Home Safe and Sound

Sorry it took me so long to do my last and final update.

I got home on Wednesday at around 7. My family picked me up at the airport and were anxiously waiting for me to come through customs with a sign that said "Welcome Home Nichole."  Seeing my family was so nice. It was a strange feeling because of course I am glad to be home, yet sad to be ending my adventure.

Christmas celebrations began quickly on Thursday with a trip to Saginaw. I was so excited to watch Christmas movies, but completely feel asleep about five minutes into Home Alone, I guess I am still adjusting to the time difference.

Thank you all so much for reading about my trip! I wish you all a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. Who knows what new adventures this year may bring:)

Cheers!

All good things must come to an end....so they say

The rest of our time in Cape Town was just great. The backpackers/hostel that we stayed at made us feel so comfortable and at home. It was hard to leave! I took the bus from Cape Town to Grahamstown Thursday night and man o man..what an experience that was. Fourteen hours on a bus is just way way way too long. The good news is Leah, April, and I all survived it.

April and Leah left on the seventeenth and eighteenth so I spent my last few days with Debbie and her family at their holiday house in Kleinemonde.

The atmosphere 'at the sea' is just like 'up north' is to us. Debbie's parents stay in the main house and then their is a house next to it which Debbie's brothers family stays in and then behind the main house is a flat where we stayed! It reminded me a lot of Lake Leelanau with the whole family waking up in the morning and deciding whether or not we will have a 'real' breakfast and who is going to make what and where to eat.

I got a chance to waterski...five days before Christmas! We spent most of our time out on the boat and laying in the glorious sun. Kleinemonde is on a river which almost leads straight into the ocean, and has a little peninsula in between another river which people live on as well.  Lots of people holiday there so I was constantly meeting Lauren and Shelley's friends.

Today I began my trek back home. I am currently at the airport in Johannesburg waiting for my flight to Amsterdam. I am so lucky I am not flying into London! I cannot believe two months have gone by and that I am really on my way home! It is hard to imagine since I will not be home until tomorrow night. Today, as I said my goodbyes and packed my bags, the saying "All good things must come to an end" kept running through my head. Whenever I leave a place that I enjoy being at, such as Lake Leelanau or Mackinac Island, I always get so melancholy before I leave. That saying always comes to mind to try and help me look at things opitimistcally, but really why do all good things have to come an end?! So now I am thinking about what comes next and what I can look forward to when I get home!


Thank you all so much for reading and following my adventure in South Africa. I will update one more time when I get home..after my fingers thaw:)

Cape of Good Hope and Cape Point

I don't know what it is about the name Lauren, but I seem to be discovering a lot of them in South Africa, and always seem to become good friends with them rather quickly wherever they are from!

On Monday, Lauren (from England) and I signed up for a day trip that took us to the Cape of Good Hope and Cape Point. The trip was in a little coach bus. There were eleven of us total from all different countries: Estonia, New Zealand, Australia, Singapore, England, and the U.S. of course!

We started the day stopping in Simonstown and going to Seal Island. We took a forty minute boat ride around the island and got to take plenty of pictures of all the seals. As you can see there were hundreds of them. They are kind of a strange animal-cute in an ugly way.

We then piled back in the bus and made our way to Table Mountain National Park where we got to see African Penguins. This picture is for you Lauren Campbell:)

Not long after that we had lunch and then drove to another part of the park and began our trek to the Cape of Good Hope. It was then optional for us to either walk to Cape Point or drive around. The whole group decided to walk, which took about a half hour. It was gorgeous!

7,793 miles to New York City

Lauren and I at the Cape of Good Hope

The path we took from one point to another

The view from the top!


We finished the day with a nice mountain bike ride down the hill and to the gate of the park. It was extremely windy, so we were greatful to be riding with the wind at our backs


My trip to South Africa is winding down.  I leave Cape Town tomorrow evening and arrive back in G. Town early Friday morning. I then spend one last night in the flat with Leah, who leaves on Saturday. Then it is off to Debbie's holiday house to spend a few days with her and her girls, Lauren and Shelley!

