Some Pictures from Cape Town

This is table mountain covered in clouds.  It's called the Table Cloth by the locals.

We went swimming in this tidal pool.

On our way to the beach after volunteering for the day was done.

Keith and Liz are playing with the band at a craft market.  The Lion Sleeps Tonight (of course)

Sign post at the light house at the Cape of Good Hope.  We're a long way from home!

Great view of the south eastern tip of Africa.

Don't look down!

Our lunch spot on our tour of the Cape of Good Hope.

Fear Factor

The Green team had great spirit.

The Linawo kids had a very special event planned for us on our last day together:  Fear Factor.  Of course, the kids were very confident because they informed us that South Africans will eat anything.  We were divided into four teams.  Each team used body paint to decorate themselves, trying to make their opponents intimidated. 

The game started with each team sharing their cheer.  Although the cheers started off timid, they grew more intense and fearsome as the game progressed.  In the first round, each team was giving a black bag filled with things that they had to eat.  The items in the bag weren't as scary as we had imagined, but eating them quickly was a challenge.  Some of the other fear inducing challenges were catching mustard-dipped marshmallows in your mouth, eating ketchup covered smarties with no hands, popping a balloon with only body parts, and lifting beans out of a bucket of ice water.  The game was a huge success, and all the teams ended up within one point of each other.  It was any teams game to win right up to the final round.

Here are some pictures from the fear factor competition.

The yellow team doing their team cheer.

Phillip is picking his first mystery food item from the bag.

Keith picked the raw onion!

Joddie is working on a bag of cooked pasta.

These girls are using their toes to pick beans out of a bucket of ice water.

Popping balloons is not as easy as it looks.

Phillip is eating smarties covered in catchup, to conquer the fear of "blood".

The final challenge was to eat pickles and peanut butter.

This team has a lot of pickles and peanut butter left to go.

Shark Cage Diving

A shark swimming by the cage.

Yes I did!  Four brave students came with me on the shark cage diving adventure.  We were the second trip of the day, so the cage was already out in the water.  The crew left bait in the cage between runs so the sharks were there waiting for us to arrive!  They fastened the cage to the side of the boat.  We went in groups of five into the cage to look at the sharks underwater.  The crew dumped chum off the back of the boat and one guy threw tuna heads tied to a rope into the water to draw the sharks close to the cage.  When a shark was approaching they would yell, "Down, down, down".  We pulled ourselves under water and held our faces at the front of the cage to get a good look at the sharks swimming by us.  The visibility was about 2.5 meters, which was not that good according to the crew.  This time of year the visibility is low.  Even so, we got a good look at the seven sharks that we saw that day.

The girls are ready to go with their wet suits on.  Do they look nervous to you?

Keith is speechless as he climbs out of the cage.

Nora, Elise, and Liz climbing into the cage.

Getting instructions from the crew.  Very important to hold the top of the cage!

The girls are in the cage as this shark swims by them.

The brave shark cage divers in front of the boat.

Sharon climbing into the shark cage.

Our Visit to Robben Island

We took a ferry out to Robben Island on Wednesday morning to visit the prison where Nelson Mandela was held for 17 years. The seas were a bit rough on our ride over because the winds were up that day. A thirty minute ferry ride took us across the bay. From the landing area, we boarded a tour bus that drove us to the Prison. Our tour guide at the prison was a former prisoner during the apartheid era. He walked us through the grounds of the prison and led us into a large room that housed fifty prisoners (it was large, but certainly not spacious when you imagine 50 men were held there). He told us about the living conditions in this room and the procedures that the guards used to classify the inmates. We learned so much that day about the leaders who fought against apartheid from his stories. He gave us time to ask questions at the end of his talk. I was surprised that my students didn't speak up at this point; my group is not shy. But, like me, they seemed to be feeling overwhelmed by the stories we had just heard. From this large cell, we walked out into the area that is referred to as Mandela's Garden, which is where inmates were forced to break rocks or sew bags for hours each day. This area was the only place that included a picture of the conditions at the prison. In the picture you can see a row of men tied to the ground, spread about four feet apart, hammering rocks, and a second row of men with a pile of bags, working in the hot sun. From the garden, we walked down the hall of solitary confinement cells, with a stop at Nelson Mandela's jail cell. Our last stop on the tour was another large cell with rows of benches. We all sat down to hear the story about the release of the prisoners and the negotiations for freedom. He told us that hate was not the answer to the struggle; the only way to move forward was through education and forgiveness. Our tour guide sent us away with the charge to pass along what we have learned here at Robben Island. I was moved to tears by his request. It hit me at that moment that the struggle for freedom from oppression was a responsibility for all of us, and not reserved for former prisoners or political leaders in South Africa. We said our goodbyes to the tour guide and loaded back onto the tour bus. Next we were given a driving tour around the rest of the island. We drove past the solitary confinement area of Robert Sobukwe, who led the country in protests against the "dumb pass", a pass that all black people were required to go anywhere. Before it was a prison, Robben Island was also used as a leper colony. A small stone church is the only building left standing from that part of the Island's history; all the other buildings were burned. There is a small community of about 100 people who live on Robben Island today. We drove through this small neighborhood, with a stop at the point with an amazing view of Cape Town for some photos. On the back side of the island, we saw cannons from World War II that were used to shoot down German ships. The driving tour concluded back at the ferry landing. We boarded the ferry for an even bumpier ride back over to Cape Town.

