Catherine in South Africa

AYOBA!!

2010-06-11T01:43:00.004-04:00

While no one has been able to give me an accurate definition of this word, "ayoba", I've figured out that it means something good. It's either said while laughing, smiling, or dancing. I think it's one step above "sharp" (another word I can't accurately define). For the last couple of weeks during assembly at Kwasa we've said it, sang it, and danced with it. When asked who will win the World Cup the kids scream "BAFANA BAFANA!!!" It's been lots of fun and even I have become intrigued with this whole World Cup thing.

Sadly, Kwasa broke up for the holidays on Wednesday. For the kids it was much like a normal day except everyone who had a Bafana shirt wore it. For me it was a day spent with just as much hugging and laughter with the addition of fighting back tears. While I'll see some of the kids again at church or on one of Kwasa's Fun Days to be had over the break, I won't see them all together in the same way. Those of you who have been here or have done something similar know how difficult it is to say goodbye to all of what a place like Kwasa is and represents.

I hope to talk more about that, but since it's 7:30 in the morning and the vuvuzelas are already blowing outside my flat (it's been my alarm clock for two days now), I think I'll turn my attention back on the World Cup....

The teachers spoke often about how South Africa will win the World Cup. I'm not sure if they were joking or not because statistically Bafana Bafana is not the favorite. But you wouldn't know it if you were here right now. Flags are everywhere, hawkers are selling vuvuzelas, t-shirts, and hats with horns on them. I don't have a TV, but every commercial I've come across has been about soccer. Schools that are normally very strict with uniforms and dress codes have allowed kids to wear South African paraphernalia on Fridays.

Someone told me that if Bafana Bafana wins, it won't be because they are more talented than another team. It will be because of the overwhelming support given to them by their fans and their country. It will be because people believe in them. People are praying for them. People have saved their money for months to buy a ticket, or more realistically a shirt.

Isn't that sort of how life works? People don't normally become successful on their own. They need support and love. At first I applied that to the Kwasa kids who are learning and playing and eating in a safe and loving and nurturing environment. It is the hope that many of these kids, with support, will be able to choose their future and use their gifts and talents to help themselves and the world around them. Quickly I extended this to me. And to pretty much everyone I know. Very few people can say they've become who they are without the support of others. So, the South African soccer team? I suppose stranger things have happened.

This is an excerpt from the LA Times....

Everyone is backing the Bafana Bafana. Even dead people are picking the South African soccer team to win its first match Friday with Mexico.

The Sowetan newspaper asked leaders in a variety of religious traditions their opinions on the World Cup opener and they all picked the home team to win. But none were as strong in their conviction as the township sangomas.

Sangomas practice herbal medicine, divination and counseling and their philosophy is based on a belief in ancestral spirits. And the spirits are calling for an upset.

"I see Bafana winning their first game 4-0," Nomusa Magwaza, a sangoma from Green Village in Soweto told the newspaper. "They will win all their group matches until they reach the quarterfinals. But that is where their journey will end."

Who can argue with that? So I think now I need to put on my green jersey and find a TV and watch this match with the rest of South Africa.

"A Child Reminds Us..."

2010-03-10T09:04:00.003-05:00

"...that playtime is an essential part of our daily routine." -Emerson

As summer is winding down, and fall is quickly approaching, it’s also apparent that routine is very much part of my life here in South Africa. It’s kind of strange to take a step back and realize I say “petrol station” instead of “gas station” without thinking twice, or that I know Thursdays are the best days to buy fruit at the Spar, or that while Kenneth (my neighbor and the gardener) has not changed his absurd habit of waking up at 4 in the morning, I can now sleep through the noise.

I’m enjoying feeling part of the community. Not just a visitor. I LIVE here! While I’m all for the next adventure, I actually find comfort in this routine. It’s so fun to spend day after day with the kids, especially those in after care. Since I’ve been here, I’ve been able to learn their strengths and weaknesses as well as set goals with them. The sticker chart for the fourth graders is working quite well! We’re learning a lot from each other. The kids had to learn the hard way that cheating is just like lying. Unfortunately, a few of them did not get stickers today. You can be sure I got some mean looks when it was time to go home! Patience will always be a virtue I can continue to learn and sometimes the kids are so happy to help me practice!