A week from today I will be on my way to Amsterdam.

Thanks for reading, CHEERS!



Travels across the Country & Cape Town

      I'm officially on "holiday"! April, Leah, and I traveled to Cape Town with Maryke, a girl from South Africa, and we stopped along the Garden Route on the way. Besides bungy jumping, we stopped at Tsitsikamma National Park, a few pretty beaches, Outshoorn, Paarl (Maryke's home town), and Stellenbosch to stop at some wineries.

Our first stop. Breakfast at Tiffany's in Port Elizabeth

Our trusty means of transportation. We had a trailor because Maryke
was moving home from school, not because we had so much stuff!

Tsitsikamma Natinal Park

Cango Caves in Oudtshoorn

Just riding an Ostridge

April, Leah, and I on top of Paarl Rock

Waterford Winery, where we had wine and chocolate

We stayed at two hostels along the way and then Maryke's house on the third night. We were so fortunate to find someone that was driving because it was so nice being able to stop where ever we wanted to.

So now I'm all settled in at the hostel in Cape Town. The hostel that I'm staying at is called Atlantic Point, which opened in June in perfect time for the World Cup. The location is very nice. When I walk to the main street I can see Green Point Stadium (for the World Cup) and it's a pretty short walk to the V & Waterfront.
http://www.atlanticpoint.co.za/

This cute little soccer ball boat that you can rent to go
through the Waterfront

Green Point Stadium

On Wednesday, Leah, Lauren (a girl I met from England) and I
went to Robben Island. This is a picture of Nelson Mandela's prison cell.

Clifton Beach, where we will be spending several days:)
The Atlantic Ocean is absolutely freezing though!

Thank you for reading, Cheers!

Facing Adrenaline

216 m = 708 ft.

South Africa is home to the world's highest commercial bungy jumping bridge, the Bloukrans Bridge.

 

Bloukrans Bridge



Excited, yet petrified



I was screaming the entire time!

Telling the guy that came down to get me that
that was the craziest thing I have ever done in my entire life.
His reply, "Is it." Which is something people say here like, "Really?"

Relieved



Last and Final Week in Grahamstown

My last four days in Grahamstown were extremely hectic!

On Monday, Leah, April, and I headed downtown to catch a taxi to the township school.  Students had finished writing their exams the day before, so when we arrived students were just playing outside. After talking to the principal she said that they really did not have classes, but children were coming so that they could get a meal. Luckily one grade R teacher was having class and sang songs with her students. They sang traditional songs like itsy-bitsy spider and twinkle-twinkle, though they also sang a song/chanted a poem that was as follows:

I am somebody,

I am somebody,

I might be small,

But I am somebody,

I might be poor,

But I am somebody,

I might speak another language,

But I am somebody

I might be another color,

But I am somebody

I am somebody,

I am somebody.

Imagine fifteen five year olds saying this… it brought tears to my eyes.

The grade R students singing songs at Vellem Primary

The rest of the day we ran errands around Grahamstown, getting presents for our host family.

            Monday afternoon we had to say goodbye to all of our wonderful friends that we made at the LeBone Center.  After all the children got there, we all got together in a room and they gave us their Christmas card, which was a picture of a bulletin board with all of the Christmas decorations we made with them! Saying goodbye to those kids was extremely difficult simply because we had no idea what their futures would be like-we can just pray for the best, and hope that we made a small impact on their lives.

Tuesday:

        Tuesday evening we had the carol service in the chapel which was very nice. It reminded me a lot Christmas Eve Children’s Mass at St. Martha’s, all the children dressed up as if they were part of the nativity scene and crowded around the Religious Education teacher on the altar.  Once again I had the opportunity to enjoy some Christmas carols, and again it seemed so odd to me! After the carol service I had a lovely dinner with my Bible Study group. Steffi, the woman whose home we go to, decorated the table so nicely and made us adorable bookmarks and wrapped up a bar of chocolate for each of us!

