Weekend in Simonstown

This past weekend we had a student "retreat". Which was basically just a break for all of us from our homestay families and a chance to hang out a bit. They called it a vacation but then gave us a bunch of homework, so it did come with a price.

On Friday we took the train from Rondebosch all of the way to Simonstown. The train station is right across from our classroom so that was really convenient. It was about a 45 minute train ride but it seemed much shorter. The train ran right along the coast so we had a mountain on one side and the ocean on the other... not bad scenery. I put up a bunch of pictures of the view on facebook, so for those who are able feel free to search me and check them out.

Our vans met us at the train station when we arrived and brought us just a few blocks to our hostel. On the train on the way there our student liaison officer (basically an older group guide) was telling us that we were staying in an old convent and we would have to be very quiet and pray several times a day. It was a big deal over whether she was joking or not and she had quite a lot of fun with us. We got there and sure enough, it had been a convent. However it was now converted into a Bed and Breakfast. We all found our rooms and then regrouped before heading out to dinner. About 10 of us went out to eat at a restaurant that our Student Leader knew about. Her brother is in the navy and stationed in Simonstown so he met up with us and showed us where to eat. The food was great and a bunch of the people at the restaurant came over to our table to hang out with "the loud Americans." The cook even came out and bought us all a round of drinks. It was a fun night. I ate springbok steak that was delicious.

On Saturday morning we woke up and walked around Simonstown. It was pretty cloudy so we stayed in town and checked out some of the little shops and grabbed lunch. Then at 2pm we all got in the vans and headed to the Cape of Good Hope and Cape Point. They are two different capes in the Southernmost tip of Africa. Cape Point is also the point where the Indian and Atlantic Oceans meet. We climbed all of the way up to the lighthouse and then we climbed all of the way down to the beach. It was quite the workout but absolutely beautiful. It was really interesting because there were a lot of tourists there so there were many languages being spoken. But it was also very frustrating because we are finally getting used to walking on the left side of roads, paths, and people, but everyone there was doing the opposite so it felt wrong to switch back.

Education in South Africa

This week we talked a little bit about education in South Africa, both pre- and post-apartheid. The lectures were not that interesting but yesterday (Thursday) we actually got to go hang out at some of the schools in Capetown. The 19 of us split up into 5 groups and all went to different high schools. At the end of the day we met back up and shared our experiences and it was very interesting to hear the extreme differences in our accounts.

My group went to a high school in Athelone. It was called Garlandale High School. It is grades 8-12. The school has about 800 students and 33 teachers. It is a state-funded school but there are tuition fees of R1250 ($125) per year which the principal said most students do not pay.

Right when we got there we met with the principal and she told us that today was a bit different from their normal day and they had a group called Life Choices there to talk to the students about HIV. She invited us to the pep rally and of course we went. The guy leading the rally started off by getting everyone excited about the day. He got them to chant and cheer and you could feel the energy in the room. Then he asked for 3 volunteers for a game. 4 kids went up on stage and he made fun of them for not being able to count well. Then he set up the game that each section of the crowd would cheer and dance if a certain contestant got the question right. And everyone would say something like "sorry boghuti" if anyone got a question wrong.
So the game started and the first question was "What does HIV stand for?" The first 3 kids did not know. The fourth girl knew the answer but forgot that before you answered you were suposed to say "Better choices makes a better future." So she didn't get credit. The second question was "What does AIDS stand for?" None of the 4 kids on stage knew that one. Last question was "How is HIV transmitted?" Everyone said unprotected sex.

So then the game ended and he started talking about their program. He said that they were at the school to do VCT which is Voluntary Counseling and Testing. There are a couple representativs of Life Choices at the school 2 days a week in case any of the kids want to talk about HIV. And that day they had free and confidential HIV testing for any of the students that wanted to get tested.

While at the school we shadowed one of the 12th graders. It was cool to talk to her because she is actually from Iraq and just moved to South Africa about a year and a half ago. She moved with her mother and her younger brother. Her father stayed behind. She did not want to move but her parents made her. They were very worried about her health and her safety if she stayed in Iraq. But she said she wanted to go back and that as much as she liked South Africa it would never be home. I was a bit nervous when I heard where she was from because I feel like whenever I meet someone from Iraq I should apologize for being an American, it's a really awkward feeling. But she was very nice and friendly. She talked to us about differences in the school systems between Iraq and South Africa. She said that in Iraq you are given homework and expected to do it and know it the next day because you use it in the classroom. She said that in South Africa they barely ever go over the homework and are often not expected to know it. She also said that in Iraq students are much more respectful. She said that there is hardly any talking in class and people listen and respect the teacher.

