I can't believe this is the beginning of our last week here! Here's what we've done in the last few days:
Monday: After school, Marena and I went grocery shopping so I could buy ingredients to make dinner for my family! The grocery store didn't quite have everything I wanted, but I was able to scrounge up enough stuff to use for my pasta meat sauce, broccoli and garlic cheese bread. After the store, Randall and I went to the local sports arena and met up with the rest of the Michigan State crew to learn how to play cricket- a huge sport here in Africa. We were divided into two teams and given crash course directions on how to play. Needless to say, Randall thought we were pretty humorous to watch. It was a lot of fun and I even got a few good hits :)
Tuesday: School today was a little crazy. Not only did we find out about the 8 swine flu cases, but we also had to say goodbye to Catie- a girl in our MSU group who was placed at the same school as me. Catie broke her foot right before we left to come to South Africa and after a lot of frustration and pain, she decided to go home this week. It was really sad to see her go because she was one of my closest friends here, but at the same time I understood why she needed to leave. Not only was her foot getting worse through all of our hectic travels, but she is starting her first real-person teaching job the week we were supposed to get home, so getting off her crutches was a priority. After school, Marena took me to a giant flea market in downtown Cape Town. Since my accent makes vendors see dollar signs, Marena told me to pick out things that I wanted, tell her how much I wanted to spend and then she would do the talking/bargaining for me. I kept quiet and watched as she relentlessly bargained for two pieces of African art I picked out. It was hilarious to watch her! When we got home, I started making dinner for my family. It turned out really well (phew!) and they even asked for the recipe.
Wednesday: I'm getting so attached to my 6th graders here! This week I established a classroom library and a classroom helpers chart in the classroom. I created a prize box so that good behavior can be positively reinforced and brought in some math bingo games, flashcards and math dice. Everyday they ask me if I will stay in for recess with them so that they can play these educational games or read. I LOVE IT! These kids have taught me so much about the various cultures and education system here and have also treated me with the utmost respect. I'm definitely going to miss them when I go home. After school, Marena took me to meet her mother, sister and brother. We picked up Randall at his university, ate leftover meat sauce and went bowling 'as a family'. Charlie beat us all, but I came in 2nd, so I was happy with that.
Thursday: Instead of going to school today, I waited for the buses to come pick me up so we could make our way to the Southern Cape- another South African province about 6 hours away. We spent most of the day traveling and checked into the Afro-vibe hostel at nighttime in the city of George.
Friday: Today was an amazing today. We woke up early to go on a boat, tractor and hiking tour of a beautiful mountain atop of the city of Knysna. I took sooo many pictures and cannot begin to explain the incredible views we had all morning. After a fabulous lunch buffet, we rode the boat back to our vans and drove to the Kynsna Elephant Park nearby. We took a tour on a tractor and got off only to see 9 huge elephants walking towards us! I had bought a bucket of feed when we got there so when we got off the tractor, I placed a piece of an orange on my hand and felt as a slobbery trunk came and sucked it up! It was hilarious! I fed the whole container to a few different elephants and got a lot of pictures. Afterwards, we had the chance to interact, walk with and touch the elephants for an hour. It was by far one of the coolest things I have ever done in my life. Their skin was a lot tougher than I had thought and they had long coarse hair all over their skin. It was so exciting!
Saturday: This morning we woke up early and checked out of the AfroVibe lodge. After an hour drive to the Botlierskop Game Farm, we jumped on a huge 4x4 vehicle and began our safari! It was just like you would imagine it: bumpy roads, awesome tour guides and LOTS of animals. We saw ostriches, elephants, lions, wildebeests, zebras, giraffes, impala, eland, rhinos, monkeys, cows, horses, kunu and water buck, not to mention gorgeous vegetation and hilly, scenic views. Needless to say, I took nearly 300 pictures. I can't wait to post, print and frame them!
Currently I'm sitting in a hostel waiting for dinner. Tomorrow we are going to an ostrich farm to ride ostriches and then to the Kango Caves to go spleunking. Monday is shark cage-diving. Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday are my last days in the school :( and Friday is our last night in South Africa. Saturday we leave for America in the early afternoon. I can't believe we only have a week left! Can't wait to see everyone. Hope all is well back home :)
Saturday, August 8, 2009
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
Quick Update
I don't have much time today, so here are the main updates...
-This morning has been hectic! EIGHT students at our school were diagnosed with the swine flu in the past two days. Since the virus just reached Africa last month, many people are not aware of the dangers of the flu and the precautions that need to be taken. Thus, the school is going to remain open. We'll see what happens. Until then I'm using copious amounts of hand sanitizer...
-Next Monday I'm going shark cage-diving! There are about 4 girls going from our group going and I've convinced my host brother to join us as well. Apparently it's pretty safe, but I'll admit I'm extremely nervous. I'll let you know how it goes!
-This weekend while driving home our group saw 4 giraffes and 2 zebras on the side of the road! We all went crazy. So exciting!
-I'm still loving my host family. They have been so wonderful to me and have used every waking moment to show me things I haven't yet seen. I literally have been going from morning until night learning, playing, eating, teaching, etc. It has been an amazing (and exhausting!) trip.
-Unfortunately I haven't had enough time to post pictures of my trip yet. I'm still trying to work something out so that you can understand where I am and what my surroundings look like. If nothing else, I'll post all of them when I get home and you can be overwhelmed by the hundreds I've taken :)
I miss everyone like crazy! See you in two weeks!
-This morning has been hectic! EIGHT students at our school were diagnosed with the swine flu in the past two days. Since the virus just reached Africa last month, many people are not aware of the dangers of the flu and the precautions that need to be taken. Thus, the school is going to remain open. We'll see what happens. Until then I'm using copious amounts of hand sanitizer...
-Next Monday I'm going shark cage-diving! There are about 4 girls going from our group going and I've convinced my host brother to join us as well. Apparently it's pretty safe, but I'll admit I'm extremely nervous. I'll let you know how it goes!
-This weekend while driving home our group saw 4 giraffes and 2 zebras on the side of the road! We all went crazy. So exciting!
