South Africa is a very hospitable country. From where we stayed, it seemed so much like Santa Monica; sometimes it was hard to remember we were in a foreign country. The weather was very mild, cold in the morning but warmish during the day. There were some things that helped remind me we were somewhere other than the USA. People had different accents. Steering wheels in vehicles were on the right side of the car and cars were driving on the left side of the street. Traffic lights are called robots. Water is not automatically included with meals; you had to pay for it. Oh and be sure you know if you want still water or sparkling water. Lemonade is a soda, not what we think of as lemonade. You pay for bags at the grocery store and some souvenir shops. There are wild animals and penguins in various parts of the country.
We had wanted to go the Robben Island and see the prison where Nelson Mandela was held but were unable to get tickets. We did see District Six in Cape Town. District Six is where people were driven off the land in the 60’s just because of their race. Sadly, most of the land is still empty with mounds of bulldozed building materials from years ago.
The competition from the other SAGE teams was incredible. Quite a difference from what I saw at the 2006 World Cup in Shanghai. It’s thrilling to hear about the projects the various teams have worked on during the year both globally and in their communities. How great for our students to connect with students from other countries working on the same goals!
We learned we can survive economy class in an airplane. The hours of flying were numerous (approx. 25 hours total) but well worth taking. Dubai turned out to be an interesting layover. People are incredulous learning about my “field trip” experiences.
Thanks to the hard work of our students, they have had experiences that many students their age have not had. I have been wowed by their drive and ambition. I look forward to hearing in the future where they end up in life.
No comments:
Post a Comment