Our Second Day with the LEAP Students

The Pomfret School travelers with the LEAP Hosting Club Stduents

On Monday we had another day with the hosting club at LEAP. We were happy to see them again. The teenagers fell right into conversation with their hosts. Our plan for the day was to participate in their social development program (AKA community service) in Langa where most of the students live. We rode together in their bus to visit two pre-schools in the neighborhood. The first pre-school was housed in a new building that was spacious and welcoming. There were about 50 children there, five years old and younger. The LEAP kids lead the activities with games and songs, we followed along and enjoyed the little kid energy. We spent some time cleaning up trash from the school yard and then said our goodbyes to the children. The second school was in a small house that also had over fifty children. They did not have a yard for the kids to play, but there was a covered outdoor area with a large matt that they used to gather for songs from the LEAP kids. I really enjoyed listening to these teenagers sing songs in Xhosa for the children. They all claimed to be terrible singers, but it sounded very nice to me. We didn't have time to play with the kids here. After some songs and a quick tour from the director, we headed out again to walk through the Township.

 The second school was only a short walk, so we strolled over there. The teenagers mixed together and asked questions back and forth. Some kids pointed out their houses to us. We all learned a lot that day as we walked through the Township. These homes are referred to as shacks by the locals because they are very simple structures made of wood or corrugated metal. They all have electricity, but no running water. There are taps located in central locations at the end of the blocks. Fires are very common in these neighborhoods because they cook with fires or propane stoves, and the electrical wiring often causes sparks. The shacks are built right next to each other which leads to devastating loses when a fire breaks out. On our walk we saw the damage of a large fire that happened last month. Approximately 300 families lost their homes to the fire. They received three sheets of corrugated zinc from the government to construct a new shack on their lot. Seeing the kids homes gave us a whole new understanding of the value of their education at LEAP. These kids are under extreme pressure from their families because they have been chosen to attend this school. The Pomfret students and I were all moved by our time with them in their own communities.

Homestay in Guguleto

Sharon and Mama Noks

We spent the last three nights with our home stay Mamas in the Township of Guguleto. Each pair of students was greeted by their Mama when we arrived at Mama Noks's house on Friday night. We were all nervous about our time in the home stay, which was obvious by the polite smiles but otherwise quiet room. We took a few minutes for introductions around the room and then the Mamas escorted their guests to their homes. Joddie and Quynh Anh stayed on my block, but the rest were one or two blocks away. After the other students left we settled into dinner preparation and getting aquatinted with Mama Noks. Nora, Elizabeth and I all stayed together with her. I guess you can say that these two had it easy because they had me around to do all the talking on that first night.

The girls played BananaGrams with Mama Noks

 Mama Noks explained to us that she welcomes us into her home as members of her family, not just as guests. I sat with her in the kitchen while she made spicy cooked cabbage, pop (a stiff corn meal that has the texture of overcooked cream of wheat) with a beef gravy, and cooked pumpkin. We ate with our hands in the traditional South African style. Mama Noks believes that a spoon blocks the flavors of African cooking. She said, "You must place the food directly in your mouth to really taste it." And that is exactly what we did; without any utensils, we had no other option. It was very nice to share her meal while eating it her way. The food was tasty, not spicy.

While we ate, we learned more about how Mama Noks came to live in this house. She told us that she fought for this land and for the government house that she lives in. Mama was the first person in Guguleto to bring guests into her home, and now she is the coordinator for visits with up to 17 Mamas in the Township. She purchased bricks that she plans to use to build a bed and breakfast on the side of her house.

