Back to Emafini this morning and to another Grade 1 classroom. I only was able to spend a few hours in the classroom this morning but enjoyed every minute of it. I read Goldilocks and the Three Bears to the students using my amazing acting skills (ha ha) to get them to be able to understand and then Mimi read them the same big book in Xhosa. After we read the book we had to students make small book of their own. We then had the students act out the story with students being the characters and the students were allowed to take the books home with them. This is really a big deal for the students to be able to take the books home with them. You see, usually no matter what they make it has to be glued down in their notebooks so when administration comes to check them they can see what they have done. It is very important for them to put everything in notebooks and the teacher sign the work. So for them to be allowed to take these books home was wonderful.
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| Reading Goldilocks and the Three Bears in Xhosa. |
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| Goldilocks and the Three Bears book the students made in Xhosa |
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| Mimi and myself |
After leaving Emafini we headed back to NMMU for a chorus concert. This chorus was amazing and have been invited to Canada and the US to sing. They are just waiting to see if they have enough funding to be able to go. They sang all acapella with only African drums on the last two songs and danced while singing. The first few songs they sang were written by American composers but the last 5-6 were South African songs in native language and they were so good.
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| NMMU Choir |
August 11 - Bay World, Emafini and a Braai
We began our morning differently today heading to Bay World educational classroom. This aquarium offers educational hands on classes following the Port Elizabeth grade level curriculum. We observed a group of Grade R students learning about recycling and how when you liter you could hurt the animals around you, and two upper grade classes one learning about fossils and the other learning about skeletons of ocean animals compared to humans. We learned this aquarium tries to help the township schools by offering a discount for them to come and visit since most children do not get the opportunity any other way. Bay World offered more than just learning and seeing ocean life. They also offered the chance to learn about South African history and native birds and reptiles. It was an amazing opportunity.
After Bay World Julien (our driver for the month) took us to Emafini for a going away ceremony. This ceremony was the best I have ever been exposed to. All of the staff was dressed in their native Xhosa attire and were beautiful. I did not know that married women are suppose to cover their heads with a head dress, wear a longer dress that covers their knees, and have their breasts covered with an extra cover. Most of the women dressed up wore native beaded necklaces, anklets, bracelets, and shoes. They sang and danced between each thing on the agenda and we all had such a great time. I love the "South Africa" they gave us and can not wait to hang it in my classroom.
To end the wonderful day we had Mr. McKay the principal invited us all over to his house to have a native Braai or cookout. I had never eaten lamb before but instead of hamburgers or steak this is the normal meat they cook for their braai. It was delicious. I got so caught up in eating that I forgot to post a picture of the desert. It was malvo pudding with icecream... so yummy!
August 12 - Good bye Port Elizabeth Hello Cape Town
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| Grade R students (kindergarten) learning about recycling |
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| Since we hatch eggs in my classroom I thought this was a neat display of egg hatching. |
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| African Penguin |
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| Seals |
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| Leaving BayWorld |
After Bay World Julien (our driver for the month) took us to Emafini for a going away ceremony. This ceremony was the best I have ever been exposed to. All of the staff was dressed in their native Xhosa attire and were beautiful. I did not know that married women are suppose to cover their heads with a head dress, wear a longer dress that covers their knees, and have their breasts covered with an extra cover. Most of the women dressed up wore native beaded necklaces, anklets, bracelets, and shoes. They sang and danced between each thing on the agenda and we all had such a great time. I love the "South Africa" they gave us and can not wait to hang it in my classroom.
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| Julien our driver and friend |
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| last day headed out |
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| Shops on the way to Emafini |
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| Shops on the way to Emafini |
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| Lara and myself with PoPo and MiMi in their native dress. You can see that PoPo is not married and is allowed to show her head and knees. |
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| check out those shoes. |
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| Lucy and myself. She was singing to me. |
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| Emafini uniforms |
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| PoPo was so excited with her gift from all of us |
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| Receiving our "South Africas" from the staff |
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| Singing and dancing |
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| They painted me and Melonies faces in the native way using calamine lotion. |
To end the wonderful day we had Mr. McKay the principal invited us all over to his house to have a native Braai or cookout. I had never eaten lamb before but instead of hamburgers or steak this is the normal meat they cook for their braai. It was delicious. I got so caught up in eating that I forgot to post a picture of the desert. It was malvo pudding with icecream... so yummy!
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| Food on the braai |
August 12 - Good bye Port Elizabeth Hello Cape Town
We got up at 4:00 in the morning and boarded an airplane for Cape Town. I am going to miss Port Elizabeth and Abalone (our home away from home). After arriving in Cape Town (which is definitely more of a city than Port Elizabeth) and getting settled into our new "home" 40 Winks. We headed down to the Central Library to the American Corner (which the US Consulate in Cape Town opened) to meet and learn from Nigel Worden the author of The Making of Modern South Africa. This history book was a hard read for me, discussing it as a whole group like we did in Port Elizabeth helped me to understand it better but listening to the author explain helped it to all really sink in. I am amazed at all the South African people have been through and survived. A long day was completed by dinner on the waterfront with friends.
August 13 - Roben Island and last day in South Africa
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| Good bye Abalone my home away form home |
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| Nigel Worden |
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| American Corner |
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| The very spot where Nelson Mandela addressed the nation after being released from prison and elected President of South Africa. |
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| New home for the next two days |
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| Beautiful view of Lion's Head or Signal Mountain |
August 13 - Roben Island and last day in South Africa
Woke up this morning to a beautiful day. The weather was calling for lots of rain but man did we get a blessing instead. We walked down to the water front and boarded our ferry headed to Roben Island. If you do not know already it is the island that housed the prison where Nelson Mandela spent 18 years along with over 3,000 other political prisoners during their fight to end apartheid in South Africa.
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| School on Roben Island |
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| Mandella's cell in Section B they were kept seperate from other prisoners to avoid conversation. This is a 2x2 meter cell. He would have had to roll and unroll his bedding each night to have room in the cell. There was no toilet to use, they used the red buckets in their cells |
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| This is our prison tour guide Kgotso Glen Atoselengoe. He was one of the 4,782 political prisoners in Cell Block D form 1984-1991 when he was released early thanks to Nelson Mandela. |
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| Roben Island |
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| Guard tower that was manned 24 hours a day even though it was nearly impossible to escape. |
We fly out tomorrow and although I am super excited to see my family I will truly miss South Africa. I have gained so much wisdom and love from this country and can not wait to spread some of it to my Kinder babies this year.
Good Bye South Africa!
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