"Town... town.... town"

Week 7- Personal/Cultural

There is no doubt meeting new people in a completely new and differing environment always promotes interaction.   This has certainly been the case within South Africa!   In the time I have been here I have met many people from all around the world and I believe I have further developed my communicative skills and my ability to interact and engage with others.  The experience of being thrown out of my comfort zone has greatly developed my ability to live and work independently both in relation to my academic work alongside the day to day tasks that are completed by someone at home.

I still cannot believe the opportunity and privilege that we have been given by Stranmillis to visit; experience and learn in such a diverse and friendly nation.  It is incredible to believe that we have nearly reached our half way point in our trip and I can tell you neither us want it to end.   Spending time far from home, working within a different curriculum and with different classmates has been a fantastic opportunity for me to develop and broaden my views in regards to independent thinking and open-mindedness.

As there were a few there were a few Americans joining us for our adventure we decided we needed a 7-seater car instead of  Citi- Golf” as it might have been a bit of squeeze to say the least.  I was to discover however that our journey was going to be even more comfortable as Paddy and Britney arrived back from the car hire garage with a 9-seater mini bus, with no additional cost.  On our way to collect the rest of the girls at their accommodation I couldn’t resist the temptation of hanging out the window and shouting, “town...town...town.”   You will be glad to know that I am not crazy but I was simply embracing the slogan commonly used by the ‘comby’ drivers encourage potential customers for the taxi ride into or away from town.   

As we drove out of PE and past Jeffery’s Bay, I can fully appreciate and understand why Velton and Reid (2010) highlight the Garden route as the best know feature of the Western Cape, as it is simply beautiful! We drove along this slender stretch of coastal plain and made our first stop at the Storms River Bridge were Paddy thought it would be a good idea to check the foundations of the bridge and make sure the weight of our mini-bus would not too much for the bridge to withhold!  As you can see from the photograph he deemed the bridge fit for purpose and so we ventured further towards Knysna and our  then through to Buffalo Bay were our backpackers was located.

That afternoon we ventured back into Knysna (pronounced “Nize-nuh”) which stands at the hub of the Garden Route. Although it has no beaches this is compensated for by its hilly setting around the Knysna lagoon, it has several handsome forests, as well as  good opportunities for adventure sports, and a indeed a vibrant market, in which we purchased some tokens to take home.  I had the opportunity that evening to speak to a local restaurateur about the distinctive atmosphere found in and around the town.  JJ (John-James) explained that this atmosphere derives from the small historic core of Georgian and Victorian buildings and landmarks, which gives it the character absent from most of the Garden Route holiday towns.   You will be glad to hear as a history student I felt obliged to find out a little more about the origins of the town and how it has developed throughout the years.

 

At the beginning of the 19^th Century, the only white settlements outside Cape Town were a handful of towns that would have considered themselves lucky to have even one horse.  Knysna, an undeveloped backwater hidden in the forest, was indeed no exception.  The name comes from a Khoi word meaning “hard to reach”, and this remained its defining character well into the 20^th Century.  George Rex, a “colourful colonial administrator,” was not deterred by the distance. He later “placed himself beyond the pale of decent society by taking a coloured mistress.   This of course caused immediate uproar in Britain and he was shunned by his friends and family alike.  Rex however did not let etiquette or social position stand in his way and was determined to ‘make a killing’ shipping hardwood out of the lagoon.  By the time of Rex’s death in 1839 Kynsna had become a major timber centre, but at a price the forest was close to destruction.  It narrowly escaped devastation by far sighted and effective conservation policies introduced in the 1880s.

At the turn of the 20^th Century Knysna was still a remote place and its forests were inhabited by isolated and inbred communities made up of the impoverished descendants of the woodcutters.  It wasn’t until after the Second World War that Knysna became a popular destination for the white colonials to settle and it has continued to grow ever since.

On Saturday we travelled a little further inland observing the wonderful terrain around us to an ostrich farm.  We arrived at the farm to learn that indeed a wedding was to occur later that afternoon.  We all looked at each other and I can safely say why an ostrich farm?  But as we quickly reminded ourselves of the famous slogan TIA (THIS IS AFRICA). 