-I'm still loving my host family. They have been so wonderful to me and have used every waking moment to show me things I haven't yet seen. I literally have been going from morning until night learning, playing, eating, teaching, etc. It has been an amazing (and exhausting!) trip.
-Unfortunately I haven't had enough time to post pictures of my trip yet. I'm still trying to work something out so that you can understand where I am and what my surroundings look like. If nothing else, I'll post all of them when I get home and you can be overwhelmed by the hundreds I've taken :)
I miss everyone like crazy! See you in two weeks!
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
Life is Good
This weekend was another crazy one! I went to a rugby match on Friday which was a lot of fun. Charlie took the time to explain the game to me beforehand and even drew out the field, the players and the rules so it wasn't as confusing. All of the girls went to the game, so it was really exciting to see everyone after being apart for a week and to hear about their host families, adventures and schools. By the end of the game I felt very fortunate for the placement I have as some of the girls are barely getting fed, and one of the girls is even getting removed from her host family because she has been treated so poorly. Some of the girls are really struggling in the schools because corporal punishment is being used often and dangerously in the classrooms. Although I have not experienced severe corporal punishment at Brooklands Primary, the degree to which the teachers use their power over the students is much more common and harsh than in American schools.
On Saturday the MSU group met up again for a mountain walk to a city called Kirstenbosch. It was another beautiful day, but the hike was more strenuous than we originally thought and we were out for 4 hours- way later than expected. After a late lunch, I got dropped off at my house and ran in to shower and get ready for the braai a family friend was throwing for me.
I discovered that the Keets have a ping pong table in their garage so Randall and I have been playing whenever we get a chance. He has an amazing serve, but so far it is pretty evenly matched (although I did just beat him 5 times in a row, and he was not too happy about that).
During the past two weeks I've been at Brooklands Primary School observing and teaching in a sixth grade class. There are 3 sixth grade classes that exchange twice daily with class sizes of 39, 38 and 30 students. Class begins at 8:00am and ends at 2:00pm. The school has two small 15 minute breaks in which the students go outside to eat lunch and play. There is no cafeteria and every student brings a small sandwich with them to eat. Instead of juiceboxes, chips, fruit, candy, or even a paper bag, students merely bring a single sandwich to eat for the day which makes me feel very spoiled looking at the amount of food I usually eat.
I've been lucky enough to teach all three classes and, so far, all of my lessons have gone quite smoothly. I taught a large vocabulary lesson to two classes where different groups acted and/or drew the meanings to their words and presented them to the class. I got some great videos of their skits! A few of them even stayed in during their recess to work on their presentations! One group gathered props and created costumes to describe the word 'mascot'. I also taught a lesson about the phases of the moon which required the students to physically act out the motions. They were extremely attentive and really understood the importance of the sun and earth's placements in regards to how we see the moon over the course of a month. (Never thought I'd say it but, Thank You SME301.)
Currently I'm helping Marena to create a reinforcement program which will provide the needed extrinsic motivation for the children to display good behavior. Often, too much attention is given to the children displaying bad behavior (which many of the students are immune to now), so this is an attempt to give positive attention to students with model behavior. Thus, shifting the focus from negative things to positive ones will hopefully help to promote good behavior. I'm also trying to help Marena establish a classroom community so that her learners feel a responsibility to their peers and their classroom. I’ll keep you posted on any progress…
The school, like many homes and facilities in SA, has no central heating in the building. During their winter months (June-October), it gets extremely cold throughout the school so I’ve been wearing my winter jacket and a scarf all day long. In fact, I could see my own breath while teaching yesterday morning!
While in South Africa, I've been writing down some of the vocabulary and language differences between American English and South African English. Below are some examples: (our word is first, and the SA equivalent is next)
-barbeque= BRAAI (they have these all the time and the food is amazing!)
-students= LEARNERS
-traffic light= ROBOT
-gas= PETROL
-waiting in line=QUEUING
-carry out= TAKE AWAY
-text message= SMS
-pick-up truck= BAKKIE
-trunk (of a car)= BOOT
-horn= HOOTER
-turn signal= INDICATOR
-glove box= CUBBY HOLE
-tennis shoes= TAKKIES
-cereal= PORRIDGE
Here are some more unique things and facts about SA:
-Leftovers are kept out on the counter all night. For lunch one day I had cheese bread that sat out on the counter overnight before I ate it. Surprisingly no one gets sick, but I also think that the temperature inside SA homes is much colder than back home.
-Milk is heated in the microwave before they pour it in your cereal. In fact sometimes they place the entire bowl into the microwave until the milk is boiling and the cereal is soggy. I actually quite like it!
-Most electronics and bills are prepaid. You must buy airtime for your phone before you can use it, as well as with electricity and water.
-Speaking of water, Cape Town has some of the cleanest and most delicious water in the world!
-Almost all homes in South Africa have a bath but not a shower. Even though the Keets are among the few to have a shower, I have yet to see them use it, and instead, they take long baths at night.
-South Africa has a very lopsided socioeconomic class structure. There is a HUGE population of extremely poor people and a decent sized population of very rich people, which leaves a very, very tiny middle class.
-When going out to dinner at night, many people look at us funny because it is still weird for a white woman to be seen with people of color outside of a normal workday interaction. It really shows how far South Africa still needs to come in terms of racial integration practices, acceptance, etc.
-South Africa is still considered a 3rd world country.
I'm trying to post pictures, but for some reason it's not working-- I'll post some soon :)
On Saturday the MSU group met up again for a mountain walk to a city called Kirstenbosch. It was another beautiful day, but the hike was more strenuous than we originally thought and we were out for 4 hours- way later than expected. After a late lunch, I got dropped off at my house and ran in to shower and get ready for the braai a family friend was throwing for me.
I discovered that the Keets have a ping pong table in their garage so Randall and I have been playing whenever we get a chance. He has an amazing serve, but so far it is pretty evenly matched (although I did just beat him 5 times in a row, and he was not too happy about that).