Some things we have learned in the last few weeks: how to make a homemade volcano, the funky chicken dance, and how to write a proper letter (well, that part is still a work in progress).

Now that the newness is in a sense behind me, I feel like I’m really understanding how I fit into life here. I’ve been so blessed to LIVE in the greatest places in the world: Roper, NC, Camp Kanuga, Sewanee, and now Springs, South Africa. The next few months of my life are sure to be incredible and unforgettable as they are sure to be filled with new adventures, experiences, and playtime.

After Two Months of Blog Slacking....

2010-01-31T13:33:00.003-05:00

Christmas and the surrounding traditions, fun, and obligations surrounding it was fantastic. While I honestly didn't want to leave Sunny South Africa and the Kwasa kids, I was very excited to see my family and friends. I got to see family whom I haven't seen in years, watch a movie in 3D, eat mom's spaghetti, and see some of the most wonderful friends in the whole entire world. It was wonderful to end my "vacation" at St. John's and listen to and attempt to answer great and thoughtful questions from the Church School. (By the way, the kids LOVE their pen pal letters and we're working on responding!)

Immediately after landing in Johannesburg, I hopped on another flight to Cape Town. The next four days were so fun! It was gorgeous and warm (the antithesis of Atlanta and DC when I left them) and a great way to reenter the country. Meghan, a friend from here, was my travel companion and she graciously allowed me to be a tourist (hopefully I wasn't the obnoxious kind). We rode the cable car to the top of Table Mountain (I want to hike it next time), visited Robben Island, rode on a sunset cruise, ate Cape Malay food, and went on a wine tour while riding bike (the highlight of the trip for me).

Just as exciting was returning to Springs and work. I had convinced myself that all of the kids had forgotten about me and would have no recollection of my being there. Fortunately, I was met by dozens of smiles and hugs my first day back to After Care. The kids in the Pre Primary school weren't sure what to think of me at first since they are a totally new class. We're slowly getting there.

More to come soon. There is a mosquito buzzing around me and it's much quicker than my flip flop.

Slow Down. Be Still. It's Advent.

2009-12-02T09:37:00.003-05:00

Jesus is coming! Jesus is coming! I say this with the same excitement as Steve Martin in "The Jerk" when the new phone books arrive. The season of Advent is one of my favorites for lots of reasons. 1. Purple 2. No more Pentecost 3. More candles in church 4. Lessons and Carols 5. Advent Hymns 6. Preparation for Christmas

Today was the first of two Kwasa Christmas Concert performances. I wish you all could have been there to watch. Luckily for you, I have pictures. It was great to see parents, grandparents, and other care takers there supporting their child - everyone was so proud! Tomorrow is the last show and at the end, the grade Rs will receive their graduation certificates. I will be sad to see them go because that's the class I've been working with, but I'm so excited for what lies ahead of them!

Things are slowing down and speeding up simultaneously. It's strange to think that in less than two weeks, I'll be in America. I've only been here a couple of months! Time has definitely flown by. The schools have stopped giving homework, so after care has been more fun and games and less maths and reading. One of the highlights of my week was toy shopping for 150 kids with Sharron. Toys are great. Sharron is great. Kids are great. So obviously I had fun picking out trucks and pens and play dough.

Something you might find funny:

As we were driving to the zoo, we passed Carnival City (a casino). When the kids saw it, they all shouted "Father Christmas! Father Christmas!" I asked them why, and they told me because that's where Father Christmas lives. Who knew? Santa has to make his money somehow I suppose.

It's All Happening at the Zoo...

2009-11-29T07:31:00.004-05:00

Friday, for work, I got to chaperone 19 six year olds at the Johannesburg Zoo. It's a tough life.

