*Being driven to my internship. I HATE telling people that I get driven. I SEE all of the judgments forming in their eyes. What sucks is that for the most part they are right. “Wow, she has money. Wow, she is spoiled.” Yes, and yes, but AHHHHHHH. However, the ride is free (well, included in program costs). If I were to take public transport, it would literally take hours, be really crowded and full of blaring techno music, and probably $5 a day. Anyways, our personal driver for the program, Parks, is AWESOME. One of the most positive people I’ve ever met. Always calling us “MY BUDDY!!!!” However, seeing him at our front gate at 8 am every morning, knowing he woke up REALLY early to drive here from his home, only to drive my spoiled self to my INTERNSHIP that I am PAYING to do….. wow, it just hits me in the face everyday how backwards this all is. On that note….
*Wanting to stay later at my internship
We only get to stay at our internship 4 hours a day because it is so far away, and Parks has to beat the traffic to go home to his wife. A part of me says, “Hey, everyone else get so stay at their internships until 4 pm (it is supposed to be this way for everyone) but we get gypped because we have to be picked up at 2”. But we don’t get home until 3:30 and Parks has to drive back pretty much to where he picked us up; he probably doesn’t get home till at least 5 because of traffic. We never encounter traffic because we are the few crazy people who are leaving the city bowl in the morning to go into the townships- everyone else is coming from the townships to work for the rich white people who live in the city bowl, like myself….
*Living in Tamboerskloof. “Oh, well isn’t she privileged.” Well, yes, I am. But it’s safe here. “Oh, she’s just a scared white girl” Well, maybe I am. But safety is a big concern. Besides, my program set up my housing for me… “You paid by yourself?? You MUST be a rich American” …..AHHHHH.
* Having my bed made and my room cleaned everyday. We have a wonderful lady Kamyi (I think this is how you spell it…) who is like the Hillcrest Manor maid. She is black, from the township Langa, and incredibly nice. On the one hand I feel AWFUL when I come into my room, and whatever I had on my bed in the morning is nicely folded on my pillow, my sheets all nice and my blanket perfectly tucked in. I try my best before I leave to make it look like it does in the afternoons, but can always tell that she does it again herself. On the other hand, I imagine she needs to job to support her kids. If we did all of the cleaning ourselves (like you would have to do anywhere else…. like I’m used to (Mariah may not agree with this BUT GIRL IVE CHANGED, remember?)) Kamyi would be out of a job. So I have to put my privileged guilt aside and just appreciate the hell out of my clean sheets.
*Preferring not to take public transport, the mini-buses, and having the option not to. Taxi cabs are nicer and safer.
*Going for a run. The blacks who work in Tamboerskloof (for the rich whiteys that live here) look at me like a fool. Same thing happened in Tanzania. “Shouldn’t you spend all that energy just…. surviving?” What an odd luxury….. choosing to make yourself exhausted because you can afford to.
*Not really loving it here Don’t get me wrong, I like it a lot here, but I am very cautious with the word love. My heart still belongs to London, but that’s worthy of a WHOLE other entry….
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