Kid Version:
Hi guys!
I hope you are all well. Since I last wrote, I have spent lots of time outside of Grahamstown because there has been a three-week vacation for the schools, so I got to travel a bit. Here are some of the places that I have gotten to see:
Alexandria: Some friends and I went hiking along the beach and over some huge sand dunes, which are basically hills made out of sand. We got to be barefoot most of the time. There were tons of dolphins in the water (they weren’t wearing shoes either), and I learned how good they are at diving under waves. I tried to do it too, but I still need a bit of practice. Here is an extra-hard question for you: There is another important place called Alexandria. In which country could I find it? (Hint: It’s a country where there is also a lot of sand.)
Cape Town: This is one of the biggest cities in South Africa (and one of the most beautiful!), and I’ve been here quite a bit before. Can you find it on a map? I was very lucky because I got to visit friends and family who I haven’t seen in a very long time. Have you ever gotten to see someone you miss very much after a long time of being apart? How did it feel? Sometimes it can be strange, but for me, it was great. Do your grandparents, cousins and aunts and uncles live in the same city as you?
Hermanus: This is a small town close to Cape Town where some of my family lives and the rest of my family likes to visit. It is also very beautiful, and I got to have lots of time to go for walks and draw. Have you ever tried to draw the ocean? Was it easy or hard for you? I found it quite tough because it kept moving, even when I asked it very nicely to stand still for a few minutes. I would like to see your pictures of the ocean sometime. Maybe you can give me some tips.
Hogsback: This is another very beautiful area in the mountains. You remember how I work at an after school program? Well, the people I teach with and I took some of the older kids to a camp here. It was kind of like Camp Spalding, if you’ve ever been there, because we got to go on hikes and ropes courses and other adventures. The whole time, we were talking about what it means to be in a team. Have you ever been a part of a team or a group? What things are important to think about when you’re on a team? What things are hard to do when you have to work with other people? What are the good things about working with other people?
Now I’m back at work in Grahamstown, and even though I had a wonderful time in all those places, it’s good to be back home. It’s important to go exploring, but it’s also important to come back! This week, I’m helping at a huge festival to help people (grownups and kids) to be interested in science. What’s the coolest thing you’ve learned recently, maybe in school or at home or at church? I will write again soon. I miss you!
Love,
Sarah Jackson
Grownup Version:
Hello everyone!
I hope that you are all well. Since my last email, I have been away on holiday much of the time, so I must apologize (as I always do!) for all of the responses to your emails and letters that have been delayed, and for not having sent a general update sooner.
A few weekends before the holiday, Matt and some friends and I went hiking in and around the largest coastal dune field in the southern hemisphere, about an hour south of Grahamstown. After a morning of walking through thick forest, we stumbled upon the Indian Ocean, which we walked along and played in for the afternoon. We then spent the night in a cabin set aside for people doing the hike. The next morning we crossed the dune field after a gorgeous sunrise accompanied by literally hundreds of dolphins jumping through the waves below us. In the dunes themselves, I spent a lot of time being amazed at the variety of textures that can be found in one kind of sand. The whole trip was a great opportunity to be active and was a nice break from the Grahamstown routine and scenery (both of which I enjoy intensely, however).
A few weeks later, I found myself heading out of Grahamstown again, this time to Plettenberg Bay, where one of my cousins lives. He picked me up in Grahamstown and we drove to Plett via Addo Elephant Park, a large national park where there are over 300 elephants. It was drizzling, and unfortunately elephants are not as brave as Western Washingtonians, so they were all hiding. I’m not quite sure how they managed to do this, as the trees weren’t very high, and elephants are by definition quite large. In the end, though, I spotted one very far off, so I can officially say I’ve seen my favorite animal this year. In Plett, my cousin and I went to a Good Friday Service, and I continued to spend the Easter weekend with family after a bus ride to Hermanus, where I stayed with my aunts and uncles. It was so great to be able to see them all again, and a particular highlight was meeting my new Uncle François who had joined the family since I’d last been here.
From there, I moved on to Cape Town, where I stayed with the Smiths and the Scotts, two families who I’ve known my whole life. Though the last time I was here was six years ago, with both of them, it felt as though I’d never been away. After being in the country for two months and seeing so many new places and meeting so many new people, it was such a treat to be in familiar homes again and to be with people who already know me and the people I come from. Some highlights include learning to make rusks (kind of like biscotti, but much better); befriending Bean, the newest member of the Smith family (who happens to be an affectionate parrot who smells of fruit); listening to a souvenir song written by a man who owns a very mediocre outdoor maze (“I went to the maze to be amazed . . .” For a full set of these incredible and rather haphazard lyrics, let me know, and I’ll pass them on. They were stuck in my head for a week afterwards!); spending time in Kirstenbosch, beautiful botanical gardens, with two lovely children; and many chats and reminiscences.
