Since My Last Post

There has been sooo many things that have happened since my last update. The more I get into school the more I realize how much work it is actually going to be. The semester only spans from the end of july til the end of october. I have 3 papers due around september 3rd, all around 10 pages a piece.

The major thing that I have been working on since my last update has been the Intervarsity Ballroom Dance Competition. At first glance, I didn't think the dance society would be something I was going to take part of while I was here. Feeling like I hadn't given it the chance it deserved I went back. I am glad I did, because all the thoughts that I had from the first meeting were completely washed away with good ones. In one week I managed to get a partner, go through dance bootcamp, and then two practices for the competition. The following Sunday I got to take part in South Africa's National Ballroom and Latin Dance Competition. My partner and I did quite well for our circumstances. For the division we were in we ended up getting 3rd for ballroom, 5th for latin and then a 6th for open mambo. The placement failed in comparison to the overall experience though. I felt I became a true Matie (that is the people that go to stellenbosch). We sang chants and cheered and just bonded on so many levels. I am very blessed to have the partner that I did. He was very excited and we actually had a connection and fun dancing with each other, which is something I have not had since my very first dance partner. Our team ended up taking home the spirit cup and placed 2nd in overall scoring. There was a moment that melted my heart when one of the handicapped dancers came to me and said she liked me and made a friendship with me. For a 1/2 hour we just sat on the sidelines laughing and watching the dancers and then sometimes dancing on the sidelines together. She was sooo loving and couldnt get enough hugs and giggles. The excitement in her face when the jive music came on was very inspirational. It reminded me that dance is not just how technically correct you can move your feet, but how the music makes you move inside. Until that moment I think that is a truth I had lost somewhere along my way.

On a not so high note, I had to confront a far too real stereotype of South Africa this week. While practicing for the competition my Ipod was taken out of the bottom of my bag. It was tucked away and set along the safest wall of the room, but somehow managed to get gone. When I was coming over here that is all people would say to me. South Africa=crime. I would always fight against it and say that it is probably just as bad as Charlotte or New York. I feel that this experience has given those people validation that they were correct. I don't believe that to be so. I must realize there is some truth, but that for the most part, the ideas people have of South Africa are still quite exaggerated.

The more time I spend here the more I feel myself growing. I am still continuing to cook and broaden my horizons of healthy food and drink alternatives. I actually had a request for my teriyaki chicken stir fry!!! That has to be the first time someone has actually wanted a particular food I have made. Felt sorta cool.

Today was day 2 at Kayamandi Primary. The task still proves to be a challenge, but most definitely a learning experience for both parties. The learners english skills are not very good so sometimes trying to get interaction or help with homework can become quite the obstacle. Then again, working with kids who come from your own background still poses lots of challenges.

The next few weeks I am cutting down the social life and hitting the books. Hopefully I will get everything done before the sunshine comes in and takes all my work ethic away. That is all I have for now, so goodnight to all those who actually read all the way through this :)

First Day of Kayamandi

Today was our first actual day at Kayamandi Primary. We have already went on a walk through and toured both the town and the school, but today was our first real interaction day. I am pretty sure that this will be the most rewarding experience I get while I am here. We started off with a greeting game just to get to know one another, and then went into homework help, and then finishing the day with snacks and physical activities. The girls at my table all had the same electricity homework. I was so confused at how that was one of the things they were taught, but sure enough we went all the way from things not to do with electricity to the different types of currents ect.

Most of, if not all, of the student's mother tongue is Xhosa. This is the African language where for the x,c,and q are all different types of clicks. So we will be doing the homework in english, but when they interact with each other or do not understand particular english phrases yet they start speaking to each other in this very native African language. Its quite surreal. This is especially so when right outside our door the dance team is practicing their chants and sooo awesome dance moves.

I can see that this volunteer program will not be easy, there will be struggles. Whether it be with kids just being kids, or just understanding the language or cultural barriers that sometimes exist. Regardless of all that I feel like I will grow so much from just the 3 hours a week I spend with these kids. They will teach me just as much, if not more, than whatever I manage to impress on them.

How Amazing the Experience

So I just had the realization of how amazing this experience is. It is still early, yet so many awesome things have already happened. The weather is being so much better than normal and everything is in walking distance. I get to take classes I am extremely interested in and feel like I will use even after I take the exams. I hope that I will be a good photographer after all the theory we have learned the last 2 classes, and also get a better understanding of the continent and what makes it unlike any other. I am getting involved with the community and the school. I am soo excited to start our after-school volunteer program in Kayamandi. The kids are soo precious. Also I just got word that there is someone who needs a partner for the ballroom competition coming up in like 2 weeks from now so I get to be a part of that :). I go into it realizing many things are different but that will be what makes me a better dancer in the end. It would be cool to place, but just getting to take part of the experience is all I ask for. Once I get all the money matters in order I want to begin to take surfing lessons. For 150 rand (which isnt even 20 dollars) I get an hr with an instructor plus transport board and wet suit. So I think they require you get at least 3 lessons, but I think it would be well worth it. I want to get the most out of this experience. Everyday I am here I learn something new, whether it be how to survive without a microwave, the relaxing experience of walking everywhere forced to hold actual conversations or the importance of warm tea and immune booster tablets come flu season.
I can already see myself metamorphosing, but it appears to be for the better.

