Sarah Luke's Weblog

Interesting philosophy on litigation, huh? This is what we were told in our legal meeting last week. The Human Rights Commission is under scrutiny by parliment for failing to utilize the equality courts. Apparently, the commission mediates a little too much for parliment's taste. Either way, I thought this was a hillarious quote. What a strange comment on the adversarial process.

It's been a while since my last entry, and a lot has happened since then:

I finished my Character and Fitness application, after spending hours at the bank trying to get certified checks issued in US Dollars... not an easy task when you are in South Africa on a volunteer visa... I also paid for my BarBri class. I am so glad to have things taken care of. It's hard to imagine that in a matter of months I will be a qualified attorney :)

I spent the start of last week in Cape Town, and it was amazing. It was nice to have a break from work :) We stayed with some of our friends from South Africa, and all the Michigan Law School Interns were in Cape Town that week. We had a great time :) When I arrived on Saturday, my friend Gary picked me up from the air port, and we went to the waterfront. We saw a "South African Idol" (like American Idol) perform live, and we had an eating contest at a pancake restaurant. I won, of course :) Pancakes = yummy! We also got our faces painted and went on a submarine!! :)
I met some of his friends, and we had a great time. Later that day, we picked up the other interns from the airport and headed to the beach for a waterfront dinner. It was so beautiful. Thereafter, we proceeded to the flat of our generous host, Stan. He returned home from a wedding shortly thereafter, and others chose to go out for a super late night on the town. I elected to stay home and catch a good night's sleep.

On Sunday those of us who attend church went to church together. It was really nice to go to church with a group of friends, especially because I am used to going alone. We met the rest of the crew for brunch where Gary introduced us to his friend Chris, a member of parliment. We quizzed Chris regarding his opinions on Jacob Zuma (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jacob_Zuma). :) Thereafter we headed to the waterfront where we looked at postcards, admired the ships, scenery, and seals... and ended the day with a nice dinner in a fancy restaurant.

That Monday we spent the majority of the day at the beach :) It was so nice to be lazy... and I got a great tan. We ended the evening with a braii at Stan's place. He lives in a flat in downtown Cape Town, right down the street from the Parliment Building. We had the braii on the roof overlooking the city. We cooked together, and I taught then how to open a pineapple the Asian way (of course ;). It was great. The view was terriffic. The food was yummy. And we all enjoyed eachother's company so much. I couldn't have asked for a better evening.

On Tuesday we took a drive to Cape Point where we saw the place that the Indian and Atlantic Ocean's meet. It was incredible. Possibley one of the most beautiful places in the world. My pictures look like post cards. Driving back from Cape Point, we saw baboons and Ostriches :) And we stopped at Boulder Beach to see the penguins! We ended the evening at Noema and Abam's house (two of the interns working in Cape Town), where Shella cooked an amazing dinner: Jerk chicken with coconut rice and banana chutney... yum! :) It was so sweet of her to prepare a home made meal for us.

On Wednesday we visited the National museum and walked through the company's gardens. In the afternoon we headed back to the waterfront so some of the interns could purchase souveniers. From their we headed to Robben Island where we learned about the prison and visited Nelson Mandela's cell. The tour was sobering, but enlightening as well. Our tour guide had been a political prisoner at Robben Island with Mandela, so it was fascinating to learn about the prison from his perspective. He also told us about Mandela's garden, and the ways that politlical prisoners would stay up to date on current events and keep in contact with those on the outside. Those prisoners turned the prison into a museum after the fall of aparthied. Isn't it amazing how God can take terrible things like political imprisonment and help those who have suffered from them move forward with dignity to accomplish great things? :) Following our tour of Robben Island, we met our Assistant Dean for dinner, and later that evening we met Stan at his kareoke event. Stan is an actuary, and he's trying to encourage his colleagues to become more social :) The kareoke night was part of this effort :)

The following day we headed to Table Mountain and hiked up the mountain a little ways. I think we chose a difficult path because it was basically a staircase made of boulders. I only went about half way up, and thereafter headed down to meet Shella for brunch. Following brunch, Shella, Abam, and I went to a craft market downtown. It was fun to see all the different crafts on display. People are so creative!

