Lekker Luncheons

A week of closure with many end of the year luncheons, grading of final assignments and planning the logistics of the last week at Wits (cleaning office, keys back, et cetera). My students turned their final second semester assignment last Thursday and I spent the beginning of the week shoring up my grades. On Monday, we had our division end of the year luncheon on main campus at the facility for faculty. Mariann and I were both recognized for our contribution to the division and the school, which was appreciated. It still hasn't "registered" with me that we're having end of the year celebrations… but I'm sure after this upcoming week (my last), it will really hit home. One of my fraternity brothers and close friends, Joe Jarvis was in Johannesburg this week with his girlfriend. They just got back from a safari in Kruger and were on their way to Cape Town. We were able to connect - get a drink and catch up. It was great to see him and hear about his experiences. It's wild - the last time I saw him was at a cabin last Fall and here we are 8,000 miles+ from Ohio! On Thursday, I had the School of Education end of the year luncheon. I appreciated hearing about my colleagues' achievements from the past year, reflecting on events, and being recognized by the head of the school.

It was a relaxing final weekend - my last weekend by myself, before Nick and Andrew come back from India and John arrives. I spent Saturday "putzing" and went to the koppies to read. Unfortunately, I underestimated the sun and ended up as a lobster. On Sunday, I went over to Gerhard's for breakfast and Gerhard and I set off for Baviaanspoort thereafter. Baviaanspoort, east of Pretoria, housed an internment camp where my great-grandfather was sent for a number of years during World War II (for being a German national in British South Africa). There is little information about Baviaanspoort aside from random links that you can find on the 10th page of a Google search. We arrived in Baviaanspoort and stopped at the correctional facilities, asking for directions. The guard told us that the only internment camp was in "Zonderwater" which was 15km away. We turned around and asked a few other people who told us the same. Zonderwater, after a later search, was an interment camp for mostly Italian POWs captured in north Africa. So it's still a mystery: 1) Where was the Baviaanspoort internment camp? 2) Were there two camps or just one? Bottomline: we were in the area that my great-grandfather was held.

John arrives on Sunday morning, which I am so looking forward to; it will be a great capstone on a wonderful year. I am eager to show him around Johannesburg, have him experience the culture, and the beauty of the country. We have a great itinerary planned:

11 November: Johannesburg (John Arrives)

12 November: Johannesburg

13 November: Johannesburg

14 November: Johannesburg

15 November: Johannesburg - Cape Town

16 November: Cape Town

17 November: Cape Town - Stellenbosch - Franschoek - Betty's Bay - Kleinmond

18 November: Kleinmond

19 November: Kleinmond - Cape Town - Johannesburg

20 November: Johannesburg - Mbabane, Swaziland

21 November: Mbabane, Swaziland

22 November: Mbabane, Swaziland - Maputo, Mozambique

23 November: Maputo, Mozambique

24 November: Maputo, Mozambique - Inhaca Island, Mozambique

25 November: Inhaca Island - Maputo - Kruger Park

26 November: Kruger Park

27 November: Kruger Park - God's Window/Blyde River Canyon - Johannesburg

28 November: Johannesburg

29 November: Johannesburg - Atlanta (Depart 1:00pm EST)

30 November: Atlanta - Detroit (Arrive 11:15am EST)

John leaves on Friday, 9 November from Sacramento and does not arrive until Sunday, 11 November ~ 27 hours traveling and 10 hour time difference. We'll relax the first few days he is here, see the city, Soweto, Wits, et cetera before going to Cape Town. We'll check out Cape Town and the surrounding areas before going and staying at Onkel Theo and Tante Magdalena's summer home at Kleinmond. We'll then go back to Cape Town, see Onkel Theo and Tante Magdalena before heading back to Johannesburg. The morning after getting back into Johannesburg we'll leave for Mbabane. We'll explore the city (not much to it), hike in the beautiful hills, and get our Mozambique visa ($10 compared to $90 at the border). We'll drive through Swaziland to Maputo, Mozambique. We're staying with some friends that I met (with Rob and Ben) when we were rafting through the Zambezi River - they are an awesome Portugese couple who are both living/working in Maputo. If we can, we'll go to Inhaca Island, which is about a three hour ferry from Maputo and considered one of the best diving spots in the world (clear water/white sand). From Maputo, we'll drive to Kruger Park and stay outside of the park at a facility run by the University of the Witswaterand (oh, the perks of teaching at Wits). We'll drive through the park for a day (and of course see tons of lions, leopards, cheetahs, and buffalo…fingers crossed!). Before heading back to Johannesburg, we'll go "God's Window" in Limpopo and see the Blyde River Canyon - which is supposed to be spectacular. Gerhard and Marlize were nice enough to host us for two nights before we both take off on the 29th of November. Whew! (Ironic: yep, that's all that we're doing!) 

