Here is the promised post that I mentioned!


Friday of last week was a project day at school. It is the same thing as an inservice day, but the learners are allowed to come to school if they want to and some of them have to come as punishment for not making up all of their demerits from the first few weeks of classes. They don’t get to make up demerits while at school that day, but they still have to come and do homework and clean classrooms and other punishment-like tasks. It was a day of no teaching though, so we were able to get lesson plans written and worksheets created. I got ahead on a lot of my lesson plans for this week, but I still had work to do once we got back to the apartment. I didn’t want to have anything left to do Sunday night because we went out of town for the weekend!

Saturday morning we were picked up by one of the teachers and we left for a track meet in Humansdorp. It was about a 2.5 hour drive to get there, but on the way we got to see the sunrise (it was early!), a giraffe, impala, springbok, zebra, and a buffalo (the kind from Lion King that killed mufasa :( )!! It was so exciting to see the animals and the students in the van kept pointing them out to us along the way.  We also got a few, “Oh my gosh!!! Why would you come to Grahamstown and not stay for the festival?! That’s the only interesting thing here!” I explained that if I stayed for the festival I would have to be away from home for 6 months and I just couldn’t do that. They all understood! We sat at the track meet while the girls competed in their various events. There were only 9 girls competing, but we left the meet with 4 medals! One first place, a couple second places, and a third place!

After the meet, we drove back towards Grahamstown, but the teacher who was driving dropped Wellyna and I off in Port Elizabeth. There are some more COST students placed in PE who let us stay with them Saturday night. Two of the girls (they are all girls), go to school with Wellyna at University of Alabama, so she also got to see some people she is familiar with! When we got dropped off, the other girls were at the beach, so we did some shopping first. There was a giant, resort-y, casino area right where we got dropped off, so it was easy to find shops. At 2 pm on a Saturday the area was surprisingly vacant! We had a good time getting some ice cream, shopping for souvenirs, and taking in an area geared towards a bigger crowd (which is opposite of Grahamstown). We got a call from the other girls saying that we could meet them at their apartment to get the keys from them, or we could buy tickets to a Rugby game that night and go with them. Of course we chose the latter! The tickets hardly cost anything and it was a game between the Eastern Cape team and a team from Australia. The Eastern Cape (where Grahamstown and PE are located) just started their own professional team. I think this is the first year of it being in progress. Wellyna and I were in row 9! AND! They won the game! People are amazed that we were there, but it was great to go and see a real, professional rugby game! We had to ask the people next to us some of the rules, but thankfully Eastern has a team and I’ve known some girls on the team, so I knew a few of the rules already.

After the rugby game we went out, but didn’t stay out very long. Wellyna and I joined one of the girls for church Sunday morning. After church we walked down to a market that only happens on Sundays. Surprisingly, a lot of the vendors were selling American brands of hats, sun glasses, purses, or maybe not American brands, but brands we could have found in America. I did find some homemade African goodies to bring home to friends, and I also got myself a few things, including a giant painting and some carved wooden coasters each one depicting one of the big five! I don’t have pictures of those, but you will all have to see them when I get home :) 

We spent a lot of time at the market, walking back and forth, haggling prices, the usual. It was great fun to haggle prices because we knew we were getting told waaaay high prices because we weren’t South African, so I didn’t feel bad asking for half of what they were telling us. We made up stories about how other people were selling the same thing for much less. I thought I was going to have a really hard time with it, but after the first couple times, it because a lot easier. Our friend Katharine did it for us once or twice too, so we could “see it in action.” After about three hours of walking the market, we stopped for lunch and headed to the beach for about an hour. Katharine and I got in the ocean and enjoyed the waves. She lost her sunglasses, but said they were cheap, so it was okay. We went back to the apartment and showered before being picked up by the shuttle. 

It was a really long, fun, busy weekend and I am still recovering from it. We are expecting to have even more adventures next weekend, so I am really excited for that! I will, of course, post another blog after that weekend happens.


Cheers!
-Anna


P.S.- I got a package from my parents full of goodies! Below is a picture of that! They are seriously the best parents ever! I also got a Valentine's gift from my Godmother Julie and letters from Aunt Gretchen and Aaron! I absolutely love getting mail from people I love! I edited the address again because apparently you need the P.O. Box 601 in the address also. Whoops! I've gotten everything, it just has taken longer than expected.

I had a great weekend in Port Elizabeth! I will definitely type a post soon, when I have time to write it all down! There are more adventures to come next weekend too! And pictures! Expect lots of pictures!

