The past few weeks I have felt extremely close to my roommates. I knew coming here that a big part of this experience would be the relationships that I form with the people I live with, but it really feels like we are a big family. We get annoyed with each other, we move on, and then we do something ridiculous and spontaneous. My favorite part about living with so many people is how much we laugh. This trip has been made even better because of the people that I have come to know and love.
This weekend, for example, we decided to have a “ladies night” and all go out together, and it was honestly my favorite night since being here. The next day, eight of us went into Khayelitsha to visit someone who works at Beautiful Gate, where three of the girls I live with work. This again was a hilarious experience as minibus after minibus stopped to ask us where we were going. When we would answer, they would all say “Are you sure? Are you sure you want to go to Khayelitsha?”
The Khayelitsha bus wasn’t even going to stop for us, and the driver, as well as all of the passengers on board, seemed extremely confused when we got on the bus. As usual, the other people riding the bus were extremely friendly and helped us figure out where to get off. Spending time in Khayelitsha was wonderful experience because everyone was so friendly and excited to talk to us. When we were leaving, everyone hugged us and thanked us for coming, saying how much it meant to them that we were there. It made me sad that the majority of white people in South Africa will never set foot in Khayelitsha, and there is no reason it has to be that way. There is not only an income gap in South Africa, there is a serious community gap, and the united Rainbow Nation is still not as united as it should be.
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