Today’s been one of those days… One of those days filled with small surprises of fun, new routines of enjoyment, and coincidences that bring a smile and a feeling of gladness to be at UCT. Today’s been one of those days that renews those cliché, but true lines that proclaim we must find balance in our lives. I found balance, I found people, and I neglected to start writing a paper. I am happy now, but give me 5 days (the day before it’s due) and we’ll see how I feel then. (Note to reader: I am in no way condoning this “find your balance” type of behavior, and encourage everyone who reads this to get an early start to their homework, but to enjoy the amazing opportunities around.)

So as you can see I attempted to start writing a blog entry a month ago, but didn’t get especially far. I actually wrote this blog in three sessions. Life here is SO FULL that while I’m having those loads of fun, I am neglecting my duties as a writer. It’s only recently that I’ve been running into serious problems…wondering how the amount of happiness is actually legal! I’m not questioning the legality of the fun things I’m doing because they’re all very B-like, but questioning the legality of HOW MUCH fun I’m having. As one can deduce from the above message, even when I have an assignment due, I am able to “find my balance,” but now take that understanding to the next level to realize the current situation I find myself in: NO MORE HOMEWORK. I handed in my last assignment on Friday and have been smiling ever since…the kind of smile that is especially hard to wipe off ones face. Every SMS I receive makes me smile, every person I see on campus makes me smile, every random lunchtime entertainment on campus makes me smile. Frankly, I think it’s out of control. I have been incredibly blessed in all my experiences since stepping foot off the plane that fateful day in July. Let me fill you in on some of the recent highlights:

First and foremost, my joys have come through my amazing African dance class. Not only did I get to meet some AMAZING peeps, but I also learned some dances that can always get me movin’, have gained a whole new respect for drumming, and have been able to perform at 3 different events: in church, at a semi-formal, and in a really big cultural show! I guess I can’t say, “I don’t dance” anymore, which has always been my line. I just need to work a bit on the moves one has to make up on the spot in club-type places. Unfortunately since I don’t go out to clubs much and without my Jamaican buddies around, I’ve become rusty. Eh, everything comes in its own time.

Secondly, I had the exciting opportunity to meet up with yet another person from Macalester–Jessica Masterson! Not only did I get to be her beloved orientation leader for her first week at Macalester, I also got to give her a mini-orientation of UCT’s shuttle system and a bit of campus while here. How cool is that! She came on a multicultural program through SIT and is having an amazing experience. I was seriously debating between that program and the direct enrollment, which is what I ultimately decided on. Although their experiences sound incredible, direct enrollment was definitely what I needed to top off my fifth year of college to 1) teach me to cook and 2) show to myself that I can deal well with independence and make the most of every situation, making it or allowing it to be just as it comes. Yo, I can’t wait to know what the rest of my life holds for me.
Thirdly, as much as the University of Cape Town has its issues, it also has crazy cool stuff that I never imagined when thinking of any university. What I am most specifically referring to is the amazingly fresh, fun, and in fact fabulous promotions that go on nearly every Thursday over the lunch period from 1-2. If a person happens to forget about it, as I have in the past, they are sure to hear the excitement from anywhere on campus. There’s nothing like club dance music blaring into ones ears causing them to start moving their head and shoulders as they sit in the African Studies Library reading an article about coloured identity in South Africa. Although this is a hypothetical example, it could happen J. If that “one” then decides to give up their ever-so-precious place on a chair of the much-too-small-for-22,000-people library, they are not to be disappointed as they are greeted by free stuff (Hugo Boss perfume, Sprite, T-shirts, etc), and free entertainment. The two best acts so far have been the B-boyz (breakdancing boyz) and a kid called Cyber who did the BEST beatboxing I have ever heard in my life. He had more sounds coming out of his mouth at one time than I have shoes. YO! It was unbelievable. Mostly I, or the one who decides to leave the library, sit there in awe behind the camera thinking about how fun it will be to recap that stuff later! Wow!

Fourthly, this was an aforementioned issue, but I feel it absolutely necessary to put this library situation into perspective. There are 22,000 students at UCT and 1 really nice computer lab (called Knowledge Commons) seating probably a bit over 100, which is .00005% of the student body. (There are other labs but not so nice and not centrally located). It is also the only lab I know of in the library that can print papers. So it was on that fateful date my final psychology paper was due that I pulled my body up to the library at 7:17am only to find it closed until 8. Then at the crack of 8 the doors opened and that lab filled up faster than it takes to kill a roach scurrying across the stovetop. Luckily I got one of the first seats and worked productively until my class was about to start. As I left, walking past the hour-loooooong line, I realized this paper was going to be late, on top of my already common “Jamaican” time scheme, on which I run. It did get in though, and came back with a much more astounding grade than I could have hoped for.

Fifthly, life has just been overall too good for me here from going to a formal with my dance crew, to a beach braai (the word for barbeque here), to a comedy show, going to free theatre productions, and pretty much getting way too close to people that I am going to have to say goodbye to very soon. Recapping those individually, I got to go with one of the res halls for their formal in Mount Nelson, one of the nicest hotels in the city, and two hours before it all began, I was just finding an outfit, but it was wonderful. The beach braai was a huge event with probably around 1,000 students staying in various res halls who all got bussed to a beach up the coast to eat, dance, and enjoy the day. I got killer sunburnt, unfortunately, but it was a fun day.

Sixthly, about a month ago, I had the incredible opportunity to go to a drum show at the Castle in town during cultural heritage week, a show equivalent to US$30 that I got in for FREE because a few of my friends were performing in it and they hooked me and some friends up. It was an absolutely amazing show, full of energy, life, passion, and talent. These are the things I’ve become so used to that I’m going to miss the most–a constant energy flow in everything around me, especially in regards to the presence of drumming, and especially the drummers I have had the opportunity to meet here. They’ve let me into their world and graced me with their spirits.

Anyway, I’m off to Zimbabwe in two hours for about a week, so in the meantime, keep it real!