This post will be pretty photo heavy. For valentines day the International Office at NMMU along with some of the community leaders from New Brighton township put together an event for the international students go to. It was a little dinner/dance at one of the backpackers in the township.
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| There was a traditional xhosa dance troupe that did a couple of dances for the event. |
The dancers were all done up in traditional xhosa clothing and make up.
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| Before the festivities started some of the young girls from the township also showed their moves. The dance troupes are seen as a way to keep the youth of the township out of trouble and also create a social group for them. |
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| This woman was one of the operators of the backpacker |
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| This was one of the local poets from the New Brighton township |
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| A sample of more traditional style South African food |
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| Even the fellas shook and shimmied |
The event over all was pretty fun and a good way to make friends in the international scene. There were also artists and craftsmen from the township at the even. It was a good, albeit quick, introduction into the xhosa culture. This was the first time this backpacker had hosted an event like this and more than likely with time it will improve. Hopefully it will continue and become a tradition that opens up understanding about township/xhosa culture.
