Aint No Mountain Irritating Enough

Hello friends!

Over the past few days I have been relaxing! Saturday, I stayed in and watched movies with a few folks from Germany and Australia. Sunday, I went out to a few bars: Venue and Crew. They were alright--pretty quiet. Yesterday, I wandered around the other side of Green Point and found some great shops and scenic views of the Atlantic Ocean and World Cup Stadium! Later that night I sorted through my 72 emails and organized my inbox as I chatted with students from Southern New Hampshire University.

Today, I had quite the journey. I started my day with a delicious breakfast, then walked to the City Centre (downtown Cape Town). I toured the Company Gardens, which is a plot of land filled with beautiful gardens and historic homes and government buildings from the colonial era. I had been to the area before, but I wanted to go again and snap some shots since my camera was stolen two weeks ago. After strolling through the park, I went to the Holocaust Centre at the South African Jewish Museum again. It is difficult to describe my experience because it was deeply profound. The museum's exhibit featured many photos from the Holocaust as well as old uniforms and other items from the concentration camps. After, I left the exhibit, I found myself speechless, so I the receptionist instructed me to sit down and write some of my thoughts in their guestbook--as I did.

After I gained my composure, I headed toward Table Mountain, one of the biggest tourist attractions in Cape Town and hiked in my Sperry's (boat shoes)! My expedition started off very treacherous because I had to hike up the foothills to get to the mountain, but at least I got to see the marvelous mansions along the way. Four miles later, I made it to the bottom of Table Mountain. Unfortunately, I didn't have a map with me so I just chose a random trail that seemed short and sweet, but boy was I fooled! I assumed that all of the trails lead to the top of the mountain, but 2.5 hours in my trail, I realized that wasn't case. I knew something was wrong when I was climbing up the mountain, treading through wooded areas, clinging onto tree limbs and boulders. Eventually, I couldn't locate a trail anywhere and that's when I decided that I had taken the wrong trail and ended up in god know's where! Later I found out that I had gone on the most difficult trail in the state park and the unmarked path and rock climbing if for experienced hikers that want a challenge...(leave it to me)! Yikes! I finally headed back and boy was it painful. Hiking in Sperry's was a terrible idea and walking 4 miles from my hostel was an even worse idea because my legs were exhausted and I have blisters all over my feet! I sucked it up and made it down the mountain and made a painful walk home. Ahh, so I walked 8 miles today and hiked 6 miles! Even though I hiked the WRONG side of the mountain, I came home with beautiful pictures of Camps Bay and the Indian Ocean so I am content :)

Tomorrow, I have a meeting with Ouma, the coordinator of Interstudy at the University of Cape Town. Before our meeting, I am going to go to the last destinations on my to-do list: Distrtict 6 Museum and Slave Lodge. Thursday, Nombeko, Toni, and I will attend Jimmie's educational theatre dinner party at the University of Stellenbosch. Friday, I will meet with Loretta, a social worker at one of the maximum security prisons that I met through JL Zwane. This weekend, I'll probably go out and DEFINITELY hit up the beaches once or twice before I depart on Monday! Aye, time flys.

That's all for now. I hope all is well wherever you are :)

Molweni (Hello in Xhosa)

Hi there!

Over the past week I have been living in KTC, a township outside of Cape Town. During my time, I stayed with Mama Busa and she graciously welcomed me inside her home and into her family. When I wasn't stuffing my face with traditional Africa food, I was touring the townships and conducting interviews with Nombeko. I traveled to clinics, homes, and support groups in KTC, Guguletu, Nyanga, Khayalitsha.

On Thursday, Nombeko and I met up with the Clinical Operations Manger at MSF, Nomi. Together we took a train to Khayalitsha to tour the MSF Clinic..the largest AIDS clinic in the area, with over 7, 000+ patients (on ARV treatment) and the numbers continue to grow. An interview and tour later, we found ourselves in route to Nyanga where Nombeko served on a Community Advisory Board panel at a research center. It was neat to hear a community organizing approach to HIV/AIDS and it was also a delight to meet students from American University, one of whom is from the Twin Cities!

