The rules cannot determine the outcome, because they themselves are the subject of debate.

On Friday we had our first of many field trips, to a San village (which you may know as part of the Khoi/San, not to be confused with the misrepresented Khoisan) called !Khwa ttu. The “!” is a palatal click: “tongue is pressed against the upper palate and released sharply downwards, something like when a cork is pulled from a bottle.” I can already sense many of you sitting at your computers trying this out. Rest assured, this is not a “try and lick your elbow” trick – I am actually starting to feel pretty comfortable pronouncing some of the clicks. My mentor here is named Xolani; the X is called a lateral click, which is the “sound produced at the side of the tongue when the tongue is pressed against the palatal, something like urging a horse.” When you say it fast, the lateral click sounds like the letter K pronounced from the side of your mouth – so many just call him Kolani, or X.

!Khwa ttu is a tourist education center, where native San guides walk groups of foreigners through a series of linguistic and cultural demonstrations about past and present San practices. For the life of me I could not understand why our program wanted to take us somewhere so blatantly tourist. It sounded really inauthentic, aimed at people who wanted a quick snapshot of the “natural state of Africa.” !Khwa ttu’s justification, however, I found quite convincing: historically, Europeans exploited the San through tourism, so instead of doing away with tourism altogether (as it is now a part of their legacy) they took their history back into their own hands. Their goal is less monetary profit – although that is certainly part of it – and more social and historical reproduction, on their own terms. A new friend also reminded me that this country has a 40% unemployment rate, and any job is a job worth having (that includes "domestics" as they call them). So please, if you are ever in South Africa, go visit them! Or check them out online, at http://www.khwattu.org/.  I really did have a wonderful time.

Jean, John, and David preparing to get on the tractor tour of the San grounds.

A demonstration of San jewelry, shoe, and clothing making.

San art, created in 2005 by a guide - "inspired by his ancestors."

Adrian trying on a San covering - and resisting the paparazzi.

An indoor exhibit.

Once I decided I supported their mission, I went a little crazy at the gift shop. All for a good cause, right? They also had a restaurant where we had a spectacular lunch – I had a butternut squash and caramelized onion tart (Emily, are you secretly living at !Khwa ttu?). Altogether, it was a really interesting and relaxing day, and I’m very glad to have gone.

Friday night and Saturday were very relaxing. We went out for a few drinks on Long Street, then literally sat by the pool all day and night on Saturday. It was glorious.

So you all remember what I look like...(finally, Panchali!)

Dancing at Zula!

Playing bridge by the pool, like the little old ladies that we are.

Sunday we decided to explore the beach at Camps Bay, which is only about a 15 minute cab ride from where we live. Round trip, it cost about 3 dollars per person, and I got all of my reading for today done. On the beach. In the sun. I will be spending many afternoons at Camps Bay.

Class has been going extremely well. John’s course is over this Thursday, though, which I’m quite sad about – he is a phenomenal lecturer. I expect no less from Jean or David Bunn, but I am a little nervous for what is ahead. Jean is a firecracker.

I can’t believe I’ve been here two weeks! I feel completely settled, and I am starting to get very comfortable traveling around the city – but it’s going too fast. I know I can’t ever get this experience back (although that hasn’t stopped me from thinking of all the ways I could trick the study abroad office into letting me come back next year…) and I don’t want to miss out on anything. But I do miss you all!