More Shade, More Ice Cream

On the first day of our school-sponsored program here in Cape Town, each of the eleven teams is assigned to go out into the city and photography unmet needs that we find.

We all lather on the sunscreen, find our hats, sunglasses, and sandals, and head out to find what Cape Town is missing.  All of us a little more tan and sunburnt than when we left, report our findings to each other over dinner.  There are aspects of South Africa that qualify it as a “developing country”; however, Cape Town is missing many of those aspects.  In other words, most of the obvious needs in the city have already been met.  Consequently, most of us share photographs of areas desperate for shade and begging for more ice cream and lemonade stands.  I am guessing that the photographs from other countries such as Ghana that were also visited by classmates might have a slightly different tone.  Nonetheless, I am excited to be here, to explore this country, and to learn how business is done within its borders.

Penguins near Cape Town

Destination: Cape Town

Being back in school has its many perks, one of which is the return of winter break.  Not only does winter break mean that I can escape Boston for most of December and January to go enjoy much more reasonable climates, it also means that I can spend time with family, see old friends, and find a little time to travel.  Break is filled with a quick post-exams trip to Vegas, followed by some Latka making and Chanukkah celebrating with the family, topped off with a trip over to Phoenix to cheer on Cardinal Football, and finally some time in the Bay Area to begin thinking about summer job prospects.  Through school, I am then “required” to travel to Cape Town, South Africa.  In teams of six, the whole first year business school class is sent to developing countries around the world to work with companies on weeklong consulting projects.

Because class does not start until the end of the month, I feeel that staying in South Africa for an extra two weeks beyond the program is more than logical.  The choice is between below freezing Boston or hot, sunny South Africa.  In Cape Town, on the scale of warm to very hot, the nights are occasionally cool, but nothing that a shirt and shorts can’t handle.

Table Mountain, Cape Town