Woman's Day - The Most Magical Day: Women's Weekend Part 2

Women’s Day – The Most Magical Day
Friday August 9, 2013 –

August 9^th in South Africa is National Women’s Day. (Reason #3490 why South Africa is awesome). On this day in 1956 there was a march of over 50,000 women on Pretoria to petition against legislation amendments that required people to carry “passes” . Passes were identification documents that basically told other people how to discriminate against you in the apartheid era.

So 50,000 South African women in the 1950’s were total badasses. What do 3 American women do to celebrate? BUNGEE JUMPING! Duh

Bright and early Friday morning, I woke up in Jes’ house and needed a full 5 minutes to remember where I was. We took a bit to get started and ready for the day. Gillian was actually shaking with tired excitement.  Looking out the window, I couldn’t believe the landscape that gazed back at me. Gigantic mountains I was unable to see in the dark the night before were suddenly all around Jes’ log house, framed with a fine fog. It was still drizzling a bit and I was a bit worried out bungee appointment would be cancelled. We still had some time for the weather to make up its mind.  Before we headed out for the day, Jes’ dad, bless his fuzzy heart, made us some more coffee with his fancy espresso machine.

Note to self: Get an espresso machine. Caitie will go halvsies with you.

We drove a ways further down the road to Plettenburg Bay for breakfast at a cozy French café called La Fornil. Plet looks as if it’s photoshopped and none of my photos do it justice. It’s a perfect little seaside town, built cascading down a big hill that overlooks the clear blue bay. I felt as if we were the only ones who knew about it, tucked away in the mountains. I’m convinced that someday I have to leave next to water and mountains.

It was chilly and rainy outside, but inside La Fornil it was heartwarming and spirit lifting. Oh. And it had WiFi. Many a snapchat was taken and many an email was checked throughout our meal. I had more cappuccino than is probably advisable for someone who is nervous about jumping of a bridge in the near future.

Me, Gillian, Jes, and very grumpy old guy in the background at La Fornil

The time had come. We left breakfast and piled back into the VW to head off to Bloukrans Bridge to meet our maker. We screamed again as we drove over the bridge. While I never officially panicked about the jump, I remember I started to feel more anxious as we followed signs to the parking area. Mostly I didn’t let myself think about it too much.

As we were parking, we saw Patrick, Moritz, Jake, Danielle, and Karen walking out to their car. They had all just jumped (except Danielle who was an enthusiastic spectator). It was good to know that the event was indeed survivable.

first thing we saw when we arrived

we have no idea what we are in for

Some facts about the site:

• The commercial name is Face Adrenalin. (epic right?)
• Bloukrans Bridge is the highest bungee bridge in THE WORLD! 
• They were established in 1990 (they’re barely older than I am!). 
• There are a couple of world records associated with the bridge. 
• One maniac did 19 jumps in an hour. 
• Another maniac did 107 jumps in a 24 hour period. 
• An episode of the Amazing Race has been filmed there. 
• The Bloukrans bridge stands 216 meters (709 feet) above the Bloukrans River. 
• This is their website: http://www.faceadrenalin.com/

Gillian and I scampered to go sign in and get harnessed up. Jes bought a ticket to walk out on the bridge with us, but not to jump. Caitie, goddess that she is, volunteered to be our photographer. Armed with 3 cameras and 2 iphones she would document the jump from afar. After getting harnessed (by a group of guys who had clearly worked there long enough that adrenaline soaked girls plummeting +200 meters was no longer terribly impressive) we still had about an hour to wait for our appointment and contemplate our stupidity. We had fun doing a prejump photoshoot and watching a few jumpers from the safety of the viewing area. The surrounding area was gorgeous and the rain had magically disappeared, making way for a beautiful sunny day.  

we've just been harnessed

let the badassery begin. Happy Women's Day

If you didn't notice, Gillian changed her coat. She and Caitie traded so it would be easier for Caitie to spot her later

Practicing our jump faces

Wish you were here

Bloukrans Bridge 216 meters above the river....

Once the longest/shortest wait of my life was over, it was time to walk to the jump site. About five other people joined us to walk over. We started the trek on a gravel path through some trees and reached a rest spot where our guide, Elrado, briefed us how the process worked. Next we marched single file up a set of metal stairs to a cage like tunnel that ran parallel to the bridge. You could see all the way to the red/brown water of the river below us through the bars of the walkway. That was a little nerve racking, causally walking that high up.

