post return to America rambling

Well, I guess the name of this blog should change since Im no longer in South Africa.  What the heck am I going to write about now?  (If I continue to write on this, that is.)  I suppose the U.S. has its own issues that would be pretty intriguing to any foreigner- a general obsession with fast food (which I dont even consider real food), excessive idiot box (my father's oh so appropriate name for the television) watching, serious lack of exercise, and excessive use (and therefore lack of appreciation) of natural resources are a few examples.

Returning to classes at Sewanee will absolutely not be comparable to my experience at the primary school in South Africa, but thats mostly a good thing.  Id rather not witness teachers smacking students around and screaming at them.  There ARE parts of the Sewanee life that would be pretty amusing to outsiders though.  That whole gown business and an overall fixation on tradition are the first two that come to mind.  There are also aspects of Sewanee living that are pretty awesome too, in my opinion- I dont think Ive ever locked the door to my room (maybe thats stupid, but its never been an issue for me), I know everyone I see when I walk to class, people are generally extremely friendly, in my six semesters, Ive had two, maybe three professors who werent amazing, most students are intelligent and fun to be around, the cafeteria food is (in my opinion) far better than it could be.  So, I guess I could write about life in Sewanee when I return in a month, but, although Ive listed the reasons Sewanee is intriguing and great, it wont be nearly as amusing as reading a blog about South Africa.  Sewanee is not a foreign country that is seventeen years out of a highly oppressive, racist, sexist police state.  I wont be living with an amazing family with a precious three year old this semester.  Ill be learning in a classroom, not a country.        

I am glad to be home in the hot, humid, sticky South Mississippi (I really do like the summers here), but I do miss that amazing, intensely paradoxical and confusing (but in a good way) South Africa.  I miss my family, I miss Lu's precious, animated little face, I miss my fellow SIT students, and strangely enough, I miss being in an environment that challenged me to no end.  As I said though, I am glad to be home, to be eating what I want to (pretty much the same thing every day- my mom tells me Im special), to be running every day, and just back in my semi obsessive routine.  I will definitely return to South Africa to further explore the complexities and fascinating society that exist there.      

semi-final reflection

Well, last night with my homestay family.  Im going to miss them SO. MUCH.  I will certainly be happy to be back in the states with my biological family and (non-biological) animals, but I will absolutely miss my South African family.  Through living with this family, I have learned things that I could have never learned through a textbook, lecture, scholarly article, professor, or even the infallible internet.  Living with my family has been a true privilege and an extremely enlightening experience that I will never forget.      

Lu went to Joburg to be with her mom, dad, and brother which, although I miss her terribly, Im happy about.  She missed her family and they missed her, so I am happy that they are all together now.  I do miss her precious little face and smile though.  We got to be pretty tight buds.          

Although he is far too chauvinistic for my liking, Khulu has been quite entertaining.  Last night he apologized for any inconvenience he has caused me.  “What the heck are you talking about?” I asked.  “I don’t want to bother you.  I want you to have a good time.”  “No worries at all, Khulu! I love being here.  Its all good,” I reassured him.  That seemed to satisfy him.  “Good, my baby.  Youre my kid.  Youre part of this family.”  “And Im glad I am,” I truthfully said. 

Last week I was in the kitchen hanging out with my sisters, gabbing about something.  In his drunken state, from his chair in the living room, he shouted, “who’s that man in the kitchen!?!?”  “It’s Taylor,” my sisters calmly told him.  Classic.  Story of my life.  I swear this deep voice will get me somewhere one day.  No idea where, but somewhere. 

Tonight I asked Khulu what Im going to do for entertainment when I get back to the states.  He definitely got a kick out of that.  “I like you. Youre a good kid,” he told me.  Well thank goodness because you’ve been stuck with me for a month, buddy.   

Gran continually asks me why I don’t want to eat a huge plate of food at 7 o clock at night.  “I just don’t eat that much,” I try to explain to her.  This family eats an insane amount of food.  I have no idea how they do it.  I know they think Im absolutely out of my mind for not eating a feast every night. 

