Whatever there is, is only here.

"Travel in all the four quarters of the earth,

yet you will find nothing anywhere.

Whatever there is,

is only here."

Lately, I have been thinking why it has become almost a necessity to travel to get some experience and see the "real world". Finland is a very specific country, in that the people are very much the same nationality and have a strong sense of Finnish nationality. We do not have enough cross-cultural conflicts, not enough to change the perspectives of the people. Our society is safe and relatively stable. In many ways it seems to present some sort of an ideal of a stable democratic state. We Finns of course easily disagree as we know the deeper details of our welfare state which are not always that positive. Yet the international audience does not pay much attention to Finland, and we remain a rather unknown country somewhere in the shadow of Russia and the rest of Scandinavia.

If Finland is an ideal, why is it so tempting to leave it, almost expected of you. Especially at a young age. I guess a simple answer is that we can travel, we can see the world. We also tend to think that traveling opens your eyes, makes you find yourself, understand the world better, respect difference and respect what you have. Yes it does do that to you, and the more you travel to real places and meet real people, the effect can be profound. Yet, somehow I am starting to feel like for many traveling is a way of escaping things you do not want to face, escaping the simplicity of life, escaping the duties of life, and the sadness of life, too. In the end, life has the same face everywhere, different appearances, yet it functions very much the same way everywhere. Life is simple, it is everyday life, routine, small joys, disappointments, same things make us sad, we have the same basic human needs. Why do we need to go so far to realise the most simple things that are right infront of us.

Ok I am talking about myself here, how I struggle with the thought of only running through different places, being afraid of settling down, accepting facts and enjoying what I have is right here. A part of me is not ready for that yet. I still enjoy looking at life in different places. Imagining myself in their places, how I would react, would I be able to cope? In most cases not.

The most important things in life are so, so basic. So basic, that it is the same everywhere. You can run away from them, only to find them again at another place.

And yet, we, international students, student who can afford traveling to far away places, for many to experience everything else but studying. South Africa is not enough, we have to see the neighbouring countries too, to see some of the real Africa out there. Maybe only because we are too blind to see that the real things are, again, right in front of us, like in where we all come from.

It is a really sad thought, that I would not have been able to meet the few really important people in South Africa, who have helped me to see the real Africa, the real South Africa, as it is.

They are all very different kind of people, with different backgrounds, social statuses, different ethnic backgrounds. They are all mad about this country, they do anything to live a good life here.

A couple of weeks ago in Kayamandi, where we have our after-school programme, this one boy asks to come and talk to me. They do not do that often, they do not yet trust me, and they rarely open up with personal things, but he had to. He was very sad and troubled, he struggled to say what he had to say. He had 100 Rand in his pocket, he was supposed to get medicine for his mother as she was very sick, but he forgot the piece of paper where he had written the name of the medicine home, and had no choice but to run home to get it.

Often the boys test us, how easily they can fool us, for example in going to the toilet in the middle of the class, and then you find them chatting to friends outside the classroom. You don't know who to believe, the stories are sometimes so troubled, so unbelievable. He said he will run home as fast as he can. And he ran, so fast that I knew he was not lying.

Some of the kids have such hard lives, that I cannot even understand. Kids being abused, living without parents, looking after their siblings. And they are still kids. Some really talented ones, some want to become poets, some singers, some want to travel somewhere far away, leave South Africa. Why, I asked. Because they want to see more of the world, "because it is not good here".

on Cape Town and studies

Yesterday Sue and I drove to Cape Town for the day. It was a good day off from studies and the library. I had just done my Xhosa exam and starting Max Weber right the next day was not a good option. It was my first time driving in Cape Town, the traffic is not the lightest, and it is a hectic city. We drove to Woodstock first, there was a huge 2nd hand shop, with the upper floors full of 2nd hand books. Sue and I spent almost 2 hours there, looking at the shelves full of interesting books. I have never bought so many books in my life. They are so cheap too, I got 10 books for just over 20 euros, and really interesting ones on South Africa.

We were talking how suddenly we tend to rather go to ordinary places in Cape Town, places like in every town, where people live their daily lives, go to work, do their business. You can do so many amazing touristy things in Cape Town, without having to see the other areas. Some people even visit CT without ever seeing the CBD, because it is thought of as dangerous. Or they take the sightseeing bus, to safely drive around the centre and take photos. Nothing wrong there, I have been on those sometimes as well. But it does not make you know and understand the city from within.

