Before The Weekend...

I want to get a post out there before the start of this weekend. I will be travelling to a farm this coming weekend with my group to experience the African frontier. I will get to milk cows, sheer sheep, explore waterfalls, and much more. This weekends excursion is going to be very fun and everyone is excited for it to start.

Marimba time!

This past week was a good one, like all weeks in Africa.

For music class on Monday we all went to a local high school to learn and play the marimbas. This was very cool. We learned multiple songs and a little bit of marimba history. Then the high school
band members took over and showed us how it was really done ha. Watching them play was great.

Tuesday's, as well as Monday's, service at Pendla was great. The entire school is getting to know each one of us now. On Monday, Shannon and I taught the 4th graders some prepositions which I thought would be difficult but the kids slowly picked up on it. What a great feeling it is to teach someone something. It is amazing to see the light bulb go on and for it to all click into place. On Tuesday, the kids had a large test that seemed to be similar to what we would call the "MCA's." Oh, what a joy those tests were. The kids seemed to be in good spirits after it, though, which was nice to see. For my politics class we had a lecture on the African electoral system. Next week I will have to present to the class about the differences between the African and American electoral systems.

Wednesday morning brought along my Peace Studies course which was great. I don't mind spending three hours in this lecture because the topics we debate are extremely interesting. It's also very good to hear everyone's opinion and thoughts, even if it gets others a little riled. (That's always a little entertaining too.)

Recess with some of the Pendla kids

My seminar course was today and every flat had to present a part from Nelson Mandela's autobiography "A Long Walk To Freedom." My flat presented parts 5 & 6 which involved the Sharpeville Massacre of 1960, Nelson Mandela's first trial that accused him of high treason which lasted 4 years, and his life underground and in hiding.

The weather here is mimicking paradise. It has been 75-80 degrees, sunny with clear skies all week. Not going to lie, it's made even better when I hear about the snowfalls in Minnesota.
My free time is spent planning future excursions, prepping for class, spending time on the beach, playing pickup games of basketball, working-out with my friend Jordan, and going out with both friends from the US and South Africa. We had some fun last night when we found a pizza deal (buy one and get the next free) at Barney's, one of the local bars. After, we all went out to sing karaoke, play pool, and dance.

Now, onto the weekend. I am sure I will have many stories from these new and exciting experiences and adventures.

The Safari: One of the Best Experiences of My Life!

Yesterday, the group all headed out to go on a safari. I have always wanted to do this and couldn't believe it was actually happening. We left around 8:30 Friday morning and drove to Addo Elephant National Park which was about an hour away. Our guide, Bradley, is an extremely knowledgeable man and told us a million interesting facts along the way. We stopped at two safari game reserves. 

Addo Elephant National Park

Me with some friends at Addo Elephant National Park

We rode into the park and were given a map that came with a long list of animals we hoped to spot. Within the first 15 minutes we came across a massive Elephant that sat right in the middle of the road. He slowly grazed on the grass and was literally within 10 feet of me. I was in awe. It was a surreal moment to be that close to a wild animal and one that was so big. We moved on throughout the park and came across a Kudu. They are a type of antelope that have very long and curvy antlers. It is extremely fast and strong. We were within 10 feet of this animal as well. As we moved through the park we came across Warthogs, Zebra, Dung Beetles, Monkeys, Impala, Hartebeest, and tons more. We stayed in the park for 4 hours and then had a nice picnic in it. At around 2PM we headed out and started our way towards Schotia Safari. 

Schotia Safaris

Schotia Safaris is a private game reserve unlike Addo which is public. At Schotia they packed us into open land rovers and took off into the park. Yes, it is just like you would imagine a safari ride to be like. At Schotia they allow your driver to go off road and get very close to the animals. The group was split into 4 cars and my driver was named Donavan. Donavan was a cool guy, probably around the age of 28. He drove us into the north part of the camp where we saw Buffalo, Rhinos, Giraffe, Elephants, and many other animals. When we found the Rhinos we noticed the horns had been cut off. Poachers had come into the park a few months ago and taken them. The horns will regrow but it will take several years. They are lucky they didn't kill the rhino, only tranquilized it. 