After our long day, I went home and took a nap. At around 5:00pm, Nombeko and I traveled to the University of Stellenbosch so that she could record voiceovers for a World AIDS Day Concert she performed in. Afterwards, Jimmie, a professor at U of Stell. invited us over to his home for cold drinks and of course we agreed. I rode with Jimmie and learned a little about his work. He is an African-American man from New Jersey that came to Cape Town a few years ago to do educational theatre about HIV/AIDS...and teach courses at the University of Stellenbosch. Anyway, we arrived at Jimmie and his partner Jan's beautiful home in Stellenbosch and one glass of wine turned into three glasses plus dinner! It was a great evening indeed with many laughs to be had and a few insults about my American background...Nevertheless, the two friendly men must have enjoyed my presence because they invited me to a dinner party for the theatre department this Thursday...obviously I'll be there :)

Friday was my day to relax and pack! Nombeko was kind enough to handwash and dry all of my clothing, which was very nice, so I basically slept all day in the house! Today, Toni took Nombeko for a ride through the Cape Town area. We started in town and drover through the mountains all the way to the Indian Ocean side of the bay...then we drove up and around Cape Point...the most southwest point in Africa and the point in which the Indian and Atlantic Oceans meet! It was very fascinating! I swear I experienced all four seasons within 4 hours! After leaving Cape Point, we traveled to Stellenbosch, Fish Hoek, Simon's Town, and some of the bay's along the coast, including Hope and Camps Bay. We stopped in Hope Bay to enjoy some fresh seafood at Snoekie's! It was a neat town with a lot of charm...it reminded me a lot of Orange County actually. Afterwards, Toni dropped me off at my Hostel in the Green Point neighborhood and I was on my way for Part 3 of my trip :) Later in the evening, I met up with Aaron Asmundson, the faculty advisor of my UROP project, to catch up over dinner and talk about my experience in South Africa thus far. It was great to see a familiar face!

I am so thankful for my stay in the townships for so many reasons. First and foremost, the townships are the areas most infected with HIV/AIDS so I was able to capture over 2 hours with of interviews with community leaders, doctors, ministers, and patients. Secondly, I have never met so many good-hearted people in my life! Even though many people in the townships don't have much to claim besides dreams and hopes, all of the people I met were full of optimism and strength. In fact, many of the people that I met were thankful to be living another year. That's all. Another year meant another opportunity to be surrounded by the people they love. So inspiring. Regardless, I am glad to be back in the City of Cape Town. I don't have to bathe out of a bucket and I can walk around at nighttime if I want to! Ahh, the simple things in life ARE taken for granted. You're guilty as am I...

This week, I have a few meetings and interviews to do, but in the meantime, I can relax and finish doing tourist-y things (Table Mountain, District 6 Museum, Wine Tour, and relaxing at the beach).

All is well in this side of the World and I hope you are well also! Until next time....

Cheers,

Jermaine

The Power of Strength

Hello all,

All is well in South Africa. For the past few days I have been staying in the township of KTC and Guguletu. I have been very busy videotaping and interviewing many people here to figure out the complexities behind HIV/AIDS...and believe me, there is a lot more to this issue than safe sex and poverty...

Two days ago, I arrive to JL Zwane Centre (Church) and hung out with members of the congregation. Together, we ate Gatsby, a popular sandwich in South Africa, filled with fries, eggs, steak, vegetables, and sauces..it's very comparable to a Big Mac in America...cheap and very greasy! I enjoyed it though. Later on, I met my House Mom Mama Bhusu and she cooked me a HUGE lunch...vegertables, meats, breads, and desserts! It was great. Afterwards, Manselisi and all of his friends, whose names I cannot pronounce, took me to a local beach on the Indian Ocean side of the area Strandfontein Beach. It was magnificent! The water was blueish-green and the sand was very fine...and did I mention the SUNSET?! AHH! To die! After the sun set, we went home. I ate a lovely dinner then showered (out of a bucket...yeah, you should ahve seen my face, but I'm used to it now and could care less) and went to bed in my bery comfortable bed.


