Life

Hey!

I thought I would send a little update since I have been so bad about keeping this blog up to date. Yesterday, our group split up into groups and visited different schools in the Cape Town area. Mike, Elizabeth and I went to Cedar House, a very elite private alternative (no strict rules, kids have a lot of freedom) school. It was really interesting. The majority of students were White, and when talking to the Deputy Principal, she even admitted that it's hard to make the school diverse, but have started giving out scholarships to some students. Each student is involved in some kind of outreach as a way to step out of their elite bubble and get involved in the real South African society. There are great quality teachers and impressive resources, but we all definitely got the sense that they are living in a bubble and might have a tough time adjusting to real South African society after high school. We all reconvened in the classroom and presented our schools and discussed what we saw/experienced. Other group members had very different experiences. They mostly went to township schools where the resources and teacher quality is lacking. It was great to hear about everyone's experience, and now I'm eager to go visit a more typical South African school.

Last weekend, on Saturday, we visited Robben Island, where Nelson Mandela spent 18 years of his imprisonment. It was fascinating to walk through the same halls as he once did, and to see his jail cell, courtyard and gardens where he spent most of his time. Our tour guide was an ex-prisoner so we got a real sense of what life was like at that prison. After reading Long Walk To Freedom, Mandela's autobiography, I had a much deeper understanding and appreciation for visiting the island. After that (and a boat ride- for those of you who know about my weak stomach, you know that was not the most pleasant experience), we drove to Camps Bay, a beautiful beach town for the afternoon. Some girls and I ate lunch at a great restaurant overlooking the water and then spent the next few hours laying on the beach. Not a bad way to spend a Saturday :)

Today, after a regular day of school, we are taking a train (train station is across the street from the classrooms) to Simonstown, a small naval town on the tip of the cape. I'm very excited for a relaxing weekend and to see what Simonstown has to offer!

Hope you are all doing well and keep leaving comments- I love reading them!!

Love,

Alyssa