Dear Mr Mason,
As my time in Cape Town draws to a close (I fly out in 4 days!) I struggle to believe nearly 3 months have already past.
But they always say time flies when you’re having fun. I have successfully ticked off all the things I wanted to do in this city and the surrounding area and yet that has only exposed me to the abundance of things I have as yet not explored.
On my final weekend before I left the school I went hiking with Ms Solomons (the music teacher) and 2 of the sports teachers in the Hottentots Holland National Park. We spent 3 days trekking through the fynbos (South Africa’s uniquely dense, razor-sharp bush), staying in huts with mattresses, a stove and not much else. Braaing meat over a wood fire in the evenings offered a sort of wholesome satisfaction.
I have also, of course, climbed Table Mountain and intend to do so again on this, my final weekend. We have rounded the Cape Peninsula, bearing the winds at Cape Point and gazing at the magnificence of the view from Chapman’s Peak; visited the city-centre, including Bo-Kaap, the Malay district whose coloured houses make for great photo opportunities! Urban South Africa can be maddening: you never feel safe walking on Long Street, the city’s nightlife hub. Fights break out over pick pocketing and stolen petrol from gas stations; cars mash themselves together trying to squeeze through; men hang from balconies jeering. While the rural areas can be stunning, urban life is another world entirely.
My final day at the school was a party. The kids were in casual clothes and the teachers organised a tuck-shop and disco in the assembly hall. I had never seen them so ecstatic. I will really miss some of them, who showed real talent and whom I enjoyed teaching. I hope they continue with music when they go to high school.
I have since started at the journalism project, later than planned. As I only have two weeks, it’s been hectic. I am working on an article about university tuition fees in South Africa – there were huge protests about these last year which resulted in riots, property damage and forced concessions by the state. My room mate is also working with a student at Varsity College in Cape Town, so I managed to interview him about his financial situation (he has a scholarship to attend, otherwise he’s on his own.) The Higher Education department and national funding agency also happen to be in my office building, so I got in touch with them as well. Conducting interviews was nerve-wracking at first but I feel like I’ve collected real, unique material (my article will be published on www.capechameleon.co.za).
I’ve also visited Bonnytoun, a boys’ detention centre, and Haven Night Shelter, a residence for the homeless, taking pictures and writing reports for the office and social media. The boys at Bonnytoun were just like any other – they enjoyed football, and wanted to know about Britain (and which team I supported). It was hard to imagine that some of them had committed serious crimes. And yet that is the reality – most of them grew up in coloured townships where there is very little moral guidance. One of them did ask me how they could get back into school once they were released, a heartwarming comment.
These days have flown by and I can’t believe it’s nearly over. But now I have a bit more time to reflect on my experiences before I must say farewell to the undoubtedly life-long friends I have met here. Sunday will be a very sad day. But I will sit on the plane back knowing I have grown a lot in many ways.
Regards,
Oliver Rhodes
