Memories from the rainbow nation

How could I know what awaited for me when I learnt that I would spent a semester in South Africa?

As a good friend wisely said once, I went from hell and back and beyond. I travelled to Zimbabwe with four other wonderful researchers, I produced a short film with the most wonderful team mates one can wish, I spent one week with picteists in the Drakensberg, one of the most special places I have had the chance to see. I met wonderful souls, and fostered friendship bonds I know will be carried for life. It was a journey to a part of the world previously unknown to me, but perhaps more importantly, it was also a journey into myself.

I finish these notes with the sweet memory of that sunset by the Great Zimbabwe ruins. I can nearly hear that melody again if I close my eyes.

Local music and dance, Great Zimbabwe ruins, March 2012

About the Drakensberg Mountains

Cathedral Peak/Drakensberg, April 2012

Mountains always have this impact on me. I stare at their majesty. As someone who has spent most of her life in flat lands, I simply cannot get used to their beauty.

While it is true that it does not take much for mountains to impress me, the Drakensberg must have some different magic. It is one of the most beautiful things I have ever seen. There I met a lovely friend and she taught me the pleasures of bird watching. It was an unforgettable week along the dragon’s spine.

About the Freedom Day

On April 27 South Africans celebrate the Freedom Day. The date marks the first post-apartheid elections held in 1994. It is an opportunity to celebrate democracy, equality, justice, human rights.

I think it is also a day to celebrate South Africa’s history and the courage of the ones who stood up for what they believed was unjust, even when that meant sacrificing their own lives. It is a day to celebrate to example of people like Nelson Mandela, and I would like to share of his quotes I find most inspiring:

It always seems impossible until it is done.