Understand what is the reason behind the big empty patch of land called District Six, why W&A Waterfront is predominantly white, Cape Town Railway Station almost totally black, what is the history of Bo-Kaap, what traditional meaning does Table Mountain have for local people, why are almost all the African people on Long Street non-South African, why is there informal business like street vendors selling fake Gucci sunglasses next to a building of a multinational company, or why does the centre become ghostly empty right after dark settles?
I still don't know Cape Town well enough, or understand it. It is unpredictable and so many things contradict. But now and then it does good to you to leave the safe and small Stellenbosch and spend some time in Cape Town. I think it makes you exposed to an African city life better than Stellenbosch, which could be another town in Europe.

I had a change in plans with my holidays. I will be going to Sambia and Zimbabwe instead of Namibia. Jacques and I got flights to Livingstone. I am so happy, it will be so good for both of us. I know it is another major tourist attraction in Africa, Victoria Falls, but we plan not to let it be the only thing we see. I am especially interested in visiting Zimbabwe, seeing what life looks like there right now. How are the people doing despite the economic crisis and poor service delivery due to the Mugabe-mess.

Two exams to go before that. Political Sociology and Sociological theory. It started to rain in Stellenbosch. Good time to run to the underground library, once again, with my mug of coffee, woollen socks, piles of books and a little bit of motivation to get through the studies hopefully with success...

another update of my random thoughts

South Africa starts to feel like home now. I wake up every morning without even realising that I am in South Africa, like I did in the beginning. I have my routines, my studies, activities in Kayamandi and a few really good friends. I even bought my very own first car. My little room in this hospital-like Concordia student residence starts to feel like home. I've created a habit of buying the certain things a the grocery store, I tend to eat the same lunch at the student centre, I walk the same routes, drive the same roads. And suddenly life in Finland seems distand and umfamiliar. Is this how people adapt? Why is it so frighting to face change then, when we know from our past how we adapt to new life situations over and over again, and yet we are still afraid of change.

But there are moments that make me miss my life in Finland. That happens when I get scared. Scared of crime, scared of being attacked, and scared when I hear what has happened. Crime is everywhere, everyone knows someone who has been attacked of robbed, and many people have witnessed it themselves. It is easy to sense the fear, and it catches you too. I drive with doors locked. I try not to walk alone at night. I never walk alone to a township. I lock my room door even though I am behind two secure doors and two barbed wire fences. I am totally aware of the people around me, and by instinct I become cautious if they seem possibly threathening.

This is what I did not do at home. I used to love walking at night. I used to walk into the forest at night to see stars better, and did not feel afraid. We slept our doors open when I was small. Nobody had fences or alarm. Here it is sometimes stupid not to have.

My thoughts are around crime also because I took a Sociology course on crime and deviance, and we dealt a lot with crime in South Africa. It is an endless question without a clear explanation. It mostly has its roots in social issues, the past, the inequality, the culture of violence, identity problems in different ethniticies and clashes between them.
But one South African said to me, herself also being a victim and witnesser of crime, that if you cannot handle the fear, you must leave the country. That is very true. People only spread the fear if they are constantly terrified and cannot live a normal life. Much of the fear is also created, and that only fuels the culture of violence. In a very optimistic sense, people must stop being afraid of each other. That would result in a lot less social problems too, which has a strong impact on isolation, deviance and eventually crime.


Time has really gone fast. Most international students are here for one semester, which means they are shortly leaving back home. The corridors of Concordia will soon be replaced by new unfamiliar faces, the excitement of being in South Africa where everything is new. It feels funny to stay, especially when this place is not new to me anymore and in some sense it has lost the sense of excitement to me. It is still exciting in many ways, I have just grasped the side of everyday life, and for majority of South Africans, it really is not that exciting.

