Safari here I come!

I am leaving Grahamstown in about an hour to be gone for 2 weeks...on a safari!  Oh my goodness!  It is going to be crazy!  We will be taking a bus to Cape Town tonight and spending all day there tomorrow.  On Monday morning we will begin our tour of the entire country stopping at all of the "touristy" places.  We will be with 9 other tourists and 2 tour guides traveling around on a bus/truck type thing.  And here's the kicker...when we stop at night, we will be sleeping in tents!  I know it's crazy but I'm so excited!  I will not have very much internet access so I will not be able to keep this updated.  I will be keeping a daily written journal and most certainly put it all on here once I return (September 5th)  Wish me luck!

In case you want to know, this is the link to the tour that I will be taking!  You can check out all of the places that I will be visiting and all the things that I will see!
http://www.packagetours.co.za/tours-by-type/camping-overland/132-garden-route-and-lesotho-13-days.html

I'm so excited and cannot wait for this HUGE adventure!  Definitely keep me in your prayers please!  I love you all!

On Holiday!

Today was the last day of the term!  It is really weird to think that I am getting to go on a break after being here for just 2 weeks.  The boys are definitely excited about it and I'm looking forward to sleeping late in the morning that is for sure! The had a final assembly today where all of the parents came and they gave out all of the awards for the term.  It was really interesting to see what all they do; handwriting competetions, drawing competetions, an academic bowl, etc.  And of course your typical sports awards and honor roll (which hey call Full House!) 

The really neat thing is that the entire school is divided up into houses...just like Harry Potter!  There are the Lions, Tigers, and Griffin.  Each house is awarded points for various activities that the students participate in and at the end of each term the house with the most points wins the House Cup (the most coveted award!)  The boys really get team spirited during different activities and I think it is a really good way to get all of the boys, no matter their age, working together.  The teachers are also divided up into what house they support as well.  It definitely provides some friendly competetion!

After school I spent over an hour trying to get some of my money converted over into Rand (South African curency).  In case you were wondering $1 U.S. Dollar = around 7.5 Rand.  Needless to say, I feel like I am spending so much more money here!  Lots of things are more expensive though, especially clothes and personal stuff like lotion, shampoo, etc.  Luckily I brought enough of all of that to last me until November...hopefully!

Side note...Skype is AMAZING! 

Walk a mile in my shoes

Actually you shouldn't walk a mile in my shoes...unless you want lots of blisters, sore legs, and aching feet!  That has been the story of my life lately.  Because of the cold weather, I have had to wear closed toe shoes.  And in order to coordinate with my "school clothes" they are not always the most comfortable.  I have even resorted to wearing my tennis shoes on the way to school and changing once I get there (providing a very cute attire on the way!)  Becuase it is the end of term, the school schedule has been a little different and I have sometimes had to walk back and fourth to school twice in 1 day (making that 4 - 25 minute walks!) But oh well...at least I'm getting lots of exercise!

Mrs. Baxen is basically rennovating her entire house and today began the kitchen project...meaning we got to go out for dinner tonight!  We went to a really cute little Thai resturant and it was delicious!  I know I talk about food a lot, but as you can tell, good food is sometimes hard to come by so it is worth discussing. Yesterday I had a Coke and a doughnut too.  I even emailed a picture of it to my Mom...how pathetic is that!? 

Tomorrow is the last day of term for the students and Misty and I still haven't quite decided what we're going to do for the holiday yet!  We have found lots of different options!  I really want to go on like a group tour type thing all over the country and be a complete tourist!  I don't really get to be a "tourist" in Grahamstown becuase that just attracts more attention.  As if being a 6 foot tall, dark haired, dark eyed, white girl isn't enough; adding a camera only makes it worse! 

The Chicks are Here

Today the eggs finally hatched and we have 14 baby chicks so far!  They are so cute and the boys absolutely LOVED them!  Each boy got to write his name on one of the eggs and they have been waiting patiently for 21 days for them to hatch.  As someone's chick was born, all of the other students were saying "Congratulations Dad!" to the boy whose name was on the egg.  It was adorable! 