Our first class was called Life Orientation and is one of the 4 required classes for students to take. In that class they had another speaker from Life Choices there to talk to them about HIV and sex. He talked to them about some of the facts and some of the myths associated with HIV and it was interesting to see how well informed the kids were. It was also interesting to see how informed and participatory they were, and how sexually active.

The next class we went to was Biology. They were learning about genotypes and phenotypes. That class was very chaotic and people hardly listened to the teacher. He would randomly walk out of the room in the middle of explaining things for no apparent reason. Some students said that sometimes it was to answer his phone. At one point one of the students said to him "Why are you so nervous, afraid your wife will find out?" So it seemed as though something was going on with that teacher. The classroom had graffitti everywhere: tables, walls, chairs. And the students did not have any books for that class. Only handout copies of things if the teacher was able to make them from a book.

Then we had a 15 minute break in which we talked with our student guide and some of her friends. It was kind of interesting. The kids asked what we were doing in South Africa and also why we were at their school. They kept saying we should have gone to see a better school. One of the boys offered to get us drugs and we told him no thanks. We asked them about their plans for next year and our student guide said that she was going to study at UCT (University of Cape Town) while the other kids didn't know. Although one of the girls had a baby and she said she needed to start her life after high school. At the end of the break the girls wanted pictures of us on their cell phones so that was both strange and complimentary (I hope).

The last class of the day that we were able to attend was Math. Math is another of their 4 required classes. Apparently they were reviewing for an exam so the teacher was giving them practice problems and they were working on completing them. They were covering series and sequences.

Since our ride would be coming in the middle of the next class we parted ways with our student guide and stayed and talked with the math teacher for a bit. He was very interesting and beneficial to speak with. He had worked at the school for close to 25 years, so close to the school's opening. He spoke with us about education both pre- and post-apartheid and he said that in some ways things have gotten better but in other ways they have gotten worse. He said that students used to have to memorize things such as multiplication tables and they would make songs for memorization. However he said that his students now do not do such things and often when he asks them to multiply simple fractions they cannot do it in their heads. He described the struggles of teaching saying that being a teacher was supposed to be a prestigious job but that is not true at all. He says that most students do not listen or respect their teachers. He also said that teaching is difficult because he is only about to cover about 80% of the material that he needs to cover in the day.

We also talked with him about politics. He was involved in organizing the Sowetto uprising. He said that back then they used the younger students as a tool for the struggle. They got them riled up and convinced them to fight back. He said that acts of sabotage were not capturing the attention of people, but that young children rebelling would capture the attentions of people in the U.S. and Europe for more than a day. He also talked about how he used to be very involved in the ANC but because of corruption he plans to become a member of COPE and vote for them in the election. (Cope broke off from the ANC and is a somewhat controversial party).

After that we headed back to the classroom to meet up with the rest of the students. It was interesting to hear their experiences since the schools we went to ranged from the poorest of the poor (which was the high school in Langa) to very wealthy and nice schools. The school that I was at was just above the Langa school.

It was a hard day for me. I have always valued education and it's hard to think of the serious disparities that happen in education systems everywhere. It made it especially hard for me to think of my 13 year old sister who attends Langa High School. She is very smart and a great kid. She takes medical training classes on the weekends. I think of what she could do if she was able to go to a nicer school with real resources and teachers who cared and challenged students. That was another big issue, the work ethic of a lot of the teachers. Many of them complained about their jobs and did not care to be there and it reflected in their classes. When I think of the impact that some of the teachers that I have had over the years had on me..... It's just awful to think that so many kids don't get that in their lives.

My days

Since living in Langa our days are pretty routine. Every morning I am picked up at my house at 7am in Langa. There are 3 vans that only pick up our students. This has actually been a controversy since there have been serious taxi strikes in South Africa and some private busses/cars have been stoned and burned.