Yesterday, Nombeko, an HIV/AIDS activist, community leader, researcher took me along on a journey to loval AIDS clinics and home visits. First, we stopped in KTC and visited the clinic there and boy was that a site. I have never seen so many sick people look so hopeless and distressed. It broke my heart because many of the people that travel to the clinics come from far away--miles, sometimes HUNDREDS of miles to get medicines. Additionally, I found out in an interview with one of the nurnes Enuw, that many people don't come to the clinics until it's too late...theyre beyond positive, they have full blown AIDS and generally don't have much time to live becase they have been sick for SOOO long.

Later in the evening, we wen tback home so I could nap because I've had a nasty bug for the past week and it has peeked within the last few days. When I woke up, we traveled to Nombeku around KTC, Guguletu, and Nyanga to remind people about the unplanned support group. It's summer holdidays, so many people have traveled home to other regions of the country and continent to be with family for the holidays, so many activities are delayed and or postponed until mid-january. The visits were so great. All of the people were infected with HIV/AIDS, but had the biggest smiles on their faces! Despite living in the worst conditinos you can imagine, many us these people were happy to be alive and celebrating the start of another year with their friends and family.

Today, I went to a support group at the Centre and was able to film multiple peolpe at once. Their stories were incredibly powerful and I cannot wait to show you. The stigma around HIV/AIDS is alarming...and so is the frequency of rape in violence against children is beyond appalling. The one lessson I have learned on this trip thus far, is the power of strength, mentally and physically. I have visited with nearly 30-40 peolpe with HIV/AIDS and they're all so strong...much stronger than you (or I) can imagine. They have to be strong, for themselves, but their families and loved ones because this disease is literally destroying their communities one person at a time.

Until next time, much love to all of you in the State and all of my new friends in other countries!

Jermaine

Champagne on the Rooftop

Hey!

It's been a hectic few days...

Today I had to travel to the airport about 15-20 miles outside of the city to grab my luggage that has been missing for FIVE DAYS! Grrr! I phoned the airline daily and never got a response so I took matters into my own hands. A few complaints later, I was on my way back to the hostel with my suitcase and compensation paperwork.

On New Years Eve, I traveled to the Victoria & Alfred (V&A) Waterfront Shopping District to capture some amazing footage of the harbor, skyline, and mountains. Later, I did some shopping and grabbed some food from the popular mall nearby and was overwhelmed by the high concentration of wealth in one area. There were designer stores, luxury car dealerships, and expensive hotels that lined the streets. Sadly, just miles away are impoverished townships (and neighborhoods within the city) that could use funds. I don't quite get the juxtaposition, but that is why I am here right?

Robben Island, the prison in which Nelson Mandela was held for many years for his political activism against the South African Apartheid government. Luckily, I was able to get a tour from a former prisoner who shared all of his wonderful insight about the conditions of the prison and the political climate as well. We spent an hour touring the island, which people still live on...just a few meters from the prison, as well as Nelson Mandela's prison cell! The tour was incredibly moving over all and I my appreciation for Nelson Mandela's work has only increased.

Later in the evening, I traveled back into town just in time for New Years Eve festivities. I enjoyed a few beverages with my hostel mates from America, Holland, Germany, and Brazil. We started with a few drinks in our room and then moved to the hostel's beautiful rooftop bar, with some of the BEST views of the city and the most amazing snacks anyone could ask for! On the contrary, strangers decided to ring in the year in MY BED. I wasn't fond of their vulgar behavior, but I can assure you that the situation was taken care of immediately :) Nevertheless, my new friends and I counted down the New Year together and shared hugs and kisses with people from ALL over the world! I enjoyed every moment of my celebrations and anxiously await all of the blessings 2011 will bring me.


Tomorrow, I will travel to one of Cape Town's impoverished townships caslled Guguletu. Many black Africans were forced to relocate to this region (amongst others) during apartheid. Unfortunately, many of these people suffer immensely from poverty, unemployment, and chronic diseased like HIV/AIDS. I will be staying with a host family and volunteering with the JL Zwane Community Centre for 5 days. My work will include delivering meals, filming support groups, interviews with the locals, and trips to local clinics and schools. I am particularly excited to finally begin the core of my research and will keep all of you updated!