During the past two weeks I've been at Brooklands Primary School observing and teaching in a sixth grade class. There are 3 sixth grade classes that exchange twice daily with class sizes of 39, 38 and 30 students. Class begins at 8:00am and ends at 2:00pm. The school has two small 15 minute breaks in which the students go outside to eat lunch and play. There is no cafeteria and every student brings a small sandwich with them to eat. Instead of juiceboxes, chips, fruit, candy, or even a paper bag, students merely bring a single sandwich to eat for the day which makes me feel very spoiled looking at the amount of food I usually eat.
I've been lucky enough to teach all three classes and, so far, all of my lessons have gone quite smoothly. I taught a large vocabulary lesson to two classes where different groups acted and/or drew the meanings to their words and presented them to the class. I got some great videos of their skits! A few of them even stayed in during their recess to work on their presentations! One group gathered props and created costumes to describe the word 'mascot'. I also taught a lesson about the phases of the moon which required the students to physically act out the motions. They were extremely attentive and really understood the importance of the sun and earth's placements in regards to how we see the moon over the course of a month. (Never thought I'd say it but, Thank You SME301.)
Currently I'm helping Marena to create a reinforcement program which will provide the needed extrinsic motivation for the children to display good behavior. Often, too much attention is given to the children displaying bad behavior (which many of the students are immune to now), so this is an attempt to give positive attention to students with model behavior. Thus, shifting the focus from negative things to positive ones will hopefully help to promote good behavior. I'm also trying to help Marena establish a classroom community so that her learners feel a responsibility to their peers and their classroom. I’ll keep you posted on any progress…
The school, like many homes and facilities in SA, has no central heating in the building. During their winter months (June-October), it gets extremely cold throughout the school so I’ve been wearing my winter jacket and a scarf all day long. In fact, I could see my own breath while teaching yesterday morning!
While in South Africa, I've been writing down some of the vocabulary and language differences between American English and South African English. Below are some examples: (our word is first, and the SA equivalent is next)
-barbeque= BRAAI (they have these all the time and the food is amazing!)
-students= LEARNERS
-traffic light= ROBOT
-gas= PETROL
-waiting in line=QUEUING
-carry out= TAKE AWAY
-text message= SMS
-pick-up truck= BAKKIE
-trunk (of a car)= BOOT
-horn= HOOTER
-turn signal= INDICATOR
-glove box= CUBBY HOLE
-tennis shoes= TAKKIES
-cereal= PORRIDGE
Here are some more unique things and facts about SA:
-Leftovers are kept out on the counter all night. For lunch one day I had cheese bread that sat out on the counter overnight before I ate it. Surprisingly no one gets sick, but I also think that the temperature inside SA homes is much colder than back home.
-Milk is heated in the microwave before they pour it in your cereal. In fact sometimes they place the entire bowl into the microwave until the milk is boiling and the cereal is soggy. I actually quite like it!
-Most electronics and bills are prepaid. You must buy airtime for your phone before you can use it, as well as with electricity and water.
-Speaking of water, Cape Town has some of the cleanest and most delicious water in the world!
-Almost all homes in South Africa have a bath but not a shower. Even though the Keets are among the few to have a shower, I have yet to see them use it, and instead, they take long baths at night.
-South Africa has a very lopsided socioeconomic class structure. There is a HUGE population of extremely poor people and a decent sized population of very rich people, which leaves a very, very tiny middle class.
-When going out to dinner at night, many people look at us funny because it is still weird for a white woman to be seen with people of color outside of a normal workday interaction. It really shows how far South Africa still needs to come in terms of racial integration practices, acceptance, etc.
-South Africa is still considered a 3rd world country.
I'm trying to post pictures, but for some reason it's not working-- I'll post some soon :)
Thursday, July 23, 2009
So much to tell...
I can't believe I've been here for two weeks already! We've crammed in so many adventures and experiences that I feel as though I've been here a month! All of the girls are still getting along wonderfully and I've definitely made some lifelong friendships. Since there has been so much going on, I think it's easier for me to discuss each event separately...
The A Team. When we first arrived in Cape Town, we were greeted by Corvell, our group leader, and 3 other men who he introduced to us as "The A-Team" since they're the ones who have made our trip possible. They have been an incredible asset to our trip as well as some of the nicest, caring guys I've met. Dayle, (Corvell's son) is the first member of the A-team and one of the drivers for this trip. He literally gave up his entire social life for the past two weeks to drive us from 7 in the morning until 11 (or later!) at night. Jonny, the next member of the A-team is Corvell's brother-in-law and the owner of a taxi service. He has let us borrow two of his company's vans which we've appropriately named 'Casper' (the white van) and 'Clifford' (the red van). He has so wonderfully put up with 17 women in his ear, so for that, we're extremely grateful, because its been a hectic, loud and estrogen-filled trip so far ;) . In fact, both Jonny and Dayle have accompanied us where ever we go to make sure we're never alone or haggled by people we don't know. It has been very comforting to have them around and their patience and kindness is definitely appreciated! The last member of the A-team is Owen, an older man who has various connections with the University of Cape Town and some of the schools that we are now placed at. He's arranged meetings and dinners and we even spent time at his church, St. Andrews, where we took dance lessons from the youth group there.
Hermanus. This past weekend we traveled to Hermanus- a two hour drive south of Cape Town. We arrived at a colorful hostel called "Hermanus Backpackers" and were assigned rooms. We walked down to the very tourist-y city and took beautiful pictures of the Atlantic Ocean with the mountains in the horizon. We shopped in a large flea market and I found some unique African art to bring home. We gathered together and ate a large dinner before we headed back to the hostel. That night we met a girl who had just graduated from the University of Michigan! After talking to her for a bit, we discovered that one of her best friends from the university is actually from Grosse Pointe! It really is a small world...
Agualas. The next morning, we woke up early to drive to the southernmost point of Africa- where the Atlantic and the Indian oceans meet. We ate lunch at a lighthouse right on the beautiful water and took lots of pictures on the rocks. After a long ride back to Durbanville on Sunday night, we arrived at the guest house we've been staying at and packed all of our stuff together to prepare for the next leg of our trip with the host families.