Safari crew

Poaching is a serious issue that affects many wild animals. There is also another aspect of poaching called canning. Canning is when people breed and grow animals for the sole purpose of hunting them. When they reach a certain age they sell the animal to usually a foreigner (German, American, etc.) who pays to come and hunt it. Very sad. 

After touring the north part we stopped and grabbed some hot chocolate and a small snack. There were about 6 cars out in the park and so we all met up and talked about our experience thus far. Once we had finished we piled back in and went off into the south end of the park. The weather was ideal for a safari ride. You may think hot, sunny temperatures would be good but what you actually want is an overcast with cool temperatures. We also had a slight rain for about 20 minutes. The weather conditions brought the animals out and had them running around. A lot better than them just sitting in the shade underneath a tree.

When we entered the south end our main objective was to see a lion. Donovan made that happen. He heard from a few other tour guides where some were spotted and so we headed in that direction. We found a lioness flirting through the fence at two lions on the opposite side. The lions belonged to Addo Elephant National Park which was right next door. From there we drove over and sighted another lion and lioness. They happened to be lying next to one another because they were currently in their mating season. This lasts about 45 days. It is so long because the lioness wants to ensure that she will become pregnant. 

Patience is a virture, especially in a safari. The're all wild animals so you just have to give them some time and they will come around. So we waited for awhile to see if they would come closer. We decided to wait longer than the other cars who took off to see other animals. When we were alone, Donovan said he would do something he wasn't supposed to and take us extremely close. We came within about 8-10 feet of the lion and his mate. I have never been so excited in my life. When we came close, the lion and lioness began to lick one another which resulted in them beginning to mate. This is extremely rare to see. Have you ever seen National Geographic? Yeah, I lived it, seriously. They stood up and mated right in front of us. It is a fairly quick process for lions. Once they are done, the lion roars to let the lioness know and to confirm, she bites him. Pretty rough way of communicating if you ask me! However, when the lion roared I remembered that he was a wild animal and became unbelievably excited, but frightened. You could feel the vibration of his call and it was intimidating, not to mention his enormous teeth. I wasn't sure if he had done that for his mate or because he wasn't happy with how close we had come. The lion was within one jump of our vehicle so you could say I was on the edge of my seat. About a minute later he had stopped pacing and settled down. We decided this would be the best time for us to roll on and so we did. I had never expected to get so close to a wild animal. What I witnessed was truly amazing! 

After the lions, we drove down to a watering hole where we saw Hippopotamuses in the water. Hippos are huge and actually harm more humans than any other wild animal. We watched them for awhile and then headed in for dinner. The safari dinner was unbelievable. It felt like a resort. They served rice, mushroom soup, chicken, pumpkin, and for the special, Kudu. It tasted very good. We ate and then were served a nice dessert. There was also an open bar where we could grab a beer and some wine and sit by the fire. By this time the sun had gone down.

Donovan asked us to get back in the car so he could take us on a night drive. He pulled out his spotlight and drove around the park. It was about a 25 minute drive and we were able to spot some Impala, Crocodiles, and a Jackal. This led us back to the entrance of the park where we got out and reconvened. We then headed back to Port Elizabeth for the night.

This blog and the pictures that you see can't even begin to explain the excitement and fun I had while on the safari. I saw every animal I have ever wanted to and all within 10-20 feet. Seeing the lion and lioness so close was exhilarating and surreal. My adrenaline was pumping. The entire experience was one I will never forget. 

The Past Week: Jeffrey's Bay, School, and A Look Ahead

With school and excursions starting to roll I haven't had much time to blog. However, I found sometime now as I sit in Madibaz Cafe waiting for some lunch and seminar to start.

The past week has been great. On Saturday, a group of us rented two cars and drove to Jeffrey's Bay for our first excursion/get away. Jeffrey's Bay is a hotspot for surfers. It is one of the best places to surf on Earth, so I've heard. There were some surfers out there but, unfortunately for us, the surf board rental shop was closed. No worries, though, there are plans to surf it up near our beach soon. Rather than surf, the group drove a few miles down the road to a adventure park where we could zipline and cliff jump. So 10 out of the 13 of us signed up for the zipline. There were 4 stages to the zipline and took about 30 minutes to complete. It was a ton of fun and very cool to glide a few hundred feet over the canyon floor. After, we all walked down to the watering hole to go cliff jumping. There were multiple cliffs to jump from and all were very fun. The highest was a 50 foot jump. Of course, I had to test it out for myself. It was a fall but a fun one. 

