So I am realizing that I never talked about my trip up to McCarthy! Yoh, what am i thinking. It was amazing... well most of Alaska has been amazing. ( we often use the phrase "pretty great" or "pretty awesome" which translates to it is freaking AWESOME!) But anyway. So i flew up with Gaia one of the owners in a Beaver plane, small seats 6 people... and we flew up the Copper River Valley. Wow once we were out of Rainy/ Cloudy cordova, the clouds broke open and sunny skies for the next 5 days. Ahh. (that is one down side of the rain forest... rain all the time. at first it isnt that bad but after 2.5 months of it a little sun would be super )
The campus at McCarthy is super cool. The town itself is very quaint and St Elias Alpine Guides have a really cool campus. They use an old Power House as the offices/ kitchen/ fridge/ storage of gear and the every cool "penthouse" for sleeping. I stayed up in the Penthouse! This room is up at the top of the building and the room has 3 walls of windows so i was able to wake up to the sound of the rushing window and the mountain range surrounding, not to shabby.
The crew at SEAG we great. I had such fun getting to know all of them/ potlucking/ going to open mic and just hanging out. Everyone was very welcoming and hospitable!
I joined one of the guides on a glacier hike and we had a blast. what a day the sun was out and we had two great clients. We saw ice caves, climbed in them, a bear ran across the glacier in front of us... which rarely is seen. Basically, it was pretty cool! Both Jason and I were freaking out and i think our clients realized if the guides are geeking out.. something big is happening.
Jason and some others were kind enough to cook for me after a great day on the glacier.
I was also there for sauna night! neither our camp or the McCarthy camp have running water. So in McCarthy they have a sweet sauna for bathing! every few days there is a designated night where they literally fire it up! you go in and scrub up... talk about bonding. It is actually realy refreshing, you hang out and chat with whoever is in there, sweat out everything, then bath by pouring hot water over you and your good to go! amazing.
Friday, August 13, 2010
Bears.. oh my!
The fish have started to run, basically they have made their way up the rivers . So as you drive on one of the only roads in Cordova, we pass heaps of fisher people out there shoulder to shoulder fishing right off the side of the road.
But where there is fish there are bears. Oh and the berries are also out. Bears also like berries. Everyone's sighting of bears have gone up. I dont mind bears as long as I am in the car or the bear is far away. The other day I was taking some clients on the rain forest hike, as we were just driving over the hill to the trail head... baby bear run across the road up the trail we were going to use. Going being the operative word.. because where there is baby bear there is a mama bear. So quick change of plans we went to a different trail.
The next day we were having dinner at our friends house and turns out , Dane, was charged twice on the trail! Yikes...and everyone who has been on the trail recently talks about how you can smell the bears etc. So needless to say I wont be taking clients on that trail! I am hoping to not be charged by a bear while I am here.. though I have been told it is inevitable...here is hoping not!
But where there is fish there are bears. Oh and the berries are also out. Bears also like berries. Everyone's sighting of bears have gone up. I dont mind bears as long as I am in the car or the bear is far away. The other day I was taking some clients on the rain forest hike, as we were just driving over the hill to the trail head... baby bear run across the road up the trail we were going to use. Going being the operative word.. because where there is baby bear there is a mama bear. So quick change of plans we went to a different trail.
The next day we were having dinner at our friends house and turns out , Dane, was charged twice on the trail! Yikes...and everyone who has been on the trail recently talks about how you can smell the bears etc. So needless to say I wont be taking clients on that trail! I am hoping to not be charged by a bear while I am here.. though I have been told it is inevitable...here is hoping not!
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
Pilot time!
Okay so several weeks ago our bosses came in for a bbq that the old owners threw to welcome them and invited the town to come out to camp and meet them. Love being in a small town. There was even a radio ad on to tell people all about it!
So the really excited part is that they flew down on one of the 6 seat planes with one of our bush pilots. We all had the opportunity to go up with him for a bit and he flew us over all of our glacier and rivers and the area. Amazing. i will tell you what seeing a glacier from above is a whole new experience. especially when it is the one you hike and climb all over and know it from a completely different perspective.
The best part of the story is that i go to fly co-pilot seat and as we turn around to head home the pilot let me fly us back. no it isnt that hard but i had to definately move the plane and adjust to winds etc... and then he of course took over to land. But i was geeking out!!! and now i think i have a new goal.. pilot license some day! yahoo.
So the really excited part is that they flew down on one of the 6 seat planes with one of our bush pilots. We all had the opportunity to go up with him for a bit and he flew us over all of our glacier and rivers and the area. Amazing. i will tell you what seeing a glacier from above is a whole new experience. especially when it is the one you hike and climb all over and know it from a completely different perspective.
The best part of the story is that i go to fly co-pilot seat and as we turn around to head home the pilot let me fly us back. no it isnt that hard but i had to definately move the plane and adjust to winds etc... and then he of course took over to land. But i was geeking out!!! and now i think i have a new goal.. pilot license some day! yahoo.
McCarthy here i come
Well another fabulous day in the rainy paradise. So some of the perks of having your owners own more than on guiding business is that you get to go to the others for free. Today i am off to McCarthy.
It is NE of us and is an old mining town. I will be flying up to McCarthy, drive with 2 raft guide to the put in help them unload etc. leave the van at the airport fly back to McCarthy. Hang out there for 3 days and play with the people up there then fly back to the van, drive 3 hours to Valdez maybe go sea kayaking and then take the ferry back here to Cordova! yahoo.
I am so excited to see another portion of the state. and plan ferry planes and automobiles!
It is NE of us and is an old mining town. I will be flying up to McCarthy, drive with 2 raft guide to the put in help them unload etc. leave the van at the airport fly back to McCarthy. Hang out there for 3 days and play with the people up there then fly back to the van, drive 3 hours to Valdez maybe go sea kayaking and then take the ferry back here to Cordova! yahoo.
I am so excited to see another portion of the state. and plan ferry planes and automobiles!
Wednesday, June 23, 2010
Ewok Village
Okay so I have just received my computer thanks to the Little's thank you! so i plan to make more blog entries now that i have a means and not clogging up the company's computer.
With that said I have lots to update you all on. Being that i have been here a month and only posted once! yoh.
Okay well first off camp. Sometimes i laugh to myself b/c it is as minimalistic or more so that my Africa conditions. We have no running water. fill up several large water jugs in the glacier water every few days and then pour them in to a large water jug we have up on massive spindles which has a hose that connects to our sink in our kitchen.