Next thing we knew we had arrived at the middle of the bridge. You could hear the cars roaring past above you, mixed with the loud pump-up music blasting from speakers all around. A couple guys welcomed us and congratulated us on deciding to jump. One of them announced that I would be going first. Ha ha okay.

We were gathered in giant square area surrounded by caution tape. I was seated on a box, where my feet were strapped together  with bright red truck straps and ankle braces reminiscent of 80’s work out video leg weights/leg warmers. My harness had a dozen carabiner clips attached, detached, and reattached to it in a flurry of activity I don’t fully remember.

One of the guys helped me stand up and hobble over to a gate similar to the terminals in the queue for a roller coaster ride. I was reconnected to another strap and then permitted to hobble a little closer to the edge. Until that point I hadn’t had the full view of where I was about to recklessly throw my body. I felt my jaw actually drop away from the rest of my face. I could feel the blood rushing out of my face and pounding in my ears at the same time.

Now there were two guys, one on either side of me. They held my arms away from my side, holding me at the armpits and the wrists while I inched my way to the very edge until my toes hung over. They shouted: 5…4…3…2…1……BUNGEEEEEEE!

On “bungee” I pushed off from the solid concrete beneath my feet.  I heard Gillian and Jes scream behind me. My body was in a free fall through the air. And boy did I fall. I didn’t expect to really feel myself plummeting through the sky like that. I had imagined more the romantic feeling of soaring off of the swings at the playground. This was very different.

It all happened so fast and the adrenalin rush had clouded my memory somewhat. In my memory, it was so unbelievably quiet. Almost silent aside from the whoosh of the air and my frantic mumblings of “oh god oh god oh god oh god”. It was beautiful too. The upside down view was incredible. Even when I felt tension on the bungee cord I was still really really high above the ground and could see for miles in either direction. The air felt amazing blowing through my clothes and across my face as I bounced comically up and down gradually slowing to a halt, all the blood pooling in my head.

If you look very very carefully you can see me. Yup. That tiny white dot

Never for a second had I entertained the horrific thought of the bungee cord snapping and letting me fall to the rocks below. Now, slowly bobbing upside down, I felt the tension around my ankles and became irrationally panicked that I would slip through my Jane Fonda workout leg warmers and fall and die. I remember feeling like, “Ok…I’m done now. Thanks!”. Each boing of the bungee made me more and more anxious about my feet slipping through.

All of a sudden I felt movement further up the cord. I contorted my body to look up towards the bridge and saw a man making his way down to collect me. Never in my life have I been so happy to see another person. I babbled like an idiot to him as he cradled me with a bunch of new ropes and pulled me into a seated position. We were then reeled back to the bridge. They unstrapped me and high fived me. We took post jump pictures and jammed out to the music.

Apparently, just as they had lowered me onto the solid ground again, Gillian had jumped. I was so mad I didn’t get to see her go. I did get to see the video later, though.

That's Gillian! Picture provided by Face Adrenalin

I talked to Jes until Gillian reappeared on the other side of the bridge. We hugged and danced and screamed. We were just so proud of each other. I still couldn’t believe what we’d just done. We watched the rest of the members of our group jump one by one. One of the guys in our group went backwards! I would totally do that. Now that I know more about the whole experience, I would definitely go again, even backwards.

We reunited with Caitie, deharnessed, took so post-jump photos and watched our jumping videos. It was pretty ridiculous to watch. I'm not entirely sure how to load the video onto here so y'all will just have to sit tight and imagine it 'til I get home. 

#postjumpswagger

Beginning to feel hungry, we made our way back to Jes’ house, where we were greeted by….PUPPIES! The three dogs that had greeted us the night before apparently had apparently each had litters sometime in the weeks preceding our arrival, which meant there upwards of 20 puppies of various ages to play with! All hunger and badassery was forgotten while we played with the rollie pollie masses of puppy cuteness.

At some point we had to tear ourselves away from the puppies and go in search of food. Sadly this also meant it was time to say goodbye to Jes and her dad. I wish we could have stayed longer. Hopefully we’ll get another chance to visit.

Caitie, Gillian and I made our way back to Plettenberg Bay where we had lunch at a restaurant called Europa. The portions were small and the food was expensive, but we were all too tired and hungry to care. Feeling somewhat refreshed after lunch we drove back down the hill to the beach.

Just look at it… I mean….just….just…..AAAAAAH! ….I can’t even…. INDIAN OCEAN!!! 

My feets are in da indian ocean!

