Going into the last two weeks of the trip, it seems like a whirlwind with how fast these past seven weeks have been going by. I will be teaching the next four days and then we are headed to George to do many different things including, bungee jumping off the highest point in the world where you can bungee jump, yes I realize I am crazy, riding elephants, ostriches, petting baby lions and cheetahs, climbing through some caves and other surprises that we are not yet aware of. I am looking very forward to those activities and I will be sure to get the DVD of my bungee jump so everyone can see how it went. I will be teaching a lesson on Michigan this upcoming week for my students as well as have them write letters to my students that I will have in the fall for my student teaching, hopefully an activity that they will enjoy.
This past week I got to do some typical things that I would do at home, go to the mall, go see a movie, hang out with friends and my host family. I got to meet my host mom’s mom and her brothers, sisters nieces and nephews. We had a huge dinner and many of them were asking me questions about the U.S. We also got to look at wedding photos of my host mom’s mom as she just got married two months ago and she is 80 years old, not to mention she wore the highest heels I have ever seen an 80 year old women in, she is 80 going on 60. I have also been able to go out here to different clubs and bars, so many people and a really fun atmosphere. Something that I have never experienced before in MI happened this past weekend, my friend Mallory and I went out to a club called Cantina Tequila with Mallory’s host sister (my host sister came as well) and Mallory and I were the only white people in the entire club, the entire night. I didn’t notice it until it was pointed out to me because I just felt like part of the community and don’t really look at skin color in the first place but once it was pointed out to me I did realize it. After I realized it, it didn’t make a difference to me in the slightest but it was interesting to think about. I have been to a different club called Tiger Tiger that is just about all white people minus the black people who work there; I find it interesting that still the different clubs are segregated by choice (at least that is what it looks like to me.) To be very blunt I had way more fun at Cantina Tequila than at Tiger Tiger, the people were nicer and it was more enjoyable, not saying that has anything to do with the fact that club Tiger, Tiger was predominantly white and Cantina Tequila was not, just how I felt. They are very strict on the dress code at the clubs that I have been to, I had my NorthFace jacket on because it was cold outside and the bouncer wouldn’t let me into the club unless I took it off because it was not club appropriate, I found that interesting. One awesome thing about going out in SA is the cheapness of the drinks, because one dollar is about seven rand I can get up to five or six drinks for under 20 dollars, in the U.S. it would be close to 50 most likely for mixed drinks and shots in bulk. I have been having so much fun here I really wish that I could stay longer, I do miss everyone back at home and my own bed but I have become part of another culture here and because it is different and new I never want it to end. It has relieved me to know that many of the other members of the trip are having the same behavioral problems in their classrooms as well. I literally have never been so mean to students before in my entire teaching career and college thus far but the students do not respond to quiet they need to be yelled at in order to listen. I have been using different incentives and they do work sometimes but what has really put the students to listening to me from the first direction I give is playing music while they are working. Students/children here are obsessed with Michael Jackson, literally obsessed. So I play his music off my IPod while they are working and unfortunately have to threaten them that if it gets to loud the music will have to be turned off and they will have to work in silence. This is the last week at my host mom’s I will be leaving this upcoming Friday (August 6th) that will be a sad day for us. Lastly the group and I went to rugby game and let me tell you I about died watching those players. They are so rough and tough on each other I don’t know how any of them could stand after the game was over. We met some people that were sitting next to us that were from the U.S. also on a different study abroad program and it was nice to hear an American accent many of us were joking around about. To think that I am earning credits towards my Masters degree and having the time of my life being able to do so many new and fun things here in SA is crazy!
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