It is a bit sad how isolated we are here. International students find it hard to see the African side of life, when we are living in this very European and Afrikaans town, studying at a traditional Afrikaans university. If you do not volunteer or do any projects at nearby townships you never need to cross the border to the "real Africa". It is a sad thought in a way, that tourists cannot get exposed to that. Black culture, township culture, is still shadowed by the negative impact of crime and poverty. "It is not morally right to go and see how poor people live in misery". This is such a common opinion to hear from non-South Africans when asked whether they have been to townships.
I understand that point of view, but it is such a shame that the way a huge population lives remains unseen, unnoticed and neglected. The stereotypes remain and are created by prejudism.
The life and people in the townships become marginalised, easily forgotten if you just close your eyes. It is good to go out there and get to know the culture, to give a chance to see that it is not all misery, it's a strong resource of creativity, power and intelligence if given the opportunity.
I have heard many people getting robbed or mugged in a township. But I have also encountered some really friendly and helpful people, talented people, people with high ambitions and dreams. Most of all, people who do not feel sorry for themselves, or envious or angry. There is a huge amount of hope and will to make things a bit better one step at a time. That is how I feel when I go to a township. It is a very confusing feeling. A part of you tries to remain cautious whereas another part of you is comfortable and enthusiastic.
The things I do with my free time in Kayamandi, are not necessarily making much of a difference to anyone, yet I cannot stop myself from doing it, going out there and facing the reality of every day life here. It makes a difference to me, selfish to say. And I cannot know if it makes a difference to someone else. Just to see that people do notice each other, we can overcome our fear and meet each other and try to learn from each other. I know I am idealistic, but I think you need a bit of that if you want to make it in this country.

My sister is coming soon, I cannot wait for her to come. One thing I do miss is my family. People who know how I am and my past. Sometimes I also find it hard to adapt to the local behaviour and manners, because of being Finnish and automatically different. I cannot be like I am used to being, I need to adapt and compromise.

After 3 more exams I am done with the first semester, and for a long time will have a holiday without having to work. I will drive to PE with my sister along the garden route, and in July will go to Namibia with Jacques. Nice plans. I will also be taking interesting courses for next semester and have to really work on my thesis too. I wish time didn't go so fast.

Mozambique!

On Easter I went to Mozambique with Sue, one of my best friends here. We wanted to do it as simple and basic as possible, so we ended up getting bus tickets all the way to Maputo. 17 hours to Joburg, 8 hours to Maputo. It is a good way if you want to be economical, ecological and see about 30 different petrol stations along the way ( it turned out that the petrol stations are not that different after all).
Driving through Karoo desert in the middle of the night with thunder, lightnings and pouring rain was also an experience of its own, especially in a bus where the seats were so small you felt like you had dramatically become obese... not the most comfortable ride. But Sue and I made beautiful bracelets and anklets out of hemp meanwhile having yet another conversation about traveling, development, purpose of life, problems in the world, the usual small talk. Driving through the country also gives you a whole new view of the country as the landscape changes, you drive through little towns that you had never heard existed, and it gives you an idea that not all of South Africa is as busy as Cape Town or as touristy as the Garden Route for example. There are places where people live their ordinary lives and are used to the buses just driving through never stopping by. I wonder if I ever get to explore those places a bit more.


We got to Joburg around 6 in the morning on a sunday. We arrived at Park Station which is right in the middle of the centre. People usually refer to Joburg as the crime capital of the world, and the centre is certainly a no-go area, at least for white people.
But we were so tired from the bus ride that we just ended up walking in the centre anyway. How stupid was that. But it was fine, and we were just lucky. We walked around, saw people opening their little shops, starting to sell newspapers and bananas on the pavement and minibus taxis started to fill the streets. The only other white person I saw was my travel companion Sue.
When we got back from Mozambique we stretched our legs a little bit and as we walked at the exit of the bus station we got stopped by two security guards saying that we mustn't walk there, we would get robbed immediately. Where were they at 6 in the morning?
I guess two foreign young girls are crazy enough to do that, or just don't know the facts. I know we should not have done that. But I must say Joburg centre has a strangely nice feeling to it. It is a huge city. The centre seems to have lost the sense of time and stopped somewhere in the 60s. If only the centre could be upgraded and secured, it could be a beautiful cosmopolitan city.

Mozambique at first looked like South Africa, but as we drove closer to the coast to Maputo, it suddenly changed completely. Signs were in Portuguese, and Maputo just looked different to any other South African city I have seen. The pavements are covered with rubbish and dirt, and most of the houses would need some renovation. Maputo is a relatively peaceful city. It is a lot safer and people are very friendly. Sue speaks Portuguese and I could understand basics because of my Spanish so we were able to communicate with the locals. That gives a whole new perspective to traveling and deepends your experience.