It was devastating.

We stayed until we just couldn’t stand how pretty it was anymore. Also we had to start driving to Port Elizabeth if we wanted to keep our hostel reservation.

It was a long long drive from Plet to PE. I lied when I said it was about 1.5 hours before. It was closer to…3? Not entirely sure. It was easy driving with a great view though so who cares?

Along the way I caught a glimpse of the tail of a rainbow and freaked out. It just summed up the day so beautifully. I had a goofy smile on my face thinking about it as we turned a corner and saw the beginnings of another rainbow. #DOUBLERAINBOW!!!

can't even begin to do it justice. I didn't get pics of the full bow. I was driving. Like a responsible adult

The magic of the day was increasing exponentially. Caitie and Gillian were snapping pictures and freaking out with me. All of a sudden the entire band of the rainbow burst through the clouds all the way across the sky. I had never seen a rainbow like this in my life. Every single color was vividly visible and you could see where each side of the box landed on the ground on either side of us. I was driving directly under it, losing my mind! I seriously thought Skittles were gonna fall out of it.

The clouds eventually swallowed it up again and we continued on our way. I know I keep saying we passed the time talking, but that’s really what we did. I love these girls. We can talk about anything and everything all day long, and I wouldn’t trade it for anything in the world.

We refilled our petrol (gas) a few km outside PE.

Travel tip: In South Africa, they pump the gas for you. It’s like New Jersey!

Determined to reach the Hippos Backpackers Hostel we decided to tough it out and get dinner after we arrived. By now it was dark, but we were entering the city where there were ample street lights. We followed the directions carefully but couldn’t for the life of us find Glen Street, where the Hippo was supposedly hiding. After about 30 min of driving up and down Cape Road, end to end, and pulling countless illegal U turns, we pulled into a gas station and called the front desk for some help.

The woman who picked up decided to make things fun by telling us we didn’t have a room booked for that night and that there were no rooms available. Um…what?  We asked for directions so we could come and talk to her in person. To keep everything interesting, she said she didn’t know street names and gave us vague landmarks. Her accent over the phone made it really hard to even understand. A million more illegal U turns and phone calls later we FINALLY arrived and sorted everything else.

She had mistakenly booked us with the other group of exchange students that were meant to arrive the next night. Because we were already there she graciously let us have her room. We ordered pizza and vegged out on WiFi for a bit, before finally going to bed.

The ending of the day was less magical than the day had been, but everything worked out.  All in all, it was a very successful day.  We had made it to PE and things are always better in the morning. 

The Hectic Day: Women's Weekend Part 1

The Hectic Day
Thursday August 8, 2013

I’ve noticed that the students here use the term “hectic” rather liberally, often in the same contexts in which we would say “crazy”, “intense”,  “wild” or “ridiculous”. Anytime I hear it, I’m reminded of the scene from Back to the Future when Doc Brown comments on Marty’s use of the word “heavy” and asks if there is anything wrong with gravity in the future.

Anyway, Thursday, the day of our departure for a long weekend vac(ation) was – in every sense of the word – hectic.

I got up early to pack and research directions for the trip. A bit later I bustled over to Eden Grove to pick up a package from our international office. Of course, the physical package wasn’t there, only a retrieval slip that I had to take to the post office, pay R18, and provide proof of ID. Somewhere in there I had class.

Because the post office took so long, I was late to lunch, where I had to scarf down some food before running off to the Community Engagement Office for my first day of Community Engagement!

I was tired and frazzled with crumbs of toast still clinging to my clothes when I board the RUCE shuttle. Katie and Lauren were already thankfully on the bus, confirming that I was where I was supposed to be. A few more people boarded and off we went into the township. The bus was hot and the roads were extremely bumpy, which made for a nauseating journey to the various community engagement venues. We stopped here and there letting a few volunteers out at a time. The last stop was Jabez – an HIV/AIDs clinic.

The building was tiny and FULL of children. A lot of them just stared at us as we came through the door and signed in. The rest of them fixated on their plastic plates of food. They were eating a meal that reminded me of grits and chili.

A few volunteers had been there before but this was my first day at the cramped clinic tucked away in the hills. I followed the lead of the veterans and went into the kitchen next to the main room of the building. We stood around feeling super helpful and fulfilled in our volunteering assignment for about 15 minutes, not knowing what to do, where to go, where to look, how to help.