Check out the Google Map I made of our trip:

With that being said, this will be my last blog post until we get back to Johannesburg on the 27th… Sala kahle and hakuna matata!

"Gimme Hope Joanna"

This was the final week for classes, a bittersweet ending to a valuable experience teaching at Wits. I truly enjoyed the interaction with my colleagues and helping my students in both formal settings and more casual interactions around campus. I feel as if I have made an impact on my students' lives and hopefully shaped their perspective on teaching. They handed their last second semester assignment on Thursday and have their final research report due on 5 November…after I grade and the enter marks I'm done!

Things are gradually coming together as I close out the year, get ready to go home for the holidays, and move to Rome. I was able to sell my car to one of the Fulbrighters who will be at Wits next year and he is going to take my room in my house. I think that he'll enjoy living off of campus, interacting with my roommates, and having more freedom to explore the city and country. As I offer advice and insight into my experience at Wits and in Johannesburg, I think back to January - Mariann and I didn't have the luxury of talking to Fulbrighter because we were the first in Johannesburg. I think back to the experiences I had, both frustrating (e.g. registering car, speeding tickets, "Africa time") and the exhilarating (e.g. teaching, traveling, spending time with family). I've grown a lot and feel that I have a different perspective on the world… Not to say that my perspective was incorrect before, I just feel that I have new insights/experiences that have shaped my outlook.

On Thursday, Nick and Andrew - the Fulbrighters from Bloemfontein - packed up their rental car and drove to Johannesburg. Although they are done teaching, they are not allowed to go back to the US, as the Fulbright contract stipulates a certain time period on the grant. So, they decided to go to India and Nepal for two weeks. It was great to spend time with them before the left and before we all leave South Africa. Crazy enough, when they get back on the 9th, John will be on his way to South Africa, I will be done at Wits and then we will travel before I leave!

On Friday, one of the Fulbrighters from Port Elizabeth came into town and Mariann and I went out to dinner with her in Melville. As she had never been to Johannesburg, we went to Soweto and through the city center in the morning, meeting up with Rob and Ben (from Pretoria). We went to the "Neighborgoods Market" which is a local market, with local food, food shops, and artwork in an abandon parking garage in the city. It is a really cool event - very unique and a "diamond in the rough" so to speak, because it's not in the nicest part of town. They had international foods - French, Italian, Mexican, German, Indian, et cetera. We got lunch, talked, and then decided to go to the Koppies (park) before the rain came. It was a beautiful day and we watched the storm roll in leaving right before it started to downpour (and hail). Not too motivated to go out to dinner, we decided to make dinner at my house and then I dropped Ben/Rob at the train station and Alice at her B+B. It was great to spend time with the Fulbrighters … there are not going to be too many more opportunities!

And last but not least here is some anti-Apartheid reggae…("Joanna" = "Johannesburg")

Eddy Grant "Gimme Hope Joanna"

"Well Jo'anna she runs a country

She runs in Durban and the Transvaal

She makes a few of her people happy, oh

She don't care about the rest at all

She's got a system they call apartheid

It keeps a brother in a subjection

But maybe pressure can make Jo'anna see

How everybody could a live as one

[chorus:]

Gimme hope, Jo'anna

Hope, Jo'anna

Gimme hope, Jo'anna

'Fore the morning come

Gimme hope, Jo'anna

Hope, Jo'anna

Hope before the morning come

I hear she make all the golden money

To buy new weapons, any shape of guns

While every mother in black Soweto fears

The killing of another son

Sneakin' across all the neighbours' borders

Now and again having little fun

She doesn't care if the fun and games she play

Is dang'rous to ev'ryone

[chorus]

She's got supporters in high up places

Who turn their heads to the city sun

Jo'anna give them the fancy money

Oh to tempt anyone who'd come

She even knows how to swing opinion

In every magazine and the journals

For every bad move that this Jo'anna makes

They got a good explanation

[chorus]

Even the preacher who works for Jesus

The Archbishop who's a peaceful man

Together say that the freedom fighters

Will overcome the very strong

I wanna know if you're blind Jo'anna

If you wanna hear the sound of drums

Can't you see that the tide is turning

Oh don't make me wait till the morning come

[chorus]

Senzeni Na?

