Umzinto!

We went on our first field trip earlier today to a town called Umzinto. It has a high black and Indian population. We went for our intercultural communication class and had to record our observances.
It was very interesting seeing the people's reactions to us, 40-something Americans that looked terribly out of place and confused about what we were supposed to be doing there.
Adam and I were in a group with two other girls, Carrie and Rachel. Adam is amazing at starting up conversations and so we had a number of good chats with the people on the street. One Indian shop owner even invited us to his daughters wedding! We are hoping to go, but are not sure if it's going to work out yet.
We also went inside the brand new mosque there and talked with one of the Muslims who worked there. It was interesting because whenever he spoke, he only addressed Adam, even if one of us girls asked a question. We also talked to an owner of a gun shop, which was great! he told us about the strict gun laws that South Africa has and how he feels about U.S. politics. As a gun shop owner, he is staunchly conservative, so it felt a little like being home :)
After 2 hours of walking around the town we went to the beach and jumped around in the water. The beach was beautiful and it was my 1st time in the Indian Ocean! We took a lot of pictures! People wanted to take engagement photos for Adam and I so we had to keep posing. It was really fun! Adam and I even took a few model shots of each other.
After that we then had a "proper braai" (South African Barbecue) for dinner with a local Indian youth group. I helped make a huge salad, which was a feat in and of itself. All we were given was one knife, a box of uncut/unwashed veggies, and a large tub. I think we did a pretty good job though!