It's most beautiful throughout the year, in autumn it's beauty sees new heights. Victoria Street becomes a tunnel of reds, oranges and yellows. And the leaves are everywhere, if I hadn't learned how to control my inner child I'd throw an armful of them in the air and twirl in their short lived rain.Occasionally you'll see a squirrel basking in the sun, a sun that's to become a mystery in the coming winter months.
Oh but the winter is harsh! Stellenbosch winter is quite a spectacle The trees are bare but the grass is green. The rain never ever ends and when the sun does grace us with it's presence it does so hesitantly and only for a while (it's never enough), however, should you spend a minute longer than necessary in the sun your skin starts feeling as if it's going crisp. In winter you never win. Nothing is as difficult as a wet winter.
I'm from Durban and Durban is bliss, winter is dry and summer is wet, even when it rains the rain is warm. I was never ready for Stellenbosch weather.
Actually, Stellies is a series of extremes. Because summer is just as hot as the winter is cold. I remember in my first year we walked everywhere. we walked to Skarkels (The spelling might be shot, I never know how to spell these things), to inter-res matches, to ... EVERYWHERE IN THE SCORCHING SUN! I wore levies takkies to make my struggle a bit less, by the end of the two week long orientation period my sneakers were worn through, I'd had them for less than six months. But tis the time to be marry and go to the beach (with it's ice cold water) and wine taste and all these pleasant-weather-demanding things.
Despite it's beauty, Stellenbosch takes on an exclusive way of life. The culture of Stellenbosch (although very accommodating of the student life in general) does not care nor particularly cater for the non-Afrikaans person, it is even less welcoming if you are black.The demographics in light of South Africa as a whole are jarring. Never have I been so aware of my blackness as I was when I first came to Stellenbosch. It seemed as if everyone was skinny, rich, smart and having the time of their lives. My confidence died and so I sought comfort in nature.
I'd take long walks alone looking at trees and wondering about these squirrels (I still think they're glorified rats, cute none the less). I walked an the warm looking leaves in autumn, I enjoyed their crunch and resisted my inner child when she demanded I roll in the leaves. I found parallels between where I come from and Stellenbosch.
I got used to the harsh winter, I fell in love with the trees and I discovered that there's peace to be found on Victoria Street...
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