Deo Gratia. We've been really lucky to stay in the Deo Gratia guest house for the first two weeks because it served as a perfect home base, and also allowed all of the girls to really get to know each other. The owners, Paul and Elise, could not have been more accommodating! They (somehow!) enjoyed our (loud!) company every night and convinced us to come back to the Deo Gratia for the final night of our trip. We are already excited about rejoining as a group to stay up all night to discuss our adventures over their house wine :) .
Langa. On Monday morning we finished packing and checked out of the Deo Gratia. After a quick trip to the mall to buy last minute snacks, converters, and yes, a hairdryer(!), we made our way to one of the oldest and poorest townships in Cape Town known as Langa. We were instructed to leave all valuables behind and began a tour of the city by a knowledgeable man who grew up and still lives in Langa. As we began our tour, I was extremely uneasy and nervous because I kept asking myself what made us so mighty to come into this township to take pictures and pitty the people who live there like some arrogant, wealthy tourists. I remained pretty quiet as we viewed the awful housing conditions until we stepped into an extremely small shack where seventeen families live. There were about 4 small rooms- each no bigger than a dorm room. Within each room, 4 or 5 families would reside. There was 1 sink, 1 shower, and 1 tiny kitchen. I couldn't help but get so emotional over the entire situation that I had to walk out out of the house where we were all piled. Seeing I was upset, Corvell came outside and really helped me to conceptualize why we were there and how by touring these cities, not only do we look at things from a new, grateful perspective, but we also are given the responsibility to educate people about what we saw there so that one day change can be made possible. Although this reasoning wasn't entirely satisfying, it did help when Corvell told me to look around and see how happy the people were around me. It was definitely a moment in my life I hope I never forget, because no matter how stressful or unfortunate I think my life may be at times, I must remember Langa and their township, because it truly changes the way you look at life and how your troubles are put into a new perspective. Since many children in Langa aren't used to the visitors walking around, they absolutely ate up the attention we gave them. We got lots of pictures and gave lots of high fives and hugs to them. The tour lasted about two hours and after that, it was time to go meet our host families!
The Keet Family. As we drove to the church where we were about to meet our host families, the uneasiness and nerves were written all over our faces. Many of us, including me, had no idea about what to expect in regards to the family, the housing conditions, the food we were going to eat and the accommodations they might have. Our group arrived first at the church and soon enough the families began to trickle in. It literally looked as though we were picking teams for gym class as one-by-one each girl 'got called' to her family. I finally (and luckily!) recognized my host mother from the small picture Corvell had emailed to me, so I excitedly went over to meet her family. Immediately their cheerful and welcoming personalities told me I was going to be just fine over the next few weeks, and as the talking continued I became less and less uneasy and more and more excited! Their family consists of Marena, (the woman who I will be teaching 6th grade with) Charles, the father, (who we so quickly figured out works for Coca-Cola too!) and Randall, their 19 year old son (who is currently studying law at a local university). They also have a beautiful Siberian husky named Caspa!
I feel so fortunate to have been placed with this family! They know exactly what it is like to travel to a different country and stay with a host family because they did this several years ago when coming to the United States! In fact, when Charlie studied at the University of Kentucky, he had such a good experience with his host family that he vowed to reciprocate that action back in South Africa! I feel so spoiled at their household that I feel obligated to change the name of my blog because Marena has a hairdryer 10 times better than my one at home!
I've eaten several dinners with the Keet Family and have gotten to know them over the past few days. They have so many plans for me and have been so interesting to talk to, that we've been going to bed extremely late and then getting up extremely early to go to school because there is not enough time during the day. Yesterday I found out that Randall is really good at ping pong and that they have a table at their house! We quickly set up the table and played 4 games- he won two and I won two. I have a feeling we're going to be playing a lot while I'm here... :)
Brooklands Primary. The first day at the primary school was really exciting! I first met the principal, Mrs. Linx, who was extremely excited and energetic for me to be there. I arrived in Marena's 6th grade classroom where a large group of smiling and welcoming faces bombarded me with questions. Because I have the accent of the people they watch on TV, they associate me with Hollywood and assume that I come across celebrities everyday back home. The questions were hysterical... "Have you met OPRAH!?" or "Do you know Hannah Montanta!?" or "What is Barack Obama like?!" or "Do you drive a BMW!?" I quickly realized that they associate my accent with these people and assume that I must know them personally. I do have to say however, that the celebrity status I get while I'm there is pretty cool. EACH of the children say hi to me every morning, all of them try to ask me questions, and children literally stop and stare at me as I'm walking down hallways because I not only talk different from them, but my fair skin and blonde hair tell them that I am not from around here. In fact, one of the other 6th grade teachers told me yesterday that the kids in her class were trying to imitate my accent as they were talking to each other.
After the first day of observing, I decided I wanted to jump right into teaching! I searched through the resources I had brought and created a lesson based on the subject in English they were studying. I gave the lesson to two of the three 6th grade classes today and they went amazing. I took lots of pictures and videos too, so I'll try to post them if I get a chance. The school is not as poor as I had envisioned, so before I leave, Marena is taking me to another school where the resources I brought to donate are high in demand.
I have literally learned more in the last two weeks that I have ever learned before because I find the many cultures and this nation's history so interesting. This unique trip has not only allowed me to be a tourist in a foreign country, but it has also presented me with the opportunity to participate and contribute to a specific culture, family and school. :)
The A Team. When we first arrived in Cape Town, we were greeted by Corvell, our group leader, and 3 other men who he introduced to us as "The A-Team" since they're the ones who have made our trip possible. They have been an incredible asset to our trip as well as some of the nicest, caring guys I've met. Dayle, (Corvell's son) is the first member of the A-team and one of the drivers for this trip. He literally gave up his entire social life for the past two weeks to drive us from 7 in the morning until 11 (or later!) at night. Jonny, the next member of the A-team is Corvell's brother-in-law and the owner of a taxi service. He has let us borrow two of his company's vans which we've appropriately named 'Casper' (the white van) and 'Clifford' (the red van). He has so wonderfully put up with 17 women in his ear, so for that, we're extremely grateful, because its been a hectic, loud and estrogen-filled trip so far ;) . In fact, both Jonny and Dayle have accompanied us where ever we go to make sure we're never alone or haggled by people we don't know. It has been very comforting to have them around and their patience and kindness is definitely appreciated! The last member of the A-team is Owen, an older man who has various connections with the University of Cape Town and some of the schools that we are now placed at. He's arranged meetings and dinners and we even spent time at his church, St. Andrews, where we took dance lessons from the youth group there.
