...is what my friends say when I talk to them and discover a cultural difference. It always gets a good laugh.
I'm so sorry for not posting recently! I took a break from the blog to immerse myself in what South Africa has to offer. The more time on the computer is less time to be part of this dynamic cultural mosaic.
In my last post, I talked about the differences I noted between school here and at home. Now that I've been at Point High School for three weeks, I feel that I have a lot more perspective on how education here is different than home.
My humanities classes here are quite different than they were at North Shore. Here, you sit down, take notes, read from the book, summarize it all, and then take a test or exam in a few weeks time. There is no real discussion or debate about any topic. At North Shore, I would spend entire class periods deliberating over the validity of Muhammed Yunus' ideas and plans to eliminate global poverty. Here, it is not like that.
I celebrated my 18th birthday here in South Africa! It was certainly different to have my class sing the traditional birthday song to me during my first period and tourism classes. It was no "happy birthday", but equally fun! I've never celebrated my birthday away from Chicago, or my family. I did miss my family on the special occasion but I will see them when I return to Chicago!
Other than school, I have been hanging out in the town of Mossel Bay with friends, getting to know my host family, and just settling into my life here. I am glad that I made the choice to spend my second semester of senior year on exchange. Everyday I learn something new and different. Last night I went to "The Buff", which is a big motorcycle rally that comes to Mossel Bay each year. It was really cool to see all the bikes, as well as the bikers themselves! We got soaked in the pouring rain but it was an awesome time. The other day I went to Hartenbos with some friends. What is Hartenbos? It is the equivalent of Panama City or South Padre Island for Johannesburg-ites. It is just down the road from where I live but it's a world away. It's a holiday resort right on the beach with a lot of fun stuff happening all the time. The beach, by the way, is probably one of the nicest ones I've ever seen. I'll post pictures soon!
Currently I am in a transition. What kind of transition, you may ask? I'm in the process of changing host families. For privacy reasons I will not say why, but I think it is a positive move on my part to be involved in this change. Right now I am living with my contact person and his family in Mossel Bay. For the next few weeks I am going to continue to be in this town and attend the same school. Come April, I will be moving to Cape Town! I don't know where or with whom yet but I am happy about this change.
Remember, if you have any comments or questions please feel free to comment or send me an email! I'm more than happy to share my thoughts and perspectives about my experiences abroad.
Here are some pictures of my adventures around Mossel Bay and Hartenbos!
"The Cliffs"--This spot doesn't actually have a name but my host sister Bea gave it the name.
Hartenbos, where Afrikaans culture is vibrant
Me at the point in Mossel Bay
In the middle of nowhere. Still, it's picturesque.
Santos Beach, Mossel Bay
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