Finale

After a grueling flight home and no downtime before classes and work began, I've finally uploaded all of my photos.
Check them out here

Addo Elephant Park

Today on the drive home, we stopped at a rest area and saw this:


In the afternoon, we drove to Addo National Elephant Park and saw warthogs, zebras, many deer-like animals like Kudu and Springbok and, of course, elephants!

Ostriches

On Thursday, we went to an Ostrich farm! We took a tour and learned all about their mating and eating habits as well as how they attack. Their eyes are bigger than their brains.

And...I rode an ostrich!!!




And here's the moment just before I got punched in the face during my dismount. The bloody nose was worth it though!

Table Mountain

Cape Town

On Monday evening, we arrived in Capetown at the Daddy Long Legs Boutique Hotel. It was recommended to us by the people at the Log-Inn and we were excited since the brochure said that each room was decorated by a local artist, sculptor or poet. The room keys were handed out and my friend Kelly and I headed up to our room which was titled "Emergency."

We opened the door to a disaster scene. Blood splatters covered the blinds and entryway curtain and the walls were painted Red Cross red. In fact, the ceiling had a giant red cross built in with a recessed spotlight that illuminated the red bed. There was an IV pole, a doctor's office lamp and an x-ray lightbox with a gruesome surgery image. The room was also supplied with two nurses uniforms. The strange thing is that no other room that we've seen had such a disturbing motif!


Julia and Kelly Oh's room is called "Far From Home" and is covered floor to ceiling with nature wallpaper. Sandy's room has maps with You are Here dots on them and a giant one on the bed and Visnja's room resembles a Levi's dressing room, with real jeans pockets on the wall. Kelly V and I decided that we could handle our room for one night but made sure we could switch out for the second. This one was called "Being Mac One."


Capetown, which is the real point of interest, is a lot more city-like than I had expected. This morning as Sandy and I had breakfast in a coffee shop, we felt more like we were in Wall Street than in a foreign city. Today we tried to go to Robben Island but the ferries weren't running and in fact, the cell where Nelson Mandela stayed is currently not available for public-viewing. We spent the early afternoon at the waterfront and then went to the National Gallery which was really beautiful.


Then we took a drive part-way up Table Mountain and saw all of Cape Town below. My photos will never be able to depict how gorgeous the view from there is, but tomorrow I'll take more as we plan to take the cable car up to the top!

Knysna

On Sunday, we began our trek to Cape Town with a planned stop in a town called Knysna. On the way, we made a detour to Tsitsikamma, which is a national park. It had the most incredible vistas--enormous waves crashing on rocks that dotted the coastline which alternated between sand and mountains that went right into the water.


Knysna was also very beautiful and we ended up at a really cute place called the Log-Inn. It was nice to stay in a room with a door on the bathroom! The Log-Inn also has an outdoor pool and a jacuzzi and though we didn't have bathing suits, we all made do and took advantage of the semi-nice weather. On Monday morning we took a catamaran ride around the estuary and saw the Indian ocean and had lunch on the waterfront before heading out again.


The rest of the drive to Cape Town took about six hours but it was beautiful the entire way. Mountains would rise in the distance but we always approached and passed them quickly. Each time we came to the crest of a mountain we'd see an entirely new landscape. At times it really looked like Africa as you'd picture it. We passed mustard fields, sheep farms, cow farms and even took a bathroom break on an ostrich farm! It's a bit disconcerting when you're behind a bush and suddenly realize that twenty ostriches are standing right behind you.

Final Farewell

On Saturday, we held the final exhibit for the students at Sivuyseni. I didn't have much setting up to do as my projects were the mural and book-making.



I got many notes from the students, some that seemed to drip with "I love you" and "You're my best friend." One though was incredibly heartfelt and really sad as this student confessed things about her family situation.

At the exhibit, there was a DJ and all the kids danced again as if they've been studying hip hop their entire lives. We also had a few performances, one by The Sweet Boys and two by girls doing traditional Xhosa dances.