We were given a tour of the farm and were informed of how incredibly dangerous these birds could be and how quick they could run.  Needless to say our guide later said that there brain was smaller than one of its eyeballs, so this gave us a little more confidence in relation to actually riding these strange birds.  We were given a clear indication of how unintelligent ostriches actually are by watching the handlers catch each one for us to ride.   The handlers placed a bag over the head of the bird and it was incredible we saw the ostrich come to halt and remain completely calm even when being handled. Our guide told us that when ostriches cannot see you they assume that you cannot see them and therefore allow you to handle them and sit on their back.  After watching everyone else attempt to ride an ostrich, it was my turn.  However, unlike the rest of my companions the guide simply informed me to sit on the ostrich and hold onto its wings and see what happens when the hood is removed from the birds head.  As you can imagine this filled me with tremendous confidence and I successfully completed my first ride on an ostrich.  Unfortunately this was not the case; I lasted between 20-30seconds on the ostrich before it came to a dramatic end, with me lying on the ground!  This memory will not disappear too fast that is for sure!

Later that day we had the opportunity to visit a local zoo were we had been told by JJ, that we could pet and play with some cheetah cubs.  Of course I was absolutely ecstatic and could not wait to get up close to another of the big five!  The animals were not as playful as the lion cubs we had visited a few weeks ago, this was perhaps due to the clear money making environment they were being brought up in.   We ended the weekend by chilling out on the beautiful beaches of Buffalo Bay, situated just outside Buffalo Bay and explored the deserted beaches.

 On our journey back to PE we were very unfortunate to be victims of the current road works occurring along the Garden Route.  A car had decided that it was a good idea to overtake on a road that the tarmac process had not yet been completed and as a result a chipping flew up from the road and cracked our windscreen.  The drive home was the only disappointing element of the whole trip as we all assumed that we were going to be charged to replace the windscreen!  This was indeed the case and Paddy informed that we were going to have to pay £100 each to replace the windscreen!  Although we had this small blunder on our journey home from the Garden route, it is another experience in which we can all learn from and try to avoid the next time we rent a car.  This is a minor challenge in our experience here and I think it is important that we remember the once and a life time opportunity we have been given, and take full advantage of our time here in South Africa.

Until next time,

“Baai” (bye)

Callum.

The Wild Coast

Week 6-Cultural

The Wild Coast region is aptly named: this is one of South Africa’s most unspoilt areas, a vast stretch of undulating hills, lush forest and spectacular beaches skirting a section of the Indian Ocean.  Its undeveloped sandy beaches stretch hundreds of miles, punctuated by rivers and several wonderful locations to experience some of South Africa’s beautiful landscape and coastline.  The wildness goes beyond the landscape, for this is the former Transkei homeland, a desperately poor region that was disenfranchised during apartheid and turned into a ‘dumping ground’ for Africans too old or too young for South African industry to make use of.

 The Wild coast region’s inhabitants are predominantly Xhosa, and those in rural areas live mostly in traditional rondavels dotting the landscape for as far as the eye can see.  We passed through the old Transkei capital Mthatha and a host of scruffy, busy little towns along the way, to the coastal region found beyond the Mtamvuna River. Reid (2010) describes this area as having some of the most deserted undeveloped beaches, hidden reefs, and subtropical forests in the country.

As mentioned in my previous blog we travelled in a white Suzuki 4x4 as the region cannot be toured easily by car.  There’s no costal road, and no direct route between one resort to the next.  Yet I agree with Pinchuck (2009) in this remoteness lies the regions charm.

The village of Hole in the Wall gets its name from the large cliff that juts out of the sea were a short distance from the Mpako River Mouth.  The cliff has a tunnel at its base through which huge waves pound during heavy seas, making a great crashing sound.  Of course Paddy could not resist trying these waves out for himself and as you can see from the photos it wasn’t as bad as we thought!

The local community see us as visiting tourists as a potential opportunity to make as much money from us as possible.  They sell many forms of jewellery made from the shells and stones found at the nearest beach and hand craft these to tempt the goading tourist.  On Friday by accident we acquired the tour guide services from a local teenager whose name was Aaron.  He was quite persistent in wanting to guide us on a trek to see the ‘Little Hole in the Wall.’

 

We all were intrigued to find out why our tour guide was not in school as this was a school day.  He told us like many children of his age he believed that his time should be spent making money from tourists rather than be educated in the local school.  It saddens me to think that parents here do not encourage their children to go to school to receive an education that can ultimately further prevent the past from reoccurring.  More needs to be done in relation to educating Aarons generation of the benefits they can have in obtaining an education to give them the necessary life skills in which are needed to adapt and survive in the modern world.

