Thoughts on a new beginning

Good morning!

It is a beautiful Sunday, and I woke up to the sound of water droplets streaming outside of my window, as I opened my eyes to the serene light flowing through my curtain. Best part is – it’s only 10:30am! A sure sign that I am getting older since I can no longer sleep in… Or maybe I just need to invest in darker curtains, I bet that will do the trick!

Having had a crazy week, over-socializing after work since a Wednesday, I have had some amazing conversation with friends that sparked more inspiration! This week marked my first Couchsurfer – Stefania from Romania/Italy who was on her way, moving from Angola to Peru! She reminded me of why I love traveling so much, the excitement to encounter people during her journey, share their stories, to learn about new culture through an outsider’s eye, and how the very thought of traveling makes me feel alive! On Thursday, we had a braai with Matthew Blake from England, who is embarking on his final leg cycling Northbound in Africa, as he marks the 3^rd year he has been on the road, cycling around the world, rain or shine.

My experiences with these wonderful Couchsurfers reminded me of how fortunate I have been, so far in my life. To be granted the opportunity to travel with my family since a young age. I have seen some parts of the world, but barely any since I have come to be ME. Before I turned 19, every travel experienced I have had were “touristy.” Staying in hotels, visiting the most popular tourist spots, never really engaging in conversations, or exchange with the locals who lived there. In the summer of 2006, I volunteered in Huancayo, Peru, where I traveled with 23 other University of Michigan students on a trip that we had incepted, fundraised for, and ultimately executed after 7 months! The trip opened my eyes to what travel could be – how we are humbled by the beauty of humanity, kindness, and the need to share and contribute to a greater cause.

 

Family dinner in Tainan, Taiwan



As I sit in couch in Cape Town, tuning into my favorite songs by Kina Grannis, I had the realization from this past week that I need to use my time better. To identify what matters to me in life, and figure out how I can balance the need for personal growth, pursuit of my dreams, but also family!  As I grow up, my grandparents, parents, aunts/uncles, cousins, all grow older too.  For the first time in 6 years, I consider the potential to finally go back home… to live in Asia. To be closer to family so I can see them (at least) once a month, accompany my Grandparents on long walks to the parks at 5am, exercise and share stories over warm soy milk or porridges, to hear their stories and not lose any more precious time as is.  



Grandpa with 4 of the grandchildren :)





Summer 2010, sisters @ LGBT Parade, Chicago

So much going on in my head... I hope I am growing up.

Support Bilal's Stand!!

I’ve had the opportunity to meet Sultan Sharrief in person twice so far, and both times have been absolutely inspirational!

I first heard about “Bilal’s Stand”  http://www.bilalsstand.com during my Senior year in Michigan, there was a free screening in the science building next to Angell Hall, and I randomly saw the poster in the Fishbowl one afternoon. The fact that the film was a student project: FEX Project (Encouraging the Filmmaking EXperience) where Detroit high school students participated in, and the many issues the film touches on drew me in immediately.  After the screening, Sultan had a brief Q&A session. It was simply amazing to see how he has combined his passion for film, social justice, and his personal experience growing up in Detroit into Bilal’s Stand. As a Michigan wolverine, it was even more inspiring to learn of his achievements and be able to sit in that lecture room that afternoon!  The movie stuck in my mind, and I continued to track Bilal’s Stand & EFEX program updates after graduation.

It happened by chance that a colleague and I, Anny Chou, decided to start a Junior’s Program for Chicago Math & Science Academy (CMSA http://www.cmsaonline.net/). CMSA is a school located in Roger’s Park neighborhood of Chicago, and served to bridge the gap between lower-income families and higher education. Many of CMSA’s students were the first to attend High School, not to mention the first to attend college! However, these students lack a “mentor” for them to look up to, and ask questions about college that many of us may take for granted. For the launch of our program, we wanted to showcase a film that will inspire students on the value of college education... A film that will spark conversation long after the program is over, and to truly ignite their interest in attending college. This was when Bilal’s Stand popped into my mind.

After emailing Sultan Sharrief, he immediately responded and offered to conduct a screening for our program! I was ecstatic about the screening, and CMSA teachers could not believe it when we told them Sultan was coming down for the screening to host a Q&A session with the students!!  Having Sultan there was simply amazing… the students had so many questions, and our program’s mentors had the opportunity to chat more with Sultan over lunch.

To continue showing Bilal’s Stand in high schools and colleges across the nation, Sultan has recently launched a Kickstart campaign to raise $20,000. I hope this post has sparked your interest, and that you will take a minute to check out their website!!