During the free dancing time, I somehow ended up leading a conga line of fifty kids. I also learned to "cut the cake" and do the "chicken." Watch out NYC dance clubs!

Sivuyiseni

Since my last post was kind of wordy, I thought I'd post some interesting photos of Sivuyiseni.









This one I love because the kids were all crowded around me because of my camera and when I gave it to Sandy to capture the moment, they all ran towards her!

Finishing Up

We finished teaching finally and I have to say that I'm relieved. The students were aware of the amount of time they have with us and started to get a sort of spring fever. My bookmaking class was still as adorable as ever but the mural painting kids were getting rowdy as were the ninth graders in the day class. I've been having dreams about American celebrities a lot lately and I think it's because the students treat us as if we're famous. We walk through the school and they all want to say hello, to touch our hair, to hold our hands. It's beginning to feel uncomfortable because I know that I don't deserve the attention and that's it's only because I'm blonde and white and American.

I also spent yesterday morning and all of today visiting other schools in the area. On Thursday I went to Settlarspark, an elementary school that is made up of mostly black students. The woman who facilitated the visit told us that many Black families now send their children to former Colored schools and Colored families send their students to what were White schools and the White families are paying large sums to send their students to the most prestigious and non-mixed schools. Granted, this is a generalization but certainly seemed to be the truth.

Settlarspark is a well-maintained school with great resources and most of the teachers, and student teachers, speak English, Afrikaans and Xhosa. They have an art teacher who produces beautiful work with the students.


We also visited Khumbulani High School which has 849 students and only 24 teachers. Most of the classes have 50-60 students and the teachers often leave them alone to their own devices just as they do at Sivuyiseni. Despite the school's 91% pass rate, one of the highest in the district, they cannot get funding to fix the school's bathrooms or to repair crumbling walls. Khumbulani was formerly a white primary school and the toilets, cabinets, etc were all made to accommodate smaller and fewer students.


Lastly, we went to Ethembeni Enrichment Center which is run by a white principal for black students. The school is run strictly but fairly it seems. They have 356 students and 16 teachers which is a far better ratio than Khumbulani!

If Pratt goes forward with an official study abroad program, undergrad and graduate students will likely do some teaching at all three schools in addition to working at Sivuyiseni.

Today we went to Pearson High which was exactly like an American high school except for the Harry Potteresque uniforms.

It was interesting to see the school but I doubt we'll do an exchange with them. The students are already receiving extensive studio and art history instruction.

Rough Day

Today was a bit rough because the rose-colored glasses have started to come off. On our way to a figure drawing class for which I'm the model, we encountered numerous students hiding in the stairwell. As soon as they saw where we were headed, some of them grabbed our belongings and pretended to be helping us and the rest used us as shields. The reason, was that there was a teacher on the prowl with a broom handle, and they were using us to keep from being beaten.

During class, we were giving the students time to look at each other's work when the door burst open. Two teachers and a police officer entered and said they needed to see all of the boys in a line-up. Apparently there had been a robbery and an informant was there to make identifications. Fortunately none of the boys in our class were singled out.

Lastly, today was extremely windy, cold and rainy and yet there was a girl in that drawing class wearing only a short-sleeved dress. When I asked about it, her friend told me that she doesn't own a winter coat or sweater. Many of us came to Port Elizabeth with clothing to donate and we tracked down a sweatshirt and gave it to her. Her smile was huge but there are many more kids who I didn't encounter today but who are also without coats or warm clothes. It's really difficult, wanting to give up all of my belongings, but knowing that that won't even make a dent towards improving their situations.

Monday

Today I began some serious thesis research. Last night, with my former professor, I outlined some questions that I wanted to ask and this morning I interviewed some teachers and the principal. The teachers who have been working longer seem very downtrodden. When I asked them about the differences they'd noted in education since 1994, they said that things have gotten worse since then. Bantu teachers are expected to teach to the same standards as British and Afrikaner teachers, despite not having as extensive training or quality education growing up. These same teachers, and the principal remarked that things are much more difficult since corporal punishment was banned. However, I've seen teachers hit the students with broom handles for being slightly late to class (despite the fact that the teachers themselves often don't come to class at all). The principal told me that he loves my mural, but other than that, I didn't find his answers very helpful as he gave me a lot of practiced responses. I get to tour four other schools at the end of this week to add to my research.