Thus Far in SA

The time is already passing so fast. The experience has already proven to be well worth all the effort put into getting here. The town is sooo lovely and for the most part the people are very nice. I have to learn how to see beggers on the street and not give them anything. I cant say that I will ever be able to get use to it, but for practical and safety reasons it is something that we are not meant to do.
I feel way more like an adult here. They seem to put a lot more responsibility on those people who are still students. They have jobs and positions you would expect someone who has already graduated to have. They also bring alcohol to every function for the students. So you see administration and students alike sharing drinks. I also believe they use it to their advantage because the adventure centre here had a braai (south african bbq) and had free alcohol and were passing out shots but they also had booths where you could sign up for shark diving and repelling ect....so of course a lot of people got a few sips of liquid courage and signed up for things they would normally pee their pants about. I must say I signed up for shark cage diving without the help of any form of artificial courage. Though my bank account may hate me later I feel like its a once in a lifetime experience.
It is so easy to just walk around everywhere here. Its a great feeling. I've always wanted to experience going to school where the university and town were intertwined. Here I have received that wish but also added in with beautiful back drops of mountains and mostly great weather. Most of the things that would appear to be hindrances are actually stepping stones I feel. We do not have a microwave. We have some hot plates and a toaster oven. I feel this will be good because I will force myself to make the simple things I know how to make but am to lazy to make at home. All my classes seem to be be structured way different but I think it will help me better retain the information and they are all very interesting. I actually am looking forward to reading the text books and other prescribed readings....never thought that would happen!!!
Seem to have a nice group of friends right now, but still hope to expand more. We are planning an awesome trip to Cape Town after our early morning of shark diving. I cant wait!!!! I really hope to interact with the locals more though. Once I get into the clubs and community service programs I think that will be bound to happen with time. That is my first week and a couple days in a nutshell. Hopefully next week I will be able to reflect more on what is going on within myself in the adventure. Right now I am at the point at taking it all in and trying to figure it out and put meaning to everything. Its quite a rush of forgotten abilities and appreciating things that never seemed that important. I am really happy to be here and can tell that it will indeed shape my future.

Uploaded Pictures Batch One

Today I finally got my network problem solved so I have managed to upload some pics. The weather is extremely nice and its such a beautiful town. Tomorrow I am going to check out the ballroom dance club so I hope that I can be a part of that. Saturday we are going shark cage diving and then spending the night in Cape Town exploring and then returning to Stellenbosch on Sunday. I am very excited! There is a group of 7 of us that tend to hang out quite often and this is our first outing together so it should be very good :). I am yet again exhausted from all this new found walking around (gonna be in awesome shape when I get home) and will go to bed for my first real day of classes tomorrow. Below are the links to the posted pictures and I will try to give a better(reflective) journey thus far.



THESE ARE THE UPDATED LINKS. THEY ACTUALLY WORK FOR NON-FACEBOOK USERS

London Pics

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2221170&id=36620508&l=40dd8ba8d1

Stellenbosch Pics

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2220687&id=36620508&l=6e54f1ae5b

1st Update

It is very late tonight but I feel like I should write something to keep those of you keeping up with this informed. I have been in Stellenbosch, South Africa for exactly one week today. The last week has been really hectic. Our orientation left more questions than it gave answers. Internet here is very different than from home. We have to pay by the megabyte and it is much slower than what we would be accustomed to. Hopefully I can get whatever network problem they have caused on my computer fixed so I can upload pictures pretty soon. I have lots from the 1st week here and about a billion from London. The scenery here surpasses any I have yet to see in my lifetime. I have made a small but good group of friends and have started to enjoy life here already. Later when I am not dead beat tired I will fill in with more detail. Tomorrow is the first day of classes so I will recieve a reality check and remember that I am not on vacation that im actually here to study. Once the weather gets nice all the time Im not sure about how much studying I can get done in such a beautiful place. look for picture links soon!

Is This Real?

Is tomorrow really my last day in the United States for 6 months? How is that possible... This whole experience feels as if it has just been me building up a pipe dream that wasn't actually going to happen. Even though I will be boarding a plane tomorrow I dont even think then it will completely hit me. I suspect that it will take being lost in South Africa trying to learn my new way of life for the idea to fully sink into my hard head. I am very excited because tomorrow Pasan's "When I was in Belize...." comment will no longer apply since I will have set foot onto another country's soil and can add variety to my travel stories.. I still do not completely understand how someone like myself has been given such an unreal adventure. Not even two years ago I was sitting in a home, paid for by federal housing assistance, talking to my mom in jest about how I was going to travel the world one day and she had no doubt that one day I would. But this soon? I never fathemed being abroad would even be a realistic option for me. Atleast not while I was still in school without a profession of my own. There is definitely someone upstairs looking out for me. I believe that this journey will lead me to something that is meant for my life. I just hope that I gain wisdom and apply whatever it is I am meant to find the way I am suppose to.