Kid Version:
Hi guys!
How are you? I am doing well. About a week ago, I flew to South Africa, where I will be living for the next year. Can you try to find this country on a map? (For an extra challenge, try to find the city I'm living in. It's called Grahamstown – like Graham crackers.) Right now, it is the middle of summer here because South Africa is in the southern hemisphere. This means that it is very hot, which is strange after being in so much snow in Spokane! In the mornings, I work at a place that helps teachers who don't have a lot of money. So far, I've sorted out lots of things that people don't want anymore, but that can be used again to make art, like plastic bottles or cardboard boxes. Have you ever made an art project out of a material that had already been used for something else? What did you make? I've also sorted out lots of kids books for a new library that is being built outside of Grahamstown. In the afternoon, I work with 7 and 8 year olds. We work on their reading and numbers. It is hard for me because the kids don't speak very much English. They speak Xhosa, which is a very fun language because you get to click your tongue a lot. The problem is that I don't do the clicks right, but I'm trying to learn. That's all for now, but I'll write again soon. I hope you are all doing well.
I miss you!
Love,
Sarah Jackson
Grownup Version:
Hello, everyone!
Greetings from Grahamstown, South Africa, where I arrived a week ago, yesterday, after taking the edge off of my jet-lag by staying a few days in Johannesburg with some family. I had 4 uneventful flights, and was fortunate to have the perfect cocktail of traveling companions: 2 parts friendly people on the short domestic flights, 2 parts no one on the long international flights. My time in Johannesburg was exactly what I hoped for: a chance to rest and to catch up with / get to better know some of my family.
I then traveled to Grahamstown, where I moved into the house I am renting with several other people. There is Charles, who is the son of my landlord, Geoff (that word makes him sound much more menacing than he really is), the latter of whom has been a great help in getting me settled in Grahamstown. Charles and his girlfriend Lisa, who is also living with us, are both students at Rhodes University in town. They are very nice and it is easy to get along with both of them. There is also Matt, who is a volunteer with the Anglican church and comes from Spokane, of all places. He has been very kind in helping me to get settled into the house, around the town, and at the monastery where we both work. One other Rhodes student, Aiden, will be joining us as soon as school starts, which is any minute.
I moved in last Saturday, and started work on Monday. In the mornings, I go to the Centre for Social Development, which is run through Rhodes. The CSD is an NGO that helps place student volunteers in the community, and it helps train teachers in the primary schools in the city and the surrounding area. I have been highly impressed with the Centre's level of organization and the variety of resources available for teachers. At the moment, my duties range widely: I've sorted out reusable waste material to be given to teachers to help with art projects; I've called teachers to tell them when a training workshop will be; I've catalogued books that will be used to start a library in the township. A longer-term project that I've started is to update the "theme boxes" that can be loaned out to schools to teach a specific theme like "Insects" or "Colour" in a variety of ways. It is inspiring to see how the CSD is working not only to meet some of the many needs in this place, but is seeking to meet them well, with methods and goals similar to those you'd find in places with ten times the resources.
My biggest challenge at the CSD is that I am eager to get involved more directly with the people we serve. I have been assured that this will come, and am trying to be patient. I am also trying to realize that much of the work that is needed must be done behind-the-scenes. That said, I don't want to be removed from the harder parts of life in this community, and will be keeping my eyes and imagination open to opportunities to avoid this.
My favorite part of the morning is when someone rings the bell for tea time and we all stop whatever we're doing, and we get together and chat. From the beginning, I was able to joke and ask advice alongside the rest of my coworkers. I adore the people I'm working with – a group of about 15 women whose backgrounds and work styles vary greatly, but all of whom have made me feel quite at home. One of the most distinctive characteristics of this country is its mind-boggling diversity of cultures, economic backgrounds, beliefs and languages. This has meant many difficulties in the past, and it continues to be a challenge. But one of the beautiful results of this variety is that people can be so much more welcoming of new people, and I have certainly found this to be the case at the CSD.
In the afternoons, I go to a monastery outside of town, which is in the most gorgeous setting. Green hills completely surround it, and on very clear days, one can see the sea. If there weren't certain gender issues, I'd seriously consider becoming a monk just so that I could work there. The monastery helps to fund an after-school program for about 15 kids of all different ages who live on nearby farms. One of my new friends is Ntombekhaya, a school teacher who volunteers at the monastery after a full day with her own students. She and I work with the seven younger ones who are about seven and eight years old. They are a rambunctious crew, and are absolutely delightful. Most of them are quite bright in many ways, but need extra help with their school work. We try to help with basic activities like counting and printing their letters. It wasn't until I thought of what second and third graders in the States would be expected to do that I realized how many skills these kids are lacking.