Oh the kitchen, ha also the living room, game room, dinning room and often the drying rack for our clothes. Is a plastic car port, about large enough for a suburban... and we store 6 peoples food/ cook etc all in here. Oh it does have a great wood burning stove. But let me remind you that i am in a RAIN forest and the wood is WET!!! building and starting a fire with wet wood is awful. but we have it down to an art to rotate wood on the store to dry it out then burn it. i think we have managed to create a system for just about everything... nothing is as simple as it should be :)
One perk those is all of us are great cooks and great at cooking with canned goods etc. So communal meals are very popular. We all pitch in ingredients and we rotate who cooks and then cleans. Works out great especially since we have such a massive cooking space to work with.
Oh we also have a very lovely outhouse. mens and womens sides. but all goes to the same pit so really it doesnt matter. I dont mind except when i have to go to the bathroom at 3 am and it is cold, rainy and there might be a bear hanging out near it...
Since we are in the rain forest the area around camp looks like the ewok village and it has affectionately been named so. Massive big evergreen trees with lichen hanging from the branches and lush lush green moss covering the ground. it truly is magnificent and never gets old.
Oh yes we have bears there are lots and lots of bears around here. I have been pretty much guaranteed that a bear will charge me at some point this summer. Super is all i have to say to that. so once i soil myself in front of the clients i will then regain composure and guide them to safety. B/c it turns out the proper way to handle a bear if you see one is... 1 . DONT RUN! if they charge you stand your ground and DONT RUN! (awesome) then make yourself look big and tell the bear to go away.. then slowly move away. sweet this sounds just lovely and i cant wait to experience this.
Oh also at camp we have our massive collections of vehicles, functioning and not. It resembles a junk yard more than anything else. We have our awesome green bus! two 4-wheelers, 2 vans, on which reaks of mildew and the other which we have a camp car in the back so we can all fit, 2 trailors, a broken red dump truck, a partially working old nissan pickup and another not functioning dilapidated pick up...
Or vehicles are always an adventure, i am told things come to AK to die...well we are pushing that to the limit. I have changed more tires, jumped more batteries, forced a tire on a rim, basically jimmy rigged more mechanical equipment in a month than my entire life and i know there is plenty more to be done.
But it is great, for some reason i love sleeping outside in the cold and wet, where my clothes are perpetually damp, cook over a camp stove etc. It is all great!
With that said I have lots to update you all on. Being that i have been here a month and only posted once! yoh.
Okay well first off camp. Sometimes i laugh to myself b/c it is as minimalistic or more so that my Africa conditions. We have no running water. fill up several large water jugs in the glacier water every few days and then pour them in to a large water jug we have up on massive spindles which has a hose that connects to our sink in our kitchen.
Oh the kitchen, ha also the living room, game room, dinning room and often the drying rack for our clothes. Is a plastic car port, about large enough for a suburban... and we store 6 peoples food/ cook etc all in here. Oh it does have a great wood burning stove. But let me remind you that i am in a RAIN forest and the wood is WET!!! building and starting a fire with wet wood is awful. but we have it down to an art to rotate wood on the store to dry it out then burn it. i think we have managed to create a system for just about everything... nothing is as simple as it should be :)
One perk those is all of us are great cooks and great at cooking with canned goods etc. So communal meals are very popular. We all pitch in ingredients and we rotate who cooks and then cleans. Works out great especially since we have such a massive cooking space to work with.
Oh we also have a very lovely outhouse. mens and womens sides. but all goes to the same pit so really it doesnt matter. I dont mind except when i have to go to the bathroom at 3 am and it is cold, rainy and there might be a bear hanging out near it...
Since we are in the rain forest the area around camp looks like the ewok village and it has affectionately been named so. Massive big evergreen trees with lichen hanging from the branches and lush lush green moss covering the ground. it truly is magnificent and never gets old.
Oh yes we have bears there are lots and lots of bears around here. I have been pretty much guaranteed that a bear will charge me at some point this summer. Super is all i have to say to that. so once i soil myself in front of the clients i will then regain composure and guide them to safety. B/c it turns out the proper way to handle a bear if you see one is... 1 . DONT RUN! if they charge you stand your ground and DONT RUN! (awesome) then make yourself look big and tell the bear to go away.. then slowly move away. sweet this sounds just lovely and i cant wait to experience this.
Oh also at camp we have our massive collections of vehicles, functioning and not. It resembles a junk yard more than anything else. We have our awesome green bus! two 4-wheelers, 2 vans, on which reaks of mildew and the other which we have a camp car in the back so we can all fit, 2 trailors, a broken red dump truck, a partially working old nissan pickup and another not functioning dilapidated pick up...
Or vehicles are always an adventure, i am told things come to AK to die...well we are pushing that to the limit. I have changed more tires, jumped more batteries, forced a tire on a rim, basically jimmy rigged more mechanical equipment in a month than my entire life and i know there is plenty more to be done.
But it is great, for some reason i love sleeping outside in the cold and wet, where my clothes are perpetually damp, cook over a camp stove etc. It is all great!
Thursday, June 3, 2010
Cordova!
Well i have officially been here almost a week now and loving it here. Cordova itself is a small 2,000 or so people fishing town. The harbor is really pretty amazing. All these boat parked. People in rubber overall and tall Rubber boots is a common site around town. I have actually picked up some of my own rubber boots because let me tell you when it is raining they are a must!
So i will back up. Last Thursday after succesfully passing my CDL test I flew out to Anchorage. Once we were over AK i was like a 5 year old plastered to the window. The mountains are unbelivable. They just keep going on and on as if they dont stop. YOu can see glaciers and the ocean. Really breath taking. These mountains put the Rockies to shame. I was telling my mom that i was shocked that people in the late 1800 were determined to climb over them... b/c I would have stopped long before these. But as she pointed out gold has a strong alure. boy does it.
So after sleeping in the Anchorage Airport... which has an automated woman's voice come over the loud speaker every hour to let you know what time it was. "The current time in Anchorage is 2 am" Yes thankyou I was sleeping glad to know. I checked in my luggage and grabbed a cup of tea, which i quickly regretted b/c i realized i would have to go through security again to get on my flight. Well not in AK.. and the small airline i was on b/c i just kept on walking and turns out no security just walk up to the gate! loving the small town.
Once arriving to camp around 8 am ish. I through my stuff in my 7' x 9' canvas tent, for which i will call home for the next 3 months! One of my co-workers helped me to build a wood platform for my bed aka thermarest and sleeping bag. Ahhh home sweet home. Each of us has our own tent and we also have a large tent with a wood burning stove and gas stove for our kitchen/ living room.
We are still waiting for the last crew member but the rest of us (5) have been having a great time getting to know each other through community dinners, trivial pursuit games and just general story telling. Oh Ben our last team memeber arrives tomorrow and we have already giving a nick name of Benny- boo boo. I am sure he will love it.