Wednesday:

            What a hard day at school! Both third grade classes had their end of the year parties. I had to spend three hours sitting in the sun by the pool watching students swim! After school I helped decorate the Dining Hall for the Leaver’s Dinner. Two forks, two knives, and a spoon at each table, crackers (fire crackers with prizes inside), and a chocolate at each plate setting! The Hall looked beautiful!

The tables all decorated in the Dining Hall.
 It kind of felt like Harry Potter.

The three of us went on a tour of the Grahamstown Township with the principal of a special needs school. While driving around she told us about some of the rituals that the Xhosa people have which was really interesting. It is just mind boggling how some of these people live!

            When we got back I got ready for the Leaver’s Dinner. It was a lovely evening for the seventh grade students who are ‘leaving’ the Junior School. Their teachers said something nice about each one and handed out awards and certificates. At the end, the Knighting Ceremony took place.  To be knighted simply means to be declared a member of the Kingswood Family. The seventh graders say, “I dub thee, Old Bug, Rise,” when placing the sword on each shoulder and head. It was quite the experience.

Me being Knighted

        After the dinner, Leah and I headed to the Wyvern for Jen, one of the stooges, twenty-first birthday parties. Twenty-first birthdays are a huge deal here-which is somewhat odd because the drinking age is eighteen. Jens party was Alice in Wonderland theme with a ton of decorations, a DJ, speeches, and food. It was really nice to spend some time with the stooges before we left.

Thursday:

            The last day of school! I received several generous presents from students, as well as a cute little scrapbook Debbie’s class made me, and a Kingswood Cookery Book!

            After school we had a quick meeting to discuss students and next year, and then the whole staff headed to Derek’s (Headmaster) house for lunch. The atmosphere at lunch was extremely relaxed-Holiday had finally arrived. One teacher even put a picture of Derek up on the dart board and we all took turns trying to hit the 'bulls’ eye.'

            Thursday night, Leah, April, and I made dinner for Jean, Aegean, and Grandma for our ‘Goodbye Dinner.’ We made fajitas, salsa, and a salad-which was delicious. Of course we had the traditional goodbye dinner conversation where everyone went around the table saying one thing we would miss about the person, and then hearing one thing they would miss about us. It turned out to be very lengthy and complicated with three people leaving! Fortunately, Aegean and Grandma will be in Cape Town so we should be able to see them again.

            Our friend Amy came over for dessert and to also say goodbye. I met Amy at the event at Rhodes University way back at the beginning of the trip. She student taught at Kingswood in grade two, and actually got a job their starting in January as a grade two teacherJ

The three of us with Grandma!

Friday:

Our adventure to Cape Town finally begins!

Less than a week left in Grahamstown!

 This past week was the last 5 day week at Kingswood and things just keep getting busier and busier!

Monday was a pretty typical day. We have been practicing our Christmas Carols at Morning Assembly (Mondays and Thursdays) to prepare for our Primary Carol Service on Tuesday evening. The students in the 3R class started painting their salt dough ornaments which are turning out lovely.

Tuesday we had chapel first thing in the morning and I had my second and last observation! I taught a lesson on Cubes. Word got around that I had experience doing face paint and back stage "giving them the look" to students, so April and I headed over to the Pre-Primary school to help the little ones get ready for their play. The pre-primary school is just like a pre-school, but also has Grade R (Kindergarten). After school we went to the LeBone Center and made Christmas decorations with the children to put up on the walls.

On Wednesday grades one through three went on a field trip to a local government (public) schools play which was Oliver with a Twist. The play was an hour and a half long and it was...interesting! Leah, April, and I went to dinner with Jen, who teaches grade five. Jen is the youngest teacher at Kingswood and we have all found her teaching style similar to teachers back in the States. She is great! I also got my first piece of mail, a Thanksgiving card from my family, which arrived at the perfect time. It was weird to see my South African address on the envelope!

Thursday was a beautiful day! There was not a cloud in the sky and the temperature probably reached 80 degrees. Grades 1-3 had their annual tennis tournament all morning so it was a great day to be outside. I was in charge of the grade two girls. I had to keep track of their points and figure out who played who.