My older sister who is 18 is WAY into celebrities, fashion, and just being a diva.  She knows much more about the American celebrity scene than I do.  Cracks me up.  She always has questions for me about life in America.  Cars, school, celebrities, food, money, clothes, anything she can think of.  Im always happy to answer her questions, and often inform her that the typical American citizen is nothing like what she sees on television.              

a little bit of absurdity

I spent the majority of my day at uShaka Marine World, a touristy area where mainly middle-upper class folks hang out.  Not exactly my kinda place, but most of the group was going there, and the almighty internet was accessible there, so I went and made some progress on my research paper (definitely a good thing).  While I was there I closely observed the different types of people roaming around.  Muslims, blacks, whites, foreigners, young folks, old folks, people with kids, couples- South Africa's diversity continues to amaze me.  There is no typical South African, which is actually pretty cool.

In addition to all of the people I saw today, I saw groups of "traditionally dressed" (black men scantily clad in animal skins and furs- whether or not this is truly traditional or just stereotypically traditional, Im not quite sure) performing "traditional dances" (same question of tradition here).  I found this to be quite degrading.  It would be the equivalent of Native Americans dancing around in an Arizona casino looking "tribal" for all of the upper class whites to observe and stare at.  Quite similar to an exhibition of animals in a zoo.  To complete the absurdity of it all, the uShaka mascots (a goofy looking shark and some other silly character) bounced around behind the "tribal" dancers.  So we have "traditional" dancers dressed in their "traditional" clothing performing what are supposed to be "traditional" dances with 21st century westernized mascots running around behind them.  Anything wrong with this picture?  Anything just slightly odd about it?  I found it all ridiculous, to be completely honest.  Any kind of exploitation of anyone's culture is wrong, and these men dressed up like this for tourists to photograph and stare at seemed to be a bit exploitative.  Perhaps Im wrong, but it didnt sit well with me.

2 weeks left....

This past month has flown by.  Parts of it have been difficult (witnessing corporal punishment, sexism, oppression, and more mundane things like not being able to run every day and eat what I want to all the time), but most of it has been quite enlightening.  My homestay family has been amazing; I am going to miss them SO MUCH.  Lu and I are practically best friends, and my older sisters have truly become my sisters.

I have learned quite a lot about the ever so complicated South Africa.  This place is one big paradox with a million small paradoxes within it.  Race, sexuality, gender, society, oppression, power- NONE of these is easy to understand in any context, but especially here in South Africa.  The University students who worked in the rural area with us were very bright and ambitious, and discussed sexism and oppression openly, but at the same time defended sexist practices.  SO. CONFUSING.  "They are so embedded in it," the director (and their professor) kept telling me, "it's very difficult for them to even realize that these problems exist when they grow up in it and live in it every day."  Makes sense.

South Africa has some of the most progressive policies in the world, but the disparity between written policies and the practice of those policies is significant.  Corporal punishment was outlawed in 1996- all lower class public schools still use it and get away with doing so.  Same sex marriage is legal here, but South African society is extremely homophobic.  The South African academic world is filled with brilliant scholars who have done extensive research on sexism, gender roles, and discrimination against females, yet sexism is rampant.  Even within the educational world here, sexism is not addressed nearly as much as it should be.

One big paradox.  An extremely intriguing one though.  This has been such a learning experience and will continue to be, even after I return to the states.                    

Rural Homestay

This place was BEAUTIFUL.  The air was so clean and fresh.  I have never seen so much green space in my life.  The people there were too friendly for handshakes.  Hugs instead.  We had the privilege to attend a Zulu wedding.  How cool is that?  Dancing, singing, vuvuzelas, fellowship- a most excellent experience.

After attending the reception, I must say that I am extremely happy that meat is not a part of my diet.  A tied up goat greeted us at the entrance.  Poor little guy.  The men carried around slabs of slaughtered animal to be cooked over open fire.  The dead animal was not exactly handled in the most sanitary matter.  Again, a proud moment for a vegetarian.

