Learning to Walk on the...Left?

I can't believe it, but it's almost been a month since I arrived in Cape Town. And boy, have I learned a lot. The biggest thing I learned is that culture shock is real and that it's the little things - not big ones that you might anticipate beforehand - that get you. I guess it was a little silly of me to not believe that culture shock was going to happen to me - after all, I've been warned many, many times. I just figured that it wouldn't have much of an effect on me because I felt prepared. But the trick was that I was only prepared for the big, general things like languages and customs. Before coming here, I had done a lot of research on South Africa. I asked previous students that had gone to Cape Town about their experiences, and what they found most surprising.

From this, I guessed that the hardest part would be the language. English is one of the official languages in South Africa, but I've heard that the local dialects can make it nearly impossible to understand. One girl that interned in Cape Town a couple summers ago told me that her boss would tell her to do something but she would speak so fast that it'd be nearly incomprehensible. I was worried that this would happen to me, but thankfully, it wasn't a problem at all. In general, I can understand most everyone here just fine. The hardest people to understand are not South Africans, but rather immigrants from other parts of Africa, like Zimbabwe, who did not learn English until they came to South Africa. Otherwise, most people have a slight British accent. Sometimes, like when I'm at work where everyone sounds like they're from the UK, I find myself slipping into a British accent as well. When they leave work, instead of saying "Good night," they say "Cheers." Recently, I've started doing it too, combined with the accent and everything. Maybe I'll come back to the States with a flawless British accent?

While language hasn't posed a difficult challenge, there are other things - small things - that you wouldn't normally think of when going to another country.

1. Walking
Call me crazy, but walking the right way has been a challenge. In the States, we walk on the right side, and if you're on an escalator, stand on the right so that people can pass you on the left. Here, it's the opposite because you drive on the other side of the road. I keep bumping into people because I'm so used to walking on the right side - I'm pretty sure I've gotten a few dirty looks from it...oops.


2. "Africa Time"
I had already experienced "Africa time" before I arrived, when I was trying to get my visa to come here. The most prevalent example of it here, though, is in restaurants. I don't think I've gotten out of a restaurant faster than an hour and a half, even for a quick lunch. The food doesn't come out for at least 30 minutes. A group of us went out for sushi once and it took so long to get our egg rolls and sushi. Unlike the States, the waiter doesn't come around to your table asking if you need anything else - a process that can be inconvenient when you want to ask for the check and can't find them for 30 more minutes. I still haven't figured out if it's a sign of respect: maybe they're trying to let you eat your food in peace and allowing you to take your time?


3. Public Transportation
Public transportation is very....interesting here, to say the least. There is a train that runs throughout the entire Cape Town area. The great thing about it is that the tickets are very cheap: three stops to downtown costs 9.50 Rand, or 78 cents; taking the train an hour all the way to the bottom of the cape is 31 Rand, or $2.55. In comparison, riding the New York metro 20 blocks costs $2.75. Unfortunately, the cheap price comes at the cost of safety. After dark, even the locals avoid taking the train because there's a 100% chance you'll get mugged if you do. Several other interns in my program had a close encounter taking the train at 5 PM. Good thing Ubers are so cheap here!!

When not having to worry about whether you're going to get mugged, the trains themselves are very entertaining. There's graffiti on most cars, both inside and out. I actually really like the ones on the outside. They add a nice pop of color to the otherwise grungy cars.

(credit: randomrailwayimages.blogspot.com)

And of course, I can't not share my favorite thing about these trains: many of the cars are covered with hilariously explicit (but actually legitimate) stickers advertising a variety of "services."

(credit: eveandersson.com)  

(credit: sangomasrus.blogspot.com/)

I hope you got as much amusement/shock/disbelief out of that as I originally did. I did a double-take the first time I saw these, but believe it or not, I've seen so many of these since then that it doesn't even phase me anymore. I guess that's a testament to how accustomed I have become to the African lifestyle. Here's to 2 more months in this beautiful (and somewhat strange) place!

Cheers!