Mozambique is doing well considering that it only gained independence recently. It is however very poor, and most people make a living through subsistence farming. We often bought our dinner from the streets where women were sitting at dark in the evenings, selling vegetables and fruit. In Mozambique you can also get the world's best cashew nuts that are being toasted and sold on the streets. Because Mozambique does not have a large industry many of the the products sold in supermarkets come from South Africa and are thus overpriced. We were often craving for chocolate but it was not easy to find. Cadbury chocolates were three times as expensive as in SA.

From Maputo we did, what most backpackers do, a trip to Inhambane. It is another 8 hours up north on the coast. It is a beautiful old town close to a beach called Tofo. Coconut palm trees are everywhere, at the beach the sand dunes continue where the waves stop. In the middle of all this are small villages, where people live and continue living in a sustainable way that makes you feel embarrassed of the materia surrounding your life. But life is still hard, the huts made out of palm leaves are fragile to wind and rain, and must be constantly looked after. It is not easy to make a living, many people go to Inhambane market to sell fruit, vegetables, nuts or bread to make a small living. I met this family in a village that was making these small table covers out of coconut and these lampshades out of coconut trees, very creative.

Malaria and other tropical diseases are a constant threat and rural areas often lack clinics. Yet the people I met during my short walk through some of the villages, seemed confident and relaxed. Mozambiqueans are a joyful nation, at least by the look of it. You hear laughing everywhere. Life is slow motion and simple.

I also think Mozambique is more African, in a traditional African meaning. Women wear African fabrics and are not as westernised. Instead of going to Pick n Pay people go to the market for their groceries. It also seems a way to socialise with one another and there is no hurry to buy your things.

We met this Mozambiquean family at the market, they had their own tailor shop. They invited us to stay with them for a night. It was really cool to get to see the how people live and talk with locals. They made us a beautiful Mozambiquean meal with fish and pap and we talked about Mozambique, Canada and Finland and world politics, and had a great evening. They were so polite and hospitable, the family of 10 children stayed in one room as we slept in the other room.
I hope we can visit them again sometime.

Overall Mozambique was a necessary break from studies and SA, as Stellenbosch sometimes makes you forget that you are in Africa. Mozambique is a country that needs a lot of your time though, it is not easy to try and see everything in a week. I hope I will be able to go there again and be able to slow down myself too.

On flying high and climbing mountains...

I started wondering the other day about the fact that during my year in South Africa I, of course, want to do and experience as much as possible. A typical exchange student, busy trying to see and do everything because time is limited. South Africa certainly offers enough things to keep you busy with some of the most amazing things you can do from bungee jumps, national parks, hikes and road trips to skydiving, which seems to be a hit this year...

We have been climbing mountains. We have done road trips, some have done bungee jumps, skydiving and what else...
Local students often wonder where the international students find their time and money to do this, maybe it irritates them, at least the different lifestyles can separate the international students even more from the local students...

We just had our Easter break. While local students spend the holiday visiting home and studying for exams at the end of the semester, international students have been traveling in Namibia, Mozambique, some "just" did the Garden Route in South Africa.

Most of the exchange students I know are leaving in a couple of months time. Time is running. We need the memories to prove that this time of our lives was important, worthwhile, different and fun. That we did the kind of stuff we normally would not do at home. At home we would study, work, have the normal cycle of our daily routine keeping us occupied and safe.

Even though I went to Mozambique for Easter holidays and am planning to go to Namibia during the winter holidays, something has changed in me. When I left Finland I had a list in my mind of the things I want to do and experience during my stay here. Now instead of running around I feel like settling down and trying to live a normal life here the local way. I feel like I am at home, I feel like I am happy just doing the normal day to day things. Somehow skydiving does not seem that necessary to keep me satisfied. I guess there are many ways of spending the year as an exchange student. Some go for climbing mountains, some rather plunge into the local life and try to forget the fact that they are from somewhere else.

I guess I don't see myself "only" as a international student because I've lived here before and part of me has already decided to never leave this country. The thought of living here is so tempting that it scares me.

It is a fantastic feeling that you get when you realise that you actually understand this country more little by little. Things are not new and exciting, things are familiar and understandable.
You start knowing your way around and adapt to the South African way of getting things done. You even learn not to lose your mind when things are not getting done.