As more children arrived we were assigned food duty. I scraped the “grits” like substance out of a giant pot on the stove, while Lauren scooped out the noodles/beef/sauce/chili. We were told over and over again that our portions were to small and when we increased the number of scoops we were told they were too big. Glad I could help…

When pretty much all the children had arrived and eaten we sat in a circle with them. There were kids of all different ages. Preschooler/ Kindergartener age all the way up to I’d guess the equivalent of fifth grade in the states. Most of them spoke Xhosa and not much English. One of the other volunteers spoke Xhosa and told them instructions. We practiced saying “Hello” “How are you” “I’m fine and you” “Fine. Thanks” over and over again around the circle. We did Heads Shoulders Knees and Toes. Then a spelling game, followed by a trivia game that included math, spelling, geography, South African history.

We were in three groups for the trivia game, with about 2 volunteers in each group. As each question was asked I would watch the entire group swivel their tiny perfect heads to either me or Katie, expectantly waiting for the answer. My group was comprised of mostly young kids so we struggled with a lot of the questions, but they were all so enthusiastic and earnest. They wanted to win and they really wanted to learn. But with such a high speed game it was hard to really “teach” anything.

Part way through the game a tiny little girl named Alice installed herself on my lap. Between questions she played with my hair, tried to take off my ring, wanted to see my cell phone, and just stared into my face. She was sweet, and clever, and mischievous, and surprisingly good at geography!

Time flew by, and when the shuttle arrived to pick us up we were swarmed with hugs and high fives. Parting with all of them really pulled at my heart strings. I’m glad I get to go back every week.

The bus ride back took about half an hour. I disembarked and got right back to business. I had to go pick up the car with Gillian and refill my water jug for the trip.

At AVIS in town, a quick walk from campus, we ran into Sean and Jennah who were there to pick up their car as well. They had ordered an automatic van for the trip with all the other Boston College students. They had a slightly different itinerary than us but we were all ending up in PE eventually. Unfortunately, AVIS had made a mistake. There were no automatic vans available. No one from BC knew how to drive stick. I felt really bad that their weekend plans were going to shreds. They had also had a lot of confusion booking their hostel. Everything worked out in the end, but I know the anxiety of sudden changing plans all too well, and working everything out can’t have been fun.

There were no problems with our car, but we left the AVIS office a lot later than I would have liked. The AVIS guy did all of our paperwork no problem while Gillian filled up our water jug, and then he just handed me the keys to an adorable silver VW. Just like that!

Please understand, I’ve never rented a car before. You can’t in the US until you’re 25 anyway. There was something so strange about a stranger handing me keys to a shiny car, bidding me well, then walking away. I wanted to be like, “Are you sure?!”

Next challenge…getting the car back to campus. The first moments of my first time driving a car on the wrong side of a road on the wrong side of the car, would consist of navigating a packed and busy parking lot in Grahamstown…Sure. Ain’t no thang.

what?

I talked to myself the entire time I was driving. God bless Gillian for sticking with me haha. First of all the lay out of this VW was weird to begin with which took some getting used to, but overall the driving came really naturally. We clumsily made our way back to campus, parked, and then ran off to get our respective suitcases. Trying to figure out how the trunk opened was an adventure in and of itself. No further comments. We looked rull dumb.

By five we were packed and off to go pick up Jes – our wonderful super cool awesome South African friend! Jes is in my Drama 2 class and my Phys 2 Prac. When she heard we were going bungee jumping she got really excited and told us she lived like 40 minutes from the bungee bridge and asked up to come stay with her. We gave her a lift home in exchange for lodging. Honestly, I think we got the better end of the deal. It was such a dream come true to have a new friend invite us over. That’s how you really get to experience a new place and here we were about to do it!

It was a loooooong drive on the N2 out to The Crags, where Jes lives, and it was gradually getting darker…oh and raining. It was raining. In the dark. On the wrong side of the road. FUN!

(Historically, anytime I have significant driving to do, it POURS. Good to know this holds true across the globe. So comforting)

The roads were fairly easy to navigate. Though the roads wounds all up and over the hills, the drive was pretty much a straight shot. There were no lights to speak of anywhere though save those of the other cars, which were quick to pass me and leave me once again in the pitch black darkness.

Driving tip: In South Africa you keep to the left, pass on the right. People will ride your tail like no one’s business. Let them just go around. Look out for random speed bumps. Speed limit signs are few and far between, but people disregard them anyway. 100-120 kmph was about where I stayed for the highway driving.