Another week! This week my students finished up with their presentations on research they were conducting during teaching experience. Before leaving for teaching experience, the broke into teams and come up with a research question based on literacy. For example, "what literacy modes are used in Grade R - 5 maths classes?" They then each interviewed their supervising teacher, observed him/her teaching, and analyzed the course textbook. When they came back on campus they brought their data with them to compare/contrast with their group - the presentations were the results of their findings. On Monday, I have my last class; I'll just tie a lot of loose ends (administrative surveys, explaining final projects, et cetera). They turn in an assignment this week and then their final report on 5 November … that's all that I have left to do, grade!

On Wednesday, I led a training session for the teachers from the two schools for mobile literacies research project. As you may recall, I went to the township schools a few weeks ago to give an initial training. I think the teachers enjoyed getting out of school, away from the township, and for many of them, back to their alma mater (Wits) for training. I went over navigating through specific apps that require internet connection (they don’t have internet at their school yet). I've enjoyed seeing this project take shape; I remember in February during our first research meetings talking about which schools we would select and helping Wits lecturers with their own technological-learning pains.

I was surprised to come home this week and find many pieces of mail for me - all political ads. With so many issues on the ballot, Senate seats, House of Representative seats, and of course, the Presidency, mailers are in full swing. I thought to myself "they must really want my vote" as I flipped through them. The winner: $1.06 postage for a mailer in favor of a levy. Fun reminder too, incumbent politicians have free mailing privileges - I guess they didn't look at the country code before sending them out. Too bad I already sent in my absentee ballot!

As an avid reader of The Economist - my weekly homework - I was surprised to see this weeks' cover story: "Cry the Beloved Country: South Africa's Sad Decline". Not that it is shocking to read about the lack of leadership, corruption, and inequality that is rampant in South Africa, I just hope that it makes a societal impact (doubtful). A few interesting points:

• "Persistent inequality is in part down to the government's failure to educate young South Africans, particularly black ones. In the World Economic Forum's Global Competitiveness Report, South Africa ranks 132nd out of 144 countries for its primary education and 143rd for the quality of its science and maths…"
• "Schools suffer from poor equipment. Only 20% have libraries, and only 7.5% actually have any books. Almost of all schools rely on pit latrines instead of proper toilets. In July textbooks that pupils should have received in January were found tossed into rivers in an effort to hide the failure to deliver them."
• "The standard of teaching is low, too. Training is inadequate. South Africa needs 25,000 new teachers a year but only around 10,000 qualify. Maths and science teachers are in particularly short supply. Many arrive late to school and leave early, spending barely half their allotted time in class. Many fail to turn up at all on Fridays."
• "The starkest measure of South Africa's failure is the yawning gap between rich and poor. Under apartheid, such inequality was by design. Since apartheid came to an end, a tiny black elite has accrued great fortunes. But that has only widened the wealth gap. South Africa's Gini coefficient - the best-known measure of inequality, in which 0 is the most equal and 1 the least - was 0.63 in 2009. In 1993, it was 0.59. After 18 years of full democracy, South Africa is one of the most unequal countries in the world." 

A beautiful isiZulu/isiXhosa song: Senzeni Na?

Tying Loose Ends

It's hard to believe that it's already mid-October. This week was my last week of classes (not officially) and I helped my students prepare for their group presentations this upcoming week. The last week of October is a "tying loose ends" sort of week, with students working on their digital projects and their final research paper.