Your basic instinct tells you to be aware of things around you when you walk alone at dark, your inner voice actually blames you for even doing so. You don't even wake up to the extremely loud singing of the birds in the morning. And soon it doesn't even matter whether you are a South African or not. You forget being an outsider. Someone presumes you being a South African and you don't even bother to correct them. After all, even Jacob Zuma struggles in defining a true South African. There should be no outsiders in South Africa.
I'm in South Africa now. Yebo, and it's flippin' nice.

Another great music festival

Last weekend I went to another music festival, this time Ramfest, in Worcester, just one hour's drive north from Cape Town. It was quite a bit bigger than Raka festival, it had two stages even and a nice concert area with bars and food stalls. Not to forget the 'must' for all festivals, a stall to get a tattoo or your nose pierced, and the usual stall for the cheap wooden hippie jewellery. What a feeling of globalisation! I loved it though, somehow the feeling at these South African festivals is very different from the ones in Finland. In Finland, the festivals I have been to, I have sort of felt a bit distracted or hectic at least, people are so drunk and everywhere is a mess. I have not had that feeling here, people are very easy going, friendly and just relaxed. And wow these people camp nicely! I went with my Afrikaans friends and we had a bakkie, which had everything you can ever imagine needing in the wild. It even had a tent ON it, that you just fold open nicely. How convenient. People have chairs around a braai fire, play music, sing, listen to rugby, chat and chill.
The bands were surprisingly good too, all were mainly Afrikaans. I am starting to like Afrikaans bands, especially when my friend has been kind enough to translate the lyrics to me, and the lyrics have such great meaning in them. It is a lot about how people are feeling here, what is your identity. One song described how they felt they were a tourist in their own country. I guess that is how most Afrikaners feel. It is very comforting to realise how music can unite people and make you realise that those thoughts and feelings inside of you can be shared.

I also realised that Afrikaner people can be a bit shy at first, they keep their distance, they want to get to know you before talking to you openly. This happened to me. I wish I had understood that. Only later some of the friends we went with came to me and said that he did not know how to approach me because I felt so confident and sure about myself... Basically he said he is envious because my identity as a Finn is so certain and whole. I don't remember anyone even complimenting me on my confidence! And that someone actually pays attention to that. I guess it shows that it is an issue for them, and I do understand that. It is very easy for me to have an identity as a Finn. I know I take it for granted too often, sometimes don't even appreciate having it. It is just a part of you and you never question it.
For Afrikaners it is not so simple, other people question it all the time. They say you don't belong here, this is not your home. Where is it then? If you don't even know your ancestors who arrived here to be farmers and to form a new nation, how could you just go back to Europe, you don't even have a European passport. But people still say that they are not African. In the present day South Africa they are all Africans, equally just as much as any other native. I can see myself getting frustrated as well, because I can imagine how empty it can make you feel not having an identity or feeling that you don't belong here.

Later that night we got into quite a deep conversation about the situation, how Afrikaners are treated with a lot of prejudism overseas, and how things are still too black and white here. We have the good and the bad. Try to be on the side of the 'bad' and you are immediately turned into a racist. I know it is so tense and sensitive still, and for sure I do think that past cannot and should not be forgotten too easily, things do take time to balance out and I guess you cannot balance things without first giving more to the previously disadvantaged people. But I do understand how the new generation, without any participation or role in the history, can feel very frustrated about being the ones to blame and not really having a freedom of speech in the fear of being condemned. And yes there are serious problems in this country, on how to educate the majority of the people, how to get jobs for people, how to cure diseases, reduce crime, the list goes on. But the fact that there are other more important things to worry about doesn't mean other issues should not be discussed.

Sometimes it is just so difficult to understand other people. Yet so easy to judge them and trust your first impression based on nothing but presumptions and generalisations. But it is so cool to realise that your ideas and thoughts about some people can change completely, for better. And to feel like you understand them, that you can identify with them.

Who said that do not judge a man until you have walked two moons in their shoes. It means you need a lot of patience, time, ability to adapt and be flexible, will to understand, and I guess it helps to have a heart too.