 On the last night of our home stay Mama Noks took me and the girls on a walk through the Township to visit the other homes and to see her church. She and Mike (the tour guide from 2-Way Travel) belong to an interfaith church in the neighborhood. The church is an important part of her life, and her connection with Mike. Together they created the home stay opportunity in Guguleto. They both believe that bringing more people into the Townships will help promote understanding and healing as the nation continues to recover from apartheid. As we walked through the neighborhood we were greeted by everyone we passed. Mama knows everyone here and took time to introduce us to her friends and neighbors. The Pomfret students looked right at home with their host families on the third night. Keven and Keith were playing legos with the children in their family; they were so engrossed in building that they wouldn't stop to chat with us on our visit. An was singing a song in Xhosa that his host Mama taught him (Philip doesn't sing, but he enjoyed the concert). Jodi and Quyn Anh were having teenage-girl conversation with the 17-year old daughter in their house. And Peta and Elise were lounging in their pajamas with their family, watching a movie together. We all felt that we made a connection with these kind women during our stay.

An Outing Day with Linawo Home for Children

On Saturday morning we met up with the fifteen children from the Linawo Home for Children at a park in the center of the city. The youngest child, Lebo, is a three-year old with a new cast on her arm; the oldest was a freshman in high school. At the park we had a few hours to get to know each other over a snack. Each child chose a buddy from the ten Pomfret students. Heather, the director of Linawo, challenged us all to learn names and each person's favorite meal. She threw down the challenge glove by promising a prize for the person who could introduce to the group the most new people. We lounged in the park for about an hour, talking, playing games, looking at the horse drawn carriage, and chatting. When it was time for the challenge, Philipp represented Pomfret very well with seven names and meals of the Linawo children. (Much better than I could have done, I still don't know my buddy's name after spending all morning with her.) But he was outdone by my buddy who knew all eleven of our names and favorite meals. Kevin pulled out a set of Yankees caps he brought for the children, which Heather used as a prize for the contest. My buddy wore her new cap proudly the rest of the day.

Our next stop was the science museum and planetarium show. We enjoyed the children's show at the planetarium with Davy the Dragon who was learning about the night sky. We had only thirty minutes to tour the exhibits in the museum with our buddies. My buddy and I were the last ones back to the meeting place because she couldn't drag me away from the marine life exhibit.

 If that wasn't enough action, then we went to the beach for the rest of the afternoon to swim in the tidal pools. This is the cold water side of the city, and yes, it was very cold for swimming. (I got in the water anyway.) There is a pool build into the rocks to give bathers a safe place for swimming out of the rough surf. We spent two hours swimming and sunning ourselves with the children. Once again, the boys proved to be the weakest link. They didn't even go down to the beach because it was too cold for them. Instead they stayed up in the grassy area playing football and soccer with some of the Linawo boys. Elise had a very energetic four-year-old buddy. She chased her around the tidal pool all afternoon. She deserves the prize for the most attentive buddy of the day.

We packed up and bid our goodbyes to the children until we meet again on Tuesday. Our outing today was a special treat for the Linawo children. The home doesn't have a van to transport the kids. Volunteer groups like us provide the opportunity for these children to have a special day out of their neighborhood.

 Now we are at the waterfront for two hours of down time. We have some free time to explore the shops and entertainment along the harbor. I'm not feeling up to shopping right now, so I headed for a cafe to have a cold drink and a snack out of the sun. Tonight we are going to see a hip hop dance show with our host Mamas. This is a big surprise for them, so it should be just as much fun watching the Mamas enjoy themselves as it is watching the show.

