Harvard

On 18 February 2009 Dan, Clare, and my parents, dropped me off at Cape Town International Airport for my departure to Boston USA…HARVARD! The excitement soon turned to bewilderment when I walked away from their waves and warm hugs and lugged my bags to the delta check-in. No matter how much I have flown, those first few minutes after goodbye kisses always leave me feeling like I’ve been thrown in the deep end and I need to swim my way to safety again. All the misery of travelling set in as the reality of a 20 hour journey hit home. The flight was good though, and I was determined not to have anything taken away at security. When flying to Nashville last year my hand cream was confiscated and I felt truly violated. I have gotten use to having to take my shoes off too and be patient as they herd us like cattle along the security scrutiny route of pure desperation.

When I stepped off the plane in NY the very first thing I did was buy a bagel, whole-wheat with veggie cream-cheese, HEAVENLY. Flying from NY to Boston was rather eerie as I could see the lakes below becoming oddly white and frozen over. Once through customs and baggage claim in Boston I was on my own again. I needed to take a bus and then a subway to Harvard square. I love subway rides. There are so many characters and diversity and every stop invites a new bustle of colourful bodies. Every ride tells its own story.

It was organized that I would stay with Jacintha in a Harvard dorm room in a Residence called Currier House. That’s all I knew as I stepped off the subway and painfully dragged my three bags up the dirty wet stairs towards sunlight. I asked just about every other person for directions until miraculously, about six blocks later, I found myself outside Currier house. My toes were numb, my hands sore and my head spinning with the unknown. Jacintha is from the Philippines, a strong Christian and beautiful character she was an angel and spoilt me rotten. The world is filled with little unknown homes where your heart can be safe. That’s one of the wonders of travelling, to discover these secret places of kindness.

I landed on Thursday 19 February and was to register that evening. When I arrived at the registration and opening reception I soon noticed that I was one of the 5% non-Asian students there. It was a really good experience.. Being the other, the odd one. But this feeling of difference soon dissolved as I was smothered in kindness and interest. To my surprise absolutely everyone at the conference was down to earth and lovely and I laughed and absorbed beauty more than anything else. I went to the conference naïve and indifferent to Asia, but I am now truly in-love with the brilliant continent of Asia, its mystique, beauty, richness and people.

Suppose this would be a good time to explain what this is all really about. I was attending the HPAIR (Harvard Project for Asian and International Relations) conference and participating in the Social Policy workshop focusing on Gender Issues. The conference was brilliant, intriguing, and inspiring from beginning to end. I knew from the very first speech that I was exactly where I was meant to be and I absorbed and immersed myself in the brilliant minds and enriching discussions around me. This was an opportunity of a lifetime. The speakers ranged from UN representatives and US ambassadors to top intellectuals from across the globe. Most poignant about my interaction with them was their humility and interest in every individual. These mind-blowing powerhouses were warm and approachable and they gave me so much hope in my dreams and shaped my dreams into fantastic realities. The discussions in the workshop included music and public health in rural India, Music, Culture and Gender: Case study in Indonesia, China’s one-child policy, Gender, Economics and Culture: Widows in Rural Cambodia, Gender based legal reform in Asia, Gender Inequality in the Philippines and child pornography.

Here are some of the quotes that appealed to me during the discussions:

“It is not about where you get to, its about how you balance yourself along the way” – Ambassador Hunt

“Take in all the hurt and turn it into something good for social justice” – Ambassador Hunt

“Women’s rights cannot be sacrificed at the altar of cultural relativism” – UN representative

“You’ve got 1$…who do you feed – the boy or the girl?” – Ms Davila

“Women don’t want to be men…I’m proud to be a woman” – Ms Davila

“When you are hanging onto a knife with all your life” – Ms Davila

On the Financial Crisis:
“We are not all in the same boat, but we’re all in the same storm” – Prof RN Cooper

It is impossible for me to convey all that I learnt and experienced at this life-changing conference, but I can say that I have been enriched and moved and truly blessed. A newfound love for Asia has been birthed and my dreams colourfully expanded and intensified.

Harvard is spectacular.

I would like to thank everyone who supported me in pursuing this opportunity. I know that so many believe in me. I can only respond by giving my all and I intend to do so.

My sponsors:
University of Stellenbosch Student Affairs
Australian Business Men
Ruth Cherry Bird
Pamela Hugo
Stefan Hugo
Dan Hugo
Helen Hugo
Mr. & Mrs. Van Tonder
Mr & Mrs. Von Pressentin
Hesca Roux
Christopher and Terry Carolin
Nicola Davies
Gina Hebblethwaite