Hermanus. This past weekend we traveled to Hermanus- a two hour drive south of Cape Town. We arrived at a colorful hostel called "Hermanus Backpackers" and were assigned rooms. We walked down to the very tourist-y city and took beautiful pictures of the Atlantic Ocean with the mountains in the horizon. We shopped in a large flea market and I found some unique African art to bring home. We gathered together and ate a large dinner before we headed back to the hostel. That night we met a girl who had just graduated from the University of Michigan! After talking to her for a bit, we discovered that one of her best friends from the university is actually from Grosse Pointe! It really is a small world...
Agualas. The next morning, we woke up early to drive to the southernmost point of Africa- where the Atlantic and the Indian oceans meet. We ate lunch at a lighthouse right on the beautiful water and took lots of pictures on the rocks. After a long ride back to Durbanville on Sunday night, we arrived at the guest house we've been staying at and packed all of our stuff together to prepare for the next leg of our trip with the host families.
Deo Gratia. We've been really lucky to stay in the Deo Gratia guest house for the first two weeks because it served as a perfect home base, and also allowed all of the girls to really get to know each other. The owners, Paul and Elise, could not have been more accommodating! They (somehow!) enjoyed our (loud!) company every night and convinced us to come back to the Deo Gratia for the final night of our trip. We are already excited about rejoining as a group to stay up all night to discuss our adventures over their house wine :) .
Langa. On Monday morning we finished packing and checked out of the Deo Gratia. After a quick trip to the mall to buy last minute snacks, converters, and yes, a hairdryer(!), we made our way to one of the oldest and poorest townships in Cape Town known as Langa. We were instructed to leave all valuables behind and began a tour of the city by a knowledgeable man who grew up and still lives in Langa. As we began our tour, I was extremely uneasy and nervous because I kept asking myself what made us so mighty to come into this township to take pictures and pitty the people who live there like some arrogant, wealthy tourists. I remained pretty quiet as we viewed the awful housing conditions until we stepped into an extremely small shack where seventeen families live. There were about 4 small rooms- each no bigger than a dorm room. Within each room, 4 or 5 families would reside. There was 1 sink, 1 shower, and 1 tiny kitchen. I couldn't help but get so emotional over the entire situation that I had to walk out out of the house where we were all piled. Seeing I was upset, Corvell came outside and really helped me to conceptualize why we were there and how by touring these cities, not only do we look at things from a new, grateful perspective, but we also are given the responsibility to educate people about what we saw there so that one day change can be made possible. Although this reasoning wasn't entirely satisfying, it did help when Corvell told me to look around and see how happy the people were around me. It was definitely a moment in my life I hope I never forget, because no matter how stressful or unfortunate I think my life may be at times, I must remember Langa and their township, because it truly changes the way you look at life and how your troubles are put into a new perspective. Since many children in Langa aren't used to the visitors walking around, they absolutely ate up the attention we gave them. We got lots of pictures and gave lots of high fives and hugs to them. The tour lasted about two hours and after that, it was time to go meet our host families!
The Keet Family. As we drove to the church where we were about to meet our host families, the uneasiness and nerves were written all over our faces. Many of us, including me, had no idea about what to expect in regards to the family, the housing conditions, the food we were going to eat and the accommodations they might have. Our group arrived first at the church and soon enough the families began to trickle in. It literally looked as though we were picking teams for gym class as one-by-one each girl 'got called' to her family. I finally (and luckily!) recognized my host mother from the small picture Corvell had emailed to me, so I excitedly went over to meet her family. Immediately their cheerful and welcoming personalities told me I was going to be just fine over the next few weeks, and as the talking continued I became less and less uneasy and more and more excited! Their family consists of Marena, (the woman who I will be teaching 6th grade with) Charles, the father, (who we so quickly figured out works for Coca-Cola too!) and Randall, their 19 year old son (who is currently studying law at a local university). They also have a beautiful Siberian husky named Caspa!
I feel so fortunate to have been placed with this family! They know exactly what it is like to travel to a different country and stay with a host family because they did this several years ago when coming to the United States! In fact, when Charlie studied at the University of Kentucky, he had such a good experience with his host family that he vowed to reciprocate that action back in South Africa! I feel so spoiled at their household that I feel obligated to change the name of my blog because Marena has a hairdryer 10 times better than my one at home!
I've eaten several dinners with the Keet Family and have gotten to know them over the past few days. They have so many plans for me and have been so interesting to talk to, that we've been going to bed extremely late and then getting up extremely early to go to school because there is not enough time during the day. Yesterday I found out that Randall is really good at ping pong and that they have a table at their house! We quickly set up the table and played 4 games- he won two and I won two. I have a feeling we're going to be playing a lot while I'm here... :)
Brooklands Primary. The first day at the primary school was really exciting! I first met the principal, Mrs. Linx, who was extremely excited and energetic for me to be there. I arrived in Marena's 6th grade classroom where a large group of smiling and welcoming faces bombarded me with questions. Because I have the accent of the people they watch on TV, they associate me with Hollywood and assume that I come across celebrities everyday back home. The questions were hysterical... "Have you met OPRAH!?" or "Do you know Hannah Montanta!?" or "What is Barack Obama like?!" or "Do you drive a BMW!?" I quickly realized that they associate my accent with these people and assume that I must know them personally. I do have to say however, that the celebrity status I get while I'm there is pretty cool. EACH of the children say hi to me every morning, all of them try to ask me questions, and children literally stop and stare at me as I'm walking down hallways because I not only talk different from them, but my fair skin and blonde hair tell them that I am not from around here. In fact, one of the other 6th grade teachers told me yesterday that the kids in her class were trying to imitate my accent as they were talking to each other.