Experiencing the Real World: Interning at Urban-Econ

I know in my last post I said that I would write the next day about unique challenges about living in South Africa, but sorry - I lied. Instead, I'm going to tell you about my internship. I will write about the other challenges later (maybe).

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Tomorrow marks one week since I started my internship at Urban-Econ, a developmental economics consulting firm in Cape Town, South Africa. It has only been 5 days, but I am so far loving my research assistant job here.

I have been assigned to work on a project concerning the economic development of the Central Karoo district in South Africa. Central Karoo is one of the poorer, less-developed regions of the country, due to its desert landscape and its long distance from major tourist destinations and city centers (i.e. Cape Town is 5 hours away, Johannesburg is 8). So far, I have been researching possible opportunities in the manufacturing, transportation, tourism, and mining sectors that the district could exploit in order to promote economic growth in the area.

Before coming to South Africa, I laid out several goals that I wanted to achieve during my internship. My main goal was to be unafraid of asking questions or asking for help when I needed it. This is a problem that I have in school. In lectures, even smaller 20-person ones, I am very reluctant to raise my hand to ask a question or ask for clarification. In a workplace environment, the possible consequences of this action (or rather, inaction) are much worse. Thankfully, my coworkers and supervisors have been very welcoming and always willing to lend a hand. On my first day of work, my boss told me, "In our office, there is no such thing as a stupid question. So ask lots of questions." She even added half-jokingly, "If you don't ask any questions, I would think that you are stupid." I am proud to report that in the past week, I have not been stupid. I hope that overcoming this challenge now will help me back in school, too.

Another challenge in my internship is being responsible with the fair amount of independence I've been given and staying focused on my work. The office has a flexible hours policy in that we can come in and leave at any time (within reason, of course) as long as we stay for 8 hours, with one hour for lunch. There are some coworkers that come in at 9 or 9:30, but my goal is to come in between 8 and 8:30 every day. It wouldn't look right for the only intern in the office to be the last one in every day! The hardest part is getting up - the sun rises just before 8 every day (it's winter here in the southern hemisphere), so when my alarm starts blaring at 7 AM, it is completely dark out. In addition, even though "winter" in Cape Town means it only gets down to the 50s or so, it feels colder because the rooms in South Africa are not insulated. And we all know how hard it is to pry yourself away from your warm and cozy bed. I am cringing just thinking about having to do it tomorrow morning, but my internship is worth it. My research is helping us make recommendations about what the Central Karoo district should and should not invest in to promote economic growth, and it's really cool to think that my work could influence policy. I'm extremely thankful that VAC found this opportunity for me, and I cannot wait to spend the next couple months learning more and more every day.

"Toto, We're Not in Kansas Any More"

Living in a different city, never mind in an African country, definitely takes you out of your comfort zone. I've been living in Cape Town for 8 days, and even though I've grown accustomed to a lot, there are still some things that feel so foreign - and sometimes even ridiculous - to me.

Speaking of ridiculous, the electricity in our house just ran out. That's right - electricity actually runs out here. There's a meter in every house that shows you how many watts you have left, and if it hits 0, your electricity just cuts off. No warning, no obnoxious beeping noises telling you there's 5 minutes of electricity left, just light one moment and then....darkness. It's like the beginning of the apocalypse.  

The sad part is that I didn't even realize that our electricity had run out. I thought that I was finally experiencing load-shedding, which is a planned brown-out that lasts for a couple of hours in certain regions of the country at assigned times of the day to prevent country-wide black-outs that could take days to fix. Thankfully, it doesn't happen too often - at least, it hasn't in the 8 days I've been here... **knock on wood**

Anyways, when I realized that our power ran out, I had to run to the store to buy electricity. If I had to run to the store every so often back home to recharge my electricity, I would definitely be more conscious of the amount of power I use. I understand why the lights in my room here are so dim now! Living in the US has definitely spoiled me, and it's little things like this that make me realize that.