After driving through the Northern Cape, Botswana, and Namibia, my windshield was speckled with small chips from rocks. As the weather has warmed and I've gone over bumps, the chips have started to crack. Unlike in the US, the insurance will not cover for filling in cracks (preventative) or replacing the windshield. You may recall that I replaced my windshield in March, when a huge rock cracked my window on my way to Gaborone. In any event, I had to replace the windshield before selling my car - it's not aesthetically pleasing and well, the car would not pass the "roadworthy test" when the future buyer tries to register the car. I found a company in March that I was able to negotiate with and called them again. No problem, they would be to my office by 12:00 on Tuesday. 12:30 rolled around and I received a call from the secretary who said that they were running late (no kidding!) - the job they were at was taking longer than expected. They told me that they would be there between 2:30 - 3:00. Fine, I had the afternoon free. Not fine, I receive another call at 3:05, they are stuck in traffic, but would be there by 3:30…African time kicked in and they arrived at 5:00 to replace my windshield (only 5 hours late!).

I've started to advertise selling my car, as I don’t anticipate having it for more than a month more (of course, because I'm leaving). In any event, I've put up advertisements on South Africa's version of Craig's List and signs on my car. One of the lecturers at Wits put me in contact with a family friend (an American) who was interested in my car. We organized a viewing…which to her surprise, she saw that my car is a two door. I guess sending pictures and information about the car didn't clarify that (ironic). The selling continues! It's just a anxious process because I still need my car for a month and I have an odd schedule with traveling around before leaving… plus, who wants to buy a car and have to wait a month to get it?

One of the Fulbrighter's posted this video on Facebook and I found it to be very powerful. Just for some background, it's common for people who are trying to be "clever" to post something on a social media site and then write #firstworldproblems. For example, "I hate when I have 500 television channels, but nothing good is on to watch #firstworldproblems." The point being that the person realizes what they're saying is ridiculous, however, it's typically said in a sarcastic tone (not always the best intentioned). Anyway, a non-profit organization took this idea and applied it to their attempt to bring fresh water to Haiti: Video

Teachers Day and Et Cetera

This was the first week back with the students after their three-week teaching experience and a spring break the first week of September. It was nice to see students back and feel the "buzz" of the campus again. It's incredible that I have three more weeks of classes! I'll grade exams the first week or so of November, then John comes to visit, we travel around southern Africa before heading back to the US.

I spent a large part of my week preparing for Friday's "World Teacher's Day Celebration". I was asked by the head of the School of Education to help coordinate the events for the day. I, along with four other lecturers, planned a morning session for students of the School of Education and prospective teachers (high school students). The morning event was held on campus at the Linder Auditorium and we had the school's choir perform before the event, three exemplary teachers from the community speak, and had prizes to give away.  The auditorium was surprisingly packed full of students and the speakers were really inspiring. After the event, the prospective students were taken on a tour of campus, sat in on a few classes, and saw the residence halls. In the afternoon, we organized a teacher's appreciation tea and roundtable discussion for teachers in the community. The event was really positive - we had three speakers from the School of Education and student teachers talk about why they want to be teachers. With more than 75 teachers from the community and a dozen more staff members from Wits, the event was a success. We gave them all 'teacher packs' - full of items that they will use in the classroom (pens, pencils, highlighters, correction fluid, erasers, et cetera). There was a lot that goes into planning an event of this magnitude - a lot of things done in the background to make sure the event runs smoothly (and a lot of bureaucracy to get through). Overall, I was pleasantly surprised with how well the day went yet glad it is over!

On Sunday, I went to Gerhard and Marlize's for a potjie ("poh-oy-key" literally "small pot"), a swim, and a relaxing afternoon. A potjie is a Dutch oven stew with lamb (Karoo - from the Kalahari!), vegetables, potatoes, et cetera served over rice. It was so nice to spend time with them, a perfect afternoon really. I got some work done, finished a book (in the sun!), swam, ate good food with good company… what more can a guy ask for? 

An important note: If you accessed this blog through "fryscott.owedtheworld.com" (look at the browser on the top of your screen), you will no longer be able to do so. Rather, access my blog through fryscott.blogspot.com.  

