“I would rather die for an idea that will live, than live for an idea that will die soon.”
~Steve Viko
Stories of my Journey so far….
To begin, I cannot describe in words what I have been experiencing. The sights, our group dynamic, Aaron, Alan, Jane, Godfrey, Hershel, and Alison have all been great. I have been so inspired and honored to be here. I cannot explain it. Learning the history from Alan and his passion for students and South African history. As a collective our group has such an appreciation for this trip and each other’s insights on our experiences. Bonding time and letting our guard down has been the best idea we have had. It will allow us to remember our experiences with someone close and to reflect with more than one person when we are confused or unsure about something; having this deep relationship with 14 other people will be crucial to leadership. I am going to use my six senses to describe my first week here in the beautiful Cape Town, South Africa: Smell, Taste, Sight, Touch, Hearing, and overall intuition. Sounds funny, yet I think it will work and accurately describe my adventures this week.
First of all, the food smells are so enticing to my culinary nose. I have seen so many cultures with so many different cuisines and varying styles of preparing food and displaying it for that matter. Best fish and chips I have ever tasted, most exquisite pizza I thought I would find in South Africa, a traditional dish in South Africa Babotie, a meat casserole with egg on top, a distinct cream/milk mixture for our cereal every morning, and some interesting airplane food. All fragrant in their respecting contexts and appetite levels. The wafting of cigarette smoke, sea air, bus exhaust, fresh ocean air and food combined result in a true city explosion. I am sure that we have not begun to establish a real spectrum of the range of food and smells in this diverse country.
Taste has been a journey through the airport to the most full plate of dishes. $14 for a Chinese plate in the Minneapolis Airport to little sandwiches on the plane every two hours or so to traditional Babotie in our little student resort in the Student Observatory in the hear of Cape Town. Deciding whether to take a chance on the water, which has been fine, no sickness yet, knock on wood. I am not worried thus far though since none of us have gotten sick. Each dessert or little side snack that Alan provides us with or tells us to try has been exquisite and a glimpse into the deep culture around food this country has.
Sight: Literally breathtaking, each one more so than the last. I literally am silent for the hike or drive to our next destination. I am a person that loves nature and tries to find a way to share it with others. The magnificent beauty of the landscapes and structures never ceases to amaze me. I am so lucky to be here to even rush through some of the greatest wonders of the world in one place. Table Mountain today was pretty much the most amazing place I have seen since I don’t know a long time. Every day we go somewhere new; I try to grasp the vastness of the two oceans, mountain and various townships surrounding us.
University of Cape Town is located right below the mountain and I know the Mississippi River is between Minneapolis and Saint Paul, but I would rather take the mountain. Speaking of Table Mountain, I would not have chosen a better group of people to spend the cable car ride to the top with. Each person has their own story, their own perspective on life that they feel comfortable sharing with the rest of us, and new ideas on building a better world for the many diverse ideas and interpretations of what is happening around us.
Physical touch has been an interesting aspect of this trip and this includes the actions that have touched my heart. Our group has had a great amount of bonding time and now I have more facts about each person that can help me understand them. People are so generous and welcome of our differences. It is touching to experience this type of group bonding outside of campus in Minnesota. Our beds are pretty comfy, rooms are tight packed, but it is good to learn space management. The culture of this country seems to be very appreciative of space, so I have been trying to not take advantage of my space here and back at my apartment I will be throwing things out.
Hearing which consists of physical hearing and listening to each other is the next aspect I will be talking about. One main thing I take away from this week is if our bonding time had not happened on Tuesday night, I would not be this happy and content with our trip. Community building is one of the key aspects that should happen in any leadership setting. It has helped me digest what has happened our historical tours and our leadership discussions. One other thing that I enjoyed very much was learning the basics of isiXhosa language with Siviwe were amazing. The language has so much passion and integrity showing through. There is a different word for great chief and grandpa or your mom’s mom and your dad’s mom and this shows a respect for each individual. English kind of has that, but I wish our society were more respectful of our grandparents and elders in the community.
Truly listening to each other and our stories has helped me open up this week. I sometimes do not share what is going on in my life and this week having our group of 14 other people is great. Considering they are the only people I know in this country, it is nice to trust them with my belongings; my feelings and my reactions will be taken with heart.
My intuition has told me that this place is beautiful and full of inspiring stories. One person we have met, that made me tear up was Alison from the Rainbow House. It is a house outside of the townships for children that are abused or neglected or orphans. She has so much passion and determination for her work. She has dedicated her life for the betterment of South Africa’s youth. She does not take funding from the government. Her passion urged me to get up and do something. But patience is key to learning and gaining knowledge to enter the community right before jumping to working on an issue. Going up Cape Point and seeing so many people from England, France, Northern African Countries, and Americans want to explore this enchanting, poverty stricken country.
I cannot wait to see what will come of next week. I have feeling it will be super different, but Aaron and I talked about not having too many expectations. I intend to keep that my focus, but also spend enough time reflecting and not rushing through our daily tasks. The quote in my title was in the Nelson Mandela exhibit in the Iziko Slavery Museum really hit me and inspires me to use my leadership to work the African culture and history into my dream restaurant and everything else I do for the rest of my life. Three weeks is not enough and I will be coming back, not sure when or how I will pay for it, but it will happen, maybe a Leadership SA Reunion may be in order?!