The students with whom we worked were AMAZING.  Shy, at first, but who wouldnt be in such a situation?  Their mother tongue is Zulu, and their English is far from perfect.  Speaking to us was intimidating, but speaking to us in English was really intimidating.  As we spent time together, we all started to overcome the language barrier and had the privilege to learn all sorts of things from each other.  Many of these students live in what we would call highly difficult situations, yet they were SO HAPPY to be at this camp and to be hanging out with us.  I have no doubt that we (the Americans) learned much more about South African life and society, and life in general, than we could have anywhere else in any other situation.  Students who are as eager to learn as these kids were are far better teachers than textbooks and scholarly articles.    

complexities, paradoxes- components of reality

Our rural homestay starts tomorrow.  Im STOKED.  We will be living with families on an unspoiled beach.  No hotels, no casinos, no shopping malls, no chain restaurants, no tourists running around with their money belts.  Nobody has ruined this beach (yet).  Amazing, right?

I am going to seriously miss my sisters.  Playing with Lu every day has been quite a treat for me.  I have become very close with my older sisters as well.  Im continually amazed at how "at home" I feel with my family here.

The woman who will be living with us in the rural homestay is speaking to us today.  She is a professor of education at the University of KwaZulu-Natal.  She's also HILARIOUS.  "Ok. Let's introduce ourselves.  I'm terrible with names, so I won't remember all of your names.  I just call everyone darlin', honey pie, sugar."  Sounds like a good ole American, Southern woman.  She's filled with insights into the highly paradoxical nature of today's South Africa.

Racially, socio-economically, sexually, this place is SO CONFUSING.  Who's the oppressor and who is oppressed?  Its complicated.  It is absolutely not black and white (not using the terms racially).  I have encountered multiple white people who fought against Apartheid and suffered as a consequence.  There are also white people who committed horrible atrocities against people of color.  I have also witnessed very sexist black men.  There is no way to label all black people as one way or all white people as one way.  Or all women as one way and all men as one way.  I knew this before experiencing South Africa, but it seems to be much more acute here than in the U.S.

Our leader of the rural homestay spoke to us about her continual astonishment at Apartheid.  Even for a woman who grew up in South Africa, lived through Apartheid and its demise, it is shocking.  It actually happened.  And not that long ago.  People were tortured, killed, and robbed of their basic human rights solely because of their color.  Even more shocking and disgusting- we (the U.S.) and the rest of the world did very little to stop it.  To the contrary, the U.S. just recently (2008) removed Nelson Mandela and the ANC (African National Congress) from the CIA's list of terrorists.  A bit absurd?  I think so.              

school

The students at the school that I am observing are SO eager to learn, explore and discover in all areas of academics.  They are talented academically, artistically, and musically.  They are inquisitive and know a surprising amount about the politics of their country.  I have been highly impressed with their knowledge and curiosity.  I have NOT been impressed, however, with the school's failure to fully foster this curiosity and knowledge.  I looked at the exams for the students and none of them involved essay questions or any kind of questions involving critical thinking.  They all involved rote memorization (useful information, but strictly memorization).

I asked the teacher of my grade seven class if I could do an activity with them, which he welcomed.  I asked the students to choose a political party of South Africa and write five good aspects and five bad aspects about that party.  At the end of the activity, the chalkboard was COVERED in ideas.  "My students did this?" the teacher asked.  "Yes," I said "they know so much about the politics of their country."  "I had no idea," he said.  How would you know if youve never allowed them the opportunity to express this knowledge?!?!?!

I was amazed at how much these 13 and 14 year olds knew about their country's politics (the only things about politics I knew in 7th grade was what I heard my parents say).  I was also amazed that they had never had the opportunity to express this knowledge.

Unfortunately students at this school seem to be viewed as young, and therefore ignorant and in need of control by adults.  Totally ridiculous.  It has been difficult for me to see such bright students "stuck" in this situation.  Yelling at and hitting students is all too common in this school, and students are clearly afraid of teachers.

There are teachers at the school who are intelligent and do a good job of teaching their students, but the culture of the school is that teachers are at the top and students are at the bottom (in all facets).  The idea of teachers learning from students would be completely foreign to and not welcomed by the faculty.  Perhaps (and hopefully) this will change over time.

Zulu lessons and some global stuff

Lu and I are having Zulu lessons.  "Sawubona," she says.  I repeat.  "Ngiyaphila."  I repeat.  Then she lists her friends' names and I repeat those.  Not exactly extensive Zulu lessons, but pretty good for a 3 year old teacher.