Wits Choir

Morning Speakers

Teacher's Day Tea and Roundtable

Teaching Galore

A short, yet long week … the last week of teaching experience. Due to poor planning on the university's part, they scheduled teaching experience during national testing, so there was little actual teaching occurring after testing. The result being that I had to schedule 10 observations, debriefs, and meetings with teachers to four days (not ideal). I observed an all-boys primary school in Yeoville, an impoverished neighborhood near campus (and the Brixton Tower). I won't get into specifics, but it was a "tough" school and the teaching quality needs a boost, to say the least. I feel awful for the university students that we send on teaching experience - they're thrown into schools for three weeks at a time. That is not nearly enough time to build a report with the learners, the teacher, or the administration. Teacher training obviously must involve observations and student teaching, but it can be done in a much more meaningful way.

On Saturday morning I went with the research committee I've been working with on mobile literacy (using mobile devices to create text) to train the teachers we selected to be part of the research. The research, funded by a private company for three years, looks at literacy growth for fifth graders in two successful schools that serve underprivileged populations. The hope is that by using the device (iPod Touch) the learners will increase their overall literacy, especially difficult because English is many of the learners' second language. In any event, we selected two schools in Soweto ("Southwest Township") and met at Orange Farm Primary School to train the teachers on the iPod. I enjoyed helping them with the technology and most importantly, helping them feel more comfortable with using this device in their classroom.

After the training, I went back to campus and presented with one of my fellow Pretoria Fulbrighters, Rob, at the "Rural Teacher's Conference" on campus. My other host professor organized a conference for rural teachers (who are part of the rural teaching association) from Mpumalanga, Limpopo, Gauteng, and the Eastern Cape. Rob and I led an hour-long workshop on "centers", a teaching strategy to divide the class into groups to purposefully complete tasks (and in turn, allow the teacher to work with a small group). I enjoyed presenting - it's a lot of fun to prepare for the presentation, think through every step, and then perform. Importantly, we chose a topic that we thought was very applicable to our audience; I appreciated using centers in my own class in Chicago.

…and that was the week! My apologies for a relatively uneventful blog post; readers (whoever you may be) have been accustom to long-winded explanations of travels and new experiences these past weeks. Unfortunately, this was just a normal ole' week. I promise more excitement in the future.

Orange Farm Primary

Rust Family Reunion/Northern Transvaal

This week first year students came back to campus for a program designed to help them work on their lesson planning and teaching. Each student prepared a lesson that they would give later in class that week and presented it to their peers and a tutor (me). We gave them critical feedback and best of all, it allowed them to practice. It was a frustrating week when it came to scheduling observations with my students in the schools because there is nation-wide testing in the school ("ANA test"). The testing was typically all morning, giving me only a two or three-hour window to try to see all of my students (I have to do at least two observations/student). Next week is the last week of observations and then I have four weeks of class before the end of the semester (wild!).

On Tuesday I went to the doctor, after having discovered that I do in fact have insurance - I guess I should've been paying more attention during the Fulbright orientation (I was dissuaded due to the abundance of ridiculous questions during the session: "If I die…" "Will the insurance cover my spa therapy treatments?" "Does the insurance cover plastic surgery?" … well, not that bad). In any event, I was pleasantly surprised with the quality of healthcare and the way that it was administered. My name was called, I followed the doctor to his office and was welcomed to sit in a chair … at his desk. I started blabbing about the reason that I came to see him, to which he told me that he needed to "get to know me first". I'm not sure if this is an overarching norm in South Africa, but I liked that I had a conversation with the doctor at his desk. I know it's small, but I'm used to sitting on a hospital-like bed, in a cold room waiting to be "fixed" by the doctor. My experience here was more of a conversation, it was refreshing!

This past weekend I was invited to go to Tante Magdalena's family reunion in Limpopo at the Vakansieoord resort (near Bella Bella). Magdalena's sisters/sister-in-laws' family meet annually for a reunion which brings together over thirty people to celebrate the family. Onkel Theo and Tante Magdalena flew into Johannesburg on Thursday morning from Cape Town and we left for Vakansieoord on Friday afternoon. Normally a two-hour drive quickly turned into a four-hour drive with a combination of traffic for the long weekend ("Heritage Day" on Monday) and road construction (what a combination!). Arriving around dinnertime, we were welcomed by a part of the family that managed to get past the traffic and braai for dinner. The family rented a large "family unit" on at the resort, with a large common area and kitchen, with individual bedrooms off of the common areas. Not able to accommodate all thirty family members, other branches of the family camped at the campsites throughout the resort or rented family units (bedroom/living room/kitchen). After a wonderful dinner, we spent time socializing before checking into our room. The family is so nice and welcoming, I felt as if I fit right in… except that I don't speak German. My knowledge doesn't go much past "ist zu viel!". 