On the other hand, one of the things that I will miss when I leave Cape Town is the extremely favorable exchange rate. 1 US Dollar is equal to about 12 South African Rands here, so everything seems so cheap. A dinner out might cost R60, which is less than $5. Although I can do the math in my head quickly now, I still haven't gotten fully used to seeing the big numbers. Going to the grocery store and seeing R300 on the screen gives me a mini heart attack before I realize that it's only about $25. Hopefully I won't go back to the States used to the South African way, though. That would be much, much worse.

There are a couple of other things that I wanted to talk about, but it's 10:30 and I'm already tired. Normally, I'd be crazy to go to bed at this time, but the sun sets so early here (sometime between 6 and 7) since we're in the southern hemisphere and it's the middle of winter. Also, like I mentioned before, the lights in my room are really dim. It's like it always wants me to be tired - perfect for when I have to wake up before sunrise for my internship!

Hopefully I'll get around to writing more tomorrow. As always, thanks for reading. Love you and miss you all!

- Juyeon

Cape Town Bus Tour

Today was my third day in Cape Town, South Africa and my second day of orientation with Volunteer Adventure Corps. I was joined by three other students, Nicole, Mary, and Sara, all of whom arrived on Monday like me. Our orientation consisted of going on a bus tour of Cape Town where we could hop-on and hop-off at various points of interest throughout the city. It was definitely a touristy thing to do, but it gave us the introduction we needed to our new home.

On the top deck of the Sightseeing Red Bus Tour. We are excited to see all that Cape Town has to offer!

A small glimpse of the famous Table Mountain. Some days, the low clouds cover up much of the mountain, including Devil's Peak. Today's no exception, although later in the day, the clouds will end up clearing up. 

Our first stop on the bus tour was the Kirstenbosch National Botanical Gardens. Nestled against Table Mountain, this 89-acre garden was established in 1913 to preserve and showcase the many unique, indigenous flora of South Africa.

Even with an hour spent walking through the beautiful garden, we only managed to see half of it. We are looking forward to coming back soon to see the rest!

Walking along the Boomslang Tree Canopy Walkway, we were able to appreciate the vastness of Table Mountain and the 1300-acre Kirstenbosch Estate.

With the clouds cleared up, we can finally see the top of Table Mountain!

Our second stop on the Red Bus Tour of Cape Town was Groot Constantia Wine Estate. Founded in 1685, it is the oldest wine estate in South Africa. Past famous customers include Napolean Bonaparte, who ordered 30 bottles a month while in exile in St. Helena until his death.

Of course, we didn't come here just to listen to Groot Constantia's great history. We had to try the amazing wine ourselves! Sara, Mary, and Nicole tried wine & cheese pairings while I decided to go for the wine & chocolate coupling. 

Each wine was paired with a specific chocolate imported from Belgium and infused with distinct flavors right here in Cape Town. There were a total of five pairings (only four shown here because I was too excited for my first-ever wine tasting). While I know next to nothing about what constitutes a "good" wine/wine pairing, my favorite was Groot Sauvignon Blanc with Tropical Guava White Chocolate.

After the delicious wine tasting, we hopped back on the bus, which took us on a drive around the coast of Cape Town. Our timing couldn't have been better - we got to see the sun set over the ocean as we drove along the beautiful coastline.

On the other side of the sunset is Table Mountain again. One of my goals during my time here is to hike up the many trails around this mountain, including to Devil's Peak and Lion's Head.

One of our next trips will definitely be to one of these sandy beaches along the coast! Surfing, anyone?

This picture shows just how much Cape Town has to offer. From the breathtaking views to the abundance of activities, such as hiking, swimming, snorkeling, or surfing, there is no limit on the number of things you could do here. I am so excited and blessed to call this gorgeous city my home for the next 11 weeks. 

I had the time of my life exploring Cape Town with Nicole, Mary, and Sara today, and I can't wait to go on many more adventures with them and everyone else I meet in the months to come.

Stay tuned for more!

Let's Go? Not So Fast.

Today was a stressful day. Not because tomorrow is supposed to be the day I'm leaving for South Africa. Not because it's so hard having to choose what clothes, books, and shoes to take with me for my 10-week internship in Cape Town. Not because I'm apprehensive of being away from home for so long by myself in a foreign country.

