Barriers: Part 1

This weekend I went with my group to Cape Town where we each did a home-stay in the Bo Kaap neighborhood with a Muslim family. We were particularly excited because of the timing of the excursion: the first weekend of Ramadan. Friday night I was quickly welcomed into the home by my new family: a mother, her husband, their 5 sons, 2 daughters-in-law, 4 grandchildren, and numerous friends and cousins. Then at 6:17pm it was time to break the fast.

The food came out on many many many plates of doughnuts, samoosas, soup, pies, dates…more food than all of us together could possibly eat. Then the men went off to mosque for prayer and the second wave of food was prepared: chicken, salad, rice, and bread. All together this made for a wonderful feast. After the meal we stayed up getting to know each other, watching rugby, and playing dominoes. Vanessa, one of the other girls from the program, came over and we took turns learning the game. Finally it was time for bed as we all had to be up before sunrise for breakfast.

For those of you that don’t know, during Ramadan, Muslims do not eat while the sun is up. This includes even drinking water. The whole month is meant as a time of cleansing. After Ramadan the families will go out to get new clothes, and in Bo Kaap they put a wonderful fresh coat of paint on their houses (I’ll get back to that later).

A Semester Abroad

It's about time for an update on my travel adventures. While I was in South Africa, I got busy, was slow at uploading pictures, insert any number of excuses as to why I didn't update this blog. But now I'm going to start the process. Hopefully I'll finish in time for my next adventure: a semester in South Korea!!


Now, as much as I was making excuses, it's not as if I didn't think about this blog. I actually wrote an entire (lengthy) post. I just never organized pictures to go with it. So, bare with me as I start the process of adding it. I'll do it in pieces, though, since it really is that long!!!

Before I get into that, though, I'm home! I safely (with a fair amount of turbulence) made it home in time for Thanksgiving. I have spent the past two and a half weeks recovering, first from jet lag, and now from a cold that has persisted pretty much since Thanksgiving. I've been keeping busy with an internship, riding the train into Boston every day. It feels good to not be sitting at home all day every day...that would get pretty lonely. I finished my school work on Halloween (over a month ago at this point) and don't start up again until March. It's my final long break (hopefully) until retirement! But I am taking time to relax. I spent yesterday decorating my aunt's house with my sister and little cousin for Christmas. That was so much fun! And the rest of the holidays are coming up, then I pretty much get to chill out for a month and a half before jetting off to Korea!