Guguletu

2 weekends ago everyone in my program, including me went on a homestay in the township Guguletu. It was a an overnight, Saturday- Sunday and we were all paired up in were staying with a family somewhere in the township. We started out at momma Noxi's house which was REALLY nice, definitely didn't feel like we were in a township. There was a living room, dining room, huge kitchen with an island, two bathrooms, and three bedrooms. Oh and all the bathrooms had marble floors? A little different than the shacks that you usually see in a township. We were all pretty confused when we got there because our program leader told us that we had a reflection paper on our experience in the township. What we were supposed to write, "I experienced beautiful marble floors, nicer than the house I actually live in?" right. So anyways we had a FEAST when we got there. SO much food I literally couldn't move afterward. After the feast part of the group got to go on a tour of the township and half of us didn't. I of course was in the group that didn't. Instead we got to sit in momma Noxi's living room on her nice couches for 4 hours. Once again wtf are we supposed to be reflecting on? Once the group got back we snacked a little more and then waited for our "momma's" to come pick us up. As more and more people were getting picked up by their momma's Kyle and I were still at Noxi's watching everyone get taken away. So basically after everyone was gone except for the people staying at Noxi's we were convinced that our momma didn't like us and totally ditched us, then out of no where momma came barreling through the living room. Success. Off to momma's we went. Momma didn't have a car so some random guys drove us to her house. Sketchy? Definitely not? As we were driving deeper and deeper into the township the more sketchy it became. All of a sudden we turned down a street and it was all shacks. No way. We just kept thinking no way are their people staying in marble floors and we are about to get a shack. So after a 8 minute car ride full of clicking and laughing we arrived at momma's house, the only actual house on the street. Of course. Kyle and I would get put into the ghetto of the township. So we walk into the house and it's a small living room a stove and 2 bedrooms. No bathroom. No sink. Running water? Maybe?

Here's the hallway that leads to the bedrooms.

So Kyle and I put our stuff down in our assigned bedroom and went back into the living room where there were 5 other ladies. We did small talk while mowing down 2 bags of chips and 3 bags of cookies, nbd. Oh and watched tv for the first time in 2 months. The news. After a couple hours of this and about 6 different people just walking in and out of the house we decided we should probably go to bed. We got into our pjs and then the bucket was delivered, AKA our bathroom. We weren't really sure where we could brush our teeth or anything, definitely weren't using the bucket so we asked momma's daughter what we should do. She seemed kind of confused about this whole teeth brushing thing but she finally figured it out and she brought us out to this spicket outside. Kyle and I brushed our teeth as fast as we could while the daughter, Kelly, literally blocked us from the road so no one could see us. Obviously this was not a safe area. She kept stepping to the right and the left depending on where people were walking. Sketchy. This was definitely the first time we really realized how bad of an area we were in. So back in the bedroom/bathroom and took a before bed peepee in the bucket. I guess it is kind of convient having a toilet right at the end of your bed? And surprisingly the bucket was a great shape for a confomtrable squatting position!

We were woken up the next morning to go to church, the random guy, once again, picked us up and we headed off to church. VIP parking in the pastors driveway and then all of a sudden the trunk of the car flew open and 6 children piled out. Ummmm what? I had no idea there were even kids in the car and  I was sitting in the backseat! TIA. Church was a bunch of singing and dancing cool. Then the pastors daughter brought us to Mizoli's after but then had to leave so momma's friend found us a taxi and we feasted at momma's on mizoli's and the other stuff momm'a sister prepared for us. We hadn't seen momma all morning and she still wasn't back at the house. Momma?? We stuffed our faces and watched some south African soap opera. So absurd. We caught a cab back to momma Noxi's place and by the time we got there everyone had left? Ummmm what? So somehow we had to flag the bus back to pick us up so we weren't left in this township for another night. Don't get me wrong the bucket was great but I think a one time bucket experience is enough.

Here's a pic of our Guguletu fam!
 
MOMMA!
  
Here's the view from the front porch. Got my hair did at Zelpha's.

 
This was the bathroom, not really sure which is better the bucket or this.