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/blauvelt/bilals-last-stand-inspire-and-empower-1-mm-youth-w

Old Biscuit Mill + Observatory Festival: guaranteed food coma!

Waking up early has taken a toll on my Mom, dear me, she’s been waking up automatically at 6am daily which means, by default, I have to be up by 7:30am to welcome the day!  We’ve planned to go to Old Biscuit Mill for about two weeks now; it’s an old mill (flour?) with warehouse-like space that’s converted to a Saturday market, filled with yummy food, artisan bread/cheese/arts & crafts, and some very expensive furniture…

Starting our day of adventure, we stopped a taxi off the road to get into town. Note: there are 2 types of taxis in South Africa. A “taxi” is a mini-van, costs about R5 per ride, and is commonly used by locals to travel short distance.  The common misconception in South Africa: taxis are only used by “colored” people and that it is very, very dangerous to ride in one… of course, this is largely due to the legacy of apartheid in South Africa. Most of the “white” folks have a decent job, middle to upper class, and typically owns a car. Whereas the “colored” people were forcibly removed from Cape Town city during the apartheid, into surrounding suburbs in Cape Flat, and many lives in townships… Thus, these residents are much more reliant on public transportation.

This was actually our first time taking taxi in Cape Town, we took one last weekend at Simonstown as well, and both time have been very pleasant! Everyone in the taxi was friendly, and slightly surprised to see two Asian women jumping aboard ;)  We were trying to make it to Old Biscuit Mill, and were told that we had to transfer to a larger city bus near the bus terminal. One of the ladies was incredible and offered to show us where/ which bus to take! So we made it to the market within 30mins… on our very first bus adventure!

Once we arrived at Old Biscuit Mill, we were surprised by how Ëuropean the market was! You rarely saw anyone with different skin color, unless they worked one of the stores… After walking around, it was easy to see why. This Saturday market featured mostly artisan, organic stalls with international flavors such as Spanish paella, Dutch poffertjes, smoked snoek and more. The dishes used fresh ingredients and tasted amazing, we even found a booth selling roasted mushrooms!

After shopping & eating, we resolved happily to our food coma. My mom appeared to have enjoyed her first sangria, and we were two happy bunnies. Having the Observatory Festival this weekend, I hear it officially marks the beginning of Cape Town summer! We took a cab (metered private taxi) and headed to Obs with our full bellies. 

Here, we found a really cool car covered in graffiti arts, tassels on the bottom, wire ninjas on the hood… you name it! The artist was superb and pulled out an entire costume when my mom requested to take a photo together, he’s an ex-magician! We then found Lee working the currywors booth across the road! It’s great to bump into more and more Couchsurfers all over the city now~ Patrick was rocking his Observatory Neighborhood Watch vest too!

 

Chilling out on the grass, there was an A cappella choir singing on stage. With the sun burning down and the smoked snoek in our bag, we decided to call it a day and head home~ This was just what I needed, to wind down from a crazy week… Can’t believe my mom’s actually leaving in two weeks, it’s gonna be weird cooking my own food again… 

360degree, all around

This week just flew by, I felt as if I had my head down for the entire week, not taking the time to smell the flowers, enjoy the breeze, look up and marvel at the sight of Table Mountain…. Guess it was just one of those weeks where everything was played at 4x speed…!

Remembering the first 2months of this year, I was happily frozen in oblivion (read: Chicago winter) having graduated for 6months, took on my first full-time job, and still looking to find that balance between living as an adult v.s. the freedom of a student. All I knew was that I needed to GET OUT – to get out of my comfort zone, get out of the familiarity of US, get out to live and explore the world…

Chicago Skyline at night, from Michigan Lake

I remember when most people I spoke to thought I was crazy, moving to South Africa. Thinking back, I am beginning to see things from the other side of the glass. New college graduate, working my first real-life 9 to 5 job, how can I see the path ahead and figure out the best way to go forward?  Why am I not taking the safe route, get my feet planted on the ground and adjust to adulthood, solidify the new friendship circle I’ve finally begin to develop, enjoying the impending Chicago summer and all that the city had to offer… and so much more.

I could hear little bubbles as I wonder through Chicago; eating Pollo con Mole in Mexican town, writing Yelp reviews about Lakeview and the new vintage stores popping up around the block, lazy Sunday afternoons in Wicker Park, the bustling streets of the Magnificent Mile during peak hours… There’s so much here, but there’s so much out there too.  How do I balance the need for new experience, and the comforting stability to finally call a city my home? Chicago is an incredible city, and its international residents basically bring the world to my doorstep, yet I knew I find myself craving for much, much more…?

