Runaway: The American Dream

So earlier this week Caz and I had a slight scare. Muda had text her on Monday well after she left for Kenya to complain about a shooting that was happening on his block. After that neither one of us could get a hold of him. That is until 4 days later when he was tapping on my living room window making Buddha flip out and waking me up. I was SO relieved to see him in his red apron, yet slightly embarrassed because I had bed head making me look like a cockateel and hadn't planned on sleeping in until 11:30am. I told him we were worried and had tried calling him, but neither of us could figure out why he hadn't received anything from us. He also laughed at us being worried saying that when people start shooting in his neighborhood (which is often) he just goes to bed. I love his coping skills. Apparently we're just being neurotic Americans.

This small series of events led to some really interesting discussion on gang violence in Cape Town and us sitting around for 2 hours watching youtube videos on the subject. Muda lives out in Mitchell's Plains. It's a rough place to say the least. Huge crime rates and rampant gang violence. Muda had mentioned that the largest gang in the Western Cape was a group called the Americans also known as the Young Americans, or the Ugly Americans. I shit you not, it's a bunch of people trying to emulate the American "Thug" image. " It's a gang that, "...prides themselves on imitating American culture and traditions..." by wearing American flags, smoking meth, and terrorizing their neighborhood. They literally think American culture and tradition is founded on those values. This is what media of ours is getting out to the world. I have no words for that. My mind was blown as we watched video after video and reading report after report of how the >10,000 members of this gang with members as young as 10 years old run around the Western Cape instilling fear in the lives of the civilians that are forced to live in close proximity. I highly recommend going to the above link and watching that video. I'm totally mortified.

Even crazier than a gang modeled after Hollywood's depiction of us, is the vigilantism that sprang up in response to it. Back in the 90's a group called the PAGAD, an Islamic extremist group against drugs and violence in their communities, declared war on any drug lord or gang leader that refused to disband or turn themselves in out in Mitchell's Plain. They took the law into their own hands and killed a lot of gangsters. I honestly can't judge them though, the government couldn't get a handle on the situation so a group of committed citizens sure as hell handled it. But I also can't condone their behavior or support it as many innocent people died in the crossfire. Violence only breeds more violence. But I would be a typical self-righteous American if I didn't recognize that there are complex issues of class, race, poverty, education, and post-apartheid political shit-storms all at work here creating such an assortment of dangerous situations. Just as we struggled and still struggle after Jim Crow which left us with a plethora of socio-economic issues that complexly were and weren't necessarily race related, so too will South Africa struggle especially in the densely populated urban areas and townships.

On a happier note; Caz officially has a jeep! The lovely lady she bought the 2005 Jeep Cherokee (Liberty) from dropped it off today, and the ever helpful Muda drove it around until we found a suitable place to park it until Caz gets home. Gloria (the jeep) will have a new, fun and exciting life with Caz as we beat the living shit out of her driving all over this great nation. Our first major road trip is set for September 15 out to Knysna! But I'm sure Caz will put quite a few kilometers on her between now and then just adventuring around Cape Town. Yay adventures!

Also, I got new specs the other day from Spec Savers across the street by the Checkers grocery store. It was the MOST thorough eye examination I've ever received and I feel like I have superhuman vision. I ALSO found a HUGE wine glass that makes me feel like royalty for some reason when I drink out of it, maybe because it's the size of my face? I'm not sure. But here I am trying to look serious while Colbert plays in the background as he dances to Daft Punk.

And I built a fire tonight! And ate strawberries with chocolate cashew butter. I am continually impressed by the quality of food and produce here. It was a good day.