The following days after Jeffrey's Bay were filled with service and school. On Sunday, I escaped the group for a bit and went to campus to study, Skype, and to take a look around. 

Monday and Tuesday were spent at Pendla helping teach. It gets more fun every time we go and the kids are starting to learn our names. They even have helped teach me some Xhosa. Lots of clicks and clacks. 

Monday's class, South African Music, was spent singing and dancing. We learned the South African national anthem which involves 4 different languages. 

Tuesday's class, South African Politics went well and we learned about foreign influences on South Africa and it's development.

Wednesday was a pretty calm day. Worked out and then had Peace Studies in the morning which led into a heated discussion about human, animal, and environment rights. So, this class will be fun. 

Today, I was able to hit the gym in the morning. While writing this post NMMU had a mass dance out in front  of the library so, obviously, I had to take part in that. Check YouTube, folks. Ha! Now that leaves me with Seminar and a nice relaxing rest of my day. Weekend starts in about 4 hours! 

With the few rain showers we have had the humidity has calmed down. Tomorrow, the entire group will be heading to Addo Elephant Park for a safari. You can say that I'm pretty excited! I've always wanted to go on an African Safari so tomorrow will be quite an adventure! There is an involvement fair on Saturday for students to join clubs, sports, and societies. I'm sure I'll find a number of things to get myself involved in! 

Me with some of my fourth graders at Pendla!

School Has Begun!

School has started down here in South Africa. NMMU is amazing and I love every aspect of it. The campus is beautiful, monkeys practically walk with you to class, and there is always so much going on. On Monday, the group and I had our first service learning/volunteer day. After thinking about all the spots to volunteer I ended up picking Pendla Primary School. The kids there are great and won me over. Me and 11 others head to Pendla every Monday and Tuesday morning while the others split off and go to Missionvale and House. I chose Pendla because I feel it needs the most help and that I can get the most out of my experience there. Would Missionvale focus more on what I would like to do with my life? Possibly. However, I will most likely never get to teach again in my life and want this opportunity abroad to try new things. At Pendla I am two things: a teacher and a jungle gym. There is nothing better. I get to teach 4th grade South African children english, math, science, social studies, and life skills. I am partners with my friend Shannon who also is on the study abroad trip. At recess, the kids swarm us. And when I say swarm, I mean swarm. I had about 15 little guys trying to drag me down the other day. It was so much fun! They love to hold hands, jump on you, and have you pull them up. They also love to play soccer and a game they call "run" which entails me running from a mass of kids until they catch me!

In class, the kids are great even though they can get a little rowdy at times, but what kid doesn't. At Pendla the major thing they lack is structure in their teaching and education system. So by being there it helps me understand what they struggle with and how I can help. I hope to suggest some ideas and ways for them to better structure their school. You may be thinking "Why would a college kid from the U.S. get to suggest ideas on South African teaching?" and I would agree, why would I? However, that is a major reason why we are there, other than helping the children, and they have asked us to suggest ideas. I would like to suggest ways for them to improve their teaching because as of now many of the teachers fail to show up or lead class in a productive manner. The children end up repeating many things over and over which doesn't help them progress.

Moving on with my other classes... On Monday I had South African Jazz Music. We learned about many different tribes and the instruments and music they make. It was interesting. The class has a few field trips that will allow us to see multiple performances and different kinds of instruments.

Tuesday we all had service again. After service a portion of us who signed up for South African Politics went to class. The teacher is a 26 year old and is pretty cool. Laid back and nice. We learned about the history of South African politics all the way from 1900 to the election of Nelson Mandela.

Wednesday morning I had Human Rights and Actions which is a Peace Studies course. I feel like I will really enjoy this course because it allows for a lot of discussion on many important aspects that I know will pop up throughout my life. Plus, there is nothing I like more than discussion.

