Braais and Beats

If the word “braai” isn’t familiar to you now, it will be within two days of spending time in South Africa. A “braai” is basically an American style barbecue, and quite similar to the chillin’ and grillin’ that we may do at home. But, it’s not just about whatever you are cooking over the flames. These braais give everyone a time to take deep breaths and relax, to talk and to listen, and of course, to sing and dance.

Baby Stepping

Hello, outside world!

I’m currently reporting from my dorm room- (a clean little area overlooking a parking lot and garden outside), nursing a tiny headache (thank you, sun exposure) and waiting for my black tea to finish steeping so that I can begin to treat aforementioned headache.

So my time in Durban so far? Hot. The days have ranged from all-too-quick visits to water parks and sun-bleached beaches to seemingly endless hours spent waiting in registration lines and orientation meetings, waving paper fans and sipping from sweating bottles of water. Classes start next week, and so most of us are still walking around, supplying our dorm rooms with instant food, soap and FANS, and making baby steps towards figuring this city out. So, as a girl who is definitively still in the settling in phase, I humbly present the few tidbits we’ve picked up along the way.

Cape Townian Catch Phrases

I can only imagine what my friends and family are going to say when I return to the states with countless new phrases integrated into my everyday vocabulary. So, I figured the least I could do is explain some of my favorite Cape Townian catch phrases now so that everyone has five weeks to study up. I’ve provided a full dictionary-like description, complete with phonetic spelling, context of use, definition, and example. No excuses if you don’t know what I’m saying when I come home!