Over the weekend I had the opportunity to learn how to begin to surf.  I thought that I needed to get involved and give surfing a chance as it is one of the most talked about pastimes and highlights of South African culture.  Needless to say I had a very patient teacher who despite my frustrations persisted in getting me to stand on the surf board.   Although I only stood for several seconds I believed this to be good step in the right direction. Further, I was quite pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed my first real surfing encounter and will definitely persist in developing my abilities.

 On Sunday we made the long 8 hour drive back to Port Elizabeth.  We had a fantastic trip experiencing and learning a little more about the diverse culture and surroundings found in the rainbow nation.  One element I have forgotten to highlight concerns that of food!  It is important to note to anyone who wishes to travel to the Transkei area they will be delighted to here they can visit the pizzeria situated on the hills of coffee bay overlooking the small village  and taste the best pizza around.  We ate here several times throughout our time here and would recommend it to anyone who enjoys good food!

Tuesday saw the continutation of our observation days in Cape Recife Special School which we both  thoroughly enjoyed.  The school has welcomed us with open arms and I can safely say we will be able to gain experience and develop as student teachers in the time we spend at the school.  During my lunch break several of the teachers were interested to hear the differences found in the provision for special education in Northern Ireland.  Using the knowledge and understanding that I obtained from studying a module (Managing differences in the primary school) concerning this particular area in Semester one at Stranmillis, I was able to explain and discuss with the staff the changes and moves being made within Special Education in Northern Ireland and indeed the UK at large.  They were surprised to learn about the level of provision and investment being made for children with special needs and it was evident yet again at the tremendous cultural gap between our two countries. 

I’m sure next week I will have many more interesting stories to tell and plenty of memories to share with you.

Until next time,

“Baai” (bye)

Callum.

“Having a lekker time...”

Week five- Personal

We have now been in South Africa for 5 weeks and we have become fully immersed in the South African way of life.  There is no doubt in my mind that the culture of this rainbow nation is very different to that found in Northern Ireland.  Although we have experienced many opportunities and challenges in our time here we have endeavoured to approach each situation with enthusiasm and positivity, which has not only been a great learning experience for us but has transformed our opinion and misconceptions we had before we left home.

On Friday we began our weekend trip by travelling to a traditional Afrikaans farm near Grahamstown, 60 miles from PE.  The journey differed to the normal journeys we have experience so far in relation to the road conditions.  I can definitely say we got a real taste of what the roads in Africa are like away from the motorways and highways that link the major town and cities together. After experiencing what I can only describe as a rollercoaster ride we arrived at our destination and we were delighted to hear that the fire was ready to “braai.” 

The next day brought a trek into the game reserve that was situated next to the farm.  Our method of transport consisted of a horse and cart and several horses in which we took turns to ride throughout the day.  Within the game reserve we had another opportunity to get up close and personal to the local wildlife.   Springbok, zebra, giraffe were a few of the animals that we saw on the journey, however Paddy was ecstatic when we came across a huge tortoise in the centre of the trail we were following. 

Paddy and his new best friend!

I thoroughly enjoyed being away from the hustle and bustle of PE and experience the beauty of the African bush on horseback.  The scenery was beautiful and the weather simply enhanced the overall experience. We stopped at various points to partake in some traditional Afrikaans farming rituals, as you can see from the photograph, we had to take dried springbok droppings and see how far we could “spit” them and of course the winner was whoever could “spit” the dropping the furthest.  Alas neither Paddy nor I succeeded in competing with local Afrikaans farmers. We had a great few days at the farm and helped that from the outset the family made us feel right at home and went above and beyond the call of duty in keeping us entertained throughout our stay, it reminded us of the flamboyant farming community that can be found in Northern Ireland.

"Spitting"

On Tuesday we had been asked by the International Office to assist with promoting Stranmillis to students from NMMU who may like to attend next year.  We enjoyed sharing some of our culture with the South Africans and highlighting the many tourist attractions that can be found in Northern Ireland, the Republic of Ireland and indeed the UK mainland.   You will be glad to know that we did Stran proud as we both were able to answer most of the questions about the student experience that Stranmillis has to offer and I believe there might be a few more applications submitted to come to Northern Ireland next semester. 

