The Last Week or So

Get ready for the longest blog ever…I know you think it’s impossible after all of my previous long-winded posts but this might be the mother of them all!! I should’ve put the pictures in between them to break it up a bit, but that just worked out to be easier. On that note, I’m going to aim for quick snipets of my going-ons here.

Volunteering Update: Last week I didn’t go to Pendla on Monday because we had just gotten back from Durban. Tuesday was just an ordinary teaching day. First period went by with no teaching done by Ms. Mkrola. Second and third periods were both with the 5th grade so Heather and I taught an improvised lesson. Fourth period was supposed to be math with a different teacher who never materialized, so we kept teaching. At recess a girl who was bleeding was following me around so I took her inside to try and get a band-aid. Ms. Mkrola told me the school has no first aid kit. This is going to sound bad, but I purposefully ditched this child because there is a possibility that she could have AIDS or another disease. I found out later that there are band-aids in the office. But we need to work on getting gloves and sterilizing equipment.
Okay and here is where I need all of your help!! I am in charge of a recess planning committee. This is because we don’t know what to do with the 500 children at recess. Of course they can entertain themselves, but they mostly like to hang on us for the whole 30 minutes (usually closer to 45 because of the lack of clocks). I just need to compile a list of activities that CSB/SJU students could engage the students in. The older children already play netball and soccer so they’re pretty much set. The problem is the younger children like to be with us, but they don’t know English. So it is hard to teach them any games. If you could, next time you comment, add any ideas of recess games that we could play that don’t require a ton of directions or supplies. The ages would be 5-15 years old. I already have things like ring-around-the-rosy, follow the leader, simon says…Thanks!

This week at Pendla was different. Ms. Mkrola was gone on Monday, so we followed around another teacher and two St. Bens students. We taught a little bit and watched that teacher teach. She does a better job with the students, but her main method of teaching is rote memorization. Tuesday we were informed that Ms. Mkrola may be fired from her position at Pendla. Apparently she mainly comes only on Monday and Tuesdays when Heather and I are there to teach for her. The rest of the days she says she has a sick child. The principal doesn’t want to fire her because it took them 2 years to get a new teacher assigned to that classroom from the government. Firing her would possibly make them without a teacher for another two years. (South Africa has good policies, but delivery takes forever.) So to make things easier and make our experience better, we were reassigned to a 3rd grade classroom. This was a great switch and immediately we felt more situated. The 3rd graders are of course adorable and excited to have us in their classroom. The teacher is a lot more organized and able to teach. The only downfall is that most of the teaching is done in Xhosa. But we are still able to help. For instance, math was occurring while we were there. She gave us some things she needs typed up on a computer and printed off and a lesson on conjunctions to teach next week. The school has one computer and a printer that sometimes works. Most of the teachers don’t know how to use the computer. Pendla is going well now, even better than before.

Last week nothing really exciting happened during the week, just normal classes I think. I definitely have gotten into my routine here and consider PE home now. Friday we went on a group excursion to Grahamstown and KingWilliamstown (both are names that will probably be changed like that street sign). We took a coach bus, Grahamstown was about an hour and a half away and KingWilliamstown about two and a half. The topic of the daytrip was land distribution. During apartheid something like 10% of the population owned 87% of the land. In Grahamstown we were taught about a battle between the Xhosa tribe and the English. Then we went to an old jail that has been turned into an art studio for Xhosa traditional art. Both were interesting stops. Then we went half way between the two towns and met with the mayor of the municipality and some members of the African National Congress (ANC, the political party that Nelson Mandela was president of and is the current ruling party). They talked to us about land distribution. Next we went KingWilliamstown to the home of Steven Biko. He was the head of the Black Consciousness Movement and was brutally murdered by the police during the apartheid regime. Our events went a little long so we didn’t have much time to spend here and we had to skip our last planned event. We then drove back through Grahamstown, where 12 of us were dropped off at an old prison, now a hostel. We went out for dinner and then went to bed early at the Old Gaol Hostel. It was a cool place, but too dreary to stay very long or have any fun!

In the morning we woke up early, took a shuttle and then a taxi to Hogsback. Here we stayed at a hostel called Away with the Fairies. The town is up in the Hogsback Mountains. There are three mountains that look like the backs of hogs (with hair on their back) kind of like Camelback Mountain in Mesa. It was so foggy when we got there that we were standing in the mist! We got situated and then went for our first hike. It went in a big loop to and from the hostel with two waterfalls along the way. It was a great hike, although the fog made the ground very wet and the mud slippery. It looked like a jungle there, it was very beautiful. The waterfalls were also amazing and so was the climb through the rocks to get to them! They were called Bridal Veil Falls and Madonna and Child Falls. That night we were all so tired for our close to 20km hike that after dinner we just went to bed.

Sunday morning we woke up early to get another hike in before we had to get on the road. This one took us to two more waterfalls. Instead of jungle, it was more like forest with pine trees and such. One of the waterfalls was called 39 Steps because the rocks were formed like a staircase. This made a perfect spot for climbing and playing in the cold water! Then we took a combie, then a taxi, then a bus, then another taxi to make it back to our flats. It may have been cheaper to arrange rental cars! But oh well, we didn’t have to drive ourselves through the mountains at least.

Again just an ordinary week of class. I had my first test in music class, it was pretty easy. But we’ll see when I get my grade! We went to a jazz concert on campus that was cool. We also all went to a rugby game on campus that was fun, although NMMU lost big time. These nighttime events made me not do very much homework this week but I survived. I finally got internet to work at my flat and have posted a lot of pictures on the blog and on Facebook, so check that out. I haven’t posted any Hogsback pictures on my blog yet, but they’re on Facebook if you can get there. I hope to post some new videos too. This Saturday is Human Rights Day so we will be going to some events, including listening to Nelson Mandela’s ex-wife Winnie Mandela speak. Sunday I start my scuba diving training with classroom learning and two outdoor pool dives! I also will be starting on 12 page paper that is due the day before spring break!

I’m glad everyone who’s had a spring break has been enjoying it! Cassie and Drew down south on their hiking trip makes me jealous…Anna and Jessie finally connected to my continent with Megan…Erin and Andrew viewing the Iditrod(sp?)…and everyone else enjoying the warm MN weather! To keep up with my lateness on birthdays, down here I’m still celebrating Kay’s birthday and Grandma Neal’s birthday!! What’s new at home? Have Ben and Kelly bought a house in Plymouth yet?? How’s the quilting business going Charlotte? I got my hair cut and dyed today and I maybe a little too blonde now! So look for that in any new pictures I post!

Umm okay well that wasn’t too long! Took me a while to write because I forgot everything, but hopefully you enjoy it! I’m going to watch a move and then get to bed because I think we’ll be outside all day tomorrow for Freedom Day events. Good night everyone! I hope you all have good weekends!! And for all you Companeros fanatics, in case you didn’t see on Suzie’s profile or in case you’re not friends with her on Facebook…Laura is turning 50 this weekend!!!