Oh the seanery, well it is plain ridiculous. We have already been out on the glacier and down the Sheridan River a few times. I do have to say the first time you see a glacier is pretty spectacular. And getting to go out and through on crampons to play on it is even better. We found these amazing azure blue pools and drink the water straigh out of it! We are all planning to cliff jump off into the pool. Which is goign to be fridged.
The people in this town are incredibly nice. Every person we talk with just loves to hear about what we are doing and are excited to have us here, recommend places for us to eat, etc. Just really welcoming. The last owners of the opperation we are takign over, have been great at showing us the ropes and sharing their knowledge of flora, fauna and history. They even had us over the other night for fresh Red Copper salmon. So good by the way. That frozen shipped over stuff just isnt quite the same.
I did manage to get a "shower" in the other day. we do have a camp shower, which is basically a plastic bag we fill up with h2o and hang from a tree which has a nozzle on it. so i waited for a day that was sunny and warm... hiked into the woods and had myself a shower. really pretty nice.
these cold rainy days will be a bit more creative but i think we have a system we are coming up with. Between all of us we are comign up with all sort of creative problem solving techniques.
BAcially, we have just been getting ready, practicing backing up trailers, driving the bus, setting up camp/ home and getting ready for the summer! and having a blast doing it.
So i will back up. Last Thursday after succesfully passing my CDL test I flew out to Anchorage. Once we were over AK i was like a 5 year old plastered to the window. The mountains are unbelivable. They just keep going on and on as if they dont stop. YOu can see glaciers and the ocean. Really breath taking. These mountains put the Rockies to shame. I was telling my mom that i was shocked that people in the late 1800 were determined to climb over them... b/c I would have stopped long before these. But as she pointed out gold has a strong alure. boy does it.
So after sleeping in the Anchorage Airport... which has an automated woman's voice come over the loud speaker every hour to let you know what time it was. "The current time in Anchorage is 2 am" Yes thankyou I was sleeping glad to know. I checked in my luggage and grabbed a cup of tea, which i quickly regretted b/c i realized i would have to go through security again to get on my flight. Well not in AK.. and the small airline i was on b/c i just kept on walking and turns out no security just walk up to the gate! loving the small town.
Once arriving to camp around 8 am ish. I through my stuff in my 7' x 9' canvas tent, for which i will call home for the next 3 months! One of my co-workers helped me to build a wood platform for my bed aka thermarest and sleeping bag. Ahhh home sweet home. Each of us has our own tent and we also have a large tent with a wood burning stove and gas stove for our kitchen/ living room.
We are still waiting for the last crew member but the rest of us (5) have been having a great time getting to know each other through community dinners, trivial pursuit games and just general story telling. Oh Ben our last team memeber arrives tomorrow and we have already giving a nick name of Benny- boo boo. I am sure he will love it.
Oh the seanery, well it is plain ridiculous. We have already been out on the glacier and down the Sheridan River a few times. I do have to say the first time you see a glacier is pretty spectacular. And getting to go out and through on crampons to play on it is even better. We found these amazing azure blue pools and drink the water straigh out of it! We are all planning to cliff jump off into the pool. Which is goign to be fridged.
The people in this town are incredibly nice. Every person we talk with just loves to hear about what we are doing and are excited to have us here, recommend places for us to eat, etc. Just really welcoming. The last owners of the opperation we are takign over, have been great at showing us the ropes and sharing their knowledge of flora, fauna and history. They even had us over the other night for fresh Red Copper salmon. So good by the way. That frozen shipped over stuff just isnt quite the same.
I did manage to get a "shower" in the other day. we do have a camp shower, which is basically a plastic bag we fill up with h2o and hang from a tree which has a nozzle on it. so i waited for a day that was sunny and warm... hiked into the woods and had myself a shower. really pretty nice.
these cold rainy days will be a bit more creative but i think we have a system we are coming up with. Between all of us we are comign up with all sort of creative problem solving techniques.
BAcially, we have just been getting ready, practicing backing up trailers, driving the bus, setting up camp/ home and getting ready for the summer! and having a blast doing it.
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
Onward and Upward... literally, AK here I come
Well, after several great months in Chicago, reconnecting with High school friends, meet great new ones and being closer to family... I got the itch again, I had to take off. As most of you know, I am off to Cordova, Alaska for 3 months of living in a tent, using a pit toilet and having a shower some where in town... oh and getting to take tourist around on a glacier ! ( I am pretty sure I might have a rougher living situation than what i had in S africa.., ha)
I will be working as a glacier hike guide along with 5 other guides who are also raft guides. I also just received my Commercial Vehicle Drivers License (CDL) so that i can drive the bus, yes I will be sure to get a picture of me with my hot ride!
I dont believe I will have much phone access but I will try and keep you all up to date on stories from the summer. I am sure plenty of entertaining things will happen for me to write about. So enjoy feel free to comment those were my favorite last summer! and as always please please pardon my poor spelling, casual writing style and overall lack of care given to typos and grammar!
PS- thanks to Patagonia for hiring me so that I could A. hear about this gig and B. supply me with 90% of my clothing.
Cheers!
I will be working as a glacier hike guide along with 5 other guides who are also raft guides. I also just received my Commercial Vehicle Drivers License (CDL) so that i can drive the bus, yes I will be sure to get a picture of me with my hot ride!
I dont believe I will have much phone access but I will try and keep you all up to date on stories from the summer. I am sure plenty of entertaining things will happen for me to write about. So enjoy feel free to comment those were my favorite last summer! and as always please please pardon my poor spelling, casual writing style and overall lack of care given to typos and grammar!
PS- thanks to Patagonia for hiring me so that I could A. hear about this gig and B. supply me with 90% of my clothing.
Cheers!
Monday, September 7, 2009
Back to life... back to reality...
Well i have been finished for a little over a week now. I came back to "civilization" Yoh, it is a suprise to come back to a big city and see all sorts of people.
I spent the first weekend with my program directors and saw more of Joburg. We went to Soweto, which is where the kids started protesting against the gov't b/c the were being forced to have class in Affricans... in a poorly abridged version of the story... the police opened fire on the kids and killed several. I went to the memorial there , really amazing story... this happened only a few years ago.
Then on Sunday i went to an all day concert. ALL south african bands... fantastic. Once again i was the only white person, but just coming from Venda i was used to it,... but the other concert goers, I clearly suck out to them... my program director actually noticed it first...made the comment of how even in the city it is segregated and that it is sad that it isnt integrated ...
But I had a fantastic time, got up and danced regardless of everyone watching me... and soon many around us we having me going them to dance in their groups... heaps of fun
Then i just got back from Being down near Durban on a beautiful dairy farm. Visiting with a friend's family. Very relaxing...