We bantered and girl talked for the entire drive. Gillian Jes and I talked about the drama department and the Grahamstown Arts Festival and other drama things for a long time. SORRY CAITIE! We interrogated Jes about her boyfriend and life in South Africa.

In about 2 hours we were in PE, but Jes’ house is about 1.5 hours on the other side of PE so we kept driving, and driving. Somewhere along the journey, Jes announced we were driving across the bridge that we would jump off the next day. Gillian and I shrieked  the whole way across the bridge, unearthly, ungodly, unrepeartable noises of excitement, anticipation, and nerves. SORYY CAITIE!

Finally, Jes told me to make an abrupt left turn onto a dirt road. In my exhaustion I had a moment of fear in which I had to reassure myself Jes wasn’t the axe murdering type. We passed by a barn and a lot of scrap metal, arriving at a large log house, a beacon of light and warmth after hours in the rain on the highway. We parked and then we were greated by at least 3 dogs as we climbed out of the car. It was barely raining anymore. From behind me, I heard Caitie say “Guys! Do me a favor…do yourselves a favor and look up. Just look up right now”

Following her instructions I was greeted with a mesmerizing glittering view of the most stars I think I’ve ever seen in my life. Not a cloud in sight, just a magical dusting of thousands of stars in unrecognizable constellations. I wish I had stood there longer gazing upwards at the beauty of it all, but my autopilot snapped on and I was determined to finally get inside the house.

I just have to say, it was so good to be home. We walked through a sliding glass door to a cosy house that reminded me of my uncle’s house in Pennsylvania. A large kitchen with an island to our right. A workshop table covered in model airplanes and biplanes o our right. An old wooden piano. Giant fluffy couches facing a few tvs. Jes’ dad was seated in one of the couches watching some kind of action movie, which he paused to greet his oldest daughter.

I had forgotten what it felt like to be around parents. For the last month I’ve been surrounded by peers, staff, professors, waiters, shopkeepers, etc., but no parents. This kind kind man welcomed 3 random American girls into his home. We sat at the island and chatted over DELICIOUS vegetable soup, chocolate coconut biscuits, and cappuccinos. Nothing could have been more perfect.

We stayed up late talking and playing with Jes’ cats. She has a mischievous kitten that we were all obsessed with. When bedtime came Gillian and I took the two luxuriously fluffy sofas and Caitie settled on a mattress between us. It was very chilly, but had all the comforts of a classic slumber party. Plus the kitten settled under the blankets with me for most of the night <3

jes' living room

Feeling Wanted

Okay, so in the past 3 days I have auditioned for Drama 3 Directing Scenes, Theater in Motion, and NatCaf.

I got callbacks for 3 different directors for the directing scenes! One was the same day as the NatCaf auditions. It was a lot of fun and had a pretty cool concept involving movement and thought and physical embodiment of both. Funky, right? The other two callbacks were tonight. Also tons of fun! Decisions on final casts will be made in the next few days. FINGERS CROSSED!

As for Theater in Motion….I somehow managed to get a callback for one of the choreographers! I can’t believe this is happening. The callback is tomorrow night and I can’t think about it without getting extremely nervous and self-conscious. Everyone I’ve talked to, though, says Ester (the choreographer) is an absolute sweetheart and is excellent at directing. I would actually really love to have the opportunity to be a part of the process and do something totally out of my comfort zone. Wish me luck!

I kind of gave up on my hopes for NatCaf. After Bill crossed me off his list, things didn’t look good for me. I kept checking my email though just in case. While I was in the library trying to print, I opened up my email again to find a very simple invitation to CALL BACKS FOR NATCAF ON WEDNESDAY! Oh my god!!! I almost cried right there in the library. Thank you thank you thank you NatCaf!

I can hardly believe any of this right now. Never in my wildest dreams did I think I’d be cast for anything while I was here on exchange. I’d take drama classes and go see shows and that would be it. But in one weekend I put myself out there a thousand times over just to see what would come of it, and some of the craziest things have happened. I had nothing to lose by just going for it and I can’t believe how lucky I am right now.

It’s been really nice to finally feel like myself out here. Even maybe a better version of myself. I am beginning to feel welcomed here and I want to thank everyone who chose to take a chance on me. I will try not to let you down J

Weekend of Auditions Part 3

Sunday morning was the final day of Communtiy Engagement training. Once again we assembled in the Eden Grove Blue Lecture Theater for some lessons in creativity and isiXhosa phrases, followed by a site specific Q & A.

