So I have been here for a couple days now. I am not quite sure exactly how I feel about everything. So far, I am very impressed by the cohesiveness of our group. We have been comfortable with each other from the beginning (at least from my viewpoint). It didn't take long to "break the ice." Moreover, we just automatically reflect on EVERYTHING we do. I think this is something that the leadership minor has taught us. Everyone of us analyzes everything we do and everyone. This is a great life skill to have. I am glad I am able to do this with other students, especially on a trip like this.

Yesterday, we went to the waterfront. This is a nice part of town. It was really interesting to see a mall by the ocean. The ocean was beautiful and we got to watch the sunset. We went on a boat ride. It was a pirate ship. The "pirates" did a little play during the boat ride. Afterwards, we told Christen about this. She said that she saw some performers and compared to performers at Epcot in Disney World. I liked that she brought this up. I felt the same way when I was on the boat, it felt like I was in Disney. The performers she saw are obviously from Africa, so it is different from Epcot, but it still performed for tourists. It boggles my mind. I am in Africa, with performers for tourists that are from Africa. This is different from Epcot, but almost the same thing in this nice part of town.

I enjoyed going to waterfront, it was similar to what I would do on a vacation with my parents. On the other hand, I was not expecting any of this trip to be like that. We were told by the students from last year, that this trip was going to be really emotional, that after we see the living conditions of the people that live here, we will change. Since we have been told this, we know that at some point, we are going to evaluate and compare the way we live at home. Because of these expectations, I think it was difficult for us to accept that it is ok for us to eat at a nice place and enjoy the waterfront area. I almost wish we were not told about the emotional impact of last year's trip. There is no way to prepare for it anyway, so it just leaves us all wondering what is about to come.

History Lesson..

Today we had a history lesson taught by a teacher from Capetown University. It was so different to learn about a nation's history that is so recent. I saw one general trend throughout the whole lesson: when groups exhibited activism and leadership, they were often repressed. Leadership was a catalyst for the opposite group to realize that they have a problem that they want to control.

.. I was just distracted by a debate in living room, and now it is four a.m. so I am going to go to bed.