A Day as LEAP School of Math and Science

Today we spent the day at the the LEAP School for Math and Science. This school is not a typical Cape Town school because students are selected to come here from less advantaged areas. The name refers to the leap that they want the students to make from Township Schools to a better education system. There is an emphasis not only on academics but also on improving their lives through what they call "discussions" (more on that later) and community service. Our Pomfret students were paired with a student in the Hosting Club, a similar group to our Key Club. We had a brief introduction to the school and to each host in a courtyard on the morning school break. The pairs had time to get acquainted while Oscar, the teacher leader of the Hosting Club, told us about his job as a general studies teacher. He described his role as the teacher who helps to fill the holes in the bottom of the bucket so that the learning will not leak out. He tries to teach basic study skills such as computer skills, geography, and other basic knowledge that we take for granted. After our time chatting with the host students, they lead us through a tour of the school. On the tour we introduced ourselves to several classes of students, including math, chemistry, physical science and Oscar's general studies class. One class sang a welcome song for us, complete with clapping and dancing. One of the students explained to me that South Africans sing this song to tell visitors that they are welcome and they like you. And she assured me that they like us here. At the end of the tour our students went to class with their host for the rest of the morning. I had some time to sit in the lobby area and observe the goings-on of the school. The principal of the school stopped to introduce himself. He said that he would find work for us instead of sitting on the couch for the morning. Oscar joined us after class to tell us more about his work with the students. During the first half of the 9th grade he has his students complete a self-study project. He asks the students to research their family origins and tell the story of their family history. He gave me a crash course in the migration of culture and languages in Africa. One of the goals of this project, and the education at Leap, is to prepare these students to be community leaders. Oscar believes that an understanding of the cultures and histories of their fellow students is vital to equip these children for the challenges of living in this culturally diverse and politically complicated country. A few minutes after our discussion with Oscar, the girls soccer team came by suited up for a game. They processed through the office singing and clapping. I enjoyed watching them sing and warm up in the courtyard just outside the office. No matter the outcome of the game, it looks like they are all going to have fun. After a casual picnic lunch with our student hosts, we meet for a discussion with them. The discussion is an important part of the Leap experience where the kids learn how to discuss their feelings and engage in conflict resolution. We sat in a circle in a classroom. One of the students led us in some deep breathing exercises to help us all get settled and centered for the discussion. He asked us to think about what we wanted to discuss about their day in the circle as we took long breaths in and out. Another student acted as the facilitator of our discussion. She asked us all to share our thoughts and feelings from the morning together. The Leap students opened up about their time with us and our Pomfret students shared some of their observations from the day. It was wonderful to hear both sides of the story. The next topic for discussion was their community service work that we will participate in on Monday. The facilitator explained to us that they are required to do community responsibility work in their own communities. They have to go back to their neighborhoods and find out how they can contribute. Once they have uncovered a need that they can address, the students make a plan to work on their project. The connection back to the community is an important part of their experience because these young people have been selected to go outside own their Township school to gain a better education. One of the students put it this way, "We must always remember where we come from. If we forget where we come from then we will not be able to get anywhere in the future." I was humbled by the wisdom of her statement. The students headed off for another round of classes after the discussion. Then they will do sports with the seniors. I took this opportunity to visit an internet cafe while the students are in the capable hands of their student hosts. After school today will head out to meet our home stay Mamas.

Landed in Cape Town

We made it! Johara and Mike, our travel agent and enthusiastic host, were waiting for us at the airport. I have to admit that as we walked through the terminal I was thinking "What do we do if no one is here to meet us." I must have been thinking it so "loudly" that the kids both said the same thing. After our long journey, we had to brace ourselves for anything. When I saw them waiting for us, I ran up to them and gave hugs all around. We took a driving tour around Cape Town on our way to pick up part of the group who hiked up and then back down Table Mountain today. Three other kids hiked up and then took the cable car down, and the others took the cable car both ways. Yes, they went to the beach in the morning on this perfectly sunny and warm day. They reported that the water was too cold for swimming. We'll see about that. After the hike, we all met up at the hotel for a few hours of down time to shower and nap before dinner. Some kids decided to walk around our block, others are taking it easy in their rooms. Mike has mapped out a great plan for us and he has lots of surprises for us during the week, including a concert and something special with our home-stay families. In the morning we go to the Leap School of Math and Science for our first day of community service. We also check out of the hotel for our three-night home-stay with local Mamas (their word choice, not mine.) I'm so very happy to be here and on the itinerary. And, don't worry, I will get my shot at hiking up table mountain this weekend with the other two.

One Last Wait in Johannesburg

We have arrived in Johannesburg. Our flight from JFK left on time and everything went without a hitch today. The flight was very long and completely full. I sat next to a young woman who was heading home to South Africa for a visit after being in the U.S. for 10 months working as an au pier. She was so excited to see her family again. We have a long lay-over here in Johannesburg because of the flight changes. We went to check in our baggage, but the man at the counter wouldn't take them because we were too early. He said "Go enjoy the airport for a couple of hours and then bring your luggage back." In a nutshell, we are stuck waiting at a coffee shop for hours again today. All three of us are too tired to explore the shops in the airport. The only way to get a seat in this part of the terminal is to sit down in a roped off restaurant area. So here we sit, sipping sodas, eating french fries, and waiting to get on the next plane. We are eager to rejoin the rest of the group this afternoon. We are missing a day at the beach today, but we are trying not to think about that right now.

