City Mission Educational Services

I started my internship at CMES yesterday and quickly realized it is the perfect place for me. I love the population of students that I am working with (middle schoolers) and I love the hands on work that I am able to do (teaching P.E. and a class on life skills, shadowing in classrooms, and planning different events!). I also quickly realized that it is going to be an incredibly challenging experience for me as well, for some of the same reasons that I love it. For instance, the population at the school is students who do not fit in to the normal school system. Sometimes this means they are “age inappropriate” learners, in other instances it means students who do not come from typical home backgrounds. In the second classroom I visited, I ran into both of these situations. The classroom was “sixth grade” but it actually was comprised of a second grader, three fourth graders, two fifth graders, and six sixth graders. When explaining this to me, the teacher also told me that most of the students lived in a shelter in Khayelitsha, lacking even the most basic home structure. The shelter provides everything they need, but relies on outside donors to finance it all. In order to keep my composure, I had to suppress the thought of these students living such a life and how they could ever care about school when they was just trying to survive. I started working with the second grader, who is both housed in the shelter and an “age inappropriate” learner. He is ten years old, he cannot read, and he couldn’t spell “boy” or “ten.” As a matter of fact, out of the dozen or so learners in the class, at most three could read proficiently. The harsh reality of all of this was hard to swallow and will be the biggest emotional hurdle I will have to overcome here. Being in such a situation, however, provides many instances for extremely rewarding experiences. The second grader went from being incredibly distracted and unwilling to learn to being focused and attempting the work in front of him, leaving me with a great feeling of hope and satisfaction.

After lunch, I went into the 8^th grade classroom to finish the day. Much to my surprise, the teacher gave me only the most basic instructions on what to do with the kids for the next two hours and left me with the warning that they “need to be kept in line.” The first hour I spent overseeing their completion of a worksheet, where aside from a student introducing himself to me as “Tortoise,” they were respectful and orderly. We finished all our work with about forty five minutes to spare, so I took the time to talk with the students. They taught me some words in Xhosa and Afrikaans, two of the local languages, and we talked about life in the States, life in South Africa, and how the two compare and contrast. The day ended with what has easily become the highlight of my trip. After confessing I knew nothing about cricket, the students explained it to me, even going to the extent of drawing the field on the board. The director of the school came in during this with a big smile on his face and couldn’t resist the opportunity to provide his input as well. Oh, and I’ve decided to let “Tortoise” stick, and while I know the student’s real name I am going to continue to use his self imposed nickname.

I came to South Africa to work at my internship. Now that it has started, normal life here has also begun. I am incredibly excited to get to know CMES and its students.

Surfing 101

I think I could get used to this...

It’s been a few days since I’ve blogged, but I’m trying not to have this be just a summary of events. I feel that is boring and a medium like Twitter is better suited for it (see right!). Instead I want this blog to be about moments that standout during this trip, and sometimes it takes some time to decide what I want to talk about. Today was our first official day off where we could do as we pleased. The plan was to hike Table Mountain, however a stomach bug has ripped through our group leaving everyone fatigued and dehydrated. Instead, the guys decided to go to the beach and learn how to surf, something I’ve wanted to do for as long as I can remember! Mike, Ryan and I headed to Muzienburg early this morning, barely making our train. We signed up for a lesson, got outfitted in our wetsuits and were given our GIANT foam boards meant for beginners. The walk to the beach was quite comical, my arms aren’t long enough to hold the big board under my arm, and the wind made it feel like I was holding a sail. After a quick demo on the beach on how to get up on the board, and the ever important shark talk, we were in the water ready to ride. Of course I wanted to stand up on my first attempt, but instead it was more of “oh crap water in my face, can’t see/flailing my way off the board.”  I did get up on my second try though, and we spent the morning practicing. Come to find out, surfing is extremely tiring and the hardest part was simply laying on the board and paddling. Balancing laying down is unlike anything I’d ever done, but years of snowboarding and skimboarding made standing up and riding the wave pretty easy.

