Shosholoza!

out of #ed days...

shosholoza: go forward, go make

room for the next man

South Africa was worth every penny, every minute traveled and every photograph I ever took. At first I fell in love with it for its raw beauty, the colorful landscape and romantic scenery and then I fell in love with the people their culture and their stories rich in a vivid history. It's trips like these that make you inspired, appreciative and longing for further quests of fulfillment. I don't think it's possible to ever forget the memories made on this continent and it's definitely not possible to have made them without every member of my Human Development and Family Studies class. We began as barely co-existing strangers and left as the perfectly off-kilter family capable of laughing and sharing with one another. None of which would have been possible if it weren't for our fearless leaders: Jan & Jess, the dynamic mother & daughter duo, we don't know how you do it, but now we begin to know why- thanks for including us on the journey.

back to basics

our stomping grounds for 3 magnificent weeks

group farewell at the airport

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sueKQ2BTkCk&feature=related

Don't try this at home!

Day 22: Hiked up Lion's Head-

without any supervision...

It was our last few hours in Cape Town, it was 7am in the morning and on our way to climb up Lion's Head peak it wasn't until we were all piled in the cab--- that I realized I was in FLIP FLOPS! The quest to the top (2,195 feet above Sea Level) continued, couldn't let anything get in the way of our ultimate goal here! Although we were greeted with several obstacles: clouds, mists, chains and ladders proving to be the only way to the very top and then the slippery narrow slopes on the way down. It was the most invigorating and refreshing few hours of our trip and they were right before we boarded the plane to go home.

all for one, and one for all

walking on a dream, view of Table Mt. from Lion's Head

the ONLY way up... and down... without a harness

steep & narrow... slow & steady

group survived it to the top, VICTORY!

The Big FIVE!

day 21!!!!!

Fairy Glen Game Reserve

So we couldn't possibly visit the continent of Africa and not go on a Safari! I mean, we're the generation that grew up knowing every word of Lion King after all. It was only fitting that our last full day be spent on a game reserve as we sought to find the infamous 'big five.' What's the Big 5 you may ask? The five animals that are the most difficult and dangerous to hunt make up the big 5 and the list is made up of: Lions, African elephants, Cape Buffalos (which charged our jeep!) black&white Rhinoceros and Leopards. On our excursion, we were fortunate to see all of these except for the leopards!

we really didn't have to go to Fairy Glen to see weird animals

white rhino staking his ground

Nala waking up from her cat nap

posing in the Jeep, our orange dots made us official

march of the elephant... to the watering hole of course

Bike Brigade

day 2.0

Bike tour through Soweto

Our trip planners thought it would be fun to see the largest township in South Africa on bike, and despite some of the groups early hesitation, the day proved to be hilly, hilarious and as us usual full of history. Soweto is short for South-Western townships and it's population accounts for nearly one-third of the total population of Johannesburg and all eleven official languages can be heard here. Needless to say, it was the most perfect way to end our short stay in Johannesburg!

the place the makes it all happen

such a tropical place inside, we also got good at entertaining ourselves with hand games

such a pleasant surprise for lunch! don't let the looks fool you

this egg-cheese-cucumber- lettuce- tomato-frie sandwich was DELICIOUS!

tribute to the 1976 Soweto Uprising, when police opened fire on

protesting students who were only armed with rocks

fast friends in Soweto

Colorful Shades of History

Day 19 marked our quick getaway to Johannesburg!

Having my knowledge on Jo'burg being limited to the Disney Channels' Made for TV movie the "Color of Friendship," which followed two young girl's interracial friendship during the apartheid, I was eager to see just how much creative liberty Disney took on this one...

