animals

I have seen many sheep, goats, cows, and horses.  I have also seen animals we might think of when we think of “Africa” – elephants, giraffes, ostriches, warthogs, buffalo (not what people in the US think of when we say “buffalo”), zebra, lion, monkeys, and a variety of animals in the antelope family.  The most fascinating is the kudu which can jump over 2 meters high when it is standing still, and over 3 meters when it’s running.  The elephant-proof fence is 2.4 meters tall.  It keeps elephants, lions, and other large animals in the national park, but the kudu jump in and out all the time.

houses

We have seen many different kinds of houses.  There are informal settlements for very poor people, government provided houses for poor people, middle class houses, rural traditional Xhosa round houses, and rich people's houses.  Here are some photos.  The first one is a government house, the second is the informal house, and the third is a middle class house.  The last one is a traditional Xhosa.

landscape

I had some questions about landscape.  So far, I have seen some more green areas (near Cape Town in the south west), hills and mountains (in many places), and dry areas with cactus (near Port Elizabeth and at Addo Elephant Sanctuary – a national park).

This is the road to a farm.  We rode in the back of bakkies (pick up trucks).  Also a view on the way to Mthatha.

 

No SpongeBob

We saw a big statue of a cheetah, so of course I thought of the MDS Cheetahs.

overthrowing old traditions

Overthrowing old traditions.  Yes, in South Africa there was a time that old traditions were overthrown.  For many years, white people controlled South Africa.  Black people and others fought for their freedom.  Finally, in 1994, there was the first election where everyone could vote.  It is called the liberation.  Now place names have been changed and there are 11 official languages (before there were only 2 official languages - the languages of the white people).

Some answers - money, temperature, and language

The internet connection is generally slow in South Africa, and here I think it is even slower, so I can't upload a video.

I have a few more answers to questions.

This is what some of the money looks like:

The money is called the Rand.  $1=about R8.  So $5 is about R40.  For someone from the US, many things seem cheaper than in the US, some things seem about the same price, and some are more expensive.

It is winter, but the temperatures are very warm - about 60-70 degrees during the day.  In the southwest (where we started), it rained every day, but here in Port Elizabeth it is sunny most days.  People swim in the ocean every day.  I have not, but I have walked by the ocean.  In Cape Town where we started, it was the Atlantic Ocean.  Here it is the Indian Ocean.

South Africa has 11 official languages.  Business is usually in English, so I have had no problems.  My classes are in English, even if the teacher's first language is Afrikaans.  Things are sometimes written in English and Afrikaans plus one of the other languages like Xhosa or Zulu.

South African history - part 2

Some South African history - colonialism and apartheid (introduction).

Students were curious about what teens do for fun.  This is what I've seen in Cape Town:

Junior High School Questions

These JrHS students have questions on a wide range of topics:

What kind of animals are endangered in South Africa?

The students below are curious about my favorite or most "different" experience, the national park I will be staying at, money, numbers, weather, sports, and communication.

More High School and Junior High Questions

Here are some more questions from high school students:
What kind of clothes (brands, etc.) do people wear?
What is the typical food people eat?
What is your favorite food in South Africa?
In South Africa, are there more poor people, middle class people, or rich people?
How many gold mines does South Africa have, and where are they?
Are the US and South Africa "friends"?
Why is the country of Lesotho surrounded by South Africa?
Is the sun very hot?
Are there large plains?

The students below want to know about religion, food (and how food is eaten), Spongebob, families, clothing, animals, and houses.

High School Questions, part 3

Questions about culture and environment.  These students want to know about education, race and gender, animals, food, weather, and shops.

High School Questions, part 2

Questions about daily life in South Africa from high school students.  They want to know about everyday activities of teenagers and other people, education, and comparisons of lifestyle and environment between South Africa and the US.

High School Questions

Here are some questions about South Africa that were posed by high school students.  They want to know about why I want to go to South Africa, communication (spoken and signed languages), government and history of conflicts, culture, and the flag.

 

 

 

 

This is the new flag of South Africa.  The colors are from different flags related to South Africa.  The old flag had pictures of the flags from the European countries that controlled South Africa.

Introduction

Hello!  My name is Wendy Harris and I am a JrHS/HS Social Studies teacher at Metro Deaf School (MDS).  I am excited to have been selected for a National Endowment for the Humanities study trip in South Africa this summer!  On this bilingual blog, students, friends and families can follow my experiences and also ask questions about South Africa.  I will attempt to find answers for all the questions.