So only 1.5 days left here and i am flyign back. Landing in Chiacgo on Thursday afternoon. Yes i am so excited to get back and see family and friends and ride my BIKE! but Yoh... i really love africa... it is true about the saying they have here," once Africa is in your blood..."
See you on the other side.
I spent the first weekend with my program directors and saw more of Joburg. We went to Soweto, which is where the kids started protesting against the gov't b/c the were being forced to have class in Affricans... in a poorly abridged version of the story... the police opened fire on the kids and killed several. I went to the memorial there , really amazing story... this happened only a few years ago.
Then on Sunday i went to an all day concert. ALL south african bands... fantastic. Once again i was the only white person, but just coming from Venda i was used to it,... but the other concert goers, I clearly suck out to them... my program director actually noticed it first...made the comment of how even in the city it is segregated and that it is sad that it isnt integrated ...
But I had a fantastic time, got up and danced regardless of everyone watching me... and soon many around us we having me going them to dance in their groups... heaps of fun
Then i just got back from Being down near Durban on a beautiful dairy farm. Visiting with a friend's family. Very relaxing...
So only 1.5 days left here and i am flyign back. Landing in Chiacgo on Thursday afternoon. Yes i am so excited to get back and see family and friends and ride my BIKE! but Yoh... i really love africa... it is true about the saying they have here," once Africa is in your blood..."
See you on the other side.
Sunday, August 30, 2009
Volunteer ... learn so much
http://www.zoteworldwide.com/Education.htm#vol
So above is the website of the program Zote Project that i worked for. Please check it out, it is always being updated.
Also, if you or anyone you know are interested in doing service work for a few weeks.. to several months this is an amazing group to do it through...
and always, you can ask me more questions about it
Cheers
Thursday, August 27, 2009
Bitter sweet...part deux
Well, 10 weeks has gone much faster than i expected... though there were days when i didnt think it was going to come.
I had my last day of class yesterday ... tear. It was so hard to leave my class. I took them cookies and candy for my last day. Let me tell you ... they truely app[reciate it. we took heaps of pictures. Oh major detail. I bought a the traditional clothes and i wore them to school... Big hit... everyone was so suprised. My class started yelling and clapping when i walked in... really good fun. Some of the wrote me letters telling me how much they will miss me and how much they liked having me as a teacher... wrote messages on the board. So sweeet.
It was pretty funny b/c then they each wanted an individual picutre with me... i felt like a celebrity.
All day b/c i had the traditional clothes... "Christa... today you look so beautiful..."
All the teachers threw me a going away party with juice and cookies(buscuits) . A few of the staff stood up and spoke and said some really kind things. It is sometimes hard to tell if they approved of what i was doing or if they thought i was doing a good job, it was really nice to hear their thoughts.
Oh some things i think i might not have mentioned but thought i would throw in... everyone's name in Venda... has a meaning... so i was often asked... what does your name mean...? I have no idea... this would get a strange look. i think my parents named me this b/c they like the sounds with my surname...
But they all know what their names mean.. so my family gave me a Venda name... Malondi...which mean "someone who cares"
Also, names are not based on gender like ours are. All names are for both men and woman. Which toook me some time to get used to. amazing how gender roles are ingrained in what we do... also colors. and behavior. For example.. boys here willl have pink back packs for school with flowers on it... to us CLEARLY a girls bag. but nope. it carries books so who cares. Or my sister had colored lip gloss the other day and the boys wanted to put it on... if my brother asked to use my lip gloss that was colored...?! what...
Or behavior... boys and grown men here hold hands, sit close, or put their hand on one sholder as they walk. This is just a sign of friendship...
Oh since i am in my last few days i have been reflecting back and thinking. I feel badly b/c i think in this blog i may have seemed critical of the differences that i noticed. That was not intended. but was also a lesson that all of us clearly have discrimination towards something... also judgment. Who am i to say that the western way is the correct way... i mean i think all of us in the world( for the most part) agree that killing peopel isnt right... but things like having multiple wives, or belieeving in a witch doctor... who am i to say that is wrong.
Overall this has been a very mentally challenging experiance to who i am , what i believe and what i will continue to believe.
I am sure i will have a few more entries left as i think of more things to share.
Cheers!
I had my last day of class yesterday ... tear. It was so hard to leave my class. I took them cookies and candy for my last day. Let me tell you ... they truely app[reciate it. we took heaps of pictures. Oh major detail. I bought a the traditional clothes and i wore them to school... Big hit... everyone was so suprised. My class started yelling and clapping when i walked in... really good fun. Some of the wrote me letters telling me how much they will miss me and how much they liked having me as a teacher... wrote messages on the board. So sweeet.
It was pretty funny b/c then they each wanted an individual picutre with me... i felt like a celebrity.
All day b/c i had the traditional clothes... "Christa... today you look so beautiful..."
All the teachers threw me a going away party with juice and cookies(buscuits) . A few of the staff stood up and spoke and said some really kind things. It is sometimes hard to tell if they approved of what i was doing or if they thought i was doing a good job, it was really nice to hear their thoughts.
Oh some things i think i might not have mentioned but thought i would throw in... everyone's name in Venda... has a meaning... so i was often asked... what does your name mean...? I have no idea... this would get a strange look. i think my parents named me this b/c they like the sounds with my surname...
But they all know what their names mean.. so my family gave me a Venda name... Malondi...which mean "someone who cares"
Also, names are not based on gender like ours are. All names are for both men and woman. Which toook me some time to get used to. amazing how gender roles are ingrained in what we do... also colors. and behavior. For example.. boys here willl have pink back packs for school with flowers on it... to us CLEARLY a girls bag. but nope. it carries books so who cares. Or my sister had colored lip gloss the other day and the boys wanted to put it on... if my brother asked to use my lip gloss that was colored...?! what...
Or behavior... boys and grown men here hold hands, sit close, or put their hand on one sholder as they walk. This is just a sign of friendship...
Oh since i am in my last few days i have been reflecting back and thinking. I feel badly b/c i think in this blog i may have seemed critical of the differences that i noticed. That was not intended. but was also a lesson that all of us clearly have discrimination towards something... also judgment. Who am i to say that the western way is the correct way... i mean i think all of us in the world( for the most part) agree that killing peopel isnt right... but things like having multiple wives, or belieeving in a witch doctor... who am i to say that is wrong.
Overall this has been a very mentally challenging experiance to who i am , what i believe and what i will continue to believe.
I am sure i will have a few more entries left as i think of more things to share.
Cheers!
Monday, August 24, 2009
Praise Jesus
Wow how i forgot to include this...
So yesterday my sister and i went to church... wow... wow... so she normally goes to a different church but wanted to check this church out...