Finally, tomorrow brings us Marine Biology and Study Abroad Seminar. I am not currently signed up for Marine Biology but I think it would be a lot of fun to take. So I asked my director, Sister Mary Jane, if I could sit in on the class. She emailed the professor and she said it would be great if I would sit in! I will receive no credit and earn no grade, however, I will learn a ton. Plus, as a double major the last thing I am worried about is not having enough credits. So hopefully tomorrow everything will go smoothly and that I will be able to remain as a sit-in on the Marine Biology course. After Biology, I will have Study Abroad Seminar which is with the entire group. I feel as if this class will probably be the most work but also a lot of good discussion. We have no class on Fridays.

Overall, everything is going great and school has been a lot of fun. It is currently pretty humid here, but hopefully that will die down over the next few days. Besides school, I have bought a gym membership to NMMU's gym, walked the campus just to get a feel for everything, and took a few cab rides home from school by myself just to meet some new people and to get me out of my comfort zone. Not sure what the weekend holds but I think some of us may take a day trip somewhere. Finally, on Monday the Madiba's have a rugby game which myself and some others are going to. Super excited!

First Weekend

A nice first weekend down here in Port Elizabeth. On Friday, my first lecture took place at NMMU. It was a three hour class that meets periodically throughout the semester to check in on our service learning and to see how volunteering is going. The first class went over the sites and some more characteristics of Port Elizabeth. If you have seen my pictures on Facebook you probably think that it's all sand and beaches. Yes, the weather is 100x better than Minnesota's and the beaches do mimic Florida's but what I haven't been able to capture yet is the full picture of South Africa. I have only been here for a week but it's amazing what you can take in in a short amount of time. Poverty here is a major concern with unemployment being around 55% and even worse in townships, close to 80%. People have inadequate educational and health facilities, poor shelter and water/sewage, and crime. I'm lucky enough to be placed in a nice area where we live near the beach and close to the University, which is obviously necessary. However, these characteristics of poverty plague the surrounding area and is why we have required service learning and volunteer opportunities. I state this because I want to make sure no one misunderstands how things are and that everyone grasps the entire picture. Now, I may sound like I'm putting a huge debby downer on study abroad but I'm not. Understanding how things are in another part of the world and getting to experience it first hand is what study abroad is all about. It helps open your mind to everything going on around us rather than just taking in what the media tells us.

After class on Friday we all went to a professional rugby match. It is a lot of fun to watch a sport that isn't common in the U.S. and to be a part of the atmosphere. I'm sure we will go to many more including one's at NMMU.

On Saturday we all went on a city tour. We rode in a double-decker bus and were able to get out and see major monuments and pieces of the city. Our guide was extremely knowledgeable and informed us of the history of Port Elizabeth and South Africa. We saw the city, township area, and then a bay where we got out and climbed down the hill to the rocks at the bottom. The view was great.

Today is our last day of winter/summer break. I can say that because it is summer here and the start of the school year is tomorrow rather than the start of spring/second semester. So today has been a relaxed day at the beach as we soak it all in before classes start. We haven't been in class since December 20th, 51 days ago. What is school again? ha. To be completely honest, though, we are all excited for it to begin again because as much as we love not having class it gives structure to our day. Also, the campus is incredible and the courses sound very interesting. It will be exciting to learn about South African music, politics, and human rights.

Experiential Learning: House of Resurrection, Missionvale Care Center, Pendla Primary School

The opportunity to volunteer while studying in South Africa is another reason why I chose this program. I believe that what you do and how you apply yourself outside of the classroom is just as important, if not more, than what you do inside the classroom.

You could learn everything in the book but if you do not use your knowledge to help others then what good is it? 

We toured the three locations that we are able to choose from while we are here. The first was the House of Resurrection, more commonly called House. HIV|AIDS is the main focus. They take in orphaned children who are either infected or affected by HIV|AIDS. They house the children and offer the necessities of survival. They also help the children with their education.

