“The experience of living and studying in another country is so eye-opening … [it] tested preconceptions and habits I wasn’t even aware were so ingrained in me,” (Cynthia Perras (IES Paris, 1981).)
This week I have been truly challenged by the culture here in South Africa in comparison to our culture at home. With it now being our fourth week in South Africa, things that were initially standing out as different to me, are now becoming ways of my life and have led me to think back to our ways of life at home and question them. I have completely adapted to the slow paced way of life here in South Africa, and when people question why I walk so fast, or rush everything I do I genuinely have no reason. I’m becoming aware of the tendency within our culture to do everything as fast as we can rather than take our time and enjoy what we do which is something we should do more often.  |
| Steven Mazunga Primary School |
With this being our first full week in class, this week was quieter than what we were used to as people are beginning to do university work. This allowed me and a number of others to volunteer to visit a school in a township during the week under the supervision of a lecturer. We were invited by the principal of the school as she requested for us to come to show the children that we had chosen to visit the country and study there. It seems that within the township, children lack passion for their education systems and would rather leave school and begin to work. This is so sad to see as there is such potential within the South African Education system. “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world." (Nelson Mandela.) However it was exciting to hear that recently a local church has been purchasing English books for the school and are organising volunteers to come in and work on the children’s English skills. It is becoming clear the difference simple donations can make in children’s lives here and has challenged me to consider the idea of sponsoring a child or organising a school to be supported by organisations at home.
The delight and fascination on the children’s faces as we walked through the school was difficult to understand until our lecturer explained that most of these children have never seen a white person before, another reminder of how split the country of South Africa still is despite modern areas. I was also shocked to hear that at the time of the World Cup being held in South Africa in 2010, large screens were put in place to hide the view of the township from visitors. It is things like these that reveal the very real barriers between poverty and wealth and between blacks and whites within the country, which I had never realised was still such a current issue. However, it is an encouragement to know that the president of this country is fighting to break down of these barriers. "I have fought against white domination, and I have fought against black domination. I have cherished the ideal of a democratic and free society in which all persons live together in harmony and with equal opportunities. It is an ideal which I hope to live for and to achieve. But if needs be, it is an ideal for which I am prepared to die." (Nelson Mandela)
Outside of classes and school this week we decided it was time that we did some travelling. After much discussion and hanging around, which seems to happen a lot here, we finally got three cars hired and filled with mostly Americans, and made the journey to Jeffrey’s Bay. As Americans aren’t familiar with driving manual cars I was ‘allowed’ to drive despite many protesting comments from the boys, and had the joy of driving an old citi golf with no power steering or air con. I loved it, if I could bring it home I would! (We also had the joy of watching the American’s attempt to roll out of a space backwards before asking a random man to put the car into reverse for them as they couldn’t work it out.)Following this I had a lot of fun teaching one of them how to drive manually (or with stick, as they call it) with some of the worst stalls I have ever seen. It was refreshing to get out of the city for the weekend and spend it in the small beach village of Jeffrey’s Bay. We saw some of the most beautiful scenery so far on our journeys. It was very common in Jeffrey’s Bay to find black or coloured men standing within the car parks, claiming to be keeping watch of your car as you shop or eat, and feel the need to loudly direct you out of your parking space as you leave. Although I found this a strange concept to begin with, we were later told that these men were unemployed and were simply trying to earn money. One afternoon as we handed one of these men small change, we were reminded of the true poverty still in existence as two of the men physically fought over the 5 Rand that we handed them, which is the value of 30p.
Taking the weekend away to a popular beach city allowed us to meet more locals and experience more South African culture. On Friday evening the owner of the hostel lit a large braai for us to cook on, and then enjoyed sitting chatting to us finding out about where we are from and recommending things we should do. I am always struck by the local’s friendly nature and genuine interest in us, and often wonder if visitors to Northern Ireland are made to feel as welcomed.
On Saturday the girls got up early and to my delight were all persuaded to go horse riding for the afternoon (the boys felt it wasn’t quite manly enough for them!). Having only ridden one time a year on holidays, I am aware of the strict health and safety of horse riding for beginners in Ireland, but yet again, South Africa managed to surprise us with their laid back nature. All eight of us rode barefoot with no helmets and were given free reign of our horses, just encouraged to follow the trek leaders. The scenery we saw that afternoon was enough to leave us all raving about it for the rest of the weekend. As our horses climbed the first dune and allowed us to see the beach of dunes we were all left speechless. I have never seen a beach like it (Beside Whiterocks of course!), I’m not sure I even believed they existed, and galloping across the dunes was like riding through a desert. It was beautiful and something I won’t forget for a long time.
This week I also got the opportunity to go to a bible study with some of the locals that Paddy and Callum met last year. It has been a great encouragement to have those contacts and despite being asked several times if I am ‘as crazy as them’, it is clear they love their contact with their Irish friends and intend to visit Ireland after hearing so much about it from them last year. Again I was blown away by the kindness and hospitality of everyone there, no matter what age, and it was really refreshing to hear a bible study within this culture. I’m excited to get to their church service next week and become settled within the church.
Since we got here Glenn has made it his sole aim to be injured for the full time he is here. In our second week here he managed to walk into a tree (completely sober) and did ligament damage to his foot. As this was healing up he managed to lose a toenail as he runs around everywhere (including the footpath to university) with no shoes on, so myself and the four American girls we live with are quickly becoming used to his moaning and complaints, along with his constant singing of Irish folk songs.
It’s hard to believe that it has now been a month since we left home, time is going so quickly and we are becoming friends with so many people of different cultures and nationalities. We are excited at the prospect of our friends from home visiting in just five weeks’ time, and are constantly reminded of how quickly time is going to pass.
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