School and a little briyani

So while I am no longer in South Africa, I find it is following me everywhere. Maybe it is me talking about the trip with friends and flaunting my pictures. Maybe it is the daunting 43 students in my government class this morning that reminded me of S.P.H.S. Or maybe it is the briyani that I made myself for dinner tonight! All I know, after a few weeks without my Study Abroad host family and MSU SA family, I am missing me some South Africa like crazy. Ohh the places you go... how they will change you forever!

<3

Last Days in CPT

So the past few days were the last few days in CPT for the group. Monday was the last day for all the elementary teachers. This day was filled with packing, going to a bulk food store, and a mall for last minute things. We dropped the groups off in three different droves, one at 3:30, four at 6:30 and seven at 11:35. After all of them had made it through security, we were then driven to one of Jonathan Jansen's guest houses to stay for the evening. It's nice having connections :)

The secondary group's last day was filled with chilling at Jonathan Jansen's house: packing, showering, and a last minute trip to Bibi's! :D We made it to the airport in plenty of time, and were able to have a last drink with Corvell, Johnny, Faith, and Dominic. Our first flight was to Johannesburg, where we saluted South Africa in style with a Spring Bok shot. And thus came the travels to Amsterdam. Wolf Pack Out! Ohh Haa Haa.

And soon enough we will be back in Detroit, where the first stop will be a mexican restaurant, haha! I can not wait to see the friends and family I have missed, as well as share many of the amazing stories and experiences!!! Goeie Dag Suid Afrika!

History

Today was a day that I could appreciate in full, the last day with my host mom Berenice. We toured the castle here in Cape Town, the first colonial structure built here. And it was amazing at how much more history is entrenched and remembered here. This structure alone was so specific and expansive about so many historical and social issues. I learned about the way the "fort" functioned, what else it was used for, how it evolved throughout different years and occupations, etc. I also learned about the Anglo-Boer War in one of the three museums on the site, as well as that the castle is dually used for historical and current military uses. I will surely add more after I can sift through all of my material from today :) This being said, it was sad to say goodbye to the many people who have helped me here. However, I am excited to see the family I have missed so dearly in the last six weeks!

Hooked

Students, who could think they would steal your hearts so easily... or at least a few of them! Hah. Yesterday was my last day at the school here in South Africa, and let me tell you some of those little gems I will miss. On Thursday, when I handed back the "I Have A Dream" speeches that some of the students wrote, my favorite student responded with pure glee at my comments. To my prompt of "You have wonderful dreams. What can you do to help make them a reality? It was a pleasure having you in class," my student replied quietly and most earnestly with "Ms. Fox, it was a pleasure having you teach our class." I about died from pure joy on the spot. To add to this, he bought me his favorite Cadbury chocolate bar and brought it to school to give to me at the end of the day on my last day :D This memory will surely be one to cherish, as well as his adorable face! I am simply hooked to teaching and surely these kids!

A Little Snoek, A Little Snack

Today was rather uneventful at the school, with the days winding down and all. However, after school activities were rather peculiar and enjoyable. Invited over to Nate's host family's for a braii (barbeque type activity), I arrived around 4:30 after school. We played around with the soccer ball and Keegan's friend Matt while we waited for the rest of the family to get home. Sadly, I was a bad goalie, as the boys scored multiple times... yelling "Laduma!! Laduma!" (he scores!) However, just messing around and being physically active again felt good. I can't wait to run and workout again in the States.

Anyways, around 5:30, the host father took us to a "market" on the side of the road to bid on some snoek (fish, more specifically baracuda). This was technically a man gutting and cutting fish on the side of the road out of the back of his truck. Very interesting. I wondered about the sanitariness of this process, but I guess once you get it home and cook it, anything is killed anyways. But to see a multitude of fish dead and fresh out of the sea just laying in the truckbed waiting to be gutted, chopped, and sold was quite an ordeal. Watching the man cut off the head, cut open the spine, cut out the bones, and clean the fish to wrap it in newspaper to go was completely disgusting and yet intriguing at the same time.

