My first month in Cape Town 2022

Lola Krapohl - volunteer at Dance For All in Cape Town

We have been in Cape Town for a month now. So much has happened, we have experienced so much…how to sum it up?! One thing is for sure: It is a different life than in Germany!

First day in a new city

On January 11, we arrived early in the morning, a little tired and confused, euphoric and excited, a little cocktail of emotions. We were picked up by our mentor, greeted sweetly and then went to the house of the dance school Dance for All for a short introduction. Once everything important was settled, we briefly put our things away in our new home and then went on a first get-to-know-you tour of the city. We went to the waterfront, enjoyed a breathtaking view from Signal Hill and finally walked along Clifton Beaches at sunset before having our well-deserved dinner at Mojo Market after this eventful day. Later, our mentor took us back to our apartment and we spent the rest of the evening getting settled into our own four walls for the next few months.

Welcome at Dance For All

Finally, on Monday, January 17, the work in the projects started. At Dance for All it looked like this: A short meeting with our boss, in which she familiarized us with our future tasks. We work from 09-16; on Mondays and Wednesdays we are in the so-called “Wardrobe” – that’s the fundus where all the costumes are kept. The rest of the days are for “admin work”; this can include basically anything, in the early days we will mainly be researching new fundraising options and potential donors for the dance school. The Corona pandemic has left its mark everywhere. From time to time we may also join dance classes when our schedule allows. We have even led our own first class by now and have tried many styles of dance: Contemporary, African Dance, Hip Hop and Tap Dance.

In our free time, we have visited some of the thousands and thousands of cafes and restaurants that exist in our neighborhood. We’ve also been to the beach a few times, hiked, walked around the neighborhoods, strolled through vintage stores and street food markets, or just relaxed on the patio after work. So slowly I have the feeling to arrive here.

Lolas first Cape Town impressions

Street in Observatory, Cape Town

Woodstock with Devil’s Peak view