I asked someone the other day why South Africa didnt have school buses.  "Oh the IMF and the World Bank took away our funding for them."  Shocking.  Kids in the US and Europe can have free transportation to school, but not kids in Africa.  Wow.  Based on my knowledge of the IMF and the World Bank, I cant say that I was totally surprised.  The majority of their decisions are made with the mindset that the West knows what's best for the Rest.  Totally ridiculous, but that's the reality.    

Patriarchy

I am not a radical feminist by any means, but I do tend to get a bit worked up when strict gender roles are assigned in households (or any contexts), and when men insist on being in charge of their wives in any form or fashion.  I absolutely LOVE my homestay family and could not have asked for a better one, but I have encountered this problem here.  Khulu (the grandfather) stumbles in the door in an intoxicated state most evenings.  His wife has his supper ready for him, serves it to him, brings him water, brings him his pills, and tends to him until he goes to bed.  Making dinner for your spouse and serving him or her is totally fine, but I get the feeling (and based on other examples Ive seen here, Im pretty confident that Im correct) that he expects her to do this every evening.  It is her job to cook and clean, and to serve him when he needs/wants to be served.  For her to question this role would be seen as defiant, and therefore unacceptable behavior.  It definitely could be worse and much more blatant, but as I said earlier, any kind of strict gender roles piss me off.  Oh well.  This is their house, not mine.  I refuse to “get used to it,” but I will certainly be respectful and keep my mouth shut (difficult for me, but I can do it). 

School (the good, the bad, and the ugly)

Today was my second day observing one of the 7^th grade classes at Spearman Primary School.  The Spearman student body is comprised of mostly black Zulu students who come from low-income families.  I love my class and the teacher does a pretty good job, especially compared to some of his colleagues.  The students are insanely well behaved and so eager to learn.  Despite the average classroom having a large number of students (40 is average), there is not absolute chaos.  When I walk into the classroom at the beginning of the day, I am greeted with all students standing, saying “Good Morning, Ms. Taylor” in unison.  They are quite a smart and inquisitive bunch.  Funny, too.  I have to try not to laugh when some of them say things they shouldn’t.    

            The deputy principal, who is the lead teacher of my class, described to me the richness of the Zulu culture and his love for it.  He talked about the absolute beauty of their traditional dances and the fascinating nature of their language.  “These kids are so eager to learn, even though it is very difficult for some of them because their native language is Zulu.”  I have a hard enough time in school, which is taught in my mother tongue.  Id be totally screwed if my classes were taught in a language other than my own.  Talk about inspiration. 

            While I have been impressed with the teacher in my classroom, not all teachers at this school are so professional in their dealings with the students.  Yelling at students and hitting them (even though it is illegal) is unfortunately all too common here (students that are in classrooms other than mine have told me they’ve witnessed it). I have NEVER (and never will) understand people who hit their kids.  Yes, I know that children can grate on their parents’ and teachers’ nerves at times (Im sure that my parents and former teachers will attest to my doing that rather frequently), but hitting kids sure as hell isn’t going to fix anything.  Neither is yelling at them.  What really gets me is when the teachers yell at the kids for hitting each other.  If you hit students, what in the hell do you expect, people?!?!?  Theyre going to hit each other!!    All of this has been very difficult for me to deal with.  I know that it is “cultural,” but I still do not think that excuses it.  Thank god the teacher in my classroom does not hit his students.  If I saw that, I would absolutely say something. 

Me and Lu

Man am I going to miss this wee one.  She is too stinkin cute.  She falls asleep in my lap most nights, and jumps in my arms when I get home at the end of the day (almost as good as my dog jumping on me and sniffing my butt when I get home, right?).  She doesn’t speak much English because her grandparents speak only Zulu to her, but I think she understands some of what I say to her, and even if she doesn’t, she always responds with a clear “yes.”  Language hasn’t been much of a barrier between us anyway.  Most of our playtime is me giving her raspberries, her playing with my phone, and her sitting in my lap.  I told her Id pack her in my bag and bring her home with me.  I wish.  