Seriously though, I love LOVE the zoo. Aside from the normal excitement, uncontrollable grinning, and need to see everything, my joy was heightened each time I looked at one of the grade Rs; it was their very first visit to the zoo and they'd been thinking about it for over a week.

A company (I don't remember the name) donated money for each child to go to the zoo, have lunch, a snack, and a christmas present. And they needed adults to go along. (I'm an adult!)

We got to see two elephants, a hippopotamus, crocodiles, zebras, lions, monkeys, tigers, snakes, polar bears, and others. The monkeys were the biggest hit. There was one chimpanzee that sat against the glass and allowed the kids to have their picture taken (see facebook for visual aid). I felt sorry for the polar bear. It was out in the heat and surely it was uncomfortable. I was glad though that the kids were able to see it. I will show them where the North Pole is on Monday.

Another fun part of the day was the kiddie rides. The zoo had the kind of rides you would find at a county fair, and one of the men from the donating company gave us enough money for each child to have two rides. Not only were they experiencing the zoo for the first time, but also theme parks (sort of). Even Sesi, the teacher's assistant for grade R, got to ride for the first time. She screamed much louder than the kids which was amusing.

At the end of the day, we all hopped on the bus and a good number of the kids were fast asleep before we left the parking lot. What a great day.

Kwasa Break-In Numero Dos

2009-11-29T07:16:00.003-05:00

Earlier in the week, Kwasa was victim to another robbery. It was a bigger break-in this time. Windows broken, computers stolen, and pots and pans taken from the kitchen were among the missing. It's so frustrating, because people work so hard to provide things for this community and it can so quickly disappear. It was also a little frightening to see that the security bars on the windows were bent so that a person could crawl through; I imagined them being a little sturdier. Since the pots and pans were MIA, the kids could only have one meal for two days: bread. No pap or soup.

However, by the end of the week, the culprits were found. I'm not sure what's happening at this stage, but these men had stolen from Kwasa before, received a second chance, and used it to steal again. This makes me sigh. The good news is many of the items taken have now been found.

November Blues

2009-11-17T11:20:00.000-05:00

Dear November,

I know you're used to making me wear scarves and gloves and causing me to ponder if I really should be walking to class in this sort of weather instead of comfortably snuggled under my covers...but I'm in South Africa now. Please cooperate. There is no reason for these frigid temperatures when I only brought shorts and sundresses.

Thanks,

Catherine

Ok, so today was a fluke. It's actually been quite pleasant here as far as weather is concerned. This is why I'm having such a hard time believing that Christmas is about a month away. Seeing Christmas cakes and bathing suits in the same store (which is weird to begin with) really makes me double take. Christmas has always been surrounded by snowmen, warm clothes, and way too much shopping and traffic. So far, not a single kid at Kwasa has told me what she wants for Christmas. When I asked who knew Father Christmas/Santa Claus, only a few raised their hands. For lots of people, Christmas is just another day...only with no school.

We're currently practicing for the Kwasa Christmas Concert which is going to be awesome in case you were wondering. We're singing songs about "disco hair", "crying gorillas", and a strange variation of the hokey pokey only it's to Celtic music. I know you're all intrigued. Maybe I'll take pictures when I tell you more about it.

Have a spectacular day! Oh, and Mom, I cooked dinner for myself tonight. Pasta.

Planes, Trains, and Automoblies

2009-11-11T04:31:00.000-05:00

The last few weeks, we've been learning all about transportation. We've learned to look right, then left, then right when crossing the street, how many wheels a bicycle, car, or bus, has, and games like "red light, green light". This week however, we've begun talking about something that is pretty much only imaginary: air transport. As a teacher explained it, these children and their families have never had the opportunity to travel much farther than town, much less get on a plane and fly to a far away and exotic place.

What a strange thought for me. I drive all the time at home. Hours on end. Just to go to a movie or a mall or school, or to visit friends. I play on the boat in the summertime. And I fly 17 hours and 32 minutes to another hemisphere to work for a year. As we were pretending to go on a plane ride, we asked the kids where they would like to go. Many of them said, "to town!". After a more detailed explanation, they then said either "America" or "England". I wish I could take them all on a holiday.

