I’ll admit it – once the initial excitement of being home passed (Mom! Dad! Brother! Snow!), I was in a bit of denial. My watch is still on Chilean time, I’m drinking tea I brought from Chile, listening to Latin music, and reading the newspaper El Mercurio from the day I left. I know this stage will pass though, and even when the tea bags are finished and the newspaper is out of date, Chile will still be a part of my life.
Saying goodbye to the beautiful Mother City was way too hard. I spent my last few days in Cape Town hitting up all of my favorite spots, paying visits to all of my favorite Capetonians, and indulging in the summer sunshine that I would soon be leaving behind as I headed back to the dead of winter in Detroit for the holidays. I can’t imagine I won’t be reunited with the Mother City soon, as it truly became a home to me.
Me rejoicing on the walking street in Ginza!
Grüß Gott!
This is my last vlog. I decided to share my tips and advice for packing for Vienna. Hope you enjoy!
Cape Malay cuisine is extremely unique to Cape Town, as it was brought to the area in the 17th century when slaves were being imported from SOutheast Asian (particularly Malaysia.) The cuisine isn’t completely Malaysian, as the Dutch colonizers added their own culinary preferences to the cuisine as well, creating a fusion known today as Cape Malay cuisine.
Every October, Cloof Wine Estate, located about and hour outside of Cape Town’s city center, hosts an annual music festival called Rocking The Daisies. Mostly South African bands headline the festival, with a few international guests as well. This year, one of my favorite bands, a British group titled Alt-J headlined the festival, and put on an incredible performance. Lots of local food vendors and artists also attend the festival to sell their products, and you can find some really funky souvenirs there to take home.
During my time in New Zealand I was fortunate enough to take a forestry class called “Trees in the Landscape” which talked about, you guessed it, trees and the roles they play in New Zealand. Various types of trees were studied (with a huge emphasis to Radiata Pine – New Zealand’s go-to tree for lumber use), what soil they worked best in, types of areas where we see trees, objectives when planting trees, and everything in between.
I listened to a lot of Simon & Garfunkel in my last few weeks in Granada. As I sat in coffee shops working on final projects and studying for final exams, I played their Greatest Hits over and over again. I know their song “Homeward Bound” now by heart.
Homeward bound /I wish I was /Homeward bound /Home, where my thought’s escaping /Home, where my music’s playing /Home, where my love lies waiting/Silently for me
On November 10th I was able to go to wwoof with two of my friends. For those unaware, when you wwoof (Willing Workers On Organic Farms) you basically work for 4-6 hours a day in exchange for meals and a place to stay. The three of us ventured up towards the most northern part of the south island, to a tiny town called Spring Creek. Close to the Marlborough Sound, the ocean, wine country, and a river.
