A Taste of Diversity: Savory South Africa

I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear. - Nelson Mandela

Today's dish greets your tables all the way from Cape Town, South Africa!

Mholweni! This means hello in one of the native languages of South Africa called, Xhosa. This is a very unique dialect which incorporates clicks within the language. Another very prominent language spoken in the Cape Town region of South Africa (SA), is Afrikaans which is derived from the Dutch. During my stay in SA, I had the privilege of hearing and learning both of these native tongues.

So, let me just say that I am sooooo excited to be writing this blog post today. This dish has been a year in making and it's finally ready to for consumption, so I pray that you enjoy! Why did this dish take so long to cook? Honestly I have no clue, but what I can tell you is that it's timing is oh so perfect. My Dad actually just left a couple days ago, to experience South Africa for the very first time,so as you can imagine I am super excited for him, and have been re-living my own visit to my motherland that I bring to you today.

The Meal

Wow! I'm not even sure where to begin, but I will make my best effort. So the journey to South Africa began in Salisbury, MD where I received my second degree in nursing. One of the major components in choosing this particular institution, outside of their highly ranked nursing program, was their very active study abroad department. Now, in my case this study abroad opportunity to Cape Town was offered a month after the completion of my degree, but God saw it fit that I would still be able to attend the trip as a "non-degree seeking student", and that is exactly what I did. So on January 8th 2016, just three days after my 24th birthday, I boarded a plane to Cape Town, South Africa !!

My first touch on African soil was nothing sort of emotional. It was absolutely surreal to be standing on a continent where my roots first began. I remember vividly the way the wind hit my face, I remember taking a deep breath and thinking to myself, wow this is African air. Stepping off that plane and onto the motherland was a moment I will never forget for the rest of my life, and a feeling that could never fully describe via a keyboard.

The two weeks that I spent in Cape Town were intense. Don't get me wrong there was a lot fun, but I was ultimately there to work and learn. During our time spent in ZA, we (mostly salisbury nursing students) learned about the current health infrastructure that exits in South Africa. In doing so we visited various hospitals, local universities, group homes, day cares, and child learning institutions. We also participated in a wholistic/traditional medicine lecture, worked in community health clinics, studied the realness of the HIV/AIDS epidemic, and saw first hand the lasting effects of Apartheid on every facet of life.

Apartheid. Let's talk Apartheid. Shock. Shock, is the very first word that comes to mind when I see or hear this word. Apartheid is an era of South African history that lasted from 1948-1994 which mirrors the civil right movement that took place right here in America. again, shock. Seeing first hand, with my own eyes the effect of Apartheid in South Africa was mind blowing. Never before have I seen such divisiveness. It made me think, wow this is what my parents and grandparents had to endure? I could not imagine, until this moment. Of course, if you visit the touristy areas of SA this will be masked a bit, but once you find your self deep into the communities of SA as I was, it is very apparent. Apartheid created racial divide by separating South Africans via race. Black South Africans are your darker skinned inhabitants who typically resided in informal settlements (shacks), due to the government forcing them from their original homes, and into designated townships. Then you have your coloureds South Africans (who still refer to themselves as coloured today) who are of a mixed decent, and whose skin is often of a light brown hue. Coloureds, tend to have a better quality of living than their darker counterparts, although not in fact to every case. And as you may imagine, then you have your White South Africans who were the dominant race during Apartheid, and arguable still so today as their SES is most often of the highest bracket. Although apartheid has ended, the racial makeup of communities and townships still follow this divisive nature, today. The institution and effect of Apartheid is a much deeper dish, than what I explained so I encourage everyone to take the time, and please click on this link which provides a short video about the course of Apartheid.

Now, I don't want to leave a bad taste in your mouth about South Africa, so let's proceed to the best section where I briefly share some of my top moments in beautiful South Africa, and immediately to follow a slideshow capturing some of these moments.

Favorite Ingredients

There is just no way I could choose one favorite moment of this trip so I will provide you with, six ! (My line sisters know why that such a great number to choose...lol)

1. Visiting a family living in the massive informal settlement (shacks) of Kaylethica. The patriarch of the family makes his living by taking recycled trash and turning them into true treasured goods. This quiet and gentle man is affectionally referred to as Goldie, and his family radiates with a beauty that I had never seen before. Now what was my absolute favorite part of meeting this family was when they began to sing "Alpha and Omega" to us. It was an amazing moment that reminded me of how vast and omnipresent God truly is!

2. Another most memorable moment was living with a South African family in their home for the entirety of my stay. This was such an amazing touch, that allowed me fully divulge in the South African Culture, and the meals, my "mom" Wendy made were so delicious!!!

3. Visiting Robben Island and being able to see the prison and jail cell that Nelson Mandela spent most of his life in.

4. Visiting the Consulate General of the United States, who just happens to be my Dad's very good friend. Being welcomed into his home in South Africa, and learning of his work in the country was a pretty cool experience that I truly appreciate!

5. The many connections that I made with the vibrant, courageous, and beautiful people of South Africa. These individuals have made a lasting impression on my life, and I thank God for the privilege of meeting and spending time with them.

6. Dining at Lelapa restaurant. Now you know, one of my favorite moments had to involve food of some kind !! Man oh man was this an experience. A wonderful Umkulu (grandmother), and her daughter prepared a private dinner compromised of at least 15 homemade dishes. I am not lying when I say, the food was amazing. I even had barbecue ostrich, yes ostrich which was the best thing I've had since sliced bread LOL...Now, not only was the food savory and delicious, but the atmosphere was just the same aswe enjoyed the sounds of live traditional South African music as we dined and laughed the night away. It was for sure a memorable moment in {Dri's Deep Dish}.

Order to Go

Is Cape Town, South Africa worth a visit? Absolutely. Despite it being home to a first and third world state of living, South Africa is such a diverse place that has so much to offer. It has a very rich history, beautiful land marks to include the 7th wonder of the world, Table Mountain, and it is home to amazing art and very good food! So yes, go ahead and book your trip you will get your monies worth!