Two Oceans Aquarium. ...I Found Nemo!

So this is going to be a VERY short blog post, it's more just to post some photos from the Two Oceans Aquarium that I went to. I went with my housemates Chelsey and Renata, and we had so  much fun exploring and seeing lots of new things. My favourite part was this fish tank at the beginning that was titled "Nemos." You could go inside and it felt like you were swimming with hundreds of Nemos. For those of you who don't know.... "Finding Nemo" is one of my all time favourite movies.
Thus, I LOVED the aquarium!!!

The JELLLIESSSSS.


Stay tuned for more Cape Town Adventures :)

Full Moon Hike up Lions Head Mountain

In Cape Town there are Mountains everywhere, but the main one's you need to know are: TABLE mountain (the most famous which is completely flat at the top.... like a table) aha, then there's Devil's Peak which is 1000 metres higher than Table Mountain but directly attached to the East of it, and finally there is Lions Head which is just West of Table Mountain and smaller in size. Hiking is quite popular in Cape Town since there are so many mountains. People hike before work, after work, on weekends, to watch the sunset, to watch the sunrise... you name it and it's been done. One interesting hike which is popular is the Full Moon Hike.

 

My housemates and I came home from work one day and realized that it was supposed to be a full moon that night- which meant that it would be a PERFECT hike up Lions Head. We spontaneously threw on our running shoes, packed some wine and headed to Lions Head. Yes, that's right. WINE for our hike! Lions Head is a fairly easy mountain to climb- the trail is mainly flat and goes around the mountain like a corkscrew rather than an straight incline uphill. So during the Full Moon Hike people tend to climb to the top and party in the moonlight. We joined in and had a GREAT time. The hike is wonderful because as you're walking up, the sun is just setting. We got some great silhouette pictures. But once you're at the top (with tons of other people) the mountain is lit by the light of the full moon. It's a spectacular view where you can see all of Cape Town lit up at night. I really enjoyed this hike and I hope I can squeeze another full moon hike in before I return home! 

My housemates (Renata, Chelsey) and I on our way up the Mountain

At the top of Lions Head Mountain
(From left: Trish, Me, Chelsey, Robbin and Renata)

Weekend at Hermanus Bay

Sorry I've been late posting these blogs! I've just been super busy living and loving life (no time for computers!)

But last weekend VAC scheduled a weekend trip to Hermanus Bay which is about 2 hours away from Cape Town, but is a nice small town which is known for whale watching. We, however, did not go for the whales.... we went to see SHARKS! Shark cage diving is a popular tourist activity here, and the best place to do it is in Hermanus Bay. So me and about 20 other interns went shark cage diving last saturday. It was beyond epic. We were staying at a really cool hostel with all the VAC people that came on our trip. And so the morning of shark cage diving, we left our hostel at 6:45am and spent most of the day in the ocean, living on the edge of danger! haha. We drove the boat out about 20 minutes in to the bay and anchored there. Then we set out our bait- a dead tuna head tied on a string- which attracts the sharks, and allows us to see them upclose. The actual shark cage diving part is super easy. We get all dressed up in wet-suit gear (because it's FREEZING in the water) and put on a snorkelling mask. Then we hop into the cage that is attached to the side of the boat, and the cage fits about 4-5 people. This is where you wait, with your head above the surface, for a shark. When a shark is near, the guide yells "DOWN" so you take in a huge gulp of air and go under water to see the shark. These sharks are Great Whites; they are about 3-5 metres long and have soooo many teeth. But most of them swim by so casually. It's not like JAWS or anything. Apparently the sharks don't even notice the people in the cage- their senses tell them that the cage is just a big metal box, so they don't bother attacking it. But every so often they do... I was "fortunate" enough to be in the cage when one shark attacked it! It was SCARY but amazing at the same time. The shark was actually gnawing on the cage and a blue floaty attached to the cage (my hand was on a floaty right beside it.. not smart). But no worries, no one lost any limbs and we were all safe. It was a GREAT experience, and I will never forget it. I may have nightmares though,. haha.

All wet-suited up and in the cage!

Here is the shark cage attached to the boat with a BABY shark next to it. 

My hand is the one on the floaty... thank God it was a few feet from the actual shark!

In Hermanus I also got to go Sea Kayaking which was wonderful. After a fun night out on town, me and about 7 other girls were brave enough to wake up and go sea kayaking (while partially hungover). 