Homestay

June 10, 2011

My homestay family could not have been more welcoming to me.  They are amazing.  The grandmother (Mama Shongwe) has a strong, large framed body with a sweet smile and deep eyes that made me feel welcome and cared for right away.  Her husband, Sbu, is a man who wears his age and wisdom upon his face in the most charming sense.  Their three granddaughters Lu (age 3), Sana (21), and Bahle (18) live with them.  I immediately befriended all three girls.  After Lu fell asleep in my lap (precious! right?), the older girls and I watched TV together (mainly American TV shows such as the Hills- gross) and chatted as though we were sisters who grew up together.

Around 8 o clock Sbu stumbled into the house and greeted me with a hug.  He was slightly tipsy and quite amusing.  He asked me to join him in the living room after I was done visiting with the girls in the kitchen. Join him I did.  He had a multitude of questions for me, all of which I was happy to answer.  "I want to get to know you because while you are staying with us you are my child.  I will look after you." Fine by me, buddy.  This man was hilarious, and clearly very wise.  "I want you to learn to speak Zulu, my mother tongue, while you are here."  "Please teach me!" I eagerly replied.

Mama Shongwe cooked the best meal that Ive had since arriving in South Africa, and later made scones (what we call biscuits in the States) that were freakin delicious.

June 11, 2011

Earlier the living room was filled with the glorious sounds of Brittney Spears and Eminem music videos (great representation of America, right?).  I have reassured my sisters multiple times that most of us Americans are absolutely not like that.

Sbu asked me about my day about six times tonight and told me that he wants me to be happy while Im here.  I assured him that Im learning a lot and love living with his family.  "I like you," he told me.  "Well that's good because you're stuck with me for two weeks," I jovially replied.  His wife later told me that he said that Im respectful and must come from a disciplined family.  Way to go, madre and padre.

In addition to all other fashionable coastal residents, I wear croakies on my sunglasses.  I never knew that such a small accessory would invoke the questioning that it did this evening.  "Why do you wear your glasses around your neck?" my sister inquired.  "So I don't lose them," I replied.  "Oh. We thought they told you to keep them around your neck so we wouldn't steal them because we black people just steal everything."  I immediately cracked up.  We then had a friendly conversation about stereotypes.  I love that Im already close enough with these girls that we can talk about such topics with a relaxed attitude.

School time

            This morning we met the teacher who will be working with us during the primary school practicum.  She was SO SWEET!  She looked like she was 30 and told us she had grandkids.  I was pretty shocked.  She has a very warm, maternal look about her with a similar personality.  I loved what she had to say about her job and some of the challenges with which she is faced as a result of working with students who come from poor families.  “Sometimes the kids show up in messy uniforms or without their uniforms, but you have to be understanding.  They come from poor families who are focused on putting food on the table, not buying the right uniform.  You cant be harsh on them.  Theyre just kids.”  I like you, Mrs. Saloojee.  I like you a lot. 

            Her bright smile and deep, sensitive eyes conveyed that she was passionate about and proud of what she did for a living.  She loves those kids.  She talked about them as though they were all her own little beauties.  Hearing her speak about her students, her school, and our visit there made me smile. “These kids will get so much out of your being there.  You have no idea of the impact that you will make on these kids,” she told us.  Needless to say, Im freakin STOKED about starting school on Monday! 

            There is a possibility that I will have the privilege of visiting a new school for autistic kids.  I would be excited beyond belief if I actually got to do this.  Special education in the states is highly interesting to me, but special education in a place like South Africa where many schools are still largely black or largely white and corruption is rampant, would be absolutely fascinating.  Where do special needs children fall into the system?  Is there adequate schooling and help for them?  Are their teachers qualified?  I hope that I will learn the answers to all of these questions before this trip is over.  

Perceptions and Reality

            The former academic director of the program (a man who was in exile until 1991 and served in the TRC investigating human rights violations committed by the Apartheid regime) spoke to us today about the current state of South Africa.  He mentioned the Constitutional Court (the highest court in South Africa that addresses only rights issues); the AIDS problem in South Africa; the country’s social net, which, in contrast to most developed nations (including the U.S.), has been increased over the past few years; unemployment in South Africa; and the significant problem with corruption within education in South Africa.  Similar to other scholars here to whom I have spoken, this man was very positive (without losing a sense of reality) about how far South Africa has come and about its future.

