It’s getting COLD in here, so put on all your clothes ~A post about the weather in South Africa during the winter

(conversation before I left for South Africa)

Dad: Hey son, do you want me to grab you some shorts for your trip to South Africa?

Me: No thank you Dad, I won’t need any shorts. It’s going to be winter in South Africa.

Dad: Um…it’s STILL Africa boy. You’re going to need some shorts.

Me: Dad. I already looked at the weather, I’m going to have to wear sweaters and scarves to stay warm.

Dad: O_o

Me: O_o

The above is the real-life conversation that I had with my dad, but also a loose interpretation of the conversations I had with the rest of my family. Even though I clearly personally researched the weather of South Africa during winter, and had several orientations with my professor before I left, I had to stop and think if “I” was trippin’. But thank God, I used wisdom because IT IS COLD HERE!!! LOL

The weather on average is 50-60 degrees Fahrenheit and even colder in the house. Because the “winter” season only lasts 6-8 weeks (during the exact time that I am visiting), the houses do not have internal heating because it’s not worth it because the winter is so short. With that being said, My grandmother would be so proud of me because I wear “long-johns” EVERYDAY. Lol  

***Please note, that even the weather is rainy and cold, it has by no way dampened my experience here in South Africa. I can’t complain because it is nothing like the winters in Michigan. I just put on several layers during the day, and turn on my heated blanket at night, and I’m all good. ***

Say Something Mr. Lemons: The importance of language in building community: Part 2

~ My kids love when I speak. PERIOD!!! #Thatisall

J/K. LOL

It has been really nice teaching at a South African public high school. Whenever I teach, the students are always very engaged, and “all eyes and ears.” They love for me to teach any and everything. I know that I am a pretty cool teacher, but I literally think that my American accent does 95% of the work for me! LOL As a result, I find myself helping students and answering questions with my students during lunch and well after school- just because they want to hear me speak! lol  

~ One of the most significant distinctions between American and South African English is the pronunciation of the “r” sound. They lightly roll their “r’s” like in Spanish. And American English speakers do not roll our “r’s” and we make them very clear as well. But for some odd reason, the students have this really funny way of mocking my accent. So my kids can be heard talking around the school in their “American Accent” which really just sounds like a Tyler Perry Movie. All I hear is: “Heller. How Are Your Doinger TerDay?” It is SO FUNNY!!! LMBO

“I believe that children are our future. Teach them well…” ~ A look into the condition of the youth in both the Detroit, and South African context- PART 2:

 Get on your mark…get set…GO! ~ A look into the affects of apartheid of “race” relations on opportunities for people in South Africa

There are 3 major racial groupings in South Africa: White, Coloured, and Indian/Black. The social hierarchy is in that order as well. During apartheid, similar to Jim Crow, there were racially designated public facilities, restaurants, and schools.  Black, Indian and White people are self-explanatory. However, unlike in the United States however, “coloured” only categorizes what Americans call “biracial” or “racially ambiguous” people. The coloured community ranges from people who look like they are native to the island of Hawaii, to people who look Native American. During the period of Apartheid, the government required every single citizen to be categorized into one of those racial groups and to carry around an Identification card that ID’d you as such. As you know black people can range in skin complexion as well as hair texture. To clarify this potential ambiguity, the Apartheid of South Africa implemented the “pencil test.” If there was confusion about rather a person is black or “coloured,” they would have the person bow their head, and the official would try to put a pencil through their hair. If it went through, they were labeled as “coloured,” and of course if the pencil got stuck, they would then be identified as “black. 

            As a result of the above history, the country of South Africa is very racialized. Although apartheid is outlawed, and students can legally attend any school of their choice regardless of their race, the schools in South Africa still remain very segregated. Most of the children that I work with in the school could be considered “black” in America. Apparently there was an influx of black students being bused and taxied in from “townships” and poorer, historically black areas/schools. This is a trend that has happened since apartheid was officially disbanded in 1994. In theory it’s great: black and couloured people moving up from their previously oppressive environments. Unfortuantely however, the statistics show that while many black students are going to historically “coloured” schools, very few, (and I mean FEW) actually are able to attend the historically “white” schools.  Because Cape Town is still very segregated racially, many of my black students have to take 3 modes of transportation in the morning just to get to the school I am working at, Ned Doman- a historically “couloured” school. S/N: on top of that, Ned Doman’s academic standards are not very high anyway. But that’s a conversation for Part 3 of this post...