After the first day of observing, I decided I wanted to jump right into teaching! I searched through the resources I had brought and created a lesson based on the subject in English they were studying. I gave the lesson to two of the three 6th grade classes today and they went amazing. I took lots of pictures and videos too, so I'll try to post them if I get a chance. The school is not as poor as I had envisioned, so before I leave, Marena is taking me to another school where the resources I brought to donate are high in demand.
I have literally learned more in the last two weeks that I have ever learned before because I find the many cultures and this nation's history so interesting. This unique trip has not only allowed me to be a tourist in a foreign country, but it has also presented me with the opportunity to participate and contribute to a specific culture, family and school. :)
Friday, July 17, 2009
Adventures from Africa
Hi All!
I apologize for not posting as much as I had hoped, but my time here in Cape Town is limited and busy, so Internet has not been a priority in the crazy itinerary we have been following. When I last updated, I briefly explained my weekend adventures as we traveled around Cape Town, but want to take the opportunity in this post to briefly explain South Africa's historical past and the major struggles, specifically in education, they face today. By doing this, I hope you will be able to see why we're here, and who and how we're helping...
From 1948-1994, South Africa's government ran on a system known as Apartheid, which means translates to mean ‘segregation’. During this period, people were divided and classified solely on their physical appearances. The social structure was divided into 4 unequal groups- whites, Indians, coloureds and blacks- where each race had separate neighborhoods, jobs and roles within the society. The whites in control of South Africa at the time of Apartheid were the descendants of the British and Dutch colonizers. Because their relatives had colonized and seemingly 'built up' the country, they gained authority by using force and violence to be on the top of society. This group of white people, known as Afrikaaners are still benefitting from the successes of Apartheid.
The Indian and coloured peoples were the next groups in the social hierarchy, but unfortunately had less privileges than the Afrikaans and were only allowed to frequent certain places and hold certain jobs. The blacks in South Africa were given the worst treatment and had the least opportunities in the Apartheid society. Afrikaaners physically and forcefully removed blacks from their homes, specifically in District 6- a large residential area in Cape Town- and moved them to small, unbearable shanties on the outskirts of town where they still live today. Interestingly, (and contradicting to most American cities,) downtown Cape Town is home to the wealthiest people in the area, (mostly Afrikaaners) and the farther you travel outside of the city, the poorer the people and townships become. Because the Apartheid worked so well to put down blacks, Afrikaans gained huge power and prestige- something they still have today.
The classes we are taking while in South Africa have specifically examined the lopsided education system in the country and the problems they are experiencing. Because blacks were held so low during the Apartheid, they were unable to get education at a secondary level. The select few that had the opportunity to study at this level were given only two options: to become a teacher or a preacher. Thus, many blacks were forced into the career of teaching out of necessity rather than possessing a strong passion for the profession. Furthermore, the teacher education programs for blacks were less structured than the prestigious white teacher universities, so many blacks studying to become teachers were often under qualified and forced to take job positions in the poorer areas they were raised in. On the contrast, the graduating white teachers took jobs that were well-paid, located in better neighborhoods and provided more resources. Consequently, the cycle of poor students with less qualified teachers and advantaged students with qualified teachers was perpetuated and resulted in massive gaps between white and black schools in South Africa. (If you would like to learn more about the interesting past of South Africa, the book “Knowledge in the Blood” by Jonathan Jansen provides incredible insight on the unequal educational systems and the tense race relations that still exist today.)
Although this is an extremely concise description of a nation’s complex history, I hope it taught you a little something you might not have known before. (I can’t help it when the teacher side of me comes out!)
Now comes the fun part! Below are several highlights and facts about South Africa and our experiences thus far. I’ll do my best to include as much as I can…
---This past week we’ve been studying at the University of Cape Town listening to various lecturers, teachers and opinions of the country’s educational system. The university, founded in 1829, is home to 30,000 students and is situated beautifully in the middle of Table Mountain overlooking the city of Cape Town. The campus has a very European feel to it as vines cover each building, the roads are made with bricks and water fountains are scattered throughout. We really enjoyed our time at the university, and although a little overwhelmed by all of the information, felt very lucky to study at such an amazing location.
---Currently, English and Afrikaans are the two most prestigious and widely used languages in South Africa, so most people speak both of these along with Zulu or Xhchosa (spelling? pronounced ko-sa).
---All 17 of the girls are still getting along wonderfully. The huge amounts of time we’ve spent together have allowed us to get extremely close and share lots of laughs. We’re getting nervous about leaving one another as we depart next week for separate host families, but each weekend we will meet back up as a group to do more traveling and exploring around the country. (In fact, one of the girls got a call last night while we were sitting down for dinner and found out she got a first grade teaching job in west Michigan! We are so excited for her!)
---Speaking of dinner, the food here has been INCREDIBLE. I honestly had no idea what to expect in terms of the kinds of food, the amount of food and the quality of the food, but have simply been blown away. Corvell, our group leader and South African native, arranged and paid his mother and sister to cater our food for the first 11 days of the trip and it has been one of the highlights of the trip. Everyday for lunch and dinner we’ve received huge, homemade and authentic African meals that have left us so full. I’ve tried curry, bryani, chicken pies, frikkadal and mash, African lasagna, beef stew and lots, lots more of delicious, completely homemade appetizer, sides and desserts. We have really been spoiled in terms of trying authentic cuisine so to we are very thankful for Corvell’s family.
---Speaking of Corvell…. he has been an amazing leader of our group. He is so kind and patient with us (he is, after all, the only male in a group of 17 girls) and makes us laugh all day long with his enthusiastic and joking personality. We feel very comfortable with him and he has really taken a lot of time to carefully plan out the itinerary so we can see as many things as possible. Thank you Corvell!