            During this man’s talk I thought about how progressive South Africa has become in just seventeen years and where the U.S. currently is in comparison.  South Africa has abolished the death penalty, legalized gay marriage, increased programs benefitting the poor and sick, and their spending on education is twice as much as it is on their military.  Interesting, I thought.  We (Americans) talk about South Africa being so dangerous, crime ridden, and not yet developed when, in reality, they are more progressive than us in many areas of society. 

            The former academic director also talked about where we will be staying during our homestays, which is an all black neighborhood that was destroyed by the Apartheid government (all of its residents forcibly removed) and later rebuilt.  Most whites in South Africa do not go near Cato Manor merely because it is all black and therefore (in the white mind) “dangerous” and crime ridden.  In contrast to this false perception, the man told us, we will be quite safe because this community will make an effort to protect us (SIT students have been staying here for years).  He told us that they see us as an asset, making any threat to us a threat to the community.    

No soymilk or free range eggs

Well, there goes my healthnut diet.  In our homestay brief, our leader said "Your homestay family is not going to provide you with soymilk, free range eggs, organic chicken filets and foods like this."  I found this comical and took it as a wake up call.  Not everyone can afford ridiculous food.  For me, this is part of immersing myself in a culture and people that work their asses off and still do not make enough money to even consider healthnut grub.  I can get over it. Absolutely.

Im stoked about meeting my family.  We have been taking Zulu lessons from one of the leaders who is fluent in Zulu, which has been quite fun.  I am hoping that my family will be willing to teach me some Zulu as well.  This may sound odd, but Im looking forward to living a very simple lifestyle (compared to the average American lifestyle) in my homestay family.  They will have electricity and running water, but both are to be used sparingly.  Our leader just told us that a year from now the cost of water and electricity in South Africa will be more than that of mortgages and rent.  Wow.

Living with limited resources will not only help me appreciate all of the luxuries I have in the U.S., but will also serve as a reminder of how most of the world lives.  Yes, I read it in books all the time (I always have some sort of Africa book that Im working on), and try to remind myself that most of the world is not nearly as fortunate as I, but living in it will help make it more of a reality for me.  

A few insightful thoughts/quotes

The physician used by SIT just spoke to us about any medical needs we might have.  In discussing European and American fear (and sometimes paranoia) regarding health and safety in the developing world, he mentioned the E.coli issue in Europe.  "22 people have died because of this E.coli problem in Europe, and they are throwing out all kinds of food.  More than 100 people a day are dying for freedom in Libya."  Damn.  Pretty insightful point, dude.

Last night we watched a movie called “Skin.”  I highly recommend it for anyone willing to watch the disgust, inhumanity, and true cruelty that characterized Apartheid.  I have a very low tolerance for violent movies, especially ones that feature real injustices, which this movie definitely did.  I found myself extremely sad and angry while watching this movie.  I was yelling at the “bad guys” (white supremacists, in this case) like I do in most movies, and wanting to jump through the television screen and scream at them.  I later thought to myself, “I watch a movie and get sickened by the injustice of Apartheid, and these people in South Africa have been able to reconcile with and forgive their oppressors.  Holy moses! How do people do this? How does a society move on as well as South Africa has?”  I do not have the answers to these questions, although I am sure that throughout the program, I will learn more about these questions.  As stated earlier, I do not mean to paint an unrealistically positive picture of today’s society and racial situation in South Africa, but considering their history, they have come a hell of a long way.  


   

what's been written so far

I have absolutely no idea how to do this blog business, but Ive been writing a journal and here's what Ive got thus far. Enjoy!

A few days before departure

            Humans are all creatures of habit, but I think my need for a steady routine, including daily runs and little variation in my daily diet, is perhaps a bit more intense than the typical college student’s need for routine.  This dependency on routine and consistency has been my main concern about studying in South Africa for six weeks.  Two days without a run makes for an anxious, crazy me.  I am all about new foods, but I am usually much more picky than Id like to be.  “Broadening my horizons” in these departments will be good for my routine oriented self though.  If I want to spend a significant amount of time throughout Africa post graduation (which I indeed do), getting over a “rainman lifestyle” is absolutely necessary. 