Wellyna and I are finally starting to settle in at VG and here in Grahamstown. We've been here about a month and are teaching on a quite frequent basis. It hardly seems like I've been here (and away from home!) for a whole month! The learners at VG still have a hard time saying my last name, but then again, I only see one quarter of them on any sort of regular basis in class. The ladies I have in class all know how to say my name by now and if they hesitate at all, Jillian puts them in their place :P This week went by super quickly and definitely faster than the others have gone.

Wellyna and I are definitely ready to get out of Grahamstown again and she's been in touch with her friend's who are student teaching in Port Elizabeth. We are hoping to make a weekend excursion to PE next weekend. There is a shuttle that goes between PE and Grahamstown that doesn't cost a whole lot if we go when it is scheduled. It is the same shuttle that we can call and schedule a trip at any other time, but it would cost more money. We are also beginning to plan for our week off in April. The other COST student, Laura, will have joined us by then and so we're hoping she has that same week off and can come with us on the trip. 

I think we've decided that we're going to rent a car for that week, which means we will have to learn how to drive here! Thankfully, Mrs. McConnachie, one of the music teachers, has offered to teach us to drive, we just have to find a time we can all go and with her having three kids, one a 7 month old baby, that might turn out to be difficult :/ Almost all of the cars here are manual, which I've only ever driven a limit number of minutes at a time and which Wellyna has not yet driven. Hopefully we'll get some pictures of the adventure of learning how to drive. Plus, the drivers side is on the right side of the car, which means the stick shift will be in our left hand which I haven't even experienced. It'll be fun.  

The learners have a short week because all boarders have to go home this weekend for "leave-out," so none of them have to come to school on Friday unless they have detention. The teachers still have to come and they call it a "project day" for the teachers. It is basically an admin day to get everything done. I will probably use that day to reflect on my teaching and figure out if there are things I need to do differently in the classroom.  So far, I've noticed that I have a really hard time with timing and I often run out of time before we have time to work on a worksheet or finish the lesson. I also have trouble starting lessons effectively, but I think that's getting better after this week of focusing on that.

Earlier this week, Wellyna and I walked around and explored the neighborhood some, then made our way "downtown." We explored a little down there and decided to go to a Mexican restaurant for lunch. While we were there a storm came out of nowhere and the power went out! The skies were literally clear blue with no clouds and then we started seeing some clouds and 15 minutes later we were in the midst of a thunderstorm and the power went out! It came back on like, 30 minutes later, but it was rainy the rest of the day. I decided to try the beer of the nation while we were at lunch. It was a little reminder of EIU, if you can catch my reference based on the picture :) Like Budweiser is the most commonly seen beer product in America, this brand is the most commonly seen and advertised for beer here in South Africa. They even offer it free of charge on South African Airways (which was the short flight I took from Johannesburg to PE)! 

We celebrated a colleagues birthday on Thursday night for a little bit and we are headed to her house this afternoon to celebrate some more with a braai! We got some pre-marinated chicken kabobs from the grocery store yesterday on our way home and one of the other teachers is picking us up in just a couple hours! 

Cheers!
:)
--Anna

Well, I've gotten another week down of teaching! Really it was only four days though, because VG had a Games Day on Friday. They had athletic events that were run like a track meet, and then at the same time, there was a tournament of Rounders being played. Rounders is almost exactly like American baseball, but three strikes means you have to run to first base as if you had bunted the ball. There are also only three balls per walk instead of four. The girls had a fun time playing and the house I'm associated with won! A different house won the points total for the day as a whole, but Graeme house won the Rounders tournament!

The girls also didn't have to wear uniforms yesterday, but they or to wear their house colors (Graeme is green). Some of the girls had on ridiculous outfits including sparkly wigs!

We were supposed to go to Kwantu Elephant Sanctuary today to see the animals, but Dr. Baxen sprained her ankle really bad while she was out of town and is in a boot for 4-6 weeks. We are still trying to figure out how to make our excursions without Dr. Baxen to go with us and drive us :P

I will keep you updated on any excursions we do take!

Last night we hung out with some of the younger teachers from school and their friends. It was a lot of fun! We had another braai and just hung out on the deck of the house. I'll attach a picture of our view. It was amazing!

:)
-Anna

I want to apologize first off, because I didn’t post anything last week like I said I would. Sorry about that! I am writing now though, and I lot has happened since last Friday!  

The first social of the year was last Friday night and boy was it busy! The students only danced about 30% of the time, but it still seemed like they were having a good time. There were boys there from VG’s brother school, Graham College ( still a high school, but all boys). We had to make an emergency trip to the grocery store halfway through the social to get more soda pop. Overall, it was successful both as a fundraiser, and the girls had a good time. 

