Greetings from Cape Town, South Africa! I hope all of you are doing well in your respective corners of the world, our country, and in the Great State. I arrived Tuesday afternoon in Cape Town and my first week has been an absolute whirlwind! I was very grateful to be on the flight with Mallory and Greg, whose beautiful wedding I was honored to be a part of last Saturday and who are honeymooning in South Africa. Though I tried not to disturb them on board, it was nice to have familiar faces as I began this incredible journey.
Upon arrival, I had a car waiting for me at the Cape Town airport. In true MCM fashion, I appreciated that it was a new BMW no less. Living the life I thought to myself....
People who have been Cape Town say that it is one of the most beautiful places in the world - and they are right. The stupendous mountains in the background on my drive to my new apartment took my breath away. Tabitha and Kate, fellow Clinton School classmates and my roommates while in South Africa, were at the apartment to greet me and help with my luggage. I was immensely grateful. Those of you who know me well, know it was hard to condense ten weeks of winter clothes into two (50 lbs or less) of luggage. Somehow I managed, though I am still not sure exactly what I packed.
My first day of work at the Desmond Tutu Peace Centre was Wednesday and it has been full throttle since then! The staff is incredible and I am learning a tremendous amount. One of my favorite parts of the day is tea which is served at 11 am daily. When the Archbishop is in the office, it is also served at 3 pm. Tea, coffee and biscuits are served and people are to talk about anything and everything - except work. It is a nice bonding time and an incredible opportunity to get to know everyone at a more personal level. Plus, the tea is delicious! My Spencer ancestors would be quite proud.
The Centre is gearing up for the three day Youth Peace Summit that will occur this week (coinciding with Youth Day - a national holiday in South Africa). Over 150 high school learners as they are called here will attend. I am getting very excited to interact with such fine and bright young people. We met with a few of the Summit facilitators on Saturday, who were all University of Cape Town students that had volunteered to assist. I was impressed with their drive, compassion, and articulation - and their humor. If these are the young leaders of South Africa, the country is in good hands.
I also had a unique opportunity to visit several township schools on Thursday and Friday. It was an eye-opening experience. Nicky and Kate are working on a project for the Centre that involves Schools for Peace; I tagged along to get a sense of the issues young women were facing in these schools. The inequalities amongst the schools was apparent. I learned that all schools in South Africa - both public and private - have the same mandated curriculum. The difference is the resources and what a difference that makes indeed. Still, the meetings were both beneficial and informative. We gathered much information from the teachers and administrators - and I learned a bit of Xhosa along the way as well.
Thursday evening, I crashed Mallory and Greg's honeymoon and had dinner and drinks with them before they headed off for their Safari and Mauritius. They stayed at the Cape Grace Hotel (where the Clintons stayed last time they were in Cape Town) and I enjoyed a Kir Royale in Mama's honor on the hotel's fabulous deck. As soon as I am able to upload pictures, I will do so. We then had a very nice meal at 95. All in all, it was a great time and I am so glad I got to share a little of my time in Cape Town with my old friends, the Newlyweds.
Nicky was very kind to invite me to St. George's Cathedral with her on Sunday morning. The Cathedral, which is a short walk from my apartment in the Gardens district, is quite lovely. I got there a bit early (SHOCKING I know) and while I waited, I watched the people file into seats. I was completely blown away by the diversity of the congregation. People of different races, backgrounds, socio-economic levels, and the likes were together in this place of worship. I was moved by the unity. Mandela's proclamation of a "Rainbow Nation" seemed alive and well - at least that Sunday morning at the Cathedral.
After church, Nicky and I enjoyed a nice meal at the Waterfront and strolled through the Carnival there. Nicky's five year old precocious daughter, Nailah, will arrive next week and I know she will love all the fun the Waterfront area has to offer. I wrapped up the weekend with a movie. Tabitha, Kate, and I saw Water for Elephants and loved it.
Like it is in any new place, there is a transitional period of adaptation and adjustment. Thanks to good friends, my wonderful Clinton School classmates, and an incredible organization, the transition is easier day by day. Until the next time, my love and hugs to you all!
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