Until next time, many blessings to all of you in the States!

Made it to Cape Town!

Hello friends,

I made it to Cape Town today....barely!
My luggage was left in Germany and the cab drivers tried to cheat me out of cab fare, which I whad no tolerance for...i'm sorry, R250 (over $40 for a 15 mile ride...yeah, no). Nevertheless, I made it into the city safely and cheered up minutes later as we drove through some of surrounding townships. Some of the homes in the townships were covered in used sheet metal, cardboard, and ripped tarps. It was at that very moment that I decided that I could be in a far worse situation and that lost luggage and irritating cab drivers are the least of my worries.

So I'm staying at the Penthouse on Long (Long St), one of the busiest areas in Cape Town and it has the BEST nightlife in the city...coincidence? Nope, I planned that beforehand :) When I checked in, I was sent to the ATM to do a currency exchange and buy a few clothing items and toiletries...then came back and passed out. I was drained from my 12 hour flight from Germany and spent most of the afternoon napping and charging my electronics.

Oh, and I'm not alone! I'm sharing a room with 19 other people..haha, 2 are from California and Boston and the others are from Germany and Norway...I think we're going out later? Why not...

Anyways, they charge me to use this internet, so I'm going to cut it here! I made it safe, my luggage arrives tomorrow, and i'll be touring the city tomorrow morning and i'm trying Seiko fish soup for dinner...yummm!

Until next time...

MUAH!

Cheers from Europe!

December 28, 2010

Hello all!

Aye, I've been out of the States for less than 24 hours and i'm already loving it. Yesterday, I boarded a flight to Toronto, Canada in the early evening...nothing too exciting about my airport view of the city, but I definitely enjoyed people watching like a true creep. Oh, and did you know that Toronto is the most diverse city in the world? Yupppp! Check it out sometime!

After my short layover in Toronto, I boarded an overnight flight to Frankfurt, Germany. The flight wasn't too awful since I got a free dinner and watched movies for most of the night! HOWEVER, we landed at what I thought was 5:00am, but turned out it was actually noon in Germany and there was no time to waste! I checked-in my luggage, grabbed my boarding pass and caught a train into the city right away!

Getting here, however, wasn't as easy as I thought. I found myself staring at the train schedule and ticket box, written completely in german, for ten minutes before someone helped me and then off I was. Definitely the first time I've EVER experienced culture shock in my life. Anyway, I got into the downtown district 15 minutes later and began my exploration for german beer and bratwursts! Unfortunately, I never found a decent mini-brewery :( Instead I wandered into this quaint courtyard and stumbled upon what appeared to be an outdoor cafe! HA, boy was I fooled. The gentlemen gave me a sample of a heated wine beverage combined with beer and other spices. Yeah, it sounds gross, but it was DELICIOUS!!! Afterwards, the friendly fellow gave me a brief snapshop of downtown Frankfurt and sent me on my way. Two blocks from the cafe was an upscale shopping district, filled with brands I wish I could afford (Girogio Armani, Louis Vuitton, Chanel, Burberry, and Versace). Window shopping got really old, so I wandered around until I found Coffee Fellows, a trendy cafe shop with free wi-fi and the BEST german chocolates around (apparently). After I eat my chocolates, I'm going to walk around a bit more, take everything in, snap a few photos, grab dinner and take the train back to the airport.

Alright folks, I think I've worn out my welcome at this coffee shop! Cheers until next time...

Road Trip Shenanigans

For the past 2 weeks, I've seen cornfields and mountains, rivers and lakes, dogs and cows. If you cannot figure out what I'm alluding to, allow me to translate: I traveled to Iowa, Nebraska, and Colorado.

This journey was remarkable. I have thoroughly enjoyed the Summer of 2009, but I craved more adventure and spontaneity; therefore, 3 of my co-workers and I decided to execute a road trip across the country.