In other news, today is my first day as an independent woman! By that I mean, I'm driving by myself! It's a great feeling, being mobile and knowing that if I need something, I can just get in the "bakkie" (truck) and go. So, when you come to visit me, I'll be able to pick you up from the airport. You should know, I feel as if I'm the average South African driver. That may or may not put you at ease. I'm about to drive to the gym...wish me luck!

Dance, Dance Wherever You May Be

2009-11-04T14:14:00.000-05:00

"Dance, dance, wherever you may be

I am the lord of the dance, said he

And I'll lead you all, wherever you may be

And I'll lead you all in the dance said he"

**If you only have time/patience to watch one video, I recommend the second.**

....dancing seems to come up a lot in my life lately. I'm line dancing. And not good at it. But what's great is that there are people who are worse, so I actually am very graceful relatively speaking. We're currently learning a dance to George Straight's "One Night at a Time". Many of you may not think this is funny, but those of you who have listened to the chorus, I hope you're laughing with me.

Kwasa is currently preparing for its annual Christmas concert (you are all invited). Each morning, we practice the songs, and now that the kids are comfortable with the words, we're adding some pretty rockin' moves. So, the other day we were practicing when Gill decided to have a dance party. It was so fun! Five and six year olds are fantastic dancers because they think that whatever the other does is so so cool.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZFwHQyLOw58

Wednesday was a particularly great day at Kwasa. I was late for work for various reasons, and when I arrived the kids were so happy. Not because it was me, they were just happy in general. So because it was raining and they couldn't play outside and because we just finished learning about trains for a solid week (who knew one could talk about trains for that long?) I taught them musical chairs and played "Come on Ride the Train". It was hilarious. The champion got a piece of candy.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OSJP1tzEadk

I'm not sure the moral of this story, but it makes me happy.

P.S. It took me seven hours to upload the video. If it doesn't work, don't tell me.

All Saints Day

2009-11-01T09:59:00.000-05:00

Happy All Saints Day everyone! As many of you know, this is one of my favorite church days. I hope you all got a chance to sing Hymn 293 today. I definitely owe you all a good blog posting, but that's just not going to happen today. I am feeling quite crummy and you should see all the tissues (and let's be honest - tshirts) I've used this week. I think I should get in bed and sleep. Hopefully, I'll be at work tomorrow (I promised to take the after care kids "treat-or-treating" as a reward for earning five stars!). Love to you all!

Happy Good Morning!

2009-10-25T09:22:00.000-04:00

"Happy Good Morning, Everyone!" If I said this to you at Kwasa you would be in line waiting to wash your hands to begin the day. You would say, "Happy good morning Mrs. Cat." The 'th" sound is difficult for many of the kids to make, so they just call me Cat.

Anyway, it is a good morning. A good week all in all. There have been frustrations and disappointments, however. Let's start with those. On Wednesday, people broke into Kwasa. It was described as an annoyance and as something we didn't have time for. I was so angry. How could someone steal from a project that helps children grow and learn? I didn't understand. Later, my emotions were twisted up in knots as I learned that the only items stolen were pieces of bread. Imagine being so hungry that you have no choice but to throw all principles out the window to survive. I was heartbroken.

Sharron commented that if someone really was that hungry, they could just ask her, and she would help. Allow me to be cynical for a moment - how many people would do that? Would I?

I learned this week that crime and violence has many more layers than I once thought. Anger, revenge, survival, sense of entitlement, and sometimes, just pure meanness are some of the motives.

But with every frustration and sadness comes joy and happiness.

I was invited to attend the opening Eucharist of Synod (like our General Convention). It was a wonderful service with a Zula choir and a very inspiring sermon by the Bishop. The diocese has many challenges to face like crime, HIV, and education, but the clergy and congregations are so excited to take them on; it was very fun to be part of it if only for a few hours.