 But it was definitely worth it! We were paired up into double kayaks, which I was thankful for because I got paired with my housemate Chelsey who is MIGHTY strong compared to me. So we had a guided kayak tour of the bay where we got to see baby seals RIGHT upclose. They were very playful and cute. We kayaked in the open ocean, and right along the coast which provided breathtaking views. After about an hour and a half I started getting a little sea sick (may have had something to do with the hangover.. not sure haha) so me and Chelsey headed back. But it was a beautiful time, and great exercise! Plus seeing the seals upclose is something that not too many people get to do.

Chelsey and I kayaking in Hermanus Bay

BABY SEALS! so cute. 

....I'm realizing that most things here are "not things that many people get to do" and so I'm very appreciative of this opportunity, and all of the experiences I've had here. Cannot wait to tell you more! (I actually climbed Table Mountain today but am WAY too exhausted to write another blog! stay tuned for updates)

Much love,
Keira xoxo

Simon's Town Beach... with PENGUINS!

Last weekend I went to Simon's town which is about an hour train ride away from my house. I went with a few of my housemates and some other VAC interns. Simon's Town is known for the beach it is near. The beach is called Boulder Beach and has so many PENGUINS.. and boulders. haha.
But it is very beautiful.

We took the train which runs along the coast so it's a gorgeous view the whole time. It is actually so close to the coast that when you look out of the window you just see water- so it feels like you're on a really fast boat.

We got to Simon's Town and headed straight to the beach where we saw some cute penguins and then decided to adventure out onto all the boulders. We climbed a bunch of them and just took in the scenery the entire time. It was GORGEOUS (as I realize most things are here!) But I have to say that it was suuuper windy. I mean, I was standing on top of a boulder and I almost flew away it was so windy! You honestly had to scream just standing next to someone in order for them to hear you. But we climbed all along the beach for a good couple of hours. it was fun and exciting. I kept saying "Wow. This is AWESOME" about every 5 minutes. ... but seriously, it was AWESOME everywhere we went. After some fresh calamari and french fries at a restaurant right by the water, we ventured back home on the train. It was a truly wonderful day :) 

Miss each and every one of you :)
much love,
Keira xox

Painting at an Orphanage

The internship agency I came here with (VAC) sets up "Friday Activities" for all the interns, and this past Friday's activity was to go paint an Orphanage in the township of Nyanga. This is the township I was at for the Braai earlier on. The orphanage we went to is called "Emasithandane Children's Organization" and it’s not an "official" orphanage yet. This is because it was started by a self-less and loving woman who simply opened her home to orphans within the community. She has now made an extension on her house and has added other things so that other children can live there. VAC went to help brighten up the new place with some paint.

When we arrived, you could tell that the area was poor- Nyanga is one of the poorest townships in Cape Town. But within the poverty you couldn't help but see the gleaming smiles of about 10 young children poking their heads out the front door. They were are all so cute and just wanted to play. The other VAC interns and I had to paint first but afterwards we got to play with the kids. We painted inside the house as well as a mural on an outside wall which is a bright "under the sea" theme. The kids loved it. And again, the kids were THRILLED when we would allow them to take pictures on our cameras. Unfortunately the pictures on my camera, taken by a little munchkin named Tashaka, have his finger covering each and every frame. It was cute nonetheless. The kids only spoke a tiny bit of English but it showed me that you can still have fun, and play, without being able to communicate perfectly.

The saddest part of this whole experience was leaving. The kids didn't want us to leave- and wouldn't let go of us. I was holding Tashaka, and when it came time to leave he wrapped his legs around me like a brace and would not let go. It was so sad, but I know for sure I will go back. The director of the orphanage said that they will host a Braai for us (as a thank you for painting) sometime soon so that we can go play with the kids again. I loved going to the orphanage and playing with kids- I think I had a "perma-smile" the whole time. Everything I've experienced in Cape Town so far has been amazing, but the happiness and joy I get from seeing those kids smile and play is something I can barely put into words. You'll have to experience it for yourself! :)

     

Tashaka and I

                       

                         The mural that VAC painted

Working at the Cape Town Refugee Centre

I started work at the Cape Town Refugee Centre (CTRC) on Jan. 23rd
and have loved it since the moment I got there. But a lot of you don't really know WHAT I'm doing in South Africa so I thought it'd be a good idea to post about it! 

The CTRC is a Non-Governmental Organization which exists to help refugees (from other African countries) that are in Cape Town, South Africa. It is fully funded by, and operates as an extension of, the United Nations High Comissioner for Refugees. It is an office building which operates similar to a walk-in clinic where refugees come for help with lots of things. The CTRC is divided into 3 departments; Education, Self-reliance and Psycho-Social. These departments help ensure that the refugees in Cape Town get the help they need to fully integrate into South African society.