The second place we viewed was Missionvale Care Center. The founder of Missionvale is Sister Ethra who immigrated here from Europe. The center is surrounded by a township that holds around 100,000 to 130,000 people. The main housing in Missionvale are shacks, however within the past year a few houses have been built. Unfortunately, the houses have no running water connected to them and the electricity in the entire township is on-and-off. You never know if you will have it or not. There are 13 water spouts dispersed around the township where the people can go and grab water. Of course, 13 isn't very much for a group of 100,000+ people so the lines become very long while waiting for water. Considering the limited amount of resources the people have, the center is extremely beneficial. Missionvale offers food, education, a health clinic, and a safe place for children. The center dispenses a half loaf of bread with a cup of soup powder which can be mixed with water during lunch. If there are children who do not have parents they are given a family pack that is made
up of two cans of beans, soap, and few other pieces of supplies. This is supposed to last a week. To get the food, the people must bring a piece of trash to recycle considering trash litters the entire township. Furthermore, the center has formed multiple gardens that allow people to grow their own food. There is also a small school that helps educate the children so they are able to move onto high school someday. The clinic is there to help with checkups and emergencies. They have equipment


that allows them to check blood pressure, draw blood, administer shots and medication, and more. There is a doctor, a few nurses, and a pharmacist. The doctor and pharmacist are unable to be there everyday, though.

Finally, the third spot we saw was Pendla Primary School. Pendla is a school located in New Brighton, South Africa. It has students from Pre-K to 7th grade. Upon entering the school I wasn't sure how I would feel about volunteering there considering I had my mind set on Missionvale and its clinic. However, I am torn because the joy I felt meeting the kids, teachers, and ShiShi (pronounced She-She), the principal, was like nothing I have ever felt. It was truly amazing being there and learning all about the school. We toured the small library and cafeteria where the food is made. Both, combined, make up the size of my kitchen and living room back home. So these buildings are fairly small. The classrooms are a little bigger but hold an unbelievable amount of students. The 7th grade has 60 students in one classroom...and you thought your class of 25 was bad. The first few grades have a little less but are still full. We were introduced to each class and grade. When we walked in all of the children stood up and sang us a song. Fairly certain that my heart melted and I'm not afraid to say that. It was one of the most incredible experiences I have had and each child had a wonderful voice. After our tour, some of the teachers made us sandwiches even though I felt that we should have been making them some. The bread they used was a type of brie bread with cheese and butter on it. It was very good. 

After touring each location was must choose one to work at for the remainder of the semester. For me, it is between Missionvale and Pendla. I am unsure of what one I will choose, but come Monday I will have to decide on one. I can't make a bad choice because either one would be great. 

Remainder of my day: The group and I will be celebrating the opening ceremony of the 2014 Winter Olympics tonight! It will be very fun to watch the opening ceremony and all of the events while in another country. I will be rooting for both the USA and South Africa from here on out. 

Opening Drum Ceremony

NMMU held a drum ceremony for all of the international students today to open the school year. We all gathered outside where we received face paintings that had significant meanings. The dots and stripes that are painted refer to your marital status, sex (male|female), and age. Once we were marked the drum ceremony commenced. The ceremony was led by three men and one women from the Zulu tribe. The Zulu are a Bantu ethnic group of Southern Africa and the largest ethnic group in South Africa. They had us all grab a drum and follow the beat that they played. The overall sound and experience was inspiring. It was fun to play along and create music with them. After the drumming ended, the members of the Zulu tribe taught us a dance. They dance for many reasons which include: marriage, times of peace and happiness, feasts, and now the beginning of the school year. Down here in South Africa it is currently fall semester unlike Minnesota where it is spring semester. Once we had learned the dance, they took the entire group and split us into three smaller subgroups and had us perform. From there, one person was selected from each group to perform in front of everyone and to compete for a prize. To my surprise, I was chosen along with two other girls. We all performed the Zulu dance, which was extremely invigorating and fun, and then had the other students make noise for who they thought was best. I ended up taking home the prize which was a Zulu hand shaker that is used when making music and dancing. It is fun to have something to bring home and have to remember the fun time and ceremony.  

Me with a Zulu member who taught us the dance and performed the opening drum ceremony. In my right hand is the hand shaker filled with small caps that make noise when shaken. 

A Few Things I've Noticed So Far...

So I've only been here about 3 to 4 full days now and have taken a lot in. The first, and most obvious, thing I have noticed is that they drive on the left side of the road and have the steering wheel on the right side of the car. I know this is similar to Europe, nonetheless, it's still always funny to get in the car and feel like I'm driving down the wrong side of the road. They also love their car horns. They honk for just about every reason in the book. They enjoy honking to say hi and also just because they can. You can here a beep beep at any time of the day.

