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| Anna watches sunrise from Signal Hill |
These
past couple weeks have been filled with so many new and exciting
experiences. Being on top of Signal Hill
at sunrise was one of my favorite parts of Cape Town so far. Although I had to wake up at 4:30 AM, it was
SO worth it. The view was
breathtaking. As the sun rose, I felt a
rush of warmth and happiness flow through my body. I knew I was home as I looked around at the
sixteen women I’ve come to love and know so well after only two weeks. Cape Town has made me appreciate what I have,
and after minibus taxi excursions, dancing on tables, and singing to Miley
Cyrus at one in the morning, I know I have new life-long friends.
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| Alex, Anna, Katherine, Erica, Ashley, and Laura G on Signal Hil |
Classes
started on Thursday, and I’m particularly excited for Vincent’s class on South
African history. I want to learn how
Cape Town developed into the city I’ve fallen in love with. The effects of apartheid can still be seen
today – the separation of classes and races, the unfortunate racism and
colorism, and the eraser of native identities – but I still know little about the
events that led up to apartheid or how people were treated during this
period. Additionally, I’m hoping to
learn about South Africa’s history with women’s rights, the environment, and
animal protection, since this information will be particularly helpful at my
internship at Edith Stevens Cape Nature Reserve.
Last
night we saw the musical District Six – Kanala at the Fugard Theatre.
Being a lover of musicals, I really enjoyed the show. District Six’s culture of music and camaraderie
shined through the musical’s singing and dancing. It truly showed how happy everyone was in
District Six. However, I wish the show
had focused a bit more on the community’s forced removal. While watching the show, I was comparing it
to other musicals such as Cabaret and Fiddler on the Roof, which are both shows
that portray a lively community (a Cabaret club in Germany and a Jewish family
in Russia) that is eventually forced out of its homeland. After presenting the characters’ lives and
culture, the ending of these two shows are the same – the characters I had
become attached to must leave their homes.
This depressing ending note is, in my opinion, incredibly effective, and
I wish District Six – Kanala had done the same.
The arts is one of the best tools for education. I learned so much about District Six from
this energetic and fun musical, but I wish the ending depicted the true feelings
of the classified colored and black citizens after their home was declared a
white-only area.
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