I signed up to volunteer twice a week at Jabez, a facility that provides care for people living with HIV/AIDs. My first day is Thursday. Can’t wait!

Very soon after training concluded, I took the fastest shower of my life and ran over for NatCaf auditions. My nerves were growing weary of the constant auditioning, but I was determined to have a blast at NatCaf auditions.

When I first arrived outside the dept. I saw a ton of people hanging around waiting for auditions. Many of the waiting people were either the choreographers from my horrendous audition yesterday or dancers who had done a much better job than I had. What do you call the opposite of a confidence boost?

As it turned out, there were auditions for another movement-esque based show at the same time as NatCaf. When the group separated and went to their respective venues, I was relieved to find that actually a smaller, less intimidating group of people had assembled for NatCaf than I originally thought. And only one of them had witnessed my humiliation the day before.

The audition that followed was one of the best auditions I’ve ever had in my life! We played games that they do in their show and just laughed and laughed with/at one another. There were two more members of NatCaf who hadn’t been at the show on Thursday. They were both hilarious and so much fun to work with. The more we did, the more confident I felt. Current members of NatCaf played with us and every now and then one of them would congratulate me on my performance in a sketch. I honestly didn’t want the games to end.

At the end of the audition they told us they would inform us soon about callbacks and before we left they just wanted to know who wouldn’t be around for the following year. Apparently, most of the current members are graduating, so they are hoping to build up the troupe with members who can help sustain it. My heart sank when I heard this. A member of the troupe I know from class, Kelsey, spoke for me, announcing that as I was one exchange I wouldn’t be around. Bill, one of the members that hadn’t performed on Thursday, stared me down like I had eaten his last Reese’s cup. Utter betrayal was painted across his face. He was teasing me, but also he was genuinely frustrated that I wouldn’t be returning next year. Finally he said indignantly, “I put you on my list!!!” Sure enough, he had loose leaf in his hands with a couple scribbled notes. I watched as he crossed off my name.

I totally understand if they choose not to add me to the troupe just because I can’t contribute beyond this semester. I’ll be disappointed, but it makes sense. BUT! I at least I can say I was on the list. I had a lot of fun and it was an extremely validating experience to say the least.

I've been watching Whose Line is it Anyway Youtube clips non-stop ever since.

Weekend of Auditions Part 2

Saturday began brighter and earlier than I would have liked. Before I leave South Africa, I will actually sleep in.

At quarter after 8, I met Gillian and Caitie in Courtney-Latimer for breakfast before our training session for Community Engagement.

We spent the morning in the Blue Lecture Theater in the Eden Grove administrative building learning about the goals and policies of the Rhodes University Community Engagement (RUCE) program. There are so many places to volunteer. You can work with preschoolers, with the elderly, students with special needs, high school students, and people of all ages living with HIV/AIDs. The RUCE program has a lot of willing partners in need of enthusiastic volunteers. We were given a break midway through the information session to get tea and meet some representatives from the various volunteer venues. We did some workshops and scenario problem solving, as well. By lunch, we were a bit mentally drained and starving. The meet lasagna was a welcome meal. Potential recipe to try: carrots and pineapple salad. Actually not that bad.

After lunch I made myself go to the dance auditions. (Reminder….I DON’T DANCE) I showed up outside the movement room, looking and feeling totally out of place and silently cursing Sandi’s persuasive powers for making me sign up in the first place. The audition times had been split into two groups. One for first and second years and one for third years and honors students. Technically I’m a third year, but experience wise I’m probably lower than a first year. So of course…there I was with all these nimble thin muscular experienced scary beautiful dancer people things, about to enter my first dance audition ever that wasn’t for a high school musical number.

We file into the Movement Room – a large rectangular room with a low ceiling, hardwood floors, a dance bar, and giant mirrors to show you exactly how ridiculous you look – where we are greeted by 6 choreographers. Each introduces his or her piece and says about how many people they want. 3 of the girls are looking for a variety of things, including awkward movers (bingo). The one guy – a bit on the scrawny side, but deceptively muscular – basically said he was looking for upwards of 15 people who could commit to getting super buff for a very demanding performance (oh! OH! Pick me!.....NOT) and the last choreographer I just know I’ll never work with. She is a exactly what you think of when you hear the word dancer. She was drop dead gorgeous. Every muscle toned and poised for any degree of movement, wearing loose sweat pants and a sports bra. And of course a shock of a wild dark mane of black hair magically incapable of getting in her face. I should have walked out right then.