Furthermore, even with these “open” educational opportunities, many historically oppressed communities are still unable to progress. The area that I am staying in is a “middle class” area, that was historically designated for “whites only” and now many “coloured people” populate this area. However, the only Black Africans adults that I see here are either selling car chargers on the side of the road, monitoring the parking structures, or cleaning houses (like the lady who cooked and cleaned for us for the first 2 weeks while living at Deo-Gratia).  Interesting huh?

Now for many of my Detroit-dwellers who know their history, my observations of the South African school system parallel in many ways to the current condition of the youth of Detroit. Detroit has been cited as one of the most segregated cities in the United States of America. And when you look at the quality of the education, and the subsequent opportunities for advancement in the metropolitan area, you will see a clear stratification between classes (which unfortunately is another word of “race” in our country). While we are much better off living in a developed country, our shared histories suggest that black people may be struggling for quite some time before total equity is reached in either country. 

Happy Birthday Nelson Mandela!!! ~ Thanks for speaking the language of Freedom

Due to the fact that I am in South Africa, working with students who are the first generation born in South Africa’s democracy, I find it only approapriate that I begin this blog by first wishing Nelson Mandela, aka Madiba (his Xhosa clan name) a Happy 94^th Birthday!!! Today is a great day of celebration in South Africa, as everyone was encouraged to sing Happy Birthday at 8am today, as well as commit to serving 67minutes worth of community service as reverence of the life of South Africa’s hero- Nelson Mandela.

Below are a few quotes by Nelson Mandela that I thought were really deep.

“In my country we go to prison first and then become President. “

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“It always seems impossible until its done.”

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“I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear. “

“For to be free is not merely to cast off one's chains, but to live in a way that respects and enhances the freedom of others. “

“Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world. “

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“If you talk to a man in a language he understands, that goes to his head. If you talk to him in his language, that goes to his heart.”

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That last quote resonated very strongly with me today because of an interaction I had with one of my students today:

"Say Something Mr. Lemons: The importance of language in building community: Part I "

Xoloni is a student that I met today who was confused that I only speak 1 oral language (I’m a sign language interpreter as well). In most countries (other than the United States) people are multilingual, and rarely ever just monolingual. Xoloni, like many of the other black students at Ned Doman High School speak both Xhosa and English and sometimes Afrikaans (a language spoken by the white south Africans). Xhosa is a language that is known for it’s “clicks” and is known to be spoken by a large population of blacks in South Africa.

Below are the words/phrases that he taught me:

Thank you --------------------------------------enkosi

Hello-----------------------------------------------molo

How are you doing?---------------------------unjani

Fine/well Thank you……………..Ndiphilile enkosi

Xolani (his name)------------------------Make Peace

Simphiwe (his friend’s name)-------------------Gift

He was a great kid. I enjoyed meeting him. The fact that he sought me out reminds me of the several black people in South Africa that I have met who assumed that I was native, until I opened my mouth, and showed that I cannot speak a native African language. Not to mention, I have this nasal Michigan/American accent that screams foreigner. It was clear that he was hoping that I could (as Nelson Mandela put it) "speak to his heart" by teaching him in his home language- Xhosa. His home language is only used in informal setting, as it is not the academic language of South Africa. However, what was most powerful was the reminder that although apartheid, and other oppressive institutions in South Africa stripped their people from many things, it did not strip them from their home language. Xhosa (and other African languages) are still being passed down from generation to generation. And their “clicks” can be heard throughout the streets, and informal settings (malls, recess at school, market places) of the entire country of South Africa. It’s a beautiful thing to watch, listen to, and experience.

Thanks Nelson Mandela and my new friend Xolani for reminding me of how important language is in building community. “Life and death is in the power of the tongue.” Speak Life!

Much love/peace,

#SouthAfrica2012.

These are the students that i work with at Ned Doman High School in Crawford, Cape Town, South Africa.
The entire school was gathered for an assembly, where everyone sang Happy Birthday in honor of Nelson Mandela.
There is a student standing on the stage in front, performing a poem in honor of Nelson Mandela's Birthday. 

“I believe that children are our future. Teach them well…” ~ A look into the condition of the youth in both the Detroit, and South African context- PART 1:

This week while at University of Cape Town (UCT), we heard presentations from several people, from different contexts, all speaking about the condition of the youth in South Africa. After hearing of the lack of quality education, poor living conditions, and safety concerns, the stories began to ring very familiar to me. While Detroit is thousands of miles away from South Africa, many of the same concerns expressed by the educators and researchers in South Africa parallel the issues currently being discussed by leaders of the community in Detroit, MI.

