My Cape Town Homes

There's been a request (thanks Dad) for a description of the places I've been living.  I just moved at the beginning of the week, from Langa Township, which I described in the last post, to Bo Kaap, a historically Muslim, coloured, 'Malay' section of the city, perched on a hill just above downtown.

In Langa, I was staying with my host mama, Nomakaiya, who was a retired teacher, probably in her sixties, and her two sons, one of whom was actually her son, and one who was some sort of nephew, both about twenty five.  The dymanic among all of us could best be described only as people who live in the same house.  Everyone was friendly, but no one showed particular interest in talking to me our Tim, my IHP roommate.  There was a parade of neighbors through the house, especially one very good friend of Nomakaiya who lived next door.  All these friends spoke to each other almost exclusively in Xhosa, so their conversations were hard for me to follow.  Nomakaiya usually was around, and usually cooked for us, but would occasionally be out in the evenings, hanging out at a shabine (informal bar) or with her neighbors preparing traditional ginger beer or steam bread.

My Bo Kaap family just barely moved into a gorgeous house they just finished building (like, they were unpacking boxes when we got there).  I'm staying with a young couple--I think in their late twenties, with two small children.  There are a lot of other students in the house, and downstairs stating with my host father's mom.  Dinner the first night, we had several South Africans, three Americans, two Mozambiquans, and people from Sudan, France, Saudi Arabia, and Peru.  Little United Nations.  Since that first night, the house has been quieter--mostly just me, my IHP roomate, and the family.

I'm having a lovely time.