My biggest challenge at the monastery – and in fact everywhere – is that I don't speak the children's native language, Xhosa. They speak some English, but I would like to be able to be able to teach them in Xhosa as much as I can. At this point, I'm having a hard time remembering words (and, more embarrassing, names – although I do know all of my students' names!) in Xhosa because I don't take things in well without visual reinforcement, which is usually lacking, and because I haven't mastered the many varieties of clicks that color the language. I've picked up a few phrases in the last week, and can greet people and ask how they are. So as long as my conversations never stray from this formula, I'll be fine. However, I'm anticipating that this won't be the case, and so I'm looking into sitting in on a class or getting a tutor.
My favorite part of the afternoon is at the very end, when our class prays by singing "Thank you Jesus, Amen," in English and then in Xhosa. They are so earnest about it, and it is one of the few times when they are all concentrating on the same thing. Not to mention the fact that their voices are so beautiful. It is a poignant reminder to me to be thankful, regardless of how the day went.
So I am settling in well, and am starting to get a picture of what the next five months will look like. Initially, the biggest shock was the weather, even though I was anticipating the warm climate. On the way to the airport in Spokane, it was 3 degrees Fahrenheit. Here it can easily be 85 during the day. [Incidentally, for those of you who are aware of my unorthodox and unintentional sunburn collection, in the last two days, I've added some real winners to my repertoire: my wrists, thin stripes on miscellaneous limbs, and two beet-red Band-Aid-shaped spots on my right knee.]
But of course, the real adjustments have only just begun. Part of me feels like I am returning home after a long trip, and part of me feels like I've never set foot in this country. This mixture of familiarity and newness is challenging sometimes, but other times, it's simply amusing. For example, I saw a version of Eric Carle's The Grouchy Ladybug. I know that his works have been translated into many languages, but I didn't know they had also been translated into English. This version was called The Bad-Tempered Ladybird. Another example is when I cross streets. Of course, I know that people drive on the left side of the road, but when it actually comes time to cross a street, I never quite know where the cars will be coming from. This means that I end up repeatedly checking on the left and right, with the result that I look like I am furiously disagreeing with an invisible companion every time I cross the road.
When I was in Johannesburg, my cousin took me to see The Lion King, which was an amazing treat. It had a particularly South African flavor (one of the hyenas spoke a lot of Afrikaans, and when Rafiki speaks very quickly in Zulu and then asks if we understood, some people in this audience actually said yes!). I saw the story in a whole different light. For instance, when Nala is sent away from the Pridelands, there is a beautiful song that the other lionesses sing to send her off, telling her to not forget her pride. It made me think about exile, and specifically about how so many South Africans had to leave the country during the time of Apartheid.
Some of you may have heard of one of the more immediate problems facing South Africa, namely that the country is running out of electricity due to many oversights on the part of the government and the national power company. Various steps have been taken, most notable of which is a system of "load shedding," or scheduled power cuts. Also, four major gold and platinum mines have been closed because the power company could not guarantee sufficient electricity to keep them running safely. This is costing the country billions of rand every day, and the whole crisis is quite an embarrassment for a country that has been trying to prove it is capable of maintaining a first world economy. Please be praying for strong leaders to emerge in this country.
I'm very sorry – this has perhaps been the longest email I've ever sent, and I'd like to be able to tell you that the following ones will be shorter, but from prior experience, I'm not going to be making any promises. In future, please feel free to read the Kid's Version – you'll get the basics and it will take much less time.
I wanted to pass on my contact information. The Anglican Diocese has very kindly let me receive mail at its P.O. Box. It is
P.O. Box 102
Grahamstown
Eastern Cape Province 6140
Republic of South Africa
My cell phone number when calling from the U.S. is 71 197 9304. (Yes, I got a cell phone, and let me just tell you, the whole text messaging thing is an English Major's personal hell! It takes absolutely ages to get all the punctuation and grammar right, and I still haven't figured out capitalization!)
I would love to hear from you and hear how you are doing. I miss you all and hope you are well.
Love,
Sarah/Mouse
ps: If you would prefer not to get these updates, please do let me know, and I'll gladly stop sending them to you. I promise I will not be at all offended. Also, if I have not sent this to someone who would like to be receiving them, please let me know as well, and I'll make sure to include them on my address list.