An alternative Trinity Term
Tales from 9 South Africans in lockdown in Oxford
by Bronwyn Gavine (@bronwyngavine)
with contributions and images from: Kumeren Govender, Helene-Mari van der Westhuizen, Koot Kotze, Lehlohonolo Moche, Farah Jawitz, Morategi Kale, Dylan Barry and Aaron Graham.
Speak to any Southern Hemisphere international student in Oxford and they’ll all tell you the same thing — summer in beautiful city of Oxford is the highlight of the year.
For our group of South African Rhodes Scholars, in our 2nd year in Oxford, warmer weather and longer days brought hope of afternoons spent punting and Saturdays spent barbecuing (we call it ‘braaing’ in South Africa) in Port Meadow.
Our summer socialising looks different this year. Instead, we find ourselves meeting weekly on Zoom calls and sending each other photographs of spring blooms spotted on our individual socially distanced exercise outings. We haven’t seen each other in person since March 11th.
For the world over, it is an exceptionally challenging time. Anxiously, I have watched the pandemic unfold, first in England and then in South Africa, trying to keep up with the latest ministerial briefings and developments, and fearing for the worst in both countries.
Amongst the uncertainty of a changed world and global suffering, each of us in our small community have felt a strong sense of responsibility to help in any way possible: fervently signing up for neighbourhood volunteer groups, volunteering to help the NHS, working on research for policy makers both in England and South Africa, or contributing to clinical research. Any work related to COVID-19 feels urgent, but balancing new roles with our course and research work has certainly not been easy.
In a situation where our sense of ‘normal life’ has been challenged in so many ways, I have found immense comfort in a small group of wonderful Oxford scholars and South African Rhodes scholars who have pulled together as a community.
Many of us are living in colleges scattered across the city. It’s both eerie and peaceful to live in these beautiful spaces — spaces usually abuzz, especially on sunny days, with students scattered across lawns, enjoying dinner outside, doing coursework and catching up with friends in the fresh air.
The quads are quiet now. The halls closed. There will be no formal dinners, no summer garden parties, no days spent at the river watching the boat races, no summer holidays to plan.
For those of us still in Oxford, though, there are many stolen moments of joy. It is rare to be able to enjoy this beautiful city in the picturesque weather without dodging throngs of tourists. The streets are quiet and much more reminiscent of an Oxford 100 or 200 years ago — when the High Street wasn’t perpetually lined with busses and taxis, and when cycling anywhere was a stress-free event.
Some of us are lucky to be staying with our partners, providing at least regular in-person contact. Others are alone in college rooms, where the only regular human interaction is from greeting the key workers still maintaining colleges and working in supermarkets. There is no denying this period has been difficult for all of us, be it psychologically, socially or physically. However, it also prompted us to reflect on the “normality” of our lives, and reconsider our priorities.
During our off time and weekends, we are all (individually) exploring Oxford and surrounds more than ever — in the form of long walks in Port Meadow, finding new running routes, or gaining confidence while cycling through the beautiful Oxfordshire countryside. Helene-Mari, a DPhil scholar in Primary Healthcare, describes how “cycling has transformed from a mode of transport to be slightly less late for meetings, into a way to feel adventurous, picking a direction, and seeing what unfolds”. Kumeren (DPhil Clinical Medicine) has taken to jogging — “I have never looked so forward to a simple jog outside as do I now. In fact, I’ve seen more of Oxford’s natural beauty now from jogging around than when I was always scurrying along to the next event.”
In a way, despite missing normal in-person socialising, I have found that socialising has become more intentional. Our South African cohort meets weekly for catch-ups involving meandering discussions, interspersed with belly laughs and welfare checks. I play online board games and have happy hour with friends in South Africa. I read more. I have taken on more hobbies. Helene-Mari and Koot (DPhil Primary Health care) use their garden to practice tennis volleys on the lawn, play music and drink tea while admiring the tulips bloom. Our group shares recipes, cycle routes, and encouragement. We have followed Presidential addresses from South Africa together, had virtual pizza parties and Netflix movie watching sessions.
We have a developed a heightened appreciation for the smaller things in life and we are grateful for the positives that this strange season has brought us. Sadly, though, there are some things video calls and social distancing simply cannot capture and which we miss immensely — sharing a meal with loved ones, seeing family, greeting friends with hugs, comforting someone with a hand on the shoulder, travelling to a new place.
None of us are quite sure what the next few months will hold. The personal price — being away from family and friends, missing social gatherings and not meeting new people at the talks and events crowding the Oxford term calendar — is small in the greater social context. We are grateful to have a safe place to live and to live in an era where we can see our loved ones virtually.
One thing is for sure, much as the world will emerge from this a changed world, so will we. More mindful, more adventurous, more intentional, and more grateful.
For now, while I try to patiently await being able to safely see my loved ones in person, I will revel in our online adventures and my new found hobbies. I am extremely thankful for my South African family in Oxford who have brought me community in social isolation.
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