Experiance. Frst off it was 4 hours long. and you arent allowed to leave, for any reason. I didnt realize it was going to be this long... so i forgot my waterbottle... dear lord i was dying... i tried to leave to find some water... nope.. these ushers that i are stretigically everywhere stopped me... "you can drink after church..." which went on for another 45 mins or so...
okay so this service was like (springfield people0 calvary temple on crack/ steroids.... alter calls, people flaling about..." speaking in tongues"... "casting out of deamons"... "healing"... the preachers yelling constantly... my ears where killing me in the end...
On lady kept yelling... "FIRE" and "Heavy rains are coming"... other than that is was all in Tshivenda... but for the sermon there as a translator... for me... yep that ONLY white person amongst hundreds of people... fortunately i am used to being starred at ALL the time here... so no big deal... i am used to everyone looking and talking about me... but the prechers kept looking at me while they spoke... so trying not to have an expersion and look like i was listening for the entire 4 HOURS!!! was difficult... ISH...
So chalk that up for an experinace. Oh so my sister also thought it was ridiculous... she bought a DVD to show here mom. and family. We were all in hysterics laughing about it...
"HEAVY RAINS ARE COMING..." my brother Zwido says to me... in mocking tone... " Christa... buy an umbrella... heavy rains are coming..."
We were all laughing so hard.
On the plus side... if satan was living in me... he might now be cast out of me. :)
So yesterday my sister and i went to church... wow... wow... so she normally goes to a different church but wanted to check this church out...
Experiance. Frst off it was 4 hours long. and you arent allowed to leave, for any reason. I didnt realize it was going to be this long... so i forgot my waterbottle... dear lord i was dying... i tried to leave to find some water... nope.. these ushers that i are stretigically everywhere stopped me... "you can drink after church..." which went on for another 45 mins or so...
okay so this service was like (springfield people0 calvary temple on crack/ steroids.... alter calls, people flaling about..." speaking in tongues"... "casting out of deamons"... "healing"... the preachers yelling constantly... my ears where killing me in the end...
On lady kept yelling... "FIRE" and "Heavy rains are coming"... other than that is was all in Tshivenda... but for the sermon there as a translator... for me... yep that ONLY white person amongst hundreds of people... fortunately i am used to being starred at ALL the time here... so no big deal... i am used to everyone looking and talking about me... but the prechers kept looking at me while they spoke... so trying not to have an expersion and look like i was listening for the entire 4 HOURS!!! was difficult... ISH...
So chalk that up for an experinace. Oh so my sister also thought it was ridiculous... she bought a DVD to show here mom. and family. We were all in hysterics laughing about it...
"HEAVY RAINS ARE COMING..." my brother Zwido says to me... in mocking tone... " Christa... buy an umbrella... heavy rains are coming..."
We were all laughing so hard.
On the plus side... if satan was living in me... he might now be cast out of me. :)
Bitter sweet
Well here i am the last week of volunteering... i had some things i planned to write but i have now forgotten.
But anyway. i guess this last weekend i have just spent some time really reflecting on the past 10 weeks. Wow what an experiacne... if you are so inclinded or have ever remotely thought of doing something like this! DO IT!!!!! what are you waiting for.
Though this has probably been the hardest, most personally challenging, cluture thrown in my face..etc experiance in my life. I have also learned more about myself and other in such a short amount of time.
I have realized basically all people are the same. Teenagers are really ALL the same... :) we all cry, laugh, sing, dance... want to bond with others. yes there are wonderful peopel and crappy people everywhere you go. But it is the relationships with the wonderful people that really make the difference.
I will so miss my learners. We have had such a good time, teaching each other. Lots of laughs and hard work all together. I will miss fire side chats with my family. Smell of fire in the morning, i will miss the sunrise on my walk to school on the rocky, dusty road, the overly crowded (20+) people in a "taxi" when you are tired hot and everyone is bring back heaps of things back home... even that...
But i wont miss the blantant hitting on that happens when you are a female here. Sexism is a problem. If i am with a guy (volunteer) and we are walking around together... no one will approach you b/c it is assumed you are eithe r married or in a relationship. But since all the male volunteers have left or i am in town with my sister... Ish... men approahc every single time...
" My sisiter... hello... what is your name... where are you from... i want to see you again... what is your number... " i am not kidding this is pretty much how it goes. No, i dont feel unsafe or threatened.. b/c it is in day light of a busy town... but holy cow... guys give it up.
Nothing about my responces or body language gives you any idea i am interested... they keep on badgering at times... keep in mind many of these men are already married...
Yes i have had teachers at my school hit on me.. multiple times.
I have no come to saying ... "you can have my husbands phone number..." "What...oh i just want to be your friend... " ....sure that is what you want...
my sister was telling my mom and brothers many of these stories and my responces to them... we were all laughing and laughing... so i should say not all the men are like that here... like my brothers and many of the teachers at school are very respectful.
Those few that ruin it for the rest...
But as i said overall i will really miss Venda and how hard people laugh here and enjoy life, even when they have so little. I look forward to coming back to visit...
But anyway. i guess this last weekend i have just spent some time really reflecting on the past 10 weeks. Wow what an experiacne... if you are so inclinded or have ever remotely thought of doing something like this! DO IT!!!!! what are you waiting for.
Though this has probably been the hardest, most personally challenging, cluture thrown in my face..etc experiance in my life. I have also learned more about myself and other in such a short amount of time.
I have realized basically all people are the same. Teenagers are really ALL the same... :) we all cry, laugh, sing, dance... want to bond with others. yes there are wonderful peopel and crappy people everywhere you go. But it is the relationships with the wonderful people that really make the difference.
I will so miss my learners. We have had such a good time, teaching each other. Lots of laughs and hard work all together. I will miss fire side chats with my family. Smell of fire in the morning, i will miss the sunrise on my walk to school on the rocky, dusty road, the overly crowded (20+) people in a "taxi" when you are tired hot and everyone is bring back heaps of things back home... even that...
But i wont miss the blantant hitting on that happens when you are a female here. Sexism is a problem. If i am with a guy (volunteer) and we are walking around together... no one will approach you b/c it is assumed you are eithe r married or in a relationship. But since all the male volunteers have left or i am in town with my sister... Ish... men approahc every single time...
" My sisiter... hello... what is your name... where are you from... i want to see you again... what is your number... " i am not kidding this is pretty much how it goes. No, i dont feel unsafe or threatened.. b/c it is in day light of a busy town... but holy cow... guys give it up.
Nothing about my responces or body language gives you any idea i am interested... they keep on badgering at times... keep in mind many of these men are already married...
Yes i have had teachers at my school hit on me.. multiple times.