A Second Attemp at Cape Town

We did it! We walked out of the South African Consulate at 4:30 pm with Visas in our hands! What an incredible day. I can't say thank you enough to everyone who helped us out, including the front office, friends, family, and strangers in the City. We took the subway to Marilyn and Michael's apartment which felt like an oasis of comfort after walking up and down 3rd Ave and 42nd Street all afternoon. We enjoyed a nice meal at their place. It was so nice to get caught up on all the family news and to share some travel stories all around the dinner table. This morning we went back to the airport. I greeted the South African Airlines manager with "We're Back!". My heart was pounding while the kids checked in to our flight. I didn't actually breathe until we made it through security. We are "Okay to go" at the gate. Our plane is parked at the end of the jetway. All is looking up for us today. Please continue to send your positive thoughts and prayers our way as we travel half way around the world today.

Get Out of New York if You Can

At 2:15am I sat straight up in bed. Oh no, I missed my alarm. I jumped up only to realize that I still have a few minutes to sleep until it goes off. I got up and took a quick shower to try to shake off the middle-of-the-night feeling in my head. I gave all the boys and Brian a kiss goodbye and I headed out to meet the kids at the front circle. I was armed with a complete list of dorm locations, sure that I would have to get someone out of bed to leave at 3:00. But to my surprise and relief, everyone was ready and in the van waiting for me to arrive. We drove out of Pomfret without a hitch. So far so good... We arrived at JFK at 5:45 am, plenty of time to check in for our 10:40am flight to Johannesburg. We arrived long before anyone from South Africa Airlines was in the building. We were first in line to check in for our flight. Slowly we all worked our way through the check-in. We gathered together by the luggage x-ray machine; two, then three, then, five, and then it happened. Our first travel snag of the trip. Two of our students are from Vietnam. They need a different travel visa than the rest of the group. Somehow this detail slipped past the trip coordinator. These two were pulled aside with Johara as she tried to talk them into letting us through. The other eight students and I were huddled together watching the facial expressions and body language from a distance. Lots of head shaking from the officials, Johara gesturing and obviously pleading, the students sitting on their luggage slumped over. This was not going well. Our options were pretty limited. One of us had to take these two to the South African Consulate to get travel Visas. Johara's pleading didn't get them on the plane, but it did get us all confirmed seats on the flight for the next day without a change fee. My objective materialized in front of my eyes, just like mission impossible: get the visas into my hands by 5:00 today. Johara and the other eight kids went to security to get on the plane. The first thing I did was call Uncle Michael and Aunt Marilyn, who live close to JFK. We talked over my dilemma and they helped me formulate a plan of action. First we took a cab to their apartment to drop off the kids luggage. (Yes, my luggage is on the way to Cape Town right now.) We asked the cab driver to wait, he took the opportunity to use the restroom which ended up with us waiting for him. Then he drove us to the South African Consulate. (By the way, the cab driver made a point to tell us that he didn't charge us for the wait time because we're from out of town!) Meanwhile, the kids and I were making frantic calls to the front office. Mrs. Antos, Mrs. Lamothe, and Mr. Gillin swept into action at headquarters. They started tracking down documents, looking on websites, and keeping us updated with breaking developments. At one point we were all on the phone with one of them, and then we swapped phones with each other. The kids and I had the feeling that we had just stepped onto the set of a reality tv show called "Get our of New York if You Can!" We arrived at the Consulate by 10:00am. The clock was ticking. Our nerves were frayed, but we had to keep cool. We couldn't go in there demanding action or forcing our problem onto the government workers. I instructed the kids to smile broadly, and say please and thank you as much as we could. We learned that two passport photos were needed and a money order. The helpful woman at the Consulate sent us to the CVS to get the passport photos. Then we went to the bank across the street for the money orders. I must have seemed pretty desperate or green (or both) because the bank worker kindly suggested that I go get the money order at CVS where it would be a $1 fee rather than at the bank with a $10 fee. So we headed back to the CVS. We ended up walking past the CVS no less than 8 times today, and we went in for purchases three times. We were back at the Consulate by 11:30 with all the documents prepared. They sent us away with instructions to come back at 4:00. Now we wait to hear if we are going on the 10:40 flight tomorrow. Oh, by the way, at the airport, a South African Airlines attendant was handing out fliers about a country-wide strike that is happening on the 7th. Who knows what tomorrow will bring for the three of us.