It’s been 7 weeks since I arrived in Cape Town. I am learning the delicate balance to adjust to a new job, new city, new country, meeting and building up new friends, trying new food and struggling to find good, authentic Asian restaurants…  Everything’s whirling and spinning like the coffee cup ride at carnivals, or the good old county fairs.  I wish there’s more hours in the day, and that I’d have more energy after work to immense myself in the city..  It's been a long journey, but I think I am finally beginning to appreciate taking the time to breath, enjoy a cup of rooibos tea on a lazy Saturday morning, stop, and smell the flowers...

Bustling streets of Woodstock, Cape Town

Weekend at Simonstown & Cape Point

Aaaah, and here’s an update to my first weekend trip with Mom =)

My mom is currently visiting me for 5weeks = yummy homecooked meals, redecorated apartment on a daily basis, free lunches, are you jealous yet? ;)

 

We decided to take a trip to Simon’s Town for the weekend. Simonstown is a charming town located in False Bay, Western Cape, and it is still the South African Navy HQ today. Approximately 4000+ Navy officers commute to work daily, as Simonstown real estate prices have shot through the roof with its popularity amongst European retirees.  It’s a charming town with, well, not too much going on really. There’s a main street with restaurants & cafes on the cozy Waterfront, and colonial architectures that hasn’t changed in the past century!

Arriving at our charming lodge for the evening, we have decided to stay at the High Gables B&B. Our gracious hosts, Megan & Roger, have been living in Simonstown for over 20years! They both had incredible stories to share, and it was a beautiful B&B! It was misty and slightly rainy on Saturday, but we found the most beautiful pebbled stone path with gorgeous flowers and blossoming cactus! Enjoyed fresh seafood at Café Pescado, and was welcomed by the friendly staffs. We stumbled upon the weekend celebration of the Governer’s Cup to St Helena, and had a chance to visit the False Bay Yacht Club! After a very relaxing afternoon, we retreated back to our B&B and enjoyed a quiet evening out on the veranda~

Having only 5 weekends to fully explore the beauty of Cape Town, we decided to book a day tour from Simonstown -> Boulders Beach -> Cape Point national reserve -> Hout Bay -> Cape Town! Here are some highlights from each pitstop!

Delicious breakfast at the B&B

 

Visiting Boulders Beach, a South African penguin colony (there are 3 in South Africa)

Wild baboons on the highway! There are 7 troupes monitored in South Africa, and the government actually hires 3-men crew to follow the baboons around, preventing them from getting too close to residential areas! What a job…

 

Climbing up to the Old Lighthouse at Cape Point! This is actually not the southern-most tip of South Africa, but still with a stunning view of the Indian & Atlantic oceans! Brownie points for finding wild ostriches and elands (deers)

Lunch at the historical Cape Farmhouse (over 200 years old!)

View of Hout Bay from Chapman's Peak

Hout Bay harbour

Drive through Chapman’s Peak into Hout Bay, where we bought fresh fishes & baby octopus! 

Hello everyone!

After procrastinating for 6 weeks, I’ve finally decided to start my blog! Enough was enough – I've moved into my new apartment in Cape To

wn, researched & signed-up for new internet service (only 5GB/mnth, how do I even begin to comprehend calculating my usage for internet...!), taken weekend trips around Western Cape, meeting amazing people almost daily... there are simply so many stories and experience I want to share and starting a blog is the perfect way!

Pros:

- Keeping in touch with friends, especially when I continue to procrastinate on update emails...

- Documenting my life: how am I going to remember all these amazing things by the time I am 60 years old, looking back at photos and wishing I remember the moments leading up to it?

- Sharing stories with family & friends who may not get a chance to visit Cape Town while I live here

Cons

- Cleaning up my act of procrastination, a step at a time (should be a Pro eh?)

- Finally having some channel to communicate my thoughts (Pro again~)

- A form of relaxation outside of work!! Aaggh! (Pro?)

Being the logical person that I am, there’s really more pro to this than cons!

To make sure I keep up with this blog, these are the promises I will hereby declare to myself:

One: I will update my blog at least 3x a week, its only as good as the efforts I am going to put into it!

Deux: Don’t over-stress about the details, a goldfish has a 3sec memory which is roughly everyone’s attention span nowadays, anyway. Who will want to read a 4000word blog entry?

Tres: Including at least 1 photo per blog, a picture speaks a thousand words! Refer to #2

Not too bad for my first blog entry eh? Now the photo of the day *drum roll*

Taken today at Cape Point, which I always thought = Cape of Good Hope!! Let’s start this new blogging adventure with a bang, and I hope you will enjoy reading as much as I enjoy writing!

Lisa