I have no come to saying ... "you can have my husbands phone number..." "What...oh i just want to be your friend... " ....sure that is what you want...
my sister was telling my mom and brothers many of these stories and my responces to them... we were all laughing and laughing... so i should say not all the men are like that here... like my brothers and many of the teachers at school are very respectful.
Those few that ruin it for the rest...
But as i said overall i will really miss Venda and how hard people laugh here and enjoy life, even when they have so little. I look forward to coming back to visit...
Friday, August 21, 2009
Like a proud parent
So i gave my first exam to my students. I have 40 learners in my class.. yes over crouding is a big problem. but i just finished marking the tests and all but 5 passed. I am so proud of them. they are definately getting it! I woke up this morning and realized in one week i leave Venda... i only have 3 days of class left! Where has all the time gone.
One of the things to get to learn about when you truely live with people is all the customs of the region. And one that happens here that is quite known is the circumcision ritual. Basically, what i have picked up on is that when a boy is 9-11 ish older boys who have done the ritual take the boys to the bush.
They dress in the traditional clothes and parade though the town roads, singing a specific chat... you hear them coming from a long distance away. then the go out into the bush. this is winter time and it gets down to freezing at night. they are out there for i think about a week... perform the task.. clearly things are not sterile ... and i cant image in the knife/blade is all that sharp. Ouch.
I know they are also taugh some secret saying or something so other men/ boys know if you have done the ritual... kind of a passage of manhood. There are other things that go on, but stories are vague. b/c it is very secretive.. if you are found spying you are beaten VERY badly.
My mom maria refused to let her boys do it.. b/c no surprise here, infection is a huge problem and sometimes can leaad to death. Maria didnt want her boys to die, so she refused and sent them to a medical doctor.
One of the things to get to learn about when you truely live with people is all the customs of the region. And one that happens here that is quite known is the circumcision ritual. Basically, what i have picked up on is that when a boy is 9-11 ish older boys who have done the ritual take the boys to the bush.
They dress in the traditional clothes and parade though the town roads, singing a specific chat... you hear them coming from a long distance away. then the go out into the bush. this is winter time and it gets down to freezing at night. they are out there for i think about a week... perform the task.. clearly things are not sterile ... and i cant image in the knife/blade is all that sharp. Ouch.
I know they are also taugh some secret saying or something so other men/ boys know if you have done the ritual... kind of a passage of manhood. There are other things that go on, but stories are vague. b/c it is very secretive.. if you are found spying you are beaten VERY badly.
My mom maria refused to let her boys do it.. b/c no surprise here, infection is a huge problem and sometimes can leaad to death. Maria didnt want her boys to die, so she refused and sent them to a medical doctor.
Thursday, August 20, 2009
Mmm Brocolli
I have officially intoroduced brocolli to venda... well someone knows about it, b/c i found it at the grocery store, keep in mind it was the only head of it around. But anywho... i cooked up some stir fry last night and it was a big hit. My sister and brother love it! but everyone was coming over looking in the pan and clearly had never see this vegetable...
But my mom , maria, tried it and approved with two thumbs up of my cooking! yahoo. Doing my part to provide vitimins to the family... and they now want me to teach them how to cook it so thay can continue to eat it later.... :) It didnt even occur to me that they had never seen or hard this delisious green veggie...
Yesterday was my sister's 19th bday. So i cook her the stir fry and also bought a cake for her. and cooked more smores.. played lots of music and all of us were in the kitchen laughing and dancing for her birthday... let me tell ya... when the cake was brought out... all my brothers were so excited... "CAKE"... so much so Zwido in jest says... "christa... tomorrow is my birthday... my special day..." And i also think he had about 7 smores... ha... such fun.
But my mom , maria, tried it and approved with two thumbs up of my cooking! yahoo. Doing my part to provide vitimins to the family... and they now want me to teach them how to cook it so thay can continue to eat it later.... :) It didnt even occur to me that they had never seen or hard this delisious green veggie...
Yesterday was my sister's 19th bday. So i cook her the stir fry and also bought a cake for her. and cooked more smores.. played lots of music and all of us were in the kitchen laughing and dancing for her birthday... let me tell ya... when the cake was brought out... all my brothers were so excited... "CAKE"... so much so Zwido in jest says... "christa... tomorrow is my birthday... my special day..." And i also think he had about 7 smores... ha... such fun.
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
The itsy bitsy spider...
Okay so not so itsy bitsy... this thing was easily larger than my fist... and it was in teh house! on the door to my sister's room. and i am not kidding you it freaked me out. I am not scared of spiders or so i thought... but this thing i was so freaked out. Thank god my brother , Zwido was there. he had killer aim with his shoe and killed it with one throw. Ahhh... this is why i need boys around.
Speaking of Zwido, he is 16, and cracks me up. he is always smiling, or singing, or dancing ... but can fix anything, the truck, the clothes iron dropped on the floor and broke, so he took it apart and fixed it! miracle... just overall quite clever.
Yesterday, i was out for a run and started by myself... and all of the sudden i am a 1/3 of the way in... "Christa!!!" and here comes Zwido... okay these boys have got to stop catching up to me... very demoralizing.. just kidding. I loved it so i had a buddy the rest of the way. I am so going to miss my Venda family. I have really been invited to be one of them... (sigh)
Ahh tea time with my teachers... have to run... Cheers everyone.
Oh thanks again for all of your thoughts and comments, great to hear from everyone. I think of you all often!
Speaking of Zwido, he is 16, and cracks me up. he is always smiling, or singing, or dancing ... but can fix anything, the truck, the clothes iron dropped on the floor and broke, so he took it apart and fixed it! miracle... just overall quite clever.
Yesterday, i was out for a run and started by myself... and all of the sudden i am a 1/3 of the way in... "Christa!!!" and here comes Zwido... okay these boys have got to stop catching up to me... very demoralizing.. just kidding. I loved it so i had a buddy the rest of the way. I am so going to miss my Venda family. I have really been invited to be one of them... (sigh)
Ahh tea time with my teachers... have to run... Cheers everyone.
Oh thanks again for all of your thoughts and comments, great to hear from everyone. I think of you all often!
Sunday, August 16, 2009
The fun continues...
So i am all better, feeling great and on my last leg, only 8 days of class left. I cant believe it. Time is flying. I do have to admit I have begun to think about some of the things i have missed from home... like driving my car, and green vegateble salads (becca you should be proud), a proper shower...
Everday i just love my mom, Maria, here more and more. I have found out she is a lover of animals. She has named all of her cows.. and the other day there was a slaughtered cow in the back of the buckie... i asked my sister.. oh is this one of our cows... "Oh NO!... mom wont kill her cows she goes and buys one, she loves her's too much" i just cracked up... I see Maria talking with them, so cute.
