"you think you are better than me, white bitch?"

I had a bizarre experience last night. As I was walking through Rondebosch on my way back from my beloved Pick 'n Pay, an obviously intoxicated man looked at me and yelled in my direction, "It must be nice to be white, isn't it?" I try to engage strangers as little as possible, so I continued walking in the other direction.
I returned to Rondebosch a little later last night to make a stop to buy airtime, and the same man approached me. This time he got closer to the point that he was almost in my face. "You think you are better than me, white bitch?" he asked. In a gesture that probably pissed him off even more I sidestepped him and moved in the other direction as quickly as possible.
While I wasn't directly threatened or anything, the whole experience perplexed me. Each time I was alone, wearing pretty plain clothing and carrying only a canvas tote bag for groceries. Since I wasn't speaking with anyone, my accent wouldn't have been obvious. I wasn't checking my cell phone (which is honestly a piece of junk) or showing off anything. I realize the guy was probably just drunk or high and angry, but for some reason, getting called a bitch in reference to my race by a stranger affected me more than getting called a bitch by my housemates for asking them to do their dishes.

In my time in Cape Town I have found that I learn the most not through tours or books, but by going about my day to day life in this place that is profoundly different than anything I have ever experienced. From getting called a white bitch on the street, to waiting for a minibus at the city bus rank in downtown Cape Town, to running miles and dodging Benzes and BMWs in the affluent Southern Suburbs, everything I have experienced is more personal thought-provoking than anything any CIEE tour could ever teach me.

In other news, I finished 11 miles this morning and am feeling pretty prepared for the Two Oceans half marathon this weekend. Off to read and rest my aching legs.