Saturday we slept in for the first time and it was magical. We were both exhausted and it felt really good to not have anything to do. So Saturday and Sunday were pretty much just that. Doing nothing, taking naps (yes, plural), reading, and a little homework.

Once classes started on Monday though, things were full throttle again. All of our co-curriculars started this week and we figured that we’ll be at school until 4:30 Monday through Thursday because of both of our combined schedules. It’s okay because it keeps us busy and gives us stuff to do in the afternoons. Our COST liaison (also my cooperating teacher) came back from adoption leave on Monday, so we finally got things settled. She sat down with me and created a schedule. It is really nice to finally have everything written down and settled. Every once in awhile I’ll get asked to do something that isn’t in my schedule, but for the most part everything is settled.

I will be teaching the grade 9 theory class by myself and I will be helping with some grade 10 and grade 11 classes, co-teaching with either Jillian or Bo (my cooperating teacher). Because there aren’t ensembles during the day, and the only ensembles after school are marimba, choir, and a mixed orchestra, all the music classes are theory, history, or aural training. Definitely different than at home where the experience of being involved in music is based on ensembles only. I am teaching some private flute lessons, a clarinet lesson, and a marimba lesson, so those are all new for me too! Bo mentioned getting me a bassoon from Rhodes University here in Grahamstown and playing with the co-curricular orchestra at VG and maybe even in the Rhodes orchestra! I miss playing so much! I have been practicing piano some, but I am definitely not as successful at piano as I am at bassoon, so it’s a little frustrating sometimes. I’ve been practicing my good ‘ol scales ;)

All of the girls are split up into one of four houses (yes, just like Harry Potter): Dorset, Graeme, Ruthville, and Thursford. They compete with each other in sports, on games day, and in singing competitions. Their sports are categorized by age group, not junior varsity or varsity. They have under 15, under 17, and under 19. I can see the pros and cons of each system, even though I’m not really a sports kind of person :)

Friday night was the first house function of the year and Graeme house did “So You Think You Can Dance?” Four groups of girls choreographed and competed with each other. The first round was their choreographed piece, the next round was an improv dance between the two remaining groups, and the final round was a face-off between two girls from one group and another group of two. There is a video below of a dance some of you might find familiar :)

Saturday was by far the most fun of the trip so far. Dr. Baxen took us on an outing down to Port Alfred where there are nice beaches on the INDIAN OCEAN! We are both the first people in our family to step foot into the Indian Ocean. We spent about two hours on the beach before heading to lunch and to visit a few shops. After only those two hours, I am fried! I didn’t think I’d need sunscreen because we were only there for a short time, but boy was I wrong! I look like a ripe tomato and can barely move! I’ll post some pictures below of the ocean :) I almost forgot to say the most exciting part of the trip to Port Alfred! WE SAW ZEBRAS!!! There were a few game reserves along the drive and there happened to be a herd of zebras near the road and we saw them! It was also our first time seeing zebras :)

One of the stops we made on our way back from Port Alfred was at a giant pineapple! Someone literally built a giant pineapple amongst pineapple fields as a tourist attraction and to bring attention to the pineapple industry. It worked! We went in and took the spiral staircase up to the top and looked out at the view (which was massive and beautiful). I will post a picture of that too :)

Today we went to a church service that is held in the auditorium of VG. It was a really contemporary church and a little to much so for Wellyna and I. We are going to look for a different church next week. After church we stopped at the grocery store and then made our way home just in time before it started raining. It has been raining ever since (about 4 hours)! Now we are both preparing for classes this week and getting everything in order before the week starts.

I got my first letter this week from Aunt Gretchen (thank you!), but I will be happy to get more letters! I changed the address to the school because mail is safer there than here at the house, just so you all know. 

I tried posting this on Sunday evening and it didn’t work very well, so I’m trying again now. Yesterday was very nice because I sat down with Bo and we planned almost 3 weeks in advance for classes. I then created a list of worksheets that needed to get created for those lessons and then got started. It is early Tuesday morning now and I have only crossed two things off, but hopefully some go a little bit quicker because one of the finished ones was a test for the grade 9 girls. 

Happy Tuesday!

:)
--Anna

I made it through the first week of school! It was rough in the beginning because we didn't know what we were supposed to be doing, but it was much better by the end. I even got to teach some private lessons on Thursday and Friday! I taught a clarinet lesson on Thursday because the teacher wanted to work on paperwork; I taught a flute lesson Friday morning so the teacher could watch me teach. It was also his last day because he was filling in for the COST coordinator/music teacher who has been on leave. One marimba lesson I got to help with teaching scales and arpeggios, and the other marimba lesson I got to teach all on my own! The marimba lessons are just like they would be in the states, not like the marimba video I posted Thursday. 