On Saturday, we went for a swim in the morning before breakfast. The resort had many outdoor pools and an indoor complex with warm and cold pools. It was refreshing to start the day with a swim! After the swim, we got ready and went over the family unit for breakfast. The family had all of the meals together and not expecting anything less from an efficient, German family, we had a schedule and dedicated jobs. With the weather not knowing what 'it' wanted to do, we socialized after breakfast and I spent more time meeting the family. I appreciated having a chance to talk to Onkel Theo too; we sat and talked about Frankfort and his life in South Africa, which was really informative (I was sure to put everything in my journal afterward). He clarified many of my misconceptions about how certain events took place, experiencing them first hand himself (e.g. Vatter's internment).  Gerhard and Marlize were in charge of making lunch - good ole' "Am-eric-can" hamburgers. I helped Gerhard braai outside with some of the other men in the family. After exhausting ourselves with lunch preparation and clean-up, we went back to our unit for a siesta in the afternoon. With the weather warming, I sat outside and read. Limpopo has such a unique atmosphere - what I think of when I think of "Africa", with open velds, yellow and green colors, thin trees, and interesting vegetation (I've now been to all nine providences! J ). After resting, we went back to the family unit and I helped Gerhard's cousin make sbätzle for dinner (German pasta). It is an interesting process to make the sbätzle; you mix flour and eggs into a dough and then let it drip into boiling water, which solidifies (for the lack of better words) the pasta… it was a lot to make for thirty people too! We cleaned up and then all went outside around the campfire. Saying that Magdalena's family is musical is an understatement. I joked that they must have met to practice before the campfire, because it really was a "concert" not a typical campfire with the usual - people off key and a guitar player leading the songs. In the circle around the campfire, we had two guitar players, a jazz-flute, and an accordion (Gerhard) leading the singing (traditional German/South-West Africa songs). Although I didn't know the words to most of the songs (a few sounded familiar and I knew the tune), I enjoyed soaking up the atmosphere and listening to the singing. It was a wonderful evening.

Sunday morning began with a nice, continental breakfast and a devotional led by one of Gerhard's cousin (who is a headmaster at a school in Johannesburg). For lunch, we went to the local restaurant at the resort. We ordered our meals beforehand, not wanting to overwhelm the small restaurant and its staff. It was nice to have a meal together in the restaurant that overlooked a dam. After lunch we all went off and had some free time before dinner. I went to the pool and read, fell asleep under a palm tree, and was woken by Gerhard and Marlize (with a refreshing splash of water) who came to go swimming. After another nice swim, we went to the family unit for dinner. Before dinner, we played a gift exchange game. We were each asked to bring something for about R20 ($2-3) to contribute to the game. The game was kind of like an American Christmas exchange game. We all put the presents in the middle of the circle and passed around a dice. If you rolled one or six you could go pick out a wrapped present, unwrap it at your seat and put it in front of your feet (until all of the presents were gone and some people had more than one). The next round was timed at 15 minutes and allowed you to take someone else's present if you rolled a one or a six. Certain presents were tugged back and forth throughout the round. For the final round, if you rolled a one or six and had a present (or many) in front of you, you could take one and leave the game (placing the other presents left in the middle). If you didn't have a present in front of you and you rolled a one or six, you could take it from someone else and leave the game. We had a grand old time with the game! I won Onkel Theo's jojoba palm (useful for the upcoming winter in the Northern Hemisphere). After dinner, we went back to the campfire and sang songs under the stars!

On Monday, we went for a swim in the morning, packed up and had a final breakfast together… a nice end to a wonderful weekend! Overall, I really appreciated being included in the weekend. Magadalena's family is really lovely - such nice, "down to earth" people. I admire their appreciation for their strong German heritage and their "closeness" with one another. I enjoyed getting to know many of the family members over the weekend too. And as always, I had a great time with Gerhard and Marlize!

Tante Magdalena dancing with her great-nephew 

Family Unit

Group lunch 

Gift exchange game! 

Learning how to play the accordion