I am working in the Psycho-Social department. My job is to interview refugees as soon as they come into our office. I basically have to find out what their background story is and record it for further purposes. I also determine if  they need immediate assistance (food vouchers, assistance with rent money, transportation money, etc) or a referral to one of our other departments like Education or Self-reliance.

This job is not easy- everyday I am faced with people who are hungry, homeless, crying, and begging for money. I hear stories of horror, but also of hope. These stories are usually from young single mothers who are barely surviving. I also receive refugees who are victims of xenophobic attacks. Xenophobia is a hatred of foreigners, and a lot of local South Africans are xenophobic, but only towards black African refugees (South Africa gets refugees mainly from Zimbabwe, the Congo, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Angola, and Somalia). Xenophobia occurs mainly because of the belief that the refugees are "taking their jobs" and whatnot, but the attacks have been a huge problem since 2008. There are so many different stories that I hear from people everyday, and they all break my heart. I truly wish that I could help each and every one of them. But the reality of it is, is that our funding has been cut in half since last year (by lack of donations to the UNHCR), and we have more people entering South Africa. The issue of funding is an obstacle that all non-governmental organizations face, and it is just extremely sad to turn people away when I can see that they need help. I suppose I am experiencing the "eye opening" that I had hoped for. It has certainly made me appreciate all that I have. Another part of my job is to conduct home-visits with my supervisor, Fwamba. We go to refugees houses and assess the living conditions, etc. This again is hard to deal with, but I am getting better at it.

Fwamba is a wonderful supervisor and a very smart man. He is actually a refugee himself, but also a social worker so he provides me with interesting perspectives and insights all the time. He is from the Congo, and also speaks about a MILLION languages (there are over 11 just in South Africa, not to mention french, portuguese, and a bit of spanish). I am brushing up on my french skills because the majority of refugees in South Africa are from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and they speak French there. However, it should be noted that my 14 years of "learning" french in elementary school, high school and university are FAR from sufficient. Thankfully I have my own personal translator, her name is Cleo. She is another intern from... OTTAWA! I'm glad to have her at work because it's like a little piece of home right in Cape  Town.

All in all, I am learning lots about the realities of this harsh world, and specifically about African refugee issues. I am learning all of this first hand, and as sad as it is, I love it and wouldn't have it any other way. It is making me a smarter, and more appreciative person. What more could I ask for?


Link for the Cape Town Refugee Centre: http://www.ctrc.co.za/mc/home.html
Here are some of the posters up at my office:

"Surfing" at Muizenberg Beach

On Saturday I went to a place called the "Old Biscuit Mill" market which was really fun. It's a market but not a traditional "African" market like I'm sure you're picturing (as I did). It's a very western sort of place, I would expect to see something like it downtown toronto- it was even nicer than the Byward Market in Ottawa! It was closed off but it had a bunch of food at different stalls which they would prepare for you on the spot. There was a Chicken station, a Greek Souvlaki station, a Chinese station, an ice cream station, a smoothie station, a cheese station, a wine station, etc etc. I had a smoothies and greek souvlaki.. soo yummy. And all the people there were so well dressed, I felt as though it was fashion week and I wasn't given the memo! Regardless, I am definitely going back next Saturday. But they also had lots of clothes stands and little boutiques for home accessories stores. IT wasn't very "African" but it was all really cool. Loved it.

Then on Sunday my housemate Chelsey and I and about 4 other VAC interns went to Muizenberg beach to surf. Muizenberg beach is about a 30 minute train ride away- not bad at all. We arrived, and the view was BEAUTIFUL. There is a white sand beach with deep turquoise waters and a beautiful Mountain view in the background. The pictures I have don't even do it justice. Muizenberg beach is the "surfing" beach. We showed up and the water was PACKED with people surfing, from beginners like me, to pros who were surfing in and out of all the beginners. I rented a wet-suit and a beginner board with all the other interns and we received a lesson from our friend Sam who has been surfing plenty of times of before. Then we hit the water, and I instantly knew... surfing is notttt for me! I lasted MAYBE 20 minutes where I tried to jump over waves with my board but could only manage to swallow some sea water (disgusting) and not much else. After this, where I only got onto the board ONE time... not even standing up... I got wacked in the head by another girls board as a humungous wave came crasshhinnggg down on us. I called it quits and decided that sunbathing was a much better "sport" for me! Little did I know that I suck at that sport too... turns out the South African Sun burns through my epidermis like CRAZY (even with sunscreen!). So I have had a NASTY burn on my back ALL week. I guess you live some and you learn some! My back is now peeling and is a VERY nice deeep brown tanned colour. hopefully I get the rest of me tanned... without burning to a crisp!

Love and miss you all REAMS (the South African term for "lots"!)
-xoxo, Keira