In South Africa!!

Hi Guys!!

This is my very first visit to an internet cafe and it will be difficult for me to be up on internet for awhile since we have no DSL connected yet (that may take quite awhile) and I'm not registered to use campus internet yet.
My roommates are very nice. We have two other scholars crashing with us til the remaining two roommates arrive. Emily, Ilya and I are looking into getting a car. unfortunately it is impossible to get around without one here. Example: yesterday Emily and I went into the City Bowl by train (not recommended) and we ended up riding third class (DEFINITELY not recommended). We couldn't buy train tickets cuz it was a Sunday so we had no choice but it was terrifying. We were the only non black people on board and everyone was really poor and dodgy looking. I DID NOT want to do this, but Emily seemed confident that it was fine. Won't be doing it again though. We rode a double decker tour bus all around Cape Town and it was awesome. Saw District 6, went up the mountain to where the cable car runs (beautiful view from up there), drove past the wealthy areas along the beach (one American just bought the most expensive place in africa for 46 million rand which is like a little less than 10 million dollars canadian which is a hell fo a lot for Africa!). It's a hop on hop off bus but we decided we just wanted to ride it around instead of getting off places. We ended up in the V&A Waterfront which is where you can definitely let your guard down. Kinda like Pier 39 in San Fran only more posh according to Emily. We shopped around, watched some operformers and took in the sights of really wealthy white south africans - talk about witnessing the duality of Cape Town in one day! Some new friends met us for dinner on the pier and drove us home afterwards cuz it was too late for us to take public transportation.

Today I did preregistration and everything went smoothly. Went to a social sci postgrad students orientation and met a bunch of people from my programme. There are a few of us canadians in it. Learned that it is a super competitive programme apparently. 20 people in it. Have six books I have to read before next Fri. Tomorrow is course registration. Have to run around campus getting signatures from all the lecturers and then get paper signed by the course convenor so that will be super frustrating. Met a girl who told me to take an economics course called Economics of AIDS in Africa. Apart from that and the core course and my research courses, I think my other elective will be witht he faculty of Public Health. That means I have to go to another campus nearby but I want diversity of disciplines since the course is interdisciplinary afterall. The campus is GORGEOUS!!!!!!!! Qutie the workout to walk up since it is all on an incline, but the buildings are gorgeous and the view from the top of the steps out into the southern suberbs is awesome. Then of course the moutnain in the background. Joined the mountain club and the surf club as intended.

We are very close to everything we need in terms of shopping, internet cafes, groceries and just about anythign really. Close walk and I think safe enough to do alone during peak hours, but have mostly gone with others except this morning when I went to get a cellphone.

Catherine is really nice - the party we went to at her house was nice cuz we got to mingle with soem other grad students. Had a wicked conversation with a young couple from Stellenbosch (the wine region). They have invited me out to their home for a Sunday dinner at some point cuz they like talkign politics and policy with me! Haha.
That's all for now, hopefully I will be getting DSL soon so I will be able to update this more.
Mel...