Where did September go? If I were at home, I could easily say that it was lost between the pages of new books for new classes in the new year. It would have been lost in the process of moving and settling into an apartment, going to keggers in Golden Gate Park and squeezing the crap out of newly bronzed friends that I hadn't seen in months. It would have been lost in the Indian Summer of San Francisco. But this September was different. The leaves were turning green instead of golden, and the promise of Summer is just around the corner instead of seasons away. The only thing that remained the same was that crazy SF weather - Cape Town shares the mercurial temperament.
It is interesting, I feel like going abroad in SA must be SUCH a completely different experience than studying in Italy or Spain. There's so much pain here, so much sadness that you can't help but feel it. So it's not that I'm not having the time of my life - I think it's evident that I am - but it's just that the fun is definitely mixed in with a heavy, heavy cultural and historical element, and I would be an idiot to close my eyes to it. This month, PASSOP started working with a woman named Susan who was randomly attacked with acid by two men on her bus. We are raising money for her reconstructive surgeries, and all the while she's cheerful and positive and becoming more and more confident by the day. She's amazing, but her situation just shows you how gnarly the exchange between genders can be here. I also just watched a documentary called Zimbabwe's Forgotten Children. It showcased only a few of the countless stories of children left hopeless and desolate because they cannot afford the 10 US dollars that their school charges per term. These are children that, unlike those at home, would give anything to be able to go to class. We take it for granted every day, and it's such a luxury here. It makes me feel foolish for the days I faked fevers. It's all about perspective, I suppose. But since all things in South Africa are not sad and horrible news, let's cheer this post up:
I started the month off by going to a gnarly trance festival called Sprung with David and his brother and some friends. Trance isn't really my thing, but it was quite the experience. The music didn't stop the entire weekend (literally.. it didn't stop at all) and we danced ourselves to sleep sometime in the early morning. It was hectic, but I was stoked we got to camp and get weird with the weirdest. But as our German friends abandoned us for the Eastern Cape, and school picked up ten fold, things have slowed down for us in terms of adventures. But the weather has been picking up here and there and we have been braaing our pants off when it's nice with a little water polo in the pool and some beach time thrown in their for sanity's sake. But as blurry as September was, it was all thumbs up. Here's some evidence:
out with some biddies on Long street
the day I got lost on Noordhoek Beach
If you grow up in Tustin with nothing to do but drive around the hills at night, you acquire quite a few great look out spots. If you live in San Francisco with hills and tall buildings for days, you acquire quite a few great look out spots. I've done both, and this is still the best spot I've ever been to. Cheers!
Live eagerly,
KG
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