The beautiful beach at Muizenberg!

After a couple hours, we took a break for lunch completely exhausted, just in time because shortly thereafter the shark siren went off! A Great White was in the area! We hung out for awhile until the coast was clear and went back out for more, this time I had a smaller board. Instantly I saw the difference, it was so much easier to handle and I finally started being able to really hit some waves. By the end of the day I was way out with the kids on the real boards, getting up on waves and riding them until they died out. The next time I go, which could be as soon as tomorrow, I’m going to try out the real, fiberglass boards. By the end of my stay here, I want to be legitimately surfing, being able to go parallel to the waves and everything!

White flag means there's a shark in the waters!!!

My “real life” here starts on Monday with my internship. Our group visited it this past week. My “boss” seems really really cool, and the work I’m going to get to do there sounds amazing. I may have my own classroom to teach! I’ll also be planning and participating in the outdoor component of the organization. I am incredibly excited to start getting involved with what I came to do! Check back in Monday to hear about my first day!

Sivuyila National Baptist Church

I don’t go to church. As a matter of fact I can’t even remember the last time I enjoyed going to church. For many reasons, I’ve decided it’s not for me, but today I had the most incredible experience at church. Our group spent the morning at Sivuyila National Baptist Church in the township of Guguletu. We were the only light skinned people there, and the service was almost entirely in Xhosa, one of the local languages, yet it was easily my most powerful experience so far this trip. I’m not sure even combining the museums, breathtaking views, and Nelson Mandela’s cell could equate to it.

As the service started, I realized how different it was from the services I was used to as a kid. When the congregation prayed, they didn’t just pray. They didn’t just stand in the front and talk like I’m used to. No, the priest moved around. He gestured with his hands, to the congregation, to the sky, using his fists and pointing his finger; he shouted until his voice became hoarse. And the congregation didn’t just stand there and bow their heads to listen. No, they shouted back, they raised their arms, they proclaimed their agreement. That was just the praying. When they sang, they didn’t just sing, they made sure their voices were heard. They had cowbell type instrument they chimed, a drum they beat, and what I can only describe as little leather hand pillows they clapped rhythmically. And they danced. Boy oh boy did they dance. They danced in place, swaying from side to side, they linked arms and coordinated steps, and on more than one occasion they left their seats to gather in the aisle to join together and dance as they sang. As I grew more comfortable being in the church, I couldn’t help but dance in place to the songs that I couldn’t understand a word of. They did this all despite the heat, and it was hot in there. Everyone was sweating, but not a single man took off his suit jacket and not a single woman took off her hat or headdress. That alone was awesome. I had been warned that the collection was a powerful process, but nothing could have prepared me. These people, who live in some of the worst poverty I have ever seen, sang and danced their way to the front of the church to proudly place whatever they could into the offering. From watching, more often than not  it was mere coins leaving their hands. I’m pretty sure everyone in my group gave, and I couldn’t have been prouder to give my part.

I spent the first half of the service fighting back tears and I spent the second half trying to figure out why. I certainly wasn’t feeling sad or sorry for these people. In fact it was just the opposite. On the way to church I watched family after family gathered around the water spigots at the edge of the townships, gathering water for the day. The thought of having to do such a thing struck me; I couldn’t imagine the effort it would take simply to have water in the house. Then, I arrived at a church so united, so happy, so in love with life, you would have never thought of the circumstances in which they lived. Putting all my personal issues with church aside, I left Sivuyila inspired and thankful that such a place existed for these people to convene at. 

Not Your Typical Museums

The location of District Six is clearly visible

The past two days I have gone to two different museums in Cape Town. They weren’t like the often times boring art museums your parents used to drag you to, or even the cool science ones you went on field trips to. No, these two were much heavier topics. Like oppression. And death.