Thursday night I got a chance to Skype with my whole family who was celebrating Thankgiving in St. Joseph. It was so nice to see them all! That was the first major holiday that I have not been with my family, thank God for Skype:)

Friday we had Market Day! I taught both of the grade classes a lesson on Thanksgiving. When I told them that it was tradition to watch the Detroit Lions play they asked me if they won. Of course I had no idea, but could have predicted that they had lost. When we looked it up, the game had only ended forty-eight minutes earlier! From 10-12 the students could walk around and buy things at Market Day. Students in grade five and six set up their little shops and sold everything from candy to clothes pin animals. I tried a popular sweet here called "caramel syringes," which is like caramel flavored pudding in a syringe!

They also have condensed milk flavored-which I did not try. I should mention that these are sanitary syringes specifically bought for this purpose!

The pillow fighting!

After school on Friday we went to Kenton on Sea with Greg, one of the grade seven teachers. We spent a few hours at the beach and went to a local restaurant called Jeremiah's that looks out over the river/ocean. I tried a South African pizza that had avocado, bacon, and banana on it! On the way back I finally got a close look at some Zebras! Pronounced Z-eh-bra of course.

Zebras! Not a great picture due to the thunderstorm that rolled in

On Saturday I celebrated Thanksgiving with the missionary family I met. I was expecting maybe a few people from our Bible study to be there and then April and me, but no- there were probably over thirty people there! I had turkey, green bean casserole, corn casserole, salad, rolls, stuffing, and for dessert I had a piece of peanut butter pie and strawberry- rhubarb pie. Not exactly the traditional Thanksgiving menu, but delicious!

A look at the table setting for our Thanksgiving-we got to eat outside!

Saturday night I went to Miss Intermediate which was an event held at Kingswood for all of the girl boarders in the Junior School. The girls got dressed up and looked very 'smart' (a word used here to describe someone that looks cute/nice. To call someone smart to us would be 'clever' here) The Hall was decorated so nicely with a runway and everything. The girls had to strut down the runway and strike a pose and then answer a question. April and Leah were both guest judges all the way from the U.S.of A.:) They gave out awards for: best dress, best personality, princess one and two, and then Miss Intermediate. The event was put on by the stooges. Stooges are like resident assistants for all the boarding houses.

Foundation Hall set up for Miss Intermediate.
The runway is on the left.

Leah, April, and I headed to another Braai today. The family that had us over has a daughter in grade one, which April teaches in. Their house is beautiful, with a fantastic view of Grahamstown. At a Braai you do not get to the house and all the food is ready, you sit and talk for a few hours, have a glass of wine, then eventually get around to making the food. Now a real traditional Braai is cooked over a wood fire-not gas or charcoal! Meat is what the meal is centered around, like a barbeque. However, they don't just grill hamburgers and hotdogs, but a whole smorgasbord of meat including: pork, lamb, sausage, and chicken. I have become adventurous in trying new food. Today I ate some lamb, and tried mussels and oysters for the first time!

The Braai. They even have one inside for rainy days! South Africans do not mess
around when it comes to a Braai!

We got done with the Braai at around 5:30. As soon as I got home I got an SMS (what they call a text message) from Debbie wondering if I would like a lift to the advent carol service at the Methodist church downtown. Of course I could not miss out on Christmas carols! It was a huge Kingswood event. The Junior and Senior choirs both sang a variety of Christmas carols and the brass band and drum line also performed.

Weekly Outlook

Monday: Observing a township school, so excited about this:), shopping downtown one last time!

Tuesday: Last day at LeBone Center :(, Carol service, and dinner with my Bible study group

Wednesday: Leavers dinner (a traditional goodbye dinner for the seventh graders at the junior school) which  I get to be knighted at!

Thursday: Last day at Kingswood (only a half day), some meetings, and a lunch at Headmaster Derek Braans house, Traditional good bye dinner with my Host Family

Friday: Take off  for Cape Town at 7am!

Thank you for reading!

Cheers:)