When I wasn’t spending time with friends with monosyllabic S-surnames, I had dinner with another uncle and aunt, and another night with some of my cousins, most of whom I’d never met. (I regretted this fact afterwards because they are wonderful.) For most of my life, I have unofficially and unintentionally defined “family” as my mom, dad and brother simply because I have seen so little of my extended family. In the last few weeks, though, I have had a lot of time and occasion to ponder what family actually means. Surely the friends who you’ve known for years – the Smiths and the Scotts and the Storms of the world – are in a sense as much family as anyone. So what defines biological family, aside from the genes? As I spent time with my relatives this holiday, there were several instances when I felt like I was looking into one of those warped mirrors at a Fun House that showed myself in a slightly different form. And I was constantly told how much I resembled my parents, in looks, mannerisms and temperament. At a basic level, being part of a family is being part of a group of people who are alike in ways they cannot help.
In my core classes at university, we spent much time talking about the Self and the Other. We never exactly figured out what they were, but I’ve come to the conclusion that family is where the Self and the Other meet; your family is the closest you come to having yourself be plural. Like a person, a family is constantly growing and changing. There are many parts of it you don’t understand and even some parts you don’t like. But there are unspoken bonds between those parts that are stronger than muscles and more permanent than bones. I suppose that’s why it can hurt when a family is stretched out over great distances.
I was very fortunate to be able to spend another five days in Hermanus in the house my family has owned for decades, and which I think of as home more than any other place in South Africa, which meant many nostalgic moments. This also allowed for a lot of introvert time, which was very welcome. I got to spend the time doing all of my favorite things (I’m tempted to insert a Julie Andrews reference, but I know how some of you feel about The Sound of Music, so I’ll refrain): walking in the mountains and along the cliffs overlooking the ocean, reading, writing, going for those proverbial long walks on the beach at sunset that we’ve heard so much about, and drawing, drawing, drawing. It was a bit surprising and affirming to realize how happy being able to do art for long periods of time made me. I’m beginning to wonder whether this whole being a full time artist thing is where I’m heading. I wasn’t a complete hermit, however, because a few friends came and stayed for a night each in the house, which was fun.
You’ll notice that there is a significant increase in color in my sketches and photos which represents the changing landscape as I moved west. Whereas the predominant colors around Grahamstown are all variations of green, in the Western Cape blues, oranges, pinks and purples are everywhere. Seeing more of this country convinced me that this really is the most beautiful place in the world. Along with all the other ones. But there is a specific beauty here that I think stems from a seemingly paradoxical characteristic of the land itself. Driving around the country, one gets the sense that the land is profoundly ancient, as though the yawning valleys that stretch between the mountains collect all the drops of time that have been dripping down the slopes since the beginning of the world. At the same time, though, there is an eternal youthfulness and fertility about the land, as it continues to yield thousands of plants. This side-by-side antiquity and abundance explains a lot of the concept of time here. Often in the U.S., we – like our history – are compressed, our days full as we rush from one meeting to another. Here, it is as if time is more like the Mississippi River, deep and steady and slow, rather than a quick mountain stream.
I have had several moments when I’ve thought, “I must be in Africa . . . that, or France.” The first was while the Centre for Social Development was moving buildings across campus. This move was a year overdue, and when it finally came time to pack everything off to the new building, it took about three weeks. The movers would be scheduled to come in one morning and show up two hours late. They would then work for half an hour until their tea time, and they may or may not come back that day. Another problem was that they could move the shelves we needed, but it wasn’t their job to unscrew them from the walls. We had to get another crew to do that. And yet another to separate the shelves from each other so that they could fit through the door. The U. S. half of me was weighing in quite heavily during this process as a myriad of more efficient options which I couldn’t suggest ran through my head.
Another time was in Cape Town, where I arranged to meet at a branch of the National Library to discuss literacy projects it supports and publishing options for the book I want to write and illustrate. The day I called, I was told to not come that afternoon (a Wednesday) because they were very busy. I should instead come the next afternoon, and I could meet with Noluthando, who would tell me what I needed to know. This I did, but when I arrived, I discovered that Noluthando was out of town until Monday, and that I should come back then. I explained that I was leaving Cape Town in two days. They told me that I should come on Wednesday afternoons because that’s when they discuss publishing with people from the community. I explained again that I would not be there the following week. Eventually, they found someone who ended up being very helpful, but that initial dilemma reminded me very clearly on which continent I’m living.
A third instance occurred at the end of my holiday. Matt and I had planned on going to a town a few hours away with two seminary students we’ve gotten to know. We knew very little about the trip, other than that we were to visit various centers, observe the problems occurring in the youth, and then give feedback. All planning we left to the other two. The night before we were to leave, we got a message saying that we were actually going to be leaving a day later. The following evening, our friends came round to tell us that the trip was cancelled by people in the town who had arranged for us to be there. When we asked why, one of them said that she was “too disappointed to ask.” Sometimes you have to just shake your head (inwardly if possible) and move on.