We were lucky to stay at a beautiful backpackers that surpassed everyone's expectations. It had a cool circular pool, was nicely furnished with an easily accessible kitchen that our guides stocked oh so graciously for us, had a nice bar and pool table area to hang out in and two of the most friendly dogs for us to play with!

poolside chilling at Ghandi's Backpackers

Our first historical site was Constitution Hill. While it currently is the location of the Constitutional Court- the highest court in all of South Africa, it used to be one of the biggest prison complexes that would brutally punish ordinary civilians as well as political activists including Mahatma Gandhi and Nelson Mandela.

the supposedly haunted cell where one of the youngest prisoners of the apartheid died

We also were fortunate enough to experience The Apartheid Musuem- "apartheid: the system of segragation discrimination on grounds of race in force in South Africa, 1948-91." Which featured detailed accounts of the dark days in history as well as an incredible Nelson Mandela exhibit.

mandatory identification card for minorities during the apartheid, their limitations on paper

a long walk to freedom

We ended this history intense day with dinner at the oldest beer hall in Jo'Burg, Radium Beer Hall and while it seemed as if we had it all to ourselves the newspaper articles describing stories from the bar's youth reminded us of all that sat there before.

what you can't explain to kids

and on the 18th...

we said goodbye to St. Joseph's Home

There really isn't a proper way to teach children the meaning of the word goodbye. Fortunate for them they didn't understand why we demanded hundreds of hugs before leaving that day and how hard it was to hold back tears. The reality within their world is that they get volunteers frequently and to a certain extent are more desensitized than we are. But the truth of the matter at the end of the day is, we hope they'll have a significant memory of us. In those two short weeks we taught them songs and dances and they taught us how to be fearless and loving regardless of any ailment they faced. To the staff at St. Joe's thanks for letting us in and messing up the toy library, and to the kids thanks for the endless hours of entertainment and constant stream of screams and laughter.

racing to the gate after school, welcome back Daisy Ward

we always had the biggest greeting

my girls!

the only one that understood we weren't going to return

goofy faces for the road :D

the ABC's in ZA & a Dinner Fit for Kings

Back to school, back to school...

Day 17!

"Section 29 (1) of South Africa's Constitution reads: "Everyone has the right to a basic education, including adult basic education; and to further education, which the state, through reasonable measures, must make progressively available and accessible." According to the South African Schools Act of 1996, schooling is compulsory for all South Africans from the age of seven (grade 1) to the age of 15, or the completion of grade 9."

http://www.southafrica.info/services/education/edufacts.htm

We learned a great deal about the South African school system but to witness it first hand truly made us grateful of our public education back in the States. The classrooms range in ages of students as it is not a guarantee or even an expectation that children begin their education in kindergarten once they turn five. [There were front pages of newspapers with claims of too many teenagers never having even seen the inside of a classroom before] The schools are also limited in resources making it difficult for both teacher and pupil. However, the universal traits we did pick up in the school environment was that the teachers still go out of their way to genuinely engage each child and the children still have a natural curiosity for the world around them. I was able to shadow a phenomenal teacher with a well-behaved classroom that collectively spoke three languages: xhosa, afrikaans and english. Needless to say when she allowed me to teach the class for the remaining two hours my games consisted of mostly pictures, large gestures, dance moves and an interactive trip outside :)

Welcome to the 2nd grade.

First assignment of the school year, coloring!!!

(It was actually a type of proficiency test)

apple of my eye

&

a dinner fit for kings:

One of the first black-owned restaurants in the area

Emily & Me!

As if we weren't spoiled enough, we got to dine at a fabulous night out. It was a great restaurant with fabulous food, enjoyable entertainment (featured our own teacher on the drums and got some of our group to dance) and hilarious company as usual. We've all become so close that at meal time every plate is up for sharing, every other glass is a milo milkshake and every single dessert must be ordered so that we can try them all!

Snack time & Recess

Day 16...

Our little kiddies at St. Joe's headed on back to school after their summer vacation. Luckily for us that meant playing with whichever babies were hanging around and then catching up with our crew for snack time.

style, smiles & sandwiches: check. check. check.