Let the derping begin. First they warmed us up. (aka…tried to kill us) I could barely keep up with techniques they had probably learned their first year and subsequently have done every day since. Knowing I was going to be awkward and embarrassed the whole time I was there, I decided to go ahead and try to start embracing it early on.

Next they taught us a quick (VERY QUICK) routine which we then performed in groups of three so they could devote their full attention to mentally mocking us a few at a time. The learning process went very quickly. I figured it out faster than I thought I would, but I over thought it and messed up the counting when it came time to actually do it. To make sure I sucked, they made us do the routine twice in a row.

Next we were sent upstairs to the Upper Studio where we were meant to view the available “inspiration material” and come up with an original piece incorporating a couple moves from the routine we’d just butchered. After discussing the pros and cons of leaving the auditions with myself, I decided just to go for it and come up with some I could actually do to show I wasn’t a total spaz and to have a bit of fun putting together a little piece that showed a bit of who I am.

Next thing I knew, I was back downstairs standing in front of the choreographers struggling to remember steps I had come up with in dead silence.

Finally they asked us to just dance however we wanted to a randomly played track from Muscle Man’s ipod and to sing if we could.

Sore beyond belief and completely mortified with myself for submitting myself to such humiliation, I was released from the audition.

Well, now I can say I have been to a dance audition. And I don’t even dance!

Take some chances. It could be horrible. It could be great. You can always say you tried. 

Weekend of Auditions Part 1

Friday, August 2^nd (again sorry for the delayed posting) began with another lovely brunch at Red Café. I can’t afford for this to a routine trip, but oh how I wish I could. Caitie, Gillian, Patrick and I wandered down High Street to the café around 8 AM. Unfortunately, most things in Grahamstown don’t open until at least 8:30. Worth the wait.

The moment the door opened we climbed the stairs to our beloved eatery. Patrick and I shared a pot of Rooibos chai tea – pretty much tasted like regular chai. When Mary arrived later she got a rooibos shake, though, which was to die for.

I had promised Elri I would help her with a rehearsal for Red (an upcoming show in the dept. Are we sensing a theme?) at 10:30, so at 10 or so we begrudgingly left the café.

BUT when I got to the theater, Elri was nowhere to be found. There are a lot of venues for rehearsal and the like in the department building, so I tried the ones I knew of. By 10:40 though I was starting to second guess myself, and of course, I didn’t have Elri’s number. Naturally, I wandered around looking bewildered and lost – a skill I have been fine tuning since I arrived. My wonderful friend, Keegan, who is actually in Red, said he would message Elri for me and let me know what she responded. To kill time until Elri responded I resumed my aimless bewildered wandering. I eventually ran into my friend Sandi next to the bulletin boards that adorn the halls of the department. Somehow (I suspect witchcraft was used) she convinced me to sign up for Theatre in Motion auditions that were taking place the following day.

Let me make this very clear…I don’t dance. I did one hip hop class with my Girl Scout troupe many years ago and nearly a year of synchronized swimming in 3^rd grade and I don’t even think that counts. I don’t dance. Theatre in Motion is the final performance for the Honours Choreography course….aka….DANCING. Interesting life choice, Rachel.

I decided to return to my res after not hearing anything from Elri. On my way home, she called me to apologize for forgetting to tell me the rehearsal had been cancelled, and that was the end of that.

A couple hours later, though, I was back at the Drama department for auditions for the Drama 3 Directors prac. As part of their grade this term, the directors for this prac are responsible for choosing, casting, directing, and presenting a 5 minute scene, I believe from an absurdist piece of their choosing.

 The experience was nerve racking. We had to perform one-minute monologues in front of the 11 directors and all the other people auditioning. I think I was well received (?)…there were a lot of really great performances. I spent the rest of the day floating from the residual high that I get after I audition for anything. Gillian and I speculated and gossiped about the process and our anxiety over whether or not we’d be chosen. Time will tell.

Next up: Laundry! I successfully did a glamorous load of laundry in my res, using powder detergent for the first time. Come at me!!

In the evening, a bunch of us went to the rugby game at the great field. They blasted American pop songs throughout the entire game. The atmosphere was so exciting even if I still don’t understand the game.

Afterwards, Caitie, Gillian and I, went to a Japanese (?) restaurant called Twing for cocktail hour and some udon noodles. We sat in the upper part of the restaurant that looked over the parking lot for the shopping center. The giant letters of KFC shone brightly below us. We had some super girl drinks and a lot of super girly girl talk. I love those girls <3

It was long day full of things I could never have imagined myself doing just a few months ago. 