Two of my co-workers decided to stop in Iowa to visit another co-worker, Anna- that was a blast. There is more to Iowa than Corn- I can assure you. We toured the Iowa State Capitol, ate in some of the most trendy neighborhoods I've ever seen, shopped at Jordan Creek Mall, and swam in a Lake. Afterwards, Alice and I traveled to Western Iowa to visit a friend from school--Chelsea. She had a lot of land, so we 4-wheeled and star gazed near a bonfire in her backyard; the stars have never looked so beautiful! We also traveled 20 miles west to Omaha, Nebraska. To my surprise, Omaha was filed with great restaurants and shopping! We actually stopped at a Sushi bar called "Blue Grille;" it was neat. The following morning we traveled back to Minneapolis to rest up in time for our second road trip to Colorado with 2 other co-workers, Dylan and Alyse!

To keep ourselves entertained on the 13 hour drive, Alyse came up with a game called "The License Plate" game. She printed off blank maps of the U.S. and as contestants, we had to identify vehicles with license plates from other states. The person with the most states or the first to get an outlier state like (ALASKA) wins the game. I was winning up until everyone in the car was somehow able to find an Alaska license plate. UGH! I still think it was a conspiracy. Anyway---

Colorado was breath-taking. The first day, we went up to Horsetooth Resevoir, which is nestled in the Foothills. We swam, hiked, and collected a myriad of rocks. Later that afternoon, we headed to Old Town and ate lunch with childhood friends; I was ecstatic for my MN friends to meet my CO friends! Following our adventures in Old Town, we met with ATO's from CSU and went to a drive-in! Alyse and I feel asleep during the second movie, but the experience was still worthwhile.

After Fort Collins, we traveled to Boulder to stay with Alice's family for a night. During the day, we toured the CU Boulder campus and strolled along the trendy Pearl Street shopping district. Boulder was so fascinating; it was unlike any other city I've ever seen. As Alyse's aunt says "Boulder is not a place. It is a state of mind." I concur. The streets were perfectly trimmed. The mountains towered over the city in every direction and the city had an eclectic mixture of people; laid back professionals, grungy hipsters, entertainers (like the box man), average college students, and DOGS every where. Last but not least, EVERYONE was so fit! We saw people biking, running, and walking their dogs EVERYWHERE-it was unreal! We even saw several people BIKING up the steep mountain trails.

On Thursday, we drove through the mountains to Estes Park and Rocky Mountain National Park. We figured if we were in Colorado to hike, we might as well hike up a real Mountain. After stopping in Estes first, we got advice from an apathetic Park Ranger on where to hike. We chose Deer Mountain (Deer Mountain Junction). The hike was 3 hours, which took us about 2.5 hours to hike up and and 1.5 hours to hike down. Nevertheless, the hike was overwhelming. Words cannot truly convey my inner thoughts and emotions as we made it to the top of the summit (beautiful would be an understatement). Anyway, that evening, we drove out of the mountains to Denver to stay with Alyse's family.

DENVER=fabulous. After we unpacked, we drove around Denver. Unfortunately, it seemed like an average city; however, we soon realized there was a lot more to Denver than we ever could have imagined. On Friday, we woke up and headed to the University of Denver. I toured the Law School and spoke with an admissions counselor while the other toured campus and checked out the Greek houses. Afterwards, we went to the Denver Zoo! It was exhausting. The Zoo is full of lush paths and indoor exhibits. We were there for over 2 hours and still didn't see every exhibit.
that evening, Alyse's family took us out for delicious Pizza. After dinner, Alyse's uncle gave us a tour of all of Denver. He even stopped on busy streets, made us hop out of the car and explore some of the most historical buildings in the city. It was awesome! The tour lasted for well over an hour, but I enjoyed Jim's passion and enthusiasm; I hope he opens his own tour guide business one day.

The following day (Saturday), we headed back to Minneapolis. The drive was long, but we occupied our time with great conversation and activities, some of which were trivial; however, as we arrived in Minneapolis, the skies appeared dark and dangerous. We knew it wasn't a good sign. ha. We quickly learned that we had arrived just in time for Tornado weather!!! Ha, oh how I missed the Midwest...