Actually, it's quite the opposite.

Today was supposed to be an exciting day. I was supposed to be hastily packing, imagining the kinds of adventures I'll have, friends I'll make, and lessons I'll learn in the next three months. Instead, it was spent waiting for the South African Consulate in New York City to call back with news about the status of my visa application. The better half of my day was spent in emotional turmoil. Part of me was hoping, praying, that the truck that I heard coming down the road was the mail truck delivering the oh-so-important pieces of paper. And yet, the other part of me knew that I wasn't going anywhere tomorrow, confined to the comforts of my home for who knows how many more days.

The worst part about this experience is that I sent in my visa application with plenty of time to spare.
One thing about me is that I really don't like to procrastinate unless I have to write a thesis-driven essay arguing the finer points of Gatsby's green light and how it symbolizes how depressing his life is or whatever. I'm the freak that likes to do next week's homework on Friday because I love the feeling of having all my work done days before it's due. And if it's done before the weekend even starts? Life doesn't get any better than that.

Personally, it stresses me out even being around people who are hurrying to submit their work 10 minutes before the deadline. In my attempt to avoid this kind of stress, I got my required vaccines to enter South Africa all the way back in February. I applied the same reasoning (or at least I tried) when I applied for my visa. The South African Consulate said that the visa application takes 5-10 business days to complete, so naturally, I sent in my application 19 business days before I had to leave. Apparently, that wasn't enough time (is this what people mean when they talk about "Africa time?"). When I sent in my application, I carefully went through the website to check that I had included all the documents listed there. But lo and behold, I found out earlier this week that the website hadn't been updated in a while and that there were 3 additional documents that they needed in order to approve my visa.

In hindsight, I should have submitted my application months before. I suppose I lost track of how quickly second semester of sophomore year was coming to an end. We're all busy college students after all...especially with all the Netflix we have to watch and finding ways to squeeze in all of our other work (just kidding, Mom!). But really - who would have thought a Consulate's website could be such a mess? In any case, it's a lesson learned - or rather, lesson reinforced on why never to procrastinate.

On the upside, my grandparents are visiting right now, so I will be able to spend more time with them. It will also be nice to be able to spend more time with friends back home. Fingers crossed that I won't run into any more problems with my application and that late next week, I will actually be on a plane bound for Cape Town.

Until then, thanks for reading my first real blog post! I promise the next ones will be much more exciting and won't be about me lamenting about my life. :)

Introduction

Hi everyone, and welcome to my travel blog for the summer of 2015!

In case any of you are not familiar with my summer plans, I will be going to Cape Town, South Africa for 3 months from mid-May to mid-August. I will be interning for an economic consulting firm called Urban-Econ. They specialize in urban development, and I will be a research assistant for them. I was able to get this internship with the help of Volunteer Adventure Corps (VAC). They are a Cape Town-based organization dedicated to helping students like me find internships and volunteer opportunities that suit our individual interests. As a statistics and economics major at the University of Michigan, I wanted to gain research experience this summer. This internship with Urban-Econ seems perfect for me, and I can't wait for it to start!

Another great thing about VAC is that they host many exciting activities. I hope to take advantage of their program so that I can learn how to how to scuba dive and how to speak one of the native languages of South Africa, Xhosa, during the time I am there. They also host free Friday "field trips," which I hope I will be able to participate in often! Some of the previous trips they have taken were to see the renowned Table Mountain, to a cheetah sanctuary, or even to one of the many South African vineyards! I will try to make it my goal to post once a week in order to keep you up to date on what I know will be one of the most memorable summers of my life.

I have never written a blog before and writing is not really my specialty, so I will take the time now to apologize for any imperfections in my writing! But I hope that I can write well enough so that I can share the wonderful things I get to experience this summer with all of you.

Thank for taking an interest in my summer plans. I'm so lucky to have all of your support! Feel free to comment on any/all of the posts - I would love to hear from you while I'm away!

Love,
Juyeon