Once home, you just cook the cut open snoek over the wood and charcoal fire in a square contraption type thing. And let me tell you, soaked in lemon juice, curry, apricot jam, and garlic... this snoek was phenomenal. I couldn't believe it was the same fish I had seen bought on the side of the road. I may just have to start eating fish more at home now! Accompanied with some regular salad, as well as noodle salad, this meal was delicious. Additionally, Marlene the host mother made a delicious dessert of graham cracker, bananas, and pudding. She worked for a bakery for six months, and let me tell you Nate is one lucky man! Ironically, this household upheld the tradition to prod you to eat more. And what's worse is I loved it. I kept eating more and more fish, until my cravings for dessert took over. Nate and I ate enough to last what seemed like eternity. Really this was not a snack, but an abundance of food... enough to feed a feast of 10 or more... which it did!

Beyond the food, we also went to a local sports club this evening, where we drank some Castle and played some billiards. South African pool rules are very interesting, and the pool balls are much smaller than ones in the U.S. One thing I learned for sure is how much I appreciate Michigan's new law of no smoking in bars. I had forgotten how suffocating that could be. However, overall, on the night, it was wonderful to spend time out and about in Cape Town, as well as get to know some youth. Keegan and Nina, the host siblings, were lovely and wonderful to talk to about so many issues. Overall, a good night considering the food, fun, and laughter :D

Ohhh Tiger's Play

This afternoon after our Cango Cave adventure, we visited the Cango Ranch to see some more animals! Again, this experience was AWESOME! We went on a guided tour in which we saw the following animals:

• bats
• vultures and a mean stork
• flamingos
• hippopotamus
• otter
• cheetahs - adult and 9 month old babies!
• tiger cubs - 5 months old!! :D
• lions - full grown compared to the young ones yesterday
• leopards
• bengals

But the real fun came after the guided tour, which was getting to play with the baby tigers. Although expensive, it was totally worth it. I wanted to get in there, especially after watching the trainers work with them. They were so playful, and hardly aggressive. The white tiger cub even came up behind me and jumped up on my legs. Sadly, the trainer swatted him away, back into the water. While I wish they would not have driven them to the pool in the cage and we could have interacted for more than five minutes, I am so glad I got to pet and push these little cuties around! AHHHH, it was so great! Even better than riding the elephants yesterday, and definitely better than merely just having to sit behind Joseph the cheetah and stroke in one direction on his fur. Getting to chase and scrounge around with the 5 month year old tigers was PHENOMENAL! :D

It's Hot and A Little Tight

This morning we visited the great Cango Caves, formed millions of years ago when the water table fell. Twelve of sixteen of our group embarked upon the adventure tour. This included five extremely tight spaces/passages on a 90 minute tour. The remaining four did the 60 minute standard tour in the largest caves toward the entrance of the caves.

This experience was one of much anxiety for me, being rather particular about space and all. I wouldn't necessarily say I am clausterphobic, but when it comes to possibly getting stuck in places deep within the earth... yes, I was concerned. However, after getting going into the caves and seeing some big burly men in front of our group go, my nerves settled.

Inside the caves were something to be seen. Stalagmites and stalactites everywhere, some with huge bulky formations, others with tiny skinny pillar looking ones. Sometimes there were even a few columns where stalactites and stalagmites meet. More importantly though was the adventure tour, where we crawled through passages and some tight spaces. A few of their names were "The Love Tunnel" because it's tight on both sides and "Devil's Chimney" because this passage is one of the narrowest. Corvell, our group leader, got stuck last year and had to be pushed and pulled to get out.

Toward the end of our experience, Jen and I wrote a song about it to the tune of Stu's Tiger Song in The Hangover. It goes as follows:

What do cave dwellers dream of

When the crawl through tiny spaces?

Do they dream of streaming sunlight

Or the ocean breeze on their face?

If you're worried about making it through

You better suck it up or the guide's gonna slap you.

There's so much moisture in the air

I'm sick of looking at your derriere

Caves, Caves, Caves, Ohhhh Cango Caves

If you fall in or I hit my head

Then we're shit out of luck :)