Inside the incubator where they all hatched 

The boys took turns every day rotating the eggs in the incubator as well as monitoring the temperature and humidity levels.  It was so neat for them to actually see the life cycle happen instead of just reading about it in a book. 

A few of the chicks

The finished product!

The boys also got to take home their egg once it hatched.  The chicks will be in the classroom under an infra-red light until Thursday when they will go home with some of the students who live on farms.  It defintiely made me want to take a few home with me...and it also made me miss Puddles!

Boys boys boys

Today has been a rather chill day outside of school...I have been able to get some things accomplished!  We are trying to decide what we are going to do during the holiday because we want to take advantage of our time off.  I have heard that there is the world's highest bungee jump about 2 hours from here and I definitely want to check it out! 

Since everyone has been asking for pictures, I've been trying to take some to give you an idea of life here!

My classroom...with the boys hard at work!

Since the students get out for holiday on Thursday, this week is full of excitement and energy!  There is a lot going on to wrap up the end of the term; drawing contests, family game night, assembly, etc.  All of the schools here go year round with a 2-3 week break in between every term.  I can't really decide if I like this schedule or the American schedule better...I think I would REALLY miss summer break! 

Some of my enthusiastic boys posing for a picture!

Reality hits hard

I have now been in Grahamstown for an entire week and it has FLOWN by!  It's so crazy that I will be living here for the next 3 months. I absolutely love it but there is so much about this city and this culture that has taken me by surprise.  I want to preface this blog by saying that I am in no way looking down upon anyone, just simply stating what I have experienced so far and how I feel about it.

Poverty is extremely rampant here and the unemployment rate is over 40% just in Grahamstown; it is heartbreaking.  Any time that we have walked out of a resturant with "to-go boxes" we have been bombarded with young kids asking for food and of course we give whatever we have.  I just don't feel like it's making that much of a difference!  Everywhere you look there is someone who needs help in some way or another.  Yesterday we had a girl come and knock on the door asking us for money.  Apparently my roommate had given her a peanut butter sandwhich the day before and she had remembered where we lived and had come back for more.  Situations like this are everywhere and it just rips my heart out!

Racism is also still very prevalent here and the white people are much more highly looked upon.  Although apartheid no longer exists, traces of it are seen everywhere.  The white people are the ones who drive cars and the blacks are the ones walking on the side of the road (except for Misty and I!).  The white people are the teachers, doctors, and lawyers while the blacks are the janitors, lunch ladies, and street cleaners.  It just doesn't seem right to me at all!

Since I've experienced all of this, I am constantly thinking about what I can do to fix it but then realize that there isn't very much.  It simply breaks my heart to see people be treated differently simply because of the color of their skin or to see children asking for food on the side of the road.  I know that God has me here for a specific purpose and I know that I am going to some how, some way, make a difference in the lives of the people of Grahamstown...I'm just haven't figured it all out yet!      

On a lighter note...

The most popular brand of chips in South Africa...and also the best name!

Weekend Rivalry

This weekend has been a flashback to high school...in a good way!  In Grahamstown there are 2 major private schools, St. Andrews (where I am) and Kingswood, and they are major rivals.  All of the students get really into all of the competetion and their parents do as well.  It's even fun at the house I'm staying at because Aegean attends Kingswood and of course I have to root for St. Andrews!

On Friday, I witnessed my first field hockey game when I went to watch some of my students play.  It was very neat to see some of my kids on the field and witness a sport that I have never seen...it was really intense.  I also got to see some of the older students, so I got a more accurate idea of the game.  This was all a part of the big rivalry weekend as well!

Some of my students playing field hockey!

Saturday was called "K-Day" and although I have no idea what that stands for, it was really fun!  The highlight was definitely the rugby game.  I think everyone from this town and every surrounding town was at the game cheering for their team.  It was just like a high school football game and I loved it! The students had painted their faces (while sporting their dress uniforms of course!) and were extrememly into the game.  Although I still don't understand the rules, I really enjoyed the game and St. Andrews won!