            Other than my concerns about my absurd routine addiction, I couldn’t be more excited about spending six weeks studying and living in a country that is seventeen years out of a system of intensely strict segregation.  So much to learn, so much to see, so many people who have experienced such significant events, and are willing to share those experiences with people like me- what a great experience this will be.  Since the program is based upon education and social change, part of our time will be spent participating in a practicum in a local school.  Considering how much I absolutely love working with kids, I might be most excited about this.  During the two weeks I spent in Uganda, I could not get away from the precious kids running all over the place.  Im hoping South Africa will be the same way- streets filled with kids playing soccer or any other games that they can create. 

June 5, 2011

            Well, my mixed feelings of anxiety and excitement carried into my arrival in South Africa.  Luckily, I met someone on my plane who is participating in the same program as I, so I searched for him at the baggage claim where I found two others doing the same thing.  “Off to a good start,” I thought to myself.  I can bond with some folks and get over my fear about getting acquainted with new people.  After a game of bananagrams, we headed towards the center of the airport and found our group of Americans being greeted by three South Africans with a paper sign that read “SIT” (the program with which I am studying).  Things were going well.  Everyone was friendly, eager to meet each other, and clearly excited about the program.  We piled into a couple of vans and drove to a quaint little house where we would all sleep, eat, and shower for the next 48 hours.  My only problem thus far was my toes feeling as though they were frostbitten.  It was MUCH colder than I expected.  Johannesburg has a significantly different climate than Durban (where the program will be held and the location for which I checked the weather).  A steamy shower, a pair of socks, a few t-shirts, and several blankets solved my problem, and I was soon sleeping like a well-fed baby. 

            Sunday started early (for me) with breakfast at 7:30 and departure for the Apartheid Museum and SOWETO (Southwestern Township) at 8:30.  I have never exactly been a fan of museums, but the Apartheid museum was pretty decent.  Seeing Desmund Tutu’s and Nelson Mandela’s previous homes in SOWETO was pretty damn sweet as well.  Both of those guys are pretty badass in my book.  (Changing a country in one man’s lifetime is seriously remarkable.)

            On Friday we will meet our urban homestay families and on Monday we will start our practicum in an urban school.  Im ready for this.  Tired of anticipation.   

            As predicted, my loss of routine has made me a bit crabby at times, but nothing that distractions and a good run cannot cure.  Im praying (not that I pray, but you know what I mean) that Ill get a good run in tomorrow.  Oh how I miss the heat and running in it.  I really do.  Since surviving one Sewanee winter, I seriously love nothing more than hot, humid South Mississippi summers.  Running in such heat provides me with serious reward; drenched in sweat and overwhelmed with heat- that has to be the result of a good workout. 

June 6, 2011

            Warmer weather! AND a good run!  We made the seven hour drive from Johannesburg to Durban today, which turned out to be pretty enjoyable mainly because I rode in the car with the academic director of the program (seriously bright guy who lived through Apartheid) and two other highly engaging students.  Meeting people who are passionate about the same issues as I am has been encouraging and refreshing for me.  I was amazed by a conversation that I had with the academic director about Apartheid and his attitude towards the recovery of his country. 

            After our group experienced a very positive interaction with a couple whom we later learned fought in the forces to keep Apartheid alive, I made my disgust with their actions very obvious to our director.  “No, no” he calmly said.  “You cant look at it that way.  We have to move past that in this country.  We have to learn to live together peacefully.”  “Holy shit,” I thought to myself.  This guy is an intensely level headed and forgiving man. 

            Throughout our seven hour car ride we continued to talk extensively about Apartheid, its multiple and deep effects on South Africa, and the general state of race relations in this country today.  I was fascinated, to say the least.  Not only with our director’s clear and balanced understanding of South Africa’s current state, but also with all of South Africa’s people.  I already knew about the TRC (Truth and Reconciliation Commission) and how successful its been in some realms of society, but seeing that first hand was quite an experience. 

            While I was highly impressed with this man’s attitude and the success of all of South Africa, I do not intend to paint an unrealistic picture of race relations in the current South Africa.  Much progress has been made, but there is still much progress to be made.  South Africa is the most unequal country in the world with the highest Gini coefficient, and if reforms and changes are not made, the situation will only worsen.  With the appropriate changes though, South Africa has magnificent potential.  Thus far into this trip, I am confident that this potential will be realized.