Port Elizabeth

I don't like time going this fast. I realise that I enjoy my life here so much, that I do not want to see this year end. I have never been so motivated to do things as I am here, and never felt such strong feelings, both positive and negative, towards a country. I was afraid of the fact that in South Africa you tend to lose the freedom you are so used to having in Finland, as crime is an unfortunate fact of everyday life here. I guess I don't have that sort of freedom that I am used to having, but it has not bothered me so far. I cannot walk alone at night, and with some things you just need to be extra careful. And you cannot leave all the news about crime happening around you unnoticed.
Today I walked at the campus and saw ADT security guards take one man in handcuffs away. Didn't really think of it much, but something like that happening at our campus in Finland would definitely be a big thing. So yes, life here, especially as a white woman, is not so free and easy all the time, but when you know how to do things you will be most likely fine. I am sometimes worried of the international students, because some of them don't seem to worry about the crime at all. They leave their doors open and walk alone. I just don't want bad news. I guess the fact that it has never happened to you is enough to make you feel safe. Not the fact that it is happening around you all the time. I just try to remember that, but yet do the things I want to do and not be overwhelmed about the sad statistics.

I went to Port Elizabeth for a few days. It felt like going home. Port Elizabeth is not as fascinating and unique as Cape Town is, but Port Elizabeth has a different feeling to it. It is more natural, more down to earth and has many beautiful places, you just need to find them. The old centre is full of beautiful houses and buildings that are just waiting to be rediscovered and renovated to look as pretty as they used to. The centre of the town has buildings that resemble a beautiful past, at night the centre looks ghostly empty and the isolated and abandoned flats with broken windows are a lonely sight. I would love to see this centre become alive again. Like it does during the day, when the streets are full of people busy with their daily duties. I hope the centre of Port Elizabeth will become more open to everyone and become a centre where it is safe enough for anyone to walk about. One thing that frustrates me in PE is the shopping centres, which have become the new safe place for people to shop and to do their daily businesses. It is nice and convenient, but it gives you a hollow feeling that it is not a public space as a city centre can be, it is private property. They can get rid of unwanted people if necessary. It is still nice and convenient, but it does make things even more segregated and it is a way of escaping the fact that you cannot run away from the unpleasant difficulties of a city so broken and from people sometimes worlds apart from each other.

On a more positive note, Port Elizabeth and surroundings are one of the most beautiful places I have even been to. The beaches are so natural and wild, and they just go on and on. Places like that don't really exist in Europe anymore. And South Africa does quite a fantastic job in keeping the beaches natural and preserved.






I had a fantastic time in Port Elizabeth. I stayed with Denise and Roy and had a lovely welcoming face wash from Emma. She is a miniature dachshund. I got her when she was the size of my hand, and watched her grow during the first time I was living in South Africa. She still remembers me, which is amazing. She still comes to sleep next to me and follows me everywhere. I guess dogs never forget.

I also went to have a look at the projects of the NGO I used to volunteer for during my year in Port Elizabeth. The student union of the university of Helsinki is funding one of their projects and it was fantastic to go and see the project actually working. It is a self empowerment project which educates previously unemployed women to run a small business of their own and learn how to be able to sustain themselves in the end. A Great Great project.

I had a look at the project I used to volunteer for myself. It was a relief to see it still going but quite disappointing to see that progress was not happening and the project is struggling to sustain itself. I guess when conditions are poor, life is uncertain and everyday survival is a challenge, you cannot expect things to always run smootly. It is something that you need to get used to. It is not a point to lose hope or give up, but to be flexible, look into the problems and always try to make a solution for them.
I attended this workshop for the ladies who are working in the self empowerment project, and when a problem occurred and we were trying to find a solution to it, I asked what if somethings are not possible to solve? She said that in South Africa there is always a solution to a problem. If the plan A does not work, we go for plan B, all the way to X, Y, Z and then start all over again. I have a lot to learn from this.

We had a great time over the weekend. We took Emma to Sardinia Bay and did a small hike there. We found beautiful big sea shells in the rock pools. After that we went shopping with Denise and found a beautiful Afghanistan carpet for me. Roy cooked us delicious South African food from curries to bobotjie and of course, a real braai in the African bush. We went to Addo National Elephant Park on sunday and we saw the most incredible thing, a lion killing a baby kudu. I have never seen anything like that. Nature is simply amazing, everything has their place in it and it shows you how fragile yet adapting and self-sustaining life can be...

I flew back to Cape Town overlooking the coastline of South Africa. I was able to spot the different places I have been to, and the different memories connected to them. I guess I am feeling at home.

on understanding, Afrikaans and Afrikaners

These past weeks I have been more and more introduced to the Afrikaans culture of South Africa. Stellenbosch is an Afrikaans town, where most people speak Afrikaans as their mother language. The first few words you learn are baie dankie (thank you), sakkie?(plastic bag?) and lekker (basically anything good is lekker). Jammer can be very useful too, especially when things go wrong or you bump into someone in a shop. That has happened to me a few times and it has been a practical and effective way of learning new words... But all in all Afrikaans is not the most difficult language and I find myself fitting in quite smoothly even if I don't understand everything that is being said to me.

