Eddie's appreciation of his homestay in Ocean View

This weekend we had our home stay in the township of Ocean View.  I had no idea what to expect as I had seen that townships vary in their conditions.  When I was introduced to my host family and their home I was surprised, as I had not seen a township with the environment like it had.  The house would not look out of place in the UK and it was fully furnished.  My family was very welcoming and intrigued in British life.  It was profound to listen to their perception of post-apartheid South Africa and the lack of trust in the legal system and the South African Police Service.  Their analysis was akin to the qualms I heard at the meeting I attended in Cape Town (see blog 3).  I was astonished to hear that confidence is so low in national institutions and to hear that many feel that democracy and the South African Parliament is politics only for MPs and not for the people.  The family had many business plans and were fully committed to education.  Their daughter aspires to join the South African Navy as an engineer.  I learned about the pressures of the matric exam and its power of opportunity if one passes it.  Although retakes are possible, to not pass the exam first time round is to exert huge pressure on oneself.  I was reminded of the examination system in the UK where students are taught to pass A-levels but retakes are ubiquitous leading to the current government shakeup of exams and the newfound emphasis on passing the exam first time round.  What I found interesting is the intensity of the matric versus the relative insouciant of taking an A-level with the assurance that a simple retake is available.

The area I stayed in is colloquially known as “Beverly Hills,” but across the road that area is called “Lapland.”  I asked why this is so because in the UK, Lapland is known as the region where Father Christmas lives.  I was informed that ‘lap’ comes from the Dutch term meaning patch alluding to the patchwork of sheet metal used to form the house.  I couldn’t believe that two different ways of life work parallel to each other in such a small zone.  I had wondered if in the townships there existed a sense of solidarity due to the conditions, but after listening to my host family the township that I stayed in was divided not according to race but according to ‘class’ or have’s and have not’s.

I enjoyed the home stay for a number of reasons.  I enjoyed a brilliant Braii and watched an exciting Champions League final between Bayern Munich and Borussia Dortmund.  After living in the USA for 9 months it was great to watch real football with a very appreciative audience.  It was also excellent to speak to people in a comfortable homely setting rather than reading about life in a township.