"Joy in spite of everything..."

DAY 5:
Today we went to university for a fascinating lecture on South Africa since Apartheid. The lecturer has spent time as a teacher and had a lot of amazing experiences to speak of. He told us many interesting things, but one interesting note was that during the height of Apartheid in the 1980s, the government was spending R 500,000 per white student and R 7,000 per black student. Just one more thing that makes fixing this stuff so difficult -- especially when you realize that it is such a contributing factor to 25% unemployment, health issues, and extreme poverty in general.

After lunch we went to a museum called the slave lodge. It is the only building related to slavery that is left in Cape Town. It is where slaves were held before auction or shipment to other places around the world. Something that I didn’t know was that slaves came from not just Africa, but South Asia/India and East and South East Asia as well. It was moving to hear the music, read the testimonials, and look at the exhibits. The upstairs has a home goods exhibit on European and African possessions from the 17th to 19th centuries. I loved the exhibit on antique toys (which I like anyway). We were laughing at this wagon/train set that was made of a jaw of some animal with a chariot made out of a sardine can. It looked out of place next to the old matchbox cars, dolls, and wooden blocks. Then I walked around and saw that the label read: Zulu Children’s Toys. It was so thought provoking…
My favorite exhibit was a temporary one that they had on Steve Biko. Killed while being questioned by police, the exhibit was a moving example of the struggle over freedom for Black/Colored people in South Africa. To read his inspiring words, to his disturbing death, to the lies told by the medical examiner, through the truth and reconciliation hearing where the officers continued to lie. Yet, the hope conveyed by the effect that he had and still has on South Africans today was powerful.



In the evening we went to our graduate student and guide Xolani’s favorite restaurant, called: A Touch of Madness. It was a Dutch mansion that has been converted into a restaurant and arts place. I had deeeeelicious apricot and chicken kabobs. I loved it!
Being responsible… Early to bed tonight….