’s knits? There were literally a few thousand Ralph Lauren models just chillin. But, I digress. We all split up into smaller pods and wandered around the booths, talking to the vendors about notes and undertones and food pairings and I actually learned a lot about wine while getting pretty drunk in the process. Win win. We met A TON of people that I hope to keep in contact with, as they seem like they know what’s up in the Western Cape and in the end, we collected a bunch of people’s vouchers (that we got upon arrival) and combined them to buy the best champagne I’ve ever had in my life. Lieke and I were the only two left, so we strolled down the street, sipping fine champagne and giggling about the cute boys we had met that day. Heaven.

We wandered around until we met up with a bunch of other internationals only to leave the crew an hour or so later and venture out into the night. Lieke and I met up with some locals that we had met right before leaving the festival. We hung out at this little hole in the wall bar and split some big pitcher of some fruity slushy thing until our political discussion got a little too intense and we decided to go to a club called Terrace and dance instead.

Utter madness. Terrace was just a mess of limbs and drinks and the dirtiest dubstep I’ve ever heard. Everyone was going berserk and getting so sick with it and I ended up with this kid Alex and his friends that we actually met while walking to the festival. We went off on an adventure through Stellenbosch and let’s just say, you can tell how crazy your night is by how dirty your feet are the next day. Don’t worry, Mom.

Internet still sucks, but hopefully I can get some pictures up here soon.

Live vividly,

KG