           

            I read an article in the Cape Town newspaper that says “Textbooks shortages to be investigated.” Another article with a picture of the Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga titled: “Blame game follows the textbook debacle.” There is much criticism and apprehension about the current administration in control of providing quality education to the students of South Africa. From the perspective of many teachers, they feel that they are a “soft target,” and get all the blame for the lack high achieving student outcomes. However, their response is to place the blame on the department that doesn’t provide schools with adequate resources, or teacher pay.

            Similarly, with all of the foolishness that is the structure of Detroit Public School System, many teachers have felt the pressures of the lack of academic resources, and financial support. With the implementation of the EAA, which has taken full control of several schools previously a part of DPS, many people in the community feel that this “take-over” is evidence that DPS has failed the city. With the growing concern with the school systems in both contexts (South Africa and Detroit), it is clear that there is much to be done to revitalize the educational systems. While there are many people that one can blame for the state of public education (parents, teachers, administrators etc), as long as there are deficiencies within the structure, students a.k.a. OUR FUTURE will continue to suffer.

Furthermore, another article that I read in South Africa read “Zille (Western Cape Premier) calls on army to help stop gang wars.” The city was described as having experienced 23 deaths in the past 5 months as a result of gang violence in the “townships” (severely impoverished communities heavily populated with black people), so they feel that the only way to curtail this issue is to bring in army patrols. My heart went out to the communities affected by the heightened levels of gang violence and crime in South Africa. Feeling the personal affects of family/friends murdered in Detroit, helps to put the issue in context for me. However, when I read this article, and heard coverage on the radio, I talked to my friend Jenise, and we both agreed that this “army invasion” is such a BAD IDEA. Understanding that Detroit has been cited as the “Murder Capital” of the world, and many of the issues in South Africa parallel those in Detroit, we always ask a hypothetical question “What if this happened in Detroit.”

And the answer this time is HECKY NAW THIS COULDN’T HAPPEN IN DETROIT!! If the army were to come in to the city of Detroit to “help with violence,” it would be another 1967 Riot. The idea an armed army coming in to an impoverished community to help with violence is problematic on so many levels. How I feel about this issue would take an entirely additional post alone. In short, I would not assume that having army tanks riding in one’s community would lend to a community’s sense of security. Perhaps “security” in the sense that they feel like they are in jail… or a warzone….I don’t even see this going over well with any other part of the world watching internationally…but like I said, that’s a whole different post all together.

           

These are the first of many parallels that I see between the two communities. From the historical residential zoning by race, to the education gap between city and suburban districts, there are residual affects of history that still remain issues in both. Through it all, our youth are unfortunately hanging in the balance. Perhaps the two cities (Detroit, MI, and Cape Town, South Africa) and countries could learn from one another in order to better serve their respective populations. Even if the elected leaders don’t, I know 1 leader who will….and that leader is ME! 

Growing both culturally and PHYSICALLY ~ A look into how the cultural and culinary experiences have allowed me to “grow.”

Being placed in the middle of Cape Town, South Africa, living in homes, shopping at local shops and markets, and eating at local restaurants, has forced me to dive head first into the culture of this country. In doing so, one cannot remain the same, culturally, nor physically. 

The people in South Africa, are always on SUPER CP TIME…[Coloured (a real racial group in South Africa) People Time]…The people in South Africa seem to be more laid back, and less concerned about stressing about timeliness, and more about enjoying every moment of time that one is allotted. Even if one is born and raised in Cape Town, South Africa, it is hard to ignore the beautiful landscaping, and natural wonders that exist right in one’s back yard. As a result, unlike huge U.S. city dwellers, the natives of South Africa, love taking their time to enjoy the world in which they live. It sort of makes sense: Who cares about business meetings when the whales are mating near the shore, and Table Mountain is calling your name? I wouldn’t care about time either.

This Mall had 4 floors, and a crazy big television that plays all of the rugby match re-runs on. 

Another thing South Africans enjoy doing is going to the mall. Yes, I said it, South Africans be shoppin’, South Africans be shoppin’. There are literally 12 malls in Cape Town alone. Imagine Fairlane Mall with a grocery store, a post office, a beauty shop, and restaurants all in the same building. They don’t be playing in these malls ya’ll. It’s a 1 stop-shop if I’ve ever seen one. It was clear that in comparison to Americans, South Africans are more efficient, and yes, more communal. For residents of Cape Town, the mall is a family, cultural and community center, and daycare. If you want to go run errands, you do it at the mall. If your child has a birthday, celebrate it in the mall. If you want to go out to dinner, you go to the mall.