We just finished our fourth day of school at VG. Things are going a little bit smoother now that everyone is used to us being there. We are still observing classes, but Wellyna gets to teach tomorrow! I've entertained some classes, but have yet to teach a full lesson. The COST coordinator for the school comes back Monday, so I'm sure she'll sort things out and lay them in stone for us, as to which teacher will be our cooperating teacher and the like. After classes every day are co-curriculars which are basically the sports, music ensembles, other physical activity classes (yoga, aerobics), and tutoring. Each teacher is required to help with 3 hours of co-curriculars a week. I get to help with their orchestra, a marimba ensemble (they have 5!), and yoga! I will also help with English tutoring whenever they need me, and I'd really like to be a part of the aerobics class (it would at least be some physical exercise :P) I really like that they are called co-curriculars because it means that the school views them as just as important as the academics. 

Yesterday Wellyna and I got to have coffee with Libby (a math teacher from VG who moved here from Oregon!) and walk ar. She told us more about Grahamstown, VG, and her transition here. She has lived here for about three years. She got her teaching certificate through Rhodes University here in town and hasn't left since then! She did her student teaching in a township school near Grahamstown and said it really opened her eyes up to the corruption in the country. The principal of her township school had a C class Mercedes and the 60 students in the classroom were sharing 13 textbooks. The government says they are making the country a better place, but are really just manipulating the numbers for test scores and only choosing the most positive outcomes to showcase. It is really upsetting. Even though VG is one of the best schools around, in order to pass some classes students only need to get a 30%, and that is about all that some girls can get. They do have a 100% graduation rate, however, and have had that for the last 15 years. Considering some of the girls are graduating with passing scores of 30%, it is still better than one of the township schools Libby mentioned where none of the students graduated one year because none of them passed. It really is a sad cycle, but it is better than it was during the apartheid, so the teachers here view any improvements as positive, regardless of the level. 

After 26 hours of traveling, I finally made it to Grahamstown! Traveling took quite a bit out of me, but I'm not as tired today as I thought I'd be. Wellyna and I were up at 9 am to get ready to go to our school and meet some of the teachers. The teachers are really relaxed with each other, but once they are in the classroom it is all strict and orderly. The girls aren't allowed to sit down until they have greeted the teacher and the teacher allows them to sit. Maybe this is how all private schools are, but it is definitely different than what I am used to. 

In case some of you don't know, I am at an all girls private boarding school. It turns out that only about 30% of the girls attending the school are living in the hostels. The other 70% come to school every day and leave at the end of the day. The school day starts at 7:30 in the morning and is over at 1:45, but co-curriculars start at 2:30. 25-30% of the school is also involved in music. They have two nationally ranked choirs, 5 marimba bands, and an orchestra, which is a group of anybody who can play any instrument. A little different than at home! 

I’ve attached a few pictures of where I’m staying. I couldn’t get any good pictures from the airplane of Johannesburg (Joburg) because it was kind of cloudy. The first picture is of the backyard where I’m staying. It is very pretty! It has been raining on and off all day here and I hear that that is very common, for the weather to change through all four seasons in just one day. The other pictures are of my garden cottage. It is just an addition to Dr. Baxen’s house, but is completely separate. Wellyna and I are sharing a bedroom and from there we walk into the kitchen, and through there is the bathroom.

We went to the grocery store today and I tried to look for non-American brands of shampoo and soap and was surprised to find that that was a difficult task! Most of the brands of non-food supplies were brands I’d seen at home! I was able to find a soap I’d never heard of and a kind of shampoo that I’ve seen the brand of, but not this particular kind. It also turns out that Friday afternoons are not the right time to go to the grocery store. I mean, that seems common sense and I probably wouldn’t even do that at home and we didn’t have a choice today, but I probably won’t do that again. 

Okay. I am going to start working on my assignments for student teaching. Please feel free to ask if you have any questions! 

:)
-Anna

With everything packed, I am ready to begin my travels. Today I fly to Chicago to spend the night with my friend Molly, and tomorrow I fly Chicago to Atlanta to Johannesburg to Port Elizabeth! Fingers crossed that all goes as planned.

My goal for this trip is to not be afraid. I want to try new things, go on some (safe) adventures, and make the most of this once in a lifetime experience.

I will keep this updated as often as I can so that everyone who reads it knows what I'm up to. I will post some pictures in the blog, but if you want to see more, just ask :)

It was difficult saying goodbye to my parents and brother this morning, but it will be so great to come back to them with stories galore!

I will keep you all posted and let you know when I am safely in Grahamstown.

:)
--Anna