That afternoon we said goodbye to our Cape Town friends and headed to Franschoek for our law school retreat. During the retreat we each presented on the work that we are doing in our internship placements. I enjoyed hearing about the work my colleagues were engaging in, and I presented about the right to basic education and problem of violence in schools. My presentation was well recieved.

Franschoek is quite possibley the most beautiful place I have ever seen. The mountains are picturesque, and the hillsides are covered with vineyards. We went wine tasting a few times, once on horseback... and I hiked up Mount Rochelle with Emily, Noema, and Dean Baum. We also visited neighboring town, Stellenbosch, famous for its wineries.

Following our retreat in Franschoek, we headed home... which, for me, was quite a feat. I ended up stuck in the airport for 8 hours. My flight was delayed "indefinitely"... (note to self: Kulula.com is cheaper than South African Airways for a reason). Luckily, I made the acquaintance of a professional soccer team: the Maritzburg United Football Club. (http://www.maritzburgunited.co.za/Player_profile.htm) I watched soccer with the soccer players and took a bunch of pictures with them. They said that they would give me a free hat and t-shirt when they come to Durban next. :) They also said that I helped make their 8 hour delay a little less gloomy! :) Isn't it nice to be friends with professional athletes? :) Hee hee...

Well, eventually I arrived home... and this week has been going well so far. The weather in Durban is lovely, and I am making good headway on my externship paper :) MY COMPUTER IS FIXED!! So it's much easier to get work done. :) It is great!

And speaking of work, I better get back to it. I want to have my rough draft done by Thanksgiving... :)

Cheers!

After work today, I went with my boss to the Stables, a craft market in Durban. It was really nice. They have live music and little places to have dinner. They also have all kinds of arts and crafts. Amanda and I are going to head there on Friday evening so I can start buying souveniers and gifts :)

I wanted to take some pics of the CBD (central business district)... but when I applied my mind to the situation, I realized that standing around snapping shots with my digital camera would only invite trouble... sorry! I guess you'll just have to imagine... :)

I also paid for my barbri class today (ugh!). I'm happy to have it sorted. I'm studying in Grand Rapids. It might be nice to be at home... esp for the moral support ;)

Ok, finishing up dinner now... and then more work on my externship paper...

Cheers.

This weekend I spent most of my time shopping for souvenirs. Amanda and I visited the stables on friday evening. It was raining so hard!! But we had a good time. I found some neat crafts. :)

That saturday I spent the day with my friend, Eugene. We went to the Essenwood market and I finished up my souvenir shopping. From there we went out for lunch and then back to his flat where we hung out with his room mates for a bit. They really enjoy house music... a lot... maybe a little too much ;)

That evening we headed to suncoast casino where we had dinner, sat by the beach... and enjoyed the people watching. It made for a nice day... and I'm glad we were able to spend it together.

Saturday evening I stayed up till 3:00am listening to the UM v. OSU game... :(

Sunday I spent the majority of the time working on my internship research paper... outside... by the pool... in my bathing suit... :) Surprisingly, it is coming along well... and I am working on it right now!

Back to work for me... ;)

Cheers!

I spent last weekend in Cape Town visiting my friend, Stan. I arrived on thursday evening, and we started off by heading to a night club featuring a live band. The music was amazing... Stan had never been there before, and we went to spent time with some of his friends. They had no idea the band would be there either. It was incredible.

That friday, Stan went to work and I headed out to explore the city. I visited the National Gallery, the Grand Parade, the Company's Gardens... and attempted to find the Bo Kaap Museum, but to no avail. ;) That evening, we went to a nice restaurant in town: Five Flies. Stan introduced me to "Fat Bastard Shiraz..." Ha ha! Fat Bastard... gets me every time... Thereafter we headed out, and I found that South Africans are obsessed with house music... an obsession I have yet to understand. It was fun, nonetheless.