The rugby match!

1st Time for Everything

1st Lesson Taught - I taught my 1st math lesson today and it went wonderfully!  The students participated really well and my mentor teacher seemed to like it too.  I introduced the students to the concept of symmetry and we were able to do some hands on activities that they loved.  The surprising thing is, the school has very limited resources when it comes to manipulatives...I had to create my own.  Right before my lesson Mr. Plescia brought in a set of pattern blocks so I was able to demonstrate to the students, which was really nice.  It has definitely made me realize how fortunate the schools in America are when it comes to available resources.  On the other hand, I have also realized that you don't have to have all of the "bells and whistles" of teaching in order for students to be able to learn.   No matter what resources are available, an excellent teacher is the top priority and that is exactly what I hope to become! I will be doing the follow up lesson tomorrow and hopefully it will go just as smoothly. I have to admit, I am definitely ready for the weekend.  Especially Saturday morning when I will hopefully get to sleep in late!

1st Clothesline Experience - Ms. Baxen has a lady who comes and cleans her house, does her laundry, etc. for her everyday.  Although I sometimes feel weird when I come home to a made-up bed and straightened up clothes, I must admit it is VERY nice!  Maureen (the cleaning lady) came into my room this afternoon and asked if I needed any clothes washed.  Of course I did but was a little reluctant to make her wash my clothes too.  I finally gave in and this is the result...

My clothes hanging out to dry! (Including my zebra pj pants!)

When I got back home from school prep, I that is what I saw hanging outside.  I couldn't help but to laugh out loud!  Don't get me wrong though, I am very thankful for clean clothes, especially since I didn't have to wash them myself!

Food...FINALLY!

Highlight of the day...eating a cheeseburger!  At Steers they have "Wacky Wednesday" where all of their burgers are buy one, get one free and they deliver!  Aegan (Ms. Baxen's son) is a frequent patron and I'm sure I am going to become one too.  Although I have no idea what I was really eating, it tasted wonderful!  It was by far the best thing I have eaten since I arrived.  And I still haven't figured out what "South African" food really is!?

Highlight #2...the cows wandering passed my window.  As I was preparing to teach my lesson for tomorrow I heard a strange noise outside of the window.  When I looked out, I saw a line of 5-6 cows just walking down the road followed by a man.  It was a very strange sight!

Due to the time change, I still haven't been able to sleep very well at night.  After 6 days of this it is beginning to catch up to me and needless to say I am exhausted.  With the help of Melatonin, hopefully I will be able to get some much needed rest tonight.  Good night!

Busy as a Bee

Today was an extremely busy day...I feel like it completely flew by!  It was either warmer or I'm beginning to get used to the weather, or maybe a combination of both, but either way I didn't freeze to death today.  And school was wonderful!  I took over my teacher's section of study hall for an hour so I got to know the students much better after being with them by myself.  Basically I just love them! 

Apparently in South Africa no one eats lunch at school unless it is one of the students who boards (lives) their...everyone just goes home and then returns an hour later.  So I got the experience to go to my mentor teacher's house for lunch and meet her family.  They were all so extrememly nice!  Her husband is a teacher at the high school and they live in a townhome type place that is provided by the school.  It is apparent that school is MUCH more important here than it is in America, that's for sure!  

I definitely learned a lot more about what I will be doing this semester that's for sure.  I was informed that I will be helping with sports next term after our break and they needed someone to help with the high jump.  I don't really know if it is the same as high jump in America but I'm excited to be able to get so involved.  My teacher also asked me if I would teach a math lesson about symmetry on Thursday and continue it on Friday.  I was shocked that she was asking me to teach a lesson already but definitely excited!  And I got to do the glorious job of grading papers for a little while today as well. 