She is also very kind to the dogs we have. Most people here look at dogs as waste removal and an alarm system... and very dirty. So it is nice to see her be so kind to them.
She and i have also developed quite the communication system. Suprisingly enough it works well. The other day she was showing me how to cook the poriage. HARD work let me tell ya this woman is strong. we had a delightful time and had many good laughs out of the experiacne.
So the power was out ALL day in the entire area. So as night fell that is when it was really differnt. SO dark everywhere. we fortunately have the fire out back, so we all hung out there and laughed... i even had the stuff to make smores!!! So here i have now brought the american treat to them. It was a big hit... they loved it! Actually another request has been put in for them.
I have run out of books to read here and so i have managed to take some of the story books from the school to read. All are african stories and have been quite fun to read. Different story telling style and a much different subject matter. I have learned serveral cultural things from these stories... but my favorite was when one story described what they thought of white people when they first arrived... " fuzzy hair, skin that looks like in doesnt have enough blood, and noses that stick out like a bird beak!" I was cracking up...
Everday i just love my mom, Maria, here more and more. I have found out she is a lover of animals. She has named all of her cows.. and the other day there was a slaughtered cow in the back of the buckie... i asked my sister.. oh is this one of our cows... "Oh NO!... mom wont kill her cows she goes and buys one, she loves her's too much" i just cracked up... I see Maria talking with them, so cute.
She is also very kind to the dogs we have. Most people here look at dogs as waste removal and an alarm system... and very dirty. So it is nice to see her be so kind to them.
She and i have also developed quite the communication system. Suprisingly enough it works well. The other day she was showing me how to cook the poriage. HARD work let me tell ya this woman is strong. we had a delightful time and had many good laughs out of the experiacne.
So the power was out ALL day in the entire area. So as night fell that is when it was really differnt. SO dark everywhere. we fortunately have the fire out back, so we all hung out there and laughed... i even had the stuff to make smores!!! So here i have now brought the american treat to them. It was a big hit... they loved it! Actually another request has been put in for them.
I have run out of books to read here and so i have managed to take some of the story books from the school to read. All are african stories and have been quite fun to read. Different story telling style and a much different subject matter. I have learned serveral cultural things from these stories... but my favorite was when one story described what they thought of white people when they first arrived... " fuzzy hair, skin that looks like in doesnt have enough blood, and noses that stick out like a bird beak!" I was cracking up...
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
Doctor Doctor... give me the news....
So yes, was very ill in northern rural south africa. And it is not fun trying to explain illness to people who english is their second language and disease isnt really understood. Keep in mind it is believed that if you are stung by a scorpion you need to find it and kill it or otherwise ... i dont know you hand will fall off.. and people still frequent witch doctors.
I went to the doctor and for $25 i saw the doc and was given heaps of drugs! i am not kidding like 20 pills a day.... i then drop the anitbiotic he gave me and took the stronger US version my dad sent me with... i couldnt hold out any longer the pain was a little too intense! I was tired of being in bed after 4 days... so thank you modern medicine.
Also, i am realizing what a blessing it is to have clean drinkable water. My house is lucky and has running water, but i have to boil everything i drink... and when you are sick and barely can walk... this is a real pain in the butt. But i survived adn i am probably a better person for it.
Oh also, god bless our house help. Yes i think i mentioned that we have house help, most people in SA do afterall. and she was amazing. Brought me hot tea and juice, bread and food, though i did eat much for about 4 days. BUt ahhh couldnt have survived without here.
Also this woman is amazing, she can get stains out of anything!!! i went hiking up a mountain here... a large hill for colorado people, and my shoes were stained red from teh soil... no need to fear WaPeggie, snatched them up and poof they look brand new. i am not kidding. She also pressed all of my clothes... ALL... including my underwear... that is a first for me. The house is cleaned everyday and the dishes washed... quite nice. So yes i have not really done much for myself in about 3 months. I do make my bed every morning, which i think is a first in my life...
As i mentioned a couple of the volunteers and i went for a hike last week. there is a moutain range... near us so we hike up. it was definately steep, but only about an hour hike. climbed up on some narly rocks... and also i am used to more of a worn out path.. well people have to hick up part of the hill with 10 litters of water on their head... so i dont think they want ot "recreate" up the thing any more... so clearly the path isnt used all that much. But wow the sight was amazing and had so much fun! made me miss CO.
hmmm what else. Oh so i basically think the school system is so out of wack it is insane. It is a damn miricle when these kids pass b/c they have 600 things working against them. First off they have ALL their test in english, but it is their second language and they have not nessicarily been taught it since they were kids so are starting classes in their teenage years. So here kids are expected to take a test in another language... which cover chemistry, math etc... so all their time in the test is focused on trying to just understand the question much less answer it... really unfair.
They work so hard and want to do well, but so much is against them.
Okay enough of my rant.
I went to the doctor and for $25 i saw the doc and was given heaps of drugs! i am not kidding like 20 pills a day.... i then drop the anitbiotic he gave me and took the stronger US version my dad sent me with... i couldnt hold out any longer the pain was a little too intense! I was tired of being in bed after 4 days... so thank you modern medicine.
Also, i am realizing what a blessing it is to have clean drinkable water. My house is lucky and has running water, but i have to boil everything i drink... and when you are sick and barely can walk... this is a real pain in the butt. But i survived adn i am probably a better person for it.
Oh also, god bless our house help. Yes i think i mentioned that we have house help, most people in SA do afterall. and she was amazing. Brought me hot tea and juice, bread and food, though i did eat much for about 4 days. BUt ahhh couldnt have survived without here.
Also this woman is amazing, she can get stains out of anything!!! i went hiking up a mountain here... a large hill for colorado people, and my shoes were stained red from teh soil... no need to fear WaPeggie, snatched them up and poof they look brand new. i am not kidding. She also pressed all of my clothes... ALL... including my underwear... that is a first for me. The house is cleaned everyday and the dishes washed... quite nice. So yes i have not really done much for myself in about 3 months. I do make my bed every morning, which i think is a first in my life...
As i mentioned a couple of the volunteers and i went for a hike last week. there is a moutain range... near us so we hike up. it was definately steep, but only about an hour hike. climbed up on some narly rocks... and also i am used to more of a worn out path.. well people have to hick up part of the hill with 10 litters of water on their head... so i dont think they want ot "recreate" up the thing any more... so clearly the path isnt used all that much. But wow the sight was amazing and had so much fun! made me miss CO.
hmmm what else. Oh so i basically think the school system is so out of wack it is insane. It is a damn miricle when these kids pass b/c they have 600 things working against them. First off they have ALL their test in english, but it is their second language and they have not nessicarily been taught it since they were kids so are starting classes in their teenage years. So here kids are expected to take a test in another language... which cover chemistry, math etc... so all their time in the test is focused on trying to just understand the question much less answer it... really unfair.
