Did anyone say Braai?

Week 3 Cultural/Personal

I can safely say that this week has been one of the best yet and I have met some incredible people and made memories that I will not forget.  I had the opportunity to become completely immersed in a traditional South Africa ritual known to the locals as a “braai.” A braai is very similar to the BBQ’s that we have back at home but it is a more common form of socialising amongst friends and occurs on a regular basis.

On Saturday we were invited with some local people we had met at the nearby church of St James to have a braai at Sardinia bay about twenty minutes from Port Elizabeth.  We travelled with a guy Tim and along our journey through the beautiful coastline we exchanged stories of our differing cultures.  This was the first time since we had arrived that we received a local perspective on what South Africa is really like, especially concerning the Apartheid history and generally the differing races found within the rainbow nation.  Paddy and I shared our experience of Northern Ireland and gave a brief insight into the history and the remaining divide still prevalent in our country today.



The braai



For lunch we had some traditional braai food such as Kudu wovs (a type of deer) sausage that had been killed the day before in the bush by one of the guys that was there.  It tasted similar to venison and was very rich in flavour.  Of course we had the normal types of food you would find in regards to a BBQ such as steak, chicken and chops, which went down a treat to say the least.  As we chilled by the beach I couldn’t help but think, this is amazing, I’m sitting on a beach, chilling on the beach, with good conversation, good food and beautiful surroundings.  Throughout the day I came appreciate how friendly and welcoming the people of South Africa are towards mere strangers.  We had a great day at the beach getting to know the locals and getting a real sense of what South Africans are about.



That evening we were invited by some locals to the Savoy theatre found in the Perridgevale district of the city to see local acoustic guitarists Tony Cox and Steven Newman.  It was a refreshing to listen to life music and get a real feel for local music scene and become familiar with the current artists and performers.

The gig

On Tuesday I returned to Cebelihle Primary School in the township area of the city.  I had the opportunity to meet with some American teachers who were introducing a new phonics programme to schools in the Eastern Cape.  They were able to share with me the idea and thinking surrounding their research on this particular phonic based approach, it seemed familiar to that of Linguistic phonics taught in the Belfast area of Northern Ireland. 

The teachers were offering training for teachers and workshops for children within the school.  It was incredible to witness the excitement of some of the children when they were asked to take part in a short workshop involving the use of limited computers found at the school.



The township..



 At this moment I recognised the complete contrast in regards to schools in South Africa in comparison to that of schools in  Northern Ireland.  The school didn’t have interactive whiteboards, the latest computer technology or indeed resources upon resources.  It takes an experience like this for you to truly appreciate what we do have in our schools in Northern Ireland and really we have no right to complain about of lack of resources or funding.  During the day I yet again got to witness firsthand the community spirit that is engrossed in the school ethos.  I had the opportunity to speak to some local parents from the surrounding area and get a real sense of the daily struggle they have in providing for their large families.  This was indeed a humbling moment and made me even more aware of the background and home environment in which these children live and grow up in.

Soup Kitchen queue

 Another highlight of the week was a farewell braai being held for two guys we met at the local church who were moving to Johannesburg to start new jobs in engineering firms.  We yet again got to meet lots of local people and were able to exchange stories from home and vice versa.  It took place at a typical South Africa home under what they call a ‘boma.’  Of course there was a lot of food consumed and everyone had a ‘lekker’ time.  This is another example of how friendly and approachable the people are here in South Africa.  We had only met the group on the Saturday and they were already inviting us to the next event.  Cannot wait to see what week four has to offer!

  

Enjoying the local delicacies




The 'boma'



Until next time, 

Totsiens (Goodbye)

Callum.

We arrived at the remote location to discover it was quite a trek to the beach through the various dunes and paths.  However, as we slowly emerged over the top of the final sand dune we were met by a scene that can only describe as paradise.  The sea was crystal blue in colour and the beach was more or less deserted.  We quickly set up the braai before starting a game of touch rugby on the beach.  The teams were quite evenly matched but let’s just say the better team won.  Before the cooking began we all headed towards the sea to cool off. 

Paradise

Paradise continued