Second, the currency here makes your wallet feel much fatter. One United States dollar amounts to 10.8 Rand and is going up! So, need less to say, my money goes a long way here. Makes me even more happy I picked South Africa as my study abroad destination. Yes, you're probably thinking that the price for a shirt is equally matched in rand to account for the exchange rate and you would be correct. It is a little cheaper but around the same for clothing. However, groceries is a different story. You can supply yourself with enough groceries for a week or two on about $20, r200 (200 rand). Of course, were not eating steaks and walleye every night but were also not starving ourselves. With rand being the currency here, it makes looking at prices for groceries and clothing funny and kind of scary considering I have the U.S. dollar in mind. For example, eggs may be r30 so I'll double take thinking its $30 but then smile realizing that it is actually less than $3. Finally, it also is nice on the liquor end of the spectrum. A 6 pack being around $4. 

Next, NMMU (Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University) has a wildlife reserve on campus. They allow students to enter at their own risk to view the zebras and other animals. Obviously, I will be taking my chances and going over the fence (watch out for snakes, though)! The overall campus is very nice and has many tropical and jungle plants all around. 

Finally, the last thing I've noticed here is that time isn't really a huge deal to many. In America, we love to be early or rush things. Here, they are very relaxed and tend to start late. We refer to it as African time. Everything seems to be done at a slower, more relaxed pace. Of course, class won't be delayed 45 minutes but no one is in a rush to start either. Services like cabs and ordering food seem to take a little longer as well. I enjoy the relaxed pace but also find myself wanting to get on with my day. Must be the American in me. Lastly, the 8 hour difference in time compared to Minnesota is interesting. I'll be up starting the next day as my friends back home will be laying down and ending theirs.

A picture of Rand, the South African currency. So much cooler looking than American currency. Not a big surprise, though, they have lions on their's!
 

Orientation at Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University

Today marked the first day of orientation. I felt like a freshman all over again which was actually fun because of the excitement that comes with exploring and learning about the campus and what the school has to offer. We all received a tour of the campus and then picked up our student ID's. While touring the campus there were monkeys all around which was very cool to see. From there the international students from around the world were given a little carnival like celebration. There was a mechanical bull, photo booth, bounce castle, and massive hamster balls that you could roll around in. Yes, you don't have to ask - they are awesome! After, we went to our first ever rugby match today. Our team is the NMMU Madibas, named after Nelson Mandela's clan name. Rugby to them is like football to us, so you can imagine the energy. Everyone was extremely hyped and the school spirit was amazing! So much fun and very cool to be a part of it. Looking forward to the rest of orientation week!

Port Elizabeth, South Africa

I have finally arrived in Port Elizabeth, South Africa. The weather is unbelievable down here. Paradise and then some. The first day here was great. The group and I flew from Johannesburg to Port Elizabeth early Saturday morning, February 1st. Flying over South Africa was incredible. The landscape and area is completely different and so beautiful. When looking out the window of the plane you don't see farm land and suburbs. Rather, you see hills, valleys, desert, beach, townships and small cities. The view gave me chills of excitement. I have never been so excited to land and get off a plane. Once we landed, Sister Mary Jane, our program director, met us at the airport. She helped pick us up and bring us back to Langerry Flats where we will be staying for the entirety of our program. We met up with everyone else who had landed earlier and got settled into our rooms. Personally, I love the rooms and find them quite nice. They aren't something you would see in Minnesota, however, it is perfect for a bunch of 21 year old college kids on a study abroad trip. There is no AC but there isn't a need for it. When you open up all the windows the breeze blows through and cools you down very quickly. That's one of my favorite parts about the flat.

So for Saturday's activities we all went to the beach and jumped into the Indian Ocean for the first time ever. The water was warm and the sand soft. Perfection. Nothing like it. We have all been sun kissed now because after that and our walk to the grocery store for some supplies, our Minnesotan skin is nice and red. However, I would prefer it this way in February rather than dealing with the -30 degree temperature.
At night, we all celebrated our arrival and made our way to the rooftop of the flat where we all talked and took in the scenery till about midnight.

So far today my friend Sam and I went for a quick jog down the beach and then for a dip in the water. It's so nice to be able to do that. After, we all went to mass with Sister Mary Jane. I see myself at the beach for the rest of the day. Maybe playing catch or swimming in the ocean. Not sure, all I know is that it will be very fun.