July 5, 2012 – Langa Tour

As usual, I woke up and toasted my outfit on the little heating panel. Today we took a tour to the historic Langa Township; area code 7455. It is located about 2 miles outside of our campus. Langa is home to many sports and music icons in South Africa. We all got on a mini bus from our dorms and rode to Langa. Once we arrived at our tour guide’s house, his family welcomed us to their home/restaurant where they served us hot tea and sandwiches. Inside their home were some African drums and other instruments. Theo and I played the drums for some time until our tea was ready.

After tea and snacks, we walked around the neighborhood while our tour guide gave us some important history of the blocks we walked and the buildings we passed. We interacted with the locals everywhere we went. We definitely felt right at home. As we moved to the lesser-developed parts of Langa, we began to see the struggle that a lot of people face with regards to living conditions and quality of life. We entered a cluster of buildings, similar to the projects in America, where it is evident that the people there need some intervention. Regardless of the conditions, the children were fun!

We heard a loud drumming sound coming from inside of an empty room. We then saw a group of preteen girls dancing and singing to the beat. So of course we joined them. The little children were also very friendly. They came over to us, held our hands and took pictures with us. They were so adorable! The teenage boys weren’t too fond of us. They didn’t care about outsiders being in their neighborhood. They barely looked our way.

We got back into the mini bus and drove a few meters down the road. When we got out I couldn’t help but notice all the smoke clouding the air I wished to breathe. “We are going to try some South African delicacy,” the tour guide said. I looked over my shoulder and saw too many dead sheep heads. Ewww! I don’t want to meet my food before I eat it. Anyway, our tour guide cut up the flesh of the sheep head and had us try pieces of it. I thought it was disgusting. I’ve had sheep meat plenty of times before but I don’t like eating the head of any animals.

Back into the mini bus, we drove a few more feet to another part of Langa. There were people selling arts and crafts and accessories. I spent R120 on a necklace, a bracelet, and a keychain. Initially it would’ve cost me R150 but I used my bargaining skills. Any who, we made our way to an art gallery/performance center nearby. There were so many amazing pieces of art in that building. If I had the money I would buy every single piece. But since I’m not balling like that I bought a picture of a tiger and a mirror glass piece designed like the South African flag. Yes, I was happy with my purchases.

Right outside of the art gallery was the administrative square where the passport office used to be during the apartheid era. In the very same spot that we were standing is where thousands of people marched to burn their passports. They were fed up of the system and decided to take a very bold stand. The police’s language of control back then was violence, so they opened fire into the crowed and killed 67 people on the spot.

We went back into the bus and had our snacks. Those sandwiches and little mango juices were great! I’m definitely bringing some back to the states. Any who… we arrived at another monument on the side of a busy street. It was a huge statue with seven human body outlines in it. They represent the seven young men that were killed because they decided to take a stand and speak out for their rights. We sat on the statue while our tour guide educated us about the incident and later on recited a poem that he wrote in the perspective of the youngest of the seven guys.

Down the block was another monument of a Fulbright scholar from the Unites States, Amy Beihl. She was a white study abroad student who a lot of work in the community for a period of four years. One day after dropping off a friend, she was pulled out of her car by four black men, who saw her as a representative of white oppression. They brought her off to the side of the street and stoned her to death. Today, one of the men who participated in her murder is the leader of the Amy Beihl foundation, which is geared toward completing the work that Amy started. Amy’s mother, Barbara, forgave the guys for what they did to her daughter and invited them to become founding members of the Amy Beihl foundation. She has a darn good heart if you ask me.

Our tour was concluded. As we headed back to campus, we reflected upon our tour. We also talked about guys who aren’t real men and women being too strong for their own good. According to Theo, “the strong woman syndrome, if not treated early, can lead to the lonely bitch syndrome.” LOL. When we got back to campus I checked my pockets to make sure that I had everything. The jewelry I bought in Langa was missing! Damn, they were in my snack bag that I threw into the trashcan next to the seven men monument. That’s R120 down the drain. I’m going to get it back some way or the other.

I went back to my dorm to take a nap. As soon as I woke up, I met up with the others and we decided to go to The Barn. I would say it’s similar to the punch out at Howard, only 10 times better. There is a bar, a restaurant, a pool table, some tables for seating and a big dance floor. The best part about it is that it’s right on campus, not too far from our dorms. The legal drinking age here 18, so enough said. Only 2 of us in the group do not drink – Kayana and I. I played a game of pool, danced a bit. A few hours later we went back to our dorms. I was starving so I asked Theo’s roommate, Tebogo, to cook some chicken. Let me tell you, Africans can cook! I sopped up all that gravy with bread and licked all 10 of my fingers. The itis kicked in so I my night wound down from that point. Today was awesome!