& then we had a little recess of our own. We were able to leave early since our extra hands weren't needed with the kids being at school and all. So we decided to explore one of the best beaches in Cape Town and go on a walk along the shore to see other parts of town. Along the way we were impressed by the many uses of color, the excitement people had toward wanting to be photographed and the hidden mansions with the beach front realty and mountain view in their backyards. The little shops and cafes were just as quaint as the rest of our surroundings. We treated ourselves to some delicious and original flavors of sorbet and then browsed through an area of trendy shops with both antique and vintage clothing and treasures. Overall the trip was such a fantastic and spontaneous adventure in itself and only gave us another reason to want to never leave this place.

the sidewalk is literally along the breakpoint of some of the waves...

we found this out in the most surprising way.

what my future beach home will resemble :)

oceanside pool!

this little light of mine

Day 15 continued, because sometimes we go on little field trips...

Jess, a recent graduate from the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign, also our teacher's amazing daughter, is currently recieving her masters at the University of Cape Town and was nice enough to show us on a little tour.

fields below, mountains above, campus between.

Emily and me standing high above all the stairs we just raced to get up only to have our breath taken away by the view at the top.

&

Beth Uriel

also on day 15, we broke bread with some of the finest gentlemen in South Africa.

Beth Uriel, meaning house of light, is a haven to 26 underprivileged young men aged between 16 and 24. The home takes pride in their attention to family style care giving as well as their strict program that breeds educated, health conscious and career minded men. What's their secret? As the home was founded upon Christian ideals the structure of the regiment reflects upon those roots. Their recipe for success consists of prayer, discipline, respect and love.

We were fortunate enough to share a meal with some of the residents at Beth Uriel and listen as they tell their stories. Although diverse in background, they credited Beth Uriel for being their close knit family that keeps them grounded. Evidence of this can be shown throughout their house dynamics as they respect each other and learn from their elders and interact in such open and communal ways. It was a refreshing atmosphere that put us at ease as soon as we walked in. Here is a glimpse into the house of light:

they have inspirational quotes throughout their home, this was my favorite.

one of the most influential staff members, sporting their brand "me' kasi" meaning my location, place, style. their clothing line is a fashionable way to help them fundraise and facilitate job training.

we quickly became like family too

To learn more about Beth Uriel or how you can contribute to the cause visit: http://www.bethuriel.co.za/

Universal Sing-a-Longs!

Day 13-15 proved that it is in fact a small world after all as Leah and I played with our girls in the daisy ward at St. Joe's. We exchanged songs and dances and found that we even have a few tunes in common. We taught them the banana song, the macarena and even got a nun to join in, while they showed us their version of the hokey pokey. Oh and yes, we even broke out Miley Cyrus' "Party in the USA" and busted out dance moves to match.

Here are some of the most beautiful girls in all of Cape Town. Luckily for Leah, Fei and me we got to entertain them on their last few days of summer before school.

Leah and her precious baby doll that would never leave her side.

my babies.

Hope this video starts to work, it's a hilarious clip of the girls teaching Fei a song and dance:

shark bait, oh ha ha!

On the 12th day we tested the waters and took a dive with a few prehistoric animals.

Out in Gansbaai, Afrikaans for "bay of geese," they are known for their Great White Shark population which is a major tourist attraction. The trek to see these sea beasts was an all day affair as we drove 2 1/2 hours to our destination and then drifted off of land into 10m deep waters. Within 2 minutes of arriving at our floating cage for diving with the sharks we spotted one! And within 10 minutes of it's appearance there was a shark drought for a good hour, only to allow sea sickness to settle in. After having tossed a few cookies overboard not one but TWO sharks appeared, the bigger one is not pictured because I was in the cage when it appeared but it was massive! We were told it was about 10ft in length and it displayed it's strength by destroying our bait reel and even jumping out of the water to do so. The water was salty and cold but the thrill of ducking down in the cage to catch an underwater up close and personal glimpse of this predator made you forget you were ever once shivering or even breathing.

Myself, Yap & Kels, wetsuits and all.

Fei & Tayd preparing to go in the cage.

Mike resembling a seal.

First shark of 3 we saw of the day, one of the smaller ones but still got our money's worth and came out alive.

*2 days after our shark cage diving experience there was a fatal shark attack at Fish Hoek Beach. A little reminder indicating just how unpredictable the nature of these wild animals can be.