Preparing for & Entering Khayelitsha

In this Intensive nearly everything happens FAST- we read books in a day or two, write papers in a couple days, swap families every 7 days, ride in crazy kombis, are exposed to things that break my heart and things that enlarge it to love and hope for more- it is nonstop. I feel like I'm constanly hyper-villigent to my surroundings bc I'm always picking up cues, sorting what's a cultural difference and what's danger, etc etc. So, we had last Monday afternoon off because we'd just transitioned from Langa into Khalyteshia the group needed a break, bad. I'm going to put a couple of my journal entries straigh on the blog because its raw, its real, and i don't have time to create something specifically for the blog. Like I said, things happen fast and we/I don't & can't control any of it- from housing to transportation to how much and what we eat.


Here are are some "facts" I was given before I moved out of Langa and into Khayletshia, hopefully this will give you a bit of context for the narratives entry.


19 June 2010

NOTES OF KHAYELITSHA
+ Population increased by ~ 1,000 people per day
+ 2.5 million people
+ Residents mostly from the Eastern Cape
+ More Found Object Homes
+ Less English profeciency
+ Longer commute time to Cape Town (90mins-ish) bc traffic
+ we stayed in Herare and did internships in community gardens, soup kitchens, and EduCare
+ Most whites will never enter this township
+ Established (pre-1994) as "housing" quarters outside white areas to service the suburbs
+ "Generation further back" that Langa
+ Were paired with a youth (HS age)
+ rotate roomates for 4th time
+ 5 minutes to transition between good-bye forever from Langa to hello new family in K

Helpful Xhosa Phrases
(spelled the way i hear them lol)
Molo= greetings/hello
Molowini= hello informal (or plurual?)
Enjohnie= how are you?
Enpeedelay= I am well
Engosie= thank you
Ayoba= cool/great

IMMEDIATE OBSERVATIONS UPON ENTERING:
Lots and lots of found object homes
sand
"Traditional Healers" for bad luck, lost lovers, and small pensises
Pro-Active Mommas
Internships
Poverty
No racial diversity
Found Object homes horizon to horizon
No luxuries- toliet seat, stove, indoor water, etc
Paved roads with curbs==>? government involvment
Xhosa speaking
Always tea & coffee
Dk Address
Steam bread


Haven't had much time to write, but have been diliegent in carving at least 20minutes 5 days a week. More on off days. The next blog entry will come straight from my journal...