Tuesday February 12, 2013
So I am trying to keep my blog updated weekly but I am slowly learning it is becoming quite difficult. Last week was pretty much consumed with creating lesson plans before we start our solo teaching week. Thursday we went over to Murray and Jordie’s house, which looks like it just walked off a Pinterest board! Everything was so “homey” and “African meets Farmhouse”. It was beautiful! We had a Xhosa lesson (clicking) with a good friend of theirs Thando. It was interesting to learn how to speak and understand. I even picked up some words to say to my students. They were quite impressed Friday morning! We also learned about Xhosa culture and some of their traditions. We learned that when young boys in the Xhosa culture feel as if it is time for them to become a man, they are taken to a special initiation ceremony. They are taken to the Bush to live for a month and they learn many different things. Thando did not go into detail what they are taught. Once they are schooled they are taken to a ceremony for the boys to become men. It is very unhygienic and painful for these men. There have been close to 40 fatalities because of this ritual. After this is over, the men are painted with a red paint that stays on their skin for 6 months. When the men return from the bush and are painted red, it earns the respect of those around. When they return, anyone younger than them must refer to these men as Boetie, which means “brother” in Xhosa.
Friday my school Victoria Park Grey had their athletics day, it was very similar to a track meet. The school is divided into three houses, like Harry Potter. The houses are Andrew, Bollen and Weller, named after previous head masters. I was placed into the Bollen house! It was so much fun to be outside with the kids enjoying the sunshine. I got very burnt! Oooops! Throughout the day the students were dancing and singing, all around having a wonderful time not being in class learning! Parents were invited to watch their children race! The school had a race for the moms, dads and teachers. A dad who was 100% blind ran in the dad’s race with his son and guide dog! It was very encouraging! After school was out Yaku (schools caretakers & the one who takes us to school) took us to the township Walmer which is right around the corner from the school. This township was even worse than the one we went to Graaff-Reinet! It was so sad to see the homes that were built by hand with solely tin. There was trash laying around everywhere, and the yards were full of mud which some had pigs! Cows, goats and pigs run loose in the townships! They are all so skinny and filthy. We saw so many dogs running around too! It made me so sad to see how these animals were living. We learned that around 20-30% of VP Grey Primary live in these conditions. It was a huge reality to think how fortunate we truly are to have roofs that don’t leak, clean running water and homes that we don’t have to “jank wire” to the electric poles to keep intruders out. It was heartbreaking to hear these this and know that my students could live like this. Its very hard to talk or think about.
On to a positive note….
So I am trying to keep my blog updated weekly but I am slowly learning it is becoming quite difficult. Last week was pretty much consumed with creating lesson plans before we start our solo teaching week. Thursday we went over to Murray and Jordie’s house, which looks like it just walked off a Pinterest board! Everything was so “homey” and “African meets Farmhouse”. It was beautiful! We had a Xhosa lesson (clicking) with a good friend of theirs Thando. It was interesting to learn how to speak and understand. I even picked up some words to say to my students. They were quite impressed Friday morning! We also learned about Xhosa culture and some of their traditions. We learned that when young boys in the Xhosa culture feel as if it is time for them to become a man, they are taken to a special initiation ceremony. They are taken to the Bush to live for a month and they learn many different things. Thando did not go into detail what they are taught. Once they are schooled they are taken to a ceremony for the boys to become men. It is very unhygienic and painful for these men. There have been close to 40 fatalities because of this ritual. After this is over, the men are painted with a red paint that stays on their skin for 6 months. When the men return from the bush and are painted red, it earns the respect of those around. When they return, anyone younger than them must refer to these men as Boetie, which means “brother” in Xhosa.
Friday my school Victoria Park Grey had their athletics day, it was very similar to a track meet. The school is divided into three houses, like Harry Potter. The houses are Andrew, Bollen and Weller, named after previous head masters. I was placed into the Bollen house! It was so much fun to be outside with the kids enjoying the sunshine. I got very burnt! Oooops! Throughout the day the students were dancing and singing, all around having a wonderful time not being in class learning! Parents were invited to watch their children race! The school had a race for the moms, dads and teachers. A dad who was 100% blind ran in the dad’s race with his son and guide dog! It was very encouraging! After school was out Yaku (schools caretakers & the one who takes us to school) took us to the township Walmer which is right around the corner from the school. This township was even worse than the one we went to Graaff-Reinet! It was so sad to see the homes that were built by hand with solely tin. There was trash laying around everywhere, and the yards were full of mud which some had pigs! Cows, goats and pigs run loose in the townships! They are all so skinny and filthy. We saw so many dogs running around too! It made me so sad to see how these animals were living. We learned that around 20-30% of VP Grey Primary live in these conditions. It was a huge reality to think how fortunate we truly are to have roofs that don’t leak, clean running water and homes that we don’t have to “jank wire” to the electric poles to keep intruders out. It was heartbreaking to hear these this and know that my students could live like this. Its very hard to talk or think about.
On to a positive note….
This weekend
was very relaxed and easy. We
stayed in Port Elizabeth and just enjoyed having time to sleep in. Saturday we spent the day on the beach!
Thando, the guy who taught us Xhosa joined us on the fun! We played soccer,
well attempted to play soccer for a while before giving up and jumping into the
water. The waves were massive and so much fun to play in! We would dive under
the dinky, little waves and then would ride the big waves into shore! We all became pruned and fish like
because we stayed in the water for so long! Sunday it rained for most of the day, I was able to get some quality reading
and nap, I mean lesson planning time in. J
Monday night we went to the Nelson Mandela University rugby game with some of the other student teachers then everyone came back to our apartment to hang out! It was nice to get to know them outside of school! Everyone is so welcoming here! I would love to go back again and hopefully understand the game a little more!
Monday night we went to the Nelson Mandela University rugby game with some of the other student teachers then everyone came back to our apartment to hang out! It was nice to get to know them outside of school! Everyone is so welcoming here! I would love to go back again and hopefully understand the game a little more!
I was observed today by Dr. Singh( my university supervisor) The classroom was a little chatty but for the most part they were well behaved. I was happy to see that I got “Demonstrated” for all of my standards! This is a good thing J
Saturday is the halfway point! I cant believe we have been here for nearly a month! Time flies!
Until Next Time,
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