Kwasa has been really fun this week. I taught the kids "The Wheels on the Bus" (their favorite part was saying "beep, beep, beep") and two types of freeze tag. I have so much fun with them and I think just in those few hours I get my laugh quota in for the day. The after care children now have two of five stars. I suppose I need to start thinking about what their prize should be. I'd love your suggestions.) I got to go with Gill (the principle) and two children from Kwasa to the clinic. I sat with a little girl who has trouble walking on her right leg. One of the muscles is shorter than the one on her left leg. With stretches and exercises everyday, her leg will develop normally. Otherwise, she will either need an operation or limp for the rest of her life. I'm looking forward to spending time with her and watching her progress.

One more happy for you to read. My birthday was yesterday, and it was so so fun. This was the first time I've ever turned 23, in South Africa, in summertime, and it was absolutely wonderful. The best part I didn't even know was coming...a surprise party! How fun, right? I'm so thankful for the friends I've made here. People are so thoughtful and fun and genuine and I'm so happy that I get to be a part of these people's lives this year. Also, thank you everyone at home for the birthday wishes. You were with me in spirit (and your cards, calls, emails, etc.)!

I'm expecting the coming week to be just as adventurous and full of stories and emotion and, of course, God.

Meaning of Kwasa

2009-10-20T10:56:00.001-04:00

I should have mentioned this long ago....

"Kwasa" is a Zulu word used to describe the moment after a really bad storm when the clouds part and the sun begins to shine through. It means the darkness has passed and the light is coming.

What a beautiful way to look at what this school and community is doing. Kwasa really does provide hope for lots of people, not just the kids. Their parents, the church, and the people reading or hearing about how successful this place really is.

2009-10-20T10:41:00.000-04:00

So many exciting things happened in church aside from my two favorite parts (the Eucharist and the Peace, obviously). Two babies were baptized, I am now a Eucharistic Assistant, and a stained glass window was blessed and dedicated to the late Bishop David. Everything went very smoothly. I held Sharron's prayer book while she was baptizing the kids, so I got a great view of the facial expressions of the kids as the water was poured over their heads.

After church, I had my first driving lesson on a real road! MJ has a few gray hairs, but other than that, I'm chalking it up as a successful lesson. I do have a hard time remembering which side of the road to go to when I'm turning. Oops.

I arrived at Kwasa this morning at 7:45am and stayed there all day. It was a lot of fun. The kids are learning about traffic rules, so I taught them the game "Red Light! Green Light!".

After care was difficult because I was the only adult for most of the afternoon. I'm learning the necessity of a "teacher voice". They tend to listen to that voice more than the "I'm-being-really-nice-and-friendly" voice. I also implemented a reward system. If the class gets five stars, I'll give them a prize. You may say "bribery" but I say "peace and quiet".

2009-10-17T10:08:00.000-04:00

Sanibonani everyone!

Don't be impressed. I've been in South Africa for almost one month now, and I still have lots to learn about the language. I have, however, managed to learn many of the kids names at Kwasa, and for that I'm very thankful.

To begin, I apologize for the delay in blogging. I don't have my own internet, and I don't want to wear out my welcome by constantly asking to use someone else's computer. I will now get you up to speed with my life thus far in Springs, South Africa.

On my last Sunday in the States, a woman from St. John's asked me, "why are you doing this?" I stammered off a quick answer, but later I realized that my answer, "because I've always wanted to" just wasn't enough for me. I'm in Springs working at St. Peter and St. Paul's and Kwasa in hope to seek clarity about who God is calling me to be and what God is calling me to do. With that comes a totally new bag of challenges I've yet to face in my life - a new culture, new language, new joys and sadnesses, new worldview, and new ways of occupying my time have arisen.

