If you’ve ever seen a culture celebrate their heritage, well….it probably wasn’t anything like what goes down in Cape Town. These people mean business when they celebrate – and rightfully so.
The weekend began with an excursion rather unrelated to heritage weekend but nonetheless exciting: a trip to Cheetah Outreach, a cheetah conservation site raising awareness and implementing programs to protect the dangerously quick declining cheetah population. As of now, 7,100 cheetahs remain in the wild, 4,190 of those living in Southern Africa.
We were all pleased to discover the site offered an up close and personal cheetah interaction. As we were escorted to the cheetah, excitement was high and anticipation rising – to finally be able to feel this amazing creature with our own hands! As it came our turn to pet it, we approached the cheetah and were filled with joy as our hands brushed along its soft fur. Truly, it is an amazing creature, and knowing the site was implementing effective programs to keep these creatures alive was inspiring.
Learn more: Cheetah Outreach’s fight for the survival of the cheetah
We continued our excursion with a stop at Triggerfish Brewing, where everyone fueled up for the ride home. I personally enjoyed trying a unique roast beef pie, surrounded with fluffy mashed potatoes and delicious gravy.
Fast forward to Sunday, where the real celebration and glimpse into how the locals celebrate began. We began our day with a trip to the V&A Waterfront, hosting a day of free museum entrances to celebrate and promote awareness of the rich culture and history of South Africa. We enjoyed a brief walk through of an art gallery, displaying beautiful art embedded with strong messages.
On our way to our next stop, we walked through the center of all the action at the harbor – large crowds of people, a theater stage ready to begin its next show, food stands and shops, and my personal favorite, a talented group of artists displaying their music for all passing by. The loud beating of the drums, matched by strong African voices, all producing a moving rhythm and sound that has replayed in my mind many times since.
As we continued walking around the harbor, to everyone’s surprise, and extreme delight, we encountered a dog adoption agency, WOOF, that had its dogs for adoption roaming around open for the public to “meet and greet” – and hopefully, to adopt too! It’s quite astounding how quickly one’s inner giddy child comes out at the mere site of puppies. Excitement levels were high. Lots of smiles, laughs, and love for the sweet fluffy creatures – followed by legitimate considerations of how we could make taking this dog to our apartment loft a reality…Unfortunately, definitely not. With our puppy-love tanks full, we said our goodbyes.
For our last stop at the waterfront, we ventured into the V&A Waterfront Food Market for food and oh my goodness…let me just say, I was quickly overwhelmed. Endless options, a variety of food stands offering unique and delicious foods. After circling the place about 4 times, I finally made my decision and ordered a classic burger…not just any burger, this stand is known for having the best – and after one bite, I could see why. I also treated myself to some chocolate goods from a bakery. Yum.
My main consensus was that I was undoubtedly returning to this place to sample the many other food stands hosting a range cultural foods, delicious sweets, classic foods at their best, and more.
To conclude the events of the day, we headed back to our neighborhood in the Observatory to attend a heritage event at RUST, a local coffee shop/bar. I wasn’t quite sure what to expect, but whatever expectations I had were exceeded by the lively excitement that painted the evening. The night was filled with talented artists sharing their music and intense and heart-felt poetry to large dance circles filled with energy and excitement (and lots of noise). To top it off, we were also treated to samples of South African staple foods and desserts. Witnessing the beauty of a day passionately cherished and celebrated by the community was an experience that will surely mark my memories of my time here. Inspiring poetry, lively music, and a diverse group of people all gathered to enjoy and celebrate.
After enjoying our weekend filled with activities and events, to now be welcomed into an event solely focused on embracing South African culture and welcoming all into the culture that shapes this country, was enriching to say the least. One of my favorite things about travel is the way the events, culture, people, and experiences you have somehow have a way of constantly expanding your mindset; it just keeps growing, bigger and bigger with each new experience. Little events at a coffee shop, when you contemplated staying at home in bed, just might remind you how perplexing yet beautiful it is that we all hold a standard of “normal” based on our own cultural norms that is at the same time different from hundreds of other cultures in the world. So, the next time you’re tempted to follow the voice inside your head that tells you to stay in bed and rest up, consider otherwise, you just might experience your new home like never before.
Kendall, a junior Political Science major, spent the fall 2017 semester studying in South Africa through CISabroad.
Kendall is also a recipient of our Office of Study Abroad Scholarship.
Read more from Katie at https://kendallbrannon.wordpress.com/
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