During the first week of April, my housemates and I
enjoyed a weeklong excursion to Johannesburg and Kruger National Park – our
spring break, essentially, but a structured one. Joburg seemed to be a
cool city, visually different from Cape Town because it lacks towering
mountains or an ocean view, but we didn’t see much of it during our stay there.
We stayed sheltered from the real city, it seemed, because we stayed in a
wealthy suburb called Sandton. Our hotel was very comfortable and walking
around the area to go to Nelson Mandela Square, where there were shops and
restaurants, felt similarly to walking around Rondebosch.
Besides museums and
nice restaurants, we stayed away from downtown Joburg and didn’t really explore
the grittier sides of the city – our time there often felt like a vacation. One
night, a few of us went to see the new horror movie Get Out, which has a
storyline that revolves around themes of race in the U.S. The movie was quite
powerful, and very scary, and got all of us talking about the ways the movie
reflected on society. I think the movie helped white people to understand the
discomfort, and often times danger, that people of color face in white
communities where they can’t relate to anyone or they have to interact with
people who are blind to their experiences and perspectives.
The museums were informative about apartheid, the
Sharpeville Massacre, and the shooting of Hector Piuterson, who became
something of a martyr for apartheid protestors. Generally, I noticed there were
many white students and visitors at the museums, and the museums themselves
were managed and maintained by people of color. I’m wondering if the visitors
should be more diverse or if educating so many white people is a positive
thing. The black and white pictures of students protesting the languages
being forced on them at the Hector museum were powerful, and I felt that I
would be among the students being teargased, shot, and arrested if I was around
at that time. I felt a kinship with them and I honor their sacrifices to fight
for an education and society they wanted. Seeing the cells and living spaces
that activists occupied while in jail at Constitution Hill also showed us the
harsh conditions and treatment they faced for fighting apartheid. It seems
ridiculous that they were considered terrorists while they were resisting
oppression.
We also spent a day at a boys and girls club in
Soweto, a township in Joburg, and my housemates and I helped the managers with
cleaning and cooking a big lunch for all of the children that learn and do
activities there. The club included two buildings, a garden, and a nice, big
space for a playground and sports. All of the children and managers there were
very welcoming and everyone had a good time.
For the last few days, we were in Kruger National
Park to see lions, zebras, hyenas, cheetahs, leopards, springbok, wildebeest,
and more in their natural habitat. Many of us were taken aback by a comment
that our first tour guide made, something about us being less rowdy or easier
to control because we’re Americans, unlike Chinese or Indian people, according
to him. This was especially offensive because one of us is actually Indian, but
no one said anything, and I’m still not sure if I should have or not.
Overall, I wish I could have seen more of Joburg in
less wealthy areas, but the time we spent there at the hotel and in Sandton was
really fun. I know that I’m very lucky to have stayed in such a nice area and
eat good food. I’m excited to bring home the souvenirs I bought at an African
market in the area, and I can’t believe I have less than three weeks left in
Cape Town. I’m going to try to make the most of my time left and get out of my
comfort zone as much as I can by exploring the city and meeting more people,
rather than staying home.