Saturday included a visit to the botanical gardens at Kirstenbosh where we "saw heaven" in a place called skeleton gorge. Actually, we chose the trail less traveled, and encountered an elderly couple who assured us that "if you continue, you'll find heaven." The whole time, I kept asking Stan if we were in heaven yet... I'm still not sure...? :) We went to the medicinal plants garden and I ate all the plants, after which Stan read me the sign saying that some of them are poisonous... um... I feel ok so far ;) (knock on wood)...

That afternoon we went to Rhodes memorial and sat on a stoney bench overlooking the city. I think we were supposed to be remembering Rhodes or something?? But really we were just watching the giant red locusts and the wierd bending trees. It was fun...We assembled a picnic that evening and went to signal hill to watch the sun set over the ocean. Apparently this is a Capetownian tradition... and one worth keeping. The view was amazing and we had a great time! :)

That evening, we got together with one of Stan's friends and had an informal wine tasting. They assure me that there is more to red wine then it's medicinal qualities... I'm not sure I'm totally convinced... although it does make kareoke a bit more interesting :) I left Capetown on Sunday, after finding a table at a great breakfast spot that was packed...

Leaving Cape Town was happy and sad. I had a great weekend with one of my best South African friends... I was so happy to have spent time, but it is sad to think that I might not see him again.

I feel like I want to keep my feet in both places: one in South Africa and the other in the US.

Tomorrow I'm heading to a school with my supervisor, Themba, for an HRC presentation. We are presenting to learners teaching them to protect themselves against sexual abuse by educators. It's sad that such a presentation is neccessary, but I'm glad that perhaps it will prevent children from getting hurt. The learners we are presenting to are young: 6 or 7 years old. I wonder if they'll know English... or maybe I'll be practicing my Zulu :) I'm really excited. The kids here are super cute :)

I leave for Botswana on Thursday morning. Emily and I are heading to Chobe national park, and from there visiting Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe as well as a Namibian village. It will be interesting to catch a glimpse of some of the other countries in southern Africa.

Not sure when I'll have a chance to blog again. I'm very excited because I'm nearly done with the draft of my research paper!! :) Each day I get a little closer to graduation... :)

Time for bed now... have to get up early to head to the school...

Cheers!

"During my lifetime I have dedicated myself to this struggle of the African people, I have fought against white domination, and I have fought against black domination. I have cherished the ideal of a democratic and free society in which all persons live together in harmony and with equal opportunities. It is an ideal which I hope to live for and to achieve. But if it needs be it is an ideal for which I am prepared to die."
-Nelson Mandela

Today I visited Umzimkulu, a rural area just north of Durban in KZN. I went with my supervisor, Themba, and representatives from the CGE, the prosecutor's office, and various NGO's. The representatives held a program for 3 schools to educate pupils about how to prevent and protect themselves against violence and sexual assault perpetrated by teachers.

The program was held in a small auditorium, and the auditorium was packed. 700+ students of all ages attended. Some sat on folding chairs, while others stood the entire time. There was not enough room for everyone inside, so some of the students had to crowd around the building, struggling to hear. The three hour program was conducted entirely in isiZulu. I sat in the front, and spent the majority of the time nudging Themba and asking him what was going on.

The speakers covered all aspects of prevention, reporting, and prosecution. Between presentations, the children sang. The singing was beautiful. The auditorium filled with what sounded like angels. It's hard for me to describe, but it echos in my ears. It gives me chills thinking about it. Their songs were so beautiful.

Following the presentations, caterers distributed lunch and T-shirts to the kids. Themba and I assembled resouce packets for each of the schools, and we chowed a traditional South African meal:)

I really enjoyed visiting Umzimkulu. (Although I would have prefered more interaction with the children). I hope that the presentation was instructive to them and that more children are kept safe because of it.