They work so hard and want to do well, but so much is against them.
Okay enough of my rant.
Monday, August 3, 2009
1st of the month...
The first of the month and the 15th of the month is when everyone gets paid around here. So last Saturday was a mad house in town! Basically, the lines at the banks and ATM are hours long and then once everyone is done there.. it is straight to the grocery store to stock up on food for the month. ( many of the wives like to spend as much of the money as possible, so then their husbands dont waste it on other things, like alcohol... this is what a local told me) I had forgotten that it was pay day and just made for an entertaining saturday...
I started off with a nice run in the morning on my usual route... out to a very distinctive tree and back. The usual. And then came home to get ready to go to town. So i went out to grab a taxi... as it stopped... i saw how paked... i mean overflowing with people the taxi was... i suddenly remembered... oh no...
Fortunatly i am not a big person... the guy in front open the door and there are already two guys and the driver up front... so they move on over and i hop in! the all four grown adults in the front, basically sitting on each other. As we are crusin along... a farmiliar song comes on the radio so of course naturally i begin to sing along. The 3 next to me all look at me in suprise then smile /laugh and join in! These are the things i love about africa!
Then i decided to go to the grocery store basically just to entertain me... it was a real zoo. so i got my usual 3-4 items and got in que with the rest of the town! it is so funny. Lines dont really exsit here. And if you are not on top of the person in front of you / being aggresive. Someone will come right on it front. But it dont really mind, b/c my personal space was destroyed weeks ago!
It is funny the things we find rude, like cutting in line, that are just a part of their life. Also the language is a very demanding language. Please and thank you arent used. So often when peopel translate , it is done directly so their english comes across as , in our minds, rude. But i have begun to realize it is not the intention.
One of the things this whole experiance has brought to light for me, is what being a minority is really like. And until you actually experiance it, you will never really know what it is like. And no offence to the white peopel in the US but you have no idea what it is like. And it is a feeling that you cant describe. But that is something all of the volunteers and i have discussed and i know i will remember that in my future experiances and being sympathetic towards others.
I started off with a nice run in the morning on my usual route... out to a very distinctive tree and back. The usual. And then came home to get ready to go to town. So i went out to grab a taxi... as it stopped... i saw how paked... i mean overflowing with people the taxi was... i suddenly remembered... oh no...
Fortunatly i am not a big person... the guy in front open the door and there are already two guys and the driver up front... so they move on over and i hop in! the all four grown adults in the front, basically sitting on each other. As we are crusin along... a farmiliar song comes on the radio so of course naturally i begin to sing along. The 3 next to me all look at me in suprise then smile /laugh and join in! These are the things i love about africa!
Then i decided to go to the grocery store basically just to entertain me... it was a real zoo. so i got my usual 3-4 items and got in que with the rest of the town! it is so funny. Lines dont really exsit here. And if you are not on top of the person in front of you / being aggresive. Someone will come right on it front. But it dont really mind, b/c my personal space was destroyed weeks ago!
It is funny the things we find rude, like cutting in line, that are just a part of their life. Also the language is a very demanding language. Please and thank you arent used. So often when peopel translate , it is done directly so their english comes across as , in our minds, rude. But i have begun to realize it is not the intention.
One of the things this whole experiance has brought to light for me, is what being a minority is really like. And until you actually experiance it, you will never really know what it is like. And no offence to the white peopel in the US but you have no idea what it is like. And it is a feeling that you cant describe. But that is something all of the volunteers and i have discussed and i know i will remember that in my future experiances and being sympathetic towards others.
Thursday, July 30, 2009
Mail !
So i can get mail. and yes this is alittle late to post this... I have offically 4 weeks left. And mail takes about 2-3 weeks to get here. But my mom mentioned to me that i should post it on my blog... i have recieved letter from some people! thank you for those... means so much.
Christa Nenaber
c/o Zote Project
PO Box 57
Sibasa
Limpopo Province
0970
South Africa
Christa Nenaber
c/o Zote Project
PO Box 57
Sibasa
Limpopo Province
0970
South Africa
Friday Assembly
Every Monday and Friday morning we have an assembly. Since most of it is in Tshivenda i dont know all of what they are saying. But i am starting to understand quite a bit of the language.
Something this learners do... that i dont think most high school students in America do is that they sing. I love it! They have great rythmic songs they sing as they are all gathered together.
I look forward to that on these mornings.
Today the principal spoke and then announced the top 3 people from every class and announced their scores. These students were awarded with school supplies. It was really neat b/c you could tell the students were pround and i think it does give motivation to the other learners.
It is interesting b/c 40% is concidered passing here! but it was exciting b/c some of these students who were announced were getting into the 70% !
I think in all of my posts i have rarely mentioned the other volunteers! Which is hard to believe because these people have become fast friends/ family. Believe me when you have had a hard day b/c of the culture it is so nice to have at least ONE person from the western world who can relate to you!
All of the vounteers that have been here, while i am here, live in another village, Manamani. Which is about a 45 minute walk away. We try and meet in town or at each others willages a couple times a week. This is when we share a funny stories for the week, etc. This was also the crew i went with to Kruger National park. They are from all over. ireland, New zealand, Canada,USA, Mexico... etc...
It is amazing how quickly you get to know each other when you are throw into an experiance like this. As they all take off it is really quite sad.. but i look forward to seeing them all sometime in the future...
Something this learners do... that i dont think most high school students in America do is that they sing. I love it! They have great rythmic songs they sing as they are all gathered together.
I look forward to that on these mornings.
Today the principal spoke and then announced the top 3 people from every class and announced their scores. These students were awarded with school supplies. It was really neat b/c you could tell the students were pround and i think it does give motivation to the other learners.
It is interesting b/c 40% is concidered passing here! but it was exciting b/c some of these students who were announced were getting into the 70% !
I think in all of my posts i have rarely mentioned the other volunteers! Which is hard to believe because these people have become fast friends/ family. Believe me when you have had a hard day b/c of the culture it is so nice to have at least ONE person from the western world who can relate to you!
All of the vounteers that have been here, while i am here, live in another village, Manamani. Which is about a 45 minute walk away. We try and meet in town or at each others willages a couple times a week. This is when we share a funny stories for the week, etc. This was also the crew i went with to Kruger National park. They are from all over. ireland, New zealand, Canada,USA, Mexico... etc...
It is amazing how quickly you get to know each other when you are throw into an experiance like this. As they all take off it is really quite sad.. but i look forward to seeing them all sometime in the future...
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