This food was the bomb! I had rice, chicken pie,
a pumpkin fritter, brocolli and califlower, roasted potatoes,
and fresh salad.

Speaking of “dinner” the food here IS AMAZING!!! Besides worrying about if I will “have enough appropriate clothes for the weather here,” the other thing that my family was concerned about was whether I would eat enough while I’m in Africa. Because I am a “picky eater,” coupled with the fact that my grandma (the one I live with) is a QUEEN of SOUL FOOD COOKING, they assume that whatever food I eat in a foreign country would be unappetizing. So to all my family members/friends/loved ones who were afraid that I would lose weight during my stay in South Africa, I am excited to inform you that I have eaten so much here that I have actually gained weight. When we eat, we EAT! LOL And the food is really inexpensive, compared to America. Below are some pictures of the food that I have eaten. Everything is good ya’ll, I promise:

These are Prawns and "chips" which are pretty much shrimp and french fries. Once you take the eyes/shell off of the prawns, they taste SO GOOD!!! LOL  They so flavorful. Better than shrimp back at home. Also, try this fish called Hake, it's sort of like Cod, but it's native to South Africa, and it is SO GOOD. Go to "Fish on the Rocks" or "Ocean Basket."

I got this sandwich at a restaurant called "Zebro's." This is called a "Gatsby." As you can see it is an infant sized sandwich.  LOL I had NO IDEA that it would be this large. It had barbecue chicken, lettuce, tomatoes, and french fries all stuffed in a humongous loaf of bread. As ridiculously large as this sandwich was, that junk was SO GOOD. It is "stuntin'" on Subway, Quiznos, and Tubby's all put together. LOL 

Week 1 in South Africa

I have been excited to study abroad in South Africa with the college of Education at Michigan State University since I first heard about the program during my freshman year. At 6:30pm on July 1^st, with much anticipation, I boarded the 7:10pm flight to Cape Town, South Africa with connecting flights stopping in Frankfurt, Germany and Johannesburg, South Africa. 

 By 7:15pm, I was KNOCKED OUT!!! I slept the majority of the time on every single plane we boarded (from Detroit to Germany, from Germany to Johannesburg, and from Johannesburg to Cape Town). Of the 20 hours of total flying, I was sleep at least 14 of them. People who really know me, know that I can fall asleep anywhere, so the Lufthansa and South African Airlines were no different. Lol




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We had an 11 hour layover in Frankfurt, Germany. During that time, we traveled around the streets of Frankfurt, took pictures, and ate. It was such a beautiful place to tour.  The food even looked beautiful…………………………………………

but unfortunately it did not taste that great though. Lol 

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For the first 2 weeks of my studies in South Africa, I am staying at the beautiful Deo-Gratia in Durbanville of Cape Town, South Africa. I am staying with 15 other recent msu College of Education graduates. The experience has been really fun. It’s literally like The Real World: South Africa. “16 recent college graduates living under one roof in Cape Town, South Africa, for the ultimate “cross-cultural teaching experience.”  Watch as they….(insert task here)” lol 

If they recorded all of our interactions and activities. It would be quality reality television. No cat fights, drama etc... Just genuine people who are exploring the food, culture, and educational system of South Africa, while having deep conversations about life, cracking inside corny jokes and pranking one another all the time. Good stuff. 

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Chillin’ with the Cheetahs. #LawdHahMurcy  #enoughSaid 

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We went to a museum called “District 6.” The photographs, and testimonials rang very familiar in my ears. In America, one cannot talk about race relations without talking about the history of slavery, and segregation solidified through Jim Crow laws. Likewise, one cannot talk about the culture of South Africa without mentioning the harsh truths of the effects of Apartheid (legalized racial segregation). The most interesting difference however was that South Africa just outlawed Apartheid in 1994, and yet they seem to be way more advanced in their cultural sensitivity, and racial tolerance than we are in America. But that is a conversation for another post.    

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        The natural beauty of the land of South Africa is unprecedented. I am simply blown away. From the mountains, and beaches, to the natural inhabiting wildlife and plant life, it is clear that God has touched South Africa. If you don’t believe in God, please come to see what I’m seeing here, and you will absolutely want to get to know the Creator of it all. Even though it is only my first week here, I am immensely grateful for this experience thus far. I am looking forward to learning and growing more during this process.