I got to do a little bit of exploring the city today as well.  After walking home from school, Misty (the other COST student) and I wandered into town to buy some groceries to cook dinner for Ms. Baxen and Aegan.  The city was very busy!  It actually looks like a scene out of a movie with the house covered hills all around.  I desperately need to take some pictures!

Another really cool thing about the school is that it is Christian!  In music today the students were singing songs like, "Swing Low Sweet Chariot" and talking about the Bible stories they related to.  On their bulliten boards they have verses of scripture that they had written and illustrated as well.  It just provided a little bit more assurance that I'm exactly where God wants me to be!

1st Day @ School

I started at the school today and absolutely LOVED it!  After being in the classroom for 5 minutes, I was completely obsessed!  Their British accents, adorable uniforms, and funny personalities won me over instantly.  I was placed in Mrs. Hobson's Grade 4 Class of 27 boys, ages 9-10.  They are all so polite, cute, and sweet!  I cannot wait to get to know them better.  It is very different being in a classroom with only boys but I think that I'm really going to enjoy it a lot.

All of the staff was so welcoming and nice as well.  My mentor teacher introduced me to every person we saw as, "This is Ms. Willard, she's from America."  It was really weird hearing that outloud actually but everyone thought it was so cool.  My mentor teacher, Mrs. Hobson, is extrememly nice and very cooperative.  She was willing to allow me to do anything that I need to do and seemed excited to have me in the classroom.

The students and teachers love to tell me stories about things that they know about America, family that they have there, etc.  It was very interesting to hear them talk about American things such as the movie "Grease" and Olivia Newton John.  They also knew Dolly Pardon and had sets of Judy Blume books in the library.  It was interesting to see how much that they know about "American society" and how little I know about "South African society." 

Oh and by the way...it is FREEZING COLD here!  Well it's really like in the low 50's but coming from the Georgia summer heat I feel like I've entered a blizzard!  There is no heating or air conditioning in any of the houses or the school so I have been extrememly cold.  I wore 4 layers and my leggings to school today and I was still cold.  It is ridiculous!
Today was an amazing 1st day (except for the cold) and hopefully it is only going to get better!

Let the Games Begin!

After many requests, I am starting a blog so that everyone can keep up with me while I am in South Africa!  I know it's not super cute yet but it will be once I get the hang of all this as well as some time to work on it.

In case you don't know...
I am in Grahamstown, South Africa from August 5 - November 9 to do my student teaching.  I will be working at a school called St. Andrews Junior Prep and living with a family there.  Many people think that I am crazy for doing this but I really think that this is exactly where God wants me to be!

After traveling for 36 hours I finally arrived in Grahamstown, South Africa.  I had a 16 hour flight from Atlanta to Johannesburg, a 15 hour layover, a 1 1/2 hour flight to Port Elizabth, and finally an hour shuttle ride to Grahamstown.  It was extremely long, lonely, and definitely tiring but it was well worth it when I finally arrived.  The only problem was, my luggage did not arrive with me!  I was told that I was supposed to go through customs in Johannesburg in order for them to send it to Port Elizabeth...of course they tell me this after the fact.  As of now I have 2 tshirts, a pair of shorts, and a pair of running pants; all of which have already been worn once.  Thankfully I did have my computer, camera, medicine, etc on my carry on!  After dealing with the airlines (with much help from my Mom) it is supposed to be arriving today!  

The house I am staying in is a cute little cottage type house with my coordinator, Ms. Jean Baxen and her 17 year old son, Agean.  Misty, who is doing the same program as I am, will be arriving this afternoon and becoming my roommate.  Ms. Baxen is re-doing the "guest house" and hopefully it will be ready for us to move in next week.  There will definitely be pictures to come very soon!

I begin at St. Andrews at 7:00am in the morning and I'm extrememly excited!  Well not about the early mornings...haha!  I got an email yesterday from my mentor teacher and I will begin my teaching in Grade 4, which if it is like the U.S. is my favorite grade so far!

I think that's all for now...I am going to do my best to keep up with this as often as possible so that everyone will know what is going on over here! 

Just know that I love you all and miss you already!