From Langa we drive to Rondenbosch. This can take 15-45 minutes depending on traffic. Our classroom is in Rondenbosch and we usually get there by 8am. Which gives me a half hour every morning to check my email. Class starts every day at 830am. We start by having Xhosa lessons. Those last until 10am. We then have a half hour break. (Chapel break?) At 10:30am everyday we have different topic lectures. Usually these are done by guest lectures which is pretty cool. However, today we will be watching a movie on the Truth and Reconcilation Commission. Those lectures last until 12:30pm. From 12:30-3:30 we have a break. This time I usually go and work out, shower, grab lunch, and then check e-mails. However once a week during this break we have a 20 minute individual meeting with one of the teachers to check in on how things are going. At 3:30pm we split into 3 groups and meet with our Xhosa tutors. We then have Xhosa until 5pm. At 5:15pm we head back to Langa. When I get home I usually play with my host siblings, do homework, eat, and watch tv. The days are pretty routine and not that exciting. However it is fun to feel as though one comes home to a family.

Sorry this was not more detailed, but I have to go start class.

If you ever have any questions, just comment on the post and I will do my best to answer/describe things better.

Langa life

After rereading my most recent e-mail I feel the need to update people on their perceptions of my current conditions. My last e-mail was rather dramatic and I apologize. Culture conditions are very different and it was difficult. However, I am learning to enjoy the differences and am beginning to love the experience.

I apologize if some of this post is a repeat of previous information, but too bad, it's my blog.

The house that I live in in Langa is one of the oldest homes in the township. It was one of the homes originally built by the government when they set up the community. My mother complains that the house was built on sand and therefore there are serious problems with the foundation and the floor is rather uneven, but to be honest I don't really notice it.

The cockroaches are still present in the house but I am learning to cope. I have gotten DOOM which is a spray and have made a game out of hunting the cockroaches. One night I stayed up with DOOM in one hand an my flashlight in the other just killing the roaches. My kill count that night was 34. I think in total it is near 70-80, although sadly I have lost track. My host Mama said something about cockroaches while watching tv last night so that made me feel better. It was good to know that the Mom was bothered by them as well.

After living at the house for more than a week I am still not positive who exactly lives there. The main house is 4 rooms: the kitchen, dining/living room, my bedroom and my host Mama's bedroom. The 3 grandchildren (22, 13, 10) stay in my Mama's room, along with the 22-year-old's, two-year-old son. The 22-year-old is there sporadically and I'm not sure what her name is still. However the other kids are Nwabiza (13), Zina (10), and Lohlhi (2). The kids are wonderful. Nwabiza's english is very good and she is very funny. She makes jokes that I will be able to understand and I love her for it. Zina loves to dance and sing and I am hoping that she will teach me some of her dance moves. Everyday when I get home Zina is waiting for me and gives me a big hug and often kisses me. She then immediately requests my ipod.... I am okay with the fact that her love for me may be superficial. I often play cards with Nwabiza and Zina (So mom bringing decks of cards was a great gift).

Lohlhi only speaks Xhosa but is very funny. He loves to play and cause trouble. One morning he was lurking in the kitchen when suddenly he ran across the room, grabbed and egg, and booked it out the door. I saw the egg all over the street when I left. He loves to play and can always make me laugh. Although I cannot understand most of what he says and only sometimes will the girls translate for me. However, the majority of his comments towards me are telling me to "sit down," "be quiet," or that "he's going to smack me." His favorite game recently has been to make fun of me. The other night I was doing homework on the table and he came and sat by me, grabbed my sunglasses and put them on and then took my highlighter and began randomly highlighting my homework. He was singing songs as well. He later went into my room and dressed up in my clothes like me and then danced around. He loves to go in my room because he finds my things fascinating. However my host Mama gets very upset with him for it because she tries hard to respect my privacy. One of the conditions of the program is that we have to have our own rooms in the houses where we stay, it is nice but also hard. Since at my house 5 people share a room so that I can have my own.

Then at the back of the house there is a bathroom attached. The bathroom only has a tub instead of a shower so that has been a strange adjustment. I joined a gym near our school largly in part so that I would be able to shower. Then in the back yard there is like another living space which I just found out about a couple days ago but have not seen the inside of yet. In there lives Zina's father (my Mama's son), and his brother Joe (Mama's youngest son). Joe is 32 and a DJ at a club on Long street.

