“Politics is summoned into effect when order is ruptured.” – John Comaroff

But more importantly, how do acephalous (literally, “without a head”) systems achieve order in the first place?

Our program is very small. Fifteen girls, nine boys, and a handful of mentors and academic advisors. I must admit that it at times feel painfully intimate – we eat together, study together, go out together, read together. On the one hand, I’ve gotten to know a really interesting group of people very quickly, but on the other we have almost immediately gotten past the honeymoon period of new friendships.

I seem to be frustrated with how politically correct some people on this program feel they need to be. One could argue that, considering where we are and what we’re studying, maybe it is best to watch what we say (particularly in discussing race relations) – but I was never very good at that. In fact, South Africa is known for how public its political, social, and cultural discourse is (and must be) in the post-Apartheid era. While the dissolution of Apartheid was a process (“a becoming, not an isolated event” as John Comaroff might say) the sociopolitical change that took place in 1994 was still abrupt and shocking…and it is not ignored. We are here to partake in this discourse, and conversation should be raunchy, provocative – otherwise, how will we get to the meat of the issues that surround us every day?

On the whole, though, I really have enjoyed meeting these people (somehow, not many of us ever crossed paths in Chicago) and beginning to explore with them. Friday night was our first experience going out on the town, and we went out pretty hard. We walked up and down Long Street, and popped in and out of a bunch of clubs and bars. Long Street is mostly filled with two story places with balconies on the second floor overlooking the street, so even when you’re outside it feels like one big party. I had a blast, and felt a lot safer than I expected to.

Duncan, Jackie, and Sam at a cheap bar in a hostel. R5 shots!

Showing off our transformer stamps from Fiction.

Sunday, almost our entire group went to see Freshly Ground (an Afropop band with an amazing singer, who is hugely popular here) at Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens. I want to go back every weekend. The venue is on a hill, engulfed by mountains and clouds – the most spectacular, mesmerizing view I have ever seen in my life. We all brought picnics and stretched out on the grass, breathed in the cool Cape Town breeze and swayed to songs sung in Lord knows how many languages. It was a pretty magical experience.

Kayla, Rebecca, Divya, Claire, Alina, NJ, Vriti

This morning started our second week of class (I can’t believe I’ve already been here a week!) and on my usual morning walk down the hill, I realized that the mountains were being swallowed whole by clouds descending at a rapid rate. I could have watched for hours and hours and hours.

What the mountain usually looks like.

The mountain today!

During our class break, absorbing every minute of the genius that is John Comaroff.

We have our first midterm tomorrow (it is being given out after class and due “before dinner on Wednesday” – I’m starting to feel like I live in a hyper academic commune) so I must go read, in the glorious sun. Woe is me! But finally, here are some pictures of our beautiful bedroom:

In its (her) truest form.