Sunday, July 25, 2010

Friday, July 23, 2010 11:25 AM Cape Town Time- My Dorm (LBG)

Finally starting to feel like I fit…or at least like I actually go to school here. Today we registered for classes finally. I got my student ID card so now I can actually get through the gate at my residence hall without pantomiming to the security guard that I'm an international student. Feels good and I feel good about the classes I picked up. Here they are:


African Literature and Language II

            -Seminar on Studies in African Poetry


Community & Youth Development


Southern Africa in the 20th Century


Living & Learning in South Africa


The last one is a study abroad only course and it should be pretty tight. I think we're gonna take a trip to Jo'burg as a part of the course so that should be good. I'm excited for classes to start so I can meet more students and also just so I can get into a groove and rhythm of routine.


Figuring out class things took the bulk of my time today. Other than that I took a nap and wrote some emails.

My mama called me today. That made me feel really good to hear her voice and such. She was at work though. Hope they don't check the phone log. lol.

Also I finally sat down today and laid out a proposal for my scholarship fund. Emailed it off to some folks so we'll see what happens but I'm hopeful that everything can get together so that we can award some students in the 2010-2011 school year. Either way I'm going to donate the money to something benefitting students in Chicago if this doesn't work out. I made that commitment when I started selling my EP and chapbook that I would use those funds to help enhance my home community.


Speaking of which, I also signed up for community service today. I signed up to work at the LEAP School (it's a charter school in a township) as well as to work with Youth in Prison. Volunteering won't start for another week but I'll be glad to get out into the community and learn.

South African pizza is pretty weak. FYI. It's also mad small.


Didn't go out tonight. Too busy doing writing things. I've written so much in terms of blogs and emails to people and personal stuff in the past two weeks. I hope I can keep up this level of output throughout my time here and back home. If not I at least want to keep writing at the end of my day. It's a great way to decompress and it's good to always set some time aside for my thoughts.


Also I was thinking today about how I really don't take pictures. Part of that is because of me leaving my camera cord back home but I never really take pictures. I think its because I'm not a visual communicator. Never have been. I've always been someone to use their words, specifically the written word, to get my point across. This blog is more of a photo album than any collection of shots I could put on facebook (but you can check my facebook for photos that my friends have put up of our time here).


"you love it when i write that…"

-elzhi


peace,

nate

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