While taking a break from my interviews, I went outside and was swarmed by some of the younger students at Sivuyiseni who were leaving for the day. I was sitting on the ground and they all started playing with my hair, remarking at how soft it is. Then they started braiding and soon I had five or six kids standing around me, braiding my hair. Then there were kids picking flowers, trying to stick them in my hair and others that wanted to play clapping games with me as I sat. I wanted to put all of the kids in my pocket to take home with me--their voices are so gentle and the clicks they make when speaking Xhosa are adorable.

Game Farm

On Sunday we got up early and went to the boardwalk to buy crafts from the various vendors. After that we went to Kragga Kamma Game Park, where we drove within ten feet of giraffes, zebras, warthogs and ostriches! There was also an enclosed area with cheetahs which we drove through.

Here is a video of a walking giraffe...and TWO ostriches that I saw!

The Most Amazing Day

On Saturday, my class nearly finished our mural. All four panels have been completed, with just minor details to work out. In the last twenty minutes of class, I was alone with five ninth grade boys, none of whom speak very good English. One of them started singing and then the rest of them joined in, "You are my sunshine, my only sunshine..." as we painted rays of yellow into the background.

After school every day, many many students wait for us to leave before they begin their walk home. On Saturday, we were walking home with those who live in Joe Slovo, a nearby township. People we passed were astonished to see forty children and a number of white adults walking the forty-five minute trek along the highway.

We walked through the neighborhood which is truly destitute by anyone's standards, but which is still surprisingly beautiful. The surrounding countryside is completely visible in the township neighborhoods whereas most white neighborhoods are closed off with high stone walls and barbed wire. Many of the shacks are painted bright colors and I always love the look of hanging laundry.


We had a BBQ at Sicelo's house (pronounced Stelo, with a sound like tsk at the T) who is one of my bookmaking students. Then Sicelo and his friends and their dance group, known as The Sweet Boys, performed. They did the most amazing step performance.


This was followed by a dance party in which these kids completely stunned us with their insane dance moves.

I've realized that I felt more welcomed by the people in this neighborhood and more comfortable there than I do in the white neighborhood where we are staying.

Back at the hostel, we had poikey, a traditional Afrikaner stew!

Xhosa meal

Friday night we had another Xhosa meal, equally amazing and perhaps with even more dishes. I couldn't finish all that I'd piled onto my plate.


A visitor came to dinner and spoke to us about growing up during apartheid. Gcobani Zonke is an educational advisor for the Ubuntu Education Fund. He was incredibly frank about the conditions during apartheid; life for a black South African was similar to that of a Jew in Nazi Europe. The townships were contained like ghettos with tall lights (that are still in place) that would illuminate everything at night. There were only two entrances and police would arrive regularly with informants to rat out any activists. Education for Blacks was purposely set up to teach them just enough to be able to plow a field or to make a craft. Mr. Zonke was fascinating and I have his business card so that I can use him as a resource for my thesis.

Donations

I will be sponsoring a few ninth students to help them go to high school next year and you can too. Most high school students have to pay 350 Rand which is about $50 US dollars and this is more than their families can afford. If you're interested in sponsoring a high schooler, email me or comment here and I'll give you more information. You wouldn't need to send money right away but you need to truly follow through as we want to help as many kids as possible. I'll let everyone know who their money is sponsoring and I'll take photos so that you can see who you're helping!

Mural Painting

The second half of each week, I devote to a Mural Painting class. My class voted on the theme of "My Future." On Thursday, we began our mural and it is progressing quickly! We've made a disaster of the sidewalk and will most likely have to paint the school colors on the ground to cover it up. Here's a sneak peak of one panel of the final mural (we have four to do).