Stellenbosch is and old town, known because of its University but I guess more commonly because its wine. And it is great. For a student being able to afford wine with normal meals is quite a luxury, but I don't think I will ever be able to live closer to some of the best wines made in the world, so I may as well enjoy it.

The University of Stellenbosch is Afrikaans, which means that most of my courses are partly taught in Afrikaans. Usually the lecturer speaks English for a while and then just switches to Afrikaans and so forth. After a while you get used to it, and you are able to follow it reasonably well (thanks to our great Afrikaans intensive course). Still there are moments when I realise I am thinking about weekend plans instead of concentrating on the theory of Sociology, but that's ok. Our weekends have been worth the planning.

This weekend we went to a music festival at Kam'Bati River Resort near Swellendam. It was very relaxed and intimate for a music festival, which was refreshing after seeing the music festivals in Finland. This one was about serious camping with braais and seats around the campfires. The music was acoustic and suited well for the atmosphere. Despite the odd rain showers we had clear night skies and the stars were absolutely beautiful because of the surrounding darkness.

The festival was about Afrikaans music, as most of the bands were Afrikaans. It was a great chance to get to know young Afrikaners and their lifestyle. It is amazing, how many different lifestyles you get in this country. It is a positive thing and makes it a culturally rich place, but it does make you ask why the lifestyles sometimes seem worlds apart.
I ended up having random conversations with a few local people about the Afrikaans culture and history and one guy told me how Afrikaans music was not really popular among young people a while ago, but it sort of became popular again and now you have lots of new Afrikaans bands. The bands were really good at the festival and the people seemed to know them well. I guess it gives them something of their own and a tradition that they want to hold on to. One guy was nice enough to translate me some of the lyrics of the songs and they were about, (besides naturally falling in love and difficulties in loving), how it feels to be in Afrika and some songs seemed to mix well the history of the Boers and the traditional Afrikaans folk music into modern style with catchy lines and rhythms. Maybe it is just what is needed to bring the Afrikaaner culture alive and going. And the young seem to be doing well in that. It is not easy to be a small minority in this country, carry a burden of the past, especially for the new generation, while trying to identify both to European roots and to an African identity. And some of them feel like they are not wanted here by the majority of people. Doesn't it make you want to hold on to your own culture and identity even stronger? Maybe Africa has seen enough battles over who was where when and who owns what and why. Maybe it is not worth it to try and go back as far as possible to see who actually originally owned this land, who are the true South Africans. When you look far back enough, you realise that the black people originally immigrated from the North, and South Africa was empty besides the few herding Khoikhois and hunter-gatherer Sans.
I wish all the energy would be put into understanding differences and respecting cultural diversity instead of highlighting the negative conflicts and rights to the ownership of land and South African identity.
There are only a few million Afrikaners in this country as well as English speaking South Africans, and no matter how much I love the Xhosa and Zulu cultures among other African cultures, I don't want to see any of those cultures and lifestyles disappear. It is what I love about South Africa, the incredible variety and strong identity that people have. I guess it is what is necessary for survival here. But for the survival of the nation it is necessary to have the understanding for others. And can you have that without compromising something of your own?

And in the end South Africans are all throughoutly wonderful and friendly. It is so overwhelming considering the crime statistics and everyday struggles that we are facing, and still people trust each other and help each other. We asked a few Xhosa men to take photos of us on our way to Cape Town as the smoke from the forestfires was making the sunset sky beautifully red, and they were really loving the photos and we took photos of them. Small things, but the friendliness is huge. We could have just driven by, and now we have photos of beautiful people next to a beautiful sky.

Same with English. The English people I have been lucky to meet are the nicest people I happen to know. I have huge respect for them.

And Afrikaners. I cannot say yet that I know them well, but this weekend at the festival made me understand a lot more. And they are very friendly. Some were open enough to tell about the difficulties they are facing as Afrikaners, and it is not easy.

And we got offered some lekker boerewors at braai and this morning, I woke up to this guy next to our tent offering chocolate cake for breakfast. South African hospitality, lekker and fun.