The first was the District Six museum. To give a background on District Six, under apartheid South Africa faced a lot of similar discrimination as the United States did. The city of Cape Town was divided into different districts, and under the Group Areas Act it was declared a “white” area and all of the people of color were forcibly removed. Their homes were bulldozed so they had nothing to come back to. Still to this day the majority is undeveloped, leaving an obvious vacant area amongst the commotion of the city. It, along with the museum, remains testaments to the atrocities committed to the thousands of people who lived there. My favorite part of the museum was the voices of people who lived in District Six, written along long pieces of cloth. None of them were negative; they all talked of the happiness of life when they lived there. Given everything, I think that is a very powerful message.

"We had a happy life in District Six"

The second museum we visited was on the slavery Cape Town experienced at the hands of European settlers. Upon arriving, the settlers were told not to use the local population as slaves, so a slave trade developed, again similar to the one the United States experienced. The building in which the museum is housed was once a home to thousands of slaves. Our tour guide described it as a “fortress of human misery.” We stood in the tiny room where the slaves slept, where they died. We walked in the court yard where they did their work. It was a very humbling experience.

These museums were heavy. They hit you in the gut, and instead of helping you back up they kept coming at you. I think it is good for everyone to get the wind knocked out of them every once in awhile, it makes them appreciate breathing that much more. These two museums did exactly that for me. 

Feeling at Home

I'd call this paradise

I got home sick for the first time since Cub Scout camp. It didn’t last long though, and here is why. Today started off early. I woke up at 6:30 and hung out for awhile, figured out how to use our stove (more complicated than you’d think) and ate breakfast sitting with my feet in the pool. Then, the group set out on the day’s adventures, starting with a quick stop at a beautiful rocky beach. The water was perfect, the waves were crashing, and the weather was warm. Immediately I ran to the rocks, took off my flip flops, and started scrambling all over the place, feeling completely in my element. After a few minutes of this I froze. I wasn’t in Cape Town any more, I was in Maine. I have grown up running along the rocky coast; hell, my only broken bone came from it, and this felt just like that. After walking through the icy water, all I could do was smile. I finally felt at home. I honestly could have done this all day, but we had to move on to the next stop – Hout Bay. There, a seal took a piece of fish from my hand, and I go to start bartering with people for crafts. I ate Fish and Chips for lunch (I’m trying really hard to try new foods, and I’d love to come back liking fish!), and finally stopped at Boulders Beach, the much anticipated penguin colony. The first stop was cool, we could see the penguins and watch them hang out on the beach, but you couldn’t go down onto it. Heading over to the other beach I was like a little kid filled with excitement who just couldn’t keep himself contained. The water was beautiful, and decently warm, so the hunt for penguins began. We found them hiding among the rocks, and for awhile simply hung out with them. It was one of the coolest experiences of my life and incredibly relaxing. I finished the day writing this out from my deck, watching the sunset over the mountains. 

Cape Town, or Popham Beach?

Not surprisingly, Cape Town is quickly finding a place in my heart. I’m feeling more comfortable and quickly adapting. Given how beautiful it is, it wasn’t very hard. Being a tourist is really fun, I love seeing the sights of this beautiful country, but I can’t wait until the tour bus goes away and real life here starts. For while these are experiences I wouldn’t trade for anything, the reason I’m here is to do some work in the community. 

The Adventure Begins

So I’ve arrived in Cape Town. The city if beautiful, I can see the mountains from my house/from everywhere else I go and I can’t get over it! Aside from rain when I got here, the weather is AMAZING. I started my time here off by taking a dip in our pool after I unpacked, followed by a nap in the grass to help nurture my jet lag. The 14 flight wasn’t too bad either. Can’t really tell you what I did; I watched a 2.5 hr long movie, read the entire Hunger Game book, and didn’t sleep more than two or three hours, but the flight didn’t feel awful. I’ll be able to start updating this soon, but here is my schedule for the next two weeks of “orientation:

