ECON-AD 213J | Class 11-12 Reflection: On top of the world

22!

Perfectly aligned geological sediments while on Chapman's Peak.

Marco's African Palace, where I celebrated my birthday dinner.

Today is my birthday! Ever since the course started, I could not wait for this day, I’m incredibly lucky that I get to be in Cape Town to celebrate my 22nd birthday. Our schedule was packed with more recreational activities, and I was happy that I did not have to plan anything for myself.

Standing atop Table Mountain, a 7th Wonder of the World, felt spectacular. The elevation was so high that I felt that the clouds were within reach. I walked for a bit along its hiking trail, but I was deeply content with lying down on a rock and feeling the sun on my skin. I bought an ice cream and all the melted sugars crept down my fingers as I vigorously tried to keep my eating neat. It is especially during these simple life-affirming moments when I realize that this simple joy should be shared with everyone. The randomness of life’s unfairness to certain groups of people makes it so abundantly clear that it’s our job to leverage our privilege so we can share it. While I was contemplating on these, before I knew it, I napped for what felt like an eternity and my skin became a few shades darker. My mom will not be pleased, but I like the added color.

We had dinner at Marco’s African place, which featured a live band playing marimba music. Its patrons were mostly tourists, and the band played songs recognizable to this audience. It was the third time that a band has played “The Lion Sleeps Tonight” during my one-week stay in Cape Town. Our class knew that it was our last day in the country, and everyone was quiet and pensive. The blaring music also ensured that conversations were limited to perfunctory comments about the heat or the food delay. Nonetheless, when the food came, it was delicious as always and lifted everyone’s spirits. While I was in the middle of chewing my oxtail stew, I hear the band below call my name. “Geo? Where is Geo?” My face turned pale, and I hear Travis whooping and pointing my name. I realize what he has done. I sink slowly into my seat but I realize there is no escape. Soon enough, it felt like the whole restaurant was calling my name and I had no choice but to go downstairs and meet my fate.

The male lead singer invited me on stage while he sang Happy Birthday to me. His voice was perfect, but I felt uncomfortable staring too deeply into his eyes, so I clapped my hands a lot to distract myself. He found that very amusing and asked me to dance instead. This part I enjoyed immensely, because I have been watching his group dance throughout the entire evening itching to join. One of the female dancers coached me through some of the steps, and even if I stumbled through them, I had a fantastic time. My friends on the second floor were all cheering for me, and if I weren’t so tan, my face would have blushed.

Leaving Cape Town felt too soon, like we had just arrived and now we already had to leave. In fact, the van parked in the exact same area where it picked us up a week ago. From my visit, the city has made some key impressions on me. The staggering inequality and legacies of the apartheid shocked me, and even though there are some developments that we should celebrate, there is much more work to be done. I look forward to the next week’s round of lectures, where we revisit development models and see how they can be applied to this week’s experiential journey.