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Molweni!
How is everyone?

One of the most important things I have realised while here is the importance of greeting everyone and making sure to ask about people's lives before moving on to "business." I thank Nancy and Harvey for preparing me for this wonderful aspect of South African life, which involves being interested in how people truly are as well as slowing down and taking time to actually speak to someone rather than being in a hurry all the time as I find myself accustomed to in the United States. I challenge you to find out something new about every person to which you speak today.

Let's see; I haven't written a lengthy blog since last week. You see, I have been busy with an essay that was due today. Now that has been submitted and I have time to fill you in on the happenings of my life the past little while!

I have very recently learned that my ability to go for a run each morning greatly depends on the weather. Winter here is the rainy season, and I have been very lucky with my running until the past few days. The rain here is such that you get soaked so quickly without realising it. As much as I truly do love to run in the rain, I am prevented from doing so here because I only have one pair of running shoes that take three days to dry if they get soaked. It is on these days I instead find myself doing hundreds of crunches, a couple dozen push ups, and running briskly up the stairs to my class (in place of dragging each leg as I crawl up the stairs to class after a 40 minute run), splashing in puddles and twirling my umbrella.

Friday (the fourth of July) I went to the Aquarium along with the rest of the volunteers who are tutoring the children at Kensington. It was amazing to experience this outing with children who do not have the money or resources to do this on their own. I thought a lot of field trips in the United States, with children who do not want to be there, who have so much money to spend on whatever they want, and who do not appreciate the effort put into the trip. Here, I saw hunger on children's faces as they ran from fish tank to fish tank; I saw fear as children approached enclosed glass containing foreign creatures, children who are taught to be tough and to fight for survival; and I compared these children's lives to the caged (for lack of a better word) creatures that see the outside world every day but have no choice but to stay behind the glass. I also saw joy in these children. Joy for seeing some of what the world is like outside the townships, joy in taking pictures with our cameras and having pictures taken of them with our cameras, joy in running away from volunteers who are over-stressed from chasing after one or two youngsters for which they are responsible! I am content that these children got the opportunity to lead us where they wanted to go for a few hours.

Directly from the Aquarium, my study abroad group hopped on our bus and rode to Clanwilliam, a town about three hours away from Cape Town. There we planned to look at rock paintings done by bushmen 3,500 years ago (I am not sure of this, but our "tour guide" told us 3,500 years), which are shown to students as part of the Living Landscape Project. The website I am posting has pictures of some of the rock paintings if you are interested. I saw the Procession Shelter. http://www.cllp.uct.ac.za/gallery%20CLLP.htm
Unfortunately, the whole time we were there it was rainy and very cold, so we only got the opportunity to see one site of paintings. It was worth the ride to see the one site because we were all piled into a land rover and many of the ruts in the dirt road were as deep as the diameter of a soccer ball, not to mention the driver had one eye! The rest of the time I drank Rooibos tea (Clanwilliam has a Rooibos factory) and bonded with members in my group, playing Phase 10 (a card game) and the Animal Game (if you want to know how to play, I have to show you in person as there is no way to describe it with words on a screen). Since many in my group were complaining so much about the wet and cold, we returned to Cape Town Sunday many hours before originally planned and, McDonald's meal in hand, those who were previously complaining became satiated with a lovely American meal. My anti-McDonald's self ate at the dining hall in our residence.

After a week of tutoring at Kensington, I have now switched and am tutoring at Khayelitsha. In Kensington I actually tutored different kids every day, which was very challenging because I had to form quick bonds with children each day in order for them to trust me enough to learn from me. In Khayelitsha I tutor two grade nine girls, and I believe I adopted another girl today. I have learned there is such a wide range of education levels among children here; there are children in grade 9 struggling with learning things that some children in grade 6 have mastered. I suppose I should give you a short summary of my "job description" as a tutor here: Help learners practice and master concepts they should have already been taught in school.
Today was especially challenging for me, since I was tutoring three girls in a crowded and loud classroom (because all the grade 8 and 9 learners are paired or tripled with their tutors in one room), and they had not even been exposed to the curriculum with which we were dealing. How did I keep my cool? I don't know, but what I can tell you is that today I, single handedly and without preparation, taught three girls (whose first language is Xhosa, not English) how to simplify fractions.

What did I learn today? A lot about myself. What did you learn today?

And now, as you read the last of this blog entry, I encourage you think of two positive things that have happened in your life today.

Cheers,
Charis/
Siphokazi

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Comments

[anonymous]

I love Rooibos! And I love Phase 10. I'm trying to think of two good things... I can think of one. I'll have to get back to you on the other.

[Rick]

I am soooo PROUD of you!
Siphokazi, There is nothing I can write that can add anything to the wonders and joys that you are experiencing first-hand! Simply know how happy I am for this incredible adventure in your life and how proud I am that you have embraced it so enthusiastically! Then again, you would be doing this journey any other way! Until your return; sending prayers for your safety, continuing discoveries and wonders for the mind, heart and spirit.