• Sunday (1/15): A tour around the peninsula, which apparently is great. A stop at Hout Bay, which apparently is also beautiful, and visiting/SWIMMING with a real life penguin colony at Boulders Beach. 
• Monday: Logistical stuff in the morning, visiting Signal Hill which overlooks the city in the afternoon. Eating dinner at "Swingers Jazz Restaurant" I've been told the word swinger is used differently in this country ... :)
• Tuesday: Touring a District Six Museum. 
• Thursday: Visiting Robben Island, where Nelson Mandella was held during his imprisonment. If you don't know much about Mandella you should look him up and learn about him, he's a remarkable man both for this country and the world. 
• Friday: Touring townships. If you don't know, townships are towns made up of shacks. They were the first thing I saw coming out of the airport. It is crazy and utterly heartbreaking. How can you let so many people live in such destitution, right under your nose, right next door to you? I feel like it is a crime against humanity. One thing I'm hoping to do is befriend people who live in them though, to get the real experience, to see how they live, to see what life is like. My dream would be to be able to spend a night or two in one. 
• Saturday: Wine vineyard tours. Not currently a wine fan, but I'm hoping to change that. Apparently the wine here is amazing. 
• Sunday (1/22): We're going to a Baptist church service, which is apparently really really moving. People from the townships give the equivalence of pennies during the offering but do it with such pride. I'll probably cry. 
• Tuesday and Wednesday: Visiting all the internship sites. I'll finally get to learn more about what I'm doing!
• Thursday: "Classes" start. The trip is more focused on the experience and the internships. What we get out of the experience by doing is more important than anything we can learn in a classroom. 
• Friday: A free day. The talk is we're going to climb Table Mountain. My first of many times. I want to get comfortable with the trails. There is Table Mountain, Devil's Peak, Lion's Head, and I'm sure a bunch of other smaller ones. Eventually I'd like to do it by myself, I think some alone time while living with so many people will be really good for me. 
• Saturday: Anther free day. Plan is to hit the beach, possibly get that surfing on!
• Sunday (1/29): A Braii, which is their version of a BBQ. 
• Monday: Internships start!

That's all for now. Like I said, more to come soon!

Here We Go...

On January 13 I will arrive in Cape Town, South Africa after spending over 17 hours straight on a plane. For the next three and a half months I, along with sixteen other UConn students, will call a house in the city suburbs home (the other four are in an apartment nearby). We will all have unique internships placed based on our individual interests (mine is found here), we will all have classes held on the beautiful University of Cape Town campus, and we will all get to choose a volunteer project somewhere in the local community. And that’s not even the “fun” stuff. Cape Town is surrounded on one side by a mountain ridge, most prominently Table Mountain, and on the other side by some of the world’s best beaches. Every aspect of this trip is going to be incredible, from my opportunity to make a real difference in the lives of those I work with to finally being able to learn how to surf!

The city of Cape Town, surrounded by mountains!

After all that, you probably wouldn’t have guessed that deciding to participate in this program has probably been the hardest decisions of my life. As a senior, I am currently on track to graduate this coming May like the rest of my friends. I am well grounded at UConn and could have easily stayed in my comfort zone, riding out what could have been my lightest semester since freshman year. Instead, I’m leaving behind some of the best friends you could ever want for a few months and throwing myself into a completely foreign environment. Luckily, my friends have been very supportive of me going away, though I’d be silly to think I’d leave without getting a good-hearted hard time (I’m looking at you Kenny Cheung).

So I’ve decided to blog about this entire experience. I am hoping to share my thoughts, feelings, and adventures with anyone who is willing to give me the time of day. Saying goodbye to so many great friends, my girlfriend, and my family is going to be hard, and communication while there is going to be just as difficult. I’m hoping to use this as a way to stay connected, so when I come back and talk about South Africa (if Guatemala has anything to show for it, this will be ALL I talk about until next Christmas), people will have a better understanding and appreciation for my rambling.