There is a very popular braai (barbecue) place in Guguletu called Mzoli's, which I visited twice last weekend. I went on Friday with Xolani May and Sara the American college intern after going on his township tour; and again after church Sunday with some members of Siyaya. Mzoli is a member of the church, although I haven't met him.
The set up is basically a butchery in front and woodfire braais in the back, where they cook up the meat you pick out. South Africa is a meat-loving culture, and that has been a switch for me since I was (sort of) a vegetarian before coming here. Well, not any more. Mzoli's cooks up some really good meat, and you can bring your own beer or wine from one of the neighboring shops. 
The place was packed on Sunday (the picture here was taken on Friday afternoon), with live music and comedy and people from all over the place. The crowd was surprisingly mixed on Sunday. White people mostly stay away from the townships, as the different ethnic groups in South Africa unfortunately mix quite infrequently. Mzoli's is one of the few places in Guguletu where you would not be surprised to see a white person, and students from the University of Stellenbosch (one-time bastion of Apartheid, and still Afrikaans-speaking only) come down all the time during term. Although there is a hell of a long way to go with reconciliation in this country, I am often impressed with people I meet who have crossed those racial barriers to be exposed to the cultures of their neighbors. One white comedian who performed on Sunday spoke Xhosa like a Xhosa, and also cracked jokes in English and Afrikaans during his act. Pretty demanding routine, but you would be surprised how many languages people often speak here (a nation with eleven official languages!) -- most whites speak at least two, and black South Africans in many townships will often 
speak six or more!
The place was packed on Sunday (the picture here was taken on Friday afternoon), with live music and comedy and people from all over the place. The crowd was surprisingly mixed on Sunday. White people mostly stay away from the townships, as the different ethnic groups in South Africa unfortunately mix quite infrequently. Mzoli's is one of the few places in Guguletu where you would not be surprised to see a white person, and students from the University of Stellenbosch (one-time bastion of Apartheid, and still Afrikaans-speaking only) come down all the time during term. Although there is a hell of a long way to go with reconciliation in this country, I am often impressed with people I meet who have crossed those racial barriers to be exposed to the cultures of their neighbors. One white comedian who performed on Sunday spoke Xhosa like a Xhosa, and also cracked jokes in English and Afrikaans during his act. Pretty demanding routine, but you would be surprised how many languages people often speak here (a nation with eleven official languages!) -- most whites speak at least two, and black South Africans in many townships will often 
speak six or more!As I mentioned in a previous post, Siyaya is a group of young people who write and perform musical theater to educate youth about HIV/AIDS. They have been to the States a couple of times and are set to come to the New York area next spring. I'll be there, along with any Princeton friends who want to go with. The guys I ate with on Sunday who are pictured are (left to right: Sbongile (not a Siyaya member), Mkhululi (drummer), and Zwai (bass). They are fun guys, real jokers. They tell me the whole Siyaya group will go back to Mzoli's next Sunday, and invited me to go.
I wish I could plan on being sparing with my meat consumption until then, but that isn't going to be an option. I have meals prepared for me at the Lutheran Youth Centre where I live, and starch and meat are pretty much all that's on offer at every meal, with an occasional tomato slice or can of peas. Fortunately, fruit and veg are cheap if you buy from the stands in Guguletu, and the grocery stores have delicious 100% juices on sale for a pittance. I am really hooked on fresh guava juice, although I might not want to pay for it in the States. I eat lunch at JL Zwane every day, where "Mama" Katoni and Mnqo prepare a balanced and tasty meal for the staff every day, in addition to feeding 50-100 people from various other groups that meat at the church. So don't worry, Mom. I am eating just fine.
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