Orientation Jive

I don't have a whole lot to report of late, since I've been mostly sitting in orientation information sessions, but there have been a few notable experiences.

On Sunday I got to go on a tour of the Cape Peninsula as part of orientation. It was awesome to get to see the Atlantic and Indian Oceans. I got to go to the Cape of Good Hope, the farthest southwest part of Africa. There was a signpost at the CoGH that let us know that we were actually twice as close from that point to the South Pole as we were to New York City. Talk about a sudden dose of reality. We also got to see penguins in the wild, including babies. They were so adorable!

We had an amazing African drumming lesson/seminar last night for all the new international students. We all got to try the drumming with our own drums under the leadership of five really good drummers. It was incredibly cool.

I've found a wonderful, small Indian restaurant near my residence, so I've been there a few times already. I also discovered the local coffee shop for students. The first night I went there the owner was out drinking and had left a random guy who happened to be an ex-Catholic priest in charge of serving and making the drinks. I ended up playing Jenga with some international students and two slightly-inebriated off-duty waitresses. It was a hilarious experience.

I finally get to register for classes tomorrow, so I'll have some idea of my schedule then, as well as a student ID that will let me finally have reliable internet access (which will mean longer, more informative entries here and more time to e-mail!). Tonight it's off to a performance of Hamlet.

Sign: "Feeding Baboons is Strictly Prohibited"