Thursday was also Women's Day which is a huge holiday here. In honor of this, we made bags of grain, fruit and toilet paper for some of our students to give to their mothers/grandmothers/aunts. We delivered these to Joe Slovo, a very poor neighborhood where many of our students live. Weather permitting, we'll have a BBQ there on Saturday night. It's a bit difficult to wrestle with voyeuristic tendancies and sympathy for their situation.

Because of the holiday, school was closed on Thursday and Friday and we held our after school classes on a Saturday schedule. After we handed out the bags, a few of us went to the beach!
This is Kelly V and me having fun

The Bush

On Tuesday night, Asanda and Simpiwe, two guys in their twenties who help with ArtWorks, came to the hostel to talk about The Bush. When a Xhosa male is 18-21, he'll go to the Bush with many other young men for three weeks to a month. He'll wear only a blanket while he's there and he'll paint himself with white clay. He'll slaughter a goat and he'll be circumcised. After the process is finished, they paint themselves with red clay and wear that with brand new, more adult clothes and we see these men out and about. They wear the red clay for a few months. Asanda and Simpiwe explained the whole process and took all of our questions. It was fascinating to hear how important this event is to them and that they can recognize anyone as a circumcised male just by his speech and eye contact. A man who hasn't been to The Bush will be forever mocked and humiliated. This also causes tension between the Xhosa, the Zulus and the Sotas.

This is Asanda at The Bush

Neil

Neil is the son of Tanya and Herman who own The Hippo, the hostel where we're staying. Neil is eight years old and decided that two of us should visit his school and teach a lesson. He talked with his art teacher who then wrote us a letter welcoming us to come. On Monday, Sandy (a professor at Pratt) and I went to his school. The boys wear the cutest uniforms--suit jackets, ties, beanies and shorts with knee-socks!




The school was beautiful with courtyards and gleaming wood and gorgeous archways. It was a stark contrast to Sivuyiseni which can't even supply the students with panes of glass for the windows. And both schools are public!

We met Mrs. Wilson who teaches Art at Grey Junior and she let us observe her first class as she taught them color mixing. I felt like I was watching Harry Potter as these kids and their accents and uniforms are incredibly adorable. When Neil's class came in, Sandy and I taught them a lesson on portraits using oil pastels.

These portraits will then go with Sandy to her school where she'll begin an exchange with Mrs. Wilson. She'll have her students back in New Rochelle do the same lesson and their projects will be sent back here to Port Elizabeth.

When the boys left the classroom, they were dismissed three at a time and each of them said, "Good Morning and thank you ma'ams!" SO ADORABLE!!!

Game Reserve

Sunday we went to a Game Reserve and to lunch and dinner at Enchanted Lodge, a luxury lodge owned by a Texan who invited us there for free. We saw warthogs, zebras, rhinoceroses and some kind of deer-ish animal whose name I can't remember. Then we went to a site that rescues abused animals and saw leopards and lions. We were insanely close--one of them was making this cute little purring noise at us. Then we saw two of them fighting!


Back at the Lodge, we were surprised by African dancers who included us in on the fun and gave us a really fabulous show with singing, dancing and drumming!


You can see some photos from the day here

Saturday

We only held the after-school classes today, it being Saturday. School was strange today because the students were in their own clothes and all of them were more fresh than usual. We fed them our leftovers from last night after our classes and there was a bit of madness while some students were finished and others hadn't yet eaten. This afternoon was a much-needed break.

We drove to New Brighton where to go to the Red Location Museum. It was the first apartheid museum and it was definitely an impressive structure. There were different rooms, called memory boxes, made from the corrugated tin that the shacks these people were relocated to. Each held items that helped to describe the living conditions or struggle to end apartheid. The horrifying thing was that this impressive, multi-million dollar building was built in the middle of a very very very poor area. They had a few examples of Red Location shacks but they actually look better than those that border the museum property.

This is a former Red Location shack:


These are houses from the bordering neighborhood:






Tonight we went to the boardwalk and had dinner at a seafood restaurant. It was strange to suddenly be in such a white area. It reminded me of riding the 4 5 or 6 after being so used to the G, L or F!

Other photos posted here