Molweni!!!

Molweni from South Africa! Sorry I haven't updated this thing in forever... even though I've been here for something like two nights. We're currently in Jo'burg right now, and I must say that the transition to this country has been fairly easy for me. Then again, it seems like much of our adventure thus far reminds me of a rather European-esque voyage. Nevertheless, I'm enjoying my time here and getting to know my classmates. There are twenty of us on the programme, our academic director, student liaison, and two drivers, that travel together, exploring, enjoying, and making the memories.

It was interesting at JFK when we slowly came together and met for the first time, as many seemed to recognise me as the creator of the Facebook group for our class. Now, I'm getting the nice vibe that everyone's getting comfortable around each other. I'm being recognised as Mark Anthony, Mark, M.A., Ma, and the occassional Mark Antony (or so it sounds).

Speaking of sounds, I'm really loving the accent down here, or rather, the variety thereof. In an area with so much multiculturalism/multilingualism, there's a heavy sense of diversity in race, ethnicity, and language. I think I'm slowly picking it up; though, I'm levitating just above a Canadian/Australian voice.

We're staying at Diamond Diggers for the time being, a backpacker's place in Kensington, Jo'burg. It's quite nice, and in a rather safe neighbourhood. The cell phone service here is pretty good, as well, as long as I can find the nice cell phone receptors... or whatever they're called.

Yesterday, we went to Museum Afrika and the Market Theatre. En route to the museum, I was so excited to see the Institution de la Republique Française as I walked into the market area. Never did I realise that there was a bit of a French presence. I was told that many folks from the DRC are in South Africa.

This morning, I couldn't make it to Mass (the closest Catholic church was in Portuguese and at 6am). So, I decided read the Mass readings, and pray in Xhosa. It was really nice just sitting in the cool air and relaxing away from the noise, early in the morning. I followed up by practicing some Xhosa phrases I found on an on-line list that was created for a World Youth Day gathering in South Africa. Today, we went to Soweto and Regina Mundi, as well as a local tourist-type restaurant called Wandies. I was sooo excited, as I have been itching to get to Regina Mundi, especially, and after having studied Soweto for what seems like forever. Today at Regina Mundi, we were fortunate to hear many young and adult performers play/sing in the church, in dedication to the Oppenheimer Trust Foundation. It certainly felt like apartheid was a thing of the past; in the back of my mind, I still remained cognisant of the events that affected Regina Mundi a few decades ago. (See Yew Perbi's works.) I told a few of my classmates the story of Regina Mundi, and they noticed the bullet holes in the ceiling. Unfortunately, I couldn't see the statue of Christ from the attack on Regina Mundi, but I did see the Black Madonna. It was very much a bit of an overwhelming experience for me.

There's so much that hasn't been touched upon here, so if I remember anything else, I'll certainly include it in future posts. One last thing: as soon as we landed in our brief layover in Dakar, my mind switched over to French... and a bit too much, I think. Currently, my recorded reflections and a pre-programme reflection are all in French; hopefully I'll remember it all after a semester of Xhosa!

Sala kahle,
MA