We were able to go on a much more successful trip, though, with the older kids and Ntombekaya, my co-teacher from the after school program. Matt organized for us to stay at a camp in Hogsback, a beautiful spot in the mountains. The area’s name comes from the mountains in the area that are quite bare except for these large vertical rocks along the ridge, which make them look like the hair on a hog’s back. I fell in love with a particular one, but the surrounding mountains were gorgeous too. The earth showing through the grass on them was very red, and even though red and green are complimentary colors and therefore should have a dulling effect when combined, these mountains glowed like they were made of fire.
The camp arranged for us to go on several hikes and to participate in many of the activities like ropes courses which they had available. It was super to see how over the course of three days, the kids were able to begin to tackle some of the challenges we were presenting to them, whether they be repelling down a wall, encouraging their friends who were having a hard time, doing the dishes after a meal, or simply saying please and thank you. I think this will be a good foundation from which we can continue to build in the next few months as we work further with the kids. It was also great for me to get to know this group a bit better as I spend most of my time with the younger ones. I enjoyed seeing those delightful oscillations between childhood and adulthood that characterize kids in their early teens. It was a wonderful trip that different greatly in terms of pace and activities from my previous one, but which was encouraging and very fun.
I am now back in Grahamstown, fitting back into the routine that I left, though with more responsibility now. This week, there is a large science festival all over the city, and I am helping at the preschool activity center, which CSD is sponsoring. About a dozen preschools in the area set up exploratory activities for the approximately 200-300 kids we get per morning. I am in charge of the reading area, where I read in English and in Xhosa that I don’t really understand. It’s a bit of a challenge because the makeup of the group is constantly changing, so I could begin a Xhosa story and by the end, have mostly Afrikaans kids there. So sometimes, I just let them look at books on their own. It’s fascinating and disturbing to see how their treatment of books differs depending on their background. Some kids have obviously listened to hundreds of stories and can mimic how to read one “to the class.” But others don’t even know how to hold a book. About a quarter of them look at them upside down, and I’ve had a few occasions where I’ve had to show them how to open the books. I am constantly giving lessons on how to turn pages so that the books will stay in tact for the next session. One silent girl wouldn’t even hold the book I tried to give her, and refused to even help turn a page. It was as though she was afraid though mesmerized by this phenomenon that we commonly call a book. But she stayed for a good fifteen minutes on her own listening to me ramble on about the story in broken Xhosa and hesitant English because I couldn’t figure out what language she spoke. This place is in desperate need of better literacy. I am excited to be working on a literacy project which I will start after SciFest, which involves parents.
Another new responsibility is that I have joined an introductory Xhosa class which is run through Rhodes University and is for the staff and their spouses. (Yes, this means I had to marry a Rhodes professor to be eligible. Sorry you couldn’t be here for the wedding.) So my Xhosa is slowing improving, I hope. I’m at the stage, though, where it feels like I have been told enough to be speaking better than I am. The more you know, the more you can forget, unfortunately.
My English is also changing. The biggest change is a release of South African words and expressions that have been lying dormant in my for years which I have suppressed over the years (with more or less success) for the sake of being understood in the States. Words like “jersey,” “petrol,” “cozzie” (swimsuit), “mielies” (corn) and “tackies” (sneakers) usually replace their “American” equivalents when I speak. But my pronunciation is shifting slightly as well (or “as well,” as many people here say for some reason.) My “yeahs” are ever-so-imperceptibly changing into “yas,” and I’ve found myself saying “zehbra,” not “zeebra.” South African English has also had an effect on my spelling. It is my first instinct now to write “centre,” “programme,” and “colour.”
One thing I have not yet gotten used to is the reversal of the seasons. I can understand that it is April. My calendar says so, and so do the kids at the after school program. And I can understand that it is autumn. The leaves are turning colors and I bundle myself in fleece much of the time. Also, my daily tea intake has risen from zero to between two and three cups a day. However, I cannot comprehend these two facts at the same time. It feels like it’s sort of Thanksgiving time, and I got a craving to go sledding today. But we just had Easter and the tulips and daffodils are supposed to be emerging. My brain doesn’t know whether to bloom or to hibernate!
At any rate, I am busy and happy learning and serving and looking (sometimes all at the same time). I hope that you are in a similar state. I have updated my website, so please check it for more recent photos, poems and sketches. It’s at http://sarahjackson314.googlepages.com. Thank you to everyone who has written, emailed and called, and as I said, I’ll try my best to respond when I can.
I miss you all.
Love,
Sarah/Mouse