Anna continues to be amazed at the kindness of people

We haven’t had Wi-Fi at the house for several days.  It’s made me realize how much I rely on Internet connection; however, I don’t believe this is necessarily bad.  Older generations complain about how we’re constantly on our iPhones, but not only is this an exaggeration, but most of us on this trip use our phones and social media to connect with our friends and families back in the States.  We get our news from our phones and share photos from Cape Town on Facebook and Instagram.  Of course, we shouldn’t be on our phones all the time, but the iPhone is an invention that has revolutionized how we share and consume information.  This has positively affected my life; I can talk to my family across the world, keep up to date with news from the States and South Africa, and I can share my adventures with others.  Without Internet connection, you wouldn’t be reading this blog post right now.

 I finally went to the Old Biscuit Mill this past weekend, and it was incredible.  The food there is amazing, and I had my first vegan donut(s)!  I also enjoyed iced rooibos tea (the traditional tea here in South Africa), vegan caramel peanut butter cheesecake, and a soft pretzel.  I haven’t been able to find iced tea here, so I was very excited when I saw they had it at Old Biscuit Mill.  It’s the little things that I miss about the States.  After eating, we walked around the craft stores and vintage clothing stores.  Karen and I went into the chocolate factory and had a little too many samples.  We’re planning on coming back to Old Biscuit Mill, buying vegan food, and packing it into a picnic to bring to the Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens.

On Sunday, Kat, Erica, and I worked on our activist project with Dignity Dreams, an organization that sells reusable sanitary products and works to end the stigma against periods.  We ate at a delicious Malay buffet and met our advisor Gadija’s family.  We planned out three events for Dignity Dreams – an informational session at a library, a workshop at a school, and a final party to raise awareness and money for the organization.  We are going to have a woman come to the party who specializes in traditional medicine.  She uses natural oils to sooth period cramps, and I’m very interested in hearing what she knows about natural healing.

I’ve talked about this in my blog before, but I’m continuously amazed at how kind the people of Cape Town are.  Gadija knows I’m vegan, so she gave me a fruit salad to bring home with me.  She also gave Kat, Erica, and me earrings her friend had collected from around Africa.  The people we’ve met here in South Africa have less money than many of us, yet they always share what they have.  That’s true Ubuntu.

Yesterday at my internship my advisor Stacy found kei apples growing on the nature reserve – a fruit that is native to South Africa.  She was so excited about finding something new growing at Edith Stephens.  She shared some with me; they are small and yellow and taste like plums with seeds.  Pretty tasty!  I always love trying new fruits.  Did you know that there are enough different types of fruits that you could try a new one every day of your life?