---Tomorrow is Nelson Mandela’s birthday! The country celebrates this occasion like a holiday so I’m anxious to see and experience the day.
---Now for my favorite part so far: climbing down Table Mountain. Yesterday, we finally were able to ride up to the top of the mountain since the weather was so clear. We took cable cars to the top of the mountain and looked out at the entire city of Cape Town. The pictures we took were absolutely incredible as the views were some of the most amazing I’ve ever seen. After an hour on top of the mountain, the group split into two and we began walking down the mountain on a small, secluded trail. It was extremely rocky terrain and it was the most difficult hiking I’ve ever done- in fact, the walk down was a 4 out of 5 in difficulty! Needless to say, we are extremely sore today. I can’t wait to show off the pictures. In the two hours it took to walk down the mountain, I took over 250 pictures!
Unfortunately I have to get going, but will try to update whenever I can! We leave for a weekend excursion in the Western Cape Province and will be back Sunday night. We meet our host family on Monday and will live with them for the remainder of the trip! I can’t wait to start what we came here to do! (And again, please excuse any bad grammar or writing errors – I had to write quickly!) Thank you for all of your comments, it’s really wonderful to know people are thinking about me from back home. Love and miss you all! Goodnight!
Sunday, July 12, 2009
I made it!
Hi All! I'm writing to you from a small Internet cafe in Durbanville, South Africa- a city directly outside of Cape Town. This is the first chance we've had to use the Internet, so I want to try and update you a little bit about the plane ride, the culture, what we've done and where we've gone so far:
As far as the plane ride goes, it was a verrrrry long flight. After a 2 hour flight from Detroit to Atlanta, GA, we hopped on another plane which traveled for 8 hours to Dakar, Senegal so that we could refuel. Once in Senegal however, we were not allowed to get off the plane, so we had to wait for 2 hours while we refueled and security checked our bags and seats for unknown items (we assume they were looking for drugs, but it was hard to tell and they were not very friendly). After the long break, we continued on our way from Senegal to Cape Town, and after another 9-10 hour flight, we arrived! We landed in South Africa around 5pm their time. Other than the length and the uncomfortable seating/sleeping, I met a few nice people during the ride. Max, a guy around my age, sat next to me on the plane and was able to give me some insight about the city of Cape Town. Although he has been all over the world, (he grew up in Russia, moved to Cape Town and is now getting ready to move to San Diego, CA) he said his favorite city is Cape Town and even compared Cape Town to a smaller version of San Diego! Surprised by this comparison, I grew more excited for our upcoming adventures, and came to find out the two cities probably are similar...
After getting picked up at the airport by one of the coordinators and his son, we piled in 2 buses (there are 17 girls on this trip) and headed to the house we are residing in for the first 11 days. Similar to a bed and breakfast, the Deo Gratia house has a very cozy, stylish and home-y feel to it. We found our rooms and discovered lots of goodies on our designated beds- a tshirt with our names on them, a SIM card to use, a coursepack complete with an itinerary and a post card that welcomed us to Africa. My new roommates and I quickly discovered we got the best room in the house! It has a full kitchen and THREE separate rooms for a toilet, a jacuzzi and a shower, not to mention we each get our own beds. Needless to say, we definitely got lucky where we were placed!
On our first full day, we woke up early to breakfast and then set off on an excursion to Robbin Island- the area where prisoners were held during Apartheid, but also famously noted for housing Nelson Mandela for almost 20 years. After a 20 minute ferry ride, we arrived at the small and eerie island and took a brief bus tour of the entire island. Afterwards, we arrived at the High Security Prison Cells and got a tour and explanation of the things that occurred here only a few years before. In fact, because Apartheid ended only in 1994, many of the tour guides on the island were old prisoners or prison guards! Not only were the tours very detailed because our guide had actually lived IN the prison, but it really made you aware of how recent (and ongoing) the troubles are that South Africa has endured. After Robbin Island, we traveled to two more museums: the District 6 Museum and the hospital where the first heart transplant in the world occured by Chris Barnard. (Some good trivia if you ever wind up on Cash Cab.)
Yesterday, we traveled up and around Table Mountain- the mountain range that surrounds the city of Cape Town. We went to a beach where hundreds of cute African penguins live and took lots of great pictures.
Surprisingly, the city of Cape Town is very much like an American city with some European vibes to it. All of the signs, restuarants and advertisements are in English and many of the slogans, terminology and slang are very similar to the United States. My dad will be happy to know that Coca-Cola has a huge hold in South Africa, and I was happy to discover that I won't be without Diet Coke for the remainder of the trip (even though diet coke is called coca-light). Two days ago, we went to one of South Africa's largest restaurant chains only to discover it was extremely comparable to a Chili's or Bennigans in the United States. The menu had all of the items you would find on an American one and even the faijtas I ordered were similar to ones you would eat in the United States.
Some of the differences between South Africa and America include:
Unfortunately, my time is up in the Internet cafe, so I do have to get going. This post was a chance to catch you all up on my whereabouts, so I apologize that it's a little unorganized and wordy. I hope everyone is doing well back at home. Please feel free to email me, comment or call me anytime you want! (I purchased a cell phone yesterday and if you call my mother, she has the information on how you can contact me!) Next week (starting tomorrow), we head to the University of Cape Town to take classes, so I'm hoping to have access to the Internet more so than the last few days and will try to update often...
As far as the plane ride goes, it was a verrrrry long flight. After a 2 hour flight from Detroit to Atlanta, GA, we hopped on another plane which traveled for 8 hours to Dakar, Senegal so that we could refuel. Once in Senegal however, we were not allowed to get off the plane, so we had to wait for 2 hours while we refueled and security checked our bags and seats for unknown items (we assume they were looking for drugs, but it was hard to tell and they were not very friendly). After the long break, we continued on our way from Senegal to Cape Town, and after another 9-10 hour flight, we arrived! We landed in South Africa around 5pm their time. Other than the length and the uncomfortable seating/sleeping, I met a few nice people during the ride. Max, a guy around my age, sat next to me on the plane and was able to give me some insight about the city of Cape Town. Although he has been all over the world, (he grew up in Russia, moved to Cape Town and is now getting ready to move to San Diego, CA) he said his favorite city is Cape Town and even compared Cape Town to a smaller version of San Diego! Surprised by this comparison, I grew more excited for our upcoming adventures, and came to find out the two cities probably are similar...
