Africa Burns!!!!

Okay so it’s 2:30 AM and I should definitely be asleep but I promised a blog post before I left for the weekend and I think we all know there’s no way I’m going to want to write it in the morning, plus I’m somehow not tired. Oh and I just spent almost 4 hours baking brownies? Seriously the oven here…ridiculous. We were going to go out tonight but then these brownies were taking forever but I literally could have put them in the oven, gone out, come home 4 hours later and they still wouldn’t have been done. I don’t’ think they’re cooked but I want to sleep so yea, I’m taking them how they are…

This week was really weird. I decided the song “Bittersweet Symphony” described it perfectly. I’m not going to write about everything but I think Thursday pretty much sums it up. I went back to Youngsfield to volunteer and it was so great. The kids were really excited to see us, a few asked why we hadn’t been in so long and we explained about the miscommunication and how we thought they had been evicted…etc and they seemed to understand. Then, a few of the parents came to talk to us and told us they were in fact getting evicted next Wednesday. The city of Cape Town (not the military/federal government) was actually kicking them out. Each family, or adult I’m not sure, had been given 1000 zar (around $130) to find new housing somewhere and everyone had to leave by Wednesday because the military was going to take down their tent. There are only 64 people living at Youngsfield so it’s easy for the individuals there to be pushed out. Like I said teaching that day was great, Abdi actually remember almost the entire alphabet in lower-case letters, he only missed 2 letters, I was so happy! He remember so much since the last time I taught him weeks ago. But it was also really sad because when we left we had to say goodbye, and wish everyone good luck. Some of the kids gave us hugs and thanked us and the others just waved or smiled and then chased our van as we drove away, it was heartbreaking. I knew I would be upset to leave at the end of the semester regardless but I feel like this is just so much worse because I honestly have no idea what is going to happen to anyone at the camp. With $130 it’s doubtful any of them could afford an actual home, which means theoretically they’d move into a shack in a township, where xenophobia still exists…so they’d be unsafe, in fact its downright dangerous. It makes me so angry, even though these families are from Somalia, they’re still South African citizens or at least have established residency here legally. I haven’t told anyone about what happened on Thursday though because it just makes me really depressed and I don’t want to complain about everything. I left Abdi a letter with my address (and the alphabet!) and told him when he did find a new home to write to me in America so I could send him a postcard from D.C., who knows if that will happen though.

Besides the news at Youngsfield this week was just strange. One of my good friends family was here so Wednesday night we all went out to dinner together. It was my friend, her mom and two sisters, and then myself and 3 other closest girl friends…so a lot of girls basically. Dinner was fantastic and so much fun. It was also just really nice, it kind of felt like home; Suzanne’s mother wanted to hear all about Cape Town but was also motherly in asking about it, and reminding us to be careful. She also made sure we all ordered dessert…it was really nice. It was also a good break from the usual Wednesday routine, which is the night we go to Stones, a pool hall in town, and get drinks and hangout.

So Wednesday was fantastic, and then Thursday sucked, and like I said, other stuff happened too but I’m not going to write about it.

Right now I’m sitting in bed all packed and ready for Africa burns. We’re leaving tomorrow morning and I’m sooooo excited! I still have no idea what to expect. People keep warning me it’s a huge drug festival-and although there is definitely an underground drug scene-that is not why I’m going. It’s a huge art festival with live music and the basic idea behind Africa burns is basically to create a temporary utopian society. There is no commercialization, in fact you can’t use money there. Everyone brings their own food, water and shelter and you “give gifts” to other people (basically trade) in order to get other stuff. It’s going to be a lot of fun and I’m pumped to meet some South Africans. I’m going with a group of ten people and we’re meeting other friends there too so that will be nice in case it is a little crazy at least it won’t just be me and my best girl friends alone in the dessert with druggies haha. Seriously though I’m going to be fine, I volunteered to play mom for the weekend in case people do want to experiment. I’m doing a project on the ideas behind the festival so I’m really excited to go out and interview people and basically document everything, it’s going to be great.

That being said I should probably get some sleep…I was planning on sleeping in the car tomorrow but then looked at the directions and more than half of the drive is along dirt roads, not idea for snoozing, so I’m gonna get going, I promise a post as soon as I’m home!

Here’s the website for the festival:
http://www.afrikaburns.com/

Cheers!
Haleigh

Hah and I decided last week I needed to get my act together a little here so I’ve started doing track workouts twice a week along with hill repeats and long runs…and have made a few other healthy changes to my lifestyle, yay!!! haha