Naturally Caffeinated White Wine Red Espresso

Thursday August First

Sorry all! I’m getting a bit behind in my posts. Think back in your life, if you will, all the way to Thursday, the first of the month.  

Noteworthy moments of said day:

I started my day with Sisa at Under the Arch. I’ve sort of developed a very indulgent habit during the academic week. When I have an awkward break between classes, I fill it with quick shopping trips. One of my favorite pass times is apparently frivolous spending and coffee drinking. As a result, I am steadily working my way through the menu at Under the Arch. Horlicks shall never be tried again; mochaccinos most certainly will be revisited. So after history today, with an hour to spare, I found myself outside Sisa’s little shop. Today’s beverage adventure: Red Espresso.

The line was kind of long when I first arrived at the arch, but the most spectacular phenomenon was taking place. The line of people stopped a few feet from the door to the 4’x 4’ space of the actual coffee shop. Each customer got to go in and order individually – sort of church confessional style. One by one we each got to have a little coffee appointment with Sisa.  

Red Espresso: Freshly pressed Rooibos leaves grown in South Africa, prepared a bit like a cappuccino (steamed milk etc but no coffee), with a dash of cinnamon, topped with a decorative/delicious spiral of honey that cuts through the foam. Heaven.

After Drama 3, my friend Elri (a really quite spectacular girl in my Drama class and my dining hall. She’s incredibly smart, kind, and very active on campus. On house comm for her res, involved in the drama dept. and an important member of Wine Tasting Soc) offered me a lift back over to my res for lunch. For the second time since arriving in South Africa… I rode on the wrong side of the road (and on the wrong side of the car). I almost lost my mind when she took the first left hand turn. I also silently took notes, knowing I would probably be driving a rental car for various road trips in the near future.

I found myself on the wrong side of the road once again after lunch, but this time in Roxanne’s car on the way to Checkers for a quick errand. Shout out to Roxanne and Claudia – two of the sweetest most beautiful girls I have met here. They live in the res next door to mine (subsequently we eat in the same dining hall) and have gone out of their way on several occasions to be sweet and welcoming to the exchange students. I don’t know if you guys will ever read this post, but on behalf of all exchange students, thank you for your unfaltering kindness. I have made it a personal goal to approach exchange students I encounter when I return home the same way you have so graciously treated us.

Anyway! Moving along. That night, I, along with many other exchange students, found ourselves in a large classroom in the Geography building for…WINE TASTING! We signed in and sat down at a long table, set with various wine glasses. At the front of the room was about 30 bottles of wine, wrapped in newspapers, their labels concealed for the blind tasting event. We jumped right into it with a white wine that was pretty tasty. <<<<That description is the extent of my wine tasting expertise. I have a lot to learn. I’m looking forward to going back.

The theme of the meeting was good wine on a budget. For each wine we sampled we were meant to identify/describe the color, the smell and the taste. We then rated it out of 10 and guessed how expensive it was.

Sadly, I couldn’t stay for the entire event because I wanted to go an improv show, my friend Ryan had advertised in my Drama lecture the day before. In high spirits (PUN!) Gillian, Patrick, and I wandered with a new wine tasting buddy over to the Union building for the NatCaf (“Naturally Caffeinated”) show.

Upstairs, we walked through wrought iron gates (similar to those gates in subways) to a large on campus bar with hardwood floors. On the far wall was the bar itself. In the middle of the room, picnic tables were arranged end to end, forming a semicircle around a large black platform. A lot of people were already assembled, and we grabbed some of the last available seats at the picnic table farthest from where we’d entered.

After a few moments of waiting a member of the improv troupe hopped on the stage. He reminded me so much of Wayne Brady, both in a personality and physical appearance, it’s not even funny. Except it was. He was hilarious. In fact, the entire show was. After “Wayne” did his intro, 6 more members of NatCaf hopped on stage and sat in chairs, waiting for further instructions.

The hour long show consisted of a lot of theater improv games, very similar to Whose Line is it Anyway. My only complaints were that sometimes it was hard to hear the troupe members and a few times we missed out on what were apparently hilarious jokes because they either used jargon we didn’t know or referenced specific Rhodes/Grahamstown–isms. We’ll catch on though. So glad we went! Oh and there are auditions for the troupe on Sunday! Wish me luck!

Just a typical Thursday at Rhodes!!