After getting picked up at the airport by one of the coordinators and his son, we piled in 2 buses (there are 17 girls on this trip) and headed to the house we are residing in for the first 11 days. Similar to a bed and breakfast, the Deo Gratia house has a very cozy, stylish and home-y feel to it. We found our rooms and discovered lots of goodies on our designated beds- a tshirt with our names on them, a SIM card to use, a coursepack complete with an itinerary and a post card that welcomed us to Africa. My new roommates and I quickly discovered we got the best room in the house! It has a full kitchen and THREE separate rooms for a toilet, a jacuzzi and a shower, not to mention we each get our own beds. Needless to say, we definitely got lucky where we were placed!
On our first full day, we woke up early to breakfast and then set off on an excursion to Robbin Island- the area where prisoners were held during Apartheid, but also famously noted for housing Nelson Mandela for almost 20 years. After a 20 minute ferry ride, we arrived at the small and eerie island and took a brief bus tour of the entire island. Afterwards, we arrived at the High Security Prison Cells and got a tour and explanation of the things that occurred here only a few years before. In fact, because Apartheid ended only in 1994, many of the tour guides on the island were old prisoners or prison guards! Not only were the tours very detailed because our guide had actually lived IN the prison, but it really made you aware of how recent (and ongoing) the troubles are that South Africa has endured. After Robbin Island, we traveled to two more museums: the District 6 Museum and the hospital where the first heart transplant in the world occured by Chris Barnard. (Some good trivia if you ever wind up on Cash Cab.)
Yesterday, we traveled up and around Table Mountain- the mountain range that surrounds the city of Cape Town. We went to a beach where hundreds of cute African penguins live and took lots of great pictures.
Surprisingly, the city of Cape Town is very much like an American city with some European vibes to it. All of the signs, restuarants and advertisements are in English and many of the slogans, terminology and slang are very similar to the United States. My dad will be happy to know that Coca-Cola has a huge hold in South Africa, and I was happy to discover that I won't be without Diet Coke for the remainder of the trip (even though diet coke is called coca-light). Two days ago, we went to one of South Africa's largest restaurant chains only to discover it was extremely comparable to a Chili's or Bennigans in the United States. The menu had all of the items you would find on an American one and even the faijtas I ordered were similar to ones you would eat in the United States.
Some of the differences between South Africa and America include:
- The cars drive on the left side of the road and the driver's seat is located on the right side of the car.
- We had to stop in the middle of the street yesterday to wait for 3 baboons and 4 ostriches to cross the road.
- Instead of baseball, hockey, basketball or football playing on the TVs at the restaurant, we watched cricket and rugby- two huge sports in South Africa.
Unfortunately, my time is up in the Internet cafe, so I do have to get going. This post was a chance to catch you all up on my whereabouts, so I apologize that it's a little unorganized and wordy. I hope everyone is doing well back at home. Please feel free to email me, comment or call me anytime you want! (I purchased a cell phone yesterday and if you call my mother, she has the information on how you can contact me!) Next week (starting tomorrow), we head to the University of Cape Town to take classes, so I'm hoping to have access to the Internet more so than the last few days and will try to update often...
Wednesday, July 8, 2009
The Countdown Is Over.
Since I’m taking two Master’s classes while in Africa, I’ve had a couple assignments to turn in before we even leave. One assignment prompted me to creatively describe my expectations of this South African adventure so that we can reflect on them when we get back. I’ve posted part of the assignment below because it shows what different people and I have automatically assumed Africa to be…
Memorable quotes from family, friends and myself that show my hesitations/fears/expectations/lack of knowledge about Africa:
· “So, like, are you going to be living in a hut?” – My Friend’s Mother
· “Wait, I’m not allowed to bring a hairdryer?” –Me
· “Keep your eyes peeled for tigers!”
· “How are you going to teach if you don’t know any other languages?” –Lady at the bank
· “You’re not bringing a cell phone!?” –My Cousin
“Nope. Not a cell phone, computer, hairdryer OR straighter.” –Me
· “What am I supposed to do in Midland, Michigan for the rest of the summer?” –Jon
· “Get used to going to the bathroom outside!” -My Grandpa
· “There are 11 official languages in South Africa.” -Corvell
· “Bring me back a baby giraffe” –Ben Dmitruk
· “So what type of food are you going to be eating? Where in Cape Town will you be living? What is 6th grade in Africa equivalent to in America? Will you be able to call home everyday?” –My Aunt
“I honestly have no idea.” –Me
· “You’re not getting any shots before you leave!?” –My Grandma
· “I just need to get into the ‘go-with-the-flow’ mentality.” –Me
· “So, are you going to be able to do this on your own, Bets? Because you’re not going to be able to call me if you have a migraine or if you’re sick when you’re that far away” –My Mom
· “1 out of every 2 people have HIV/AIDS in Cape Town. In some smaller cities, the percentage is even higher.” –Cheryl
· “Take lots of pictures of animals for me!”
· “You’re going to the birth place of Dave Matthews. Now that is a mecca I would love to take.”
· Your flight is 18 HOURS?!” –My Cousin
· “Bring me back something good.” -Danbo
Although some of the above quotes are exaggerations or silly remarks, I’ve found it extremely interesting to see the various images and assumptions people (and myself!) have of the culture and civilization in South Africa. Not only will this experience allow me to examine and participate in an entirely different culture, but it will also force me to look at things from a new perspective and discover the answers to the above questions on my own, rather than surviving solely on stereotypes from our media, schooling and Disney’s Lion King. This unique opportunity is sure to test my teaching abilities, my personal assumptions and fears (and also my homesickness), but I eagerly look forward to the challenge.
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