Since the minute Sharron and others greeted me at the airport, I have felt nothing but warmth and hospitality from my new church family. For the first two weeks, I lived with my now neighbor, Suzanne. It was so wonderful to have that transition where Suzanne helped me get the lay of the land and showed me parts of the world I never dreamt of seeing. You see, I arrived at an odd time. The schools were on holiday, so I couldn't go work at Kwasa. So we took the opportunity to make our own holiday. I visited Maropeng, the Cradle of Humankind, which was facinating! It was like a hands-on review of my physical anthropology class. I also visited Gold Reef City, an old mine that is now a theme park. Suz took me and three children that she supports from Kwasa. I took them on their first roller coaster ride. (I don't think they'll thank me for it until they're older. Their tummies were a bit queasy afterwards.) We also got to go way far down in the earth to see a real mine. I'll admit, I got a little nervous. (You all know how I don't like the Metro - imagine a gold mine!)

As my time here progresses (and it's flown by so far), I'm slowly finding my place here. I love my work as it's new and different everyday. Sharron is great about keeping me informed and inviting me to different services, etc. to be able to better see the big picture. The blessing of Kwasa House was wonderful. Many of the Kwasa kids came to see five of their classmates' new home be blessed. Five vulnerable girls were chosen by Sharron to live in a house to form their own family and have a more stable environment. It was so fun to see the Bishop in his fancy attire with all of these kids behind him!

Going to church was hard the first couple of weeks. I've grown up with church as the focal point of my Sunday since I can remember, and before. \evenWhen I am in a new place, I know that I can count on church centering me and allowing me to worship God with others. Church is a comfortable place for me because it's always been part of me and as an Episcopalian, I know what's coming next! Even though things are generally the same here in the Anglican Church, I didn't know the prayers, the order is somewhat different, and I felt like a second grader at lunch time wondering who I could sit with. It was very stressful. With lots of thought and prayer, I realized that I had the wrong attitude. Church had become too comfortable for me. I had become the kind of Christian whose feathers got ruffled if change happened. I realized that Church is about being together with God, and that people do that in zillions of ways and they are all good. So, I am getting more familiar with the prayers, but more importantly, I wake up on Sunday mornings ready to hear what God has to say to us through the service at St. Peter and St. Paul's. I love when there is a hymn sung in Zulu. I don't know what we're saying, but it sounds so joyful!

The focal point of my weeks revolve around Kwasa After Care. It was a bit intimidating at first, but now I absolutely love it. I work a lot with the third graders, and they are very energtic people. Sometimes, I sigh and wonder how they can have this much to say and that many reasons to get out of their seats, but then I realized we were all the same way. Except not.

I am truly inspired by these kids. They come from such different and oftentimes unthinkable backgrounds that it's almost impossible to believe that they go to school in a language not their own and do quite well. Most of the time, I sit with them individually as they read me a story, and when they are finished with their homework, we play games like pick up sticks or memory or I read them a story, or play outside. I'm working on making the after care more consistent for the kids. I want to have different activities each week like art, pe, cooking, or a science lesson. It will certainly be a challenge, but it's worth a try.

If you've read this far, I'm very impressed. I promise my blogs from now on will be firstly, more frequent, and also shorter!

Some odd and perhaps interesting things I'm doing....
1. learning to drive a stick shift on the other side of the road. yes, it's scary even though everyone continues to say, "Oh it's so easy! You probably already have the hang of it right?"
2. practicing the clicking noises. the kids are helping me. really, they are laughing at me, so it's fun.
3. tea time! i love love love tea time. the best part is that there are tea times!
4. living all by myself. mostly wonderful, but sometimes i get a bit lonely.
5. journalling a lot.
6. saying morning and evening prayers everyday. that has probably been one of the best parts of my stay here. i've always promised myself and God to be more consistent in my prayers, but this is the first time i've been this diligent and it makes all the difference in my spiritual life.
7. waking up early and going to the gym. some of you probably don't believe me on that one.
8. i joined a line dancing class! as most of you know i "hate" dancing, but really i just feel self-conscious. however, since i don't know anyone here, what's to lose? i really like it. it's me and a bunch of middle aged south african women. that in itself is entertainment enough.

thank you all so much for your prayers and support during my time here. i really wouldn't be here without you all. so thanks.

more soon!