On Wednesday we finished class for the week so we undertook a trip to Coffee bay which is located in the Transkei region of South Africa, referred to as in many travel brochures as the Wild Coast region. A friend whom we met at the local church Juanita accompanied us, so we took her 4x4 Suzuki and we had great time negotiating around the huge potholes found on the road.  We heard great reports that Coffee bay was definitely a place visit, however when we arrived there we were greeted by many locals who were persistently trying to sell us products that ranged from crayfish, crab and other sea creatures  to that of magic mushrooms and marijuana.  Let’s just say it left us all feeling tremendously uncomfortable and uneasy.  Drug abuse was not the only the prevalent issue found in this small town felt like everyone was trying to make as much money out of us as possible.  We made the informed decision to journey the short distance of 7km to the ‘Hole and the Wall’ backpackers lodge, which is surrounded by absolutely breathe taking scenery.  It reminded me of what the North coast is like at home when we actually have good weather.  Tune in next week to hear about our further “lekker,” adventures in the Wild Coast.

Until next time, 

Totsiens

(Goodbye)

Callum.

Lions and tigers and bears....oh my

Week 4-Personal

Our time here in South Africa is flying by!  I cannot believe it is the end of week four already and what a week it has been.  I can safely say it has been the best week yet! Spending four months in a country is completely different in comparison to visiting somewhere on holiday with family and friends for two weeks or in fact working there for several months.  

Being away from home for this period of time has made me appreciate the opportunity that we have been given to become fully engrossed into the African way of life and experience the vast diverse cultures found in this rainbow continent.  It is hard to contemplate that in just over a year’s time I’ll be on my final placement followed hopefully be graduation from Stranmillis and entering the world of work as a primary school teacher.  There is no doubt in my mind that this experience in South Africa will contribute to further prepare me for my future in this chosen profession, however I cannot comprehend how significant it has been so far and will continue to mould and develop me as a person.  Although I have spent some time in the USA for 3month or more I feel I have become more independent and I have noticed a change in how I approach certain situations and tasks that are presented before me.  I have gained an understanding of how important it is to be thankful for what you have and to not take your basic liberties for granted.

We had the opportunity to visit a game reserve on Saturday and meet some more local wildlife found in the bush.  We travelled through the reserve in an open top 4x4 which was definitely the best form of transport in which to see all the animals and the beautiful landscape they dwelled in.  The park is renowned for rescuing injured or ill treated animals, as well as having a successful lion breeding program.  As we arrived at the lion sanctuary, I can only describe my excitement as erratic!  We all were given the opportunity to go into the various enclosures and get close and personal with the lion cubs.  This was definitely a fantastic moment, we all were becoming trigger happy with our cameras but we made sure all important shots were documented and recorded. 

To my surprise the lion cubs were extremely attentive and playful, although when they opened their jaws, we quickly were brought back to reality of realised the extent of the damage these cats could make to anyone.   After the experience, Lara one of girls in our group, said I looked like “the cat that got the cream.”  It definitely felt like that, I had just met the ‘King of the Jungle,’ what a story to share with everyone when I returned home and further I thought, definitely a story  I can share and use with my lessons in teaching the children in my placement schools.   Later that evening we were asked around for another braai, of course how could we refuse?  Whilst we were at the braai we got to meet a very friendly Parrot who liked to make a lot of noise and  of course the topic of conversation quickly turned to what  can we make the Parrot to say?  Paddy and I were set on the idea of teaching him some native phrases, such as “what’s the craic?”  or just a “wee minute.”  Alas our attempt failed miserably but it was quite entertaining failed miserably but I’m sure we provided some entertainment around us. 

"what the craic?"

 



Sunday brought another fun packed and adventurous day.  After a quick lunch, we journeyed to the Redhouse river about 50km away from PE itself to park take in summer water sports.  We both had a go wakeboarding and tubing and had a fantastic day, getting to know some more locals and building on the friendships that begun a mere four weeks ago.  The people we’ve met here have a similar outlook on life to us and it has been quite comforting to be able to relate and share our experiences.   The highlight of the day was definitely experiencing the beautiful South African sunset on the calm and tranquil water.I wonder what week five will bring.

"TIA"

 Until next time, 

Totsiens (Goodbye)

Callum.