2nd Email

So the first week of our trip whenever we ran into people they would ask us our plans for our stay. And whenever anyone mentioned that we would be staying in Langa for 4 weeks we got negative reactions. Well on Saturday I learned why. It is a stereotypical African neighborhood. The homes were built by the government I think in the 1980s and are very basic and apparently not very well built. The house I am staying in has 4 rooms: 2 bedrooms (one of them I have to myself as part of a condition of the program), A living/dining room, and a kitchen. There are 5 other people living in the house and all sharing the other room. The grandmother is my host mother along with 3 of her granddaughters and one great grandson. The girls are 22, 13, and 10 and the 22 year old has a 2 year old son who lives there as well. However I have only seen the 22 year old for about 10 minutes total. My room is infested with cockroaches and although gross, apparently are not harmful. The family is very nice and all of the people in the community are very friendly, although we have been warned about walking alone. I went to church with the family on Sunday and they translated the mass into English because another student and I were attending. The bathroom of the house is attached at the back and you sort of walk outside to get there. It does not have a shower, only a tub which apparently is quite common in the area. The grandmother does not speak much english and seems very tired most of the time. Her profession is baking cakes which she sells to school children. The 13 year old is very nice but also very quiet. Her english is probably the best in the home although she does not talk much. The 10 year old has pretty poor english but loves to follow me everywhere and constantly asks to use my electronics. The first thing they did was listen to my ipod until the battery died. It has been very hot here so it is a challenge to keep decent hygiene since although living in run down homes most of the people wear expensive clothing and drive bmw's. I am having a very hard time adjusting and and am in serious culture shock. Although all of the people are very friendly it is hard to walk down the street and have naked babies running unattended by the road or toddlers walking through glass in bare feet. The two year old at my house cries all of the time and I never know what to do. Everyone else ignores him but its so awful to hear. Unlike last time I am really missing home, although everyone says that this is the best part of the experience. Please send me updates from home, I need things to keep me sane. Also, I have a break most days from around 12-2pm where I can go to an internet cafe and skype. So if anyone is up at 5am I would love to see you.

Love you all,
Raissa

1st email

so since I am starting this late I will just post a few emails that I sent out rather than trying to recap the first couple weeks.... partly because I am lazy and partly because of the time issue.

Hello all, sorry I have not been better about keeping people updated but internet access has been difficult to come by. Starting monday I will be able to access my e-mail daily. I am now in Capetown after spending the first 4 days in Johannesburg. Joberg was great and amazing but Capetown takes my breath away. The first night in Joberg was my birthday and we went out to a Native American themed restauraunt and then we went to the bar that was a part of our hostel. This bar was a straw roofed house with a hottub inside of it. It was quite fun and the bartender became a good friend of all of ours. This is were we hung out during most of our freetime in Joberg since we could be loud and relax. We thought that that hostel was nice until we got to Capetown. This hostel feels like we are staying in a Hilton compared to a roadside motel. The beds are white linens and the showers have real pressure and separate stalls. There is a pool table and computers. You can also relax on the roof and see pretty much all of table mountain. Last night we went out to eat at a Cuban restauraunt and I had a plate of mussels and rice with a white wine sauce and it only cost me $8. Tonight me and one of the other girls walked to the grocery and bought food and then came back here and cooked. It was great and we swapped stories and recipes with one of the workers here who is from Cameroon. He told me I was a true African woman since I knew how to make my own food and also that I knew that if you didn't stir mealie pap it would get lumpy (a voyageurs lesson with malt-o-meal). Tomorrow we are going to a restauraunt that is all african themed and has a live band. It also serves tons of different animals unique to South Africa so that should be interesting. There is also a rumor that tomorrow we are getting dropped off at different ares in the center of the city and then given an address and a time limit to navigate our way there. It should be interesting and scary. Sunday night I will meet the first family that I stay with. They live in Langa and I stay there for 4 weeks. She is a grandmother who has three young grandchildren ages 9,7, and 4. I am very excited and hope to spend a lot of time with the kids. Today we saw the classroom where we will spend most of our time and got a chance to explore the area nearby. I honeslty gasp everytime I look up and see mountains in the distance. I can't even begin to explain how beautiful it is here. I wish I could upload pictures but apparently there is something with the way that you purchase internet here that makes uploading things very slow if not near impossible, so as hard as it may be to hear you might have to wait until I am back to see them. I love you all, but I am happy to say that I don't miss you. I really love it here and am having a wonderful time getting to know everyone in my group. I think that this is going to be an amazing semester and wish that you could all come and visit and be able to see it for yourself.
Love you all and I hope that was enough info to satisfy.
Raissa