'N vuurvliegie flikker hier en daar
Iewers tussen my en die ewenaar
En my hart is lig, my gemoed is swaar
Ek's in Afrika en dis donker daar

Dis jammer ek is nie nou op my beste nie
Wat is die Afrikaanse woord vir destiny?

on making South Africa home for a while

So it took me 6 weeks to finally start this blog. Maybe I was afraid it would end up being just one of those blogs people write where ever they go whatever they do, and nobody seems to be reading them and it becomes just another page in the endless internet...
But then what. I want to write this for my friends and family whom I do miss and cannot communicate with as much as I would like to. I hope for those who are interested in my doings this will be fun and interesting. And for those who don't really know me but end up reading my blog anyway (curiosity or boredom!?), I hope you do remember that whatever I end up writing here are only my personal opinions and even though I may have strong views on certain topics, I hope you will not try and use them against me or take them personally, even if you disagree.
And please comment, I hope that especially with those who share the same passion for this continent we could have interesting discussions...
So let's start. I am currently in Stellenbosch, South Africa. I am living here for a year as an international student studying Sociology and isiXhosa. I am also volunteering at a nearby township called Kayamandi. Besides that I try to move around as much as possible, see places and get to know people both international and local. I am very very lucky to have this opportunity to do this. I have come to realise that the education system in Finland is very priviledged, even though we tend to still have plenty of things to complain about ... but recently I had a good conversation, that made me realise how much freedom and independence it has given me. To be able to study what you want and are interested in and not be dependent on my parents for example has given me opportunities to take control over my life and a chance to work and travel besides my studies for example. Maybe that is why I enjoy this time of my life so much and don't really seem to have much of a hurry to graduate and get into the working life.
And yes, I have the possibility to come and Study in South Africa. My university actually pays me to do so. That is something. And for the first time in my life as a student I don't need to work besides my studies, so I get a chance to do volunteer work and just enjoy my time here.
Applying for the exchange wasn't a piece of cake though, I don't think I have ever filled that many official papers in a year's time. But it was definitely worth going through all that trouble.

In the 6 weeks I have been here I have managed to settle in well in my residence. I have a beautiful view over the Stellenbosch mountain and three lovely girls to share this flat with. And I have my own bathroom with a bathtub, oh the luxury.
I have taken an intensive Afrikaans course, I made some really great friends during that course and I don't think studying has ever been that much fun at University. Maybe it was because of the wine tastings and picnics... or maybe because I happened to have such a good time with my classmates. I go for both.

South Africa is not a new place for me. I lived here in 2004-2005, in Port Elizabeth, where I did volunteer work at Ramaphosa, Kwazakhele township. I helped around at a pre-school and got to know the Xhosa culture a bit better. It helps now when I am finally studying the language at University. At least I can say Hlalaphantsi (Sit down!), mamelani (listen to me), thula (quiet) and Hayi (no!). Something we got around repeating quite a lot!!
I was also helping around at an Oceanarium, where I was looking after sick penguins. I still have a huge compassion and love for African penguins. They have such character and personality.
I am lucky to know some wonderful people in Port Elizabeth, who are like my own family to me. So I guess I don't know how to separate myself totally from the South Africans, I partly feel like a South African. It may sound naive but I honestly feel like I know this country much better than Finland and even though I love to be Finnish I cannot lose interest in this place or stop myself from coming back over and over again. It sort of grows to be a part of you and there is no going back.

However I do find myself questioning many things every day. Like me being here as a fairly well off white girl from Europe. I am used to seeing myself as a poor student studying all these hippyish subjects, working at a flower shop and not really knowing what to do with my life, and suddenly it is turned upside down. It is very confusing. But all is relative.
The South African students seem very determined and positive about their career choices and future plans. Maybe they feel like they have to know, maybe you cannot be too uncertain about things in South Africa. Everybody seems to want to graduate as soon as possible and have more independence and security in their lives. I honestly don't know how they manage to do that with all the partying, beautiful nature, beaches and hot hot weather that you get here.

South Africa has a lot of contrast. Sometimes it is too frustrating, but sometimes it makes it all worthwhile. I have not been homesick once. I miss my family, dog, and friends terribly, but I know that I will end up missing South Africa too much when I eventually have to get on the plane towards the North. I guess I will never stop coming back. I guess this place will never make enough sense for me so I have to keep on finding out more and exploring. And that is what I love to do.