IT'S TIME FOR AFRICA!!!! Cape Town 2012: DAY THIRTY THREE:

We had class bright and early this morning. But instead of normal discussion or lecture, we had a poverty simulation. We were all divided into families with various descriptions, but all living in poverty. We then had to go about the daily activities that the individuals we were portraying would complete, such as: going to work, the bank, the grocery store, paying bills, etc. We only had 15 minutes for each day and were faced with so many challenges to survive: crime, debt, violence, etc. Basically, the activity allowed us to experience a fraction of the emotions that people in these situations have every day. We could understand why people turn to crime to survive, why they are frustrated with their employers or bankers. You begin to feel helpless and thus in turn begin to expect others to help you. It really gave me a greater understanding of how people living in poverty are trapped in a cycle. It is very very difficult to escape. I used to think that maybe if the people just worked a little harder or stopped wasting their money on drugs than they would be fine. And, while that may be the case for some situations, the majority of families living in poverty are truly doing everything they can to work their way out of it. Poverty isn't just in the townships of South Africa, or even just Africa as a whole. Poverty exists in America, in my backyard at that: Athens-Clarke county being the poorest county in the nation based on population and per capita. After class, I had to do my journals for the week. Yes this is the last week here and it is the first week that I have completed my journals prior to the night before they are due. Quite the achievement I know! The paper due on Saturday on the other hand.... After I finished, we left for our sunset champagne cruise... aka the booze cruise twenty twelve. Unfortunately because there are so many of us, we couldn't all get organized and on the boat in time so we kinda missed the actual sunset haha. Oh and our champagne was served in styrofoam cups...But it was still so fun!! We got to see the city at night and table mountain in all its glory haha. We were only on the boat for about two hours. And, we saw a whale!!! After the booze cruise, we went back to the hotel to eat dinner and get ready to go out for yet another Global LEADer's birthday. Tiger Tiger here we come!!! (or if your spanish, as some of us were, el tigre tigre). No line this week!! WOOO! We literally take over that place, or really every place we go haha.